Sensi Magazine - Los Angeles (March 2019)

LOS ANGELES

THREADED FAST FASHION IS OUT

FAMILY LEGACY Generation Grow

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY Dames of Green

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CULTURE CLUB BLAZING CHICANOS

THE NEW NORMAL

3.2019

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 3

4 MARCH 2019 Southern California

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6 MARCH 2019 Southern California

ISSUE 3 // VOLUME 2 // 3.2019

FEATURES HEMP MADE Catwalk approved

20

44

The Strain Game

SP EC IAL R EP OR T

When it gets down to it, strains aren’t the best way to let customers know what they’re getting.

52 “R U Hiring?”

How not to get a job in the cannabis industry.

40

DRINK YOUR GREENS Minty Fresh

every issue 09 Editor’s Note 10 The Buzz 14 NewsFeed

WOMEN EMPOWERED

16 AskAngie

UP IN THE AIR

20 LifeStyle

FASHIONED FOR GOOD

28 AroundTown

LET’S GET TOGETHER

32 HighProfile FAMILY-STYLE

40 HomeMade

FEELING GREEN

64 The Scene

SENSI NIGHT LOS ANGELES

66 HereWeGo

OIL ME UP, SAN DIEGO

Sensi magazine is published monthly by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2019 SENSI MEDIA GROUP LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 7

sensi magazine ISSUE 3 / VOLUME 2 / 3.2019

EXECUTIVE FOLLOW US

Ron Kolb ron@sensimag.com CEO, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Tae Darnell tae@sensimag.com PRESIDENT, SENSI MEDIA GROUP

Alex Martinez alex@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

EDITORIAL sensimediagroup

baileyscbd.com

Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dawn Garcia dawn.garcia@sensimag.com

MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

Robyn Griggs Lawrence CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dr. Angie McCartney askangie@sensimag.com COLUMNIST

sensimagazine

@ b a i l eys c b d

Eli Dupin, Pamela Wiznitzer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

A RT & D E S I G N Jamie Ezra Mark jamie@emagency.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Rheya Tanner, Wendy Mak, Josh Clark em@sensimag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT

sensimag

BUSINESS & A D M I N I S T R AT I V E Mark Basser mark@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Karen Petersen karen.petersen@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, ORANGE COUNTY

Vanessa Fleur vanessa.fleur@sensimag.com Chuck Milles chuck.milles@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS, SAN DIEGO

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Hector Irizarry distribution@sensimag.com DISTRIBUTION

M E D I A PA RT N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

8 MARCH 2019 Southern California

GONE IS ADVISORY BOARD 3C Farms // CULTIVATION 4Blooms Cannabis Business Services // BRAND CONSULTING SERVICES

55 Hydroponics // HYDROPONICS Bailey’s CBD // PET CBD TINCTURE/PET TREATS Bees Knees // CONTROLLED DOSAGE VAPORIZERS Chameleon // CANNABIS APP DEVELOPMENT CHX & BLNZ // CANNABIS ACCOUNTING Fiddler’s Greens // CBD TINCTURES

editor’s

WINTER

NOTE

Leaves budding, remnants of snow-capped moun-

tains, the promise of spring peeking just around the winter cor-

ner—that’s the joy of March. This month is all about spring awakenings, collaboration, easing stress, and learning the art of the cannabis industry.

This month we learn about the extraordinary ways hemp is being used for sophisticated clothing, lingerie, and accessory lines and as an actionable tool in halting fast fashion. We talk to designers with a mindfulness critical to the industry’s evolution.

We learn about a family man whose family legacy of cannabis

Flourish Software // DISTRIBUTION MANAGEMENT

reads more like a Hollywood screenplay that includes smug-

FlowerKist by Steph // CBD COSMETICS

staying true to the purity of the plant and give back to the com-

Grow Generation // HYDROPONICS Hemp Love // NANO-ENHANCED HEMP OIL Hybrid Payroll (Ms. Mary Staffing) // STAFFING AND HR BENEFITS

Inclusive Cannabis // MARKETING LINX Card // MERCHANT SERVICES Mighty Meds Vape // VAPE

gling, raids, and more—creating a brand with a primary vision of munity. A famed New York mixologist gives you a hydroponic recipe for a killer cocktail. You’ll learn about job etiquette, co-op spaces that encompass all your senses; and you’ll get the lowdown on events happening from LA to San Diego that will have you in a state of creative ecstasy.

This issue is a page-turner, for sure, and as you thumb through the pages, I hope you are enveloped by a true sense of community. While this industry is often referred to as the Wild West—and sometimes it definitely feels like it—it’s also

Mountain High Suckers // CBD EDIBLES

catapulted into an industry of respect, education, and ingenu-

NLVO // LAS VEGAS LUXURY CANNABIS

thought to be taboo, into a resource for a higher quality of life.

PNS Ventures // RECREATIONAL DISPENSARY Red Rock Fertility //

FERTILITY DOCTOR

The Right Dosage // PACKAGING SteepFuze // Stewshi //

CBD COFFEE

APPAREL

Therapy Tonics & Provisions // INFUSED DRINKS Undoo // OVERCONSUMPTION RELIEF

ity. Men and women are joining forces to turn cannabis, once That is evident in the ongoing collaborations, eco-conscious growing practices, pro-cannabis legislation, and open dialogue happening in government and public sectors. In other words, unlike the 1920s, cannabis prohibitionists have learned from history, and they are taking the right steps toward a world full of promise and progress.

Here’s to change, community, and living boldly.

Yours,

Vriptech // GLASS VAPE WillPower // SPORTS NUTRITION Witlon, Inc. // PAYROLL Dawn Garcia

M ANAG I NG E D I TO R

SENSI SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 9

LOS ANGELES

Museum

HAPPY HOUR MARCH 8, Every Thursday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Claire’s at the Long Beach Museum of Art hosts a stellar happy hour every Thursday afternoon. Come open your mind with the incredible surf exhibition in Cult to Culture: Photographs by LeRoy Grannis and round out your afternoon with Claire’s. Happy hour specials include half-off wine bottles, $5 bloody marys, curated champagne libations like yuzu and pomegranate, hand-crafted cocktails such as jalapeño margaritas and maple bacon old-fashioneds, a menu that consists of ahi tartare, short rib poutine, buffalo cauliflower, wagyu sliders, beet salad, fish and chips, and more.

–Dawn Garcia

From $5-$22 // LBMA.ORG

44th Annual

Kite Festival MARCH 11, Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Let’s go fly a kite! In Marina del Rey you can do precisely that while feasting your eyes on elaborate kites at the 44th Annual Kite Festival. This year’s festival is presented by Miller’s Children & Women’s Hospital of Long Beach along with the Redondo Pier Association and the Sunshine Kite Company. The pier has been a fixture of Los Angeles since 1889 and the kite festival is just another way to bring the community together.

Did you know kite flying has health benefits too?

Turns out it’s great exercise, good for mindfulness, good for your eyes and neck, inspires creativity, and reduces stress, among other things.

FREE // REDONDOPIER.COM 10 MARCH 2019 Southern California

–DG

CHEECH & CHONG Still Rollin’

NOW THROUGH APRIL 20, Open Daily, Closed Tuesday’s Celebrating 40 years of Up In Smoke, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles is paying tribute to the most quintessential comedic cannabis activists of all time, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. The exhibition showcases the world of East L.A. as seen through the eyes of Cheech and Chong, cataloging the journey that began with their script for the hugely successful and widely loved film, Up In Smoke. The exhibit also includes the master tape of the soundtrack, original comedy, and Cheech’s “Blazing Chicano Guitara” collection. The film was instrumental in bringing Chicano culture into comedy, as well as exploring the restrictions of cannabis at the height of the hippie movement in the 1970s.

