Sensi Magazine—Emerald Triangle (Summer 2020) by Sensi Magazine

MADE FOR BLISS The untold power of the endocannabinoid system

KRENOV CRAFTSMANSHIP Inside the world-renowned woodworking school

I EMERALD TRIANGLE S U M M E R 2020

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EMERALD TRIANGLE SENSI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

Decades of Art and Regeneration

The Krenov School turns woodworking students into masters in Mendocino.

Body Made for Bliss

Did you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. So why haven’t you heard about it?

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 20 THE LIFE Contributing to your health and happiness 12 THE BUZZ CBN FOR ZZZ Products News, tips, and tidbits to keep you in the loop

CENTENNIEL CELEBRATION

An ode to 100 years of women’s suffrage CANNABIS MARKETPLACE

Four new hemp and CBD products to try COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

WoodLab Designs keeps locals looking sharp. FLEXITARIAN FARE

Two great places to score like a local BASKIN THE GOODNESS

CBD for athletes

that help you sleep

TAKE IT SLOW Locally

foraged foods offer delicious rewards. HOROSCOPE What the stars hold for you

42 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town HOLD THE GLUTEN A new approach to mixed diets in mixed company WELLNESS The future of medicine is plant-based.

ON THE COVER

Louis Nielsen, the student who crafted this backgammon board, is just one of dozens of talented woodworkers learning at The Krenov School. ORIGINAL PHOTOS BY TODD SORENSON PHOTO EDITS BY JOSH CLARK

NOT ON THE CALENDAR

What to do now that there’s nothing to do

52 THE END A local poet reflects on activism in the climate crisis era.

S U M M E R 2020

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ADVISORY BOARD

118155

EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

Boldtbags Hash Making Supplies Coldwell Banker Sellers, Sandi DeLuca Real Estate Canna-Envy DIY Cannabis Genius Products T, Inc. Recreational Cannabis Products Heartwood Mountain Sanctuary Eco-Retreat Center Hendrx Farms Cannabis Nursery Humboldt Patient Resource Center Dispensary Humboldt Redwood Healing Community Humboldt Vape Tech Vape Accessories Kathleen Bryson, Attorney Law Office KC Financial Services Accounting Mountainwise Farms Topicals Redwood Roots Distribution SoHum Royal Mixed Light Farming

Southern Humboldt Business & Visitors Bureau Tourism Sunnabis Regenerative Cannabis Farming Trinity Outdoor Premier Properties Cannabis Real Estate ULEVA Hemp Products Wana Brands Edible Gummies Wildseed, LLC CO2 Extraction

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FAC E B O O K Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re obsessed with right now.

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EXECUTIVE

Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com Fran Heitkamp Chief Operating Officer fran@sensimag.com Lou Ferris VP of Global Revenue lou@sensimag.com Chris Foltz Director of Global Reach chris@sensimag.com Jade Kolb Director of Project Management jade.kolb@sensimag.com Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Nora Mounce Managing Editor nora.mounce@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Melissa Howsam Senior Copy Editor Meryl Howsam, Bevin Wallace Copy Editors Elizabeth Archer, Jada Calypso Brotman, Katy Gurin, Mori Natura, Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writers DESIGN

Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak, Kiara Lopez, Josh Clark, Jason Jones Designers PUBLISHING

Tad Sarvinski Publisher tad.sarvinski@sensimag.com Daniel Bridge Associate Publisher daniel.bridge@sensimag.com Shannon Golightly Associate Publisher shannon.golightly@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N

Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

“The new normal” is the tagline we at Sensi

have been using since our inception; it appeared on every cover prior to our redesign in December 2019—roughly 200 magazines emblazoned with the phrase. We used it to highlight cannabis’s transition into the mainstream, and during the early days of COVID-19, we watched it become the official catchphrase of the pandemic. “The New Normal.” How else could you describe it? With that, I welcome you to Sensi’s new new normal, which looks a great deal different than some five months and a lifetime ago. Way back then, we were printing local magazines in 14 markets across the country, with a 15th (Metro Maryland) slated to launch April. Our creative team was in the midst of sending those editions to print when COVID-19 started to pick up steam. After some hard conversations with our leadership team, we made the call to hit pause for a variety of reasons, namely that our points of distribution were not going to be distributing during a global pandemic. We were optimistic that we’d be back by June. Then we thought we’d return in July. I’m writing this on August 7 as those refreshed April editions work their way to being published in the next few days, if all goes as planned. Little these days is going as planned, for better and for worse. But if there’s a silver lining to this chaos, it may be that it’s forced us to slow down and examine our lives— to really consider the why and how behind it. It provided a chance to stop the constant doing and start thinking about whether those are the right goals to be aiming for at all. It allowed us to examine our business piece by piece, strip down to the basics and rebuild using the lessons we stumbled our way through. We’re guided by one mission: to serve our readers and communities by focusing on connection—to information, to each other, to businesses and brands that meet your needs. That’s why, for the first time in Sensi’s history, we won’t be printing magazines. Going all-digital this month helps us increase our reach without compromising the quality our readers expect. We hope to return to print in the not-too-distant future—perhaps no one more than me. I believe in the power of print. But I also believe in evolution, and the way people consume information is changing. By limiting ourselves to print, we were limiting our impact. But now, with a fresh digital strategy that entails both dynamic local content as well as fully designed digital magazines created by the award-winning team at Em Agency, we’ve got the best of both worlds, and I’m excited to introduce you to the first phase of Sensi’s new digital universe. We’re almost ready to take the scaffolding off Phase 2, so be sure to check back and see what we’ve got planned in order to continue to bring our new normal into the new-new normal of the world. Thank you for being here with us as we rebuild—better than we were before.

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

Stephanie Wilson @stephwilll S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

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—Nineteenth Amendment of the US Constitution

EMERALD TRIANGLE

all yet had been omitted from the political process. Also obvious: the best way to celebrate this centennial, regardless of gender, is to exercise your right to influence politics by casting a ballot in November in what will be This month marks the 100th anniversary one of the most important elections of women gaining the right to vote. of our lifetimes. Check your voter registration status now—right now. On August 26, 1920, the 19th Amend- ultimately effective, and—imporGo on, we’ll wait, it takes a minute tantly—nonviolent Civil Rights and ment was ratified into law after a on usa.gov/confirm-voter-registration. anti-war movements. long, arduous battle led by some Then text that web address to your To this day, the only right women incredibly badass women who came friends, post it on your socials, to embrace the denigrating “suffrag- are guaranteed equally under the US ette” nickname bestowed upon them Constitution is the right to vote. In fact, share it so much it gets redundant. Volunteer for voter registration by men aghast at the idea of women women were not even included in the participating in the political process. Constitution until the 19th Amendment. drives. Help get people to the polls. Be vocal and denounce any false The ratification of that equalThe suffragettes and their male rights amendment led to the largest statements about voter fraud assocounterparts, collectively known as suffragists (aka people who advocate single one-day increase of potential ciated with mail-in ballots. And then vote like your life depends upon it. for the extension of the right to vote, voters in the history of the United States. Which, duh, obviously: wom- Because this time, more so than ever especially to women), crafted a poen make up half the population and before, lives do depend on it. litical movement that was powerful, SUMMER 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY MARY LONG, ADOBE STOCK / CONSTITUTION IMAGE BY ANDREA IZZOTTI, ADOBE STOCK

