ELEVATED ACTIVITY
Cannabis and Exercising
HUMBOLDT MEDICINE Embracing the Plant
JESSE VENTURA WRESTLING WITH CANNABIS POLITICS
STRAIN OF THE MONTH ROMULAN X CHERNOBYL
GROW
STARTING YOUR GROW
CONCENTRATE
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BUSINESS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATE DIRECTOR NOTE
JUNE 2015 THE GROW ISSUE ISSUE 05
8 MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH ROMULN x CHERNOBYL
EDIBLES
YOGA, MEDITATION & CANNABIS
20 CANNA-NEWS MICHELE LEONHART
26 PRODUCT
SUBZERO SCIENTIFIC
DISPENSARY
DIXIE ELIXERS WILDBERRY LEMONADE
16 CANNA-NEWS
12
10
22 CANNA-NEWS
DEMOCRACY WINS IN THE WILD WILD EAST
28 PRODUCT
STEEP HILL GENKIT
GOOD MEDS
32 CANNA-NEWS DUTCH MASTERS
24 CANNA-NEWS CANNATOMY OF A WORKOUT
36 CANNA-NEWS
STARTING YOUR GARDEN
GARDEN PINK HOUSE
52
40 CANNABIS WEDDINGS
FEATURE
JESSE VENTURA
48 GROW
LIGHT DEPRIVATION
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The cannabis community for which this magazine serves is hard working, forward thinking and eternally optimistic. They don’t rest on their laurels, aren’t afraid to ruffle feathers and won’t back down from defending our plant everywhere! A sense of purpose has fostered an anything is possible attitude among the ranks of advocates, politicians, industry professionals and cannabis enthusiasts making a difference across the country. Miley said it best “We can’t stop”. We are in the midst of a cultural and political revolution. This industry’s growth is not unexpected, unopposed or up for discussion. We are creeping into the mainstream; making our way onto Red Carpets and rubbing elbows with the Capitol Hill elite. The Choom Gang won’t be running things in DC in 2016 and we’re looking for other inroads. Snoop, Uncle Willie and the Marley’s are tuning up; billionaires hear the music and are looking for dance partners. They are on our side, infusing large sums of cash into business and infrastructure. They hate us, donating more than most can imagine to deterring our efforts. It’s just like a real industry now. Our growing pains hurt, but they won’t last long. Acts of numskullery in the form of BHO home explosions or legally purchased cannabis being diverted across state lines are over reported and used as propaganda against reform. We’re nowhere near the end (nowhere near). The best is ready to begin. As long as we’ve got each other, we got the world spinnin’ right in our hands.
38
BUSINESS
The dab days of summer are upon us. Twisting up at a BBQ or puffing on a porch at sunset are freedoms that may still catch the ire of the neighbors but no longer require attention from your local Bigfoot Bjornsen to accost and arrest the indulging parties. When a cool night strikes, bask in the warmth that an e-nail provides and think back to a time when e-nails weren’t a thing.
50 PIECE
COLORADO COLLECTOR LASER GUN
58 ROAD TRIP HISTORY MADE IN HUMBOLDT
ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE dopemagazine.com
64 CANNA-NEWS
HUMBOLDT MEDICINE
There is still time to get in while the getting’s good. Opportunities to impress the tastemakers of the industry are frequent and accessible. The summer calendar is filling up quickly with cannabis-centric events ranging from Meet-Ups and trade shows to full-blown multi-day business conferences and investor summits. Some are free; many are not. When funds get low, offer to volunteer. You’ll feel good and get in for free. Open discussions and genuine intrigue about cannabis law, business, consumption and lifestyle are common in coffee shops, on street corners, and around State Buildings. The irony is not lost when overhearing a conversation about dabbing or the newest edible regulation while sitting in the stands at Coors Field. Denver, Colorado remains the epicenter and proving ground for the cannabis industry and we proudly wear the tie-dyed badge of courage that accompanies this status. We’re all here cause we’re not all there. Stay DOPE, Emmett H.W. Nelson Colorado State Director
When We Concentrate, Good Things Happen. At Good Meds Network, we offer the most advanced medical marijuana products on the market. The companies that make our concentrates, including butane, propane, CO2 and water extractions, all adhere to the highest industry processing standards, and use Good Meds’ quality genetics. We also supply over 80 unique strains to address a full spectrum of medical ailments. From how you medicate, to finding the best cannabis treatment for you, our team will help you develop the right program to accommodate your needs. Krome’s White Triangle THC: 31.02%
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
JAMES ZACHODNI
SHARON LETTS R.Z.HUGHES
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
DAVID BAILEY
EVAN CARTER
MEGHAN RIDLEY STATE DIRECTOR
JOSHUA KRAUS
EMMETT H.W. NELSON
CHRISTI TURNER CHRIS MARCUS
ART DIRECTOR
DAVE HODES
BRANDON PALMA ( 8THDAYCREATE.COM )
CHERYL SHUMAN STEVE ELLIOTT
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER ALLIE BECKETT DOPE DESIGN AGENCY RYAN CATABAY ONLINE EDITOR
ASSISTANT GRAPHIC DESIGNER NARISSA-CAMILLE PHETHEAN
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
DOPE is a free publication dedicated to providing an informative and wellnessminded voice to the cannabis movement. While our foundation is the medical cannabis industry, it is our intent to provide ethical and research-based articles that address the many facets of the war on drugs, from politics to lifestyle and beyond. We believe that through education and honest discourse, accurate policy and understanding can emerge. DOPE Magazine is focused on defending both our patients and our plant, and to being an unceasing force for revolutionary change.
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DOPE Magazine and the entire contents of this magazine are copyright 2015 DOPE MAGAZINE LLC, all rights reserved and may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or part without the written permission from Dope Magazine LLC PUBLISHED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98109
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PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
FOUND AT: B*Good 80 S. Pennsylvania St. Denver, CO, 80209 (303)-777-5239
GENETICS SOMETIMES A name just gets
right to the point. If you haven’t already guessed, the Romulan X Chernobyl is an indica-dominant cross between the Romulan indica and the sativa-dominant Chernobyl. Romulan, named for the alien race in Star Trek, is admired for its powerful healing properties, and Chernobyl, named for the illfated nuclear power plant, provides potent cerebral effects.
8 |
MEDICAL BENEFITS
AROMA RARELY HAS a
strain smelled so clean and invigorating. Enticing wafts of sharp pine and refreshing spearmint explode from this green fruit, transporting you to some untouched wilderness with coursing rivers and radiant foliage. To anyone who says they don’t like the smell of pot, give them a whiff of this.
TAKING ITS cues from daddy Romulan, Ro-
mulan & Chernobyl delivers therapeutic qualities for depression, anxiety and pain relief. The strain is one of B*Good’s most popular medical products, and some patients have even found it helpful for multiple sclerosis flare ups.
EFFECT ROMULAN X Chernobyl delivers a relaxing body buzz with pleasant narcotic effects that aren’t too snoozy. At higher doses users will experience a healthy euphoria and cerebral elevation that perfectly complements the full-body melt. This is a strain made for music appreciation, smaller social activities, and winding down the night.
ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE dopemagazine.com
FLAVOR ROMULAN X
Chernobyl hits all the right notes, leading with a wonderful limey citrus flavor that is accompanied by a piney, mildly earthy backing track. Particularly sensitive taste buds will also pick up on sweeter, fruitier notes. A puff can tingle the tongue and clear a path straight to the lungs.
LOOKS THE STRAIN yields dense, chunky nugs that pop with trichomes. Battalions of rust-orange hairs lay claim to most of the real estate, and the occasional leaf bursts from the horde. Although it looks thick as a fairy tale forest, the nugs break apart neatly and fill up a bowl with ease.
