Sensi Magazine - Los Angeles (April 2018)

LOS ANGELE S

remembering

THE NEW NORMAL

4.2018

SPECIAL

DENNIS

PERON

Founding Father of

Medical Marijuana

ISSUE

dear BRADLEY Tribute to Late Sublime Singer

{PLUS}

Bradley Nowell

420 Events Listing Fusion on the Fly + More

ICON

OGRA

PHY

FAN of the

LEAF from Counterculture Symbol to Marketing Cliché

ISSUE 4 // VOLUME 1 // 04.2018

contents

FEATURES 18

24

Iconography of the Fan Leaf

The pointy cannabis leaf, once a badge of the counterculture, may be in danger of becoming an overused marketing tool and cringe-worthy cliché in legal states.

10

R.I.P. DENNIS Remembering Cali’s cannabis crusader.

Dear Bradley

An open letter to late Sublime singer Bradley Nowell from his former manager and friend Jon Phillips on what would have been his 50th birthday.

32

ISSUE

EVERY 5 Editor’s Note 6 TheBuzz 1 0 NewsFeed

REMEMBERING

DENNIS PERON

14 TasteBuds

CHINO DELIVERY

3 2 {SoLA}

C APITOL BUILDING

Sensi Los Angeles is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2018 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 3

sensi magazine ISSUE 4 VOLUME 1

4.2018

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4 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

FOREFATHERS of

editor’s

420

NOTE

OTHER THAN IT’S ICONIC SEVEN-POINTED LEAF, THERE’S NO MORE UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED SYMBOL OF CANNABIS—AND THE CULTURE THAT SURROUNDS IT—THAN THE NUMBER 420.

Despite early confusion regarding its origin, the

nabis Buyer’s Club—the nation’s first cannabis col-

term 420 has been traced back over 40 years to a

lective, providing free medicine to those in need. It

group of teenagers known as The Waldos who would

was there that Peron, along with a cadre of patients,

meet each day after school at 4:20 to get high and

providers, politicos, and protestors drafted the his-

go hunting for a secret cannabis garden. This meet-

toric initiative called Proposition 215. In November

ing time quickly morphed into their secret code for

1996, after years of tireless effort by Peron and grass-

all things reefer-related. Over time, 420 was adopt-

roots organizations throughout the state, Prop 215

ed and propagated first by the Deadhead commu-

was voted into law—beginning the era of medical

nity and then High Times magazine, until eventually,

marijuana in America.

it evolved beyond the stoner subculture and into the

Sadly, Peron passed away earlier this year—mere

mainstream mindscape. That’s why, each year on April

weeks after the legalization that his dedication and

20, millions of cannabis enthusiasts around the world

sacrifices paved the way for went into effect. So regard­

gather together to toke up, speak out and get down.

less of how you choose to celebrate the high holiday,

Yes, believe it or not, it all began at a high school in

I hope you’ll join me in a moment of silence at 2 :15

San Rafael, California back in 1971.

p.m. to honor the memory of our community’s fallen

Meanwhile, around the same time as The Waldos were inadvertently birthing the greatest marijuana meme of all time, a gay Vietnam veteran named Dennis Peron was restarting his life as a hippie pot

founding father.

Happy 4/20 everyone.

Highest regards,

dealer just across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Peron transformed his apartment into a sort of cannabis commune, where like-minded people could socialize, organize, cop a lid and get high.

That space served as the inspiration for what would two decades later become the San Francisco Can-

Bobby Black

SoCAL EDITOR @ BOBBYBL ACK

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sensimag.com APR I L 2018 5

THE NE W N O R M A L

sensi

concert

CALENDAR A brief listing of some of the top shows in and around Los Angeles this month.

4/4 Matt and Kim — Hollywood Palladium 4/5 Story of the Year — Teragram Ballroom 4/6 The Breeders — The Theater at Ace Hotel 4/7 Haim — Santa Barbara Bowl 4/13 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. The Weeknd — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/14 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. Beyoncé — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/15 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. Eminem — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/16 Alt-J w/Borns — Santa Barbara Bowl 4/20 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. The Weeknd — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/20 Air Supply — Saban Theater 4/21 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. Beyoncé — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/21 Portugal the Man, Chicano Batman, Deap

Vally — Santa Barbara Bowl 4/21 Krush Groove featuring Ice Cube, Bone

Thugs-N-Harmony, and more — The Forum 4/21 Dashboard Confessional w/ Beach Slang

— Hollywood Palladium 4/22 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Feat. Eminem — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/22 Bad Bunny —The Forum 4/22 Party in the Parking Lot Feat. Lynch Mob,

Faster Pussycat — Rainbow Bar & Grill 4/25 Big Sean — The Greek Theater 4/26 The Wailers — The Canyon Santa Clarita 4/27 Stagecoach Festival Feat. Florida Georgia

Line, Jake Owen — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/28–4/29 Justin Timberlake — The Forum 4/28 Stagecoach Festival Feat. Keith Urban,

Kacey Musgraves — Empire Polo Club, Indio 4/29 Stagecoach Festival Feat. Garth Brooks,

Trisha Yearwood — Empire Polo Club, Indio 6 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

the

buzz

HIGH HOLIDAY 4/20 FESTIVITIES

What began with a nerdy group of San Rafael teenagers calling themselves The Waldos meeting to search for a lost pot garden after school back in 1971 has since evolved into a worldwide cultural phenomenon. Today, the number 420 has become synonymous with cannabis, making 4:20 the preferred time of day to toke up and April 20 (4/20) the official day of education and celebration for cannabis lovers everywhere. As the legalization of both medical and recreational cannabis has continued to expand, so too have the 4/20 celebrations. The secret seshes of the past have fast been replaced by huge, sophisticated and legally permitted events filled with music, food, seminars, and, of course, designated smoking areas. And while each of these gatherings is different, there’s one aspect they all share: a countdown to that magical moment at precisely 4:20 p.m. when the cheers of revelers and billowy clouds of smoke fill the air.

What follows is a rundown of some of the more prominent gatherings taking place to mark the high holiday here in California. Regardless of where you decide to spend your 4/20 this year, we wish you a safe and stony good time.

THE HIGH TIMES CANNABIS CUP Where: National Orange Show Fair Grounds // San Bernardino What: High Times’ flagship event is back in Bernardino with A-List musical guests, a multitude of vendors and a celebratory 420 countdown at 4:20 pm each day.

When: April 20–22 // CANNABISCUP.COM HER ROYAL HIGHNESS Where: Queen Mary // Long Beach What: The historic ship hosts a 420 party for the first time, with education, food, vendors, and music. Sponsored by OC NORML. When: April 20, 12 p.m.–11:30 p.m.

FB.COM/HERROYALHIGHNESS420

CANNABIS VILLAGE Where: EarthFair // Balboa Park, San Diego What: CannaVillage at EarthFair 2018 is one of the largest cannabis events in San Diego. Note: this is a non-consumption event. If you plan to medicate, do so discretely and respectfully.