–DG

Tickets $15 // GRAMMYMUSEUM.ORG ORANGE COUNTY

OC Wine Fest

MARCH 9-10, Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Coming to Orange County with wine in abundance is the OC Wine Fest taking place in San Juan Capistrano at A Stones Throw Winery. Bringing you wine blends from all around the world in a laid-back environment, this is the invitation to press pause that you’ve been waiting for. Along with new and noteworthy wines, there are boutiques to shop at and gourmet food to enjoy. Proceeds from the event go –DG to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Kids Connected.

Tickets - $100-$125 // OCWINEFEST.COM

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 11

ORANGE COUNTY

Cherry Blossom Festival MARCH 17, Sunday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

As the world recovers from the longest government shutdown in history and a whole lot of political insanity, in Huntington Beach you can celebrate peace and beauty at the fifth annual Cherry Blossom Festival. After the success of last year’s event, with a turnout of over 8,000 people, Huntington Beach is proud to partner once again with its sister city, Anjo of Japan, to bring joy, community, and peace to the locals. The event will host traditional Japanese dance, music, arts and crafts, cultural exhibits, and a range of Japanese food. The purpose of the festival is to bring people together without focusing on politics or beliefs, and instead celebrating each other and our diversity. –DG Admission is FREE // HBCBFEST.COM 12 MARCH 2019 Southern California

Beethoven SAN DIEGO

MARCH 10, Sunday at 2 p.m.

Music and cannabis go hand in hand, but have you ever taken a hit of your favorite strain or a bite of your favorite edible and listened to a little classical piano? If you haven’t, this would be the time. Playing at the San Diego Symphony in the James Copley Symphony Hall is pianist Jorge Federico, conducted by Robert Spano. Fire those synapses and revel in the beauty of Concerto No. 2 and Symphony No.2 while your mind takes you on a calming and inspiring journey through the notes played gallantly across –DG

the black and white keys. $20-$100 // SANDIEGOSYMPHONY.ORG

PALM DESERT Food And Wine MARCH 22-24, Friday through Sunday, times vary

There’s nothing quite like staying in Palm Desert, and as the culinary and cannabis scenes continue to blossom, finding a reason to escape for a weekend is a no-brainer. This month you can explore eclectic cuisine and curated cocktails, learn how to prepare four-star dishes, and be among national epicurean influencers. Featuring vintners, James Beard-appointed chefs, distillers, and brewmasters, the event invites foodies and connoisseurs to test the waters, drink it all in, and take a bite out of this illustrious part of southern California. At the festival, produced by Palm Springs Life magazine at Aqua Caliente Casino and Resort, you can expect to be surrounded by design and aesthetics while enjoying the treelined El Paseo shopping district.

Events include a cheese course with Laura Werlin, Taste of Italia, a James Beard luncheon and dinner, premier grand tasting with celebrity chefs, and a champagne and bloody mary brunch.

–DG

For tickets and reservations visit

PALMDESERTFOODANDWINE.COM

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 13

{newsfeed }

by DAW N G A R C I A

WOMEN EMPOWERED

A female-centric, herb-driven night in the Hollywood Hills. into a wonderful panel hosted by Nichole West, whose story is steeped in circumstances that inevitably led her to stand up for cannabis and a necessary social movement. Fifteen women led three panel discussions, and attendees were given a personal glimpse into the lives of women making a difference in the industry. From learning the woes of legalization and regulation to being a source of good for our youth, these women banded together to educate, inspire, and create a new community to raise one another up.

Sensi is proud to support so many incredibly strong, mindful women working to further the industry and to be a voice in a sea of stigmatic change.

Sensi Connect was comprised of Andrea Drummer, Ariel Clark, Chef Millie, Delaney Mason, Dr. Dina, Gina Marie Celebrating women of cannabis in the pristine Hollywood

(XoCal), Jazmin Aguiar, Joan Irvine, Kate Scott, Dr. Lakisha Jen-

Hills, brands, cultivators, financiers, and advocates came

kins, Mary Patton, Pam Epstein Esquire, Roberta Koz, Sheila

together for one exclusive Sensi night. Rock star Chef Millie

Gibson Esquire, and myself. As we learned about branding,

prepared a feast that included delicious Japanese-inspired,

packaging, and the tricky catwalk of legislative change, to-

cannabis-infused sushi and sake, and the evening was

gether we became more educated and motivated to find val-

destined to be one for the books. Ushering in a new era of

ue in each other.

not just women of industry, but a community of cannabis,

We’re striving to change the conversation about canna-

the evening brought together innovative and inspirational

bis, its benefits, and how essential it is to a society drown-

women with a unified vision: synergy and support.

ing in stress, and this evening was a welcome reminder

We started off with an introduction by Dr. Michelle Ross,

that in cannabis, women can rise together and be instru-

on site doing a book signing for her recent release, Vitamin

mental in shifting an age-old mindset. Together we are

Weed, with a strong message of purpose. Ross is a neurosci-

strong, instrumental, and, more importantly, heard. A special

entist and health coach who has devoted her life to patients

thanks to the men and brands who showed up to support

with chronic illness. Her goal is to help them live their best

the women of this industry.

lives with the aid of cannabis. The evening then progressed

#WOMENOFSENSI // #SENSICONNECT // WOMENOFSENSI.COM

14 MARCH 2019 Southern California

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 15

{askangie }

by D R . A N G I E Mc C A R T N E Y

UP IN THE AIR CBD is everywhere these days. But that can leave you with a lot of questions. Our “ask me anything” columnist teamed up with the experts at Butterfly CBD to provide trustworthy information about the “it” cannabinoid.

Thrilled to hear the cannabinoid combo is working! The federal government, however, isn’t on the same page.

While hemp-derived CBD is now legal in the US thanks to the passing of the 2018 farm bill, THC is derived from the Cannabis sativa plant that remains federally illegal. Which unfortunately means your cannabinoid combo can’t legally cross state lines, never mind international borders.

If you pack it in your checked luggage, will you get caught, arrested, prosecuted? It’s possible. Is it likely? No, especially if the packaging is innocuous. But there is a risk. Our lawyers

“My brain tumor has returned for the third time, and I cannot control seizures with prescription medication alone.

But taking CBD with THC oil at night works amazingly.

Will it be legal to bring it on my flight back to the UK?” —Up in the Air

said we can’t advise it. So, there’s that. The safest option is to procure the medicine you need once you reach the UK. On another note, if you are going to Liverpool during your trip to Europe and you are a Beatles fan, be sure to check out The Cavern Club on Mathew Street. Introduce yourself to Jon Keats, co-owner and manager, and tell him I sent you.

There is also a very interesting publication called The Guide (you can find it on Facebook), which gives great coverage of what’s on in Liverpool. It’s certainly a city of very friendly people with lots of interesting and fun places to visit.

I hope you have a terrific trip.

DR. ANGIE hosts Teaflix Tuesdays on Facebook (FB.COM/DRANGIEMCCARTNEY ), and has a live radio broadcast on the Pete Price Show out of Liverpool on Saturday nights (RADIOCITY.CO.UK ) and on Richard Oliff’s HFM Drive Show on Wednesday afternoons (HARBOROUGHFM.CO.UK ).

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16 MARCH 2019 Southern California

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{lifestyle }

by DAW N G A R C I A

How hemp and eco-friendly design are disrupting the fashion industry.

