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OFM HEALTH

Going Green: Nutrition and Cannabis

Andre DeAngelo Out of the Shadows and Into the Light

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TelePrEP nPEP

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Vaccinating Colorado with Stride X Gender Markers

DISTRICT 420

14 We offer a variety of comprehensive clinical services including:

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Tommy Chong Our Favorite Token Stoner

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Cannabis Product Reviews

Michael Scherr Making Strides in the World of Cannabis

TasteBudz Curates the Entourage Effect

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Aware-N-Us Diversity-Focused Cannabis Blend

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Laganja Estranja

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ABIS ISSUE VOLUME 45 NUMBER 01 APRIL 2021

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FROM THE EDITOR

ca nn AB IS is

6 OFM A P R I L 2 0 2 1

What makes something “essential?”

There can be a bunch of different definitions of the word, from the food, water, and shelter needed to keep us alive, to the mental health and healthcare services we know today to be so important.

Last year, cannabis businesses were deemed essential during COVID, and many people scoffed, But the same argument gets used against the queer community.

For trans people, being able to express themselves as they are is essential for physical and mental wellbeing, but they still get told by health providers and the military that gender-affirmation surgeries are just cosmetic. And being with the love of your life is essential to happiness and well-being, but until recently, samegender marriage was considered a privilege rather than a necessity.

Cannabis is essential not just because people want to get high and unwind when life gets tough, or because it’s a recreational alternative to alcohol, although those are still important reasons. It is essential because many use it for medicine, to overcome anxiety and depression, to deal with pain and discomfort, and to help with gender dysphoria. Cannabis is an essential coping tool for the modern world.

Now that life is finally starting to settle into this “new normal,” the “essential” designation is not one that we can roll back, not when it comes to cannabis access or LGBTQ rights. All we can do is move forward and increase access and support for marginalized communities until everyone really does have access to the rights, and the medicine, that they deserve.

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OFM breaking

VACCINATING COLORADO

with

STRIDE DIRECTOR Shuanti Meyer

by Ray Manzari

R

epresentatives from one of Denver’s federally qualified health centers, STRIDE, contacted OFM looking to educate readers on their current vaccination process.

To date, STRIDE community health centers have vaccinated around 4,100 Coloradans.

Colorado.gov is reporting that through the state’s 847 available vaccine providers, more than 1 million cumulative vaccinations have been administered. The U.S. has currently vaccinated 13.3 percent of its population. Colorado has vaccinated about 14 percent of its population. We sat down with Senior Director of Medical Affairs Shaunti Meyer to chat more about the ongoing process of vaccinating Colorado.

8 OFM A P R I L 2 0 2 1

What has been the general experience/mood during these vaccine drives?

People are so very thankful and are showing lots of gratitude that they can get a vaccine. Moving from feeling like all we were doing is testing, and having hundreds of people coming back positive every day, to being able to move towards a little bit more of a hopeful process has felt really great.

What symptoms can people expect after getting the vaccine?

It’s quite variable. There were people who really had no reaction at all to the very first vaccine. But, we also then had people who had, from the first dose, high fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, arm soreness. And the second vaccine has been the same; the majority of people who we heard feedback from have gotten a little bit more of a reaction after the second dose compared to the first.

We’ve had a very small percentage of people have a bit of a delayed reaction where they might feel fine the next day,

Would you suggest then, if someone were experiencing symptoms which didn’t resolve after 24 hours, that’d be a good time to go get tested?

Yes, but it’s really 48 hours. If they are still experiencing symptoms after 48 hours [ from being vaccinated], then we do recommend they get a test to see if they were exposed to COVID. What precautions still need to be taken after getting vaccinated?

After the first dose, we really only get to about 50-ish percent immunity. And the full, 95 percent really doesn’t take effect until two weeks after the second dose. It’s important to continue doing exactly what we all should be doing right now anyway.

Knowing that it’s not exactly 100 percent immunity, and that we are seeing some different variants that are coming out across the world and in Colorado specifically, we should still be taking some precautions like wearing a mask, washing your hands, staying at least six feet apart.

Is there a significant difference between the Moderna and Phizer vaccines?

You know, from a medical perspective, there really isn’t. The data, efficacy, and safety, are very similar with the two of them, which is really great.

The difference is really about the time between the first and second dose. So, the Phizer vaccine right now is 21 days, and the Moderna vaccine is 28 days.

Are you confident that enough Coloradans will get the vaccine in order to achieve herd immunity?

third quarter. My best guess, realistically is the third quarter, late summer, fall.

Is there anything that you want our readers to know?

The fact that I’m a medical provider and that I identify as being part of the [LGBTQ] community, I feel very safe; I’ve gotten my two doses. I cannot tell you how much of a relief I felt after getting that second dose and then getting to the two weeks beyond that second dose. I continue to not change any of my behavior, as far as my interactions with people and patients goes.

OFM breaking

but then three to five days later, begin to feel symptoms. But, the vast majority of people who are going to have a reaction will typically see that 24 to 48 hours after being vaccinated, and it usually resolves within 24 hours.

What do you want our readers to know about STRIDE? What’s really nice about our agency and all other federally qualified health centers is that you don’t have to have insurance to come to us; you don’t have to be a legal resident of the United States to come to us. We don’t want finances to be a barrier to quality healthcare.

We do dental care; we do behavioral healthcare; we have providers who work with the trans and nonbinary community. We also have the Ryan White program for people who are HIV-positive. We do refugee screenings for people who are coming in from other countries.

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Oh, you know, that’s a tough question to answer. I’m certainly very hopeful, though right now I’m not confident. I still think that there’s a lot of newness to this vaccine, and I think that there are portions of the Coloradan population that, for good reason, feel maybe a little less trustful of the vaccine distribution process.

And I do know that the LGBTQ population is part of that.

The LGBTQ population on the whole has a tendency to be less trustful of the medical system because of acceptance and safety. The more we can continue to talk openly about those hesitations, and those reasons why people don’t feel as comfortable, will be helpful in building that trust.

When can we expect to see an end to mask wearing/ social distancing?

I will be very honest in that I do my best to try to read information and hear information from trusted, scientific sources. And so, the information that I continue to hear and read is that, we’re hopeful that we can get to where we’re vaccinating the general population in the late summer, so

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OFM breaking

X

X GENDER MARKERS

MAY SOON BE FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED

by Ray Manzari

1 0 OFM A P R I L 2 0 2 1

It is often in the act of presenting legal identification that trans people face some of the worst discrimination—particularly if their legal gender doesn’t match their gender expression. According to the 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, 25 percent of respondents had been verbally harassed when showing an ID that was incongruent with their gender, while 16 percent had been denied services or benefits, and 9 percent had been asked to leave an establishment.

Vice recently interviewed seven nonbinary and intersex people on their experiences with having X gender markers. Here’s some of what they had to say: “Sometimes [people understand what it means], and sometimes they don’t. It depends on the people, and it’s sometimes easy and sometimes tedious to explain. But, it is always worth the effort,” says Jack(ie) Colquitt, 22.

“I’ve found that some people are really confused by it, and often in conversations regarding gender markers, I find that people bring up wanting to know what I, or others that identify like I do, were assigned at birth.

That can be pretty frustrating, and you can tell that some people don’t understand how or why that could be intrusive because essentially, they just wanna know what’s in your pants,” says Chanlar Rose, 22.

“It has meant the world to me. I feel like the state sees my human complexity rather than just a barcode … like I can be seen as a third gender rather than asked to fill a binary because of what is in my pants. I’ve suffered much less overt discrimination since the gender marker X has made it into the national press,” Aidan Hill, 26, told Vice.

Through these testimonials, one thing is made clear: the nonbinary experience is often one filled with intrusive questions regarding one’s genitalia. Many also feel the gender-neutral marker was a fundamental validation of their identity. Society has a long way to go when it comes to learning the appropriate ways in which to traverse the subject of gender identity, but should that stop folks from seeking validation through X gender markers?

Lawmakers and ACLU advocates would argue not.

“Access to an ID that reflects who you are is paramount to the rights of trans people, and so, passing this kind of executive order early in the administration says from the federal government, ‘We see you; we respect you for exactly who you are,’” Arli Christian says.

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A

fter years of lobbying and lawsuits, X gender markers may soon be coming to passports, social security cards, and other federal documents. LGBTQ advocates began working with the Biden administration to add these nonbinary gender markers to all federal documents, according to the ACLU. “President Biden remains committed to advancing state and federal efforts that allow transgender and nonbinary Americans to update their identification documents to accurately reflect their gender identity, especially as transgender and nonbinary people continue to face harassment or are denied access to services because their identifications documents don’t affirm their identity,” says Matt Hill, a White House spokesperson.

Should these new gender markers be added, nonbinary, intersex, and trans people will finally be able to experience the affirmation that arises from being acknowledged by their government.

“It cuts across so many areas of discrimination against trans people, whether we’re talking about being respected in school, safety, employment, housing,” says Arli Christian, campaign strategist at the ACLU. The ACLU is also pushing for policy that would allow individuals to change their federal gender markers without submitting medical documentation of a gender change. Currently, 20 states and Washington D.C. have such policies. The White House, however, did not comment on whether they plan on adopting this change.

While gender X markers could provide some with much-needed validation and recognition, others argue that visibility comes with a price.

Legislation is being considered that would require individuals to use the restroom which matches their gender marker on federally issued IDs. With so few gender-neutral bathrooms, some believe that an X marker would only complicate matters for an already marginalized group of people.

Others have expressed concern with potential discrimination when dealing with police officers. According to the National Center for Transgender Equality’s 2015 U.S. Trans Survey, 58 percent of respondents who had interacted with the police in the year prior to taking the survey had experienced some form of mistreatment such as being verbally harassed, misgendered, physically assaulted, or sexually assaulted.

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OFM health

GREEN

GOING

Nutrition & Cannabis

by Zachari Breeding, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, FAND

C

annabis use has inarguably sky-rocketed throughout the country, with more states legalizing both recreational and/or medical use. While this is definitely something to celebrate for a variety of reasons, we can’t assume there are no side effects of frequent cannabis use. Just like food, what we put into our bodies has indirect and direct impacts on how our bodies function. Emerging research of the endocannabinoid system sheds some light on cannabis’ impact, but we must also recognize the inherent limitations of the research available.

specific regions of the body to complete their “task,” but overall, the goal is balance. Meaning, the natural release of endocannabinoids (not from external use of cannabis) helps to regulate things such as normal appetite, healthy sleeping patterns, natural healing, immune support, etc.

If we look at this in the context of depression and serotonin, many people produce and release enough serotonin to prevent depression symptoms. When someone doesn’t have enough serotonin production/ release, depression ensues. Similarly, many people may What is the endocannabinoid system? not produce enough internal endocannabinoids, which This system includes both endocannabinoids and the can potentially be a cause for poor sleeping patterns, receptors they bind to (such as CB1 and CB2 receptors) anxiety, inflammation, etc. in order to perform different “tasks” within the body. The With this in mind, just like someone with depression most common endocannabinoids are anandamide and may take a serotonin-regulating medication, 2-AG. These endocannabinoids play a role in regulating cannabis use offers an additional information sent to the brain, urination frequency, blood means of promoting vessel elasticity, sleep, inflammation, pain, and anxiety— endocannabinoids just to name a few. There are other compounds such as that can help to flavonoids and terpenes, however significant research is regulate lacking on their exact mechanisms of action.

The role any endocannabinoid plays has everything to do with the receptor it binds to and the location of said receptor (i.e. binding to CB1 is different than binding to CB2). Both CB1 and CB2 receptors are located in

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to eating regularly, natural release of these hormones allows the person to eat intuitively and listen to their bodies without overindulging.

Can cannabis use help or hinder my nutrition?

There are a ton of CB1 and CB2 receptors in the gut, which allow the role of cannabis to act as a potential anti-inflammatory. Use of cannabis may help reduce IBD symptoms such as cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and pain. Interestingly, research exists to show a relationship between a dysfunctional endocannabinoid system and IBD development.

One of the issues with the research that exists is the reliance on a consistent product—cannabis—which currently comes from only one research facility in the U.S. Limited product effectively means research is slow to come out, especially when considering the federal illegality of cannabis. This doesn’t mean you can’t search for “research” on the web about cannabis. Like many other areas of nutrition, there is an abundance of misinformation out there. However, we can draw some possible connections with what we know presently:

Diet Since we can draw the anti-inflammatory connection with cannabis use, it doesn’t make sense to consume pro-inflammatory foods such as: processed meats (i.e. bacon, smoked meats, lunch meats), simple sugars, and fried foods. Choose anti-inflammatory foods including fruits, vegetables, Omega-3 rich fishes (i.e. salmon and tuna), unsaturated fats (i.e. avocado, olive oil, nuts/ seeds), and complex carbohydrates (i.e. lentils, beans, oats, quinoa). There is no shake or substitution for nutrient-dense eating.

Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD)

OFM health

many of the systems in which it plays a role. The potential issues lie in excessive use of cannabis, which can overstimulate the endocannabinoid system, and results in the feeling of being “stoned,” extreme euphoria, and for others, paranoia and anxiety.

The role of nutrition in cannabis use should be to eat the foods that support, not hinder, the intended benefit.

There is no research or information directing someone toward a “preferred” method of consuming cannabis— whether it be vaped, smoked, or eaten. We do know that certain populations should not use cannabis, including children and those who are pregnant, unless directed by a qualified physician. It is also not recommended to smoke any substance for those with lung diseases such as cancer, asthma, or cystic fibrosis. However, cannabis use may play a beneficial role for many others. Engaging in a conversation with a registered dietitian can help navigate the best way to optimize your nutrition while enjoying the benefits of cannabis.

Exercise For some individuals, use of cannabis prior to weightbearing exercises can promote focus, recovery, and potentially longer lifting periods. Because of the antiinflammatory, pain-relieving, and muscle-relaxing benefits, individuals who exercise while high may increase their risk of straining and injuries, since their body is not triggering a cue of “going too far.” Although recovery may also be enhanced with cannabis use, it is important to know one’s limits to prevent serious injury.

