Sensi Magazine - Boston (July 2019)

BOSTON

THE NEW NORMAL

S PEC IAL REPORT (SORTA)

7.2019

SEXY YOGIS, TIME TRAVEL & CANNABIS FARMS We sent our editor to Jamaica.

This is his story.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 3

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6 JULY 2019 Boston

ISSUE 7 //VOLUME 2 //7.2019

FEATURES 26 The Year of the Edible

Experts expect infused food and drinks to rule the pot market in the 2020s.

SP EC IAL R EP OR T

32 Sexy Yogis, Time Travel, and Cannabis Farms

A mosaic tapestry through one rip-roaring week in Jamaica for the multicultural Tmrw.Tday festival.

26 SWEETEN THE POT Everything you need to know about edibles

HOW FESTIVE Get your summer game plan

11

every issue 9 Editor’s Note 11 The Buzz 18 CrossRoads

YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY

50 The Scene

SENSI NIGHT

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

ON THE COVER Photo of five participants in the Tmrw.Tday festival, including event cofounder Stacy Irie Soul (far right). Photo courtesy of Tmrw.Tday.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 7

sensi magazine ISSUE 7 / VOLUME 2 / 7.2019

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

Stephanie Wilson stephanie@sensimag.com EDITOR IN CHIEF

Dan McCarthy daniel.mccarthy@sensimag.com MANAGING EDITOR, SENSI BOSTON

Leland Rucker leland.rucker@sensimag.com SENIOR EDITOR

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

sensimagazine

Jameson Viens

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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 Kristan Toth kristan.toth@sensimag.com HEAD OF PEOPLE

Leon Drucker leon.drucker@sensimag.com PUBLISHER

Sean Curley sean.curley@sensimag.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/ASST. EVENTS DIRECTOR

Maia Jolicoeur maia.jolicoeur@sensimag.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Amber Orvik amber.orvik@sensimag.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR

Andre Velez andre.velez@sensimag.com MARKETING DIRECTOR

Neil Willis neil.willis@sensimag.com PRODUCTION MANAGER

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 JULY 2019 Boston

SO LONG , AND ADVISORY BOARD Beantown Greentown // CULTIVATION Boston Gardener // GARDENING SUPPLY Boston Green Health //

CONSUMER AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT

THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH

editor’s

NOTE

All things must come to an end. Game

The Botanist // CANNABIS EDUCATION

of Thrones. A joint. The dominance of Boston sports (see: Bruins,

Down The Road Brewery //

Stanley Cup). And in that vein, it’s with a discursive heart I bid you

MICROBREWERY

Flourish Software // SEED TO SALE Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty // RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE

Green Goddess Supply //

PERSONAL HOMEGROWN BIOCHAMBER

Green Matters, LLC // SUPPLY CHAIN Greenhouse Payment Solutions // PAYMENT PROCESSING

Greenline Party Bus // TRANSPORTATION The Holistic Center //

MEDICAL MARIJUANA EVALUATIONS

The Leaf Collaborative // EDUCATION

farewell, goodbye, y adiós muchachos.

As my last issue manning the good ship SS Sensi Boston, which I launched with a ragtag group of publishing ronin, gathered for what seemed an impossible task of manifesting something resembling a slick magazine attempting to frame the new conversation around an old topic: the normalization of cannabis.

In the time I’ve had the wheel, I tried to work with the local community and some institutional knowledge of the landscape to accurately cast the widest net in order to touch on all the parts that you, dear reader, would ideally care about when picking up a free glossy lifestyle magazine like this, wherever the hell you managed to find one (distribution is a bitch, you see). One as concerned with the birth and speedy evolution of our emerging

Lev8 Labs, Ltd // TERPENES

legal cannabis industry (with a focus on lifting up and spotlight-

Liberty International CBD //

ing often-overlooked stories about gender diversity, social justice,

CBD FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT

and independent entrepreneurship at the community level) as it

Mayflower Medicinals, Inc. //

is with where to find the latest spot offering ground unicorn

ONLINE RESERVATIONS

burgers slathered in a cheese sauce made from baby’s dreams.

Myofu An Bujutsu Dojo //

We never found that spot, but the fact we were keeping an eye

MARTIAL ARTS INSTRUCTION

out for it is what matters. As did the different stories of local city

Nine Point Strategies // INSURANCE

art, culture, food, and experiences where hyperlocal was the hy-

OxyGreen, Inc. // NATURAL INSECTICIDE PotGuide //

TRAVEL & TOURISM

perdrive powering the ship forward. And other stupid metaphors.

So, I leave the magazine to you, the community, and whoever

Pro Garden Solutions // HARVEST CONSULTING

picks up reins of this workhorse and puts it to even better work.

Revolutionary Clinics // MEDICAL DISPENSARY

For you, for the people and companies and nonprofits and mak-

Royal Gold // SOIL

ers and creators and entrepreneurs and activists and fighters

Sira Naturals // CANNABIS PRODUCT INNOVATION Smokin Interiors //

RETAIL DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING

Sprout //

and lovers and everyone else concerned with…*clears throat, uses movie-trailer-announcer-voice*....The New Normal.

Bye.

CRM & MARKETING

Stalk & Beans // DELIVERY Tess Woods Public Relations // PUBLIC RELATIONS Vicente Sederberg, LLC // LEGAL SERVICES Dan McCarthy

M ANAG I NG E D I TO R SENSI BOSTON

sensimag.com JULY 2019 9

10 JULY 2019 Boston

Fox Force

James Beard winner Karen Akunowicz’s Southie charmer: Fox and Knife Beantown sports aren’t the only thing in this town

Cutting her teeth for seven years as executive chef at

winning awards. The South Boston enoteca (wine bar

Meyers + Chang and a contestant on Top Chef: Califor-

for you plebs) Fox & The Knife, the latest venture from

nia, Akunowicz spent her formative years in Modena, a

local chef extraordinaire and James Beard Award win-

cultural and gastronomic hub of northern Italy. Expect

ner Karen Akunowicz, named a Best New Restaurant

mouthwatering dishes like spaghetti con vongole and

by Food & Wine magazine, is the first and only New En-

tagliatelle bolognese. Heartier dishes like pollo al mat-

gland eatery on the magazine’s ranked list.

tone and the whole red snapper are sure to please even

Traditionally inspired handmade pastas, a carefully

the most critical foodies.

selected wine and spirits list, and plenty of pedigree

Despite the limelight and nightly rush of adoring

from Boston’s culinary circles make The Fox & The Knife

fans, the ever-confident Akunowicz, with her noticeable

one of the hottest spots in town, an impressive feat con-

blast of electric pink hair, and her team smoothly navi-

sidering the doors opened in February 2019. Located at

gate the waters of hungry guests with grace and charm.