20 MARCH 2019 Southern California

Fashion is all the rage—and fast fashion used to be the

The hemp plant has a multitude of uses. One of its more

charging horns, but that’s all changing thanks to hemp-

savvy uses is fabric. Derived from the hemp stalk, hemp fi-

made products and brands tired of waste and sweat shops.

ber is then used to create beautiful fabric that is actually

It’s easy to appreciate streamlined couture and high-end

stronger and more durable than cotton, and its biological

brands that make us feel like a million bucks. Man or wom-

elements make for one divine fashion additive. Dispelling

an, clothes are our form of visual expression, and a well-

misconceptions about hemp fabric wasn’t an easy feat, but

made thread is simply divine. Sadly, those high thread

as society shifts into being more environmentally aware,

counts and handmade stitches with logos we all recognize

some fashion designers are rising to the occasion and join-

come with a price, and I don’t just mean the price tag.

ing the ranks of responsible thread makers.

Fast fashion is a term that’s risen to the tip of every

“For fashion players, 2019 will be a year of awakening,”

eco-conscious fashionista’s tongue. Much like the term

the report states. “The ones who will succeed will have to

implies, it means that designs move from catwalk to retail-

come to terms with the fact that in the new paradigm that

ers—encapsulating the latest trends—at record speed. It

is taking shape around them, some of the old rules sim-

sounds harmless, but fast fashion means designers pres-

ply don’t work.” The report cites minimal growth of 3 to 4

ent their latest collections, get them out into the public eye

percent in 2019. Brands “need to take an active stance on

with a clever marketing campaign or a successful runway

social issues, satisfy consumer demands for ultra-trans-

show, and then moments after they begin to sell and make

parency and sustainability, and, most importantly, have the

waves in the lives of consumers, the trend shifts, and that

courage to ‘self-disrupt’ their own identity and the sources

outfit you just purchased becomes obsolete before you get

of their old success in order to realize these changes and

your selfie into the ether. That said, fashion lovers are woke.

win new generations of customers.”

Gone are the days of outsourcing, cheapened fabrics, and sacrificing style for eco-friendly design.

As consumers continue to become far more aware of the clothes they buy, the way they’re made, and who paid

According to the latest State of Fashion Report for 2019

the price for the latest Instagram look we so admire, some

by Business of Fashion editor Imran Amed and McKinsey’s

fashion brands are offering casual to couture lines following

Global Apparel senior partner Achim Berg: “The year ahead

an environmentally conscious business model. The follow-

is one that will go down in history. Greater China will for the

ing brands are staying true to artisanship, authenticity, and

first time in centuries overtake the US as the world’s larg-

social progress, and they offer way more than clothes for

est fashion market. It will be a year of awakening after the

hippies. Not only are they ethically made, they all give back

reckoning of 2018—a time for looking at opportunities, not

in some way.

just challenges. In the US and in the luxury sector it will be a year of optimism; for Europe and for struggling segments

FOR THE FELLAS

such as the mid-market, optimism may be in short supply.

Md Bespoke (MDBESPOKE.CA), created by Marlon Durrant,

Far-sighted companies will make bold moves in automa-

is a custom bespoke clothing company that makes high-

tion and AI and will disrupt themselves before others do it

end hemp suits and debonair tailored shirts for men in a

for them. Consumers will make or break brands based on

style that blends Bond and

trust. And global economic and political trends hover over

urban appeal. On a quest

the whole picture. In short, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

to provide a personal ap-

My quest to discover brands that are elevated and con-

proach to client services,

scious but aren’t willing to give up eloquence, fit, luxury, or

Durrant says, “My clients

quality led me down a rabbit hole, but what I found inspires

are well-versed in the

an entirely new fashion mindset—and it’s one to be exu-

eco-movement and de-

berant over. Designers and fashion houses are making fun-

mand sustainability in many areas, including their style.

damental shifts in their approaches to putting their visions

Hemp-blended menswear gives them the next best thing

into the marketplace, and it begins with fabric.

before any other bespoke tailor, and satisfies their need for sensimag.com MARCH 2019 21

sustainability.” Durrant brings a naturalist design approach with a hint of royal air.

His style is distinct and ideal for men who love well-made clothing.

Self-proclaimed global nomads and world citizens, the team behind visionary Dushyant Asthana‘s (DUSHYANTASTHANA.COM) brand is as colorful as the designs they create. Dushyant Asthana is a line inspired by Dushyant’s environment as a child in India, where vibrant colors and textiles surrounded him. His mother’s entrepreneurial sense and the culture of his upbringing influenced the distinct and architecturally artistic Los Angeles-designed fashion created for the contemporary gentleman. Unique patterns, custom-cut shirts, and tailor-made suits blend urban influence with classic design and are ethically sourced and fully sustainable using hand-loomed, hand-printed, hand-dyed fabrics, adhering to the Fair Trade Act. Priding itself on transparency, Dushyant has an end-to-end view of where their fabric is sourced from and who tailors each garment. You can also shop the line and other casual lines at affordable prices at Made Trade (MADETRADE.COM).

FOR THE LADIES Female fashion that is eco-conscious and artisan-made has, in the past, felt more like dull burlap sacks than high-end fashion capable of feminine whimsy. Thankfully, designers have really stepped up their game to create clothing lines that are good to Mother Earth while still appealing to our need for beautiful lines, well-made fabrics, and statement pieces that make us feel damn good.

These three companies are truly embracing fashion with a purpose.

Remake (REMAKE.WORLD) is taking an active stand against fast fashion. Founded

by Ayesha Barenblat, Remake incorporates brands that are eloquent, chic, urban, refined, and hand-crafted with pure artisanship—something the fashion industry almost abandoned. “Remake is a nonprofit that is igniting a conscious-consumer movement to turn fashion into a force for good. We share facts and stories to help you break up with fast fashion and provide seasonal curated collections to remake your closet with fashion that respects women and our planet,” says Ayesha. With a team that exemplifies cultural diversity and female empowerment, Remake has some of the most beautifully made, ethically made pieces I’ve seen, from outerwear to transitional dresses. Their transitional dresses like the Reformation patterned dress and midi dress in emerald, cropped high-rise skinny jeans by Grana, and wrap dress by Mara Hoffman are a few Remake pieces I’ve fallen in love with.

Remake’s commitment to change is evident in its side projects, films and a designated #WearYourMovement community.

Azura Bay (AZURABAY.COM) is a company whose devotion to slow fashion takes on a far more intimate meaning. Carrying designs by over two dozen ethical eco-designers, Azura Bay features lingerie, swimwear, and activewear that are simply gorgeous and sexy as hell. “During university, I started learning about the pitfalls of fast fashion and the negative effects on people and our planet,” recalls founder 22 MARCH 2019 Southern California

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24 MARCH 2019 Southern California

Ashley McIntosh. “That added a whole new element to shop-

ethically made, and also happens to be doing something

ping, as my passion for finding ethical and eco-alternatives

good for the environment. The online store features chic,

developed. I discovered that it can really take a lot of time

intricate intimates woven with lace and eco-fabrics—such

to find options that check all the boxes: stylish, high-quali-

as the safari cream bra, Zahliah bra, Florence shirtie knickers,

ty and good fit, ethically made, eco-friendly, and easy to find

samurai skirt, and the Suzie dress—and they can make any

(especially in Canada).” That led McIntosh to a partnership

woman feel fierce. Each piece is well crafted, and it’s safe to

with designer Nicole Bridger to launch Azura Bay, commit-

say that donning any one of Troo’s intimates might make you

ted to changing the way fashion was being done. Some of

feel wonderfully naughty and confident underneath it all.

my favorites from past and present collections are the Lima

When you’re ready to discover more earth-oriented, hu-

recycled lace bralette and panties, embroidered mesh floral

man-friendly brands, check out Bad Decision Adventure Club

bralette, never-say-never sweetie bralette, Josy bamboo

(WELIKEBAD.COM), Thought (WEARETHOUGHT.COM), Jungmaven

bodysuit, and the Hana romper. A portion of proceeds go to

(JUNGMAVEN.COM), Naked Clothing (NAKEDCLOTHING.COM), All

the Because I am a Girl (BIAAG) initiative run by Plan Interna-

the Wild Roses (ALLTHEWILDROSES.COM), Kaeci Concept (KAECI-

tional to end gender inequality and promote girls’ rights.

