Sensi Magazine - Los Angeles (February 2020)

LET YOUR SELFIE GO The Museum of Selfies hits Hollywood I LO S A N G E L E S F E B 2020

OVER THE RAINBOW

How vibrant hues can conquer the winter blues

INFUSED INSPIRATION

The creative cooking of Chef Randal Brooks

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LOS ANGELES SENSI MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2020

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F E AT U R E S

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Held to Higher Standards

Women-owned business Yummi Karma is growing fast and steadily.

In Living Color

Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

38 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town LOVE IS IN THE APP The strange and raucous to keep you in the loop world of online dating LET YOUR SELFIE GO Check HIGH SOCIETY Recapping out the Museum of Selfies. the #Fight4theAmazon Gala and last month’s ’90S VIBE Get yours with Sensi Night hot new retro merch.

THIS AND THAT Local artist CALENDAR Ditch the back on the scene dinner date and fall in love with art instead.

NEW IN TOWN Verse LA’s eye-popping decor and mouth-watering menu.

THE END LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Chuck Kaneh Co. edibles pack a Lorre receives ADG award. gourmet punch.

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ON THE COVER #MuseumOfSelfies PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF SELFIES

16 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness GET COOKING Chef Brooks’s delightful infusions.

IN GOOD COMPANY

Coliving spaces offer a solution to skyrocketing housing prices and the loneliness epidemic.

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A DV I S O R Y B OA R D

Autumn Brands Cannabis Cultivation

Perennial Whole Plant Products

Clark Neubert, LLP Legal

Red Rock Fertility Fertility Doctor

Coachella Labs Manufacturing

Stewshi Apparel

Dragyn CBD/THC Wholesale

TKO Products, LLC. Infused Baked Goods

Flourish Software Distribution Management

TruSolis Technologies Commercial Lighting

Genius Products T, Inc. Recreational Cannabis Products

Undoo Overconsumption Relief

Hemp Love Nano-Enhanced Hemp Oil Hybrid Payroll (Ms. Mary Staffing) Staffing & HR Benefits

Vriptech Luxury Vaporizer Wana Brands Edible Gummies

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACE BOOK Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings we’re obsessed with right now.

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LINX Card Merchant Services Next Level Prerolls Cannabis Culture ONIT Sciences Cannabis Investments

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I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.

Magazine published monthly

by Sensi Media Group LLC. © 2020 Sensi Media Group. All rights reserved.

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb CEO ron@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com

T

Tae Darnell Co-Founder, VP of Business Development tae@sensimag.com Alex Martinez Chief Operating Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL Stephanie Wilson Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Dawn Garcia Managing Editor dawn.garcia@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief

Christia Brockman, Eli Dupin, Susan Winston Contributing Writers DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Josh Clark Designer Jason Jones Designer em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Mark Basser Publisher mark@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

This is the month that invites you to explore

your passions, the love of others, and the love of self. Los Angeles is a city that comes to life when February rolls around.

While it signifies awards season coming to an end as the Oscars commence on the last Sunday of the month, it also represents a month where we celebrate singledom, couplehood, equality, diversity, art, the power of unity, and our desire to have a positive impact on the environment.

C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” Sometimes we can forget that. Change may seem scary, but in truth, change is how progress is made.

This month, as the swell of consumerism tethers itself around the notion of “love,” I hope we can all pause long enough to look within, and then shine our kindness and love out into the world.

And let’s be real: the world needs some positive rays of sunshine.

February marks the extraordinary and the beautiful with art exhibitions that display the most colorful aspects of humanity.

That includes the launch of the LA Art Show, happening at the beginning of the month, on through to a cultural showcase of diversity and unity taking place throughout the city at numerous museums and galleries. There is also a creative cannabis and art workshop, yoga and ganja classes, Black Herstory Month improv, and a glimpse into the ever-entertaining world of dating apps.

So, while we work our tails off, binge and stream our favorite shows (many of which release this month), take in the world of cinema and music, try to stop just long enough to look back on the road that led you here. In hindsight, 2019 was a strange and pivotal year, but 2020 promises to be one of change, introspection, letting go, taking chances, loving bigger (including loving ourselves), and supporting those in the industry.

Whatever this month means to you, may you laugh, dance, sing, shout, hike, walk, create, listen, speak out, breathe, and above all—take some time to ponder what you can contribute to make the world a more unified place.

In hindsight, 2019 was a strange and pivotal year, but 2020 promises to be one of change, introspection, letting go, taking chances, loving bigger, and supporting those in the industry.

Be bold, be joyous, and be extraordinary,

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

Dawn Garcia @dawngarcia F EBRUARY 2020

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CONTRIBUTORS

Eli Dupin, Dawn Garcia

For the ’Gram The Museum of Selfies is a mustsnap interactive adventure.

Snap to your Insta heart’s content. This is the one place you’re absolutely encouraged (heck, they almost demand it) to pose, take your best selfies, and post stories, Boomerangs, and IGTV on social.

Exhibitions are interactive and include anything from Game of Thrones and grabbing your own Oscar to a gold bath and the Upside Down. It’s where to go when you’re tired of the same ol’ same ol’ and just want to let the eff go.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MUSEUM OF SELFIES

6757 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, $25–$100, museumofselfies.com

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Nirvana Smiley Shirt $25 / hottopic.com Adidas Track Jacket $80 / macys.com Scrunchies / $12 per set urbanoutfitters.com Cruise Deluxe Turntable $74 / crosleyradio.com

BY THE NUMBERS

3.725

BILLION The number of active social media users out of 7.8 billion people. Thatʼs half the worldʼs population.

SOURCE: brandwatch.com

Party Like It’s 1999 Old school becomes new again.

With the nostalgia of the ʼ90s revival including the comeback of scrunchies, old school hip-hop parties, cartoon reboots, grunge fashion, army pants, vinyl records, and the Friends craze ever present, why not celebrate like itʼs Y2K? The ʼ90s were the era when grunge was born; punk rock got a resurgence; indie music fests took off; personal style was nonconformist; music was insanely good, angsty, dance-worthy, and impactful (Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Tupac, N.W.A., Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, and so many more); and the teens and twentysomethings finally felt like their voices were being heard.