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Celebrating a Big Win

C O N T R I B U TO R S

Aaron H. Bible, Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Nora Mounce, Stephanie Wilson

Recovery, Relief & Rejuvenation Lord Jones High CBD Formula Body Oil Not only does Lord Jones sound like someone who wears a monocle on the daily, but this highly recommend recovery oil is infused with 100 milligrams of CBD and made from a combination of safflower, avocado, jojoba, soybean, and sunflower oils. The roll-on applicator makes light work of muscle soreness, inflammation, and headaches. True Leaf Hemp Pet Chews Designed to help relax anxious dogs and help with joint pain, these chews contain hemp seeds and oil, chamomile, and lemon balm. All that’s next is a warm bath and Kenny G. Lucent Botanicals Calm CBD Mints Nobody likes you when you’re stressed, or when your breath smells like the fifth dimension. CBD mints offer the best of both worlds, with 10 milligrams of CBD and breath fresheners. It’s the most literal version of a chill pill we can come up with. Sunday Scaries YOLO Energy Shot While we cannot endorse or approve of the use of the word “YOLO” in any situation, this energy shot contains 50 milligrams of THC-free cannabidiol extract (CBD), Vitamins B6, B12, taurine, organic green coffee, 5-HTP, and ginseng, which gives you a jolt of energy without the caffeine jitters.

BY THE NUMBERS

90%

The percentage of residents who live in the “islanded” area of Humboldt County, which PG&E claims it can energize with the Humboldt Bay Generating Station in times of emergency

135 CASES Number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state of California at this issue’s original press date in late March

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

MAKING SHAPES IN HUMBOLDT

A creative design company showcases Emerald Triangle style. Making Humboldt County look good since 2011, WoodLab Designs is a custom woodworking shop responsible for the unique stylings of countless Emerald Triangle brands and products. Operating under an “anything is possible” mantra for projects big and small, WoodLab uses a state-of-the-art CNC router and engraving technology to create everything from its ubiquitous Bigfoot wooden stickers to beer taps to custom product shelving and signage. By helping small businesses showcase one-of-a-kind craft products, WoodLab is proudly helping spread the Humboldt County brand across the world.

SOURCE: US Center for Disease Control and Prevention

$6.50

The cost of an 11.2-ounce bottle of California Dreamin’, a sparkling grapefruit juice infused with 10 mg of THC. Available at Proper Wellness Center in Eureka

I think what you’re witnessing is the [cannabis] industry’s new understanding of how business is done in California, which is: You have to play by union rules, or you don’t exist.” —Mike Madrid, political consultant SOURCE: Los Angeles Times

S U M M E R 2020

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THE BUZZ

BILITIES BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

1 IN CASE YOU MISSED THE IRONY of all the Great Gatsbythemed New Year’s Eve parties thrown to welcome in the second coming of the Roaring 20s, let me remind you how that decade ended: not much worse than this one is starting.

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2 IN CASE YOU NEED A REMINDER: whatever you’re feeling is valid. There is no right or wrong way to process what we’re going through right now. There is a right way to interact with others right now, though: with care, through a mask, and from a distance.

3 IN CASE YOU’RE FEELING LIKE GOING OUT in public without a mask: stop watching Fox News, you’re being brainwashed. Be a good human, you’re better than that.

4 IN CASE YOU NEED A PICK-ME-UP: pick up a bouquet of blooms the next time you’re at the grocery store. Yes, funds are tight and flowers may seem like a frivolous purchase, but a $6 bouquet can brighten up rooms and moods alike. A 2018 study from the University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health finds that living with flowers “significantly alleviates daily stresses.” And we’re all a little bit stressed right now. Or we’re in denial, which is a stressful state to be in. Flowers will help. Pro tip: for the best flowers at the lowest prices, look for wholesale florists open to the public in your area. 5 IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Denver’s mayor reversed his decision to leave recreational cannabis dispensaries and liquor stores off the list of essential businesses just three hours after the city’s stay-athome order was issued in March. Denverites were clear: flowers— the kind ones with THC—are definitely essential.

Hayfork (530) 628-5850 Weaverville (530) 623-5690 Redding (530) 768-1975

“It never really gets cold here, and it never really gets hot.” —mendocinofun.com

EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

THE BUZZ

VOX POPULI

Question: How are you trying to green up your lifestyle this year?

VICTORIA ENGLAND BARBARA RINCON KENDALL MOGI

YVETTE TROYNA

ALTHEA JONES

Owner, Tulip Beauty Arcata

Retired McKinleyville

Director of Product Development, WLDKAT, Huntington Beach

Owner/Chef, Sweet Basil Catering, Ferndale

School Counselor Loleta

___________________

Religiously carrying my Hydro Flask coffee cup and water bottle with me everywhere. No single-use beverages ever!

We only use compostable disposables in our certified kitchen. No Styrofoam or plastic. We also compost and use extra ingredients in our own homes after events.

I bought reusable lunch baggies and cloth napkins so I don’t have to take any paper or plastic products to work anymore. I don’t use togo cups, and I got glass straws for my whole fam.

We’re rebranding our CBD Using bar soap to line with eco-friendly bathe. No more packaging. No more plas- plastic bottles. tic bottles or jars, and no outer boxes. Big positive changes!

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

PESTICIDE FREE G E N E T I C A L LY V E R I F I E D PREMIUM CLONES

Grow with us.

California! We are sure you already know, but anyone can now grow their own 6 plants. Want a sample of our work? You’re reading it. Em Agency is proud to be the creative force behind Sensi’s award-winning visual style. We build brands we believe in—the brand you believe in can be next. emagency.com

At HendRx each plant is bred & selected by our Humbolt County team of specialist growers, ensuring that your crop is pesticide & pathogen free. Grow with us & know your plants are the very best from the heart of the Emerald Triangle.

Plants available at Fine Cannabis Retailers

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EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

THE BUZZ

WHERE TO SCORE LIKE A LOCAL: The earth-friendly vibes of April rightfully inspire many folks to try going meatless or to explore their vegan side. In the climate crisis era, chefs are responding with new ways to sate your need for meat—especially the methane-producing bovine kind. Check out these beloved local eateries for creative vegan alternatives to your favorite grub.

Cafe Nooner Too Known for its fresh-cut seasoned fries, big Greek salads, and occasional Guy Fieri sightings, Cafe Nooner Too is a great spot for flexitarians of all stripes. Gluten-free vegan bacon cheeseburger, anyone? Yes, it’s a mouthful. Try the vegan tempeh burger served with vegan cheese and bacon, fresh veggies, and Veganaise, all stacked high on a pillowy gluten-free artisan roll from Arise Bakery for $18.