28 West Broadway St. in South Boston, the restaurant’s

Be sure to make reservations and bring an appetite for

cozy interior fits around 80 guests comfortably beneath

some of the most creative yet traditional takes on a Eu-

the soft glow of a neon pink “stay foxy” sign above the

ropean mother cuisine.

–Jameson Viens

bar. The curated apertivo, vermouth, and amaro list highlights some of the most innovative and well-crafted spirit designers in the craft game.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 11

J U LY 2 0 1 9

Sensi Summer Events

Boston Jerk Fest Caribbean Food Festival Pack some extra antacid and head over to the seventh-annual JerkFest in Southie. One of Boston’s most popular food festivals, JerkFest showcases some of the best Caribbean food and drink in the city. This year features a wine and beer tasting as well as a wide variety of cocktails, music, and enough spice to have you begging for mercy. Keep in mind this is a family-friendly event, so it might be best to medicate before you show up.

12 JULY 2019 Boston

PHOTO VIA BOSTON JERK FEST

July 5-6 // BOSTONJERKFEST.COM

PHOTO VIA TERPTOWN THROWDOWN

Terptown Throwdown Reggae Cannabis Awards July 6 // TERPTOWNTHROWDOWN.COM

Part music-and-arts festival, part award show, Terptown Throwdown celebrates the Bay State’s cannabis culture this month at the Spencer Fairground. The day-long festival will celebrate local home growers and their products, all of which have been consumed and judged privately. Having worked with cannabis-friendly events in the past, fairground security will be on the prowl for public consumption, so behave accordingly. sensimag.com JULY 2019 13

PARANOID?

Insurance For Your Cannabis Business Made Easy!

Boston Pizza Festival July 14 // BOSTONPIZZAFESTIVAL.COM

Returning for its third year, the Boston Pizza Festival highlights over two dozen local and international pizzerias at City Hall Plaza to honor this most sacred of baked-out munchies. The event is pay as you go, and VIP passes get you an hour of uninterrupted pizza gluttony before the show officially starts.

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Somer Fest at Bow Market One of the cooler markets to open in the past year, Bow Market outside of Somerville’s Union Square has something for everyone. Somer Fest utilizes the market’s stage-like outdoor space to host a variety show of music, comedy, and magic. Check out the vintage clothing shops, record store, and all the food and booze that’s fit to drink. Don’t sleep on Remnant brewing or Rebel Rebel wine bar.

Wizards and Witches Beer Festival July 20 // EVENTBRITE.COM/E/POTTERHEADS-BEER-FESTIVAL-TICKETS-59450325524

You’re a drunken wizard Harry! The Potterhead beer festival is a 1:1 mixture of Harry Potter Halloween party and alcohol-fueled rave as it blends everyone’s two favorite pastimes, escapism and substance abuse. Wear the colors of your favorite wizard house, as The Royal will be dressed in its finest Hogwarts attire.

You can drink beer and cider inspired from the franchise while you argue over trivial Potter lore. Just don’t flash your patronum in front of a muggle, if you know what we mean.

PHOTO VIA SOMER FEST

July 19 // SOMERFEST.FUN

PHOTO VIA WIZARDS AND WITCHES BEER FESTIVAL

INSURANCE HR SAFETY BENEFITS

Naked Bike Ride (or Sun’s Out, Buns Out)

PHOTO VIA NAKED BIKE RIDE

July 20 // WNBRBOSTON.COM

Nothing gets the blood flowing like taking the ol’ 10-speed out for a ride in your birthday suit. If the idea of hopping on your bike in the buff feels like a cold breeze across your ass, keep an eye out for times and locations (currently only a Save The Date) for the 2019 World Naked Bike Ride. The worldwide protest event is hosted in over 75 cities annually to raise awareness about cyclist vulnerabilities, body shaming, and oil dependence. So pump up those tires and take the Schwinn for a spin, because immediately following the WNBR is International Sanitize Your Bike Seat Day.

Water Lantern Festival July 27 // WATERLANTERNFESTIVAL.COM

PHOTO VIA WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL

If getting sunburned all day at the jam-packed Hatch shell for the Fourth of July doesn’t sound like a good time, check out the Water Lantern Festival at the end of the month for a more relaxed and tranquil way to spend an evening along the Charles. Vendors, food trucks, art, and live music culminate in thousands of paper lanterns floating downstream, and proceeds cover the cost of the lantern and clean up.

–JV

sensimag.com JULY 2019 15

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{crossroads }

by R I C A R D O B A C A

YOUR RIGHT TO PARTY The complicated artform of the cannabis event.

18 JULY 2019 Boston

Ideating, producing, and hosting events is a legitimate art-

and New Orleans, at the last few New West Summits in

form. Throw cannabis into the mix—a newly legalized sub-

Oakland, at O’Cannabiz in Toronto, and we even hosted a

stance with ultra-restrictive rules governing all aspects of

renegade cannabis event at SXSW 2018. Outside of these

dissemination and consumption—and the artform requires

piggy-backed events, we’ve also produced thoughtful

an even higher level of skill, forethought, and refinement.

stand-alone events for clients—including a cannabis-in-

So how does one throw the perfect cannabis event?

fused farmers market that celebrated mainstream exhib-

Truth is, perfection doesn’t exist in the event production

itors alongside educational and experiential opportunities

space. Events are living, breathing, multi-tentacled beasts

for our client, a leading marijuana-infused topicals brand.

that rely on a team of collaborators, and while we event

Of course the proof is always in the pudding, and so

producers strive for perfection, it’s more of a lofty goal

here are a some tips to consider before starting to plan

than it is a concrete possibility.

your next cannabis-infused dinner, 420-friendly event, in-

That’s why the best event producers plan ahead for the missed deadlines, the sick staff, the wayward subcontractors, and the venue limitations that are inevitable.

dustry networking gathering, or renegade party.