When: April 22, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. // CANNABIS PROFESSIONALS.ORG/CANNABISVILLAGE

THE PALM SPRINGS CANNABIS FILM FESTIVAL & SUMMIT Where: Camelot Theatres // 2300 East Baristo Rd., Palm Springs What: This new film festival seeks to erode stereotypes and clichés around cannabis and promote positive discussion. The lineup features screenings of feature, short, and documentary films, social gatherings, and educational panels and speakers—including a keynote address by California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control chief,

—KEIKO BEATIE

Lori Ajax.

When: April 20–22 // PSCFF.JACKALYST.COM VIP CANNASEXUAL COUPLES’ INTIMACY WEEKEND Where: Sacramento What: Presented by Dr. Shameless and CannaSexual Ashley Manta, this cannabis-filled sensual weekend will include two nights in a historic bed and breakfast, an infused dinner, and intimacy building activities, workshops, and exercises.

When: April 20–22 // ELEVATEDINTIMACY.COM 420 IN THE PARK Where: Hippy Hill // Golden Gate Park, San Francisco What: Sharon Meadows—a.k.a. Hippy Hill—is the traditional site for one of California’s longest running public gatherings celebrating 4/20. Food vendors, bathrooms, security, and emergency medical personnel will be there.

There’s also a Hippie Hill concert by rapper Berner happening at the nearby Bill Braham Civic Auditorium.

When: April 20, 9 a.m.–Dusk 420HIPPIEHILL.COM

HEMPCON Where: Cow Palace // San Francisco What: One of Cali’s biggest, most popular cannabis festivals returns to the Bay Area with vendors, performers, seminars, and of course a medicating section.

When: April 20–22, Hours vary HEMPCON.COM/2018-420

honoring Earth THE

Imagine a world without clean air and clean water, filled with burning garbage and thick smog; a world where sewage, deadly insecticides, and other toxic chemical are dumped into our waterways. Sadly, this was the scene along the California coast, and all across America, in the late 1960s—a time when industrial pollution was almost entirely unregulated. It wasn’t until 1969, after witnessing the devastation caused by the Santa Barbara oil spill, that Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson decided to actually do something about it.

Seeking a way to promote public awareness about the disastrous effects of pollution, he created Earth Day—a holiday designed to encourage environmental activism and education. The very first Earth Day was held as a teach-in on April 22, 1970. By the end of that year, the Environmental Protection Agency had been established, and Congress had passed the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. (The Endangered Species Act was later passed in 1973.)

In the years that followed, Nelson continued to promote Earth Day events around the country—an impassioned environmental effort that, in 1995, earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Over the past few decades, Earth Day has become an inspiring instrument of change across the world. The event’s 20th anniversary in 1990 mobilized nearly 200 million people from 141 countries. Today, Earth Day is the largest secular civic event in the world, with close to 200 nations now participating in the global celebration. Each April, around 17,000 different grassroots organizations hold concerts, marches, nature walks, tree plantings, trash collection and recycling drives, upcycling workshops, educational forums, and much more—all in the name of creating a cleaner, healthier planet.

These days, our planet needs us more than ever. The environmental protections we’ve spent two generations fighting to establish are facing unprecedented attack—both by an irresponsible administration hell-bent on rolling back regulations and dismantling protections on national parks and coastlines, and by corporations who continue to drill, frack, and dump with no regard for how it affects life on our planet. That's why it’s imperative that we, as concerned citizens, get involved and do our part.

There are so many ways for us to help, even if it's on a small scale: use alternative transportation, ditch the disposable cups and bottles in favor of reusable ones, decrease your landfill waste, or join a community garden. As the slogans say, “Think green,” and, “Reduce, reuse, recycle.” By being mindful of your daily choices, you will also begin to cultivate a different relationship with the planet.

So this Earth Day, get out there, find an event near you, connect with some like-minded eco-friendly folks, and start making a difference—you’ll be glad you did. For more info, visit EARTHDAY.ORG .

—APRIL PRICE

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 7

THE NE W N O R M A L

BREWING

the

buzz

CREATIVITY

Once the home of a Pabst Blue Ribbon brewery, the Brewery Art Complex in downtown LA is, according to LA Weekly, “the world's largest artist-in-residence community.”

Twice a year, residents of this unique live/work space open their studio lofts to the public for a special indoor art show. With over 100 participating artists, this spring’s ArtWalk showcases works from every medium of artistic expression. Peruse paintings, drawings, illustrations, mixed media installations, architecture, metalwork, jewelry, sculpture, ceramics, and more. Come meet some of the finest artists in Los Angeles and spend the day lost in color and creation.

—AMBER MEYER

BREWERY ARTWALK When: April 7–8 // 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Where: 2100 North Main St., Los Angeles BREWERYARTWALK.COM

garden galavant From succulents and sage to redwoods, lilacs, and poppies, the Golden State has some of the most diverse plant life in the world, and the self-guided Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour is one of the best ways to become familiar with all of California’s flourishing flora. Crafted in harmony with SoCal’s climate, soil, natural vegetation and native wildlife, the 45 gardens that are part of this tour are literally bursting with life. The gardens on the tour are divided into two groups: some open Saturday, others on Sunday. Select which to visit each day, then spend an afternoon perusing the landscapes, speaking to the gardeners and landowners, asking questions and becoming educated about the state’s indigenous plants, which are crucial for keeping pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds alive. In a time when bees are on the road to extinction, supporting and growing plants that will attract and allow pollinators to survive is vital—not just for them, but for us, too. And in a world where scrolling and swiping on screens dominate the day to day, taking time to stop and literally smell the flowers is essential to our individual and collective wellbeing.

— MARY CARREON

15TH ANNUAL THEODORE PAYNE NATIVE PLANT GARDEN TOUR When: Saturday, April 14 & Sunday, April 15 // 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Where: Theodore Payne Foundation, 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley Tickets: $25–$30 NATIVEPLANTGARDENTOUR.ORG 8 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 9

{newsfeed}

DAVID BIENENSTOCK is the former Head of Content for High Times and a former columnist/producer for Vice Media. He is the author of How to Smoke Pot (Properly): A Highbrow Guide to Getting High and co-host of the new podcast Great Moments in Weed History with Abdullah & Bean.

by DAVID BIENENSTOCK

A look back at the life and times of one of the cannabis movement’s most fearless and effective leaders, Dennis Peron—a.k.a. the godfather of medical marijuana.

On January 27, mere weeks after the adult use of cannabis became officially legal in California, America lost perhaps its best known and best-loved cannabis activist, advocate, and evangelist—Dennis Peron. De-

syndrome,” as he later put it—but there wasn’t much around in those days, and it was pretty low quality.

All that changed, however, when he deployed to Vietnam in 1967.

spite facing personal tragedy, police oppression, and

“Saigon was filled with the sweet smell of marijuana,”

relentless political opposition throughout his life, he

Peron recounted. “The day I arrived, I saw lots of Amer-

raised the banner for cannabis liberation during some

ican soldiers turning on, smoking pot all over the place.”

of the darkest days of that struggle and lived long enough to see the beginning of the end of cannabis prohibition worldwide.