ART BY JOHN MILLEI.

Grunge Nirvana tees and Doc Martens still rule. Worn-out concert T-shirts, laced-up midcalf black Doc Martens, and even checkered Vans have all made the fashion cut.

Camo + Track Suits They’re not really just for running. Beyond gold chains and velour, track suits and jumpers are back again, as are camo pants.

Scrunchies In the ’90s, they were a girl’s best friend. They accompany a side pony tail or a messy bun, and they don’t rip your hair out.

Crosley Record Player The ’90s were all about hitting up Tower Records or Penny Lane in Venice Beach. Now vinyls are back and cooler than ever, and the Crosley turntables are where it’s at.

3 FEET OF SNOW

The amount of fresh powder that dropped in 24 hours on Mountain High in Wrightwood in December, forcing the resort to close the mountain SOURCE: ktla.com

20 BILLION DOLLARS

The revenue generated in 2018

by US consumers purchasing live and recorded music SOURCE: statista.com

THAT DOES IT This & That is John Millei’s first solo exhibition in 10 years.

Southern California native John Millei is a self-taught artist and former professor at ArtCenter College of Design whose work has appeared throughout galleries in Los Angeles.

His recent work, inspired by his daughter and son, depicts a series of framed edges and comical shapes emphasized by gestalt images and beautifully understated color palettes.

“A series of four paintings of his daughter show sweeps of hair, blue-green ovals for eyes, and a flopping bow on top of the subject’s head. In a painting of his son, the formal problems of painting are more prominent,” reads the descriptions of pieces in Millei’s exhibition, titled This & That, on the Lowell Ryan Projects website.

“Wielding cartoon-like reduction and using sumptuous application of oil and Flashe paint, the paintings play with our mind’s evolutionary imperative to find patterns and meaning, such as perceiving faces and expressions in a collection of shapes and lines.”

Now through February 22 4851 West Adams Blvd. / LA lowellryanprojects.com

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PHOTO OF VERSE LA BY WONHO FRANK LEE

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: Which can’t you do without— music or film—and why?

A (Michelin) Star is Born AHESHA CATALANO ASEEM TIWARI

VAL SARKISSIAN

___________________

___________________

Travel Agent, Burbank

Writer and Producer, Los Angeles

Interior Designer, Los Angeles

Music. It makes me feel things others don’t. I feel like art and film are with you in that moment, but music stays with me long after.

I’ve always been of a mindset that one cannot live without cinema. I’m a part of real America that looks to content for their daily escape. I value it deeply, and I consider myself lucky to be a creator.

___________________

Music. To me, there’s nothing like it. It takes me away or brings me to places, if that makes any sense.

Verse LA is the culmination of several long years of passion, culinary swagger, musical innovation, design forward decor, and an ambience unlike any place in Los Angeles, created by Grammy Award–winning audio mixer Manny Marroquin, Michelin-star chef Paul Shoemaker, and entrepreneur and visionary Rob Ciancimino.

The beautiful power of the menu and mindful infrastructure has finally arrived in Toluca Lake, and itʼs a true dark horse taking the culinary landscape by storm. Manned by Shoemaker, the menu dances off the pages and onto oneʼs tongue with a poetic prowess youʼll crave long after youʼve eaten the gorgeous dishes heʼs prepared. With an impressive wine selection, swanky cocktails, and the appeal of a restaurant youʼd expect to stumble upon in the heart of New York City, Verse is the swanky dining experience LA has been hungry for.

Verse LA / @verse_la / verse.la

BILITIES

BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 PRIMARY FOCUS A New

3 BORN THIS WAY The odds of

Hampshire law requires the Granite State to be the first presidential primary in the nation. This election cycle, that goes down on February 11, after which my home state becomes irrelevant for another four years.

being a “leapling”—a person born on a leap day—is 1 in 1,461.

2 LEAP OF FAITH While the calendar year is 365 days, it takes the Earth 365.24 days to orbit the sun.

Every four years, we add an extra day to the month of February because without it, the calendar would be misaligned with the seasons by 25 days after just 100 years.

4 RIGHT ON On February 29, some places celebrate Bachelor’s Day or Sadie Hawkins Day—both a nod to the old Irish tradition that gave women the right to propose marriage to a man on leap day. If he declined, he was required by law to pay a penalty, often in the form of gloves so she could hide the shame of her bare ring finger.

5 MODERN LOVE Since we’re not all Irish, but we are all feminists (because

we all believe in the equality of the sexes, of course), any of us can propose to whomever our heart desires whenever we want. Except Valentine’s Day. There’s no law prohibiting it but, sweetie, payas-you-go forced romance is anything but romantic.

6 PETA VIOLATION The origins of the canned-love holiday are as cruel as a red rose is clichéd. According to NPR, V-day traces back to the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a brutal fete during which naked men sacrificed dogs and goats—and whipped women with the animal hides. Stop, in the name of love.

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LICENSE NO : C11-OOOO499-LIC 14 LOS A N G E LES

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THE BUZZ

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

Born to Entertain

Chuck Lorre to receive the Art Directors Guild award for cinematic imagery.

If you’ve watched TV in the last couple of decades, it is likely you have seen the name Chuck Lorre in the opening credits. Creator of highly successful television shows, including The Big Bang Theory (the longest running multi-camera comedy in television history), Two and a Half Men, Mom, and Disjointed, as well as the recently acclaimed The Kominsky Method, Lorre has had an impressive career. The Art Directors Guild agrees wholeheartedly, and on February 1, Lorre will be presented with the 2020 ADG Award for Cinematic Imagery.

“Chuck Lorre is one of television’s most prolific and successful writers/directors/ producers,” says ADG President Nelson Coates. “[His] storytelling prowess as a showrunner is amplified by the significance he places on production design in the creation of the worlds his fascinating characters navigate.”

The ADG’s Cinematic Imagery Award is given to those whose body of work in the film and television industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience. In addition to being one of the few showrunners keeping the multi-camera sitcom alive, Lorre also established The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation in 2015, focusing on supporting innovative and compassionate organizations in the areas of education, health, and the arts.