Appetite So many people eat one to two meals per day; this does not optimize one’s nutrition. The body’s metabolism needs fuel (i.e. food) to operate efficiently, which requires regular meal/snack periods throughout the day. For some, this might be related to an imbalance in hunger/satiety hormones, which may be corrected with cannabis use. Once the body is accustomed

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ANDRE DEANGELO OFM cannabis

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Out of the

Shadows

and Into the

Light

by Corcoran O’Leary

photos provided by Andre DeAngelo

OFM cannabis

A

ndre DeAngelo is a cannabis expert, not just because he’s smoked a lot of weed (although he has) but because his entire life and career have revolved around the plant. Andrew has enjoyed what he calls a “cannabis career” which not only involves founding and operating a dispensary, but also engaging in political advocacy work, writing about weed for publications like Playboy, and providing consulting services for those in the cannabis industry.

Using his own terminology, he appears as a suit: a clean-cut, handsome, middle-aged man often wearing business attire; however, at heart, he is a stoner. His admiration for cannabis comes through when he talks about it, as he points out all the medicinal uses it has while also savoring the delight it can give those who use it recreationally. His image contradicts every negative stereotype that has existed in society about those who smoke cannabis.

Successful, eloquent, and passionate, his life story serves to counter the cannabis alarmists of the past.

“My mission in life has been about taking cannabis out of the shadows and into the light,” DeAngelo tells me. “Rebranding cannabis as a force of good, not as a force of bad.”

His ties to cannabis go back to his childhood. His brother Steve DeAngelo, 10 years his senior, was selling cannabis while Andrew was still a child. At 9 years old, he remembers visiting his brother while he was in jail for a cannabis offense. When he was in his teens, he discovered he had the same affinity for the plant, appreciating its healing effects and the recreational enhancements it provides. DeAngelo was quickly a supporter of legalization.

“I always felt like the plant does most of the work for us, everybody has an endocannabinoid system, and all of us that have experienced cannabis, most people, get benefits from it,” DeAngelo says.

When it was time for him to go to college, he knew he wanted to leave his hometown of Washington, D.C.

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OFM cannabis

for the sun-kissed, blue skies of California. However, it wasn’t Walking into Peron’s house was a culture shock. Peron until the year 1990, when he moved to San Francisco, that he housed around a dozen gay men. Many were runaways, realized the powerful future cannabis could have. kicked out by their disapproving families. They grew weed, Accepted into an MFA acting program in 1990, his brother both to share with each other and to sell. arranged for him to crash at weed activist Dennis Peron’s house for a couple of weeks while he looked for a place in San Francisco. Exposure to Peron changed the way DeAngelo looked at the fight for legalization.

“You couldn’t do anything outrageous or violent, but it was a pretty loose scene. But, you had to be there for dinner. I grew up that way in my family, so when I saw that, and I saw this community around him, I was very inspired,” DeAngelo says.

In 1990, Peron was already a fixture in both the LGBTQ community and the cannabis community in San Francisco. A veteran of Vietnam, Peron, forever changed by the horrors of war, moved to San Francisco to lead a life of advocacy.

“I saw him foster community, and I saw him heal people. I saw him be a leader.” DeAngelo says.

The AIDS epidemic was still raging, and cannabis was a popular medicine that helped ease the pain for many AIDS patients. The fight for gay rights and the fight for legalization were linked; it was those in the LGBTQ community who organized and advocated to legalize this medicine for their brothers and sisters who were sick. The police during that time targeted LGBTQ communities, and those caught with cannabis faced serious time in prison.

More than just an anchor for the community, Peron was undoubtedly a leader. He showed DeAngelo that, through effective organizing and storytelling, change could be enacted.

“So, Dennis started putting very sick people in front of the media, and in front of cameras,

“

Dennis was a brave, brave warrior, a peaceful warrior, hunted by the police, shot by the police, imprisoned by the police ...

A real hero.

“

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In 1994, Peron co-founded the first public, cannabis dispensary in the United States, the San Francisco Buyers Club. In August of 1996, his medicinal cannabis store was raided by police. Sixty pounds of pot and $750,000 were seized; Peron was arrested at his home, and the dispensary was shut down. This was while he was hard at work campaigning for Proposition 215, a landmark proposition that would legalize medical cannabis in California and was co-authored by Peron himself. Peron did not let the raid affect his advocacy, giving interviews and appearing nightly on television news during the weeks leading up to the referendum.

“Dennis was a brave, brave warrior, a peaceful warrior, hunted by the police, shot by the police, imprisoned by the police, more than once, and still kept doing this work despite all that. A real hero,” DeAngelo says.

2006, he co-founded Harborside, a dispensary in Oakland which, in 2012, was targeted by federal drug enforcement who tried to shut it down. Instead of giving into the pressure to close, they fought the charges. The feds dropped the case in 2016, setting precedents that would protect similar dispensaries from federal intervention.

OFM cannabis

and he started trying to pass laws and tell their stories. He didn’t tell his stories; he told their stories. And that was a stroke of genius. Something I’ve learned a lot from because it can’t be about us; it has to be about the patient; it has to be about the customer rather than the plant itself. Once we stopped making righteous arguments, and we started healing people, we started to make a lot more progress politically at the time, once we started moving people from the heart,” DeAngelo says.

DeAngelo joined in the activism, continuing even after he moved out of Peron’s. In 1991, Peron and DeAngelo helped organize support for Proposition P, a measure that would make the medical use of cannabis legal within the city limits.

The proposition passed with 79 percent of the vote.

He has also co-founded The Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit that works to release those serving time for cannabis possession.

“Our mission is freeing all cannabis prisoners on Earth, expunging their records, and reintegrating them into society,” DeAngelo says.

DeAngelo is one of the first to be able to make an entire career around cannabis. He was there through it all—that early struggle to legalize medicinal cannabis in San Francisco to entire states legalizing the plant for recreational use. He has high hopes for the future of the industry, dreaming of a future that is beneficial to all, in which small cannabis businesses can thrive, medical cannabis is available to everyone, and people don’t go to prison for possessing weed.

Talking about Peron, whom he had contact with until he passed in 2018, DeAngelo has a clear reverence for the true trailblazer that has allowed him to pursue the career he has now.

“I could talk about Dennis for a long time; we are all standing on the shoulders of Dennis.”

The historic proposition passed while Peron was indicted on felony drug charges, and his uncertain future didn’t dampen his jubilation at the news.

“I learned that I could have a cannabis career through Dennis, and it would be possible to be legal; it would be possible to make our dreams come true. Dennis had the bravery and the vision and the chutzpah to get it done.”

DeAngelo found some success as an actor, both on stage and on screen, but cannabis is what he kept returning to.

After the lessons learned from Peron, he decided to lead a similar life, one of organization, advocacy, and compassion.

He moved back to D.C. in 1992 and worked on Initiative 59, a measure that would legalize medicinal cannabis within D.C., which was passed in 1998.

“We have to tell stories of kids with epilepsy in their community, senior citizens, people like that, that are amongst them and need this medicine. That’s how we will eventually lift all the local bans. And we’ll change minds.

One mind and one heart at a time.”

Since his graduation from college, DeAngelo’s ongoing drive led him to play a part in many cannabis-related projects. In

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OFM cannabis

Our Favorite Token Stoner

His namesake brand is one of the first multi-story, celebrity, cannabis brands, debuting in the medical California market, then expanding out to every medical and recreational state in the country. Chong often partners with innovative manufacturers, an example being Higher Celebrations who, in 2019, developed a unique cannabis product called the BirthJay, a pre-rolled joint birthday candle. With an attention to detail and quality, Tommy is determined to bring you the very best products available on the market.

Tommy Chong

by Denny Patterson

There are very few who do not know who Tommy Chong is.

Known for his cannabis-themed Cheech & Chong comedy albums and movies with Cheech Marin, as well as playing Leo on Fox’s That ‘70s Show, Chong curated a completely unique brand of comedy directed at the counterculture movement of the early 1970s. He is a legendary staple in cannabis culture. Now, he is turning his attention to selling the product that helped make his claim to fame.

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OFM had the pleasure of talking more with Chong about his partnership with Higher Celebrations, starting a dispensary line with Marin, and the advice he would offer to those who want to get started in the cannabis industry.

You are currently partnering with High Celebrations to promote the BirthJay? Yes! The BirthJay! Isn’t it great? I could have used it today.

It was my little granddaughter’s seventh birthday. Even though she wouldn’t partake, I sure would. Let her blow out the candle, and I will take the jay.

When you first heard about the BirthJay, what were your initial thoughts?

OFM cannabis

It is such a cool idea. I just love them, and they are so much fun. Because I am the pot go-to guy, I am receiving all sorts of gimmicks and stuff to try. I love getting pot gifts. Just love it.

I am so spoiled, man.

You are one of the biggest cannabis activists in the entertainment industry. Why is cannabis so important to you, and how has it changed your life?

It is important to me because the healthiest people on the planet use it regularly. I am not talking about your average Joe. I am talking about people like Arnold Schwarzenegger. His only—you can’t even call it a drug—his only substance of choice was pot, and probably still is. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, prolonged his career seven years from when he should have retired. He used pot, and he used it to help with his migraines. More important, Montel Williams, the announcer and talk show host—he would be in a wheelchair if it were not for cannabis. He has MS so bad, and when you have MS, there is no cure. You just live with it and die with it.

The people who use marijuana, they function. It is role models like that who make me feel vindicated and invigorated. When you are helping people, there are a lot of good things that go along with that feeling. You are not only helping people, but there is a sort of satisfaction. It is a nice feeling, and you sleep very well at night. It is like a blessing for me because I was not even recognized as an activist until I went to jail. Talking with the news and stations, they find out I am not that Up in Smoke stoner that I play in the movies, or Leo from That ‘70s Show. They find out that I am a dad, a grandpa, a great-grandpa. I just want to spread the good news about cannabis to those who need it. People have come to me saying,, ‘Well, I have never touched it and never will.’ No problem! More for me!

Do you think the country is on its way to fully legalizing recreational and medicinal cannabis?

Absolutely! We got Joe Biden in there.

We got Kamala Harris; we got Cory Booker. It is the only decent thing to do.

Do you have any music or acting projects in the works?

Yes! With our pot shops, we are going to be doing a big Cheech & Chong revival. We will be working on a stage show, we got a documentary ready to go, and we got some other offers to do another Cheech & Chong-style movie.

We are poised, as they say.

To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

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OFM cannabis

M

ichael Scherr is an entertainerturned-entrepreneur with 12 years of experience in the cannabis industry, where he has established expertise in branding, packaging, cannabis, gifting, and product development.

Making Strides in the World of Cannabis

Scherr spent the past three years further developing his understanding of the complex, inner workings of the cannabis industry before launching Aria Brands, of which Scheer is the acting CEO. Aria Brands is a holding company with two wholly owned subsidiaries, including Higher Celebrations International, a novelty gifting product line for adults, and Arbor Grove, a hemp-derived-CBD consumer product line for simplified and mindful living.

In May 2019, Higher Celebrations launched BirthJays, the world’s first pre-rolled joint birthday candle, with the simple goal of making adult birthday parties more fun. After a chaotic year with the COVID-19 pandemic, we all need some joy in our lives. The BirthJay has been a hot seller within the cannabis market, and Scherr has even partnered up with iconic legends like Snoop Dogg and Tommy Chong, who are not only known for smoking the green, but advocating for its use.

Michael Scherr

by Denny Patterson

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OFM caught up with Scherr to talk more about the BirthJay, why he is passionate about cannabis, and his work with local, Denver dispensaries.

OFM cannabis

with them, see how they are selling, and talk with the budtenders. Budtenders are oftentimes making lower wages, and they are the gatekeepers. We know it is not the easiest or the most rewarding job, but they hold a key in letting people know which products are good. I definitely want to do more with dispensaries this year and kind of focus on our sales and marketing efforts.

What have you gained by working in the cannabis industry?

What can you tell us about BirthJays?

Cannabis is one of my passions, and I have been in this space on and off for many years. I came up with the idea for a celebratory joint. Like, what if I put a candle on a joint? Before going into the industry, I spent most of my life on stage entertaining, traveling the world on cruise lines, and making music globally.

When I decided to leave the stage and cut my hair, I still have entertainer in my mind and body. So, all my products come out as extensions of me. I am a punny person, and Higher Celebrations is my company, so I thought about giftable cannabis. BirthJays was the first thing I came up with because, of course, everybody has a birthday.

I did a bunch of research, and it took me years to learn how to make injection-molded pieces and blister molds. The little piece for the top of the candlesticks took me months of engineering because it was too tight, and if it was too loose, it fell right off. I had to build a little moat in there to catch the wax because otherwise it will drip onto your joint. I made this product because my goal is to create joy and bring happiness to events. We have single BirthJays that are sold either empty at head shops or filled in some dispensaries here in Colorado. We also have the fivepacks that are now branded with Tommy Chong because he is working with us.

Can you talk more about the work you do with local, Denver dispensaries?

I do a mix of things. It is much easier to sell a product empty, and several dispensaries do sell them empty so people can pick what they want to use, but there are about 20 to 30 dispensaries that do carry BirthJays. We also have a filling partner. So, I will go in and connect

Family, network, education, growth, and selfconfidence. When we go to some of these industry shows, it is nice to see familiar faces, people I met four to six years ago. I am glad more folks are entering.

Competition is healthy, but I also want people to destigmatize cannabis by having more people want to get in the industry. There is a yoga retreat I go to with 30-plus people I have known for a handful of years, and it is like a reunion where we get to spend a few days decompressing.

Working in this industry is hard, and you do not make a lot of money. You have the government against you, people’s parents are against you, and there is an upside potential where a lot of profit can happen, but a lot of folks, including myself, have not seen that. It is nice to have a camaraderie of people who have been in the game and doing it for many years from different angles.