CONCEPT.COM), and Made Trade (MADETRADE.COM).

South African-born sisters Nic and Steff Fitzgerald came

The takeaway is this—fast fashion is no longer fashion-

together to launch Troo (TROO.CH) after seeing a gap in the

able. Supporting high-quality, eco-conscious, ethically made

marketplace for “slow, responsible fashion that promoted

design is.

a more sustainable lifestyle—while also being beautiful, timeless, sexy, and fun.” Troo has become a fearless resource for women, designers, consumers, and fashion lovers alike.

Bringing on brands like Nette and Rose, the FOUND collection, Mille Collins, and Lunar, each brand is female-owned,

Brands will need to find the courage to ‘self-disrupt’ their own identity and the sources of their old success to win new generations of customers.

—Business of Fashion

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 25

26 MARCH 2019 Southern California

I feel like role models today are not meant to be put on a pedestal. But more like angels with broken wings. – Tupac Shakur

this may or may not be an advertisement #dontgetcomfortable www.inclusivecannabis.com

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 27

{aroundtown }

by E L I D U P I N

LET’S GET TOGETHER These three Co-Op spaces keep life collective and inclusive with creative collaboration.

The CAMP

2937 Bristol Street // Costa Mesa // THECAMPSITE.COM

lifestyle experiences. Comprised of outdoor art installations,

The CAMP is an eco-friendly mecca—aka campus— of en-

fiery ghost chili-threaded tacos from Taco Asylum, strung

vironmentally sound boutique shops, vegan and health-con-

lights leading you to the coolly decorated and ambient Mesa

scious eateries, landscape art, and immersive fitness and

restaurant, the CAMP will have creativity swarming around

28 MARCH 2019 Southern California

you like a happy hive. When you pull into the parking lot, your experience begins with positivity stamped in every parking spot. Sayings like, “Get out of your own way” and “Smile” make the transition from car to calm an easy one.

With all the air of enlightenment and upscale without stuffiness, the CAMP is an inviting, community-driven space.

Whether it’s showcasing an array of local artists for scheduled art shows, giving you a reason to drink mimosas on a Monday morning at Old Vine Cafe, offering finely made lattes at Milk & Honey, hosting story time at SEED, or offering free yoga in the Treehouse, the CAMP is an Orange County revelry that has always been one of my favorite places to go.

On the Calendar

Social Hour at Mesa

The LAB

2930 Bristol Street // Costa Mesa // THELAB.COM

The LAB, also known as the anti-mall, has been a fixture of the urban culture and hipster underbelly of Costa Mesa for 25 years. Redefining urbanism in the area, the LAB is its

Tuesdays through Fridays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

own brand of cool. With one single mantra—love without

Mimosa Mondays at Old Vine Café

reason—you can come here and know this is where misfits

Two-for-one mimosas every Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

and lovers belong. Sure, there are cool apparel stores that make it easy to blow all the cash in your possession in a single outing, but it’s also where hippies and socialites can come together for outdoor yoga while eyeing handmade bohemian jewelry at Prism Boutique.

Here you can wander and find a vinyl record store or a vintage Cuban-inspired restaurant called Habana, sip on a witches’ brew at the Gypsy Den, indulge at Good Time Doughnuts, and stay for an art exhibition by way of the Artery. Regardless of why you come here, one thing you can count on is that your desire for visual aesthetics and inspiration will be met.

On the Calendar

Habana Nights at Habana

Live entertainment. Serving mojitos, sangrias, and cocktails Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Sake and Sushi at Hana Re

More than 20 Japanese sakes and Omakase tasting menu available from $180 to $220 per person.

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 29

SOCO Collection and the OC Mix

3303 Hyland Ave // Costa Mesa // SOCOANDTHEOCMIX.COM

SOCO offers a culinary and design experience featuring 70 finely curated showrooms, stores, and restaurants made to appeal to your inner artist. A cultural destination in the heart of Costa Mesa, the SOCO Collection is a blend of experiences that make a mid-day escape or a leisurely Saturday afternoon outing appealing.

Chx & Blnz is a full-service accounting and business consulting group focused on assisting cannabis companies with bookkeeping/accounting, tax services, audits, compliance, first-time business setup for start-ups, product/service consulting and financial analysis software to give business operators the information they need to make decisions with confidence, and manage with success.

Our staff include licensed CPAs, professionals with advanced degrees in Masters of Business Taxation from USC, Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Project Management.

Some of the area’s most illustrious interior designers have showrooms at the SOCO site. Featuring specialty firms and a range of resources, from custom doors, windows, and surfaces to contemporary furniture and art, they also have designers and sales representatives who are available to assist you in bringing your vision to life.

The showrooms for stores such as H.D. Buttercup and BoConcept will harken those who prefer browsing independently and have you visually laying out the design of your dreams—or finally give you a reason to get that couch you keep talking about.

The OC Mix might be one of the coolest places to shop. You can saunter up and down the well-laid aisles and do complimentary olive oil tastings while saying yes to a wine flight at We Olive, visit Taco Maria to taste Chef Salgados’ award-winning tacos and homemade gourmet tamales, and proudly own up to being a coffee snob at the Portola Coffee Lab. Should you be in the mood for brunch, you can get it at the limited pop-up called Eggslice happening at Shuck Oyster Bar on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Stay and suck down some Kumamoto oysters afterwards, and then hit the Cheese Shop. When your belly says enough and cocktails sound like the right thing to do, head into the Mixing Glass to buy high-end barware and bar tools, and top it off by entering the American Roast House to drink craft cocktails fit for any gentleman or dame.

On the Calendar

SOCO Farmers Market

Includes live music, wine or cocktail classes, and more. Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lord of the Strings

Two-time Grammy-winner Laurence Gruber, former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney’s Wings band, author, and first-call musician, presents Lord of the Strings from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

30 MARCH 2019 Southern California

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 31

{highprofile }

by DAW N G A R C I A

Joaquin Lujan with son talking to Mara Gordon from Aunt Zelda’s. Photograph

by Carey Campbell.

FAMILY STYLE A story of three generations in the cannabis family business.

Joaquin Lujan may be one of the most passionate sec-

ther was the first road manager for the Grateful Dead. My

ond-generation cannabis growers and cultivators, and

grandfather spent 16 years in San Quentin for possessing

third-generation sellers and brokers you’ll ever meet. Fond

one ounce of marijuana. This was a fairly typical sentence

of social justice and active in the movement of change,

for a Native American male in East LA in the 1950s,” ex-

Lujan traces his story to his grandfather. Sentenced to

plains Lujan. “I’ve seen and felt the trauma of social in-

16 years in San Quentin for possession, his grandfather

justice firsthand that has plagued this beautiful, healing

believed in the legalization of cannabis. As for Lujan, one

herb and those who have worked with it. I have also seen

could say cannabis and fighting for its legality courses

this medicine save lives, put food on the table, and money

through his veins, quite literally.

back into the communities who relied on it. This extraordi-

“I remember as a kid running and playing hide-and-go-

nary plant and I have grown each other—together.”

seek in fields of cannabis with my sister and family friends.