The ADG was established in 1937 and represents 2,700 members who work in film, television, and theater as production designers, art directors, set designers, model makers, illustrators, and matte artists. To learn more, visit adg.org.

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LEARN MORE

Chef Randal Brooks off-the-cuff-dining.business.site @ocdla / @chefrandalbrooks

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Infusion Inspiration Cooking up cannabis creations with Chef Randal Brooks.

PHOTO CREDITS (LEFT TO RIGHT): @LYNNEMITCHELL TWENTY20.COM / COURTESY RANDAL BROOKS

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

Randal Dario Mendoza Brooks is a private chef based in Venice Beach, California, whose love of food began when he was a young kid living in New Jersey. He grew up in a family of amateur and professional cooks, and helping out in his uncle’s seafood restaurant spurred his passion for being in the kitchen.

“I loved the pace of the kitchen, all the different tastes and textures, and the possibility of making something with your hands right in front of you.

Cooking with my family showed me how much food made people happy.

That’s a big part of showing love,” Brooks says.

This love led him to the French Culinary Institute in New York, where he studied and graduated, immediately beginning his career working in various restaurants throughout the city. “I

worked under a lot of really incredible chefs who taught me not only cooking skills but about personality and how that can translate to a plate,” Brooks says. “I began to see my own style forming, which I would describe as seasonal avant-garde.

I love bright colors and playing with texture, but I was still cooking other peoples’ food.”

During this time, Brooks was struggling with bipolar disorder and the medication the doctors prescribed. It was interfering with his ability to feel creative in the kitchen, and ultimately it left him hospitalized. “I didn’t feel like myself in the kitchen; all my creativity was gone,” he says.

“I gained a lot of weight and just felt like absolute crap.” Brooks started reading about other possible treatment options, including cannabis.

“I realized that cannabis was really integral to my health and happiness, and I started thinking about how many other people like me could be helped by the same medicine.”

—Chef Randal Brooks

It turns out 2.3 million Americans are diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Brooks turned to cannabis when he made the decision to get off bipolar medication.

“I was desperate to get off of the medication. I started smoking weed every day. It gave me my mojo back. I felt great for the first time in a long time,” Brooks says.

“My head was spinning with ideas about food, and I was genuinely excited to get back in the kitchen. I realized that cannabis was really integral to my health and happiness, and I started thinking about how many other people like me could be helped by the same medicine.”

During that time, he was invited to do a popup at a friend’s restaurant in Hell’s Kitchen.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF @OCDLA__

THE LIFE

underground pop-ups, developing his own style, each time coming more and more into his own as a chef. He invested in and opened his own midtown Manhattan restaurant, Venisalvi (now closed). “I fi nally had the freedom to express my creativity and make food that really represented me.

And man, it felt good.

But if my cooking was really going to represent me, my heritage, and my personality, I felt as though it needed to include cannabis.”

The journey he was on was one of conviction, and the decision to cook with cannabis wouldn’t be possible if he stayed in New York where cannabis is still illegal. “Cannabis had changed my entire outlook, improved my way of life, and greatly affected my personality.

It was an integral part of my personal journey, and I truly believed it could improve the lives of so many others like me. I was such a strong advocate for cannabis that I knew no matter how much creative freedom I had in the kitchen, without it, I’d be missing a key ingredient. I also knew that I would never be able to pull off infused cuisine if I stayed there, so in November

of 2018, I packed up my life and moved to Los Angeles.”

Here in Southern California, Brooks’s culinary career has taken flight with innovative and experimental cuisine. “The first thing I ever infused were bulgogi beef tacos.

I think fatty proteins like lamb and duck also pair really well with cannabis oil,” says Brooks, whose menu has evolved to include infused salad and crudo vinaigrettes.

“Anything that cooks in oil or butter can be infused, so the possibilities are pretty much endless,” he says.

“I moved to California to pursue cannabis cooking in an environment where I didn’t have to hide. I’ve done 13 dinners since then, and each one is different. For private dinners, it all depends on the client, their guests, and any requests or dietary restrictions they may have. We work together to plan a menu within their budget.

When it’s a dinner that I’m hosting, every menu is different. I try to stick to what’s seasonal and really just enjoy cooking things that I like to eat.

That’s what makes it fun.”

Brooks and his team— many of whom have struggled with mental health issues and were helped by canna-

Pumpkin Ale Braised Short Ribs With Mushrooms and Polenta / Serves 2–4

• Deglaze pan by pouring beer into pan and scraping up 4 tablespoons butter, divided brown bits.

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided • Return meat to pan, cover, 2 cups flour, divided and transfer to oven for 3–4 hours.

Salt and pepper • Remove meat from pan and 2½–3 pounds short ribs shred from bones. Set aside.

16 ounces pumpkin ale • In a cast iron skillet over 12 ounces sliced medium heat, melt remaining mushrooms butter and olive oil.

15 ounces beef consommé • Add mushrooms and stir to Polenta prepared to coat. Let sit a few minutes, then package instructions stir periodically until tender.

• Sprinkle mushrooms with INST RUCT IONS remaining ¼ cup flour. Stir Heat oven to 275°F for about one minute.

In a Dutch oven, melt 2 • Add consommé. Bring to tablespoons butter into 2 a boil, reduce heat, and tablespoons olive oil simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened.

Add 1 1⁄2 cups flour to a bowl and generously add salt and • Add meat and any cooking pepper. Stir to combine. liquid back into pan and cook until heated through.

Coat ribs in 1⁄4 cup flour. Brown in Dutch oven in batches, 2–3 • Serve over polenta and minutes each side. garnish with parsley.

INGREDIENTS

• • • •

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CHE F N OT ES

• I used NoDa Brewing Company’s Gordgeous Pumpkin Ale, which has cardamom and other spices in it. If you use a different pumpkin ale, you may want to add some seasonings.

• You can cook the short ribs in the beer ahead of time and then just make the polenta and mushroom gravy when ready to serve for an easy weeknight meal.

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THE LIFE

PHOTO BY @LYNNEMITCHELL TWENTY20.COM

Blueberry Kush Ice Cream bis—work together to provide multicourse events. His company OCD (Obsessive Cooking Disorder) was named as a way to take the stigma away from mental health issues and normalize the use of cannabis.