PENCHANT FOR PREPAREDNESS

But how does one throw the best possible cannabis

There is no such thing as being too prepared for a can-

event—the kind of outing that celebrates an important

nabis event. Be it a simple happy hour at the office or a

milestone, subtly communicates a brand’s messaging,

large-scale activation at a conference, your guests’ expe-

pampers its attendees while also leaving a memorable

riences—as well as the quality of your sleep in the nights

impression? Here are some tips to consider—but first,

leading up to the event—will directly relate to how pre-

a bit about my background with creating meaningful

pared you and your team are.

events and activations.

So whether you’re self-producing or hiring an events part-

You see, long before I was lucky enough to stumble

ner, do yourself a favor and nail down your vision and ob-

upon the cannabis industry, I was embedded in the music

jectives a few months out; secure your vendors one month

industry as the longtime pop music critic for the Denver

out; have a functional run-of-show document at least two

Post. I got into the event production game early by creat-

weeks out; and check in with all hired staff, vendors, and

ing a multi-venue music festival, The Underground Music

subcontractors in the days leading up to the event.

Showcase, which continues to pack Denver bars, clubs and parking lot stages every summer. My work (and curiosity)

STAYING LEGAL AND RESPECTFUL

also took me coast to coast in those years, from the CMJ

Because we’re specifically talking about producing can-

Music Marathon in Manhattan to the Coachella Valley Mu-

nabis events, you need to fully comprehend the local rules,

sic & Arts Festival in California—but my annual highlight

regs, and laws surrounding the distribution and consump-

was regularly South by Southwest, the behemoth music

tion of marijuana. In these early days, event producers

festival taking over Austin, Texas, each Spring Break.

don’t have a lot of leeway in most localities—but there

I learned the art of the renegade party at SXSW. While

are generally options in each market, and if you’re not 100

the big event brings the masses together, the renegade

percent confident on local laws, call a local attorney to

parties add to the vibe. And as I would board my flight

protect yourself and your clients.

back to Denver each March, exhausted and likely hungov-

At Grasslands, we’re also careful to communicate clear-

er, I would think back to the festival’s most memorable

ly with the venue owner, ensuring that we’re on the same

moments—and oftentimes those experiences were pro-

page for which spaces are friendly for consumption and

duced by NPR, Pitchfork, IFC, or even Taco Bell.

which aren’t.

I’ve since produced a number of renegade music parties at SXSW, but my team at my marketing agency Grasslands

RESPONSIBLE DISTRIBUTION

and I have also produced our signature networking event

I’ve discussed the need for responsible distribution of

The Grasslands Party at multiple MJBizCons in Las Vegas

cannabis before in this column, but it’s worth repeating, sensimag.com JULY 2019 19

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given this subject matter. But let’s say you’ve checked with the attorneys and are confident your infused appetizers or THC-packed gift bag are legal, now it’s time to distribute the marijuana products responsibly.

This is simple communication, and it will set all of your guests up for a better experience. For your servers passing the appetizers infused with 5 milligrams of activated THC apiece, they need to communicate that to guests before the platter is offered to them. For the door staff handing out gift bags at the end of the night, they need to communicate the presence of THC to exiting guests, as that will change the handling and storage of the bag once

WHETHER YOU’RE SELFPRODUCING OR HIRING AN EVENTS PARTNER, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND NAIL DOWN YOUR VISION AND OBJECTIVES A FEW MONTHS OUT.

they get back to their car or home.

You never want your event to be the cause of someone’s bad experience with cannabis, so an informed, communicative staff is a necessity.

SUBTLE BRAND ACTIVATION It’s rare a company throws an event without intention. If you’re footing the bill or joining a party as a sponsor, you’re going to want to measure your return on investment (or ROI) after the fact—and that includes an idea of how many people encountered your brand and its messaging throughout the event.

Brand activation is a tricky one at cannabis events. It’s easy to go overboard, thinking that more is more and branding anything and everything. But my events team and I at Grasslands are of the belief that simple, subtle brand activation is a more meaningful method of connecting to your target audience.

An easy example: A thoughtfully assembled deck projected on a prominent wall is more powerful than a hard copy of that same deck (or brochure) in the gift bag. With the projected deck, your branding and messaging becomes a part of the decor and experience, something that embeds itself into guests’ psyches as they continue to see it throughout the event—whereas the hard copy brochure is a likely unwanted piece of marketing collateral that may or may not make it back to the office.

RICARDO BACA is a veteran journalist and thought leader in the legal cannabis space and founder of Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency, which handles public relations, content marketing, social media, events and thought leadership for brands and executives in legal cannabis, hemp and other highly regulated industries.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 21

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As innovation in cannabis-infusion takes great leaps, most experts expect infused food and drinks to rule the pot market in the 2020s.

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

YEAR OF THE

EDIBLE 26 JULY 2019 Boston

Fed by the best minds IN RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, INNOVATION IN CANNABISINFUSED FOOD AND BEVERAGES IS ENTERING A NEW ERA. BIG AG AND BIG FOOD ARE CIRCLING, DIPPING THEIR TOES IN, READY TO POUNCE AS SOON AS THE US GOVERNMENT LEGALIZES CANNABIS—A MATTER OF WHEN, NOT IF, THAT MANY BELIEVE COULD COME AS SOON AS THIS YEAR OR NEXT. Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors Brewing Co., Mooseh-

effects. They’ve found a way to make fat-soluble cannabi-

ead, Coca-Cola, Diageo (maker of Smirnoff and Baileys),

noids into water-soluble powders and liquids so that in-

and Mondelēz International (maker of Oreos) have all

fusing anything is a simple matter of adding and stirring.

announced they’re looking into CBD- and THC-infused

And that’s just the beginning. Late last year, the Human

(mostly CBD) food and beverages. CVS and Walgreens

Genome Project, which provides source information for

are planning to sell CBD products in some states. Scotts

gene farming that transforms commercially and thera-

Miracle-Gro is buying up cannabis cultivation companies

peutically valuable segments of the human genetic code

and making moves into genetically modifying cannabis,

into agricultural products, mapped the cannabis genome,

while Monsanto—consistently voted the world’s most evil

opening the door to an even more sophisticated level of

corporation—was one of the first companies to establish

research on par with other economically lucrative crops.

offices in Uruguay after that country legalized adult use.