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EDIBLES
Dixie Elixirs Wildberry Lemonade 90 MG ACTIVE THC
$20
WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS ALEXIS EMBREY
“Dixie Elixirs is the first cannabis company to offer a bottle that is both child resistant and able to hold carbonation.” EMONADE CONJURES memories
of sunny afternoons and kicking back with friends. It’s the official drink of both summer and childhood and, let’s face it, happiness. This is why the uplifting, giggly buzz Dixie’s Wildberry Lemonade offers is so fitting. The fact that Dixie Elixirs focuses on creating such a special experience speaks to how dedicated they are to their craft. Their packaging is yet another example of this, as Dixie is currently the only cannabis company offering built-in dosing caps, so customers can easily control their serving sizes. With a recommended dose of 15 milliliters, or 5.3 milligrams per serving, the Wildberry Lemonade holds over seventeen servings. Wildberry Lemonade is made from all-natural ingredients, and isn’t overly sweet or sugary like some other infused beverages. They test all of their trim for contaminants, and use supercritical CO2 extraction to produce clean, high potency cannabis oils. The process of combining these oils with waterbased substances poses a challenge for many manufacturers, but Dixie Elixirs has perfected an organic emulsifier to help evenly distribute the oil throughout the lemonade. The result of Dixie Elixirs’ hard work is a drink that tastes great while providing a bright-eyed, euphoric buzz that will put a skip in your step. It’s the perfect drink for summer, and summer is right around the corner.
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F YOU are located south or west of Denver, where quality
dispensaries are few and far between, we’ve found a rarity for you in Good Meds.
Sometimes a great selection is hard to find. Good Meds typically grows upwards of 100 strains, offering a rotating selection of 3040 varieties on their shelves at all times. This is great news for patients seeking that perfect strain, grown to perfection. Some vendor brands that Good Meds carries are TC Labs, EvoLabs, IncrEdibles, Mountain Medicine, Gaia’s Garden, Cheeba Chews and more. Personal vaporizers, pipes, and many other accessories like titanium nails and ceramic water pipe inserts are available to help you medicate. When cannabis is used for medical purposes it’s extra important good information is readily available from knowledgeable people you can trust. Good Meds’ staff is friendly, professional, informed and discreet. Helping people find the good medicine they need just as their name promises, Good Meds is never short on educated cannabis advice, and private consultations are available upon request. Good Meds supports the growth of the cannabis industry and abides by responsible business practices, which is why they proudly affiliate with the Marijuana Industry Group (MIG) and National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA). They also support their community with special offers for seniors and military. Also offered, a 15% low-income discount for recipients of SSI and participants in the food subsidies program. Two Good Meds dispensaries are now conveniently located in previously underserved areas: 3431 S. Federal, and 8420 Colfax. Fortunately for these neighborhoods, Good Meds stands out as a reliable and diversified provider of high quality cannabis at both locations.
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ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE dopemagazine.com
Good Meds Lakewood 8420 W Colfax Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215 (303) 238-1253 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Good Meds Englewood 3431 S Federal Blvd Englewood, CO, CO (303) 761-9170 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
WRITER CHRIS MARCUS
PHOTOS ALEXIS EMBREY
“Good Meds is never short on educated cannabis advice, and private consultations are available upon request.” dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE
| 13
CANNA-NEWS
Yoga, Massages, Meditation, and Cannabis Infusions in One
WRITER CHRIS MARCUS
PHOTOS ALEXIS EMBREY
How Primal Wellness Has Your Relaxation and Enlightenment Covered NICE perk living in health conscious Colorado, with its
amazing marijuana culture, is the abundance of people and businesses excited about the positive health benefits of cannabis. This includes entrepreneurs like Danielli Martel of Primal Wellness, who is combining the medical benefits of cannabis with the holistic and therapeutic effects of yoga, meditation, massage, and skin care. It’s a welcoming atmosphere where guests practice yoga or meditation, receive spa treatments, and hang out with other health conscious individuals. 420-friendly yoga fans are going to think they just took a trip to Mecca when entering the spacious, beautifully decorated yoga studio. The brilliant artwork adorning the surrounding walls, some with stars that glow in the dark, sets a great vibe and Primal Wellness class instructors like Gina enjoy using it to facilitate classes that leave guests feeling relaxed and at peace. A big part of the yoga and meditation experience is about the space you are in, and sharing it with others on a similar wavelength, and the space at
1500 W. Hampden Ave. in Englewood sets the tone for the perfect cannabis spa day. Rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul and get into a meditative state of mind surrounded by others who understand the experience of enlightenment, and are at true peace with themselves. Primal Wellness has created an environment of personal discovery that most seek when attending a group meditation or yoga class. Then take your body to a whole new galaxy with a healing cannabis infused massage treatment before or after your class, highly recommended with or without THC. While there may be many exciting new businesses in the Colorado cannabis community, Primal Wellness continues to be a favorite with a wide variety of service options and a comfy atmosphere you won’t want to leave behind. When I asked Danielli what her clients appreciate the most, she responded, “they feel really welcomed and at home while they are in our studio”, and when visiting Primal Wellness for a class, massage, or a facial, guests quickly understand why.
dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE
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The Lion Sleeps Tonight: The Infamous Career of DEA Chief Michele Leonhart
CANNA-NEWS
OP COPS at the DEA have blown a lot of smoke over the
years, but few did it with the deer in the headlights style of Michele Leonhart. Her elementary admonition during testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security became a viral sensation--pushing 600,000 views on Congressman Jared Polis’ (D-Co) YouTube channel. She may forever be remembered for her enlightening statement “All illegal drugs are bad. I don’t think any illegal drug is good.” That statement was during official testimony on whether crack, methamphetamines, or heroin pose a greater threat to people than cannabis. Raising eyebrows across the nation, the response pushed Polis to further pursue Leonhart, pointing out “you should know this” and “this is your area of expertise”. In the end, he got nowhere with her, but the hearing spotlighted an era of ignorance which could finally be coming to an end, ushering in a new way to think about how we view “illegal drugs” in America. While the falling out between her fellow feds could have brought the heat in her direction, it was a different scandal that most likely led to
WRITER
PHOTO
MEGHAN RIDLEY
Courtesey of www.usdoj.gov
her retirement. A report outlining a prostitute-filled sex party arranged by Colombian drug traffickers for DEA agents surfaced. A lack of disciplinary action towards the agents brought on a whole new glare to the eyes already dissecting Leonhart’s every move. The slap on the wrist suspensions of 2-10 days were widely questioned, and Leonhart claimed she didn’t have authority to fire agents or revoke security clearances. Regardless of why she’s stepping down, advocates in the cannabis movement quickly took notice. In the words of Americans for Safe Access’ Executive Director, Steph Sherer, “Michelle Leonhart, a Bush Administration holdover, has been out of line with this administration’s policies on medical marijuana and has consistently been a roadblock to the rescheduling of marijuana. We encourage the President to pick an administrator that better reflects his stated desire to design policies reflecting the science on medical marijuana rather than outdated ideologies.” As pot policies continue their rapid evolution, we can only hope that our next top drug cop blows the right kind of smoke and injects a heavy dose of common sense into a very sick conversation.
FACTS ABOUT MICHELE LEONHART • She was the first female to hold the position of DEA Administrator. • She was in charge during the Operation Black Gold Rush bust, where nearly 50 pounds of Mexican black tar heroin and $500,000 in cash were seized in 2006. • She had to return industrial hemp seeds to Kentucky when the state sued the feds over their wrongful confiscation by DEA agents. • In response to the high levels of children dying in drug wars, she said, “It may seem contradictory, but the unfortunate level of violence is a sign of success in the fight against drugs.” • She was in charge during Project Synergy, a bust of synthetic drug manufacturers such as spice and bath salts. Hundreds of thousands of drug packages and over twenty million in assets were seized, as well as 150 arrested.
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Democracy Wins In The Wild Wild East N WASHINGTON D.C. on April 20th, at the Mall
just a few hundred feet from the capitol, a group of about 30 protestors led by the city’s marijuana activist Adam Eidinger smoked joints and discussed politics at a five-day “Democracy Vigil” that was winding up on this day.
Eidinger, the very vocal and very public guy who created the
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ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE dopemagazine.com
WRITER DAVID HODES
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
D.C. Cannabis Campaign driving Initiative 71 to legalize recreational marijuana in Washington, D.C., worked his way up to a leadership position in the community group, DCMJ, that has worked on the marijuana agenda in the city. He developed an angle to his protests that would get the city council to play ball with the issue, becoming a politico noise-maker instead of the kind of whiney stoner officials expected.
CANNA-NEWS
And that angle was democracy - freedom from excessive incarceration, freedom from wrongful arrest, freedom from targeting groups with no probable cause. And, the real kicker, freedom for the district to become a state and vote for its own representation – something that has never happened in this area, because here, as in no other place in the country, Congress has the final say on all rules and regulations that the district voters vote on.
non-partisan organization that works on public policy problems in the district, says that the D.C. city council has not moved forward with regulating and taxing marijuana sales in the district for a couple of reasons. “I think that is what the city council and the people want to do,” he says. “But the attorney general in the city (Karl Racine) has advised the council that they don’t even have the authority to hold a hearing about taking further steps, much less enacting a regulatory regime.”