“The goal is to have an infused restaurant not too far down the line, but for now I’m just out here doing what I do—cooking my food and spreading the word that cannabis is truly the best medicine.”

Blueberry ice cream with infused whipped cream (also called Bhang) / Recipe by Chef Randal Brooks

IN G RE DIE N TS For the whipped cream

2 cups water 3 cups whole milk or heavy cream 1⁄2 ounce cannabis buds (broken up, but not ground)

INST RUCT IONS For the whipped cream

• In a saucepan over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat.

• In a heat-resistant bowl, add cannabis and cover with hot water. Let sit for seven For the ice cream minutes.

2 cups infused whipped cream • Add milk/cream. Use a blunt object like a wooden 1 14-ounce can sweetened spoon or pestle to grind the condensed milk leaves into the milk.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract • Strain through a 1–2 tablespoons tapioca cheesecloth to remove flour for texture (optional) the plant matter.

4 ounces blueberries • Pour strained liquid into a ¼ cup sugar bowl. Whip until you can 1½ cups dark chocolate pull the mixer out and stiff chips (optional) peaks form. Set aside.

to an insulated tub or paper container and freeze for four • In a large bowl, whisk to six hours. together condensed milk and vanilla. (For a thicker ice cream, add tapioca flour.)

CHEF ’S N OT ES • Using a spatula, gently fold • If infusing isn’t your thing, the whipped cream into the replace the infused whipped condensed milk. Do this cream with any whipped slowly in order to keep both cream of your choice. mixtures light and aerated.

• You can split the cream • In a small saucepan on low mixture into smaller heat, cook down blueberries containers to try other with the sugar until your flavor combinations. blueberries burst open. Cool Blueberry with chocolate them down on a sheet tray chips just happens to be for 10 minutes. my personal favorite.

• Fold in chocolate chips and any other added ingredients, then transfer the mixture For the ice cream

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LEARN MORE

THE LIFE

Find information, news, and guidance on all things coliving at thecolivingcode.com.

LIVING TRENDS

Room with a Few

Coliving is taking off because it addresses two of our most important social challenges: affordable housing and the loneliness epidemic.

TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

Loneliness is a killer, more dangerous than obesity and smoking. Studies have found it leads to heart disease, stroke, and immune system problems, and it could even impair cancer recovery. That’s sobering, especially when you consider that 40 percent of American adults suffer from loneliness, according to an AARP study. And it’s one reason coliving—a new form of housing in which residents with similar interests, values, or intentions share living space, costs, and amenities—is exploding.

Coliving situations run a spectrum, from small homes with a half-dozen or so people to massive corporate complexes like The Collective tower with 550 beds in London. Residents,

who stay anywhere from a few days to several years and usually don’t have to sign a lease or pay a security deposit, sleep in private rooms (sometimes with bathrooms) and share common spaces such as kitchens and dining areas, gardens, and work areas.

They’re encouraged to interact with one another, often through organized happy hours and brunches.

“Coliving is different than just having roommates…It’s done with more intention,” says Christine McDannell, who lived in coliving houses for years before she launched Kindred Quarters, a coliving operator with homes in San Diego and Los Angeles, in 2017. Author of The Coliving Code: How to Find Your Tribe, Share Resourc-

es, and Design Your Life, McDannell also hosts the weekly Coliving Code Show every Wednesday on YouTube, iTunes, Soundcloud, and coliving.tv. She has watched—and helped—the industry grow up.

As it becomes increasingly impossible for mere mortals to afford skyrocketing rents in desirable cities, however, Americans are coming around to coliving and finding creative solutions to all sorts of social issues. Older women are shacking up together following the Golden Girls model. Coabode. org matches single moms who want to raise kids together. At Hope Meadows in Chicago, retirees live with foster kids.

The opportunity to pay lower rent and share

expenses makes all the difference in places like New York, San Francisco, Boston, and Los Angeles.

When New York–based coliving operator Common opened a development with 24 furnished spaces in LA for between $1,300 and $1,800 a month, more than 9,000 people applied.

McDannell says coliving is exploding because it solves important challenges that plague modern society. “People are signing away their paychecks on rent and feeling increasingly isolated,” she wrote in “Why We’re Building a CoLiving Community Ecosystem” on LinkedIn. “It is due time that HaaS (Housing as a Service) disrupts the antiquated industry of property management and real estate.”

ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Nearly a third of American adults live with roommates.

SOURCE: Pew Research Center

Almost half of Gen Zers think itʼs reasonable for four or more people to share a two-bedroom apartment, and 30 percent would move in with roommates they didnʼt know.

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SOURCE: Credit Karma

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Insurance Coverage and Protection Plan Design Specialists for the Cannabis Industry Workers Compensation Product Liability General Liability Commercial Auto Licensing Bonds Commercial Property Crop Coverage Professional Liability Medical Malpractice Employment Practices Liability

Jon Bartholomew

(949) 294 - 6291 www.independencerisksolutions.com Servicing All Legalized States Lic. #0F13077

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HOLDING TO HIGHER

Standards The all-female team at Yummi Karma is growing fast and steadily in Southern California.

TEXT CHRISTIA BROCKMAN

U

pon meeting entrepreneur sisters Krystal and Chelsea Kitahara, and their fellow Yummi Karma founder Alysia Sofios, one is overwhelmed with the passion that this all-female team has for helping people of all ages find the perfect healing remedies for both mind and body. Handcrafting each of their products with a loved one or fellow friend in mind is the key to the success of their cannabis business.

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LEARN MORE

Yummi Karma yummikarma.com @yummikarma

Beyond Business

Alysia Sofios

Chelsea Kitahara

The young and driven trio began their cannabis business journey at the height of a male-dominated time in the industry. Early in their cannabis careers, they attended conferences or events only to be met with eye rolls and mistaken “promo girl” shout-outs from fellow industry members.

To the dismay of their rivals, the unwelcomed discouragement only propelled the Yummi Karma team forward to solidify their place in the cannabis industry.

“We had something to prove. We have a voice, and we are going to do it the right way,” Sofios says.