Citing a study showing that consumers don’t have any

Scientists who honed their skills at the world’s top food

problems with corporations considering cannabis-in-

and pharmaceutical corporations and research institu-

fused products, Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Colorado’s

tions have put their minds to the plant, figuring out how

leading edibles maker Wana Brands, told Paul Barron of

to break cannabis down to its components and put it back

The Barron Report podcast, “My working assumption is

together again to create consistent, measured, predictable

that every major company is looking at this.”

sensimag.com JULY 2019 27

28 JULY 2019 Boston

Everyone does appear to be eyeing the edibles market,

Mainstream food growers and producers are making

especially since The Arcview Group published a head-

moves. British Columbia-based Village Farms—one of the

line-grabbing report predicting edibles sales would qua-

largest producers, marketers, and distributors of green-

druple in the US and Canada, to $4.1 billion, and global sales

house-grown produce in North America—has already

would reach $32 billion by 2022. They can’t help but notice

converted a large portion of its vegetable greenhouses to

that consumers are gobbling up newly legal CBD-infused ev-

cannabis, and Newstrike Brands is partnering with food

erything—including food and drinks—pushing predictions

company Neal Brothers to produce cannabis edibles.

that CBD sales in the US will hit $22 billion (up from $262 million in 2016) in 2022, according to the New York Times.

Edibles Winning in California

They also like what they see in edible consumer de-

Cannabis legalization in the world’s fifth-largest econ-

mographics. Primarily female with post-secondary ed-

omy and largest legal cannabis market has gotten off to

ucation and high incomes, these shoppers buy edibles

a rocky start as high taxes have forced far too many Cal-

the same way they do groceries, looking for items that

ifornians to hang onto their black-market dealers, but

satisfy their food preferences, tolerances, and flavor

that hasn’t stopped analysts from predicting that $5.1

profiles, according to research firm High Yield Insights.

billion of cannabis edibles would be sold in the state—ri-

These consumers like edibles because they’re discreet

valing the beer market—this year.

and offer longer, more intense highs and better pain and

“While the cultivation and concentrates markets are

anxiety relief than smoking, according to an RTI Interna-

getting most of the buzz, it’s the edibles market that rep-

tional study of cannabis users in legal states.

resents one of the strongest sectors for growth in the can-

Cannabis is taking its rightful place as an established

nabis space,” Investing News reports. “This market sector

and valuable functional food ingredient, and we haven’t

is driven in large part by new users and those focused on

seen anything yet. Sylvan Charlebois, dean of the Fac-

health and wellness who want a smoke-free cannabis ex-

ulty of Management and professor of agri-food distri-

perience. There are signs this consumer segment is al-

bution and policy at Dalhousie University, predicts that

ready flooding into the California cannabis market.”

within 10 years, 5 to 7 percent of all food sold in Canada will contain cannabis.

A number of events and evolutions have converged so that more and more of us will be snacking on CBD-infused gummies and sipping mocktails microdosed with THC in the 2020s.

Canada Opens Up Edibles Market Though Canada’s population pales in comparison to the US’s, the country of 30 million people is the first G-7 nation to legalize, and it’s attracting a lot of attention. The Canadian government kicked the complex undertaking of designing a regulatory system for edibles down the road until this month, and earlier this year it held a two-month public consultation period to help craft those regulations, which were expected to impose tight limitations on potency and packaging. Ignoring consumers’ clear preference for gummies (which make up a quarter of the edibles market in the US), Health Canada is promoting healthier edible options such as cannabis-infused kombucha and protein drinks.

Marijuana Policy Group co-founder Miles Light told

CBC News that edibles and non-flower products are the ultimate end-game for cannabis companies in Canada

A number of events and evolutions have converged so that more and more of us will be snacking on CBD-infused gummies and sipping mocktails microdosed with THC in the 2020s

because food is a friendlier niche for new, smaller companies than cannabis production, which is already dominated by a handful of mega-producers. sensimag.com JULY 2019 29

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“People will never trust products that don’t deliver consistent experiences. We can take the plant components apart and put them back together, literally at will, to drive those experiences.”

—Jon Cooper, Ebbu

Better Eating Through Chemistry?

ing oils, and brewers such as Heineken-owned Lagunitas

A couple years ago, Jon Cooper, CEO of Colorado-based

are giving beer a dank edge by adding common cannabis

cannabis research company Ebbu—which industry gi-

terpenes pinene and myrcene. Terpenes were among the

ant Canopy Growth Corporation acquired last year as

most studied compounds last year, Analytical Cannabis

part of its efforts to build a collection of patented, stan-

reports, and that research is now shaping the industry

dardized products that deliver specific outcomes—told

as companies like Steep Hill Laboratories establish data-

me that trust, control, responsibility, and safety would be

bases of terpenes and their usefulness for growers.

the cannabis industry’s defining message as it evolved.

Synthetics—CBD and THC created in a lab from organic

“People will never trust products that don’t deliver con-

hosts such as yeast, sugar, or petroleum-based chemicals—

sistent experiences,” he said. “Big companies coming

will also play a big role. Hyasynth Bio, a Montreal-based

into this space will have no choice but to achieve that.”

startup recently acquired by Organigram Holdings, plans to

His prediction is proving to be prescient, and you can ex-

produce thousands of kilograms of CBD powder made from

pect to see more and more edibles designed to promote spe-

yeast for pharmaceuticals and packaged goods within two

cific effects such as relaxation, focus, energy, stress-relief,

years. (Organigram is investing heavily in edibles innova-

and sleep on cannabis store shelves. “We can take the plant

tion, including a $15 million fully automated production line

components apart and put them back together, literally at

that can produce 4 million kilograms of chocolate cannabis

will, to drive experiences,” Scott Riefler, vice president of sci-

edibles per year using advanced engineering and robotics.)

ence for cannabinoid company Tarukino, marveled during a “Smart Kitchen Summit” podcast sponsored by The Spoon.

David Kideckel, managing director and senior equity research analyst at investment firm AltaCorp Capital, told

Tarukino, Ebbu, and several other companies have de-

The Growth Op that the ability to make cannabinoids in

veloped processing techniques that emulsify cannabi-

bulk in a lab allows for more consistency in the produc-

noids into nano-size particles that dissolve into water and

tion of all cannabinoids and will open up a whole world

mix more easily into blood. These water-soluble concen-

beyond THC and CBD. “As soon as cannabis is descheduled

trates are game changers, making it a breeze for food and

as a controlled substance on a federal level in the United

beverage manufacturers to infuse products with dose- and

States, you’re going to start seeing research dollars pouring

effect-specific formulations of cannabinoids and terpenes.

in from Big Pharma and CPG [consumer packaged goods]

Terpenes are a big factor here, and they’ve become all

companies,” he predicts. “They’re going to work on figuring

the rage—expect to see more and more of them. Dispensaries and retail stores offer everything from terpene concentrates and vaping liquids to terpene-infused cook-

out the potential of every cannabinoid in the plant.”

ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE is the author of the best-selling Cannabis Kitchen Cookbook and the newly released Pot in Pans: A History of Eating Cannabis.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 31

SPEC IAL REPORT

SEXY YOGIS, TIME TRAVEL +CANNABIS FARMS A mosaic tapestry through one rip-roaring week in Jamaica for the multicultural Tmrw.Tday festival.

by DA N Mc C A R T H Y

It’s an unusually cold Boston morning. DEADLINE LOOMS, AND THE USUAL WRITERLY PROCESS OF MINE HAS BEGUN. IT INVOLVES A LOT OF MANIC, CALVES-ON-FIRE PACING, DISTANT GAZES FOR AWKWARD PERIODS OF TIME, MADE EVEN MORE AWKWARD BY MY DOING SO IN THE MORNING UNIFORM OF THE HOME OFFICE WORKER (SWEATPANTS HANGING OFF BACKSIDE, NO SHIRT, STOMACH OUT) WHILE STANDING IN FULL VIEW OF THE TRIANGULAR CITY PARK ACROSS FROM MY HOUSE. MY APOLOGIES TO THE PARENTS ON PLAYDATES. IT WAS EARLY. Sporadic thoughts give way to immersive recall, a

of Amazonian mushroom-dosed chocolates through the

must for the task at hand. Because in spite of a mish-

night courtesy of my hospitable hosts? Was I in front of my

mash of G-Doc notes and wildly unorganized voice re-

hotel when I was alone on a beach chair under a single over-

cordings on my phone, many of which apparently were

head safety light at 3 a.m. at the end of the night? Yes, that

conducted in the hour of the wolf, making chronological

I remember. And, being awash in bliss while listening to

or even structural sense of what happened is a bit of a

bootleg Miles Davis recordings and, thanks to the handling

blur. Call it island time. Or call it the Fog of Gnar.

by the couple with deep knowledge of psychedelic and can-

Or just call it a week in Jamaica for a cannonball

nabis science inre: dosing and effect, was in no threat of the

right smack into the heart of the Tmrw.Tday Festival

stuff turning on me until my 8th grade Algebra teacher can

(TMRWTDAY.COM ). As a multi-focus, multicultural well-

visibly be observed riding trumpet-wielding sand serpents

ness, music, art, and dance hootenanny, one can imag-

from under my lounger and right up my shorts. That can be

ine the difficulty in distilling the experience, especial-

a risk sometimes. But no, it was just a nice ride.

ly when it happens to be the first sojourn down to Irie country in 20 years for your humble servant here. But with enough mental jujitsu, I’m able to untangle the tapestry of the week, presented here in a journalistic mosaic; a sort of impressionistic take on a traditional dispatch from paradise. It’s starting to come into focus...

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TMRW.TDAY FESTIVAL. PURPLE GLASSES PHOTO BY DAN McCARTHY

Where I Gwan Here, Exactly?

Speaking of Rides Meeting Peter Oppermann for the first time, a catalogue-model-handsome life coach and meditation teacher leading a multiday series of guided audio inner-space meditations and lectures, you first catch the loose-jawed Berlin accent you’d expect, if not want, from someone promising to take your consciousness from a state of 3D to 5D.

Geographical backdrops are the first images dissolving

His lecture and involvement in the week’s agenda, as most

into frame. Montego Bay, Orange Hill, and greater West-

aspects of the range of yoga classes, mindfulness workouts,

moreland. And there was at least one minor panic attack

lectures, and personal manifestos (there were more than a

after being handed the keys to a new comrade’s rental car

few...but that was the energy there) came from Tmrw.Tday

at sundown; a cheery experiment in left-side road driv-

retreat founder Andrew Christoforou and his wife Stacy Irie

ing to find the area’s lone ATM still dispensing money

Soul. The couple attended LA-based Oppermann’s five day

in order to avoid a humid 40 minute walk along Norman

workshop in Oaxaca, Mexico on NYE2018. Following that,

Manley Boulevard—the main drag flanking the heavenly

they took his online incubator, which, Christoforou said,

(if tourist-plagued) Seven Mile Beach just north of down-

transformed the couple in a deep way. So much so that this

town Negril. That one’s hard to forget.

very festival itself is the end result of Christoforou and com-

Putting it all together requires more digging in the men-

pany applying Oppermann’s cosmic tutelage.

tal dust pile: Where was I heaving myself off of a perilous

“It was life changing,” Christoforou told the packed sec-

spring water cave naturally carved into the earth, with the

ond floor of the glimmering expansion and reconstruction

turquoise water and the specter of death at every leap?

of the Woodstock Beach bar and resort, where the festival

Where was that house in the cliffs I joined a small, crew

kept its home base for the week. A few more words, and

of colorful strangers led by a husband-and-wife team of

Oppermann took the wheel.

plant-medicine scientists for guided psychedelic social

“It’s a true honor for me, since I teach about living the life

hours? And where was the private rental they had for the

of one’s future self. I feel spending time here in this mo-

week, where I tagged along to after the magic mushroom

ment with all you beautiful beings is the manifestation of

ceremony, snacking on conch fritters and Red Stripe Lite (I

this idea of living the life of your future self,” Oppermann

try to watch calories during any controlled research-based

crooned into the microphone. And it was about there I

psychedelic journey) eventually having a good 3–4 grams

turned off the recorder, stretched out on my mat, and realsensimag.com JULY 2019 33

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PHOTO (TOP) COURTESY OF TMRW.TDAY FESTIVAL AND (BOTTOM) BY DAN McCARTHY

ized any traditional reportorial work for this one was going

a strange grin mashed across my mug. Then I saw a stray

to be futile. Just go with the flow.

puppy on the beach, a floofy German shepherd mutt al-

That flow involved Bluetooth headphones serenaded

ways in eyeshot of its momma. I played with it while no-

by Oppermann’s dulcet Germanic tones, instructing the

ticing a catamaran of fully naked middle-aged people ca-

room to follow him along on a journey to the other side of

reen by as tourists laughed and hid the eyes of the young.

reality (in your mind): “You are traveling through dimen-

Hard to knock any of this so far, even if my cold, dead

sions now. … Deep in the universe. … Past space and time.