I have met some awesome folks in this space.

To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

It’s our differences that make us great.

Susan Boynton, Agent 9200 W Cross Dr Ste 122 Littleton, CO 80123 Bus: 303-948-2905 susan.boynton.lcfc@statefarm.com

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No matter what you value, I’m here to help protect it with respect and professionalism.

Here to help life go right.

CALL ME TODAY. ®

State Farm, Bloomington, IL

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Whether you celebrate 420 by staying in and packing a bowl or by safely going to an outdoor event and popping some edibles, there is something for everyone in here this year. From joints that burn extra-long to pain relief balm and capsules, here is your ultimate guide to all things queer- and 420-friendly.

Double Bear Live Wax Live wax is one of the best extract products on the market—it blends the flavor of terps and the impact of a good concentrate to make a product that truly suits all cannabis connoisseurs. This unique, hybrid strain has a light flavor that pairs nicely with dabs or in a concentrate pen, and you can tell by the color and the even burn that the extraction process is solid. Double Bear are some of the best when it comes to concentrates!

Ugly Stepsister This special strain is one-of-a-kind, and also one that is unique to Terrapin. Ugly Stepsister comes from the cross between Glass Slipper and Chunky Diesel, and it truly is a doozy. The pairing of the two strains results in a high-THC, no-CBD blend that is perfect for staying in and getting toasty, or blazing up before a socially distanced day on the town.

OFM cannabis

TERRAPIN CARE STATION Double Bear 1:1 Vape Double Bear has it on lock when it comes to their awesome, unique blend of concentrates, and their cartridges are no exception to that. Their honey 1:1 vape balances CBD and THC in a tasty, easy-touse cart that works with 510-thread vape pens. Available at all Terrapin locations, their special line of vape carts leaves nothing to be desired.

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OFM cannabis

GOOD CHEMISTRY Platinum Huckleberry Cookies This special strain is a Good Chemistry original! A cross between Platinum Girl Scout Cookies, everyone’s favorite strain, and Oregon Huckleberry, the color is light green and dark purple, gorgeous, and unique in every way.

Soft and sticky, there’s a reason this strain is named for cookies, because it is downright sweet as well as floral. If you’re looking for relaxation or a strain to smoke before love making or eating, this is it!

Gravy Train Another strain that Good Chemistry perfected, Gravy Train combines Orange Apricot and M.A.C. to makesomething-special and much-needed. The light-anddark, green colors and skunky, citrusy flavor combine to give smokers a taste of something delicious that packs a seriously relaxing punch. This strain is also great for help with pain and discomfort.

1906

Discovery-Size Drop Pack Heading out for a camping trip, or just hitting the town now that the weather is fine? 1906 drops are just the thing, and now, you don’t have to choose just one. With the discovery-size pack, you can try all of them at once.

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HIGH LEVEL HEALTH Infused King Palm Nothing says 420 like a good dab, and High Level Health’s Blue Skunk Live budder has you covered in that department.

This indica-dominant cross between blueberry and skunk is downright delightful, the perfect hybrid for chilling and relaxing but still getting stuff done. If you’re looking for concentrate options, look no further.

Live Budder- Blue Skunk Blue Skunk Live Diamond Sauce 1g What’s better than a preroll? An infused preroll, of course! The extra kick from the Blue Skunk Live Diamond Sauce is just what is needed to spice up this already-beloved cannabis favorite. The classy, palm leaf wrap also eliminates any icky taste and makes the whole experience super-classy.

GREEN DOT Full-Spectrum Extract Cartridge Unlike many vape carts, vaping oil from Green Dot is almost the same experience as taking a dab. Why? Because the full-spectrum extract delivers more effects than normal carts, some of which can be watered down with other additives. With Green Dot, you get the real deal.

Cherry Lime Soda Budder

Another example of excellence in concentrates, the flavor of Green Dot’s extracts is pure and delicious, and the effects are strong but always well-balanced. This mellow hybrid leaves nothing to be desired in either budder or cartridge form.

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OFM cannabis

GREEN SOLUTION

nectarbee Party Pack There are so many good things about nectarbee it’s hard to pick just a few, but above all, the best thing is the flavor. If you snag one of their party packs from Green Solution, you get some delicious, infused cherry sodas and root beer as well as truffles and edibles. A fan favorite is the key lime, hybrid truffle, which is as relaxing and chill as it is fluffy and tasty.

LE REMEDIE

Body Butter If you like to use THC and CBD for all those pesky aches and pains, you need to try the body butter made by Le Remedie.

The formula acts fast and packs a punch of 300 mg of CBD with no psychoactive effects, so you can use this healing balm any time.

RIPPLE

Sour Gummies Ripple has sour, microdose gummies that are just the thing for the cautious cannabis consumer. The sour variety pack and sour watermelon both taste great, and will absolutely pack the punch they are supposed to pack, without too much extra “oomph.”

Mango Chili Lime QuickSticks For a short time, Ripple is shaking it up with their new, mango chili lime QuickSticks. To enjoy the sticks, either pop the powder on your tongue and enjoy the taste while it dissolves, or add to food or beverages. Full disclosure: this powder is GREAT in picante chicken ramen.

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GOLDEN LEAF

Krazy About Kratom

If you’re looking for a way to relax, unwind, manage pain, or put a bit more pep in your step, don’t underestimate the healing, transformative powers of kratom.

For some, cannabis just isn’t the ticket: maybe it causes depression or anxiety, or it could be out of the question due to drug testing. Kratom is an awesome way to recreate without relying on habit-forming substances like prescription drugs or alcohol.

Golden Leaf offers the full spectrum of kratom products, from the strain variants of green, red, white, and yellow, to extract pills and infused sodas.

If the taste of kratom on its own isn’t palatable, there are plenty of options, and they’ve got you covered.

Looking for more than kratom? Golden Leaf also carries lots of alternatives including kava, ethnobotanicals, medical mushrooms, and nootropics. goldenleafbotanicals.com. outfrontmagazine.com 27

OFM cannabis

SEED & SMITH

Extractor’s Choice Live Resin It’s called Extractor’s Choice for a reason, y’all!

This is definitely the first choice of anyone who is well-versed in the ways of extraction. With plenty of terps in the sauce that coats these delightful crystals, this concentrate walks the line between flavor and effects extremely well.

Go with more sauce for more flavor, and scoop the crystals for a stronger high.

STRATOS

Slow-Burn Preroll If you want your preroll to last and last, go with a slow burn. True to name, this product gives you enough time to savor the flavor—and, in post-COVID days, when it’s safe to smoke with more than just your inner circle, this will be just the ticket. Not to mention, the cannabis it’s packed with is nothing to sneeze at.

WANA

Peach Bellini Caps For a lighter, low-dose, Wana Cap, try their peach bellini flavor. The sugary, sweet taste blends perfectly with the light high. Try just one for a microdose, or pop a cover for the heavier effects you expect from Wana Caps.

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VERITAS

OFM gallery

Wookie Fruit

This blend between Wookies and Orange Apricot is tranquil, unwinding, and dreamy. The taste of this flower is out-of-this-world chill, and it will help you unwind after a long stressful day, or set the tone for a lazy Sunday at home. We can’t get enough!

PRIVY PEACH

CBD-Infused

Hemp & Avocado Massage Oil

Privy Peach has a cherry, CBD-infused, hemp and avocado massage oil that really helps you relax. The light, cherry sent is soothing to the senses. A massage with this oil can definitely cause you to lose track of time. The mixture of the hemp and avocado oil helps you relax and softens your skin.

Hydro Glide Natural Relief

Sometimes to get things going, you must first grease the hinges.

Privy Peach understands this and has a CBD-infused, all-natural relief, hydro-glide product for all your lube needs. This personal lubricant not only makes the journey easier to handle, it also knocks the pleasure up a notch.

This lubricant is water-based and contains 250 mg of CBD.

Hydro Glide Sensation Enhancer Light the candles to enhance the mood, and grab a bottle of Privy Peach’s CBD-infused Sensation Enhancer, Hydro Glide, to increase the motion of the ocean. A bottle of this can really turn up the heat, figuratively speaking. This personal lubricant is water-based and contains 250 mg of CBD.

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Photos by Julius Garrido

Suit: Paisley & Gray Africa Necklace: Aboriginal Bling Blam Joint: Simly Pure Dispensary Haricut: Sayyid Malik

KERRIE JOY

“Planted, deep within this fertile, brown skin lies the capacity to be magnificent.”

- Kerrie Joy, “Melanin”

by Veronica L. Holyfield

I

t’s not fair to say that Kerrie Joy is just a storyteller, for she is an imaginative, sensory orator who paints vivid pictures with her words, transporting the mind and opening the soul. It’s not right to say that she is just a performative poet and savvy songwriter, although she does spit prolific rhymes which are capable of redesigning sensibilities. It’s not right to deduce Joy to but a clothing designer, for her technique in approaching formulas of cloth and stitch are derived from internal identity and external purpose. It’s not expansive enough to call her just a cannabis consumer and activist, for her queerness and Blackness inherently draw from millennium of prejudice, oppression, and stigmatization, carrying the burden of every move being deemed a political statement. It would also not be far-fetched to claim that the writer, artist, sonnetist, designer, and activist is a reborn rhapsodist, and a versatile visionary.

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Looking at where Joy has arrived in life, a successful entrepreneur who is married to political standout Candi CdeBaca, one would likely assume that a dive into her personal history would not be one of turbulence, turmoil, and internalized self-redaction.

However, her rise to stardom came with myriad obstacles and friction.

Raised by two, hard-working Jamaican parents in Brooklyn, NY, she and her family dedicated their lives to the strict, Christian philosophy of the Apostolic church that adheres to literal, Biblical principles.

“I’m a proud, Black, queer woman living in a world where it’s hard to be fully human in public,” Joy explains. Elaborating, she says, “I feel like that’s something that I’ve wrestled with my whole life. Growing up in a very legalistic household, it was cultish in some ways, being a queer woman, there was absolutely no space for that. On top of that, being a Black woman in the world and knowing what that meant, it’s taken me a very long time to get to a place where I am no longer sorry for existing as I am.”

Tiptoeing the line of divinity and authenticity, Joy often suppressed her truth in order to be deemed lovable and acceptable to God. By denying herself of the wants and desires of the flesh, and attending church obligations no less than four days per week, Joy found that she was being stripped of her unique, strong, empathic essence as she strayed further away from herself and closer to what others wanted of her.

“There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Obedience is better than sacrifice,’ and I still don’t completely understand the context in which it was used, but the understanding of obedience was really, really ingrained into me and my identity,” Joy admits.

“Sometimes I feel a lot of shame and guilt, to be honest, about allowing myself to be in that space and to be subjected to that kind of oppression for so long. I consider myself an intelligent woman and get frustrated at how long it really took me to step out,” she confesses.

After being challenged by an English teacher in 11th grade, Ms. Jennifer Costabile, to paint a picture with her words, exploring the usage of colorful language, and trusting her instincts, Joy discovered refuge in the art of storytelling. This opened her eyes to new ways of existing freely and set her down a path that would forever change her.

“That’s really where I just would allow myself to be as real as possible. There was a point in time where a lot of the internalized hate came out in my journal, too, and I feel like I see the transition and growth over time,” she says. “Still today, that’s literally one of the only ways that I’m able to really sort through the thoughts in my head and deal with the ways of our world.”

It wasn’t until Joy married a man that she fully realized that she was making herself miserable by living a life of self-denial. Existing daily with the weight of the lies, and experiencing depression and suicidal thinking, it all became too exhausting and she decided to walk away from everything she ever knew.

“I just took a chance on myself, and was met with some backlash, you know what I’m saying, but it was all worth it. This is the life that I believe is worth dying for: being authentically me.”

Relieving herself of the pressure put on her by her church, and the nagging criticism of that leadership team, Joy flexed her strength and unapologetically pursued her passions. Applying her once-religious obedience to an entrepreneurial discipline, her determination shines through in every artistic endeavor she takes on.

Joy is fiercely and incredibly effective in her efforts as she persistently links her personal interests to how they effect the collective community. Having moved to Denver in 2017 to start her life over as an out, queer woman, she has quickly become a celebrated, public figure and a creative factotum.

Taking the role of an instructor and educator, Joy teaches young folks to trust their inner voice through workshops and motivational speeches, and she performed on stages of the 2018 Womxn’s March, TEDx Mile High, and Red Rocks Amphitheater, to name a few. She Top & Bottom Looks Middle Look is a community educator around public policy and Crewneck: Kerrie Joy Crop Hoodie: Bhuetful Button Up: Express Camo Pants: H&M Denim Pants: H&M Boots: ASOS 3 2 OFM A P R I L 2 0 2 1

local campaigns, partnering with Ru Johnson on the DeMystify the Technique initiative that unveils what’s going on behind the scenes in local legislation. She is the co-executive director of The Kaleidoscope Project, a nonprofit that aims to activate collective power in BIPOC communities through social engagement, grassroots organizing, and cultural fortitude. Joy is also a co-host of The SIP Podcast, where three Black women in the arts invite listeners into the “sister group chat,” sharing their journeys, truth, and power.

Additionally, Joy is a clothing designer, branching out and exploring the various identities which are housed within her. From the Kerrie Joy line, which encourages folks to be bright, colorful, and vibrant, carrying joy to all those around, to the Assata Forever tribute, which pays homage to Assata Shakur, who’s activism and revolutionary spirit has been an inspiration to Joy. She also developed the East Side Forever line, which honors the original, nongentrified communities of color in Denver.

Photographer Julius Garrido was eager to connect with Joy, excited to capture the determination, power, beauty, and spirituality that she exudes in every movement and project. He describes her presence as strong and her suave aesthetic as the personification of beauty.

“She’s beautiful, yes, but she has this androgynous mystery, like, what kind of aura is she trying to convey?