This day, 4/20, was a kind of celebration of achievement and a fist in the air that the fight would continue. Democracy would prevail.
DC Appleseed has proposed a way for the city to move forward on creating a regulatory structure using something called the contingency reserve fund, which congress put into place in 1996 to help states in economic distress. Those funds were used to keep the D.C. city government functioning during the federal government shutdown in October, 2013. “No one in congress objected to that or criticized the district for doing that back then, and I think the same would and should be applied here if the city essentially vindicates the vote of the people who obviously wanted a well-thought out regulatory regime to legalize the use of marijuana in the city. But so far we have not been able to do that.”
“No one talked about legalization of recreational marijuana as a business because there is no business model,” he says. “This is about people going to jail. And when we talked about it from that perspective, the numbers went through the roof.” Over 70 percent of voters in the district approved the initiative on November 4, 2014, and it became law on 12:01 a.m. Thursday, February 26th 2015. But the fight was not over. Congress did their usual review of the law and tried to stop it. Hours before the law went into effect, two Republican congressmen, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) threatened to arrest Mayor Muriel Bowser, who stood her ground. Her constituents had voted, overwhelmingly, to legalize recreational marijuana, she said. The people had spoken. The congressmen backed down – for now. Now, after much celebration of a victory legalizing recreational possession and use of a DEA schedule 1 drug in the heart of the federal government, here’s the deal: Any adult 21 or over in the district can possess up to two ounces of cannabis for personal use, and grow no more than six cannabis plants in their principal residence. Since the issue of growing and using pot legally is settled, albeit still not regulated for sale, and still somewhat unclear to the average D.C. resident, adult residents of the district quickly turned to other questions: Where can I get pot in the district, and where can I smoke pot? The answers: nobody can sell it (unless you have a medical card and get it from a dispensary), but you can get it free if someone wants to give it away. And you can only smoke at home, generally speaking. “I am for commercial sales,” Eidinger says. “But I am happy it’s not happening overnight. And I think some people on the business side of this have really done themselves a disservice by showing that their main priority is greed and not human rights and civil rights. We put civil rights before the sale of marijuana.” Walter Smith, executive director of DC Appleseed, an independent,
While the city council and congress tussle about this issue, confusion reigns in the district. From an informal survey of various bars and restaurants in the district, I found that saying the “m” word gets two responses: nervous laughter and a quick end of the discussion, or knowing grins and a few observations. “Just cause it’s possible doesn’t mean you should do it,” a bartender at a well-known Capitol Hill drinking establishment, Hawk and Dove told me about the prospect of marijuana use in their establishment. “Ha,” a bartender said at The Hamilton, which is an upscale bar/ dining establishment just two blocks from the White House. Then he quickly changed the subject. “What? I never heard of edibles,” a bartender at the National Press Club across the street from The Hamilton said, when asked why not have an edibles night for dues-paying members or as a special night for new members. It was clear that changing the perception of pot, or even talking outloud about a legal, recreational substance while sitting within arm’s length of gallons of poisons that could kill anyone sitting at a bar, will take time in a city not known for embracing this sort of game-changing move. “Ultimately I think this is a decision for the mayor and the council and the attorney general to come together on, and I think that will eventually happen,” Smith says. “I think it will take some time for the dust to settle for people to realize that the current situation is probably not the best. And that it’s not what the voters intended,” he says. “When will it (regulation and sale) happen? When Congress gets out of the way,” Eidinger says.
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CANNA-NEWS
Cannatomy of a Workout: Is cannabis the athlete’s best friend? HEN THE most decorated olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, got busted for bong hits, some wanted to strip him of his 22 medals, while others couldn’t resist cracking jokes about lung capacity. Beyond all the outrage, giggling and coughing, many wonder- could cannabis be a legitimate aide to an athlete’s regimen? While this is in no way a doctor’s recommendation to dab and pump iron, check out this DOPE food for thought, outlining the parts of an athlete’s anatomy that could potentially benefit from cannabis.
MIND
The competitive nature of athletics can leave your mind spinning. While that may be the nature of the game in many cases, a stressreducing cannabis can calm the nerves, while helping to keep your head in the game.
LUNGS
In 2012, a 20-year study sponsored by University of California San Francisco and the National Institute on Drug Abuse published research that concluded smoking the equivalent of one joint daily for seven years will leave you with a lung capacity 1.6x higher than a non-smoker.
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WRITER
GRAPHICS
MEGHAN RIDLEY
8THDAYCREATE .COM
JOINTS
Should you roll a joint when yours are giving you trouble? The well-documented analgesic properties of cannabis suggest it’s very effective for treating arthritis, both alone and as a therapy that enhances the effectiveness of opiod pain medications.
MUSCLES
Any good workout will leave you with muscle aches and pains, but deep and lasting pain relief can certainly be found through cannabis edibles and capsules, and the antiinflammatory properties of cannabis are well known.
SKIN
Sweating and chafing, yes it’s gross, but this side effect of exercise can leave people with significant post-workout discomfort. Cannabis health and beauty products are naturally anti-bacterial, and can provide tremendous relief from skin pain.
FUN FACT:
A 2011 French study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, people who smoke cannabis three times a week are roughly half as likely to be obese than non-smokers. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE
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WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
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OR THOSE of you wondering where to buy your next hash oil extractor, look no further than Subzero Scientific. Their botanical extractors are state-certified, lab-grade, and produce higher yields than other extractors available on the market. The reason that one is able to achieve such quality product and high yields using this product is the patented dry ice sleeve that sits around the column filled with plant material and solvent. This allows the cannabis to freeze, preserving terpenes and essential oils, as well as solidifying the fats and waxes that are undesirable in the final product. Extracting oils between -70F and -40F also causes the solvent to become denser which leads to a deeper penetration of the plant. It also makes it possible for a longer soak time thus extracting the maximal concentration of cannabinoids. Located in Gresham, Oregon, Subzero Scientific is committed to helping people learn how to extract efficiently and safely. They offer monthly seminars of a full extraction, start-to-finish, and currently work with many successful oil companies. The Oil Hunters out of Madrid have won many awards in Europe using the Subzero Scientific extractors and Oregon’s Looking Glass Oil is another company using their products.
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Their extractors are certified for use in a lab but should not be used in a house. Subzero Scientific offers a line of extractors that run half pound batches of plant material all the way up to ten pounds at a time. An impressive piece of machinery that makes the process of extracting hash oil far easier and much more efficient.
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ALLIE BECKETT
A Scientific Approach to Breeding LANTING A garden from
seed is nothing like starting from clone. Seeds will never be exactly alike, and will differ in color, size, potency and terpene profile. The one thing for certain is there will always be some males in the mix that need to be properly dealt with. Cannabis is dioecious, meaning that its female flowers are on entirely different plants from the males. Unlike most flowers which contain the male and female sex organs within the same bloom, cannabis requires separate male and female plants to
reproduce. Removing the males, reduces risk of pollination, leaving the seedless buds of sensimillia we are all familiar with. Steep Hill Labs simplifies this tedious process with their GenKit, a system for sexing plants weeks before they show signs naturally. Collect a leaf in a sample envelope, label, and send to their lab for analysis. Steep Hill sequences the sample’s DNA , determining sex, and numerous other genetic traits and specimens that can be as little as a week old. Anonymous results can be tracked in real-time online.
The GenKit is a invaluable service for cannabis growers needing to save time, space, and energy while propagating from seed, but this is only the beginning. Steep Hill is spearheading research into cannabis genetics, and they are developing tools to identify early genetic markers. This could reveal a seedling might grow up to be a low performer, produce high CBD, resist spider mites or more, saving much effort during the selective breeding process. Currently only available in California, labs are set to expand, offering services to growers in Colorado, Washington, and Nevada.
$120
WWW.STEEPHILL.COM (510)562-7400
A reliable cannabis grading system you can trust.
A+ REGISTER NOW Are you a retail store, processor or producer interested in learning more about the site? Curious about membership? Drop us a line at info@dopemaps.com
Where an online business directory of legal marijuana retailers and producers/processors is at your disposal. Navigate, review, rate and engage in the growing Washington community.