Cannabis would prove to be the saving grace of a horrific situation.

A closeted homosexual and a committed pacifist,

“The city and the country have lost a leader,” Ter-

Peron found himself in the middle of some of the con-

rance Alan, a longtime medical cannabis activist and

flict’s heaviest fighting, at a time when the US military

member of San Francisco’s Cannabis Commission said.

suffered staggering casualties. Pressed into combat,

“He lived his whole life on the edge, and that’s what al-

he not only refused to carry a gun, he intimated to his

lowed [California] to lead in cannabis. Not many people

superior officers that he’d be just as likely to shoot them

would have had the courage at the time that he took

as “the enemy.”As punishment, they put him to work

up the mantle.”

for 30 days stacking bodies at the morgue.

Although he would live to become almost synon-

“I was 20 years old. I’d never seen a dead person,”

ymous with West Coast cannabis, Dennis Peron was

he explained to journalist David Downs many decades

born in the Bronx, in 1946. The Italian-American son of a

later. “That month I saw 25,000 dead people. I came

computer programmer and a homemaker, he first tried

out of my closet and found out who I was.”

marijuana as a teenager—to relieve “parental stress 10 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

As the Tet Offensive raged on around him and the

© CRAIG LEMIRE

REMEMBERING D E N N I S PE R ON

death count climbed, Peron consoled himself with the

fundraisers and political gatherings. Whether you want-

region’s plentiful, potent local cannabis and lost his

ed to eat at The Island or score herb at The Big Top,

virginity in a bunker with a fellow soldier. After serv-

you had to prove you were registered to vote already

ing another year in the war, and managing to remain

or sign up on the spot.

in one piece, he was discharged in December 1969.

As a parting gift, he stuffed two pounds of the high-

For Peron, pot and politics would always go handin-hand.

est grade cannabis he could find in Vietnam into his Air Force duffel bag and smuggled it home without a hitch.

FREEDOM FIGHTER

The proceeds from selling off those two pounds

In addition to his work as part of the nascent can-

helped him get settled in San Francisco and start a new

nabis liberation movement, Peron was also deep-

life for himself in the American city best known as a

ly involved in San Francisco’s push for gay rights. He

stronghold for gays and hippies. Being a gay hippie him-

worked closely with Harvey Milk, who would eventual-

self, he felt right at home for the first time in his life. Deep-

ly become the first openly gay person elected to public

ly scarred by his experiences in Vietnam, Peron vowed to

office in California. In fact, during his run for San Fran-

live fearlessly and to pursue happiness with a vigor.

cisco Board of Supervisors, Milk—who also advocated

To that end, he set up a crash pad/commune in a two-bedroom apartment and used it as a base of op-

for cannabis legalization—set up his campaign headquarters in a smoke-filled back room at the Island.

erations for Big Top—a kind of cannabis-dealing salon

In July 1977, however, just months before that

where interesting people from all walks of life came to

historic election, the San Francisco Narcotics Squad

socialize, organize, get high and purchase a nice sack

showed up unannounced and in full force at Peron’s

of cannabis to go. By 1974, his operations had ex-

pot paradise, determined to shut it down. They seized

panded to include The Island, a vegetarian health-food

200 pounds of cannabis and $8,000 in cash. During

restaurant in the heart of the Castro—San Francis-

the raid, Peron was shot in the leg, shattering his

co’s famed predominantly gay neighborhood—where

femur. Arrested along with 13 others, he remained

each patron was greeted with a free joint before sitting

undeterred. After the horrors of Vietnam, he always

down to eat. Housed in a renovated old storefront, The

claimed the police couldn’t scare him. In fact, he re-

Island exuded “shabby chic” charm, and drew a hip, bo-

portedly continued to sell cannabis from his bedside

hemian, cannabis-friendly clientele.

while recovering at St. Joseph’s Hospital.

“It was the only restaurant in the world where mar-

During a break in the ensuing trial, Peron approached

ijuana smoking was not just allowed, but nearly man-

the officer who’d shot him. “Hey sweetheart, I like your

datory,” Peron quipped.

shoes,” he taunted the virulently macho narc.

While the restaurant hummed downstairs, the Big

The officer responded with a string of anti-gay

Top’s expanded retail space turned the upstairs into a

slurs, then told Peron he wished he’d shot him dead.

three-ring cannabis dealing emporium.

As a result of this outburst, the officer’s testimony was

“It was kind of one-stop shopping,” according to the

thrown out of court, and the charges were lowered.

Big Top’s ringmaster. “Baskets of pot. No Waiting. You

Still, Peron spent six months in prison. In a letter to High

could tell [the hostesses] what you wanted, and they

Times penned from behind bars, he remained ever op-

would give it to you: Colombian, Cambodian, whatever.

timistic and committed to the cause.

About 200 to 300 people a day came. I treated them with respect and gave them their money’s worth. It was like a dream. People loved it.”

“Watch the light from San Francisco,” he wrote, “it will light up the world.”

While still incarcerated, he began planning a cam-

Operating openly but outside the law for almost three

paign for a local ballot initiative that would stop San

years, this cannabis wonderland served as a kind of

Francisco authorities from arresting and prosecuting

stoned community space and organizing hub, hosting

people who “cultivate, transfer or possess marijuana.” sensimag.com APR I L 2018 11

The proposition passed by a wide margin. San Fran-

again. This time, 10 officers armed with sledgehammers

cisco Mayor George Moscone subsequently instruct-

performed a no-knock raid on Peron’s home in the

ed the city’s police force to ignore minor cannabis of-

Castro. As they searched his apartment for drugs, Per-

fenses, but this and many other reforms evaporated

on sought to protect his longterm partner, Jonathan

on November 27, 1978—the day Mayor Moscone

West, who was gravely ill with AIDS. After the raid re-

and Harvey Milk were assassinated by a homophobic

covered only four ounces of cannabis, one of the offi-

ex-police officer.

cers put his boot on West’s neck and taunted him with anti-gay jokes. Then they hauled Peron off to booking, THE BUYER’S CLUB

leaving his bedridden partner alone and terrified.

Throughout the 1980s, as the AIDS crisis spread

Sitting in a holding cell, Peron thought of Jonathan—

and grew more deadly, Dennis Peron worked tirelessly

scared and in pain, without any cannabis to quell his

to advocate for medical cannabis as a compassionate,

symptoms—and vowed to create a place in San Fran-

palliative response. With San Francisco’s gay commu-

cisco where anyone suffering from a severe illness could

nity reeling from the widening health crisis, and Peron

come, access cannabis, and form a community of mu-

still at the center of the city’s cannabis scene, he very

tual support. Jonathan lived just long enough to testify

quickly realized that the anti-nausea, pain relief, and

at Peron’s trial. Frail and in obvious physical agony, his

appetite stimulation cannabis provide can often literally

story moved the judge to throw out the case and ad-

be the difference between life and death. Not content

monish the arresting officers.

to merely advocate for legalization, he also worked to supply AIDS patients with cannabis directly.