There’s a mystery within, the kind of energy that is masculine and feminine. She’s like a chameleon, she keeps changing,” Garrido explains. In order to highlight the message of ambiguity and change, he utilized a black background and bright, colored gels on the lights in order to accentuate her dark skin tone and call attention to the duality and dimensions within her.

Crewneck: Lawrence + Larimer Button Up: Express Black Leather Pants: H&M Silver Shoes: Franco Sarto

“To be honest, I was kind of like, I wouldn’t say starstruck, but I was thrilled about the shoot. She projects that kind of celebrity aura. She knows what she’s doing, and she’s front-page material. When I met her, she so nice and so wonderful, and so down to earth; she’s just a pleasant person to work with,” he explains.

As a curious, creative soul, Joy tells the details of her story willingly, knowing that shared experience often is a vehicle to empathy, understanding, and progress. She feels that living in her truth encourages all of us to recognize what we have in common.

Through the awareness of shared pain, and being unafraid to call out the systems which do not serve the collective, she hopes to help create a world where we are able to mitigate the trauma, and heal.

“I always say that storytelling is an opportunity for solidarity. You know, we wear a lot of masks, and it makes it really, really difficult to connect on a deeper level and understand our shared struggles

We wear a lot of masks, and it makes it really, really difficult to connect on a deeper level and understand our shared struggles so that we can decide how to collectively fight for each other.

“

As the two collaborated during the photoshoot, they also discussed the experience of being immigrants in the United States. Garrido being from the Philippines and Joy being raised by Jamaican parents, they connected on the feelings of being outsiders. That connection, that shared tenacity, created a safe space for the two to explore the diverse nature of Joy’s personality, creativity, and curiosity.

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so that we can decide how to collectively fight for each other,” Joy says.

The diligent obedience and discipline instilled in her during her upbringing steered Joy away from partaking in anything that would alter her state of mind, like alcohol and drugs. However, she began applying her once-religious convictions to an absolute conviction of pursuing every endeavor that is of passionate interest. She began using cannabis in her early 20s, and while the initial experiences brought guilt and fear of consequence, she was ultimately able to find a space in which she could savor it and enjoy the ride.

“I haven’t been consuming for that long, but it has definitely transformed my life for the better. When I allowed it to help me calm down, it really did bring the sense of relaxation; everything became more colorful, and everything became more beautiful in the world,” she explains. “Over time, it has become something that I feel really helps me tap into all of the talents of the universe in a different way. Tap into my ancestors in a different way.

“I’m Jamaican, man, and this is something that my people did to reason with each other.

That’s what they call it, and to just sit down and have these conversations about life and what’s going on in the world, to let your guard down so that it can be more authentic.”

Joy uses an assortment of cannabis products while maneuvering throughout her various creative projects, with each variety and strain serving a specific purpose. Preferring to use a 1:1, CBD to THC edible when she’s singing or performing on stage, calling out DOSD and WYLD as her favorites, she is also really drawn to the tinctures by ConsciousMEDZ. “If I am smoking, that Cherry Gelato Cake is everything. I’m an indica lover, and that takes me exactly where I need to be to relax,” she says. “If I do need something to give me a little bit of energy, I go with the Golden Goat. Like, if I need to work, if I need to really get into a space to potentially write, or if I’m like building garden boxes outside, that gives me that energy.”

Preferring an indica when she is performing, because it gets her out of her head and into her body, Joy typically will rely on a sativa when she needs to activate creativity and imagination, such as songwriting or clothing design. She describes it as opening space and accessing a new portal to travel within herself that is purely uninhibited. Acting as a vehicle to travel to different memories and internal places, she can imagine different futures and different realities and is a sure way to get her into that creative space.

“The fact that cannabinoids already exist in our body, and it’s extremely healing to our bodies. I think we can be intentional about it being a spiritual part of our lives. A lot of people are genuinely using cannabis as a tool to journey with themselves, with their ancestors,” she says. “That type of understanding of spirituality has been demonized over time; we definitely need to revisit those conversations with people and teach people that it is a very layered journey. It’s physical; it’s emotional; it’s mental, but it’s also extremely spiritual as well.”

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For an out, Black, queer woman who openly uses cannabis to exist in this country unapologetically and vocally in and of itself is a political statement. Being a person who uses their platform to further the conversation of systemic inequities within the current social and legislative climate is defiant by nature. To actively demand better from the resentful legislators around community engagement and governmental transparency is considered problematic in the civil sphere. And while all these things may be true, it doesn’t stop Joy from suiting up, showing up, and speaking out.

“We’re not doing enough as a society; we need to reckon with that because there’s so much blood on the hands of the U.S. government specifically. The blood of our people­—Black and Brown folks, Indigenous people—there’s so much harm that needs to be repaired,” she says. “The fact that we still have folks locked up nationwide for marijuana offenses is unacceptable. Everybody that has a nonviolent marijuana offense needs to be released immediately; their records need to be expunged immediately. Folks that have a violent marijuana offense, I feel like their cases need to be revisited to understand the context of what happened. Maybe their sentences could be reduced; maybe it can be time served; there’s just so much that we need to do to give people back their lives.”

Looking up to people like Ru Johnson, and her wife, Denver City Councilwoman Candi CdeBaca, Joy remains active in her support of their equity work, in the cannabis space and beyond. Joy sees what is happening in the communities that house grow facilities, and her very own neighborhood is overwhelmed by them. The whitedominated industry is making money on the behalf of Black and Brown folks rather than alongside them, she explains.

“I know (cannabis) saved my life in many ways, and as a community that has been oppressed and traumatized over time, it has been a tool to cope,” Joy says. “When it comes to the Indigenous community, we’ve got to give land back, man. In Swansea, we have the highest concentration of grow houses in our communities, but no access to the wealth that has been accumulated in this space. All this pollution, all of this water waste, and we still don’t have access to running our own greenhouses ... It’s unacceptable.”

Finding different opportunities to challenge the systems that oppress is not difficult, for there is an abundance of issues within the layers of government, Joy still finds ways to bask in what’s good. While many conversations over the dinner table with her wife, CdeBaca, may center around the ways in which they can serve their communities, they are innately dreamers and use their collective imaginations to inspire positive action, such as staying in love with creativity, and each other.

“I’m currently working on my first album, and I am really challenging myself to sing more, so that is a very vulnerable space,” Joy says. “The first song I hope to release next month is called ‘Magic,’ a love song that I wrote to my partner, to my wife. I told myself that I want my first few songs to be about love. A lot of times when I’m in spaces performing, I’m talking about a lot of heavy things, and it’s important to hold space for those conversations, but there’s so much joy in my experience as well. There’s so much love and so much happiness to unpack, too.”

There is a plethora of ways in which Kerrie Joy may grab your attention, from her words, to her art, to her activism and civic engagement, There is an undeniable magic that lives within her that is charismatically and authentically pure. When daydreaming about a community that works together, uplifting those in need and celebrating those who unselfishly contribute, it’s easy to imagine Joy as an integral part of the founding collective of an infrastructure that is equitable, mindful, and sacred.

“ This is the life that I

believe is worth dying for: being authentically me.

“

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OFM cannabis

Tastebudz

Curate the

Entourage Effect

by Lacy Bursick

A

nyone who has indulged in edibles before usually has a funny story about their first time or discovering their limit. While studies keep proving the medicinal benefits of eating cannabis and CBD, it is still always possible to have a bad experience or overindulge. This is because your body metabolizes cannabis differently through digestion compared to inhalation.

Those who partake in edible consumption can enjoy a plethora of options in every dispensary, from gummies to chocolate bars and everything in between. The legal production of edibles requires ingredients and measurements listed; however, the variety and consistency of the cannabis oils used within each product are not always there. TasteBudz founders saw this as an opportunity and decided to create their own brand that focuses on the individual experience that each strain can provide.

“We really wanted to take advantage of what we call the ‘entourage effect’ with our THC oil,” TasteBudz Cofounder Brooks Allman says. “To start that, we wanted to fundamentally change it a little bit, where I would say 95 percent of the current edible manufacturers in the space just wholesale their oil in from distillate suppliers.”

3 8 OFM M A R C H 2 0 2 1

They saw an opportunity to advance this business practice by developing uniquely curated cannabis products. To do this, they started with the extraction process.

“After a lot of research, we found that we preferred CO2 extraction,” Allman says. “When we brought our extractor in-house, we found that we could really dial in exactly what we wanted to see in our oil, so we have a proprietary pressure and temperature that we set our machine to. We did a lot of research and development in that and found the perfect area.”

Distillate oil is often more potent; however, CO2 oil often has more cannabinoids and carries a better flavor, making it ideal for edibles. It all comes down to preference, and the general public may not even notice the difference, but TasteBudz had discovered that their CO2 extractions were much higher in various cannabinoids beyond THC. “When we would test our products, we would find that there would be noticeable amounts of different cannabinoids,” he says. “When we started getting into the different strains that we were running, we would find that there were lots of different cannabinoids per each strain.”

TasteBudz has redefined the customer experience when it comes to eating edibles. If someone reaches out, they provide them with as much information as they can so the customer can base their personal experience with various strains.

OFM cannabis

This led to their discovery that each strain could cater to a new experience, similar to how smoking various strains do.

Edible companies were not tapping into this, though. This is how TasteBudz developed their “entourage effect,” making edibles a strain-based experience.

“We would use each individual strain’s entourage effect and “I provide our cannabinoid test to them via email so they use that as the fundamentals of the feeling and experience can really look at the different cannabinoids that maybe they had a better experience with, and really can dial in behind that specific strain,” Allman explains. exactly what they like.”

“What differentiates us from other companies is, you’ll see a lot of the larger companies say, ‘OK, we offer indica, sativa, Even as a founder of an edible company, Allman still only and hybrid,’ where we thought that was a little broad, I would eats 10 mg at a time. He said he has discovered his personal say. It’s hard to categorize thousands and thousands of favorite strain is Durban Poison. different strains and say, ‘Hey, no matter what, if you eat a sativa, if you eat an indica, or if you eat a hybrid, it’s always “I think it’s because I like THC-V. It’s a cannabinoid that I personally like, and some of our Durban Poison has pulled going to have the same effect.’” upwards of 7 percent THC-V.” As I went to sample a TasteBudz gummy, I knew I needed to dedicate my entire night to the experience. I am what you With this new research and strain profile data, consumers can make informed decisions on their preferences. As would call a “lightweight” when it comes to eating edibles. the future of cannabis research continues to unfold, it is The strain I got to try, Blue Poison, was labeled as a sativa, clear generic labeling of sativa versus indica will fade, and which I have found to prefer when smoking because I generally detailed ingredient data will be the future. TasteBudz plans feel more creative. I popped the watermelon-flavored gummy to be a leader in educating the public on consumption and knowledge and promises to continue to create consistent into my mouth, and the first burst of flavor was enjoyable. and high-quality products.

The gummy was easy to chew, and I immediately noticed the flavor profile to be better than most. The cannabis flavor was there, but it was much lighter than usual. When eating a cannabis-infused candy, I want to know it’s there; however, I want to also enjoy the candy flavor rather than a cannabis taste. The aftertaste was pleasant, and I waited for the effects to kick in.

A few hours later, I had forgotten about the edible. My mood was mellow, and I enjoyed whipping up a creative pasta dish I had never made before. Sativa is often marketed as a more energized high, but I was mostly relaxed. I enjoyed an elevated meal experience, and then indulged in a psychological thriller on Netflix. I easily fell asleep later that night, compared with my average nights, when I often struggle with insomnia.

The next morning I was refreshed, and thought back to what Allman explained in regards to sativa-versus-indica. He explained how other companies are labeling their products as sativa, indica, or hybrid based on terpene profiles, but when it comes to all the strains used, there are sometimes both in one recipe. Rather than relying on the marketing push of what defines sativa versus indica, they defined their edibles versus competitors by diving into the specific ingredients.

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“It’s our responsibility as manufacturers to make sure that the general public is getting the correct information, and I think it’s a little bit too broad to say, ‘Hey, if you eat this, you’re going to go to bed,’ because I, personally, have smoked and consumed indicas and not felt tired,” Allman says.

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“So, what we did was then take each strain, and then put them on the back of our bottle to make sure that people know and are familiar with an experience that is unique to the cannabinoids found in each particular strain.”

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OFM cannabis

AWARE-N-US Diversity Focused Cannabis Brand

by Kelly Mutz

C

olorado’s cannabis industry has been an everchanging landscape since its recreational legalization in 2012. Legalization led to an increase in tourism, and financial gains have gone on to fund education, literacy programs, transportation, agriculture, and more.

However, advancement does not come without drawbacks.

The communities that were once the most condemned for cannabis use and possession are now being left behind.

The impacts of previous decades of criminalization have highly affected people of color and low-income individuals.

There has also been an increase in entrepreneurship, Black Americans have been incarcerated at twice the rate, with new businesses expanding the industry each year. compared to white counterparts, for possession or sale of Cannabis wellness retreats, cooking with cannabis, and the drug. private smoking lounges and cafes are just some of the new A study done in 2020 by the city of Denver titled “Cannabis businesses to pop up over the years. Businesses big and small Business and Employment Opportunity” found that 74.6 have grown by the thousands, with 2,917 licensed cannabis percent of local, cannabis-related business owners identify businesses employing 41,076 people as of June 2019. as white; 12.7 percent are Hispanic, Latino or Spanish; and

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diversity, inclusion and equity opportunities,” Bailey said in a statement. “This is a huge step towards change in the cannabis industry and sends a strong message and call to action for all cannabis companies and other industries while providing consumers an immediate option to support the Black community.”

One company trying to make a change in the racial disparity is Medpharm, a leading cannabis manufacturer. In February, Medpharm launched AWARE-N-US powered by BATCH (pronounced “awareness”), a diversity-focused cannabis brand. AWARE-N-US is partnering with Colorado’s leading cannabis retailers to raise funds and awareness for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cannabis industry.