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WEED AROUND THE WORLD WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
INDIA
ILLINOIS USA
GERMANY
PAKISTAN
Hashish on the High Seas
Pakistani Coast Guard officials seized three tons of hash concealed in an oil tanker bound for the Middle East. Valued at over $50 million, the Coast Guard said this was their biggest bust ever. The raid took place in the coastal town of Pasni and along with the hash, also netted the Pakistani government one of the most wanted smugglers in the country.
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Surf’s Up
Tropical Storm Ana may be to blame for some lost cargo. This month, packages containing more than ten pounds of weed washed ashore on beaches in Alabama and North Carolina. While it’s not unheard of for traffickers to ditch their stash on the high seas, it’s a rarity for the bags to reach solid land unscathed. Beachcombing is beginning to look like a lucrative hobby.
Germany’s Not-SoSecret Garden
A street cleaner in Berlin has seriously ruined someone’s day. After discovering around 700 plants growing on a traffic island in the Kreuzberg district, police were alerted and promptly disposed of the mini plantation. Known as an accepting and tolerant city, Berliners generally don’t take issue with cannabis, which may explain how it was possible to grow a large field of pot in plain sight in one of the busiest intersections in the city. The authorities, however, weren’t so understanding.
India Starts the Conversation on Medical Cannabis
Initially held in the southern city of Bangalore, the Medical Cannabis Conference is spreading awareness to the public as well as medical professionals about an herbal remedy that was legal in their country up until the 1980’s. Rick Simpson spoke to the audience about his successes treating cancer patients with CBD cannabis oils. Considered a sacred herb in the Hindu religion, cannabis is widely used across the country but with little access to CBD extracts and methods for quality control.
It’s All About the Kids
Troubled teens in Bloomington, Illinois may be working for medical cannabis businesses this summer. Curative Health Inc., a New York based medical marijuana company, donated $20,000 for a labor creation program aimed at helping youth get off the streets and become productive citizens. Curative Health Inc. runs a dispensary in Chicago and is using the opportunity to connect with their community, as well as the local government, building ties that help to better society as a whole.
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CANNA-NEWS
Advances In Cannabis Cultivation WRITER COMMERICAL GROWER SERVICES
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
REETINGS, DOPE readers! The theme this month
is the evolution of cannabis cultivation and, as you know, a ton of new technology is flooding this industry weekly – but how new and advanced is it really? The cannabis industry, including medical and recreational, is becoming the biggest moneymaker since .com and liquor, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. So how do growers and business owners decide which property to rent, lights to buy, systems to run, nutrients to feed, strains to harvest or which processing methods to use? Decisions to be made can seem endless. This new column will run monthly, written by the scientists and canna-business professionals at Commercial Grower Services. We’d like to separate the facts from the hype using science, numbers and results. Let’s weed out the urban myths and arrive to conclusions based on sideby-side results that we share with you. Our passion is the growth of cannabis and the technological advancements that surround it. Being a cannabis consulting firm, our primary focus is to stay up on the latest in cannabis cultivation, processing techniques, and consumption options. In the past, growers relied mostly on clandestine online forums, manufacturer’s claims, or simple word of mouth to select their gear. And now that we are approaching the end of prohibition, cannabis cultivation data is coming out of the woodwork on a daily basis. Often the most compelling advances in cannabis cultivation don’t see the light of day because people are afraid of that scary word ‘change’. Take LED lighting for example. There’s probably no single topic that provokes such a negative reaction between most growers. The first run of LED lighting did lack the necessary punch to stand up to the high Photosynthetically Active Radiation (“PAR”) demand that top-shelf cannabis requires. Nearly a decade has passed since that initial release. Even though many current LED grow lights can outperform any HID watt-for-watt while staying cooler, a doubtful stigma still follows them. Although the initial investment to fit a grow with LED can still prove prohibitive for some, the savings in lack of globe replacements, decreased power draw, and reduced HVAC easily pays for units within two harvests. That’s not to say that LED is perfect for every grow style. We are currently conducting non-
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bias, scientifically based side-by-side lighting comparison studies, and look forward to publishing our results in future issues. Another perfect example of cultivation evolution is the utilization of vertical farming for indoor applications. Japan was first to pioneer vertical farming systems, which are vertically stacked, multi-level hydroponic systems. These have the capability to triple indoor production within a warehouse environment and cut square foot costs dramatically. For the most part the current mentality remains unchanged, with many growers still insisting preferred methods of cultivation should involve extended vegetative growth cycles to promote massive per-plant yields. In some cases these systems could be necessary, depending on plant number or canopy size regulations.
However, there is an added cost and risk associated with prolonged growth for larger plants, and we do expect that maximizing cubic production efficiency via vertical farming will become an increasingly popular method of commercial cultivation. For example, we are currently consulting with a recreational producer in Washington State to utilize a system that allows them to grow a 21,000 ft2 plant canopy in an 11,000 ft2 warehouse. Now that’s the way of the future. In our opinion, the evolution of Cannabis cultivation is no longer being restricted to your garage; It is utilizing scalable methods that promote cost effectiveness, space use efficiency and high quality product.
The CGS team
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CANNA-NEWS
Starting Your Own Grow Today Helpful tips for the beginning grow enthusiast WRITER CHRIS MARCUS
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
ESIRING TO grow your own cannabis, but not sure where to start?
Do all the different techniques for growing have you afraid that its all just too complicated? Let’s clarify a few things, and help you to stop being intimidated and start on the path to smoking that first homegrown cannabis plant!
Here’s the good news, you don’t have to be an expert right away. Focus on the process one step at a time, and remember, even if you go through all the steps of setting up a grow space and the crop fails, much knowledge will still have been gained for the next go around. The most important step is making a personal connection with a decent grow store in your area. Yes, reading on the Internet and watching YouTube videos can be incredibly helpful, but it can never replace a knowledgeable grow shop owner who can point out the correct supplies for any situation. If the first store you approach doesn’t have someone with good advice, stop at another, and another, until you find the right match. Fortunately most of the grow store salesmen in Denver are quite keen to growing cannabis, so it’s pretty easy to find an informative guru with the knowledge to make an enormous difference in the chance of success. If beginning with clones is the plan, there will likely be a light involved, as well as some pots, soil, a ph tester, and nutrients. As little as $300 can be enough to get things started. Depending on your grow set up, you may want to ask about hooks used to hang each light, a timer, a thermometer, and a fan. The good part is that cannabis is generally a very forgiving plant. Even if mistakes happen there’s still always a good chance they’ll survive, until you eventually smoke your harvest, which is a truly amazing feeling that every cannabis enthusiast should experience at least once.
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GARDEN
PINK HOUSE We Won’t Grow What We Won’t Smoke
HILE THEY may not be the largest garden in Denver, Pink House manages to lead the cannabis industry on multiple fronts. First, their garden maintains the largest water-cooled light facility in the country. This new technology runs chilled water through the lighting fixtures to lower heat levels. Pink House is also experimenting with enough Heliospectra UV lights to be a Heliospectra testing facility. These lights mimic the normal sunshine during sunrise, afternoon intensity, and sunset that an outside plant would normally receive. Overall Pink House’s crowning achievement has to be its status as the OG headquarters of the country. Their rockstar team of gardeners grows more OG Kush strains than anyone else in the fifty states, speaking to the company’s innovative spirit and diligent attitude. “We’re not going to compromise anything on a commercial level,” says Bryce Vilchuck, Executive Director of Distribution and Retail Operations.
But the folks at Pink House aren’t so serious that they can’t have a little fun now and then. Walking into their trim room, a giant painting of Megatron stands guard over his disciples, and the atmosphere is warm and upbeat. Perhaps the UV lights and transition feed are not the only things driving such a quality product. “We’re a very tight knit group,” Bryce says. Although a favorite strain of many, growers rarely enjoy growing OG strains for commercial purposes because it’s more difficult to maintain plant health. OG strains also generate smaller yields than other species, and achieving the perfect feeding and flowering balance can be challenging. Pink House has continually vaulted these hurdles by dedicating themselves to the OG cause. They devote great time and effort into hands-on bud tending procedures such as cropping, pruning, canopy manipulation, and trellising, and they have integrated transition feed into their growing process. A steady supply of this special feed is continually pumped into the soil, allowing absorption of nutrients whenever necessary, and easing the transitions between stages of growth. Their admirable work ethic enables Pink House to grow over 100 strains, ranging from Oaksterdam OG and Herijuana OG, to Golden Goat and New York City Diesel, and nearly all of these strains are 100% organic. “We won’t grow what we won’t smoke,” Bryce says.