FOOD PHOTOS (TOP) COURTESY OF CAFE NOONER TOO, (BOTTOM) COURTESY OF MCINTOSH FARM COUNTRY STORE

2910 E St., Eureka / cafenooner.com

McIntosh Farm Country Store A mainstay for its bring-your-appetite–sized breakfast sandwiches and burritos, the Country Store is also beloved by Humboldt State college students for satisfying their vegan cravings. With doughnuts made fresh Monday through Saturday, the Country Store’s vegan selection rotates from classics like maple to chocolate with sprinkles to the cheery fuchsia-colored huckleberry. Find a way to be “just passing by,” and while you’re at it, snag a few doughnuts for your friends—you’ll feel less guilty eating them together. And hey—they’re vegan, priced at $2.25 each, and $3 filled. 1264 Guintoli Ln., Arcata

Get Baskin the Game Baskin boasts CBD for athletes. In the sea of CBD options, Baskin’s CBD product, according to the company, delivers 18 percent more CBD to the human body than does its competitiors, and its all-natural, long-lasting, breathable formulation is ideal for active adults. “Our crop comes from various states. Regardless of legally grown resources, the CBD used is broad spectrum and derived from hemp,” says Maikel van de Mortel of Lighthouse Strategies (the parent company of Baskin). “Each batch that we create is accompanied by a COA [certificate of analysis], which is key, as this allows consumers to see exactly what they buy and where it comes from. We use a special QR code to make our COAs accessible to the consumer.” Baskin’s selling points include superior binding technology that keeps the cream bonded to the skin through washing, rubbing, or sweating; controlled release of the CBD over a prolonged period; a formulation free of alcohol, parabens, waxes, or other solvents; and a patented formula that lets an athlete’s skin breathe and retain its natural moisture. With its market saturation and all the rhetoric around CBD’s actual effectiveness for sports recovery, few brands have patented CBD personal-care items the way Baskin has. Baskin’s sport recovery cream harnesses 300 mg of CBD to create the most targeted and effective solution, without slowing you down or taking you out of the game. Baskin sport recovery cream / 300 mg CBD / $50 / baskinessentials.com

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

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CBN for Zzz Don’t sleep on this lesser-known cannabinoid that may help you sleep. TEXT STEPHANIE WILSON

Sleep is a vital sign of health and well-being, and I’m an insomniac—have been for as long as I’ve been an adult. I’m also a magazine junkie, so every month I read another article about the importance of restful shut-eye and tips to help me achieve it. And I’ve tried them all, to no avail.

EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

PHOTO BY NATA NYTIAGA, SHUTTERSTOCK

I bought blackout curtains, a white noise machine, and an eye mask. Never much of a coffee drinker, I cut out any remaining caffeine (and became less aggro, but that’s a different story for another issue). I avoided electronics for an hour before getting into bed; I did nightly wind-down bedtime rituals; I only got into bed when it was time to sleep; I left my devices in the other room. I even got my dog a heated bed that she preferred over sleeping with me. I tried all these things, but sleep still evaded me. A brief period of reprieve followed my move to Colorado, as I began experimenting with cannabis as a sleep aid. If I smoked a little before bed, I’d fall asleep only to wake up an hour or so later when the effects had worn off. I tried edibles, which helped me fall asleep and stay asleep for hours. After a few nights in a row of some solid sleep, I remember waking up feeling rested and thinking I had found my miracle cure. But then my tolerance started building, and 5 mg wasn’t doing the trick. Then 10 mg, 20 mg, 30 mg, and next thing I’d be lying in the dark, high and paranoid all night long. Even if I

got some decent sleep, I was waking up foggy. For so many people, cannabis works as an invaluable sleep aid with little to no side effects. That wasn’t the case with me. Enter CBD. A few years ago, CBD was nowhere; now it’s everywhere. Almost literally. Walk into a convenience store, and boom! CBD gummies by the register. CBD water in the refrigerator. Wander into Sephora, and CBD serums, body lotions, and moisturizers await. Drive down Denver’s I-25 and you’ll see stores dedicated to the cannabinoid. Check my inbox, and you’ll be overwhelmed by a thousand unread emails from PR agencies and agents announcing the launch of a new CBD brand or the release of a fi rst-of-its-kind cannabidiol product. And those are only from the last six months. It comes in all forms: topical pain creams and tinctures, water, and wine. There’s infused water for pets, infused cereals for breakfast, suppository lubes for sex, and infused Flaming Hot Cheeto knockoffs for afternoon snacks. When it seems we’ve reached the CBD mania apex, someone somewhere

My anecdotal evidence is in: CBN helps me fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up rested time and again. I’m feeling better than I have basically ever. A whole month with full nights of sleep feels like a miracle.

thinks there’s another buck to be made off the craze, and CBD toothpicks, hair pomades, candles, workout gear, bedsheets, and pillows hit the already flooded marketplace. Ridiculous, ubiquitous. Since you’re reading Sensi, I’m going to assume I’m not telling you anything new. So far. But have you heard about CBN? Cannabinol, or CBN, is one of more than a hundred cannabinoids that have been identified in the cannabis plant. THC and CBD are the two that garner all the attention, and they are the most dominant. A lesser cannabinoid, CBN was actually the first one scientists discovered in the 1940s. It occurs in cannabis in much smaller doses until the plant ages and oxidizes, which causes THC to convert to CBN. And it’s about to get its turn in the spotlight. Since the FDA classified cannabis as a Schedule I drug in the same category as heroin during the 1970s, researchers have been prevented from studying the plant’s medicinal potential. While that’s changing, there’s a lot of catching up to do, so double-blind, controlled studies and S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

Fighting for freedom is Join the revolution at norml.org

PHOTOS (FROM TOP): COURTESY OF MINERAL / BY NATA NYTIAGA, SHUTTERSTOCK

THE LIFE

clinical trials have yet to be completed. But anecdotal evidence is in, and CBN is being touted as an all-natural cure for insomnia by cannabis experts and outlets. So, when I saw emails with CBN in the subject line hit my inbox, I didn’t leave them unread. Instead I reached out and asked to try the product being pitched so I could offer my own anecdotal accounts of CBN as a cure for insomnia. Two months and a lot of full nights of

sleep later, my anecdotal evidence is in: CBN helps me fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up rested time and again. I’ve incorporated the cannabinoid into my daily routine, and I’m feeling better than I have basically ever. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do. A whole month with full nights of sleep feels like a miracle. Don’t just believe me; try it yourself. Like every drug, CBN affects everybody differently. These two both worked for me.

with sedation to induce a deep, restorative sleep. High in CBD and naturally occurring CBN, coupled with soft aromatic notes of cedarwood, black pepper, and California pine, the MINERAL Sleep formula is proven Sleep Tincture to help calm the mind How they describe it: and encourage deep, reFor anxiety-induced storative sleep. insomnia. Because you All Mineral products deserve to feel good. are organically grown on Formulated for those a small farm in Colorado suffering from night that averages a limited time anxiety and inflam- run of only four harvests mation, Sleep is a blend a year. of calming cannabinoids No cannabinoid acting and terpenes associated independently will ex-

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

Empowering traditional cannabis farmers through education, research and advocacy.