Each quarter, the brand will re-release the product with a new flavor and packaging and partner with a new organization that focuses to bring awareness to customers and financial support to underrepresented communities in the cannabis industry. Gutierrez says that next quarter, they plan on partnering with the LGBTQ community.

“I wanted to do something that makes an impact and involve the right people in conversations and make sure that we’re addressing social equity,” says Albert Gutierrez, the CEO of Medpharm.

OFM cannabis

5.6 percent are Black. The study also reported that 60 percent of cannabis business owners are white, while only 13 percent are Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish, and 6 percent are Black.

This disparity proves that Colorado’s white community is profiting off the same industry that targeted BIPOC before legalization.

“Our focus is promoting diversity and understanding,” Gutierrez says. “We’re getting those who were affected by the war on drugs into the conversation.”

While this won’t solve all of the racial disparities that exist in the cannabis industry, it’s a step in the right direction.

For its launch, AWARE-N-US has partnered with the Black Gutierrez says he liked to see AWARE-N-US become a Cannabis Equity Initiative (BCEI), a community-driven national brand and partner with organizations in other initiative of concerned Black citizens and business leaders states where cannabis has been legalized. advocating for equity, diversity, and inclusion opportunities “I’d love to partner with companies that are wanting to attack in Colorado’s cannabis industry. The organization aims to this issue and do something about it,” he states. “[I want to] be an “equity focal point for authentic dialogue between the help raise funds for those who start business and help them Black community and the Colorado cannabis industry, as find their way in the cannabis industry.” well as a bridge for community engagement, collaboration, and partnerships around cannabis equity, diversity, and The first AWARE-N-US product is a 500mg banana and vanilla (“banilla”) flavored vape cartridge and can be found inclusion opportunities,” according to their website. in 30 locations across the state of Colorado. Two dollars of BCEI was co-founded by John Bailey, who has been a every unit sold in the first quarter will be directly donated longtime champion of social equity, working previously as to BCEI. a political consultant with former Mayor Wellington Webb, Jimmy Carter’s presidential campaign, and the University of Colorado Boulder student government.

“We have been working with MedPharm since 2019, and the team continues to be a strategic partner as we advocate for

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o u t f r o n tm a g a z i n e.co m 41

OFM drag

LAGANJA ESTRANJA

L AGA NJA

EST a j n a tr s E

ANJA

LA

JA

LAGANJA ESTRANGA

LAGANJA

LAGANJA

JAN

JAN

d e s u f n I

C TH

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Tea

by Denny Patterson

photo by Autin Young effects by Sena Bryant

Spilling the

OFM drag

A

drag queen, music artist, dancer, and choreographer Laganja Estranja is a force to be reckoned with.

Before launching to fame on the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Laganja earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and choreography from the California Institute of Arts and appeared on several other television competition shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent.

Although these times of COVID have been challenging, she has not let isolation stop her from connecting with fans or using her voice and platform to push for social change. Laganja is a major cannabis advocate who has hosted several conversations on cannabis legalization and is the first LGBTQ icon to grace the cover of Dope Magazine. Laganja first discovered the benefits of cannabis when she hurt her back in college, and it has now become an integral part of her life.

OFM caught up with the Queen of Green to talk about how she has developed herself as an artist while in quarantine, projects we should be on the lookout for, and her new CBD line with Honey Pot Products.

We spoke last year, right when the COVID pandemic started. A year later, we are not out of the woods yet.

What has the COVID experience personally been like for you?

It has definitely been one of a lot of personal growth.

I realized that my life was so busy. I was on a plane all the time, and I never got to be introspective with myself about what it is I want. I think this time and unemployment allowed me to explore the landscape in which I exist as an artist. While I love being a drag queen and totally miss the nightclubs, I truly found my voice as an artist, and I have been focusing on things like my gender and exploring what it means to be nonbinary. These are two things I don’t think I would have been able to give such a genuine space to had we not been locked down.

Have you been staying connected with fans during these difficult times?

I am lucky that my Buds—that is what I like to call my supporters—have been very supportive. They have been showing up for me in all types of ways. Whether it is supporting my merch line or showing up to all my online events, gigs, and lives, I have been able to connect with a lot of different people and make new friendships because everyone is online now. I am working with companies I may have never worked with had we not gone to an online way of promoting. Since I am Laganja and have built this platform, I am so lucky to be able to do this. I still feel like I am very much connected to the people who follow and support me.

I am always a DM away, and I will reply to anyone.

Do you have any music projects in the works?

I do. My next single is called “Hype Man,” and it is definitely a departure from “Daddy.” “Daddy” is very sexually explicit, and I wanted to take it there with the “WAP” song being such a viral hit, I felt like it was only right that the queers had something in our space that could represent them. It was amazing, and I got great reception, however, I am not a sex worker. I did not put that video on OnlyFans for a reason, and that is because I do believe I am a global artist.

So, this next song is much cleaner, and it is all about being your own hype man, the struggles I have faced, and how I have been able to cheer my own self up by being my best supporter.

Not only does the world know you as a drag artist and musical superstar, but you are also a passionate advocate for cannabis. Why is cannabis so important to you?

Cannabis is my medicine. Cannabis is how I get up every day; it is how I regulate my eating and sleep cycles, and it is how I keep my mood stable. It really is an integral part of my day-

outfrontma ga zine.com 43

OFM drag

to-day life. Not only as an artist, but also as a human being.

It was important for me as a queen to have a platform like cannabis that is bigger than myself, and that I could spread education and knowledge. Without it, I would be a lot like Season Six and feel very attacked.

You have some products on HoneyPotProducts.com. Can you tell us more about them?

Absolutely. This is with an award-winning company, and I am thrilled to help create their first-ever CBD line. They are known for their THC products and finally moved into the CBD market. They have so many international fans, and I wanted to deliver a product that is close, near, and dear to my heart.

We did a bath set, so it starts off with a Lemon Blaze shower gel, which is taken from the limonene terps that I love so much that helped me deal with my depression. Then, we move into the Blue Dream Cream, which is a stunning lotion that has 1,000mg of CBD in it, which is quite a lot. I am very proud we were able to get so many milligrams in this product. It utilized blue tansy, which is an incredible essential oil used for rashes, eczema breakouts, and things in that nature. I love the lotion. I think it is going to win awards this year. Then, we go to the nighttime bath balm, which is a lavender lime by the name of Sugar Daddy Purp.

Again, I wanted something that was relaxing, but still had a citrus flair to it since the whole line is citrus-based. I forgot to mention that the Blue Dream Cream is grapefruit, so there is always some sort of citrus that keeps the line cohesive, but I do feel already that the Blue Dream Cream is a breakout star of the three.

I think we are going to explore and create more products in the signature scent.

photo by Davide Laffe effects by Veronica L. Holyfield 4 4 OFM M A R C H 2 0 2 1

Now that Joe Biden is in office, do you think we are any steps closer to fully legalizing cannabis nationwide?

Yes and no. I definitely think we are going to see some great movement in this goal of our industries, and I see a positive trajectory now that we have Joe, but I do believe it is going to take quite some time before we become federally recognized on one level as medicinal, which has always been my hope and goal. That is why I voted no for going recreational out here in California. So, I still think there is a lot of work to be had in that arena, but I do think we are well on our way.

You have been very vocal about the homophobia within the cannabis industry.

What more are you going to do with your platform to break those stigmas?

I hope that I can continue to create safe spaces and events for queer people, but more importantly, I hope just by living my day-to-day life and showing people how I can be queer and in cannabis and how this is successful. That I am inspiring people on a micro level. I think a lot of activists think really large, and that is amazing, but at the end of the day, I am an artist first and foremost.

I have to be smart about how I am being an activist in the industry, and I think the best way that I do that is by providing visibility and using my platform to share the voice of the cannabis community, sharing the struggles and tribulations of the queer community, and to really be a face for this. That is kind what I hope to do. To continue to provide visibility, and eventually, when I am financially stable, create my own safe spaces, like a dispensary run by drag queens, or a smoking lounge that would have drag performers.

To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

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photo provided by Elizabeth Wyld

OFM music

WYLD ones Elizabeth Wyld on Reclaiming the Spotlight Elizabeth Wyld is an indie artist with a fascinating backstory and unique perspective for music.

by Denny Patterson

H

ailing from rural Virginia, Wyld was once a promising actress who was receiving regular callbacks for Broadway shows. However, parallel to playing roles onstage, she was acting a part offstage, keeping appearances in her personal life and denying her sexuality. After touring in Europe for a production of Hair, Wyld came back to find herself unable to speak or sing for several months. She was diagnosed with unilateral vocal fold paralysis and told she may never sing again. Her musical theatre career came to a screeching halt.

Wyld refused to let this obstacle keep her down. During this time of silence, she learned to recast herself in an authentic life. She began to write lyrics, work on her guitar skills, and finally embraced her sexuality. After a minor surgery, her voice came back.

Grateful and emboldened, Wyld is stepping back into the spotlight as a musical artist with her debut album, Quiet Year, which is scheduled to come out spring 2021.

OFM caught up with Wyld to talk more about the album, why she left the stage to pursue music full-time, and how she came to terms with her sexuality.

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I used to be in the musical theatre world a couple years ago, and I came down with what I thought was laryngitis. After weeks and weeks of my voice not coming back, I went to the doctor, and they did a vocal scope and found out that my left vocal cord was paralyzed. That was very scary because he said, ‘You might not ever be able to sing again.’ I basically spent the next six to nine months unable to sing or speak above a whisper. I was so desperate to express myself during that time that I just started writing poetry and playing guitar.

I heard that you are a cannabis smoker and an advocate for it. Why is cannabis important to you, and does it help with any medical issues or your creative process?

I definitely use marijuana medicinally. I have an autoimmune disorder, which I discovered a couple years ago around the time that I was going through my vocal paralysis issues.

Maybe they were all interconnected. So, I use it medicinally.

It helps with my autoimmune disorder, but I also found that it helps my anxiety. In general, I have been a pretty calm person in the past, but over the past year with COVID, I have Eventually, a lot of poems turned into songs. I was able to had so much anxiety. I go to therapy, but sometimes you just recover my voice, and as soon as I could sing again, I booked need a little bit of extra help. I am definitely pro-legalization. my first show and played a lot of those songs. After a while, I What are some future goals you would like to accomplish was like, ‘What am I going to do with all this?’ So, I decided as an LGBTQ indie artist? to release it in an album and wrote a few more songs so I I did this for the first time a couple weeks ago; I played a could tell a complete story about my vocal paralysis and the show for a group that works with LGBTQ youth, especially heartbreak that I endured during that time. That is Quiet Year from underprivileged backgrounds. A lot of those kids in in a nutshell. that demographic are at risk of suicide because maybe they Why do you think you had such a struggle coming to terms are rejected from their families and whatnot. So, I did a with your sexuality? concert for them, and I want to do more performances for I grew up in rural Virginia, and my mom was very accepting, groups like that in the future. but my father was a staunch conservative and very Christian. I am lucky that I am privileged in a sense because I ended It’s not like he ever said to me, ‘If you’re gay, I am going to reject up being accepted by my family. I have a wonderful, LGBTQ you,’ but I think that was sort of built into my mind. I grew up community around me in New York City, but I know that going to church; I grew up around people that made fun of gay not everybody has that. I think LGBTQ artists are important people, and to be honest, I was a bit of a bully in middle school. for those types of people because if you live in a small rural I look back now, and I am like, ‘OK, I was majorly projecting.’ town that you cannot get out of, you may think that’s it for You grow just wanting to fit in with the people around you. you. Maybe there are no other people like you. I want my Then, I went to college and realized there are more people in music to connect with those types of people. this world. There are a lot more people like me who are more To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com. open-minded and queer, but I think I still felt this sense of wanting to live up to my father’s expectations of me. My ruralVirginia community’s expectations of me, too.

OFM music

What can you tell us about your new album, Quiet Year?

Why did you decide to leave the stage and pursue music full-time?

A lot of it had to do with me having problems with my gender identity. I hesitate to say that because I do identify as female, and a lot of people would say that I present very feminine, but I felt so much pressure to fit into this ingenue stereotype of Broadway. I was going in against girls that had long, beautiful hair and wore these perfect, little dresses, and I felt like I was not that. I had an agent, and he was wonderful, but I was going in for things like Sandy in Grease.

I would look in a mirror at the audition while wearing this little dress and heels, and I just felt so gross about myself. I was like, ‘This is not me. I feel like I am living this lie.’ So, it is not that I would never go to a Broadway audition again, but I think I wanted to figure out who I was and live inside my own body a little bit more. I think as an actor, I was going through some confusion about who I really was after years and years of playing different characters. It felt good to sort of walk away from that and be able to present a little more masculine for a while. It felt good to explore that pool for a bit.

o u t f r o n t m a g a z i n e. co m 47

OFM music

B Q Making Hip-Hop Gay Again Bryce Quartz

by Denny Patterson photos provided by Bryce Quartz

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OFM music

K

nown for his sick beats and controversial rhymes, Bryce Quartz is an openly gay, cubby rapper who hopes to make an impact on the hip-hop scene.

He has released tough and hard-hitting tracks like “Make America Gay Again” and “F.U. (Falwell University),” but just last month, gave listeners the third and final volume of his American Queer trilogy, Third Times A Charm. The trilogy references Quartz’s three-fold experience of coming out, and the last installment includes his pinnacle of songwriting and creation thus far.

Quartz collaborated with RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Brita Filter and East-Coast, bearded queen superstar KayKayLavelle before the 2020 election for a queer voting anthem called “You Brita Vote, Kay?” The music video reached 40,000 views in less than 24 hours and was featured in several LGBTQ media outlets such as Queerty, Instinct Magazine, and The WOW Report. Coming off the success of the collaboration, Quartz is happy that the final piece of American Queer is out, and he looks forward to accomplishing more while also helping his fellow queer artists.