Northeasterner heart of sarcastic and cynical darkness

… There is a yellow liquid waterfall of light to let in your

errs that way by default. Puppies, nudist hedonism, and

mind. … Expand your DNA…”

time travel, people. Get up with it.

I sat up when it was over, blinked a few times, and had

Oh, and weed. Of course. I had already procured a healthy stockpile of Tangie flower, some other strain via three stalks of cured outdoor cannabis from a local farm wrapped in tinfoil, and a small stack of ganja cookies—one batch sourced from a local with a movie-villain scar running down his right eye, which was dead and glared at me when I refused a larger order. He couldn’t understand why I was good with five 100 milligram cookies for the day.

Did the cookies melt into one globulous mass in my backpack as I humped around the beach all day in the sun? Yes. Did I often chomp chunks out of it like a sugary softball smeared in dark chocolate visible through the cheap cellophane encasement? You bet your chakras I did. But that was just the start of a week spent dancing the day away through fields of guerilla ganja grows, at one point being instructed to bite the head-lettuce of a five-foot stalk of flower at the behest of my local Rassensimag.com JULY 2019 35

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duo charming the room, closed by an early morning DJled dancefest with enough sweaty sexy yogis and other acrobatic searchers to make any rotund writer reconsider his choice of a Rocket Pop-print cabana shirt (roughly a size too small, thanks winter) as the night’s swagfest.

No matter. I spent the evening in the company of steam, and later with Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson (BUBBLEMANBRAND.COM), an OG name in the global hemp game from Canada. For those who know him, he needs no introduction. For those who don’t, consider: Bubble Hash.

Have you had it? Good. His is better. And that makes sense, considering he pioneered the art of it, invented his own bags for production (which is how the stuff first came to the island over 20 years ago, according to Richardson). As an industry expert and social media sensation, his general name-recognition ranks in the cannabis cultural cannon alongside names like Frenchy Cannoli and Steve DeAngelo, depending on who you’re talking cannabis cultural cannon with. In other words: Best. Bubble Hash. Ever. A few blasts ta guide: “Git’cha nootreents ’ere, mon. Awl natch’rail.

Health. Life. Jah, Raaaastafari.” (Ed note: It tasted like cit-

and I could bite a tiger.

The collective steam-meet with Bubbleman gave way to a

rus, earth, and sharp peppercorn salad)

weeklong orbit around each other. At times, it was just meet-

Steam Team

art bazaar on the ground floor below the open-air classroom

Kevin

Campbell,

owner

of

Steam

ing up at Woodstock for lectures or scouring the clothing and Team

JA

(STEAMTEAMJA.COM ), embodies the archetype of a youthful and driven Rasta carving a life and sustainable career

area upstairs. Other times, I was hopping in Bubbleman’s rental to follow Campbell down backcountry roads and Orange Hill’s government-maintained roadways. Not for the

for himself on his native soil in the days of legal green.

Tall and broad, his dense beard and dark eyes frame a face outlined in a lion’s mane of long dreadlocks. And he’s always at the ready to provide hearty blasts of steam via the coconut-and-bamboo clay bowl steam chalices he makes and sells and has by his side at all times. (Call it the original vaporizer.) Torched coconut shell charcoals sit atop a handmade clay bowl, with whole raw flower placed below the small, quarter-sized clay separator. Water from the base is heated as the coals are torched, and the activated flower in the bowl steams off all the cannabinoids drawn through the bamboo mouthpiece for a super mellow, terpene-rich blast of the local crop. The charcoal burns clean and natural and is hot enough to throw a fresh dab on to really spice up your session.

PHOTOS BY DAN McCARTHY

My first steam with Campbell was the night Christoforou and his team led a platoon of festival partiers to local hotspot Pushart. A hot-people ensemble to be sure, the evening was heavy with Canadians while peppered with people from all over the US, South America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Australia. What started as a raucous getting-to-know you evening over Rasta Pasta and quality hash joints eventually gave way to a live acoustic sensimag.com JULY 2019 37

38 JULY 2019 Boston

faint of heart. (Thankfully, I’m from Boston, and maniacal

illegal in Jamaica until 2015 (yes, really), legalization has

driving and horrid roadways are par for life’s course in these

opened the floodgates for the green gold rush on the island.

parts.) At times, we were just putting along rural dirt roads

With the threat of outside entities moving in and taking

and sharp turns; others, we were careening at high speeds,

over the emerging legal cannabis market from native farmers,

narrowly missing car-destroying potholes large enough to

the time to be politically cognizant of the changing laws and

swallow a SmartCar whole hog, squinting in disbelief as the

regulations of Jamaica’s cannabis industry has never been

locals sit and stand at the road’s edge being peppered with

more prescient. For Waba, he’s applied to legally sell his crops,

old asphalt and yelling at livestock scurrying into the road,

but the local governing board has yet to approve it, so it’s a hur-

apparently unworried about their own mortality as we flash

ry-up-and-wait game. Even if they do get the nod, the cost of

by in a cloud of dust and likely damage to the car’s structural

getting licensed to grow and transport product is more than

integrity. This is the island. This is Jamaica.

the average annual salary of a Jamaican. High cost of entry,

That one afternoon of rally-car driving brought us to Waba

the maw of bureaucratic red tape, and big money muscling

Clayton’s Farm, where natural-wonder swimming attrac-

in on seasoned farmers in the weed world: sound familiar?

tion The Blue Hole sits at the base of Waba’s hilltop Xanadu,

Should the governing board simply reject Waba’s application

built in the 1940s, with a finished rooftop lined with pots of

flat-out, all that fire flower and the smiling crew at the farm

cannabis plants overlooking the crystalline ocean glisten-

will be either back on the black market, or simply pushed out.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TMRW.TDAY FESTIVAL

ing in the distance.

“I would have to stop, because I’m a business person, you

Its energy is one of a refuge and haven of authentic Rasta

know?” Waba told VICE. “I’d have to go do something else.

life, communal living, and general survival at the hands of

But what about the other person who can’t [do something

random tourists there for an Instagram-perfect attraction.

else]? Ganja is not just a drug. It’s a spiritual thing that’s sent

Or, a walkthrough and sampling of the outdoor cannabis of

here to help poorer-class people. Without ganja, I don’t know

shocking quality, enough to cause any weed snob to recon-

what this community would be.”

sider their side of the indoor-vs-outdoor argument.