Monday -Thursday 10:30am - 5:00pm 782 Locust St., Garberville, CA 95542 info@icfa.farm

EMERALD TRIANGLE

http://ICFA.farm

SUMMER 2020

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRISMATIC PLANTS

THE LIFE

press the benefit experienced when consuming the whole plant, so Mineral utilizes the hemp plant in its entirety— stalks, stems, and buds— maximizing the omega fatty acids and vitamins in their extraction process. To keep the product consistent, the brand identified formula-specific seeds from Oregon that produce plants with characteristics incumbent to accomplish the targeted benefits of the products. After sourcing the seeds from Oregon, Mineral supplies them to Waayb Organics in Longmont, Colorado, and Waayb leads the cultivation of the plants on an outdoor, seasonal, organic grow. After harvest, processing, and CO₂ extraction, the products go through testing for cannabinoid sequence, terpenes, pes-

ticides, and quality. Editor’s note: With that much quality control, it’s no wonder GQ included Mineral on its “Best Stuff of 2019” list and that Neiman Marcus picked up the line for its stores. $160 for 60 servings mineralhealth.co

Prismatic Plants Good Night Tincture How they describe it: Formulated with CBN and calming adaptogens, this nighttime formula promotes deep sleep and boosts immunity during the body’s overnight repair mode. Its long-term effects include a return to a natural circadian rhythm, enhanced immunity, improved reproductive health, and more energy during the day. The tincture is made with an adaptogenic blend of CBD, CBN,

medicinal mushrooms, and organic herbs. The CBD, for overall health and stress relief, and CBN for insomnia relief, result from gentle full-flower extraction from organically grown Colorado hemp for a complete cannabinoid profile. Other beneficial ingredients include reishi mushrooms, oatstraw, and ashwagandha for positive mood and support of the nervous and immune systems; skullcap for stress and muscle-tension re-

lief; and valerian root (a.k.a nature’s Valium), California poppy, and lavender for anxiety and insomnia relief. These pure, effective, safe ingredients are formulated to provide immediate relief and continually enhance health through long-term use. $70 for a month’s supply prismaticplants.com

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

THE LIFE

Taking It Slow

Enjoying locally foraged foods requires time and patience to reap healthy and delicious rewards. TEXT MORI NATURA

EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

As soon as we pass the long dark night of winter solstice, Mendocino County begins steadily welcoming more sun into our lives. Daily, there’s more warmth to fuel the growth of juicy green edibles, and each spring, we experience the peak of this luscious time, where everything is young and fresh. Rain offers natural irrigation for delicious volunteers like chickweed (Stellaria media) and miner’s lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata) that can be found across the country. As I tend my herd of goats on

an organic vineyard in Redwood Valley, I love to nibble on mustard greens and munch on fresh fir tips. Sometimes my life feels like one long amble to forage for ingredients to salads, soups, and pesto. The “slow food” movement was born in Italy as a contrast to the frenzied pace of life that has led modern humans to eat highly processed fast food on the go. As a welcome juxtaposition, slow food celebrates the diversity of seeds, plants, and the cultural preparation of local edible resources.

PHOTO BY RIC ERGENBRIGHT/DANITA DELIMONT, ADOBE STOCK

N AT U R E

THE LIFE

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R

Mori Natura is a Mendocino County– based forager who writes stories that reflect the magnitude of the times we’re living in as modern humans. She is the author of Wildfire Weeds. morinatura.com

N AT U R E

POHTO BY RYOTA YAGI, ADOBE STOCK

Every fall, we are fortunate to have an abundant supply of vittles that we can put up and use throughout the year.

In the Emerald Triangle, we have a fantastically rich climate that allows us to cultivate a myriad of munchies all year long. Harvesting ingredients in nature provides a healing antidote to the disjointed and unsustainable monocultures of industrial agriculture. By purchasing foods and natural medicines from regional farmers and herbalists, we can all help create a thriving local economy. Every fall, we are fortunate to have an abundant supply of vittles that we can put up

thing from bread to biscotti. Bay trees produce a seed that, when roasted, offers the delicious bitter flavors of coffee (with a bit of caffeine to boot!). Many of my friends like to stash bay “nuts” in their pantries to make a delightful local confection of ground roasted seeds and honey. Depending on your devotion to tending the wild, you can have a substantial intake of your diet throughout the year coming directly from the woods. and use throughout the Because Mendociyear. In particular, the no has a climate much mushrooms began fruit- like the Mediterranean, ing with the first rains plants that do well in and continued to pop up Italy also grow well in through spring; foraged Mendocino County. fungus can be eaten Naturalized plants like cooked immediately or rosemary, fennel, and dried and added to soups lavender can be found for the rest of the year. ubiquitously in landscapAcorns found on the for- ing. In particular, olives est floor from strong and have become a fruitful majestic oaks have been crop locally, and we enutilized as a prime food joy a wealth of locally source by the indigenous produced oils. Of course, populations of Califorwine grapes have been nia forever. For the adthe *other* cash crop venturous, acorn meal here for decades, and can be used in place of Mendocino County vintflour, after a leaching ners produce a seemprocess, to make everyingly endless supply of

wines for drinking and cooking. In the last decade, Emerald Triangle farmers have been experimenting with growing cannabis as a food source. Before the ladies go into flower, the leaves of the cannabis plant can be used as a nutrient-dense food staple. Local herbalists have been making leaf juices, smoothies, and sauces with medicinal benefits. And by spring, when everyone’s cannabis crops have cured, I recommend sampling some of the local bounty after a homecooked meal made with Mendocino’s finest locally grown ingredients.

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THE LIFE

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R

Mona Van Joseph has been an intuitive since 2002. She is an author, columnist, and host of Psychic View Radio. She created dicewisdom.com, which also has a smartphone app. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

AUGUST HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

laxing into the feminine viLEO bration) will benefit you in Stress is caused by your ex- many ways. Allow yourself pectations of other people to be recognized for your this month. If you just accept uniqueness. the fact that you’ll have to do all the work without resent- OCT. 23–NOV. 21 ing or expecting anything, SCORPIO everything will be fine. No other sign has the ability to get as deep into a soul AUG. 23–SEPT. 22 like you. You will experience VIRGO some epiphany-like insights No coasting, you will miss this month. The most draout on a major opportunity. matic of which will be your Follow up with anything that intimate connection to the secures your future comknowledge of the Universe. fort. Awareness to detail will avoid any misunderstandNOV. 22–DEC. 21 ings with those who will con- SAGITTARIUS tribute to your success. You’ve been working hard and feeling unappreciated. The isSEPT. 23–OCT. 22 sue is not the work you’re proLIBRA ducing; it’s that your heart is Be prepared to get attention not in it. That’s why you’re not from people you don’t know getting the acclaim and recnow. The vibration of conognition you want. It’s not the necting with women (and re- place; it’s you. JULY 23–AUG. 22

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

CAPRICORN

August calls for joyful seriousness of the things important to you. It doesn’t matter if you’re building tables for squirrels or changing the world. A casual awareness for your love of life draws more loving. JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

A happy did-the-work breakthrough month for you! That project or idea is ready to go full fledge out there right now. What’s so cool is that you get to do this in a relaxed, “I know it’ll be fabulous” vibration…and it will! FEB. 19–MARCH 20

PISCES

So last month was sort of sucky because you had to resolve to honor your worth

LEO, IF YOU JUST ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK WITHOUT RESENTING OR EXPECTING ANYTHING, EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE.

and dump what wasn’t working. A sign from the Universe this month validates why you had to set this new standard.

thing. The Universe is speaking to you. MAY 21–JUNE 20

GEMINI

Do not allow yourself to MARCH 21–APRIL 19 be short-changed, comproARIES mised, or cheapened. Stay Be aware that you are always strong in your worth and connected to spiritual purauthenticity. The right oppose and guidance. Take noth- portunity is about to presing for granted and be delight- ent itself. fully ready when coincidence JUNE 21–JULY 22 prompts you to action.