The Yummi Karma team has come a long way since those early days, making a name for themselves in a burgeoning field.

Like so many women in the industry, the women of Yummi Karma were underestimated by their industry peers.

After years of waiting for legalization, the Kitahara sisters and Sofios passed numerous tests, making Yummi Karma among the first licensed cannabis companies in Orange County, California.

The privately funded, start-up company now boasts hundreds of safe products that have been developed with top quality ingredients. “Everyone in the

Krystal Kitahara

cannabis game has the same goal,” Sofios says. “To create safe and effective products.”

Yummi Karma is run by a group of women who believe in the products they produce. They are all hands-on—pumping, mixing, and testing the products themselves.

While recognizing the accomplishments of companies who have gone corporate, Yummi Karma wants to stay small, more in the spirit of cannabis. “There is something about products that are made in small batches that sets them above the rest,” Chelsea says.

Devoted to being a positive presence in the space, Yummi Karma has set out to custom develop products that tell a story and target a wide range of cannabis needs. The company currently sells “drops” (tinctures with no alcohol), cremes, and other topicals designed with women in mind.

The beautiful packaging may look feminine, but many men have also found the company’s products to be beneficial.

“When starting out, we would go to collectives and look at the shelves and find nothing for women. Only Ziploc bags or paper bags with twist ties. We did not want that,” Sofios says.

The client base at Yummi Kar-

The founders of Yummi Karma are partners but above all they are family.

For Krystal, Chelsea, and Alysia, their careers guide their lives. Right now they are 100 percent invested in their business with little thought of slowing down anytime soon.

Krystal and Sofios joke that their new husbands knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. “They werenʼt just marrying a woman, they were also marrying a business,” Krystal says.

ma falls into five categories motivating their purchase patterns: abnormal sleep, PMS symptoms, anxiety, pain, or lifestyle. Lifestyle refers primarily to recreational use, which many are finding to be a good alternative to alcohol.

Cannabis products are heavily tested before being authorized to sell, and Yummi Karma passes all the tests with flying colors.

The approval process for cannabis products is much more critical than that of food or beauty lines. “In fact, many products in the beauty industry, such as clay masks would not pass the cannabis product test due to the copious amounts of lead and other minerals found in the clay,” Sofios says. “Cannabis products are F EBRUARY 2020

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“There is something about products that are made in small batches that sets them above the rest.”

—Chelsea Kitahara, Yummi Karma

heavily vetted to ensure they are clean and safe for all to use.”

The company’s most popular product, Drift Away, was originally developed with the Kitahara sisters’ mom in mind. Their mom had been having issues sleeping for many years and was prescribed medication, but she was less than happy with the next-day groggy hangover-like effects. After working with an herbalist, the Yummi Karma team created a drop blend of herbs with varying levels of THC. Now, the Drift Away blend has replaced their mom’s sleep prescription medicine allowing her to enjoy a far better night’s sleep and giving her reason to enjoy the days.

The team recently worked with a group of veterans who experience PTSD. Their product, High Spirits is high in CBD, low in THC, and taps into the entourage effect (the interactive synergy between cannabis compounds). The company is looking to launch a line of “entourage” products soon. Another popular product for daytime use is Stay Lifted, which is used primarily for anxiety, pain, or in-

flammation. The product is ideal for people with low THC tolerance levels because it includes additional energizing ingredients such as B12 and green tea. This combination creates an awake, uplifted feeling and has a hybrid cannabis stream that helps create calmness.

Being mindful that everyone responds to THC differently, the Yummi Karma team has developed products for those who are canna-curious as well as experts. Yummi Karma develops products based on people the founders have met or were introduced to who needed something specific for their symptoms. They continue to update and refresh their product lines based on customer feedback. They read and discuss every email that comes in because they want their customers to feel like this is their personal brand of cannabis. “We listen and that’s effective,” Sofios says.

Yummy Karma is proud to be in 200 licensed stores across the state of California. That said, the team at Yummi Karma urges patrons to always make sure they are heading to fully licensed and legal

dispensaries and cannabis retail locations. “What some don’t understand is that by not doing their due diligence, if a customer unknowingly enters an illegally operated dispensary or cannabis retail store, they run the risk of getting arrested in the event of a raid. Always look for their cannabis retail license,” Sofios says. “Illegal shops are a major problem right now.

Their products are not tested, they are unsafe, and shops are being shut down every day as a result.”

“Our mission still brings us to work each day. What keeps us going are the emails and calls we get every day from our customers.

The rewarding feedback makes everything worth it,” Sofios says. “[It] keeps us going.”

As founders of a start-up, they’re doing things the way they want and wouldn’t have it any other way. While other companies are looking to grow fast, Yummi Karma is growing slow and steady and in a smart way. They have an entrepreneurial vibe and plan to stay true to their roots because that’s what made them who they are.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christia Brockman is an account supervisor for The Sunday Brunch Agency located in Newport Beach, whose passion is in helping tell the story of unique brands.

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IN LIVING C LOR Seeing red, feeling blue, tickled pink. What you see is what you feel is what you are.

TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

H

umans have used color to express ideas and emotion for thousands of years, according to color specialist and trend forecaster Leatrice Eisman.

As executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, Eisman is the world’s leading authority on the topic of color, authoring many books on the subject. In The

Complete Color Harmony, Eisman describes how even the most subtle nuances in color can result in shades that excite or calm, pacify or energize, and even suggest strength or vulnerability. “They can nurture you with their warmth, soothe you with their quiet coolness, and heighten your awareness of the world around you.

Color enriches our universe and our perception of it,” she writes.

According to her research, we all respond to color at a very visceral level, associating specific hues with another time or place. “Color invariably conveys moods that attach themselves to human feelings or reactions,” she notes. “Part of our psychic develop-

ment, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect. Every color has meaning that we either inherently sense or have learned by association and/or conditioning, which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.”

It’s with all this in mind that she and a team of experts choose the Pantone Color of the F EBRUARY 2020

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Year, which the institute has named annually for more than two decades, gaining more attention and having more impact with each passing declaration. So this year, expect to see a lot of blue.

The 2020 Pantone Color of the Year is known as Classic Blue.