Then, on January 27, 1990, the narcs came calling

Public opinion also swung heavily in favor of medical cannabis at this time. Peron seized the moment by opening the San Francisco Cannabis Buyer’s Club. Al-

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Only melt glands with a solvent free extraction.

though he still risked arrest and prosecution, this time

nabis—all happened at the Buyer’s Club, where Peron

he had the tacit approval of City Hall to run a nonprofit

brought together medical cannabis patients and pro-

collective dedicated to supplying cannabis to the seri-

viders with academics, politicos, and activists eager to

ously ill for free or at a steep discount. Patrons had to

join forces on the historic effort.

produce photo ID and a doctor’s recommendation to

In 1996, Prop 215 made the ballot through a valiant

enter. The menu featured a wide selection of organic

effort of this core group and a grassroots movement

cannabis, plus edibles, tinctures, topicals, and health

throughout California. In response, just months before

food. In addition to the retail counter, there were plen-

voters decided on the issue, a hundred heavily armed

ty of places to make yourself comfortable and share

police officers raided the Buyer’s Club, busting open

some cannabis with friends or friendly strangers.

the front door with a battering ram. But their oppres-

“Marijuana is part of it, but a big part of healing is not being alone,” Peron explained.

sive action backfired, pushing many previously undecided voters to support medical cannabis.

The San Francisco Buyer’s Club also served as a hub

On Election Day, Prop 215 passed by a wide margin.

for the ascending cannabis movement’s political cam-

For another 20 years, the authorities—both state and

paigns. After passing a series of ever more ambitious

federal—would continue to push back against medical

local ballot initiatives, Peron at last set his sights on

cannabis, but the herbal resistance just kept fighting to

the big prize: A statewide proposition to make med-

defend and expand the rights of patients and provid-

ical cannabis legal and accessible for anyone with a

ers. And so, Dennis Peron’s legacy is a world where ev-

doctor’s recommendation. The earliest efforts to draft

ery adult in California can buy and consume cannabis,

what became Proposition 215—the California Com-

and support for legalization is higher nationwide than

passionate Use Act, allowing the use of medical can-

for almost any other political issue.

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 13

{tastebuds} story and photos by RY PRICHARD

RY PRICHARD is co-host of the hit cannabis cuisine show Bong AppĂŠtit on the Viceland network and co-creator of the food/drink/cannabis pairing project TerpQuest.

14 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

CHINO DELIVERY ONLY

AVAILABLE VIA UBER EATS, POSTMATES, AND NOMSIES (COMING SOON)

CHINOEATSLA.COM

CHINO: FUSION ON THE FLY Chef Eric Greenspan’s Chino is transforming food delivery.

In the industrial swath of Koreatown, the aroma of

physical restaurant presence: finding and maintaining

spices, frying chicken, and crisping potatoes emanates

a winning location, taking on partners and investors to

from otherwise unremarkable buildings. My appetite is

acquire expensive real estate, staffing the front of

piqued, as is my attention: I’ve come here to get a glimpse

house, and the multitude of other costs and obliga-

of what just may be the future of fine dining.

tions inherent in the industry.

The buildings house a wide array of restaurant deliv-

The cost-saving potential of this virtual restaurant

ery services. While some are delivery-focused outposts

model swirled in my mind as I walked through the pizza

of brick-and-mortar restaurants such as Canter’s Deli,

box-lined corridors looking for Chino’s pod. As soon as I

others are entirely virtual, with menus only available via

got there, partner Steve Kim offers me something to eat.

online delivery services like GrubHub and Postmates.

“Do you want a lamb samosa? They’re really good;

Such is the case with Chino, the intriguing new food de-

she makes them,” he says, gesturing to Shruti Patel,

livery service that occupies a 12-foot by 12-foot pod

proprietor of Rangoli, an Indian dumpling and Chai tea

within this shared commissary kitchen space.

delivery and catering service that operates in the pod

Here, boundary-pushing chefs can experiment at

next door. I did want one, and it was indeed delicious,

will with recipes, receiving near-immediate feedback

stuffed with spice-heavy ground lamb, the flaky shell

on their creations. It’s a future where chefs operate a

cratered and crisp. This first bite showcases the level of

kitchen without the hassle that comes with having a

culinary action happening in this innovative space, as sensimag.com APR I L 2018 15

did the whirr of delivery drivers representing the various apps scurrying past me every couple of minutes.

Chino’s first day of service was less than a week ago, but Kim is already pumped about the potential. “The coolest part to me is being able to get feedback so quickly,” he says. “You can change things almost immediately if you see people don’t like it. People weren’t liking the chile we put in the mango sticky rice dessert, so we removed it, and the reviews improved immediately. It’s interesting to analyze.”

He offers me a sliced end piece of a banh mi—part of an effort to test a possible new bread for the sandwich, one of the three mains on Chino’s intentionally slim menu. The bread is solid, but it’s what’s inside that grabs my attention: crispy pork skin chicharron wedged next to an avocado slice atop juicy carnitas and a Vietnamese-style pickle.

Steve’s partner, Eric Greenspan, soon joins us. In a surprise move earlier this year, the award-winning chef and Food Network/National Geographic personality shuttered all but one of his group’s LA restaurants and dove head first into the delivery-only model. I’m eager to hear his perspective on the new restaurant model.

“The basic concept is Latin-Asian fusion, which has obviously been done before, but we are trying to take kind of a different approach to it,” says Greenspan in a boisterous baritone. “We are a little more brash with it, with the dime bags of MSG and the orange-chicken-burrito type of stuff. It’s fun to experiment, and I think it’s perfect for the area because we have USC, K-Town, and DTLA all nearby, which fits our demographic perfectly. I think the coolest part of this space and this type of idea is that you can roll out totally new concepts that have nothing to do with one another. I plan to have a few different concepts rolled out over the coming year, all operating out of this space or a similar one, with a single staff.”

The ability of a chef like Greenspan to test-market new recipes and menu concepts is incredibly powerful, especially in today’s social media-driven, food-obsessive culture where one viral video showing off a dish can translate to lines out the door (literally, or in the case of an operation like Chino, figuratively) for months.

Greenspan’s numerous, now-shuttered restaurants (three Maré outposts, Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese, and The Foundry on Melrose) were all located in expensive locales like West Hollywood and Santa Monica, requiring costly ongoing maintenance and large staffs to operate. By contrast, Chino is being run today by four people, including Greenspan.

By condensing the operation, Greenspan is driving innovation. He is free to focus on the essentials: flavor and presentation, sure, but also other considerations such as how well his menu items hold up over the time it takes them to be delivered. That’s what he’s working on today.