A couple days later, the Steam Team led us to a second

Speaking to VICE News (which filmed a segment at Waba’s

farm in Jamaica’s Westmoreland Parish—larger, more ex-

farm recently), Waba laid out the perilous nature of being a

pansive, and harder to get to. That day required a hearty hike

celebrated local farmer with the kind of growing skills built

deep into the island fauna, past secluded pig farms manned

over a lifetime of labor in the dawn of national (and inter-

by a father and his sons trying to stay under governmental

national) cannabis legalization. Considering weed was still

radar while continuing to let ganja provide for their family.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 39

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“If you like this, there’s five other fields in the distance, all bigger than this one,” Campbell told me. His optics regularly involve wearing a Bluetooth earpiece and keeping a bass-thumping outdoor speaker blasting local music hanging from his backpack, all while never being without his traditional coconut steam chalice. He serves as a ripe representation of local Jamaicans adapting and maintaining ancient traditions passed down from the elders while also keeping a foot in the present day by turning the blossoming tourist green scene into a viable business. “Fresh koosh in

da boosh,” he says passing me the pipe. “Smell dis hookah it keep ya hydrated mon, steam it mon, life steam.”

About those chalices: I wound up buying three of them and had them shipped to me in Boston. The parcel arrived from the Jamaican post office, much to the confusion of my girlfriend who peered in as I unboxed a bunch of small empty coconuts, some bamboo rods, and a bag of charcoal tightly wrapped in brown packing paper. Let me know if you’d like to try it. Bring a torch. Mine’s dead.

Rooms and Board If you ever find your way to Negril, Jamaica, here’s a free tip: Hang out at Seven Mile Beach, but stay in the cliffs. Both areas have their pros; neither, that I could tell, really have their cons—save for the fact the 15-minute shore walk between Tmrw.Tday HQ at Woodstock and my resort at the Coco Le Palm was half spent turning down everything from candy to petrified wooden penis carvings to local psychedelics (“Don’t eat the black mushrooms,” everyone told me), to jewelry, joints, flower, and other inroads to mysterious sources of fun. Everyone had a line, and everyone was a salesperson. That’s the game. Just gotta play it.

But then came Tensing Pen (TENSINGPEN.COM ), an otherworldly privately owned resort of grass-roofed bungalows and rock-cliff-connecting foot bridges stretched between points on the cliffs impossible not to leap off of into the Caribbean Sea below. Once settled in the area, you start to understand why a woman I met on an afternoon of meandering along the West End said those who know know to hit the cliffs versus the beach. I ran into her after the rains started and I popped into a spot called Xtabi for refreshment and new set of views. Earlier in the week, I had bummed a pack of Cheyenne Silver cigarettes off her at the festival where she was working the

and the sheer bacchanal of daily life that it was. And it still is, if you know where to find it.

I wasn’t there to find it (that day). No, I was too busy enjoying the cove views from my chalet at Tensing Pen, which overlooked a portion of limestone cliffs where a set of stairs had been carved into the ancient stone, likely by someone during the island’s colonization by the British and the Spanish in the 17th or 18th century.

“Nobody knows who put that there or when,” said Anne-Marie Petros, part of the husband-and-wife team who own the resort. Their two Rhodesian Ridgeback doggos patrol the grounds for pets and food and company as two dogs living better than 99 percent of the world’s population do. One afternoon while enjoying the sun, I met a Dubai-based real estate and government contract high roller in his 30s staying at Tensing. When first arrived and saw the property, he tried to purchase the entire resort on the spot. “They told me no, they didn’t want to sell,” he said to me after I filmed him jumping off the cliff into the stunning water, demonstrating my Boomerang skills for Instagram. “So instead I’m buying the one next door.”

For the sake of just how insane that is, in a Tony Stark sort of display of sheer liquid wealth extravagance, I hope that was true.

Wellness, Fashion, Friends, Smoothies

check-in desk. With a touch of a history lesson, most-

It wasn’t all a big party. Well, okay, it felt like that, but be-

ly about a class of Americans and Canadians who have

tween the local jewlery makers, Steam Team’s corner booth

been frequenting Negril as a cultural hippie-haven after

(everyone was steaming all day), and the eco-conscious

the San Francisco 1960s dream of peace, love, and Flow-

fashion, garments for sale as a platform for immigrants and

er Power died at the hands of American Exceptionalism,

senior communities to put their lifelong family skills and

she regaled me with stories of the “old days” on the cliffs,

generational production know-how by indigenous people sensimag.com JULY 2019 41

42 JULY 2019 Boston

PHOTO COURTESY OF TMRW.TDAY FESTIVAL

and their traditions, Tmrw.Tday was a true melting pot of

that in the end leaves you feeling better than when you ar-

island solace, commerce, and storytelling.

rived. For Andrew and Stacy and their realized dream of a

There were also a multitude of speeches by wellness entrepreneurs. I was fond of the talk by Shane Griffin, a

festival (which returns next year, so get it on your calendars now if this appeals to you), that result is all that matters.

hospitality and bar industry veteran with enough sto-

And no matter if your entry point is cannabis, psyche-

ries of wanton debauchery and madness at the hands

delics, Burning Man-style spiritualism and mysticism, ag-

of drug and drink, which lead him to eventually reform

nostic-based energy chakra touting this and that, or just

his life, get well, and launch the Vitamin Patch Club

some good old steamin’ and dreamin’, however you get to

(@VITAMINPATCHCLUB )—essentially high-absorbing trans-

the place most were at by the time we were at the closing

dermal vitamin patches. I can say that after a few days of sun

night party, then who cares? Good vibes, good energy, good

and rum, those things felt like a lifesaver.

living, good people.

Downstairs from the lectures, there was always avail-

That final night party went down at a jaw-droppingly

able water, farm-to-table vegan food options, and invigo-

beautiful private (and for rent!) compound called Llant-

rating health shakes made slowly (very slowly) using lo-

rissant Beachcliff Villa (BEACHCLIFF.COM ), owned by a de-

cal island fruits. All of which were easily enhanced with

lightful, silver-maned septuagenarian and pharmaceutical

CBD found all over the festival at Woodstock, including

company CEO, currently at work on getting his synthetic

a stand-alone CBD café right in the middle of the beach,

cannabinoid-based medicine to create HIV quiescence

courtesy of Cafe (IAMCAFE.COM ).