Describing the shade as “evocative of the nighttime sky,” Eisman explains the choice: “We are living in a time that requires trust and faith It is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by Classic Blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.”

She contends that Classic Blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious, expand our thinking, open the flow of communication. Her comments are rooted in color theory, which says that a good part of the emotions that colors evoke is tied to natural phenomena. Classic Blue is the color of outer space (look beyond), of the celestial sky (look beyond), of the deep ocean (open the flow).

“Part of our psychic development, color is tied to our emotions as well as our intellect.

Every color has meaning… which enables us to recognize the messages and meanings delivered.”

—Leatrice Eisman in The Complete Color Harmony

One of the earliest formal explorations of color theory came from German poet and politician Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His 1820 book Theory of Colours explored the psychological impact of colors on mood and emotion.

Yellow, Goethe wrote, is the color nearest the light, yet when applied to dull, coarse surfaces, it is no longer filled with its signature energy.

“By a slight and scarcely perceptible change, the beautiful impression of fire and gold is transformed into one not undeserving the epithet foul; and the colour of honour and joy reversed to that of ignominy and aversion.”

Of red: “All that we have said of yellow is applicable here, in a higher degree.” Goethe’s theories continue to intrigue, possibly because of the

lyrical prose rather than its scientific facts.

Today, it’s generally accepted that shades of blue are associated with steady dependability, calm, and serenity.

Yellow evokes the color of the sun, associated with warmth and joy.

Green connects with nature, health, and revival. White stands for simplicity; black for sophistication.

A 1970s study on the body’s physiological responses to colors revealed that warm hues (red, orange, yellow— the colors of the sun) aroused people troubled with depression and increased muscle tone or blood pressure in hypertensive folks. Cool colors (green, blue, violet) elicited the reverse, but the important finding was

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that all colors produced clinically tangible results.

It’s not woo-woo science; humans have been using color as medicine, a practice known as chromotherapy, since ancient Egypt. In fact, chromotherapy is as tested a practice as any other alternative medicine— Ayurveda, acupuncture, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology. While it is widely accepted that color affects one’s health—physically, mentally, emotionally—more studies are needed to determine the full scope of impact as well as its potential to help heal.

This isn’t a new theory, either. In the late 1800s, rays of color/light were shown to affect the blood stream. Later research found color to be “a complete therapeutic system for 123 major illnesses,” according to a

critical analysis of chromotherapy published in 2005 by Oxford University Press.

Today, bright white, full-spectrum light is being used in the treatment of cancers, seasonal affective disorder, anorexia, bulimia, insomnia, jet lag, alcohol and drug addiction, and more.

Blue light is used to help treat rheumatoid arthritis. Red light helps with cancer and constipation. And that’s just the beginning.

sions that include color wheels. Colored crystal lights. Breathing in colors through meditation.

Infrared saunas with chromotherapy add-ons.

There are actually many ways of adjusting the color in your life, and not all of them require a trip to see a specialist.

Unlike trying to self-administer acupuncture (don’t do that), techniques can be as simple as putting on colorful attire or getting some bright throw pillows or plants. You can never On the Bright Side have too many plants.

When your physical And you should eat more landscape is devoid of plants, too, filling your bright, vibrant hues, your plate with healthful emotional one is affectfruits, vegetables, and ed as well. That’s where spices from every part of color therapy comes in. the spectrum.

It has a deep effect on If a lack of sunlight physical, psychological, has you feeling a lack of and emotional aspects of joy, paint your home or our lives, and it comes office—warm, vibrant in many forms: light ses- yellows and oranges showcase excitement and warmth; browns and neutrals decidedly do not. Choose wisely.

Painting not an option?

Consider temporary wallpaper or hanging large artworks. On a budget? Head to the thrift shop and repurpose an old canvas by painting it white and then adding whatever hues you are vibing with this winter. If it doesn’t turn out well, cover it up with more white paint and start

again. Have fun with it, consider it art therapy.

There are also an array of therapeutic options popping up as add-ons, as wellness studios, spas, and alternative medicine practices incorporate chromotherapy treatments into their offerings. Many infrared saunas are starting to offer chromotherapy benefits, and the combination of the full-light spectrum and the heat effectively tricks the brain into thinking it spent a full day basking in the sun, causing it to release those sweet endorphins that flood your body when the warm rays of spring hit your face when you step outside. It feels good And really, that is everything. Color is everything.

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Love Is in the App The strange and raucously entertaining world of online dating.

TEXT SUSAN WINSTON, MFT

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Meeting that special someone is no longer an organic process.

Rarely do you find your person through a party or a chance meeting in a bar or grocery store.

Thanks to technology and overzealous web developers, we’ve streamlined dating to pre-process and check off all our wants and needs to ensure we find the mate who really fits the bill—or who can at least foot the bill at the end of dinner. This has led to some bizarre, niche dating websites.

For example, the website purrsonals.com is where you can “meet others in the world who understand the unique ‘purrsonality’ that cats possess and why we share the love of cats.”

So yeah, there’s that.

Sure, this month may be one where love is thrust upon us with the brute force of consumerism, but that may make you feel more self-assured, especially when you realize how many options you have.

Thanks to technology and overzealous web developers, we’ve streamlined dating to preprocess and check off all our wants and needs to ensure we find the mate who really fits the bill—or who can at least foot the bill at the end of dinner.

The Food Sets the Mood Refrigerdating.com is “a service that helps you find love based on the contents of your fridge.”

Based on the items you have, Refrigerdating will “hook you up with a variation of fridges of different tastes.” That’s one way to avoid sending embarrassing “sexy” pics—unless organized food containers do it for you.

Hotsaucepassions.com is “a social network for people who think food is bland if it’s not spicy enough to make their forehead sweat.” The site poses the question: “Why risk hearing ‘I don’t like spicy food’ on a first date, when you know that would be a deal breaker?”

Glutenfreesingles.com describes itself as “a welcoming place where people can find gluten-free dating partners, friends, and activity groups.” If you don’t meet your true anti-glute on this site, at least you’ll find some great recipes.