16 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

Greenspan bites into a burrito that’s been wrapped up and sitting at room temp for about 20 minutes, picking at its interior as he chews. Passing the burrito to a cook, he says, “The chicken is hotter than last time but not quite as crispy. I think the heat of the chicken is wilting the veg a little bit. I’d definitely rather have it be more crispy and less hot because that’ll also help the vegetables stay crisp. This recipe is such a winner, but there are things we can do to help it hold up better over time and take into account the way customers will receive it.”

an undeniable torta quality. The thick condiment also

While those customers are only able to experience

helps keep the toppings from sliding around—an im-

Chinos via delivery, I get some fresh-from-the-kitchen

portant consideration, given the 15-plus-minutes it

action. The signature item, the Orange Chicken Burrito,

spends in transit before reaching the diner.

is a Frankenstein food of epic proportions, loaded with

Rounding out the short, focused menu is the bulgo-

snap pea fried rice, a daikon radish slaw, pea tendrils,

gi beef quesadilla—a comfort food mashup served

and some of the crispiest, most delicious orange chick-

with a richly flavored gochujang crema. The blend of

en I’ve ever had, all rolled into an oversized flour torti-

American cheese and finely sliced marinated beef,

lla. While the first taste certainly impressed, the burrito

with added crisp textures and Asian flare in the form of

somehow got better with each bite. The creamy slaw

bean sprouts and cabbage, is like a funhouse mirror

sauce pooled at the bottom, causing the über-crispy

version of a Philly cheesesteak.

orange chicken to take on a honey-walnut shrimp

Soon enough, it was 6 p.m., and orders started stream-

quality. Suspiciously light for something seemingly so

ing in. Greenspan perks up and takes charge, barking

decadent on paper, the burrito left me ample room to

tickets at his cook: “Two Tofu Burritos. Two more…

dive into the chef’s next suggested pairing: the wasabi

tofu burritos? Wait, this doesn’t seem right,” he pon-

guacamole with blue corn chips and wonton crisps and

ders, clutching the tickets. A quick investigation reveals

the carnitas banh mi sandwich. (It’s worth noting that

a glitch in one of the delivery service systems led to

all proteins can be subbed out for orange tofu for the

customers choosing the tofu substitute instead of the

vegetarian crowd.)

chicken—an ordering anomaly that raised a flag with

“I’m really blown away that I haven’t seen anyone else

the veteran chef.

doing this one,” Greenspan says as he slides a container

Greenspan rushes out of the kitchen to call the de-

of the bright green wasabi to me. From the first bite, the

livery service and correct the mistake before more or-

cool avocado blends with the nasal heat of the wasabi,

ders come in. “This is the kind of stuff we have to

the flavors working together in a harmonious way.

watch out for. Lucky I caught that, or we may have

Flashing a broad smile while slicing a sandwich

ended up getting bad reviews for something that had

rolled in paper in half, Greenspan declares, “So this is

nothing to do with us,” he says. Despite this minor

like if a banh mi and a torta had a baby.” It’s an apt de-

speed bump, the food flies out of the kitchen. Outside

scription, as the essential components of the two com-

the door, delivery guys emerge to ferry it to various

prise this sandwich. A tamarind-chipotle rub adds

destinations across the vast urban expanse of Los An-

complexity to the well-done carnitas, which plays deli-

geles. Somewhere, on the other end of the line, I envi-

ciously with the Asian pickles, avocado, and crispy

sion a customer unwrapping a burrito that still has un-

chicharron topping it. The sleeper hit of this item, how-

fathomably crispy chicken and fresh, cool vegetables

ever, is the blend of sweet chili mayo and refried black

inside it, while here in the kitchen, Greenspan smiles

beans slathered onto the bread, giving the sandwich

and waits for the next 5-star review to roll in. sensimag.com APR I L 2018 17

18 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

iconogr a phy OF THE FAN LEAF: FAN

Leaf?

NOT A

OF THE

by ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

The pointy cannabis leaf, ONCE A BADGE OF THE COUNTERCULTURE, MAY BE IN DANGER OF BECOMING AN OVERUSED MARKETING TOOL AND CRINGE-WORTHY CLICHÉ IN LEGAL STATES—BUT IT’S OUR ICON, AND WE’RE STUCK WITH IT. LET’S LEAD WITH TASTE AND RESPECT.

I own two pieces of clothing with cannabis leaves

When I visit my family and friends in the conserva-

on them: warm, fuzzy socks that were a gift from a

tive Midwestern state where I grew up, I leave those

dear friend and a three-year-old Women Grow t-shirt,

items at home. I’m a sissy rebel—or maybe no rebel at

vintage in this young industry and soft from many

all—because I wear them only in legal states, where

washings. I love wearing both in Colorado and Califor-

cannabis leaves are a networking tool, not a counter-

nia, where they spark good conversation.

cultural icon. They’re so ubiquitous in Colorado and sensimag.com APR I L 2018 19

California these days, in fact, that I might not wear my

Jacquie Aiche Sweet Leaf jewelry and clutches featur-

socks and shirt to industry events because I’m slightly

ing that leaf.

embarrassed about what a cliché that pointy leaf has become.

But let’s face it: Mara and Margot weren’t breaking new ground. They’re all following Gram Parson, who

If you’ve been in the cannabis industry for a minute

had suits with cannabis leaves embroidered on them

or two, you can’t help but catch the yawn. It’s been

made for him and his Flying Burritos Brothers band-

three years since Mara Hoffman dressed her New

mates to wear on the cover of their first album in 1968.

York Fashion Week models in dresses and pants wo-

The mainstream fashion world may still get a little

ven with green cannabis leaves and two years since

titillated by the leaf’s countercultural edge—*so* Che

Alexander Wang worked them into a black leather

Guevara—but in the cannabis industry, we’ve all seen

skirt that Margot Robbie wore on Saturday Night Live.

that guy wearing a suit plastered with leaves at a few

We’ve all gotten used to seeing celebrities flash their

too many events. (Just because you can doesn’t mean

RESPECT: eat your leaves Fan leaves, still considered a waste product by industrial and home growers because they deliver very minimal THC, are coming into their own as a nutritional and medicinal powerhouse, largely thanks to the work of Dr. William Courtney. The physician credits cannabis leaf juice with putting his domestic partner into remission from lupus, interstitial cystitis, and rheumatoid arthritis. As food and medicine, the non-psychoactive leaves are finally getting the respect they deserve.

If you don’t or can’t grow your own cannabis, fresh fan leaves can be a hard-to-come-by delicacy. Here’s to seeing that change.

If you do grow your own, stop composting fan leaves when you remove them. Wash them in water and vinegar, then blend them into juices and smoothies, toss them into salads, sprinkle them into soups and over fish, and add them to pesto and tabbouleh. They add an earthy, slightly bitter taste and deliver vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

you should.) We’re classing up this industry, and as a friend recently pointed out, you don’t see people walking around wine festivals wearing leggings covered in grapes or earrings shaped like grapevines.

Our ennui is a problem of privilege—albeit one that should be a right for all—and I do know how lucky we are that we can display cannabis leaves as a universal symbol of pride, solidarity, and advocacy without fear of persecution. Because in the end, though there are more subtle ways of letting the world know we’re pro-cannabis—jewelry shaped like THC and CBD molecules make great gifts for friends in the Midwest— nothing says “I love weed” like the leaf.