(read: silencing the thing that makes HIV deadly) to clini-

Memories Fade But Wisdom Lingers

cal trials. We talked for a long time after sunset: about his time on the island, about meeting new people at multicul-

That week in May at the festival was one of sensory over-

tural festivals, about simply not being a shit person. We

load. Honestly I don’t even have the energy to get it all right,

talked about his work, about cannabis as medicine. And we

but for that matter I don’t want to, at least for this one. No,

talked about how—in spite of the world changing at a rapid

this story is really about the takeaway—whatever one got

clip, faster than ever before—if we focus on the right things

from the festival, the orbiting pathways to higher living and

(cannabis legalization, for one), we have a chance to create a

more engaged existing (not hard to do living in paradise for

better, healthier, more just world than the one we’re living in.

a week on someone else’s dime, by the way) and anything

Now that, I remember.

sensimag.com JULY 2019 43

44 JULY 2019 Boston

THE HOLISTIC CENTER

Doctors Standing By: Get Your Medical Card in Massachusetts DOCTORS WORKING WITHIN A NETWORK OF CANNABIS-FRIENDLY PHYSICIANS GUIDE AND EDUCATE PATIENTS. Cannabis created a believer out of Dr. Thomas Wong,

Physicians working with medical cannabis patients are

a physician at The Holistic Center in the Brighton area

banned by law from prescribing or recommending can-

of Boston who is now educating patients about can-

nabis. But a physician is required to certify that a patient

nabis and helping them secure or renew their medical

has a condition that can be treated by medical cannabis

cannabis cards. He has been qualifying patients for the

in order to get their medical card.

past five years as one of the oldest Massachusetts-owned medical marijuana evaluation centers in the state.

The Center operates out of a standard-looking doctor’s office, approximately 1,500 square feet, containing four exam rooms, with three certified nurse practitioners and

During a visit, a patient will receive a physical evaluation, discuss with the doctor cannabis as a treatment option, and get advice on how to consume it.

The Holistic Center also offers assistance in filing medical card information with the state.

a support staff of four. The Center also provides other

Wong believes now that the FDA has approved Epidi-

holistic treatments, including acupuncture and Chinese

olex as a marijuana-derived pharmaceutical, similar ap-

herbal medicine.

provals for other cannabis-derived substances will come.

Wong was convinced five years ago to get involved in

“There are a lot of so-called studies out there, and I don’t

the industry by a colleague, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who de-

know how well-documented they are, touting the bene-

cided that cannabis could be powerful medicine. Gup-

fits of cannabis for this or that condition,” Wong says. “But

ta famously decided to embrace cannabis and work to

I think if you use it for some of the basic treatments its

help people understand it better during the filming of

suited for, I think those are the safe areas to deal with.”

the CNN documentary, Weed, in 2013.

Wong had retired in 2011 after 32 years working in private practice in Boston. But his license was still active, and he was looking for something “a little different” to do.

For more information, visit:

THCEVALUATION.COM

So, after Massachusetts legalized medical cannabis in 2012 (adult use was legalized in 2016), he answered an ad and came out of retirement in 2013 to start working at the newly opened Center. “Actually, I was pretty naïve about medical marijuana,” Wong says. “But in my practice as a primary care physician, many of my patients admitted to using marijuana, particularly during evenings to relax. These were upright people who I respected. It seemed like they were able to enjoy it without a negative component.”

Wong saw medical cannabis as a way of balancing traditional Western medicine with an alternative treatment. sensimag.com JULY 2019 45

46 JULY 2019 Boston

BEANTOWN GREENTOWN

Up from the Underground, Headed to Higher Ground TWO BOSTON BUDDIES DISCOVER MUTUAL INTERESTS THAT HELP DRIVE THE GOALS OF THEIR CANNABIS BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT.

Beantown Greentown all started in 2016, selling

They have a home grow for patients, and they create

t-shirts, when Andrew Mutty connected with an old

original strains like Boston Skunk, 617 Haze, and Wicked

buddy from his Boston hometown, Keith Laham, and

Pissa. The pair is in the application process for a combo

found out he was growing cannabis in his home just like

license to allow cultivation and manufacturing.

Mutty did.

Mutty showed him his secret cannabis lab in his

In preparation for evolving the business, they have a building ready.

home. “In 2016, everybody was afraid to get busted,

“Massachusetts regulations are pretty well written,”

and you didn’t want to put yourself out there,” he says.

Mutty says. “They have developed them through a couple

“So I turned this room I had into a lab with a secret

of public hearings to understand what the community

wall and sliding cabinets, like James Bond style. You

wants. But there are still a couple of bumps left.”

couldn’t see anything.”

Laham saw the set up and told Mutty they should partner up and get into the cannabis business.

“We had ideas sort of changing the city landscape to

So far, Mutty says, they don’t have employees but use a host of volunteers who help them with their line of t-shirts, hoodies, and hats and work with them on their cannabis advocacy and grow educational efforts.

make it a better and more beautiful place because of

Mutty says they will need a compliance person, a se-

cannabis, and we saw the industry coming,” Mutty says.

curity manager, other cultivators, trimmers, and a brand

“About that time, the Boston mayor publicly said that he

manager–among others–within three years as they look

wanted to make Beantown more of a green town, or more

to expand. “The three- to five-year plan is to get out of

of a greener, landscaped place. So, we decided to use that

the combo-style license and actually get a retail license,”

phrase and spin in a way so it applied to cannabis.”

Mutty says. “Then we can separate everything and be

They started an underground Instagram page to help

more or less vertically integrated.”

Massachusetts growers understand the guidelines and other details about how to grow in the Boston climate.

Both Mutty and Laham were medical patients and caregivers, so they were qualified to work with canna-

For more information, visit:

BEANTOWNGREENTOWN.COM

bis. “You couldn’t grow at home at the time unless you were a caregiver,” Mutty says. “We were reaching out to our local communities in a way that people around here were just were afraid to do. So, we immediately got a lot of positive feedback from the underground community.

We got turned into this cult underground thing where we would exchange clones.”

Mutty found that he had a knack for cloning, and Laham had some cannabis plant genetics he had made back when he was growing in 2006. “So we developed this cool collaboration at the time,” Mutty says. sensimag.com JULY 2019 47

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sensimag.com JULY 2019 49

SENSI NIGHT

Sensi Boston turned one years old.

Normally when that happens you get a party. With balloons. Maybe a donkey.

When Sensi turned one, we threw a big party just for you, and by the looks of the photos, all of you showed up.

Thanks for the support and see you at the next one.

50 JULY 2019 Boston

Where: Royale When: May 25, 2019