Singleswithfoodallergies. com offers folks prone to breaking out in hives on a F EBRUARY 2020

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restaurant date a chance to avoid the ER. As the site’s founder explains, “I wondered how I’d find a guy who would be comfortable in my dairy-free, shellfish-free, and nutfree household… I knew similar men and women were searching, too.”

My420mate.com is a dating site and app for the cannabis advocate who doesn’t want to be shamed for partaking. Meet your cannabis-friendly single here.

Or be too stoned to care who you meet.

Someone for Everyone Feeld.co is for “Polysexual, Pansexual, Bisexual + 20 more” alternative sexual preferences. A prize will be given to

whoever can name the other 20.

Furrymates.com is for those who love pretending to be anthropomorphic animals. If you are particularly hirsute, you might qualify.

Zombiepassions.com is a website “for zombies, zombie lovers, and people who have been working in a dead-end job for too long.” So what if their cover page shows a face dripping in blood?

If zombies don’t turn you on, maybe vampires will. Vampirepassions.com lets you “find members based on whether they are into sanguine vampirism or psychic vampirism.

Meet other vampires, vampire lovers, and even amateur vampire hunters.”

For the macabre-curious, consider Dead Meet Dating (thechickandthedead.com/dead-meet-dating), intended for those who work in the death industry—grave diggers, morticians, funeral directors, and autopsy experts.

Diapermates.com is for—you guessed it— adults who wear diapers, not out of need but out of desire.

People who have a thing for clowns have the privilege of choosing from two dating sites: clowndating.com and clownpassions.com. If you’re into it, now you can just don a red nose and goofy outfit and call it a night.

Seacaptaindate.com claims to be the num-

People who have a thing for clowns have the privilege of choosing from two dating sites.

ber one dating site for masters and commanders. Climb aboard? Man the helm? This is for a finite group of Captain Stubing types.

Stachepassions.com, much like Magnum P.I., is all about the moustache.

If you love women who sport the hairy lip— that’s another site.

In a similar vein, the site mulletpassions.com exists. You thought mullets went out of style? Not according to this group.

Amishcrush.com is a site for the Amish. But how do they use it?

Twinsrealm.com is where twins meet other twins. So, if you don’t like your partner, switch.

Farmersonly.com, not to be confused with farmertakesawife.com, has the tagline, “Single in the country?” and yes that does sound a little serial-killer-esque.

Marrymealready.com Ready to live your real-life Bachelor or Bachelorette experience? This site is made for “those looking for serious love.”

Womenbehindbars.com is dedicated to love for those ladies who are incarcerated. It’s a real thing.

So, there you have it.

From cats to clowns to cannabis, there’s love to be found for everyone under the sun. At this point, it couldn’t be any worse than Tinder.

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THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

Known Battlegrounds PUBG Mobile plays games in the fight to save the Amazon.

“Every minute, 50 acres of rainforest are lost forever. Rainforests are the life-support system of our planet and home to millions of communities and threatened species, but climate change, species extinctions, and deforestation threaten all life on Earth,” says the nonprofit Rainforest Trust on its website (rainforesttrust.org).

For one night in Hollywood, celebrities, advocates, and gamers came out to raise money to save the Amazon.

PUBG Mobile, the official mobile version 42 LOS A N G E LES

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of the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds video game series, along with actors and humanitarians Megan Fox and her husband, Brian Austin Green, came together for the #Fight4TheAmazon charity event.

Former pro wrestler Nikki Bella, hip-hop dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss, and PUBG Mobile influencer Pickles played on Fox’s team, while dancers Allison Holker Boss and Artem Chigvintsev as well as PUBG Mobile influencer McCoffee played for Green’s team.

PUBG donated $100,000

to Global Green to ensure that a minimum of 50,000 healthy saplings will be planted in the Amazon rainforest.

“Nothing is more important to us than protecting the planet from the potential devastation of climate change,” says Green. “The Amazon is a critical component of that, so this was a great opportunity for us to help make a positive impact for our kids and future generations.”

Fox echoed Green’s sentiment: “We are so proud and honored to have been involved in

PUBG Mobile’s #Fight4TheAmazon campaign.

And while this is just the beginning and there is so much work left to be done, we know that if we all come together, we can make a huge difference.”

Funds raised from the #Fight4TheAmazon campaign will help the Global Green team restore the Amazon. “In 2020, we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, which is a reminder that the world needs to come together for the future of our planet,” says William Bridge, COO of Global Green.

PHOTOS: HARMONY GERBER AND RYAN MILLER/CAPTURE IMAGINE

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

#FIGHT4THEAMAZON GALA WHERE: AVALON HOLLYWOOD WHEN: DECEMBER 9, 2019

“This was a great opportunity for us to help make a positive impact for…future generations.”

—Brian Austin Green

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THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

One Last Hurrah

When you bid farewell to a previous year and make room for a new one, reflection tends to follow. New Yearʼs Eve in the gorgeous Hollywood Hills was no exception.

Ringing in the new year at a private home, we celebrated proper at the Sensi Connect event with live art and performances, unbelievable Sensi partners and brands, a spectacular guest list, and a love that brings our community together. Hereʼs to looking forward!

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46 LOS A N G E LES

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THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

LEFT: LA ART SHOW BELOW: OSCAR OIWA EXHIBIT RIGHT: CRAFTS & CANNABIS

LA Art Show

PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): BY DAWN GARCIA / COURTESY PUFF PASS AND PAINT / COURTESY USC PACIFIC ASIA MUSEUM, SEE HEAR SPEAK AGENCY

Feb. 5–9 Los Angeles Convention Center $40–$300 laartshow.com

Cultural Calendar Give in to your creative whims with a celebration of diversity.

The state of the world as seen through local and global exhibitions, installations, and interactive pieces is on display. The show showcases the beauty and truth of humanity as only art can.

Opening night has a fundraising gala in partnership with St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

One Love Cali Reggae Fest 2020 Feb. 7 Queen Mary Park, Long Beach $85–$125 plus fees onelovecalifest.com

TEXT DAWN GARCIA

Ganja Yoga Los Angeles is known as the centrifuge of cultural diversity, and this month epitomizes precisely that. From exquisite art exhibitions to canna yoga to music fests, February’s lineup is filled with ways to tap into the soul of the city.