It’s our icon, and we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to be tasteful.

Enemies of Society, Waiting for Our Emoji The cannabis leaf has history. The oldest depiction found so far dates to the Neolithic era (10,000–5,000 BC) and was painted on a cave wall on the coast of Kyushu, Japan. Many believe the pointy leaf often shown above the head of the ancient Egyptian idol Seshat, goddess of architecture, astronomy, astrology, and mathematics, was a cannabis leaf.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, when cannabis was a common ingredient in over-the-counter elixirs, the leaf could be spotted on medicine bottle labels— though it wasn’t nearly as ubiquitous as it is on cannabis products today. It went underground with the advent of prohibition in 1937, largely forgotten until it re-emerged, along with tie-dye and peace signs, in the 1960s.

Jerry Rubin, the flamboyant radical who told hippies never to trust anyone over 30, anointed the leaf when he said: “Smoking pot makes you a criminal and a revolutionary. As soon as you take your first puff, you are an enemy of society.”

In 1966, the Saturday Evening Post described college students who used marijuana as fitting into “a

20 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 21

general pattern of rebellion against society’s values.”

with animals (54.6 percent) and basketball teams with

The very fact that marijuana was illegal, according to

basketballs (52.6 percent) scored higher—and it’s not

a 1967 Life magazine article, was part of its appeal for

just about pictures. Think about how many cannabis

PEACE OUT

A HANDFUL OF YEARS BEFORE THE CANNABIS LEAF EMERGED AND BECAME FOREVER INTERTWINED WITH IT AS SYMBOLS OF REBELLIOUS TIMES, THE PEACE SIGN WAS INVENTED AS A BADGE FOR THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT. THE COLD WAR WAS ESCALATING WHEN BRITISH DESIGNER GERALD HORTON CREATED THE PEACE SYMBOL FOR A 1958 ANTI-NUCLEAR MARCH IN LONDON. HE BASED THE DESIGN ON HIS OWN PERSONAL DESPAIR, REPRESENTING AN INDIVIDUAL WITH HANDS STRETCHED DOWNWARD AND OUTWARD LIKE SPANISH PAINTER FRANCISCO GOYA’S DEPICTION OF TERRIFIED PEASANTS BEFORE THE FIRING SQUAD DURING THE SPANISH RESISTANCE TO NAPOLEON’S ARMIES IN 1808.

HORTON’S ORIGINAL DESIGN LOOKED MORE LIKE A PERSON, WITH THE LINES WIDENING TO MEET THE CIRCLE WHERE FEET, HANDS AND A HEAD WOULD BE, BUT THE LINES WERE STRAIGHTENED AND SLIMMED DOWN IN THE 1960S UNTIL HIS DESIGN BECAME THE BOLD, UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED ICON WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY.

companies you know with the word “leaf” in the name.

the empty, materialistic striving of their parents, they

We could talk all day about the irony of baby boom-

turn the whole pot scene into a protest tool which they

ers exploiting the freedom leaf to make money as part

use to mock a middle-class culture they disdain,” the

of the very middle-class culture they once disdained—

article stated.

but let’s save that for a sesh.

We all know what happened next. Hippies became

The fan leaf is our icon, and

yuppies, Nancy Reagan told us to “just say no,” and can-

we’re stuck with it. Let’s try to

nabis leaves disappeared even from rolling paper la-

be respectful of its defiance.

bels and dorm room posters as the plant was forced

Those of us who get to experi-

deep underground. When Adidas attempted to unearth

ence the normalization of a

it by replacing its corporate logo with a cannabis leaf

symbol that once sparked con-

to market hemp sports shoes in 1998, US drug czar Lee

flict and controversy need to

P. Brown slammed the company for attempting to “cap-

keep working toward universal

italize on the drug culture” and implying that drugs are

acceptance, even as we fold it

associated with the “magic” of sporting achievement.

into our marketing materials.

Prohibition is ending. Despite Attorney General Jeff Sessions, attitudes are changing, and the leaf has nev-

We’ve come far, but we’re not there yet.

er been more popular. In 2016, a survey found that 44

We will have arrived when

percent of logos registered as trademarks for canna-

our phones come equipped

bis businesses included leaves—only veterinarians

with cannabis leaf emojis.

22 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook author Robyn Griggs Lawrence recently launched a company, Cannabis Kitchen Events, that includes a tiny turquoise cannabis leaf in the logo.

PHOTOGRAPHS © POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

young people. “Seeing themselves in rebellion against

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 23

DEAR

BRADLEY SUBLIME

JOSH COFFMAN © JOSHPHOTO.NE T

REMEMBRANCE

24 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

An OPEN LETTER to late Sublime singer BRADLEY NOWELL from former manager and friend Jon Phillips.

Orange County has produced some fantastic musical artists over the years: from 1950s classics like Dick Dale and the Righteous Brothers to modern shredders like Fu Manchu and Avenged Sevenfold and everything in between. But there’s No Doubt (another great OC band, by the way) that one of the most beloved and influential groups to ever emerge from the area is Sublime. Their melodic mixture of ska, punk, reggae, and rock took the country by storm. Surfers, skaters, stoners, frat boys, Rastas, and rockers—everybody loved Sublime. And from early on, they were one of the few bands that weren’t afraid to sing about smoking weed and support legalization in their songs. They were innovative, raw, and tremendously talented—especially their charismatic lead singer Bradley Nowell. With his funky, soulful vocals and boyish good looks, he had the guys swinging and the girls swooning. But sadly, like too many other great artists of the day, Bradley fell victim to the dark allure of addiction. And on May 25, 1996, the world learned it had lost another brilliant artist to heroin. He was just 27—the same age that Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and many other rock stars have prematurely met their ends.

On February 22, on what would have been Nowell’s 50th birthday, Jon Phillips—the cofounder and CEO of San Diego’s Silverback Records, and who managed and helped sign Sublime—penned a touching letter to his long departed friend, explaining to him how his life and music have impacted his many friends and fans, and posted it on Facebook. To honor this fallen musical hero of the LBC, we’d like to present an excerpt from that letter. Rest in power, Bradley.