You recently dropped the final chapter of your American Queer Trilogy. How has it been received?

It has been received well. When I put it out, it felt like my birthday. Everyone was reaching out, listening to it, and showing love and support. Even though it was maybe 20-30 people, that is still a lot to me. Just the fact that people even care meant a lot to me. Overall, with it being the third and final piece, I am glad it is out because I wrote it, like, a year ago, and I am ready to put out new music. It’s old news to me. I am sick of it [laughs]. But it is a bit surreal that it is out, and I am glad people are liking it.

How did you fall into the world of rap and hip-hop?

I used to listen to hip-hop during high school around the first two times I came out. It’s funny because I used to be scared of hip-hop. I just did not like it. When I moved out and started living out on my own, that is pretty much all I listened to for two years. When I discovered Brockhampton and heard one of Kevin Abstract’s lines in one of his songs about there are not enough gay people who rap, it resonated with me. There are a lot of gay people who rap; they are just not out. I was like, I want to do this. I can do this.

I started writing my first lines, and one of the first songs I wrote, my nose started bleeding. I, like, screamed the lyrics. It was a hardcore, trap-metal rap song. After I recorded and listened to it in the car a million times, I do not know how to describe the feeling. It feels like this is my purpose, and that is what keeps me motivated. Every time I make a song, that is the feeling I want to achieve. This is what I am supposed to be doing. I for sure love this.

“

I use cannabis because I have borderline personality disorder, and cannabis really helps mediate the extremes and the emotions with that.

“

OFM caught up with Quartz to talk more about American Queer, his use of abrasive lyrics, and how he hopes his art is also considered activism.

You are known for your abrasive lyrics. Can you talk more on your aggressive approach to writing?

On the first mixtape, I have some controversial lyrics. I diss my family name, and mind you, I recorded that song in my family’s house. So, that was fun. Another song on the first tape is called “Candy Coated Broke Back Mountain Living Cinderella Militant Homo,” but it is an acronym. Somebody called me that on Facebook and threatened to kill me for being gay. So, I wrote song about killing straight, cis people. That way, when I performed it, if there were any cis people in the audience, they would be like, ‘Why does he just want to kill straight, cis people for no fucking reason?’ Well, underprivileged people and the LGBTQ community have to deal with that all the fucking time. That may not have been the best way to make someone check their privilege, but my point was to make you feel the way we feel. This kind of shit happens to minorities all the time.

o ut fr o ntm a g a z in e.co m 49

OFM music

With “Make America Gay Again.”

I just wanted to piss off Trump supporters. The song starts with me yelling, ‘Make America gay again, bitch!’ I want you to turn that song up as loud as you fucking can in a Walmart parking lot on your way out with the windows down so every conservative in that parking lot hears it. I just want to say the things that we are all thinking, and just have fun with it. Be campy.

Being gay and a cub already makes you stand out in the hiphop industry. What are some other challenges you have personally faced?

COVID has definitely been a huge restraint on everything, but also, being an openly gay artist in general, it is very difficult to navigate the music industry. That is something we all think about as queer artists, and it sucks because we should not have to think about it. The second a cis, straight listener finds out you are queer, or they hear a queer line in your song, it makes them cringe, and they turn it off. That is why it is harder for queer people to get a wider audience, because we are already fishing. It is already difficult unless you have a godly voice and great marketing.

Hip-hop has been known to be a homophobic and sexist genre. Do you think it is getting better for LGBTQ and female artists?

“

I just want to say the things that we are all thinking.

“

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I certainly think so. My friend Hi Yello, who is on track seven, he was talking in an interview a couple weeks ago that in the beginning of the 2010s, the main, female rapper was Nicki. There was nobody else who was mainstream getting number one hits as a hip-hop artist. It was Nicki. Then, over the last four years, we have had more female artists like Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, and so many more. I think that is going to happen this decade, and I think people before me like Big Dipper, Cazwell, and some of the queens on Drag Race who rap laid a foundation out.

Now that there are so many queer artists who are coming out with new shit all the time, we are kind of saturating the market. This is our time to shine. We are solidifying our spot in the industry, and the industry itself has changed over the last 10 years.

You would say your music is advocating for change?

Yes. That is my end goal platform and the background motives for everything. I want to lift up all my queer artist friends. I just started writing for Rock the Pigeon, which is Ryan Cassata’s music blog. I have been helping a lot of queer artists out there with submissions on SubmitHub and writing about music that I really like that is underappreciated to other venues and avenues. I just always want to help queer people out, no matter what it is. Helping artists is my entire platform.

Outside of music, you are an advocate for cannabis. Why is cannabis important to you, and does it help with your creative process?

It can definitely help my creative process. I use cannabis because I have borderline personality disorder, and cannabis really helps mediate the extremes and the emotions with that.

It helps me exist and do day-to-day things. It can help with my creative process, but sometimes, I do like to be sober when I am trying to be clever and write double entendres.

Do you have a preferred method?

I prefer to smoke blunts, but can’t afford to smoke blunts, so I smoke bowls. I do enjoy dabbing, and I enjoy carts. However, carts are dangerous around here. I do not trust many people with carts. Stick to the greenery because it is easier to make sure you are not getting duped.

Why is smoking weed such a hot topic when it comes to hip-hop and rap?

I think because of the drug war and because of racism. I really do think that is it. Honestly, when I told my parents that I smoke weed, they were pissed. They grew up in the 80s, so to them, I am pretty sure my dad thinks weed is like heroin. They were just raised to believe that. That was literally what they were taught.

What are some future goals you hope to accomplish as an LGBTQ rap artist?

I want a number one, at least on iTunes. I would like to chart on Billboard; that would be cool, but I definitely want to start that international platform where I can help all my queer friends tour and perform. That is a huge goal of mine. I also want to act. I have written a couple TV pilots, and I just want to be a multimedia mogul. I do not want to stop at just rap. I have some songs where I sing too, but I am going to shoot for the stars. I have high dreams and want to do everything that is available to me.

Are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you’d like to mention our plug?

Big Daddy Karsten, my rap mentor, has a single and bear mix coming out soon that is really dope. I have been listening to this demo for months, so I am glad that he is working with his label to put it out. So, be on the lookout for that, and I also have a single with him coming out. That is my next release, but that is later down the line. I have all kinds of things planned, so you never know what to expect this year from me.

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OFM music

OFM NEW MUSIC This month’s must-catch new releases from the artists you already love and the musicians you need to know.

Tom the Mail Man

Sometimes Sorry Isn’t Enough

Noods

Luminous Kid

Blush

at the end of the dream

Genre-defying, Atlanta-based artist has departed from his formerly released hip-hop focus to incorporate an interprolation of Foo Fighter’s hit “Everlong.” Showcasing his talent to never be placed into a box, the skilled rapper is still best known for his ability to mix captionworthy verses and fast flows, penning earworm melodies that make Tom the Mail Man an equally compelling singer. From afrobeat to rap, to punk, to pop, Sometimes Sorry Isn’t Enough is a new chapter for the song writer.

Releases April 16, 2021.

The indie-pop outfit Noods are releasing their debut album, Blush, that features tracks which draw from the rich fabric of personal and romantic experiences. Released by queer-run, independent label Get Better Records, the quartet of introverts and wallflowers push the boundaries of indie with the nonstop, driving, catchy energy.

No space for pause, the beats are quirky, and the depth of exploration is vast. Playing off awkward shyness well, this record brings riotous fun.

Releases April 16, 2021.

Swedish visual artist Olof Grind, aka Luminous Kid, spent more than two years writing songs that centered around themes of the queer experience, cute love stories, heavy hearbreaks, and the feeling of constantly searching for direction.

Album tracks are infused with lush analogue soundscapes, the subtle and entrancing debut album at the end of the dream is a standout release in 2021. The out artist also creatively contributed the album art and accompanying coffee-table book.

Releases April 23, 2021.

Black Fly 01

Blood Lemon

KUČKA

The musician and visual artist Joseph Rittling, aka Black Fly, has hand-crafted a meticulous and intimate piece of art in Black Fly 01. Creating an imagined space and creating sonic scenes inspired by rural landscapes, technology, and where the people intertwine, Rittling leans into dark imagery and allows the imagination of the listener to wander. Through pulsing synths or moody beats, his soaring vocals at times explore the vastness of organic clash and environmental texture.

Releases April 23, 2021.

Post-riot grrrl trio Blood Lemon are releasing their debut, self-titled album. This politically charged LP is a great soundtrack to 2021, as we enter the unknown and are seeking for a cathartic, good time.

From climate change, American politics, social justice, to navigating adulthood as women, the alternative sound features rad riffs and stellar shredding. These tracks are a guitarcentric genie that is emerging at just the right time.

Release April 23, 2021.

A collection of intricately produced songs showing her deepest sense of self, Wresting is the debut album for the queer, L.A.-based artist. Transcending traditional understanding of techno and dance production, KUČKA uses these carefully chosen tracks to help heal from a tough-but-fruitful, transitional period in her life.

The lyrics are revealing and are a intricate contrast against the layered melodies and beats.

Releases April 30, 2021.

Black Fly

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Blood Lemon

Wrestling

DijahSB: Head Above the Waters

OFM music

HIGH NOTE

Toronto-based rapper DijahSB is not only demanding a space in the art of hip hop, they are like a magnet with witty, agile inspiration. The release of the new album, Head Above Waters on April 23, takes a raw and honest look into the mind of a Black, nonbinary creative, Dijah brings a unique and fun take on dealing with heartbreak, hope, and breakthroughs.

Stemming from a love of West Coast music, they took a deep dive at a young age into the rap and hip hop genre and knew those genres would be their forever home.

Making synth loops, booming bass claps, and smoothed-out production look easy, their music buzzes effortlessly as it blends grungy guitar rock and heavy drum boom bap. Spilling sauce and raking up confidence, every track on Head Above the Water delivers a variety an insistent and urgent call for uplifting community during these pandemic times of social distancing.

With the aim of providing representation for queer folks who feel like outcasts, Dijah encourages folks to go against the grain and forage their own path. As a masc-presenting, nonbinary young person, they openly share about their struggles with depression, mental health, and financial instability. Their music serves as a remedy, and comfort to those who feel unseen, and those who want to reach out for support.

Partnering with producers like Harrison on single “By Myself,” the tracks feel fresh and deliver hot beats and bars that are like a swift kick to the chest. You’ll feel these songs deep down in the place that music hits just right and feels healing for the soul.

Struggling with Tinnitus? Hearing Loss? Sound Sensitivity?

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OFM style

Beauty with TLC and CBD

A

pril showers bring May flowers while people bring the green. Or, to be more straightforward, April is the lovely home of our beloved, cannabis-centric celebration, 420.

So, what better way to celebrate the month than by beauty that is organic in more ways than one?

Cannabis-based beauty products are not a new genre in the glam world, but now, it is even easier to get your hands on products that are hemp- and CBD-based. We all know that it is important to purchase locally, but not everyone has the ability or luxury to be able to purchase from local grow houses or cannabis retailers. So, OFM is here to help you find those products that will smooth, heal, and highlight your body in more ways than one.

If you are big in body care, Truly Beauty is a lifesaver. Truly Beauty is dedicated to bringing you big-box-store, organic, vegan, and ethically sourced beauty products to help you get your CBD kick rolling. Truly has quite a few lines that have CBD as a key ingredient to help skin be irritationfree and opulent.

If you are craving full hydration and antioxidant, the Blueberry Kush line is for you. With 300 mg of CBD in each bottle, you can get your radiance from the 1,000-blueberry face and body serum, a smooth and silky formula that keeps on giving.

Not to mention, they do a sugar and Kush body scrub that helps rub away dead skin and keep your body luminated and hydrated from the fine sugar crystals. Truly doesn’t stop at blueberry, either.

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Pineapple Haze is the line that makes dead skin its enemy. This line is focused mostly on body care with 200 mg of CBD in each item. The hand and foot balms are jam packed with mango butter and pineapple to keep hands and feet radiant without the look of fine lines.

It is time to reexamine what’s important to you. At Klarisana, our focus is on your mental health. We help people rebuild their lives and their perspective through Ketamine treatment therapy.

With the luscious pineapple lip polish and “butter,” chapped lips will be a thing of the past. Truly does not just stop there; they also have a whole acne care line with CBD in each step to help eradicate acne.

Truly Beauty can be purchased at your local Sephora, Ulta, or at trulybeauty.com.

You may have seen products from this next line, Pacifica, at your favorite retailer. Unlike the previously mentioned, CBD-based products, they recently began creating products with hemp in mind, such as skin-care serums and face wash filled with hemp seed oil to balance and hydrate skin. They also make hemp-fiber-infused mascara to build lashes without clumping and revolutionize the way you stylize your eyes.

Hemp is also packed into their Cosmic Reflect palette, creating buttery, blendable shadows that are free of parabens, phthalates, and are non-comedogenic.

Pacifica’s hemp products not only cover body and skincare, but in their beauty line as well, all while being 100 percent vegan and cruelty-free. Find them at pacificabeauty.com, Ulta stores, and Target.

CBD and hemp-based products should not be a hassle to get, nor should they be questionable in the way they are used. They need to be easy to access and use. With the rise in legalization in cannabis around the U.S., we will see more companies embrace the miraculous benefits of hemp and CBD. So, why not hop on the trend early and investigate these items that are quickly becoming cult favorites? The cannabis cure is not just medical, but beautiful as well.

Scan or visit klarisana.com to find out how you might benefit from Ketamine therapy.

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OFM style

AUTOMIC GOLD

Queer-Owned Jewelry That Will Rock the Block

by Angel Rivera

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B

eing confident and being 100 percent yourself is always in fashion, and so are accessories. Accenting and highlighting your hands with new nail polish is a great way to make your skin color pop, and accessorizing is the best and easiest way to add a flourish to anyone’s outfit. So, why not go for the gold? The Automic Gold. The formerly named jeweler is queer-owned and -operated, and all the accessories are sustainably sourced. All that glitters is not gold, but all that is atomic sure is.