Lujan has a deep connection to cannabis, and his story

I was raised by outlaws, activists, and farmers fighting for

begins the moment he came into the world three years

social change and the end of marijuana prohibition. My fa-

after his grandfather served his sentence. Lujan was born,

32 MARCH 2019 Southern California

and subsequently, his grandfather passed away the very

Besides being the first road manager of the Grateful Dead,

same year. This defined a lifelong pursuit of drawing at-

my dad was also a smuggler and outlaw. I grew up hearing

tention to social injustice as it pertains to cannabis, which

of stories of smuggling planes with loads of weed from

inevitably became a natural part of Lujan’s life and career.

Mexico and sketchy border crossings. I grew up in the swirl

Lujan’s family line of cannabis cultivators also includes his

of the counter cultures from Big Sur to the Bay Area and

stepfather—a smuggler, cultivator, and broker starting in

beyond. One of the first times I smoked weed was when

the 1960s. “I remember having to move out of our home

us kids stole a roach from a certain band member’s dress-

with just 24-hour notice. I came home from school one

ing room while he was on stage at the shoreline.”

day to walk into our house being raided. I remember the

As Lujan grew older, he decided to break from the can-

sheriff sitting my siblings and I down in the driveway. I re-

nabis industry and get into filmmaking. That lasted long

member taking solace in my dog. I learned every aspect of

enough for him to make incredible connections, but when

the industry at a young age. As I said, we grew each other.”

his son was born, he decided the long and demanding

Lujan continues: “There was never a time when I didn’t

hours of the film industry weren’t conducive to being a

have a hand in the cannabis industry. You could say I’m

present father, so he went back to what he knows best.

third-generation, really, but I’d just say it’s my birth right.

Lujan reached out to an old family friend who was a top

Lujan with his Triumph and surfboard. Photograph by Carey Campbell.

“THE CANNABIS PLANT IS AMAZING IN ALL ITS FORMS. SHE HAS PROVEN HERSELF, AND NOW IT’S UP TO US TO BRING THE BEST OUT OF HER.”

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 33

“BESIDES BEING THE FIRST ROAD MANAGER OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD, MY DAD WAS ALSO A SMUGGLER AND OUTLAW.” breeder, renowned cultivator, and recipient of the Cannabis Cup and became his apprentice. Learning how to cultivate indoors, he studied with soil microbiologist, Elaine Ingham and eventually gave up bottled nutrients, PPM meters, pH meters, and anything else that would com-

THE BRAND Under Mystic Brands, Tamalpais Co. Packing’s internal branding company, Lujan will make edibles and topicals using Mara Gordon’s full-spectrum oils, and they will be distributed across the state by Sonoma Pacific Distribution. Madrone helps source all of the regenerative cannabis extracted for use in the products. All of the brands, including Thick as Thieves, CannaShiva, Zelig’s, Woke Lion, Archetype, Mauka & Makia, and many others will donate a percentage of profits to local charities through C4C, an official 501(c)(3) giving platform.

promise the soil’s integrity.

“At the time, there was very little info about this style for growing indoors and if it was even possible. The major-

it to be medicine, it needs to be 100 percent organic, and

ity of people still don’t do it this way, and I got pretty good

that principle is what kept me safe. When I treated canna-

at it. Through my connections in film and the quality of

bis as just a commodity is when I put myself in situations

product I was producing at the time, I became a personal

that were above my risk tolerance, and my risk tolerance

grower for a few high-profile celebs. In 2013, when legal-

is pretty high. Those situations exposed the ugly under-

ization started to look like it was going to happen, one of

belly of this industry. So, I took the conscious approach of

my clients approached me and asked me what the play

providing medicine and giving it away to those who truly

was. Initially we explored going to Colorado and started

needed it. I needed to be able to look my boys in the eye

that process. During a trip east to where he was filming at

and tell them I was proud of what I was doing, even if it

the time, we realized he was actually more of an activist

meant taking risks that could affect my family.”

than entrepreneur. At that same time, I had an epiphany. It

By January 2018, C4C had secured a Type N manufac-

was clear I needed to create a service company and move

turing license for a co-packing and manufacturing facility

back to California.”

for its new venture, Tamalpais Co-Packing, based in the

The first ever one-for-one cannabis business model,

gorgeous Northern California city of San Rafael. Landing

Cannabis for Cause (C4C), was born. Making chocolate

the space was not without its challenges. As cannabis

bars infused with cannabis, C4C’s mission to do good was

regulation and legislation navigated its way through the

implemented. “For every chocolate bar sold, we donated

sea of red tape, Lujan had to halt production for near-

one dose of medical-grade cannabis oil to a cancer patient

ly a year while getting all of the proper paperwork filed

in need at no cost. To do that, I teamed up with Mara Gor-

and approved, but it was a C4C patient who sealed the

don, founder and president of Aunt Zelda’s, to create the

deal. Perseverance and alliances helped him stay the

dosing protocol for C4C’s program.” Discussing the risks at

course. “C4C’s charitable program was the catalyst

a time when cannabis was still illegal, Lujan had to really

for our local approval. One of the patients wrote

think about what he was doing.

an impactful letter of recommendation, and I

“Growing up in the industry and then having a family

am sure this was one of the main reasons

of my own, I had to justify the risk, and back then, there

we were approved for the permit,” Lujan

was plenty of it. If anything happened to me, spiritually

explains.

and consciously, I could rest my hat on the fact that I was providing medicine. I truly believe in the medicine, and for 34 MARCH 2019 Southern California

The company’s business model includes using fair trade, organic,

and sustainable packaging whenever possible. Mindful of

“My partners in this business are family, and we have

the ongoing waste problem in the cannabis industry, Lu-

each other’s backs. To get to the finish line, you need help

jan is adamant about staying true to its central ethos of

and great alliances, and you have to be authentic,” Lujan

being environmentally responsible and employing regen-

says. “I’m blessed to have Madrone as one of my partners,

erative principles for soil management and compostable

and I believe being authentic is the reason I’ve had some

practices. A purist at heart, Lujan believes in taking the

success. Ideally, we want partnering with cultivators and

regenerative approach to farming herb. “Regenerative

creating a vertically integrated structure to allow for more

farming practices encourage biodiversity, captures car-

control over the quality of the products produced.”

bon, protects watersheds, and restores the ecosys-

With a family legacy that had some rather harsh bumps

tem, and it’s a hot topic in the industry. Considering we

along the way, Lujan is committed to righting past wrongs

are made up of mostly microbes ourselves, all of those

and staying inspired and true to the purest forms of canna-

microbes in the soil form the foundational blocks of the

bis. Reminiscing about his favorite strains like Sage, Lambs

earth. The herb speaks for itself, and personally, I want to

Bread, a Thai Afghan hybrid called the One, and Thai Land-

smoke herb grown from living soil. I’m a purist. Knowing

races (a hash plant developed in Oregon), he says, “The

how and where it’s grown makes a difference. The reason

cannabis plant is amazing in all its forms. She has proven

why I became a personal grower for private clients was a

herself, and now it’s up to us to bring the best out of her.”

direct result of my commitment to farming the soil.”

Staying true to his initial intention of being in the busi-

With new manufacturing space and partnerships with

ness is paramount for Lujan. Whether he is finding in-

companies like Madrone and alliances with Sonoma Pa-

spiration by watching others blossom in the industry or

cific Distribution and Mara Gordon, Lujan believes valued

working with chefs like Hinojos who have an extensive

partners are key to surviving in the industry. Through

flavor profile, he maintains creativity as the fundamental

these alliances, including working with executive chef

tool to keep moving forward.