WRITER www.pinkhouse.me
“Their rockstar team of gardeners grows more OG Kush strains than anyone else in the fifty states, speaking to the company’s innovative spirit and diligent attitude.”
JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
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BUSINESS
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Cannabis Wedding BUD & BREAKFAST AT THE ADAGIO 1430 Race Street Denver, CO 80206 303.370.6911 info@budandbfast.com www.budandbfast.com The Adagio Bud & Breakfast might be the most sophisticated spot to smoke in the city. Stylish yet cozy, the venue integrates a grand piano, ample fireplace, and a selection of glass pipes on display in their elegant parlor. A stay at Adagio includes a gourmet breakfast with a 4:20 happy hour featuring fancy hors d’oeuvres, refreshments, and an ideal opportunity to share cannabis with others. Smoking on one’s lonesome here is a no-no, as the Adagio forbids smoking in guest rooms, but this encourages a sense of community in the shared spaces of the cozy cannabis enclave. Parties, weekend escapes, and cannabis-centered weddings are welcome here.
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MJM DESIGNS 720-209-9207 info@mjmdesignsllc.com www.mjmdesignsllc.com As a trained artist, Mandy Hess, owner of MJM Designs, sees cannabis as a gorgeous new medium for creative expression. With nearly a decade in floral design for weddings and other events, she relishes the chance to integrate the bright greens, deep purples, frosty flowers and terpene-born smells of cannabis into her work – something artists in most other states can’t add to their palettes and portfolios. For this cannabis dreamwedding scene, Mandy interwove stems, leaves and buds from a single plant into the bridal bouquet and floral hair comb.
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CANNABIS CONCIERGE EVENTS www.cannabisconciergeevents.com In Colorado you can now let Bec Koop “bring the cannabis theme to any scene,” infusing any event with cannabis love. The owner of Cannabis Concierge Events, Bec is an experienced event planner, and she’ll MMJ-ify any event from honeymoons and weddings to corporate parties. Limos, cruises and private jets are available as well as vaporizers, goodie bags, party favors and edibles. Bec is also connected with hemp clothing designers and cannabis florists standing by. CCE also brings a healthy dose of discretion, moderation and education, keeping everyone safe and informed.
WRITER
PHOTOS
CHRISTI TURNER
PAMELA LUEDEKE
THE BRIDAL DESIGN STUDIO 1246 Deleware St Denver, Colorado (303) 892-1000 www.facebook.com/ thebridaldesignstudio No cannabis-themed wedding is complete without a hemp gown. In this custom design by The Bridal Design Studio, the classic fit-andflare style meets the fresh tones of a modern spring wedding. Featured here, luxurious blush tone fabric blends age-old hemp with the refined smoothness of silk. The additions of English net and an illusion back give this dress a fairytale shimmer. Subtle gold accents catch the light and tiny dangling hand-blown glass leaf beads chime quietly as the bride sways.
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BRITNEY WILL www.bwbeautylove.com Brittany Will, owner of BW Beauty, helps people feel and look their best. Bringing makeup and hair styling artistry to commercial, editorial and private venues – weddings included – she even brings along an assortment of hempbased products. She’s cannabis-event friendly, and she’ll pamper you pretty.
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DENVER
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Jack Flash Live Resin The Lab Infused Products
WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
FLAVOR Some strains smell like citrus and taste like diesel, but Jack Flash delivers on the promise of its piney aroma. Sweet pine combines with hints of tea and orange, leaving a honey-sweet flavor on the lips after exhale.
EFFECT
75% THC
Jack Flash will get you jumpin’ with its uplifting high, stimulating creativity and inspiration, thanks to its Jack Herer ancestry. This energetic rush can be quite strong for people new to cannabis, but here the stimulative effects are tempered by the indica elements of Super Skunk.
LOOKS The Jack Flash live resin is a glowing warm yellow color resembling supple chunks of beeswax. The pieces aren’t overly sticky, allowing it to be molded between the fingers to one’s liking. This is of course convenient for those who dislike having to wash their hands after packing a dab.
GENETICS Two old school heavy hitters, Jack Herer and Super Skunk, combine here to create the powerful medicinal strain Jack Flash, bred by Sensi Seeds. The Clinic then extracts this live resin, harvesting an 80% sativa-dominant concentrate that does right by its ancestors.
AROMA
FOUND AT: • The Clinic Wadsworth 3600 S. Wadsworth Blvd. Lakewood, CO 80235 303.484.8853 • Clinic locations throughout Denver
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This coniferous resin radiates a strong piney aroma, with a subtle hint of fruit that builds upon the earthy spiciness of Jack Herer. During the flowering stage the plant emits a lemony fragrance and once buds are cured, this aroma increases considerably.
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MEDICAL BENEFITS A fast acting strain on its own, this concentrated form can be an optimal choice for medicinal users. Appetite stimulation, nausea relief, and chronic pain are on the call sheet of benefits, and depression/anxiety sufferers report feeling sociable and talkative.
PRODUCT
Magical Butter T MIGHT seem like a hyperbole, but “magical” is a fairly apt
descriptor for this small but powerful herbal infusion machine, because this is all it takes to make your own at home:
Step One: Add two cups of butter or the oil of your choice – organic olive oil, if you’re a discerning vegan reporter like me. Step Two: Add 14 to 20 grams of your favorite botanicals – 14 grams of bud in this case, a prudent measure for a first attempt. Step Three: Close cover – the painfully-obvious step. Step Four: Choose the appropriate temperature button – 160 degrees Fahrenheit for oil, as the recipe instructs. Step Five: Choose the “Oil,” “Butter,” “Tincture,” “8 Hours” or “Clean” button – Oil, in this case.
WRITER & PHOTOS CHRISTI TURNER
richly herbaceous fennel pasta. Chill and toss with organic grape tomatoes, fresh sweet basil and earthy thyme, a dash of salt and pepper, and a few teaspoons of your home-infused canna-oil. The luscious, gourmet flavor will hit you first, while the pleasant, gentle high will be your delayed dessert.
www.magicalbutter.com 16 reseller locations in Colorado: magicalbutter.com/reseller-locations
$160
Then simply walk away, and aside from occasional bursts of whirring – the sound of a blade grinding through bud – expect to hear nothing. With near silence and no aroma, you’ll be forgiven if you think it’s not working, but the flashing colored LED lights encircling the lid indicate operation. The flashing stops and the machine beeps – after just an hour, if you’re infusing oil – alerting that the infusion is complete. One final step: Filter the bud bits from your now warm, aromatic, cannabis-infused oil, using the specially designed mesh bag that came with your MB device and pour the oil into a storage container. Of course, you may want to test your infused oil, butter, or tincture in a delicious summer recipe. Here’s some inspiration – Try cooking up some fresh,
The cannabis utilized in this product review was donated by: THE PURPLE DRAGON 2245 FEDERAL BLVD DENVER, CO 80211 303-501-2010
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100%
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GROW
Light Deprivation
Achieve Larger Harvests with Minimal Loss WRITER DAVID BAILEY
HAT COULD
be better than an enormous fall harvest after a sublime summer of sun? -Three healthier harvests within the same time frame. As most know, cannabis plants don’t typically flower outdoors until early fall. This is because they are getting too many hours of sunlight. A light deprivation system can change that game however, allowing the usage of potent summer sun during optimal windows of time during the day for faster harvests earlier, avoiding mold and frost. I love growing and ten feet of swaying resinous colas glistening in the cool redness of the autumn sun is an unforgettable sight. Witnessing all of your hard work from April to September standing as a proud representation of your achievements is hard to beat. The downside of the fall harvest is dealing with all that glory at once! The massive leaf pruning, the building of the dry space, and of course hiring your buddy’s buddies to come trim because there’s no way you can get through it all by yourself! Unfortunately, this part of the gig is also where people experience losses due to mold, or others helping themselves. After you’ve pumped all
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
that energy into your babies, it’s hard to see even a little bit be lost or stolen. A light deprivation system sounds pretty fancy, but it’s really nothing more than a cloth blocking out daylight, and such a simple idea can have pretty astounding benefits. Rather than giant outdoor plants flowering through August and September, the same amount of summer sun can produce three separate smaller flowering crops using light dep. Imagine harvesting at the beginning of June, August and October and being able to manage the work load! Here in the Northwest, avoiding the intense mold causing humidity of the fall through two harvests is pretty spectacular. The first frost killing everything gave outdoor growers the same gut wrenching fear when I lived in Colorado too. This way, whatever loss you may inevitably endure in your fall harvest doesn’t matter as much when you already have a back stock. As with any outdoor grow, the biggest beauty is getting to use the sun, but what’s crazy is the sun isn’t the same throughout the summer. The intensity of light changes throughout the season giving many different spectrums, so harvests of the same strain are each unique in color and calyx structure.