LGBTQ+ V? (Vaccinated!)

Located in the city of dreams, New York, Automic was founded by Al Sandimirova, a genderqueer jeweler who wanted to bring affordable, solid-gold jewelry to people of every size and every gender. They make sure that Automic is run and owned by queer people of all shapes and sizes, as inclusion is at the top of the list, along with pure-quality gold. Not only is Al bringing queer-owned business to the forefront, but queer design and fashion as well.

Automic keeps their prices affordable and comparable by using reclaimed gold and gems from old, recycled pieces as well as from small pieces of gold that are used in electronic devices. One hundred percent of each piece is recycled, giving you peace of mind that all jewelry bought from them is ethical and sustainable. Not to mention, it is all solid gold.

The entire range from atomic includes bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and even some priceless designs. All of these come in timeless designs that fit most body types and colors. Each and every piece is uniquely designed by the Automic team, making sure that the jewelry is reminiscent of some of your favorite fashion brands while still being unique in its own right. Slim, chic, bar designs to full Cuban link, the silhouettes in this jeweler’s repertoire will change the way you wear jewelry.

The price range of the jewelry at Automic ranges from $49 to $1,500, allowing anyone with any budget to sport solid gold and enjoy some sparkling moments. Not to mention, most of the jewelry comes in choices of yellow, white, or rose gold without fluctuating in price. Automic also takes custom designs orders, allowing you to become your own jeweler.

Now that I have gushed about their business, I want to talk about styling your bling.

Gold is as malleable as it is beautiful, allowing you to wear your favorite piece with every outfit, and gives you a breath of new life. Layer rings and bracelets of multiple textures to give your hands some added dimension and bring light to your skin. Or, try a slim, solid-gold chain placed gently on form-fitting clothes, and pair with cluster earrings to bring some well-deserved attention to your beautiful facial features. Don’t stop there: bracelets and bangles that match your facial piercings in color or form factor bring out the music in you with each jingle.

Make gold work for you; make gold Automic.

Proven Safe & Effective.

Get vaccinated. www.tchd.org

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OFM culture

Psyched for Queer Healing

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

T

oday, it isn’t uncommon for people to speak of psychedelics in a positive light. Denver has decriminalized magic mushrooms, and the impacts of MDMA and psilocybin mushrooms on depression, anxiety, and PTSD are being explored. But this wasn’t always the case.

Following the initial boom in psychedelics curiosities, a time when Timothy Leary spoke up about the powers of consciousness expansion and even The Beatles sung its praises, there was an almost-immediate backlash from those who were nervous about consciousness expansion.

Falling in line with the rest of the war on drugs in the late 70s, 80s, and 90s, the reaction fit in with the racially fueled hate against cannabis and the xenophobic attitude toward substances accepted in other cultures. Now, as we collectively start to unpack colonization and the war on drugs, it is time also to unpack the stigmas against psychedelics.

“Psychedelics are being researched right now at universities and various institutions all around the world, and MDMA and psilocybin have been given what’s called breakthrough therapy status with the FDA, which means that they’ve been put on the fast track to be approved by the federal government as prescription medications,” explains Shelby Hartman, editor and co-founder of DoubleBlind Mag, a publication that covers all things psychedelic.

Now, there is a universal realization happening across academia, science, and medicine that, while certainly, mindexpanding drugs can be dangerous to experiment with in some cases, and without regulation, they can also offer a lot in terms of therapy and relief. Among those who need these mental health resources are people in the queer community.

“One of the things that advocates are most hoping to see is a large chunk of federal funding being allocated to support psychedelic research for two reasons: one, because research is really expensive, and two, because if the money comes from the government, then it’s also a signal of the federal government’s interest in at least exploring the potential of these medicines therapeutically.”

“Even when folks who are in historically marginalized communities do have resources for mental health, a lot of times, they just feel misrepresented or unseen,” Hartman continues. “We need to be recruiting queer therapists and therapists of color to administer these medicines when they do go to market. It’s not as simple as just, ‘Psychedelics should be given to marginalized communities.’ It’s also about

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OFM culture

delics experiment with psilocybin for those with HIV. Those who had the shared experience of having lived through the AIDS crisis benefitted from doing therapy together, so that they could work through their shared trauma with support.

By and large, the support for psychedelics is in the realm of research and therapeutics, but there is definitely also a recreational interest. And, as most queer folks are aware, for the marginalized, there isn’t always a difference between theraputic medication and recreation.

“We’re not more for the medical side than we are for, say, the ceremonial use of psychedelics, or just tripping with your friends,” explains Hartman. “I think it’s an intentional publicity choice on the part of researchers that they aren’t going to talk about any applications beyond the medicine of it, whereas at DoubleBlind, we kind of think of it more like education. People are going to do the thing, so we might as well give them the resources that they need to do the thing safely.”

Still, she cautions that, if psychedelics eventually evolve a recreational industry, it is important to avoid some of the mistakes made by the cannabis industry. While she highlights the importance of diversity in whatever industry springs up, she also has concerns about full legalization and monetization. how we are going to create a system in which marginalized “It’s hard for me to say at this point whether that’s something communities are actually supported, so they can get the most that I would advocate for because it would have to come with so much public education around how to use psychedelics out of these experiences. safely,” she adds. “People say, ‘Oh, it’s dangerous to drive “When psychedelics are legalized as medicines, the hope high,’ but if you take psychedelic mushrooms and get beyond is that they’re going to be legalized in a way that ensures the wheel and start tripping, that’s really dangerous and access for the people who need them most. It’s interesting potentially fatal for you and other people. I think there are to consider alternative models specifically for marginalized a lot of questions to be asked and answered if there is going communities, beyond just having a supported, psychedelic to be a recreational market, in order to make sure things are trip with two therapists sitting next to you.” being done in a responsible way. “ Hartman is also interested in the concept of group healing, There may not be a psychedelics industry any time soon, something that has been proven successful, specifically but for now, the therapeutic impacts for marginalized for marginalized communities. For example, a study from communities are finally being appreciated, and that is a University of California San Francisco did a group therapy great first step.

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OFM thoughts

A Queer in Recovery

The me Lifetime ofaaLifeti Tripof TheTrip Hi, my name is _______, and I am an alcoholic.

When I have thought back over all the years I used mind-altering substances, and the varying reasons why I used them, I always arrive at the same conclusion: it’s all for escape. I think in some instances, escape is a completely healthy and natural desire, and it often is a gift that there are substances that can distort reality, mangle perception, and deliver feelings of relief and ecstasy. However, it’s when the altered reality becomes the preferred version of existence that we then cross the threshold from recreation to addiction.

Alcohol is not the only substance I have been abused, though it still remains my drug of choice. From my first consumption at age 13 to my final drink more than 20 years later, it’s the one I always come back to and can never control my usage with.

In 12-step programs, we define craving as being a broken “off ” switch and very different from the urge to drink. The way to understand craving is to put it in this context: once I have a drink, the craving kicks in, and I want more and more until I physically cannot tolerate any more. From making myself physically sick to blacking out, no amount of alcohol was ever enough. If I have a bad day, I may have the urge to drink, but it’s the fact that I can’t stop once I’ve started that led me to the decision to abstain from alcohol altogether.

Any other mind-altering substance I have used, including cannabis, have been unfavorable, if not downright distasteful to me. I was introduced to cannabis in high school, and it’s primary purpose at that time was to escape the grip that depression had on me. In a way, it did become very medicinal, even if my initial desire to use was also coupled with rebellion against my parents and the religious construct I was raised

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in. At that age, I was also introduced to cocaine, and that led me down a dark path and closer to addiction than any drug encounter had before.

I was using cocaine as often as I could, and I was definitely developing an unhealthy reliance on it. Secrecy and lying were my life, and prolonged cocaine usage was becoming a very expensive hobby, so that eventually led me to snorting crystal meth. In a lot of ways, I was fortunate that I overdosed that first time because that was enough to scare me away from further usage of both meth and coke.

Throughout this time, I was still smoking pot, but developed paranoia when I used, so the frequency became less and less.

That is still my reaction to this day when it comes to consuming any form or strain of cannabis; I become fixated on things like time and feel out of control of my body in a way that I don’t like.

I had hoped, during one of my bouts of sobriety last summer, that I could switch from alcohol to cannabis, but that proved failure because I can’t shake the anxiety-inducing effect that cannabis has on me.

An area that I have found interestingly beneficial, and went from escapism to healing, was the use of LSD. As the result of childhood trauma, I developed an eating disorder by age 12, and that helped me bring some sense of control back to my life in adolescence. Through the body abuse of this eating disorder, I also began to hate my body and even look at it as though it were the enemy. I found the only thing that would turn off the negative thoughts in my head about my body was to use alcohol. By age 34, I was actively using my eating disorder, in full-blown alcoholism, and felt trapped.

OFM thoughts

That is, until I tried LSD for the first time in my 30s, and it amid all the alcohol I was pouring into them, and the was a hard trip down a healing road I didn’t know I needed. way that my lungs took in oxygen and transformed that breath into life. The mountain pass was in fact my While camping with friends in the summer of 2020, I body. How could I not be anything other than grateful? dropped acid for the first time. The initial distortion of reality was intense, but fun. I discovered I am a wanderer, Then, I looked forward, at the lake and the next pass walking around by myself and exploring the world through of mountains on the horizon. I continued to cry as I new, hallucinogenic eyes. After some wandering that day, thought about my future. If I could finally arrive at a I found myself climbing up a hill, becoming acutely aware place of not only acceptance but of appreciation for my of my body, how it moved, and how it served me. For the body, then what kind of happiness would I reside in? If first time, I was immensely thankful for it and the way that I no longer feared the memories from my childhood, it worked for me, and not against me like I had thought all if I no longer looked at food as the enemy, and I no those years. I appreciated how strong it was; I loved how longer was a slave to my addiction to alcohol, then capable it was, and I felt so regretful for they ways I had what kind of beauty would I have the gift of bearing abused it with my eating disorder and substance abuse witness to? I sobbed for my former self, fully realizing the sadness that I truly never felt good enough. I sobbed all those years. for my future self and the hope that one day I could I was filled with such gratitude as I felt every muscle flex, take care of myself the way I would care for someone I working to move me up that trail. I took notice of the loved unconditionally. I sobbed for the gift of that very motion in my joints and how they pulled me up as I pushed moment and the ability to exist in time and space that down into them. I applauded that it was imperfect, yet was not logical, but existential. perfect, giving me exactly what I needed.

Since that time, I have taken LSD once more and had I arrived at the top of the hill and sat down on a large a completely different trip that involved a lot of Earth boulder, overlooking a lake that spanned further than the breathing and critter crawling. I’m not sure if I will ever eye could see, and began to weep. Tears streamed down my drop again, seeing as I’m currently in a place of total face, one after the other, as I allowed myself to feel all the abstinence from all mind-altering substances. At this pain from my self-hatred. The present moment intersected stage of recovery, I must draw a very clear line for myself with my past in the form of blissful serenity and true so I will never find myself drinking alcohol again, but I acceptance. I had never known rest, never understood can say that I’m so thankful for that day because it truly peace, and never felt completely acceptable in myself did change my relationship with my body. until that moment.

Right now, my number-one priority is staying sober I turned around to look behind me, taking in the large from alcohol, and I will not subject myself to anything mountain pass we had driven through to arrive at this that may stray me from that. What works for me is just campsite. In it, I saw my own body. The curves of the peaks focusing on today and doing what feeds my recovery were the curves of my own chest, hips, and thighs. The inlets and brings healing to my heart and mind. One day at of the valleys were the indents of my neck, waist, and ankles. a time, I get the chance to evaluate the best plan and I balled as I came to the realization that I had celebrated set of choices that will bring me closer to my goals this abundance of Earth for its ridges and furrows in a way and further from harmful behaviors. I am willing to I had never celebrated myself. I had given permission for do whatever it takes to save myself, and I finally have them to exist, without change or expectation, because they the courage to life a life free from any and all escape. were beautiful just as they were.

-An anonymous queer in recovery My body housed its own beauty in the way my heart beat Follow @queer.in.recovery on Instagram, or email in both times of pure joy as well as utter sorrow, in the way a.queer.in.recovery@gmail.com for additional support my liver and kidneys worked together to sustain my health and resources.

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OFM thoughts

Recovery and My Ongoing Relationship with Cannabis

The Industry

by Keegan Williams

O

ur favorite, weed-friendly day of celebration is approaching yet again, and if you know me and my past experience, you know that’s a mostly sarcastic sentiment.

People often fawn over the idea when I explain I was in the cannabis industry for about two years, and I usually say something vague but fairly descript, like, “It was definitely a unique experience I wouldn’t do again.”

I worked in the cannabis industry in Northern Colorado starting in 2017 for about a year-and-a-half as a front-of-house manager and patient coordinator, and then again at another, multi-location spot in the Denver area as an assistant manager, before I finally made my abrupt and cathartic exit from the industry in February 2019.

I ended up in cannabis by accident, following a period of unemployment and a two-month stint as a pizza delivery driver.

I liked to smoke and liked the feeling of being high, and I immediately tried to absorb all of the information I could in the new, starting role as a budtender. While I knew I didn’t quite have the same passion for cannabis as other coworkers and patrons of the shop, I was eager to embrace the industry as a means of helping people and destigmatizing the plant.

As with any customer-facing industry, you have the good ones (some regulars

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OFM thoughts

in the store I am still friends with today), and you have the bad ones, like the couple who called me a fucking faggot because we banned them following numerous warnings around cheating our loyalty system to get free product.

The two 420 holidays I worked, every person was required to show up, and everyone had a task. In Fort Collins, with far fewer shops than Denver, we teased the deals well in advance, and our shop was packed, line around the building, the full 10 hours we were open. This holiday, and working in the cannabis industry in general, reflected the dissonance between what many folks preached about cannabis, versus how it was often being used.