Shanti Hinojos, he is also launching his new line of edibles

“I remember when I was a kid, I always avoided talking

and ingestibles, Mystic Brands. A percentage of every sale

about what my parents did. We had family meetings to

of those products will go to charities that support social

rehearse the elevator pitch when that topic came up at a

justice, youth programs, and environmental and medical

friend’s house or when their parents asked me. We said

initiatives furthering the vision of C4C.

that my dad was in real estate. It was uncomfortable to have to lie. I was ashamed, not because of the family business but because we had to lie. I don’t have to hide anything now. I am proud of what I do and that I get a say in taking the stigma away from cannabis. Authenticity is the most important thing to me aside from just providing for my family. The opportunity to change the stigma. This change is going to happen with our kids. I want to run my business with the same mindset I use when raising my kids. It’s simple: one love.”

To learn more visit TAMCOPACKING.COM , MYSTICBRANDS. COM , CANNABIS4CAUSE.COM, @MYSTIC_BRANDS AND @TAMALPAISCOPACKING

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 35

36 MARCH 2019 Southern California

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38 MARCH 2019 Southern California

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 39

{homemade }

by D AW N G A R C I A and PA M E L A W I Z N I T Z E R

FEELING GREEN Snap peas and vodka?

You betcha!

40 MARCH 2019 Southern California

Cocktails can be the gateway to a more enlightened experience, an invitation to decompress, and a reason to mix things up. Taste buds are in a constant state of evolution, and introducing them to new flavors, including more health-conscious cocktails, can inspire a refreshing alternative. This spring, drink slinger Pamela Wiznitzer created an herbaceous cocktail that welcomes a new season.

“The beauty of this cocktail is that most of the green elements can be grown at home with hydroponic systems,” says Wiznitzer. “Growing your own Ingredients and garnishes makes for more sustainable drinking and has the bonus of reducing some of our carbon footprint.”

PAMELA WIZNITZER has been a mixologist in NYC since 2006. Featured in New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Cosmo, Shape, Esquire, and more, she has been named among the top ten rising star mixologists by Food & Wine and was named in the Wine Enthusiast Dames Hall of Fame “40 Under 40” in 2015. You can find her presenting her research around the world, and may even spot her on the Food Network every now and again. Find her on Twitter @PAMELAWIZNITZER and on Instagram @PAMWIZ .

GARDEN OF GREEN INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

• 2 oz Ketel One vodka

STEP 1: In a small cup, mix snap pea juice with honey to

• 5-6 mint leaves

form a ³⁄₄ oz reduction.

• ½ oz snap peas, juiced

STEP 2: In a shaker, add the snap pea reduction, mint

• ½ oz honey

leaves (leaving a couple for garnish), lemon juice, and

• ³⁄₄ oz lemon juice

Ketel one.

• Splash soda water

STEP 3: Shake vigorously and strain into a mason jar

• Micro greens, for garnish

with ice.

STEP 4: Top off with a splash of soda water. Garnish

with micro greens and mint leaves. Enjoy responsibly.

sensimag.com MARCH 2019 41

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FERTILIZERS sensimag.com MARCH 2019 43

When it gets down to it, strains aren’t the best way to let customers know what they’re getting.

by L E L A N D R U C K E R

44 MARCH 2019 Southern California

A CURIOUS CONSUMER ENTERS A DISPENSARY LOOKING FOR

just the right strain

TO EASE BACK PAIN AND GET SOME SLEEP AT NIGHT. “WELL,” SAYS THE BUDTENDER, “WE’VE GOT CAT PISS, PURPLE MONKEY BALLS, AND GREEN CRACK.” WELL, THAT HELPS.

Strains are all the currency in legal cannabis today. Before legalization, you mostly just bought pot, in a plastic bag, with no name attached. (Well, maybe “this is some good shit, man.”) Legendary strains like Acapulco Gold, Panama Red, and Colombian were sometimes around, but those names resided mostly in popular songs and conspiracy theories about cigarette companies taking over the cannabis business.

Today it’s a whole different ballgame. A popular website for information is Wikileaf, whose Strain Library includes thousands of names—Arcata Trainwreck, Orange Creamsickle, 707 Headband, Afghan Cow, Afghan Diesel, Afghan Haze, Afghan Kush, Afghan Skunk, Afghani, Afgooey, Willie Nelson, and Willie Wonka among them— catalogued according to their popularity, common uses and effects, time of use, and percentages of THC and CBD. But does Green Crack, for instance, affect you like, well, environmentally sound cocaine that you smoke from a glass pipe? What does Cat Piss smell like when you burn it? And the Purple Monkey Balls. … Do we even want to go there?

“There’s a strain called Grandma’s Breath,” says Dave Malone, breeder and co-owner of Green Dot Labs, a top Colorado-based extract brand. “The culture finds this fascinating and will embrace that,” he says. “But to the mainstream, they see something like Green Crack and say, ‘I don’t want this.’”

Strain summaries are pretty general and anecdotal in nature. Arcata Trainwreck “is particularly effective against pain, migraine, and nausea.” Green Crack gets its name from cannabis aficionado Snoop Dogg, “Although some still prefer the name Cush to sidestep any unwanted cannabis stigma, the love for this fruity and earthy strain is unanimous.” Cat Piss has a “pungent stench” and consumers either “love it or they’re not fond of it at all.” (There’s even an indica called “Sensi Star” that is 20 percent THC that “smells of a coniferous forest and a citrus lemon” and has been called a ‘one-hit quitter’ and recommended for those with a high tolerance that caught my interest.)

Though it doesn’t track particular strains, consumer trends and marketing data firm BDS Analytics collects and studies data around cannabis legalization. As sales of flower cannabis have lost market share to concentrates, edibles, and vape products, cultivators, brands, and dissensimag.com MARCH 2019 45

46 MARCH 2019 Southern California

pensaries are increasingly naming new strains to try and

va or indica. (Ruderalis, or hemp, is the same plant bred

differentiate and brand themselves. The company has

for minuscule amounts of THC.) Sativa plants are gen-

seen an explosion in the number of named strains avail-

erally considered tall and skinny and known for their

able. Its database contains more than 41,000 strain names.

seed, fiber, and flowers. Sativas are generally associated

Those numbers, say Greg Shoenfeld, VP of Operations

with activity and creativity, while indicas are thought to

and BDS’s lead analyst, tend to imply that custom names

be bushier, smaller plants and related to relaxing, couch-

could be assigned to strains regardless of genetics, and

lock, sedating effects. And most plants these days are

that, in fact, many of the strain names are of the same or

hybrids, or mixtures of various cannabinoids, especially

similar genetics. “Whether those strains are unique or

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD, or cannabidiol.

not is a valid question,” he says.

Wait, isn’t cannabis just cannabis?

Researchers have identified more than 100 different chemical compounds known as cannabinoids in the cannabis plant, but the only ones that have been studied ex-

Though nobody knows for sure, most historians date

tensively are THC and CBD—the first identified and most

cannabis and its cultivation back to central Asia at least

prevalent substances in cannabis plants. But cannabis also

6,000 years, and the plant has migrated around the world

produces about 100 terpenoids, or terpenes, which are bred

along with humans over the centuries. It is mentioned

for the fragrances they produce, and we’re just starting to

in every culture, and used as an industrial agricultural

learn how cannabinoids and terpenes work together. But

product for fiber, medicines, and food as well as in reli-

the emphasis today remains mostly on how THC and CBD

gious ceremonies.

perform in combinations together and separately—high

Humans have been cultivating and breeding plants for certain characteristics, and with cannabis, different strains

THC/low CBD, low THC/high CBD and equal mixtures—but nothing for all those other compounds in the plant.

were developed in different geographic areas, climates,

Complicating this is the fact that cannabis, for the

and altitudes. Cannabis spread to western and southern

most part, has been illegal, and grown illicitly, without

Asia and the Balkan and Caucasus mountains, and these

much regard for keeping track of ancestry or lineage,

strains, the result of escaped, or feral, cultivars (plants

and you’re left with a lot of confusion.

grown by selective breeding) were domesticated and bred to survive in local conditions, some for their psychoactive qualities and others for their hemp fiber and seed.