The perks of light deprivation speak volumes but in comparison with an indoor set up, your costs are minimal and your electric usage even lower! While the big fancy auto systems can cost an arm and a leg, they aren’t designed for home growers. Luckily, cannabis has kept growers creative for years and these dedicated canna-engineers come up with numerous ways to achieve a light deprivation system without the dough. Sometimes the most successful kept it simple. Hoop houses make a nice structure for covering and uncovering easily. Guide wires are useful to drape the covering over, allowing it to be pulled back and forth easily. Some favorite coverings are simply tall fence like structures, providing just enough shade in the morning or evening to kick plants into an early flower. While the fence may not procure three harvests, a grower can finish a harvest before frost or mold become a concern. Feeling like now is the time to build? We absolutely agree, and with the early start to the grow season this year, it’s definitely set to be a great season. So if you’re not able to get your hands dirty, at least get out there and toke up your share of some sunshine! Happy growing!
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PIECE
Colorado Collector Laser Gun A Triumph of Imagination, Engineering, and Lasers
HE COLORADO Collector Laser Gun might be the only
piece of cannabis paraphernalia you can use in a game of laser tag.
Spawned from the ambitious mind of Head High Glass’s Mike Barnes, the Colorado Collector Laser Gun is a magnificent creation. Psychedelic wig wags and eye-popping patterns twist and curl throughout the architecture, which can really be held and smoked like a gun. Barnes even included a glycerin coil he made from memory after eyeballing it on another piece. Store the coil in the freezer to cool down and smooth out even the biggest rips. Primarily relying on hand torches, Barnes took two weeks to complete the Laser Gun. The majority of the piece is made from dichroic glass
WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
- the stuff used in space shuttles – and the designs are realized using stenciling and sandblasting. This game-changing piece also separates into five easy sections for ease of cleaning and portability. Oh, and there’s a laser pointer mounted to the top, so switch it on in the dark while the smoke is furling for maximum effect. As impressive as the Colorado Collector Laser Gun is, Barnes is still dreaming larger with plans to create a huge set with multiple interchangeable parts. Friends can purchase sets together, switching out or sharing parts to create something completely new. Until then, keep your laser pointed at Head High Glass. They’re breaking new ground.
$3,300
FOR MORE INFO VISIT www.facebook.com/coloheadhighglass
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FEATURE WRITER
GRAPHICS
STEVE ELLIOTT
8THDAYCREATE .COM
PHOTOS JEN HOBBS
Jesse Ventura: Wrestling With Cannabis Politics
HEN YOU want to hear the unvarnished truth – no b.s. allowed – you go to a plain talker. And there’s no more honest man in politics than the outspoken Jesse Ventura, former governor of Minnesota, who took the time to sit down with DOPE Magazine’s Steve Elliott. Just as he usually is on other subjects, the Governor is completely forthcoming when it comes to the rollout of marijuana legalization in Washington State. The patients of Washington should “stand up” to efforts threatening to shut down the medical marijuana community, calling the taxation scheme of recreational legalization measure I-502 “unfair and unworkable.” I-502’s heavy taxation, under which marijuana is taxed 25% at each stage of the process (growing, processing, and retail), plus regular sales taxes, particularly incensed the liberty-loving Ventura. “It’s ridiculous to have a special marijuana tax,” said Ventura. “Marijuana should be taxed the same as anything else you buy.” The fact that the heavy taxation and onerous bureaucracy imposed in Washington under I-502 results in prices roughly double (or even triple) black market street prices highlights the absurdity of over-regulation.
“If people can get marijuana cheaper from the guy down the street where they’ve always gotten it, maybe that’s where they should go to get it,” Ventura said. “There’s no reason to pay insanely high taxes to give greedy politicians more spending money.” According to Ventura, any legalization scheme which doesn’t include the right to grow your own cannabis at home is little more than a money grab by politicians and their rich friends. “That’s nonsense. You cannot let these people become the only source of marijuana; that’s not legalization,” Ventura said. “Politicians enjoy spending your money, and you’re being taken for a ride. Look at Colorado; that’s how it should be. They are allowing home growing.” “Marijuana won’t be legalized because it’s the ‘right thing to do’; it’ll be legalized because of the vast amount of money that can be made,” Ventura said explaining, “When enough politicians and the general public realize how much money is on the table, marijuana will become legal very quickly.” Ventura is definitely the happiest guy I’ve seen in awhile. Appearing tan and relaxed in a sleeveless, tie-dyed t-shirt at his place in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (he splits his time between there and his home in Minnesota), Ventura said he didn’t expect any real leadership in the 2016 Presidential race from either the Republicans or the Democrats when it comes to the marijuana issue.
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Jesse Ventura with the First Lady of Minnesota on inauguration day in the governor’s office.
Jesse Ventura meeting with Bill Clinton.
“You’re not going to have either the Dem or the Repub nominee making a stand for marijuana legalization in 2016,” Ventura flatly predicted. “If you want that, I think you’re going to have to look elsewhere.” Does that mean that Ventura himself, at age 63, may not be tired of politics? “Well, there’s not really a place for me in any state Legislature,” he told me with a rueful chuckle. “I’m a little too outspoken to ever be in that position. I’ve been Mayor [of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota], and I’ve been Governor, so really the only place left for me to run for at this point, is President.” And is that a possibility, Governor Ventura? “Well, I’ve really been enjoying the peace and quiet,” Ventura said with a laugh. “But something keeps telling me that big changes are about to happen in American politics, and I wouldn’t mind being a part of that.”
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Barbara Walters interviews Jesse Ventura
Al Gore and Jesse Ventura
Should Ventura, the 38th governor of Minnesota (from 1999-2003) decide to be part of the 2016 Presidential race, he’ll wait until mid-2016 to throw his hat into the ring as a third-party candidate. “I’m going to wait until the little guys are out of the race,” he said. “I only want to have to run against the top two guys.” “My question to you, and to the cannabis community, is would you guys support my candidacy financially if I decide to run for President?” said Ventura, currently the host of a TV show called Off The Grid. The possible candidate then mentioned the physical toll being President has on anyone taking the job. “Bill Clinton’s hair turned white while he was President,” Ventura pointed out. “Barack Obama will be completely white-haired before his term is up. What effect is that going to have on me? I don’t have hair!” Ventura said with a big laugh.
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PHOTOS
LINDSEY RINEHART
MELISSA MANKINS
Elvy Musika
The First Federally Recognized Female Medical MJ Patient LVY MUSIKA is certainly not your typical 75 year old
patient. She proudly tells me this year she celebrates fourty years as a medical marijuana patient, and she is doing great! Elvy has had glaucoma a since she was a small child. In 1953 she had her first eye surgery on the right side, to treat congenital cataracts. The surgeries where followed by 21 shots into her eye which worsened her condition, leading to her total blindness in that eye. She retained the vision in her left eye by refusing the surgeries and shots, but that later changed when the federal government gave her the wrong kind of cannabis. Yes, the Federal Government supplies Elvy Musika with medical cannabis- to the tune of 300 joints per month! She has been in a federal medical marijuana patient program, called the Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program, for over 26 years. In 1988 she was tried for possession and cultivation of four medical cannabis plants that she was using to treat her condition in the state of Florida. Taking her story to the press instead of hiding in shame, she decided it was time she took a stand. Elvy became Florida’s first patient to succeed at creating a medical nectessity defense in court. She then went on to sue the Federal Government for safe access to her medicine. “Before any patient could join the program they had to have reliable doctors which they would approve. The FDA, DEA, and NIDA had to be satisfied that marijuana was the safest, most reliable, most efficient, part of our treatment.” She was federally approved after joining the lawsuit against the Federal Government for safe access to medicinal cannabis, and is one of four patients remaining in the nearly defunct program. She
is deeply faithful and grateful, saying “Thank God for God and Marijuana because both are very powerful.” The cannabis used for the federal program is grown in one of the most conservative parts of the country, at the University of Mississippi. It grows there legally, and has been provided to out-of-state patients since 1968. In 2012 the program decided to provide her with high CBD joints, instead of the 11-12%THC joints she needs to treat her condition. The glaucoma progressed, stealing more vision from her healthier eye, leaving her almost totally blind. She was placed back on her THC joints, but not before irreversible damage was done, causing her to lose part of her optic nerve. Speaking of cannabis prohibition she says, “To arrest an adult for choosing a wiser bud is the epitome of hypocrisy and stupidity. To arrest a patient for choosing The Creator’s work is blasphemy, blasphemy, blasphemy.” Meanwhile, she’s helping the fight for medical cannabis in Oregon, speaking all around the country about her story and the federal MMJ program. She was been presented with the High Times Freedom Fighter of The Year Award in 1992, the Drug Policy Alliance’s (DPA) Citizen Action Award, and NORML’s Outstanding Citizen Activism Award in 2003. Elvy is very much a family lady who is just exasperated with the war on drugs, “We have arrested over 25 million people, how does that promote family values!?” Lori Duckworth, a fellow Oregon activist, is also Elvy’s assistant. Mentioning Elvy she says,“She’s been overlooked in this rise from prohibition, and I want her to have her rightful place in history as the first woman federal patient, a mother, and a grandmother.”