CANCER

APRIL 20–MAY 20

TAURUS

As soon as you relax into your direct connection with Spirit, everything shifts for you. You do not need (or want) to do things the way anyone else does some-

This is not an action month. What is meant for you will just come to you. No chasing after what you want. It’s a time of concentrating on what brings you a sense of peace, harmony, and contentment.

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TILLIDSFULD KÆRLIGHED Crafted by Louis Nielsen, in gabon ebony, boxwood, bird's eye maple, bubinga, and brass From the maker: “This board game was made to have something to share with my “kæreste” [which means girlfriend] when I return home. Backgammon holds a special place in our relationship. One of the first times we met, we played this game and felt our spark for each other ignite. Ever since then, we have played at least two games per week. I chose very solid woods for the construction in order to give the piece a good chance of surviving the many thousands of games that will be played on it in the future.”

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The world-renowned Krenov School draws aspiring woodworkers from around the world to the Mendocino coast. TEXT ELIZABETH ARCHER

Due to the global pandemic, the Krenov School had to cancel its summer workshops. At this time, only online classes will be offered at Mendocino College due to the virus outbreak. Check back in the spring for future dates and schedules.

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PHOTOS (FROM TOP) BY TODD SORENSON / CARLOS IBARRA/ANDREW BRANT

emote landscapes meet the Pacific Ocean in the rugged industrial town of Fort Bragg, Mendocino County. Determined tourists make the trek to this North Coast outpost to go whale watching and rock fishing, wander the oceanside botanical gardens, and explore the unspoiled beaches and sand dunes. Once a booming lumber port, Fort Bragg is also home to an entirely different and lesser-known tree-based operation: The Krenov School. Originally founded by James Krenov as the College of the Redwoods Fine Furniture Program in 1981, the nine-month master woodworking program was renamed The Krenov School in 2017 when it became part of Mendocino College. James Krenov was one of the most influential woodworkers of his time, both as a master and teacher of his craft. He attended a woodworking school in Stockholm run by Carl Malmsten, a key figure in Scandinavian furniture design. After graduating, Krenov started his own cabinet company and

taught at the Malmsten school in the 1960s. He was invited to start the Fine Woodworking program at the College of the Redwoods in 1981, which quickly became, and has remained, world-renowned. Over the course of his life, he wrote five books still in use today as landmark texts. Krenov retired from the school in 2002 and passed away in 2009 in Fort Bragg. The school’s current director is Laura Mays, one of Krenov’s last graduating students. Mays grew up in Ireland, where she studied architecture in college and attended a woodworking school that she discovered during a cycling holiday in west Ireland. After graduating, Mays started a woodworking business in Connemara and continued her own education, partly by reading Krenov’s books. “I found them to be unlike anything I’d read about woodworking,”she says. Motivat-

ed by his texts, Mays traveled to Fort Bragg in 2001 and spent two transformative years in College of the Redwoods’ program. When the director position came up in 2011, she returned to Fort Bragg. “I love everything about this school and this place,” says Mays. The Krenov School is open to students of any ability level possessing “a fair knowledge of machine tools” and “patience, an openness toward refinement of methods, and a singleness of purpose aimed at doing one’s best,” according to its website. Students come to Krenov with wildly different backgrounds. Some have been working in the field for years. “They’re cabinet workers who are sick of screwing together plywood boxes,” explains Mays. Others have no woodworking experience but are seeking an escape from the modern world; what better place than the remote and idyllic Mendocino coast? “People who have been in the digital world are itchy to get their hands on real material,” says Mays.

NO EXIT Crafted by Zac Jurden, in ash, nutmeg, and glass From the maker: “Because small is the next big thing.”

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PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): CARLOS IBARRA/ANDREW BRANT / TODD SORENSON

Each class has 23 students and the average age range is 30–40, though students have been as young as 18 and as old as 80. In this year’s class, 17 are first-year students and six are second-year students/teaching aides. They hail from all over the country as well as Austria, Denmark, England, Australia, South Africa, and Korea. Though the school is now 38 years old and has changed both college affiliations and names, almost everything else about the two-semester woodworking program has stayed the same. The school is housed in the original location, built to Krenov’s specifications, with 23 workbenches. At the beginning of the first semester, new students spend six weeks learning joinery before starting on their first project, which has four parameters: It must be small, sweet, simple, and made of solid wood. Most students make a cabinet—a tradition instilled by Krenov, a fine cabinetmaker— but there’s no limit to what can be created. Most recently, one student made a flower press; another a backgammon board. Students might tinker with a variety of ideas, building models in cardboard, or first choose the wood and design the final product based around it, the wood itself setting the parameters. The entire first semester is spent on this project, which is presented at the midwinter show. “Woodworking is so hands-on, direct, and specific. Everything you do has an immediate result, for good or bad,” says Mays. “Our students obsess over these projects for a long time, and the end result is something beautiful.” Krenov is an applied learning environment—there is very little book learning—and most classes are discussions rather than lec-

tures. The program isn’t broken up into individual courses. Instead, students focus on whatever they’re working on for the entire day, asking questions and seeking guidance as needed. “In modern life, it’s unusual to be fully engaged in something, so this time is like a gift for our students,” says Mays. “We have the opposite problem of almost every other class—we can’t get our students to go home at the end of the day!” The remote location in Fort Bragg is a benefit to the school’s full-immersion model. Students don’t go to museums or galleries or take field trips to cultural institutions, and they’re far from a major city with its commensurate distractions. Shop manager Todd Sorenson was also one of James Krenov’s final students in 2002. He has stayed close to the school ever since, working locally as a cabinetmaker and occasional teacher at The Krenov School before taking over the shop’s operations in 2016. Sorenson acquires wood from many sources. Certain woods that they need in bulk are purchased from lumber mills. He also buys excess lumber from nearby contractors and storm-fall wood milled by a local. “Wood is inherently sustainable because it regrows, but the best option is American hardwood,” he explains. “If it comes from the US, it was most likely sustainably harvested.” The school also occasionally gets specialty woods like madrone and tan oak from the Redwood Forest Foundation. From a forester’s point of view, these are the “weeds” of the hardwood forest— difficult to mill and tricky to dry— but they have beautiful grain and

texture. “The undesirable wood from their point of view is the desirable wood for us,” explains Mays. Locals are also in the habit of dropping off strange and special wood they think the school can use, a kind of donation-based upcycling that speaks to the mindset of Mendocino County culture. “Students come here to immerse themselves in a year of woodworking adventure. They may go back to their old careers, but their time here will be regenerative,” says Sorenson. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Archer is a Mendocino native and a promoter of local culture. She and her husband run Carson and Bees in Ukiah.

FLOWER PRESS NO. 2 Crafted by Grace Zarah, in cherry and maple From the maker: "Growing up in Chicago, I loved the large wooden flower press kept in our family’s living room. Recently married and living in California now, I have found myself missing this object from my childhood home. However, my siblings decided I couldn’t simply take the beloved family press with me west. So, I was inspired to make my own. Playful in its nature and built with traditional joinery, my flower press is designed to last for generations to come."