Working the rec counter, I saw the need for cannabis as medicine regularly, with a fair amount of recreational customers sharing their need for cannabis as inherently medical.

“What will help me sleep?”

“I’m looking for something that will lower my anxiety.”

“I messed up my back and want to stop taking prescription meds.”

As often as this sentiment came up in the shops, there were far more people walking in asking, essentially, “What’s going to get me the most fucked up?”

The same budtenders who would confidently boast, “Cannabis is a medicine,” would be the same people getting off their shift and dabbing on their couch at home until they couldn’t move.

I think my alcoholism would have come to a head sooner or later, though the environment my specific shop fostered, especially in a college town like Fort Collins, amped up my addiction fully. The culture WAS getting fucked up.

Following a day at work, we were almost always at the bars. Most mornings, opening, it was typical for everyone to be hungover. There was a Saturday where one of my fellow managers dipped midday because he took laced molly the night before.

Instances like this weren’t isolated and were somewhat typical at the shop.

When I decided to stop drinking, I was no longer working at this dispensary, and weed was not part of the conversation. Friends asked if cannabis was something I’d be giving up as well, and I replied, “I never had a problem with weed. Weed isn’t fucking up my life.”

However, while I often use cannabis medicinally for my mental health and sleep, it is dangerous, especially among folks in recovery with addictive tendencies, to act like this substance is without faults and cannot be misused.

I only smoke flower. I find the highTHC concentration of dabs and edibles can make dosing hard, and the few times I’ve passed out from getting too high on an edible after quitting drinking, I felt triggered by the lack of control and was reminded of the days when I drank too much, too often.

I try to be intentional when I smoke.

I try to ask, “Why are you smoking, now?”

Sometimes, the answer is, “I want an appetite; I want some assistance sleeping; I want to relax after work.”

Other times, the answer is simply, “I would like to be high.” None are more or less valid than the others, but the important piece is recognizing why I might be rolling up a joint, or more importantly, another joint.

Every person in recovery is different.

My use of cannabis keeps me away from prescription medication with worse side effects and often acts as a way to destress while steering clear of booze.

Alcoholism and drug use is rampant in the LGBTQ community and often marketed right to us. Especially during periods of hardship and trauma (like the drawn-out and seemingly unending one we are currently navigating), it is important to step back and evaluate our personal relationships with substances, and all of the positive and not-so-positive ways they exist in our lives.

I now have more knowledge about the plant than I know what to do with. Alcohol is surely the accepted drug of choice for Americans coping with life in late-stage, pandemic capitalism, so I will always advocate loudly and proudly to destigmatize the use of cannabis as a far more medicinal alternative, though let’s not be afraid to look at every angle of the conversation.

outfrontmagazine.com 63

OFM thoughts

American Queer Life How Culture Saved A Little, Gay Boomer Boy

by Rick Kitzman

Movies

So starved was I to see myself represented on the movie screen (or on TV or in books), those seven words both shocked and elated me. I was not alone.

6 4 OFM M A R C H 2 0 2 1

My childhood in small-town America during the 50s and 60s provided safety and security but little exposure to culture. Saturday morning TV movies opened different worlds to me. Tarzan and his son Boy, Charlie Chan and his bumbling son, or Sherlock Holmes and his wifely Dr. Watson ignited two desires: male companionship and adventure.

Tarzan, portrayed in a glorious black and white glow by Olympic gold medalists Johnny Weissmuller or Buster Crabbe, revealed a voyeuristic pleasure: masculine beauty.

As a kid and into adulthood, a new release or reissue from Disney heralded exciting entertainment. The pretty princes of Snow White (1937), Cinderella (1950), and Sleeping Beauty (1959) began a tradition inherited by the royal heroes in The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). (Am I attracted to male cartoons? Isn’t there enough shame in the world?)

The cotton-candy joys of animation yielded to the cinematic feast of West Side Story (1961). The film dazzled my senses, made my heart leap with indescribable joy like the beautiful, butch dancers who defied gravity. Sadly, I didn’t know one of the film’s directors, its composer, lyricist, maybe even one of its stars, were gay: Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, George Chakiris. If only I had known ...

Mary Poppins (1964) solidified my love for musicals and Julie Andrews. At 11 years old, I longed to live with her blissfully in her animated world, penguins waiting on us flipper and foot, maybe in a prince’s castle just beyond the hill and dale.

Ft. Lupton’s Star Theater offered free, Saturdayafternoon flicks for two milk carton coupons. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), starring Kerwin Mathews and Ray Harryhausen’s stop-motion animation, launched my thrill for hunky heroes and special effects. Harryhausen’s other films—Jason and the Argonauts (1963), The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1973), Clash of the Titans (1981)—starred swashbuckling

hunks Todd Armstrong, John Philip Law, and Harry Hamlin. (Hamlin would later star in Making Love (1982) about a married man finding love with another man, a noble Hollywood effort to equalize gay and straight relationships.)

Responding to the AIDS crisis, the New Queer Cinema movement of the early 90s rejected the arrogant and smothering judgment of Reagan politics and religious castigation. Todd Haynes’ Passion (1991), Derek Jarman’s Edward II (1991), Tom Kalin’s Swoon (1992), Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho (1991), Gregg Araki’s The Living End (1992) and Mysterious Skin (2004) interpreted queer stories and their protagonists as real and heroic, creating a unique cinematic language.

While I appreciate the Chris trio (Evans, Hemsworth, Pine) and the Ryan duo (Gosling, Reynolds), their prettiness and films do not compare with the Greekgodlike beauty and artistry of Brando’s A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Clift’s From Here to Eternity (1953), Dean’s East of Eden (1955), Newman’s The Long Hot Summer (1958), McQueen’s Bullitt (1968).

What of the female stars? Watch Davis in The Little Foxes (1941), Stanwyk in Double Indemnity (1944), Crawford in Mildred Pierce (1945), de Havilland in The Heiress (1949), Garland in A Star Is Born (1954), Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (1966). They used the talents they had to get ahead in a man’s world. Gay men related to their struggles; that’s why we adored them.

Movies became a guide to gaydom. I snuck in to see Midnight Cowboy (1969) at the Brighton Twin.

The film was X-rated; I was underage, the owners desperate. Win-win! I loved The Killing of Sister George (1968), a compassionate tale about lesbian lovers and an all-time fave. The original La Cage Aux Folles (1978) brought tears of laughter and made farce socially relevant. I read how Alien and its sequels were metaphors for the AIDS plague, a disease injected inside a victim that bursts out in some disgusting co-morbidity. I looked for the gay subtext in The Mechanic (1972), only to discover decades later that to get made all homosexual references had been cut.

OFM thoughts

Brian: “Oh, screw Max!” Sally: “I do.”

Brian (scoffing grin, pause): “So do I.” Cabaret, 1972

In Ode to Billie Joe (1976), the dramatization of Bobby Gentry’s mournful, Southern song, I discovered why Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatachie Bridge. He had sex with a man. Once. Well, it’s not for everyone. But Something for Everyone (1970) really did present something for everyone: Michael York, every character’s object of desire.

I was living in New York when William Friedkin began filming Cruising (1980), raising a ruckus with gay activists over its negative portrayal of the leather scene and a potential incitement to murder.

At 2 a.m., I headed to the set location in the meatpacking district to observe a protest. A yelling crowd of about 500 blocked the area, but their most creative disruption was the glitter a group threw on the street. The sparkling glare prohibited filming.

Many of the movies I’ve mentioned are from the olden days, so for my cinematic education, I relied on television’s Saturday Night at the Movies or The Midnight Late Show. Later, Blockbuster became a VHS goldmine. Also, I basked in the dark of revival theaters watching fuzzy, grainy, and scratched prints of classics like Fellini’s La Dolce Vita (1960), mesmerized and enthralled.

What counted as porn 40 years ago—full-frontal, male nudity—is now common in mainstream movies, and one reason I’m looking forward to God’s Own Country (2017). The gay love story with a positive ending (so I’ve read), stars lovely Josh O’Connor, recent recipient of a Golden Globe for The Crown. The mystery underneath Tarzan’s loin cloth shall be revealed again. And I’m OK with that.

outfrontmagazine.com 65

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OFM lust

t ain

Like P Spilled Onto

by Amanda E.K.

s a anv

C

I was backstage after my performance as Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream when I met Leon. I was exhausted, riding the wave of a successful show— my stage makeup smeared and my wavy, red hair disheveled when Leon approached me behind the curtain. I didn’t notice him at first, not until he introduced himself with a flirtatious smile and confident handshake.

“You brought life to Puck in a way I’ve never seen before,” he said, his smoky, quartz eyes boring deep into mine as though he were sending me an unspoken message. “I wanted to meet the man who inspired me to like Shakespeare again. My name is Leon.”

“Matthew,” I said, slowly taking his hand. I was distracted when he introduced himself, but the touch of his hand grounded me instantly in his presence.

“My work is on exhibit this month at the gallery next door,” he said. “I came here tonight in search of a new model. And if I might be so bold, it seems I’ve found him.”

Leon stood a couple inches shorter than my sixfoot frame, with an indistinct figure, but his face was strikingly handsome—a strong jaw, shadowed with dark, well-manicured stubble; his lips full and sensuous. It took me a minute to register what he was insinuating.

“You want to paint me?” I asked, blushing at the suggestion.

He nodded, his eyes penetrating mine.

I’d never modeled, and though I felt a bit disarmed by his direct gaze, I had the impression that I’d be a fool to turn him down.

6 8 OFM M A R C H 2 0 2 1

His hand slides down to adjust his own, swelling erection.

I give him a coy look and tug on the fabric so that it falls to the floor, exposing all of me.

I expect him to join me but instead, he blinks and says, as though in a trance, “Don’t move. Stay just like that. I’ve found you.” He picks up his brush and returns to work.

Something about this phrase—I’ve found you—and the earnestness with which he says it, arouses me even more and leaves me aching with need to be touched.

I ask Leon how much longer I must stay like this.

He says nothing, stroking his paintbrush deftly across the canvas—the gentle scraping sounds giving me tingles along my spine.

He makes me pose for another agonizing 30 minutes, teasing me by clutching the front of his clothed shaft as he paints, commanding me not to move.

“Can I see it?” I beg. “To make things even?” It’s clear that what he’s concealing is larger than average, and it’s driving me wild. He looks at me and says nothing. “Please,” I moan.

I’m on the verge of bursting—something I’ve never achieved before without some level of physical contact.

“True relief can’t be known without a bit of torture,” he says cryptically. “But I can see that you’re more than ready.” He walks over to me, paintbrush in hand, and kneels down before me. Without speaking, he gently traces the brush along my thighs, my navel, chest, and throat, until all of me is streaked with a thin layer of flesh-colored paint that dries into a crust on my skin. I feel more alive than I ever have on stage. As his paintbrush glides up the inside of my right thigh, I explode with ecstatic release, convulsing helplessly with the aftershocks of the deepest, most intense orgasm I have ever had. As I recover, Leon takes out his impressive cock and brings himself to climax, ejaculating onto the floor like paint spilled onto canvas. I sigh into the chaise lounge, glowing and spent, and grateful to my theater for residing next to a gallery.

OFM lust

That was last week. Today, on this drizzly, spring afternoon, I’m undressed and posed in a reclining position on Leon’s crushed-velvet, chaise lounge for my second sitting in his cozy, brick-walled studio. Leon is a man of class, his studio tastefully decorated with antique furniture and stacks of books, topped with volumes of Anaïs Nin’s diaries. An interesting man, I think.

I’m used to being the center of attention, but never for an audience of one. I feel far more exposed with only a single set of eyes on me. On stage, I’m in my element—self-assured— but in this private room I am shy, submissive.

I lie with my head against my hand, a satiny fabric draped across my otherwise naked body. I have a history of trusting people too easily, and though at first I worried I’d made a mistake by coming here, Leon has given no red flags. He’s been direct from the start—blunt, even—and though he carries an air of cockiness, there’s an underlying subtlety to him that intrigues me.

He sits a few yards away from me at his easel, looking at me so intensely passionate, it’s as though I’m looking at the sun.

Ripples of warmth bloom to the surface of my skin, and my body unfolds like a moss rose at dawn. I feel open and new beneath his studious gaze. His professionalism arouses me in a way I didn’t know possible. There’s no artifice in this man.

It’s clear that he is moved by the sight of me, but his gaze is more admiring than ravenous, as though he is memorizing every curve, every angle of my slender, well-toned physique.

I watch him watching me as he paints, feeling warmer by the minute.

Leon lowers his hand. “Are you feeling alright?” he asks. “You look flushed. I’ll turn down the heat.”

“No need,” I say. “The temperature is perfect.”

He raises an eyebrow and gives me a smirk.

I can feel myself getting hard beneath the fabric, which contours the length of my erection. If Leon notices, he acts like he doesn’t. I can’t tell if he’s merely being professional, or if he knows exactly what he’s doing. I sense that I’m only seeing the surface of how this gifted artist is capable of bringing my form to life. I wonder how many strokes he’s attributed to me in the short time since we first met, and if he’s ever taken care of himself in the bathroom during the times he steps away.

The way Leon looks at me makes me see myself with fresh eyes. I’ve worked hard to keep my body fit and healthy, but I’ve never felt comfortable looking too close in the mirror.

I have no tolerance for blemishes or scars, but Leon seems to focus on the imperfections as though they’re my most attractive features.

He pauses his work to light a joint, and when I ask for a hit, he denies me. “No,” he says. “But you can earn one by doing as I say until our session is through.”

I smile. I like the way he’s playing with me. I look down at myself and see that the fabric has slipped to the side, revealing the tip of my now-pulsing cock. I look up to see if Leon has noticed, and this time, there’s no denying it. He’s biting his lip, his smoky eyes fixated at my waist.

outfrontmagazine.com 69

OFM

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