THE ELVY PROJECT
is a campaign to make a movie about Elvy’s story. At the time of this writing she is in Florida raising funds for the film’s production and attending the Patients Out of Time Conference. The soundtrack is written and performed by Elvy, and an indiegogo account has been established where people can go to help fund the film. www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-elvy-project
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ROAD TRIP
History Made In Humboldt
WRITER & PHOTOS SHARON LETTS
First-time celebrations of the plant where it’s grown, for all to see ARKETING COMPANIES pay millions to brand a company and its product – putting it in the public’s eye purposefully with a catchy name and (hopefully) memorable logo. Being a good, reliable product really doesn’t matter in the land of advertising, but it never hurts. Humboldt County is both envied and blessed with an internationally known brand spread merely via word of mouth, based on one damn consistently good product. And while the raising of THC levels for recreation of said product over the past 40 years has also (and ironically) increased the product’s branding strength; bringing the levels back down again has proven to
Celebrating The Plant
Legalization is looming for California in 2016, and farmers are coming out of the woods, so to speak, getting business permits, having their longtime lands checked for compliance, setting-up rainwater catchment systems, and coming together in town hall meetings across the counties, talking about what’s next. The top of the conversation is conservation – following in the footsteps of stewards of the land before them, with an eye on preserving what we have for future generations. With this newfound networking, locals are feeling more secure and public celebrations of the plant are being openly held for the first time, via a “Medical Cannabis Conference,” hosting physicians, herbalists, and others well versed in good medicine for the first time on Humboldt soil. The first-ever “Cannabis Film Festival” (CFF) was held in the tiny town of Garberville, hub of the Southern Humboldt grow-in-the-sun empire, with films surrounding the herb sent in from around the country. Albeit, smoke outs on 420 (April 20) have been quelled for several years, with Arcata’s Community Forest (formerly hosting hundreds on the blessed day) literally closed and locked on 420, the firstever CannaFest was flawlessly pulled off this past April in the more conservative town of Eureka – Humboldt’s county seat.
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be a surprise marketing trend – and boost to the product’s desirability. Yet, with all this activity, Humboldt with neighboring Trinity and Mendocino Counties – making up what’s referred to as the “Emerald Triangle” (a brand in itself) has remained purposefully and covertly hidden from mainstream culture for just as long. While others have covertly acquired Humboldt’s strains, taking them home to their own states and marketing and branding them, with praises and celebrity given, Northern California growers have been hesitant to take credit – until now. And while they won’t out their Stateline-crossing neighbors just yet, they would like to get credit where credit is due – for growing some of the finest medicine in the world.
CannaFest was the perfect end to the more traditional “Humboldt Green Week,” where environmentally friendly events have been organized throughout the county for some time, with the festival held at the equally historic Redwood Acres Fairgrounds – another first for the venue. The event mirrored typical cannabis events found in metropolitan areas, with a twist, as cannabis farmers mimicked county fair fodder, hosting “Grow Games,” which are relay races with participants competing in repotting races, adding a bit of normalcy to cannabis growing. Event organizer Steve Geider said the “Grower Olympics” had been an idea for more than ten years, stating, “Our committee is excited to produce the “Humboldt Grow Games” for many years to come, and it will eventually be a full day of activities in a full-scale production.”
Yes We Cann!
The day began with the County’s first ever “Yes We Cann!” community parade to the fairgrounds, led by rope smoking, hemp loving Benjamin Franklin himself in horse and buggy, played by Thomas Hummel, father of fest co-organizer, Lori Cosgrove. Amazingly, Hummel hails from the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia, and travels three thousand miles to play the man who encouraged the country to plant Hemp. The parade was another huge first, with hydroponic grow shop trucks boldly pulling flatbeds decked out in green-glitter pot leaves. Rock bands echoed through the town of Eureka, with participants carrying signs and sporting green t-shirts proclaiming,
Got Medicine?
Humboldt medicine maker Sunshine Johnston’s table holds bottles of tincture under her “Sun Boldt Grown” brand, offering plenty of healing information along with her quality products. “After living in the cannabis farming culture of Humboldt for more than thirty years – seeing the evolution of the craft and artisanship that has not been able to be shared for fear of retribution – it was so cool that the idea that cannabis is medicine could be delivered fresh to patients!” Over her table, Johnston said she was able to share “dietary supplements”, like freshly juiced buds,
Hi-Tech Futures
Vendors provided the usual fare, supplying various medicating and smoking opportunities, and a rainbow of gadgets. Humboldt’s own retail trimming shop “Trim Scene Solutions” displayed hi-tech machines for making effective medicine. A trimming production line system said it’s capable of snipping five pounds per hour without humans ever touching the bud from start to finish. A shining stainless steel “Dab Genius” cooker makes clean oil production safe at the low price of around $10K.
“I am a Farmer,” and “I love Farmers.” Yes, with the new attitude “farmers” are reclaiming their heritage in growing the herb, not the stale semantics of the past. Growers are farming and “dealers” are “healers” in the new world of weed in America and beyond. Of the many firsts, there was a medicating area set-up outside on the fairgrounds, jam-packed with 215 card carrying patients, featuring product and dab stations aplenty. Being Humboldt, medicine was out in full force in the form of tinctures, oils, and medibles by some of the areas finest organic farmers and producers.
CBD cookies, CBD chai tea with homemade hemp milk, and a signature brand of “Loopy Fruit” to smoke. Johnston said the flowers were grown on the farm with reverence, representative of the small farmers of Humboldt. She is one of the many small farmers working to come into compliance, so she can have an above the board, legal business with an eye on the future. “Navigating the pathways of legalization is confusing,” Johnston shared. “We are following the advice of legislators and others as we try to form a co-operative that truly serves our community, and we are leading by example as we come out of the shadows. For example, we ‘re working on a land use ordinance that would protect small farmers and the fish in our watershed. Our goal is that Humboldt’s cannabis heritage, and our role as stewards of the land, is preserved. It’s a bit scary and it is truly liberating!”
Along the line of conservation, there were organizations tabling information on water conservation and other environmental concerns plaguing the region, like large grows with big equipment that are altering watersheds, draining creeks, and bringing in generators and diesel fuel to the mix. Companies consulting on soil and water testing and land use are coming out of the woodwork now for farmers, and they are all ears with their eyes on the future of sustainable cannabis production. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE
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“Weed, the Game”
Ancillary cannabis products are getting more common and varied, now including clothing, jewelry, art, and games. Jim and Erin Gray of McKinleyville are having a ton of fun with Humboldt’s largest cash crop and have created a board game. “Weed the game,” takes players on a wild ride of weed mishaps, inspired in-part by the historic C.A.M.P (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) began in 1983. “We met in Arcata thirty years ago,” Jim said. “The area was very much like it is now, economically depressed and lots of people working for minimum wage, lots of homeless and plenty of young people trying to grow cannabis – then a felony.” Jim said the couple left Humboldt for some years, but recently came back to the region they love. The game is a reflection of struggles that have occurred in the region, featuring helicopter raids, jail time, and the occasional “good year.” “Erin made the proto-type board game where you could take different routes to grow – greenhouses, back yards, Forestry Service land, illegal trespassing onto private property – and each one had its pitfalls,” Jim explained. “Many of the playing cards are based on real experiences like ‘your neighbor destroys ten plants because they are over the property line’, or ‘a cop knocks on your door to return your wallet and you flush 50 seeds down the toilet’.” The game launched at the Seattle HempFest in 2013 and is currently distributed on their website, and at Humboldt shops and festivals (who say they can’t keep them stocked).