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lis s b BODY MADE FOR

Do you know you have an endocannabinoid system? You do. Your self is full of cellular receptors that bind with the active ingredients in cannabis known as cannabinoids. So why have we just now started to hear about it? TEXT LELAND RUCKER PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS JOSH CLARK

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ne thing I’ve noticed over the years, when talking with my cannabis-using friends, is that they are more likely to say it makes them feel “normal” rather than “stoned.” I generally answer that “it keeps me balanced” or something

ORIGINAL PHOTO BY CHARLIE, ADOBE STOCK

s along those lines. I would never say that about other mind-altering substances (alcohol, for instance), and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at least one reason millions of us keep coming back for more. But why do so many people who use cannabis feel that way? A couple of years ago, I began reading about

something called the endocannabinoid system, a regulating procedure within the body that works in much the same way cannabis does. My bs detector turned bright red. Yeah, right. Even for an advocate, that seemed a little too much to swallow, a little too good to be true.

There is much evidence that cannabis, or whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in cannabis, has been used to treat symptoms of human illnesses, disorders, and diseases in many cultures for centuries and that it was a standard pharmaceutical product in the United States. Today, after decades of lies

This article was originally published in Sensi Denver/Boulder August 2017 edition

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from the government and popular culture’s continuing depiction of marijuana users as inept “stoners,” we’re finding that ordinary people are using cannabis for pain, arthritis, and muscle relief and—surprise—just to relax. But why? Cannabinoids are chemical compounds found in cannabis plants, more than a hundred different ones so far. For the most part, no other plant accumulates them quite like cannabis, and these cannabinoids provide the plant with everything from pest resistance to relief from the sun’s UV rays. The most recognized are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), known for its psychoactive properties, and cannabidiol (CBD), recognized for its medical applications. “Many people have tried THC and CBD. Those are called phytocannabinoids,” says biochemist Samantha Miller, founder of Pure Analytics, a cannabis testing facility in California. Scientists have also discovered cannabinoids that are produced naturally in the body. Called endocannabinoids, they have structures similar to phytocannabinoids. Raphael Mechoulam, William Devane, and Dr. Lumir Hanus found the first endocannabinoid and called it anandamide after the Sanskrit word for bliss, in 1992, and later found another, called 2-arachidonoylglycero, or 2-AG. So far, so good. In 1988, scientists found receptors in all mammals that respond to cannabinoids, CB-1 receptors found in the brain and CB-2 receptors found throughout the body. These endocannabinoids hook up with these receptors. In biochemistry, it’s called the “lock-and-key” model, where the cannabinoid molecules act like

this natural architecture to interact with cannabinoids,” Miller says. “You find these all over the body, in the nervous system, the immune system, everywhere. The endocannabinoids control and influence a lot of different things, like sleep, appetite, anxiety, addiction, the cardiovascular system, immune system—everything to do with quality of life.” Perry Solomon is the former chief medical officer at HelloMD, a popular wellness website with a growing number of patients using cannabis. He describes the endocannabinoid system as a feedback mechanism that helps keep the body in equilibrium. “When you get excessive stimulation, pain, emotions, or bad experiences, chemicals are released that can overwhelm the body,” he says. “Endocannabinoids are a way to keep the body in balance.” There are literally thousands of —Perry Solomon, HelloMD research papers and studies around the world on cannabinoids. But cannabis research remains a somewhat arcane branch of science in the United States, which, under the “keys” that fit into the CB receptor auspices of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, until recently would “locks.” When the CB receptor is fund only projects that were aimed “unlocked” by a particular cannaat the abuse side of the equation. binoid, it changes its shape, and US researchers still encounter how it changes shape determines how it regulates cell signaling (how bureaucratic hassles, lack of adequate study product, and the fact cells communicate within themthat cannabis remains a Schedule selves and how they communicate I drug, which by definition means with other cells). From a chemical standpoint, THC is structurally it has no medical purpose. “Consimilar to anandamide, and CBD is ventional medicine traditionally has concentrated on opioids,” says comparable to 2-AG. THC “unDr. Selma Holden, a physician and locks” the CB-1 receptor in almost assistant clinical professor at the the same way anandamide does, and CBD “unlocks” the CB-2 recep- University of New England. But even US scientists and doctors are tor much like 2-AG. beginning to recognize that some“The reason we interact with cannabis so strongly is that we have thing’s going on.

“WHEN YOU GET EXCESSIVE STIMULATION, PAIN, EMOTIONS, OR BAD EXPERIENCES, CHEMICALS ARE RELEASED THAT CAN OVERWHELM THE BODY. ENDOCANNABINOIDS ARE A WAY TO KEEP THE BODY IN BALANCE."

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ORIGINAL PHOTO BY JAMES MOSLEY, ADOBE STOCK

“Historically, people just thought cannabis was something that got you high and concentrated on the THC. Because of medical-marijuana efforts and a little increase in evidence, they’re starting to come around,” she explains. “And more patients are turning to their medical doctors and saying, ‘this stuff works for me.’” As recently as 2017, the University of Vermont was the only medical school in the country with an accredited course on the endocannabinoid system in its curriculum. “The people who should know about it aren’t taught it in medical school,” says Solomon, and he understands some doctors’ initial reluctance to deal with the endocannabinoid system. “Until doctors come out and become familiar with what’s involved in the system, there’s a hesitancy.” Oncologists, who already know it helps relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, are among the leading edge of physicians beginning to take cannabis seriously, and other specialists are looking into cannabinoid alternatives, Solomon says. “A recent National Academies of Science study found that cannabinoids are being used to treat chronic pain in adults, and it does work,” he says. “So anesthesiologists are saying, ‘Maybe this is something we should look at.’” Holden says that some of the most exciting research today concerns cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory qualities. “When you think of it, a lot of diseases, not all of them, have an inflammation component,” she says. “In dementia, in asthma, it’s all inflammation. That’s what’s interesting about the endocannabinoid system. It’s influencing these inflammation markers.”

“WE CAN'T FALL TOO MUCH INTO THE BELIEF SYSTEM THAT HAVING AN ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IS BAD." —Dr. Selma Holden, University of New England

Much of the research is being done at the behest of drug companies eager to create new products from cannabinoids and able to afford the expensive re-search needed for approval. GW Pharmaceuticals has developed a couple of cannabidiol products to combat epilepsy, and its Epidiolex was approved by the FDA in 2018 for the treatment of seizures—the first cannabis plant-derived medicine ever approved by the FDA. Arizona company Insys Therapeutics recently received preliminary DEA approval for a synthetic cannabis drug called Syndros. (The company also contributed to the successful effort to stop a marijuana legalization initiative in that state last year.) Much of the emphasis on cannabis healing these days is concentrated around CBD and marketed for its non-psychoactive effects. Hold-

en cautions that if someone is using cannabis for a chronic condition like back pain or Crohn’s disease, the feeling of elevation can be an important part of the therapy, too. “We can’t fall too much into the belief system that having an altered state of consciousness is bad.” And that gets us back to where we began. That altered state of consciousness that has offered me and so many people a feeling of relaxation, of being in a place where they can be creative and focused or as a way to deal with common maladies. “Our brains are ideally suited for cannabis,” Chris Kilham, an author and ethnobiologist who studies plant-based remedies as the Medicine Hunter on Fox News, told me. “There’s no substance other than water that has the health benefits and continued significance of those benefits.” S U M M E R 2020