Dispensaries generally define cannabis as either sati-

What’s in a name?

Back in the early days of Napa Valley’s wine industry, legendary vintner Robert Mondavi was producing an sensimag.com MARCH 2019 47

48 MARCH 2019 Southern California

incredible sauvignon blanc at his Napa estate. A world-

rietal difference that would objectively suggest how a

class wine, he was sure, but at the time, sauvignon blanc

strain might react. “A high abundance compound in a

was about as popular as merlot is now. Meaning, it was

plant, such as THC or CBD, isn’t necessarily responsible

totally unpopular. No one would buy a sauv blanc. So he

for the unique medicinal effects of certain strains,” says

called it a Fumé Blanc, and voila! Everyone would drink it.

Elizabeth Mudge, one of the authors. “Understanding the

There’s some of that going on in the marketing of canna-

presence of the low-abundance cannabinoids could pro-

bis today. Every grower, business, and dispensary is trying

vide valuable information to the medical cannabis com-

to distinguish their products from everyone else’s. There’s

munity. It’s a high-profile, complex plant.”

plenty of competition out there. “It’s a completely arbitrary

Botto says that consumers are already figuring this out as

marketing ploy to give consumers brand equity into that

we wait on more research and information. “Nailing down

strain,” says Malone about how strains are marketed. “Peo-

all those differences is what is happening,” says Botto. “It’s

ple find additional value because they can associate it with

hugely important to be able to map terpenes to systems.”

the memory of music or an image that will trigger that product. It’s a lifestyle, and people gravitate towards that.”

Since there are no real testing standards in place yet, many facilities are only looking for certain compounds,

But research indicates that these terminologies might not

like THC or CBD, which means the results can be unreli-

be as accurate or helpful as we might think. “A lot of people

able. “What they say about a strain is not necessarily true,”

talk about indica and sativa,” says Paul Botto, CEO of Lucid

says Vergara. This is really problematic for medical pa-

Green, an app that lets

tients, she adds, since

consumers

ex-

they rely upon accurate

actly what compounds

know

information to get the

are in their cannabis.

results they need.

“But they are too broadly characterized: sativa as uppity, indica as couch lock. But some indicas with certain terpenes behave like a sativa.”

Dr. Daniela Vergara is an evolutionary biologist

“If you’re in a bad

“Our end ocannab inoid sys different tems are . It’s incu mbent o find wha n you to t makes you feel better.”

—Dr. Dan iela Verg

researching cannabis ge-

ara, Unive rsity of C olorado

mood,

cannabis

can

make it worse. If you just won the lottery, it will make you feel so much goddam better,” says Malone. “It’s the subjective

nature

of

everything. Our endo-

nomics at the University

cannabinoid

of Colorado and founder/

are different. It’s incum-

director of the nonprofit

bent on you to find what

Agricultural

makes you feel better.”

Genomics

systems

Foundation. She says that the current method of determining

Vergara suggests that consumers need to demand

how people might react to a strain is the best we have right

better information. “Don’t be guided by what people tell

now. But her research suggests that just because a cannabis

you,” Vergara says. “Tell them, ‘Show me the terpenoids.

strain in different dispensaries has the same name—Blue

Show me the cannabinoids.’”

Dream, for instance, is a popular strain in Colorado—it doesn’t

As consumers become more informed and begin to de-

necessarily mean they are related. And she has found that

mand better information about terpenes and the way they

the characteristics we generally distinguish as indica or sati-

react with cannabinoids, says Schoenfeld, “It is likely that

va don’t necessarily apply to all plants.

they will be less discerning about the strain name and

She points to “The Genetic Structure of Marijuana and Hemp,” a 2015 Canadian study that found “a moderate

more interested in the cannabinoid and terpene profile of a particular batch and how it might benefit them.”

correlation between the genetic structure of marijuana

That might make that trip to the dispensary a lot differ-

strains and their reported sativa and indica ancestry

ent when you stop in looking for something to relax after a

and show that marijuana strain names often do not re-

long day of work. “We have a special today on a flower bud

flect a meaningful genetic identity.”

with limonene-plus and touches of myrcene and caryo-

A 2017 study at the University of British Columbia also suggests that there really isn’t that much of a va-

phyllene.” Not as exciting as those Monkey Balls, perhaps, but all in all, probably a more satisfying experience. sensimag.com MARCH 2019 49

50 MARCH 2019 Southern California

A new life is always on the horizon.

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sensimag.com MARCH 2019 51

52 MARCH 2019 Southern California

HIRING? How not to get a job in the cannabis industry.

by R O BY N G R I G G S L AW R E N C E

Finding your place IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY CAN BE A LONG AND WINDING ROAD.

IN A DYNAMIC ATMOSPHERE, WITH REALITY SHIFTING ALMOST DAILY, IT HELPS TO BE SELF-MOTIVATED AND READY TO DON A FEW HATS YOU NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IN ORDER TO MAKE IT WORK. Nothing on the Irie Weddings & Events website sug-

“They will ask me, ‘Do you think working in the

gests the Colorado-based company is hiring, but owner

cannabis industry will hurt my résumé long-term?’”

Bec Koop gets a handful of emails from job seekers every

Whiteman says. “I tell them, ‘That’s a decision you need

week. That’s not surprising, given that Koop’s company

to make on your own.’” (They don’t get the job.)

shows up on the reg in media venues like Newsweek and CNBC. What is surprising is how many of those emails are written with terrible grammar and a clear disdain for

“That’s not karma. That’s poor planning.”

Anyone who has been building a career in cannabis

punctuation and spellcheck. The best one ever simply had

for any amount of time—and for an industry born less

“R u …” in the subject line and “hiring?” as the message.

than two decades ago, five years is a lifetime—is inun-

“Are you kidding me?” Koop says. “How lazy are you?”

dated with daily requests from friends, acquaintances,

Salwa Ibrahim, executive director of Blum Oakland, a

and, most of all, social media followers for advice about

retail medical cannabis dispensary in California may be

how to break in, even though every mainstream media

able to top that. She and her staff have been saving “Hall

outlet from Forbes to CBS has done that piece.

of Fame” applications since 2012. The winner? “This is

They have a great idea for a project (but never say what it

a great job for me, I think, because it seems to be a very

is), would love to “pick your brain” over coffee (because you

chill job, and as a stoner, this would be ideal.” A picture of

have nothing better to do and just love a good brain picking),

the applicant smoking a joint is included.

or want to know more about what you’re doing (a backward

Nancy Whiteman, co-owner of leading edibles manu-

way of finding out if you’re hiring and a dis to all the work

facturer Wana Brands, is constantly amazed at how many

you’ve put into your LinkedIn profile and social media posts).

people wanna job at “Wanna.” Among those who submit a

Jane West has seen it all. In 2016, West left Women Grow,

decent résumé and cover letter with Wana spelled right

the networking and education organization she founded

and make the cut for an interview, a shocking number

two years prior, to focus on her eponymous luxury canna-

ask a question that takes Whiteman aback every time.

bis accessories and lifestyle brand. When West started her sensimag.com MARCH 2019 53

54 MARCH 2019 Southern California

Post a cannabis leaf instead of your photo on social media profiles and/or call yourself anything resembling Dank or Dabby.

thinking, ‘they get high, they’ll be cool with it’? No. I am not.”

founder Nancy Whiteman. “The truth of the matter is, we have to watch costs and margins like any other business—perhaps more so.”