—BOBBY BLACK

Dear Bradley,

DAMN DUDE —YOU WOULD’VE BEEN 50

to go check out some vintage vinyl at the famous

YEARS OLD TODAY. HOLY SHIT ... IT’S HARD TO

local record store Albums on The Hill and ended up

BELIEVE THAT NEARLY 25 YEARS HAVE PASSED

walking through a little neighborhood by the campus

SINCE WE FIRST MET. I CAN STILL REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES SEEING SUBLIME P L A Y. Y O U B R O K E O U T “P O O L S H A R K” A T A UCLA FRAT PARTY IN FRONT OF AROUND 50

where, after taking a small toke of a vape pen (I’ll explain what that is later), I heard a loud bass line carrying from down the street. As I got closer, I heard “Don’t Push”—your little ditty from 1992’s 40 Oz. To Free-

dom—coming from a backyard keg party. It’s fucking

PEOPLE, MAYBE A YEAR A F T E R I F I N I S H E D

2018, and the college kids are still blasting Sublime—

COLLEGE THERE. I WAS 23, AND A RECENT

still waking the town, still pushing the envelope. The

COLLEGE GRAD JUST STARTING OUT IN THE

good vibes keep on playing. Fresher than ever, and

MUSIC INDUSTRY. I STOOD ALONGSIDE YOUR TATTERED AMP SHOT-GUNNING KEYSTONE LIGHTS (THE COLLEGIATE BEER OF CHOICE AT THE TIME), AND I CAN STILL REMEMBER

almost 30 years from when you first dropped that shit in the LBC. And I started thinking because I forgot for a second, holy shit—it’s Brad’s 50th birthday this week! That’s why they’re playing Sublime!

I started to wonder what gets played more today in

THE FEELING OF MY HAIR STANDING ON END,

college dorms and parties, Sublime or Dave Matthews?

GOOSEBUMPS, WITH THE EERIE REALIZATION

Nirvana, The Grateful Dead, or Lynyrd Skynyrd? Can

THAT THE LYRICS IN YOUR SONG MIGHT

they measure that through Spotify and Pandora and

EVENTUALLY BE PROPHETIC OF YOUR OWN IMMORTALITY. I OFTEN THINK BACK TO THAT MOMENT: WE ALL INNOCENTLY STOOD IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS, AND JUST A FEW O F U S K N E W . T H A T W A S A L M O S T 25 Y E A R S AGO —YOU WERE 26.

iPhones? Wait...what’s Spotify? What’s an iPhone?

Oh shit, Brad—didn’t you hear? People are no longer stealing 40 Oz. CDs out of cars. Most people don’t even have CD players. People don’t really buy albums anymore, and they don’t need to steal them. There’s this thing called “streaming” now, and no one really gives a fuck about albums anymore. Bottom line though, Sublime is still being played in every capacity, and it’s

So here we are, old man. What a long, strange trip it’s been. Take a look at your life... Do you even know

still the soundtrack for a new generation—still “triple rectifying that son of a bitch.”

what you started? Just last weekend, I happened to

I mentioned that music is free now, but did I tell

be walking down the street in Boulder, Colorado, and

you that weed is LEGAL?!? No shit. In January 2018,

I ended up in the area on the hill by the university on

California became the sixth US state to legalize recre-

a beautifully sunny, rare, 67-degree winter day. I went

ational marijuana sale and usage, and more than half sensimag.com APR I L 2018 25

of the states have “medical” marijuana. Can you believe that? You can now buy herb from the store down the street. I remember when we all went to that little studio off La Brea in Hollywood, and you and Miguel

Sublime's Bradley Nowell with Skunk Records co-founder Miguel Happoldt and band manager Jon Phillips at Nowell's wedding, just one week before his death.

COURTESY OF JON PHILLIPS/SILVERBACK MUSIC

and Bud and Eric recorded that version of “Legalize It” for Capricorn Records’ Hempilation album for NORML back in ’94. Well, that day has come. I know you didn’t always love smoking weed, but I think you would be intrigued by the movement this plant has ignited— the political disparity, the science and technology, and how much deeper the culture has become than simply, “Smoke two joints in the morning, smoke two joints at night.” There are medicinal uses starting to prove that this seed and its flower could be a redeeming miracle of nature with many industrial uses and healing properties. I gotta go dig out that version of “Legalize It” you

in our history, in a world that you aren’t here to see. I

did, it’s somewhere in the archive. I can probably just

wonder what you would’ve had to say about all of this.

go to YouTube and find it. Oh yeah, Brad—YouTube,

You were always quite the historian, and I can only

vape pens, iPhones—a lot has changed. If only you

imagine what impact this would’ve had on your worl-

were still around ….

dview and your music. But your music continues to

So in case you’re wondering, I’m still wading in this cesspool (insert Hunter S. Thompson quote here)

inspire us, remaining a positive light in dark times that’s more relevant than ever.

called the music industry. Still putting out records and

The Dub Allstars broke up shortly afterward. Things

managing bands for the music I love. For a few years,

were cool for a while, but eventually everyone went

I had a good run with your boys from the LBC: Bud,

their separate ways, and like all of those Behind the Mu-

Eric, and the Long Beach Dub Allstars. We traveled

sic shows on VH1 (you were on one, by the way), every-

the world, enlisted some of your world-class influenc-

one ended up suing everyone else, and the lawyers and

es (Half Pint, Barrington Levy, and others) and made

record labels made a shit ton of money while everyone

a couple of albums. On May 25, 1998 (the second an-

else got screwed. I don’t want to waste a lot of time on

niversary of your passing), we were in Germany while

the negative; I just wanted to make the point that you

touring internationally for the first time when Opie, in

and Sublime really made the music business worth the

a drunken rage, sucker punched me in the face. It was

fight for me. I tried to fight for you—I originally didn’t

a rough tour, but a rite of passage that I’ll never forget

feel it was right for anyone to use your name posthu-

and always treasure. On that trip, Opie coined me a

mously, so I became outspoken about the attempted

“Silverback” and made me a prototype business card

usage of “Sublime.” I didn’t think any band except one

with his art, and that was the start of what I still do

with Brad Nowell in it should ever be called Sublime.

now—Silverback Music. With all the ups and downs

I mean, there’s no Nirvana without Kurt. So, as a le-

and peaks and valleys of this existence in the music

gal exception, it became “Sublime With Rome.” They,

biz, I’m proud to say it’s mainly because of you that I’m

among others, are still playing those songs for throngs

still in the game and it’s now the 20th anniversary of

of people that tragically will never see the real thing.

Silverback. Thank you, Bradley.

You gave me some gifts as well. The first one was a

LBDAS toured until 2001 and made a second al-

little band from Ocean Beach, San Diego called Slightly

bum called Wonders of the World, which ironically

Stoopid. I remember the first time I met Miles. He was

dropped on 9/11/2001—the day the Twin Towers fell

16 years old. You brought him to my office on Wilshire

in New York City. I went to NY with the “Dubs” a cou-

in Beverly Hills (the Gasoline Alley headquarters), and

ple of weeks after while they attempted to tour the

you said, “Jon, this is Miles from Slightly Stoopid.” I

country in the aftermath of 9/11 (and amongst the

remember feeling the hint—like you were saying, “Hey

stress of their own internal substance abuse issues).