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Hold the Gluten Whether you’re gluten-intolerant or allergic to conversations about gluten, socca is a quick and delicious dish for everyone to enjoy. My friend Marla Brown has never been diagnosed with celiac disease. Until she hit about 28 years old, she could eat all the bread and pasta she wanted. After cutting out gluten in an effort to lose a little weight, Brown was 42

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astonished at the change in how she felt. Not only did she find losing weight easier, but her sinuses cleared up and her complexion improved. “I hated the idea of cutting out such a huge food group,” says Brown. “But I couldn’t

get over how much better I felt. No more stuff y nose; my energy level improved. It just wasn’t worth it to go back to eating wheat.” Why has the United States seen the huge uptick in gluten-free diets? Is it gluten itself

or the pesticides in Big Ag conventional wheat? Is it all psychosomatic? Whatever the scientific truth of the matter, it seems undeniable that a lot of people (primarily women who have enough money to make such conscious eating

PHOTO BY PROSTOCK-STUDIO, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT JADA CALYPSO BROTMAN

PHOTO BY COMUGNERO SILVANA, ADOBE STOCK

choices) report that they feel better when they avoid gluten. Personally, I’m not gluten-intolerant, but with so many people avoiding it these days, it’s a great idea for the home cook to have a few solid gluten-free recipes in their repertoire. As someone who often cooks for others, I was overjoyed to realize that gluten-free chickpea flour, which is always in my pantry, is available in bulk and organic at our local natural foods stores. A number of fabulous gluten-free dishes can be made with chickpea flour, but socca is my favorite. I absolutely love-love socca, or farinata, as it’s known in Italy—or faina in Uruguay. My pop calls it socca, which is the French word. The fried flatbread hails from Nice, but the concept is found in various Southern climes. Whatever you call it, it’s a simple delight. Socca is especially helpful in the contemporary cook’s repertoire because it has nothing to which your allergic-to-everything friends can object. Hard to mess up and cheap to make, socca is a tasty weapon in your supper arsenal, whether you are pro- or anti-gluten.

Socca

Makes two 12-inch soccas / Servings: 4–6

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

• Move whole pan to broiler. 1 cup garbanzo flour • Mix the flour, water, salt, and oil well. Let the batter Keeping a close eye, broil 1 cup + 3 tbsp water rest for at least an hour, up it until the top is golden1/2 tsp kosher salt to overnight. brown and the edges are crisp. The underside will 3 tbsp olive oil • Turn on broiler, and be well browned by then. remix batter. Heat a Freshly ground 12-inch cast-iron pan on a • Remove the pan from the black pepper medium flame, and add a oven. Sprinkle the top Additional olive oil tablespoon of olive oil. with lots of freshly ground pepper and a generous • Pour in batter to cover the sprinkle of olive oil. pan, no more than 1/8-inch deep (roughly half the batter • Remove the socca to a if using a 12-inch pan). cutting board and slice it like a pizza. Serve and eat • Leave to cook until socca is immediately. dry and set, about 2 mins.

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THE SCENE WELLNESS

Only Natural Medicineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future is plant-based. TEXT JULIE RAQUE

The evolution of medicine dates back thousands of years and spans many continents and belief systems. From ancient Ayurvedic medicine to the most modern developments in pharmaceuticals, medicine 44

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has changed and shifted drastically over the past 5,000 years. With the mass availability of information, humans have become educated in the world of medicine and empowered to choose the practices to which

they wish to subscribe. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve relied primarily on Western medicine and pharmaceuticals, but we can expect plant-based remedies to play a role in health trends in the year to come as people incorporate holistic healing

practices into their daily regimens as preventative and retroactive measures. People will look to the root cause of disease, not just symptoms. Often when people fall ill, they look to treat

THE SCENE WELLNESS

what they consider the worst part of their illness—the symptoms they’re experiencing— as quickly as possible. People are starting to understand that they need to solve the root cause of a disease rather than superficial symptoms. With information readily accessible, people can understand why they may be feeling a certain way and what they can do to prevent an illness moving forward. More than ever, people are looking toward how active they are, vitamins and minerals, nutrients, and diet to uncover what’s causing their symptoms. They will, in turn, be invested in learning about how different plant-based

remedies address both symptoms and root causes, and how these can lead them on a path to better health and wellness overall. People will look to natural remedies before pharmaceuticals. Botanic remedies have been providing relief for thousands of years. While the pharmaceutical industry has focused on isolating, synthesizing, and patenting specific chemicals and molecular compounds, alternative remedies employ natural treatments stemming from the plant kingdom. People now understand the harm an antibiotic can do to your gut flora, digestive sys-

tem, and kidneys, especially if it is interacting with another antibiotic in your system. Many will look to herbs, spices, fruits, and vegetables to ease symptoms and issues such as anxiety, sleeplessness, mood swings, and adrenal fatigue before reaching for the medicine cabinet. Consumers will experiment with different methods. There are less invasive ways to treat things like pain and sore muscles than popping Ibuprofen or acetaminophen, including cannabinoid-based topicals, lotions, tinctures, and inhalants. Over-thecounter pain relievers

can interact adversely with your kidneys and liver, a difficult trade-off for someone looking to alleviate a headache. Topicals allow you to target a certain area and reapply as necessary, making them a more appropriate treatment for acute pain.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Julie Raque is vice president of marketing for The Root of It All, which makes cannabis-based remedies, and Cannabistry, a leading cannabis research and development organization. She has helped launch highly valued pharmaceutical products, including Harvoni.

People will look toward other cultures. More people are looking to ancient Eastern and Ayurvedic principles to figure out why they may be feeling the way they are and how to treat it. Both ancient Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine practices utilize plants in their healing strategies and emphasize balance between mind, body, and spirit.

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THE SCENE CALENDAR

Empty Calendar What to do when there’s nothing to do.

The dog days of summer are upon us. In our modern lexicon, that popular term has dual meanings: 1) the period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer occurs in the Northern Hemisphere; 46

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2) a period of stagnation or inactivity. In 2020, the dog days of summer were mauled by the pandemic, which continues to force people around the globe to endure lengthy periods of inactivity. But just because travel dreams were

dashed this year doesn’t mean you can’t take your mind to new places. Here are some quick suggestions about ways to fill the long days ahead. Get Lost in a Good Book Because your brain can’t take any. more. Netflix.

And you can’t take any more…well, anything. As the Book of Disquiet author Fernando Pessoa wrote, “Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.” Not much of a reader? No problem. Trevor Noah, Jamie Lee Curtis,

PHOTO BY LOLOSTOCK, ADOBE STOCK

TEXT SENSI EDITORS

THE SCENE CALENDAR

PHOTO CREDITS (FROM TOP): SOMEMEANS, ADOBE STOCK / ALFA27, ADOBE STOCK

Mariah Carey, Kevin Bacon, Alicia Silverstone, James McAvoy, and so many other leading performers can do the reading. All you’ve got to do is listen, which you can do while going about your day. Or while not going anywhere: your call. A 2018 University College London study showed that listening to audiobooks is more emotionally engaging than watching TV and movies—findings consistent across all demographics regardless of the genre. Audible is your go-to source for premium offerings available on demand

If you haven’t already done the Audible free trial, what better time than now to take advantage of the deal: 60-day free trial plus two free audiobooks, then $14.95 for one credit per month, good for any book regardless of price, and you can cancel anytime . Got a library card? Download the Libby app, which allows you to borrow and read ebooks and audiobooks from your local public library for free. Don’t have a library card? Well now you have something else to do right now when there’s not a whole lot to do.