Oscar Oiwa: Dreams of a Sleeping World Through April 26 Pasadena USC Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena Free pacificasiamuseum.usc.edu

Artist Oscar Oiwa, his artisan as-

sistant, and four MFA students have transformed a lesser-known art space into a dreamy escape. Guests are invited to lie down on a provided bed to gaze upward and take it all in.

Feb. 12, 6–9:30 p.m.

Purple Lotus Medical Massage & Wellness, Highland Park $33, 21+ ganjayoga.la

Frieze Los Angeles Feb. 14–16 Paramount Pictures Studios, Hollywood $25–$275 frieze.com/fairs/frieze-los-angeles

The New York fair Frieze made its LA debut in 2019, changing the creative landscape for the better. More than 70 art galleries will transform the space with 16 site-specific installations. Forget the traditional Valentine’s Day dinners and singles parties; opt for a little visual stimulation instead.

Soul Sista Presents: Drop the Beat

Jazz is Dead Presents: Cosmic Funk Expansions with Lonnie Liston Smith Feb. 23, 8 p.m. $30 lodgeroomhlp.com

Crafts & Cannabis: Mixed Media Collage Sundays, 1:30 p.m.

Puff, Pass, and Paint, NoHo $39, 21+ puffpassandpaint.com

Feb. 21 The Pack Theater, Hollywood Free packtheater.com

With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art 1972-1985 Through May 11 MOCA, Los Angeles Free moca.org

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the healing minerals of the Dead Sea. “The two products had shown positive results on their own,” says Soderberg, “although Ilumi Labs felt that the ingredients could benefit from the infusion of cannabis molecules, specifically CBD, as a carrier of the beneficial molecules of the Dead Sea into the endocrine (skin) system.”

Utilizing the healing properties of the Dead Sea with CBD, Perennial paid close attention to what consumers re- “The ally wanted. “While Perennial strongly brand was appreciates the CBD as a carrier originally approach, the company has listened founded by to the opinions of cannabis consumers an active over the years and has developed a group strong belief in the Entourage Effect, combining THC and CBD for maximum of likebeneficial results.” Soderberg goes minded on to say that this inevitably led to people who the development of the Perennial enjoyed THC-infused topical product lines. he word perennial Being that cannabis was already a part Both committed to delivering safe, outdoor means “enduring” and of the everyday lives of the founders, it compliant products, Perennial and and “long-lasting.” That is seemed like a well-suited opportunity Ilumi have since decided to merge as extreme precisely the mindset that to open a brick-and-mortar dispensary one company and are currently in the sports.” has fostered the cannabis wellness in order to combine the company’s process of finalizing the agreement. brand, Perennial. Founded in 2006 original goal with new efforts in the “The goal of the merger is to —Britt Soderberg,

by Britt Soderberg, David Irvin, and cannabis space.” combine the efforts of both companies Cofounder Sammar Humeid, Perennial offers While the brick and mortar located under the umbrella of the Perennial Californians high quality, full spectrum in Studio City operated until 2018, the brand name, continuing development homeopathic products from topicals founders decided to accept a buyout of beneficial health and beauty prodand edibles to tinctures. and sell the dispensary but to keep the ucts, including our line of coffee skin“Perennial the brand was origiPerennial name. They began to explore care ready to hit the marketplace,” nally founded by an active group of the idea of creating their own line of Soderberg says. like-minded people who enjoyed outPerennial products. “Perennial used Perennial puts customers first, and door and extreme sports. The original the proceeds from the sale and invest- in spite of the obstacles they’ve faced, goal was to create a clothing comed it into cannabis product developfrom adjusting to the continual shift pany in order to continue to live and ment, manufacturing, and distribution in regulation to developing the best promote this type of active lifestyle, under Los Angeles’s new Cannabis product line, it has been a rewarding while also encouraging people to take Social Equity (licensing) Program,” journey thus far. control of their health and wellness Soderberg says. through a natural, homeopathic It was then that Perennial joined approach,” Soderberg says. “While forces with Israel-based Ilumi Labs, Perennial the brand was still in its infancy, the LTD, developing two proprietary Cannabis wellness brand opportunity to open a legal cannabis topical blends—a topical gel and a perennialcannabis.com dispensary in Los Angeles came about. topical cream heavily enriched with @perennialllc

Healing Products

Perennial expands the possibilities of cannabis wellness with a new line that blends CBD, THC, and minerals from the Dead Sea.

T

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THE END

GET YOURS

Kaneh Co. kanehco.com @kanehcompany

The Quintessential Gourmet

With or without the cannabis infusion, these treats all stand on their own and could easily be on shelves in any of LA’s gourmet culinary shops.

Items are infused with five or 10 mg of cannabis extract made from California-grown marijuana plants and are available in 200 dispensary locations These infused edibles pack a delectable punch. throughout California, TEXT DAWN GARCIA with the majority being in the San Diego area.

“Quality and consistency are the main pillars Female entrepreneurs King took her passion Quintessential Brownof our brand,” King says. and consumers are for cooking and created ie with the cocoa and “Our products taste good leading the charge in Kaneh Co. in 2016. cannabis pairing is a rich with or without cannathe wellness space with Kaneh’s gourmet edlittle bite that can’t be bis, though ultimately, heavy ties to the cannaibles include offerings beat.” King says. “Since we want to align ourbis industry, and that has such as Triple Berry we started, however, it’s selves with those who are extended into the culiWhite Chocolates, The the Best of Both Worlds like-minded in cannabis, nary space as well. San Quintessential Brownie, Brownie that’s our best- and continue multi-state Diego–born Rachel King, Chocolate Paleo Bites, seller. It’s a delicious expansion. We also want founder and culinary di- and PB&J Blondies. The taste of brownie and to continue growing our rector of Kaneh Co. has line also features Manchocolate chip cookie staff and infrastructure.” launched a line of gourgo Chili gummies. “The in one.”

Kaneh Co. employs 65 met cannabis-infused people, predominantly edibles. Named one of women in the industry, the best new pastry chefs and sells approximately

by Food & Wine in 2013, 100,000 units of product per month.

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