bud—I might not be here forever, so if you want some-

Upon arriving at Ground Zero, you could still smell

one to carry the torch, this guy can do it.” (How did

the stench of darkness. What a crazy, defining time

you know?) And man did he and Kyle do that and then

26 Los Angeles A P R I L 2018

some. If you ask anyone today, they’ll tell you that

that we will continue to grow old with—is your beau-

Sublime and Stoopid are the real deal. Unfortunately,

tiful son Jakob. I remember when you brought him

you didn’t get to relish in the success of the reaction

to the office as an infant fresh from the hospital. You

to your music, and Stoopid lost their older brother—no

were so proud…and you should be. What a beautiful

big tour to hop on, just the notion and the spirituality

kid and deep soul. We’ve become closer now that he’s

that Bradley and Sublime and Skunk Records had em-

older (he just turned 21 last year) and started to pur-

braced them and dropped some real knowledge their

sue music a little more seriously. He has an uncan-

way. And shit, those two little grommets not even out

ny resemblance to you—good looking, introspective,

of high school whose first notes I saw at Fake Niteclub

well-read, artistic, innocent, and talented. He conveys

(Sublime’s little ’94–96 makeshift studio on Anaheim

your energy and soul but is finding his own identity

Street) with you and Miguel at the boards are now two

musically. He has quite the shoes to fill, but he has a

decades and 10 albums deep into their careers with

bright future. You should be proud. I would do any-

no sign of slowing down. Thanks to you, we all became

thing I can for your kid, man—I owe that to you be-

brothers and partners—including my brother Matt,

cause you and your music have given me so much.

who became their manager. (You met Matt—he actu-

Don’t hold it against me, but I’ve never brought my-

ally smoked his first jay with you at my folks’ place in

self to visit your gravestone. I feel guilty about it, but

San Jose.) You’d be proud of these kids—they’re seri-

honestly, there isn’t a day I don’t think about you or

ous musicians, good dudes, and excellent songwriters.

feel your guidance and presence. I’m not perfect, but

They’ve cultivated a large legion of fans called “Stoop-

I’m passionate about the lineage of this music and the

idheads” and sell out 5,000–10,000 seat amphitheaters

future. Sublime laid the foundation and nothing ever

every summer. They continue to carry that torch with

touched it. Reggae music is still on the loose, and you

much respect and gratitude.

have your own 40 Oz. To Freedom beer now, so I’m

The other gift—aside from all of the indelible memories and timeless songs that will never grow old, but

tipping one of those to you. We are all still, and forever, “under your voodoo.” Happy Birthday, Bradley.

Our mission is to create equal access and economic empowerment for cannabis businesses, their patients, and the communities most affected by the war on drugs.

DEVELOPING A nationwide network of cannabis business owners within a variety of disciplines, including ancillary businesses ADVOCATING For creation and fair enforcement of sensible, equitable policies ACCELERATING Increased cannabis industry growth by ensuring patient and consumer access to the most people SERVING As a voice for the minority population with programs that foster opportunity, education, and equality

Visit us at MinorityCannabis.org to join the movement today!

memberships@minoritycannabis.org @MinCannBusAssoc

@MinorityCannabis

@MCIA.org

sensimag.com APR I L 2018 27

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

VAPEXHALE

Vape-Perfection VAPEXHALE’S PATENTED EVO TAKES VAPORIZATION TO THE HIGHEST LEV EL. As more medicinal qualities of cannabis are dis-

ration and research, he engineered a device em-

covered, more people than ever are turning to vapor-

phasizing health, taste, and smoothness—the EVO.

ization as an alternative to traditional “combustion”

“Medicate” and “intoxicate” are familiar terms peo-

consumption. But with the multitude of vaporizers

ple use to describe cannabis ingestion … but Shen

on the market, it can be difficult for consumers to

prefers the term “activate”, because it enhances his

determine which to trust with their health.

focus and performance without slowing his reflexes.

It’s this dilemma that the EVO by Vapexhale

Apparently, Shen wasn’t the only sports figure using

seeks to solve. Unlike other devices that use con-

vaporization as a means to “activation”: Vapexhale’s

ductive heat to release an herb’s essential oils,

early customers included many professional ath-

EVO’s patented PerpetuHeat Thermal Technology

letes who participate in high impact sports such as

uses convection heat and an all-glass air path to

hockey, football, and ultimate fighting.

deliver cleaner, smoother vapor without that nasty

“Initially, I thought they were using it the way I

“charred” taste. EVO’s hybrid capabilities and mod-

was—after working out to relax and reduce inflamma-

ular system allows users to enjoy both dry herbs

tion,” recounts Shen, who was shocked to learn that 90 percent of these athletes vaporized before competing. To help users achieve that activation stage, Vapexhale created their own Cannabis Performance Assessment and Facilitation programs, which examine the goals of individuals to implement a plan that’s suited to them. Since its release in 2014, EVO continues to lead the high-end vaporizer market with global distribution and strong annual sales growth—aided by the widespread popularity of personal vape “pens,” which they view as complementary products rather than competition. “Watching the game on your

and concentrates through a variety of interchange-

smartphone is like using your vape pen,” explains

able inserts and borosilicate mouthpieces. In fact,

Shen. “EVO is like watching it on HDTV.”

EVO is the only vaporizer that’s won Cannabis Cups

EVO’s sleek, innovative design have led some to

for both its dry herb and concentrate capabilities,

liken it to popular products by cutting-edge tech

showcasing its versatility.

companies, but Shen eschews such comparisons.

EVO was conceived by Vapexhale CEO, and

“Instead of trying to be the Apple or Tesla of canna-

mixed martial arts athlete, Seibo Shen, who sought

bis, we just want to be the best Vapexhale of can-

a healthier alternative to smoking. Seeking a device

nabis we can be.”

that provided an optimal vaping experience, Shen tested over 100 different devices and adopted the

For more information, visit

best aspects of each. After thirteen years of explo-

VAPEXHALE.COM .

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{soLA }

by BOBBY BLACK

C PITOL

BUILDING WEST COAST CAPITOL Usually, when someone mentions the Capitol Building, they’re referring to that big white one with the dome in Washington, DC. But as most of you know, there’s another Capitol Building located right here in LA—a block north of the celebrated crossroads of Hollywood and Vine—that’s just as famous.

Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument in 2006, the Capitol Records Building was the world’s first circular office building. An unlucky 13 stories high, it bears an intriguing resemblance to a stack of records on a turntable, though its designer swore that was not his intention. Atop the needle-like antenna on its roof, a blinking red light spells out "Hollywood" in Morse code every few seconds. It’s done this uninterrupted since the building’s opening in 1956, with one exception: in 1993, the message was changed to “Capitol 50” in honor of the company’s 50th anniversary.

Unlike its District of Columbia namesake, where laws are made, this Capitol Building is known for making music. Old Blue Eyes himself Frank Sinatra was the first to record an album in Capitol Studios, followed over the years by a cavalcade of other top name talent (e.g., Paul McCartney, The Beach Boys, Guns N’ Roses, Michael Jackson, Elton John, and Paul Simon). Like many other iconic American structures, the Capitol Records Building has been featured (and often destroyed) in a number of popular video games and films; for me, however, its most memorable movie appearance will always be in Andrew Dice Clay’s ill-fated action comedy The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, in which the Diceman dispatches Wayne Newton’s homicidal henchman Smiley (portrayed by Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund) with his Jimi Hendrix Stratocaster whilst descending down the building’s facade.

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