Make (Bad?) Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City may be temporarily closed (as of press time), but its website, moma.org, invites you to experience the world through its artistic lens. Take in the Virtual Views by exploring NYC architecture online. Listen to hours of art-inspired music on summer playlists curated by MoMa staffers. From artists’ musical inspirations to cinema soundtracks to the “alien” sounds of the avant-garde, the museum’s Spotify playlists include one dedicated

to the music of Miró; The “Rosanne Cash, the River, and the Thread” includes some thoughts the singer-songwriter shared about weaving, making art, and writing music—and made a playlist to accompany the exhibition. The set featuring songs about and inspired by works of art sets the perfect soundtrack to an afternoon spent engrossed in any of the museum’s free online courses, including “Fashion as Design” and “Postwar Abstract Painting,” taught through online portal Coursera (coursera.org/moma).

QUARANTINE LISTENING PARTY Our editor in chief Stephanie Wilson ranks the seven novels she “read” during shutdown.

7. Trust Exercise by Susan Choi 6. Men Without Women by Huraki Murakami 5. Writers & Lovers by Lily King 4. Normal People by Sally Rooney 3. Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld 2. All Adults Here by Emma Straub 1. Weather by Jenny Offill

“We have art so that we shall not die of reality.” —Friedrich Nietzsche

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

MAKES SENSE TO

ADVERTISERS INCOME

AG E

E D U C AT I O N

$100K

103,840

60%

PLUS THE ANNUAL INCOME OF

25% OF OUR READERS

OVERALL

MONTHLY READERSHIP

35-75 YEAR OLDS 56.8% OF OUR READERS

$200K+ 24-34 EARN PER HOUSEHOLD 11.8% OF OUR READERSHIP

THE AGES OF OUR 2ND STRONGEST

MARKET WITH 25.1%

COLLEGE GRADUATES

THE MAJORITY OF OUR READERS

HAVE AT LEAST ONE DEGREE

27% OF OUR READERSHIP HAVE A MASTERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DEGREE OR HIGHER

ADVERTISE WITH US

(720) 504-6557 INFO@SENSIMAG.COM

Numbers are based on a 2019 independent audit of the Denver/Boulder Edition from MEDIA AUDIT

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E THE COUNTRY CLUB

For Southern Humboldt, by Southern Humboldt

flower cultivated in the surrounding hills, along with highly sought-after strains and products from other regions. Initially, not everyone was comfortable with the idea of a dispensary in Redway, but the friendly team at the Country Club has quickly won them over. Keith says that some farmers told him that they never imagined setting foot inside a cannabis shop, but since then, they’ve returned and become loyal customers. Reflecting the locals-only attitude of SoHum, the Country Club doesn’t advertise on any major dispensary listing websites. Easy to find, just off the 101 in Redway, the Country Club relies on locals for its success. But anyone who wants to support the community and farmers of SoHum, while enjoying top shelf cannabis, is welcome at the Country Club.

The Country Club, Redway’s first dispensary, paves the way in a new market.

outhern Humboldt—or SoHum—has always been an insulated community where the locals are protective of their special hills and secret farms. It makes sense that the first dispensary in the town of Redway would reflect this locals-only attitude. The Country Club opened last year to serve the SoHum community and showcase the sun-grown flower produced by local farmers. Skylar Keith founded the Country Club to embrace the new landscape of legal-

ization rather than resist it. With a vision of integrating the dispensary experience into the countryside, Keith wants to help friends and neighbors navigate evolving laws and a shifting marketplace in the spirit and tradition of SoHum. The products are made for and by SoHum locals. The founders and staff at the Country Club are all longtime Humboldt residents, many born and raised on the hill. The dispensary’s manager The Country Club is a fifth-generation Humboldt local. Its Dispensary selection includes incredible sun-grown @countryclubcannabis S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

l l a w g o n m i l la love cann ab o h

CONNECT WITH YOURSELF AND OTHERS IN CITIES AROUND THE GLOBE

TOKEATIVITY.COM/CONNECT

P R O M OT I O N A L F E AT U R E WA N A B R A N D S

Cruising Steadily over a Bumpy Road The industry reset hasn’t affected one of the nation’s leading makers of edibles as it rolls out another new product line.

taying current with customer demands, developing the next great product, and surviving in the industry for years has been the modus operandi for Wana Brands, one of the first Colorado companies to bootstrap its way into the cannabis edibles space. Wana Brands, now operating in six additional states, was one of the first to create and market a successful, recognizable edibles brand—its line of gummies. It also sells tarts, drops, vapes, and extended-release capsules. Wana Brands has recently developed

concert, for example. It kicks in quickly, you can enjoy the concert, then drive home safely.” That product is hitting the market now, she says. Wana is going to have several quick-onset products coming out soon, including three different quick-onset tinctures. Wana Brands has been able to survive the tumultuous ups and downs of the edibles business through its simple business model. “We were not publicly traded and didn’t have a ton of money, so we have always operated profitably because we had to,” she says. “Because we have been able to build such significant volume, we have been able to spread our overhead. And that is a key part of it.” The cannabis business is in a sort “This of recovery and reboot phase right business now. Important lessons have been changes learned. Over the last few years, multistate operators have expanded and evolves into different states. “These vertically rapidly, integrated operations are really three and there completely different businesses with almost no overlapping skill sets—cul- is no resting tivators, manufacturers/producers, and retail,” Whiteman says. “When on your you are biting off five or six or seven laurels.” different states at a time, it’s almost like you are launching something like —Nancy Whiteman, 15 to 20 different businesses. That’s CEO, Wana Brands an expensive thing to pull off and very difficult from an organizational skill set point of view.” Can Whiteman relax now that things are going pretty well at Wana? “Never,” she says. “This business changes and evolves rapidly, and there is no resting on your laurels.”

new, quick-acting gummies where the psychoactive effect comes on within 15 minutes, lasts for two to four hours, and then goes away. “That is a really cool product,” says Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands. It’s developed with an encapsulation technology, and instead of going through the first-pass metabolism in the liver, like other edibles, which give the user a heavy body high, the new quick-onset product goes right into the bloodstream. “It feels very much like an inhalation high,” Wana Brands she says. “So, it’s not as intense. It’s Cannabis-Infused Products a perfect product if you are going to a wanabrands.com

S U M M E R 2020

S E N S I M AG .C O M

THE END

New Volunteers In the sun, we circled after speaking to our senator’s staff. We’d given them a list—four steps to transition from fossil fuels— and received no promises for action. Why then, I wondered, were we so giddy? As we spoke of the hard work ahead, why did we feel relief? Before that day, alone in an office, I’d plotted the rise of the future sea, thinking this is the arc of my story: since my birth we’d burned more fossil fuels than all years prior, the decades left to stop this burning were the span of my career, and all I could do on my own was switch out my lightbulbs and mourn. But on that day, each of us felt—I’m sure of it— that as we composed our letter we’d summoned a new sense of possibility, and in delivering it together: power.

EMERALD TRIANGLE

SUMMER 2020

PHOTO BY ALEX SICAUD, LIGHT LAB PHOTOGRAPHY

TEXT KATY GURIN

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