Show off your extensive knowledge of growing, Call yourself a “lifestyle brand.” selling, or consuming cannaNo one knows what that means. bis. “Somebody who thinks they know everything will be Parade your problems, perdifficult to train,” says Blum sonal or otherwise, around Oakland executive director professionals on social media.

Salwa Ibrahim.

Relentlessly stalk potential employers and mentors online Use slang terms for cannabis. and in person. If and when you “At this point, it should be do meet your prey, bitterly tell common knowledge that the word marijuana was formed them, “I emailed you.” as a racially motivated tactic.

Show up for an interview There’s no excuse for it in wearing flip flops and smoking an industry built on activism a joint. It happens surprisingly against the drug war,” says often, says Simply Pure CEO Cultivated Synergy co-founder Wanda James. “Would anyone Sebastian Nassau. go to an interview at Coors with flip flops and a beer in Do not make their hand? You wouldn’t do it. stoner jokes.

So why would you come to us It’s 2019.

first company, Edible Events, in 2013, her LinkedIn search

“Many candidates are super excited about cannabis and

for other cannabis companies yielded less than 10 pages of

about the cannabis industry. That’s awesome. So am I. So is

listings. Today there are more than 7,000 pages, and Jane—

everybody,” says Humiston. “But like any industry, like any

who Inc. magazine once called “the most widely recognized

job, companies are looking for what you bring to the table.”

female personality in cannabis”—has over 17,000 followers.

Maureen McNamara, who teaches safe, responsible

Every day, one or more of those connections contacts West

practices to cannabis professionals through her compa-

without any clear idea of what they actually want.

ny, Cannabis Trainers, is appalled at how many people

Fired Help

Tips on how not to get the cannabis career you’re after.

Get in it for the money. “There’s a perception that we’re all printing dollars in the back room and that’s going to flow through to everyone we hire,” says Wana

“They’re reaching out to the world to see what happens,” West says. “That’s not karma. That’s poor planning.”

If West responded to all the inquiries she receives from multiple platforms, she would do nothing else. If you

tell her they’ll do “anything, just anything” to get into the business. “That’s ridiculous,” she says. “I can’t introduce a job seeker to a potential opportunity with, ‘This person will do anything.’ It’s not a winning plan.”

want the busy entrepreneur’s attention, you’d better shoot

Kara Janowsky, who worked in dispensaries before

straight: define what you want in one sentence, don’t kiss

she founded admin company Hired Productivity, says

too much ass, and include a signature with a personal

many people aim too low when breaking into the indus-

photo recognizable across social media platforms.

try. “You don’t need to go for the minimum-wage bud-

“I love weed. I love life. I’m artsy.”

Far too many people—like the Blum Oakland job appli-

tending job, especially if you have a degree and a specialized education,” she says. “It’s a very, very long road if you start from the bottom.”

cant whose résumé read “I love people, I love weed, I love

Conversely, says Sebastian Nassau, co-founder of can-

life, I’m artsy”—don’t understand that breaking into the

nabis networking hub Cultivated Synergy, an inflated

industry requires more than being crazy for chronic. Can-

view of what you bring to the table will get you nowhere.

didates hurt themselves when they go on about how can-

“Having a home grow doesn’t translate into commercial

nabis saved their grandmother’s life while failing to even

cultivation with potentially tens of thousands of plants.

mention their professional skills, says Karson Humiston,

An Instagram model is not a social media expert simply

CEO of leading industry staffing agency Vangst Talent.

because that person has amassed a following.” sensimag.com MARCH 2019 55

56 MARCH 2019 Southern California

“Trade a job for a jar of seeds?”

If cannabis IS your area of expertise, selling your de-

of dollars ensuring they comply with laws, in an awk-

cades of experience—especially in cultivation—can be

ward spot. Ibrahim tells of another Blum Hall of Famer,

tricky. Vangst Talent lead developer Mike Olson, who

a grower of some experience who sent a long list of the

created a job board that serves as a “safe zone” for canna-

reasons he hasn’t been able to get a job in the industry,

bis companies and job candidates, points out that “some

including an abysmal credit score and a host of personal

companies don’t want to know that you’ve been growing

problems. He ended by offering “a nice jar of seeds.”

weed illegally in your basement for the past 20 years.”

Huminger advises applicants to withhold that information. “Companies that come from traditional industries are uninterested in people who brag that they were criminals.”

“Is he proposing I trade him a job for a jar of seeds?” Ibrahim asks in disbelief. “I don’t know how to work with that.”

“Having a vegan work at a steakhouse.”

Flaunting your illegal activity puts cannabis busi-

On the flip side, says Wanda James, CEO of Simply

ness owners, who spend countless hours and thousands

Pure dispensary in Denver, nothing is more bizarre than people who don’t consume cannabis seeking a job with

“Many candidates are

SUPER EXCITED

about cannabis. But like any industry, like any job, companies are looking for

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE.” —Karson Humiston, Vangst Talent

her company. “It’s the equivalent of having a vegan work at a steakhouse,” she says. “It doesn’t make sense.”

James does not hire non-imbibers, period. “Show me something in this industry that you care about, not that you just want to make money.”

The prevalent belief that everyone in cannabis is making bank—laughable to insiders—has brought gold diggers, business owners, and executives who don’t consume and are clearly in it for the coin.

McNamara can spot people who could care less about the cannabis plant’s wellness and healing benefits and are strictly interested in “the potential or perceived financial windfall” a mile away. As soon as she senses they’re in that camp, she says, “I just dissuade them.”

People often weed themselves out with their own bad ideas. Philip Wolf, owner of Cultivating Spirits, a premier tour company offering cannabis pairing events and dinners in legal states, recalls a conversation with someone he thought was a potential investor, a man who seemed to be getting it as Wolf described Cultivating Spirits’ elegant multicourse dinners designed to gently introduce the mainstream to cannabis’s healing benefits. Then the guy laid out his own vision: blissful from indulging in fine food, wine, and cannabis, they board the bus, settle in, and pick up the strippers.

This non-investor figured that guests who spend $200 on a cannabis-paired dinner would easily throw down another $250 on Crystal and Candy. When Wolf expressed dismay at the idea, the man explained that he was an “in-and-out guy,” someone who “goes in, gets the money, and gets the fuck out.”

“That’s exactly what is wrong with our industry right now,” Wolf says. “The in-and-out guys are coming in, trying to make a buck, and aren’t in this for the bigger picture. But those are also the people who are not lasting in the cannabis industry.” sensimag.com MARCH 2019 57

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As the cannabis industry grows, so does the number of professionals within it, acting as incredible sources of insider info on the trends and issues driving the marketplace forward. The Sensi Advisory Board is comprised of select industry leaders in a variety of fields, from compliance and education to concentrates and cultivation. They are invited to share specialized insight in this dedicated section. This month, we hear from a member in the Pet CBD Tincture category.

FOR A FULL LIST OF ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS, SEE THE MASTHEAD ON PAGE 9.

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Full-Spectrum Hemp Oil or CBD Isolate? You might see these terms thrown around when explaining various products said to benefit your pet’s health, and it can be rather confusing to take in. Full-spectrum hemp oil and CBD isolate are two completely different products.

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All of these compounds have a synergistic interaction with each other (also known as the entourage effect), and the more that are present, the better. This improves sensimag.com MARCH 2019 61

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sensimag.com MARCH 2019 63

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARLOS PEREZ AND DAWN GARCIA

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64 MARCH 2019 Southern California

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