Fest with a Green Heart Festival organizer Geider has been in the ancillary side of the cannabis industry for over ten years founding Northcoast Horticulture Supply (NHS), a chain of stores in the county offering a plethora of supplies for indoor and outdoor grows. The industry has been good to him so he decided to give back, organizing the county’s first fest under the shingle, “Humboldt Green” after nine years of organizing “Humboldt Green Week”. “I’ve always enjoyed bringing different folks together,” Geider said. “Cannifest was the culmination of many years of planning and eleven weeks of jumping through hoops to make this work for the city of Eureka, the county, and at the state levels – with the fire marshalls being the most intense. The 2,200 attendees and 250 people working together made the fest a success in its first year.”
In true “Humboldt Green” tradition, the event left a green foot print – something other events at the historic venue have never done. “We greened the event while it was happening,” Geider shared proudly. “With help from other community members and groups, we were able to leave behind a rain catchment system that can catch 67,000 gallons from one 2,000 square foot rooftop in a normal rain year.” The venue also says it’s one of the “calmest” events they’ve ever held. Festival goers attribute the lack of violence to an herb that is making history by lowering crime rates in legal states – Colorado, for one, is down 25% in its first legal year. They also broke garbage records at the fairgrounds, with just one trash container hauled away at the event’s end, where other past events there have used three or more.
“All food waste was composted on site and compost bins were built using cardboard from the event to make worm binds” Geider added. “Redwood Acres told us we had one-fifth of the waste that usually comes from a crowd of that size.” When asked if he’ll bring the fest back next year, it was met with a resounding, “Yes, we CANN!” mirroring the theme. “This event could be produced nationally and internationally, in time,” Geider added. “Humboldt County is the worldwide leader in all things cannabis, so the world should prepare as we embrace this change together, and look to the leaders to guide our path.” Education via games, festivals, and educational activities to enlighten the public regarding cannabis as medicine, is what legalization can bring to a state, and those in the industry in Humboldt are ready to play.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON WEED THE GAME www.stonerbrothers.com TRIM SCENE SOLUTIONS www.trimscene.com DAB GENIUS www.dabgenius.com
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CANNA-NEWS / TRAVEL
WRITER
Where There’s Smoke There’s Marijuana Tourism
XSW ATTENDEES were ‘a buzz’ as they encountered a new green-themed billboard touting “World Cannabis Week” in Austin, Texas. Representative David Simpson (R-Longview) called for legalization in the Lone Star State to give the people what they demand. That demand for a vision of legal cannabis takes Texas and tourists from around the world to Denver. While cannabis remains illegal in some states, the sign touts a conference, concerts, and cannabis in Colorado during
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“4/20 week” -- a date when cannabis enthusiasts typically get together to get high. The team at World Cannabis Week has been avalanched with celebrities and media requests from around the world. Colorado tourism companies are growing like weeds offering the “Cannabis Experience of a Lifetime” as touted by My420Tours.com. At SXSW, like everyone else, I saw the billboard. Everything is bigger in Texas, including the pot ads. How could I resist offers of cannabisfriendly limos, accommodating hotels offering
ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE dopemagazine.com
CHERYL SHUMAN
PHOTO MY420TOURS .COM
cannabis with breakfast, smoking equipment, and “therapeutic” cannabis-infused massages? Colorado legalized recreational marijuana a year and a half ago, and experts say the industry is already showing huge dividends in cannabis-friendly tourism. A survey by www.Hotels.com found that cannabis legalization has boosted tourism interest in Colorado and Washington. The study found many people now looking to Portland, as the state embarks on its recreational marijuana program.
Business Insider just named Colorado the fastest growing economy in the country. Colorado had one of the best tourism years of all time in 2014 with an estimated 14million visitors, bringing in $4 billion in revenue. Pot shop owners claim they not only see people coming in from the rest of the country, but from all around the world. My420Tours, travel partner of World Cannabis Week, is experiencing a 4000% increase in its attendance from worldwide travelers wanting a taste of pot legalization. “Denver has become the international epicenter of all things cannabis. We were first to market with our concept, and we are proud to set the standard of service for the emerging cannabis tourism industry,” states J.J. Walker, C.E.O. But what about other states? Take Nevada for example. Some experts claim Nevada could dominate the cannabis tourism market because of their full reciprocity laws, presently allowing legal medical cannabis patients to purchase and consume cannabis in the state. Nevada is perfectly poised with votes to legalize responsible adult use of cannabis in 2016. Most industry experts foresee a legal cannabis economy featuring pot-friendly destination resorts. A variety of companies are contemplating expansion plans, and casinos are considering designating “pot-friendly” floors to test the market. The city of Las Vegas sees approximately 40 million visitors each year. Could “Sin City” divert cannabis tourist traffic from Colorado, Washington and other states with their adoption of fully-legalized recreational cannabis legislation? The April 10th edition of USA Today reported Denver was bracing for another rush of cannabis related tourism to celebrate April 20, thanks in part to the annual Cannabis Cup event hosted by High Times magazine. An envoy of Nevada politicians set course for Denver recently to investigate. Senator Patricia Farley states, “I see it as a huge industry we need to cash in on. The people of the state have spoken and said they want medical marijuana and this trip gives us an idea of what’s involved with that industry and perhaps eventually with recreational marijuana as well.” According to Hotels.com, in 2014 Denver saw a 73% increase in hotel searches for arrivals during the April 20th weekend, which featured a number of organized marijuana events and music festivals, but also coincided with the Easter holiday. This year, April 20th fell on a Monday, and hotel searches for arrival-dates between April
ABOUT CHERYL SHUMAN INC. Cheryl Shuman’s TV reality started by age seventeen, she had made several television appearances and was offered to appear regularly on The Bob Braun Show on WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, which led to a nationally recurring segment on PM Magazine. At age twenty-three, Cheryl relocated to Los Angeles to become know as the “Optician to the Stars” and created a new business, Starry Eyes. As CEO of Starry Eyes, Cheryl worked on some of the biggest films, TV, and music properties generating multi-million dollar revenues. This success led to her own show on the QVC network and a mutually rewarding seven-year relationship that included product placement, production and branded entertainment divisions.
FRIENDLY TOP 10 CANNABIS TOURIST HOTPOTS 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Portland New York Las Vegas Denver San Francisco Seattle Los Angeles Miami Chicago Boston
6 1 2 5
3
4
9
7
8
(www.hotels.com survey)
17-20 rose yet again, more than 60 percent up from a year ago. Washington, which legalized recreational marijuana in July 2014, has also seen an increase in travel interest, according to the website. Seattle, the 18th most popular domestic destination on the Hotels.com index, saw a 61% boost in searches within the second half of 2014, after the marijuana law took effect. Even though Oregon’s recreational marijuana doesn’t become legal until July 1, Hotels.com’s survey found that travel interest to Portland has increased about 25 percent during the three-months following full legalization. Interest in Portland in general has increased about 64 percent, according to the website survey. Colorado Businesswoman, Wanda James has been exploring cannabis tourism in Jamaica. Senator Terrence “Positive” Nelson from beautiful St. Croix in the Virgin Islands, has also become a brand ambassador interested in cannabis tourism for his district. With the recent decriminalization of cannabis for under two ounces, Jamaica stands to benefit from those who seek a sun-drenched Caribbean cannabis retreat. “The bottom line is this movement is bigger than any one state or business,” notes JJ Walker of My420Tours. “People will always love coming to Denver for the mountains, the museums, the nightlife, and now they get to enjoy all of those things with legal marijuana. We are proud to represent excellence with the adventure of a lifetime in 420 tourism, celebrating our national expansion.” In 2006, Shuman was diagnosed with cancer. After years of following failed allopathic medicine treatments, she opted for medical cannabis in the form of raw juice and oils as an alternative. Her success using medical cannabis led her to found the Beverly Hills Cannabis Club. Today, Cheryl is the most visible and recognizable woman in the medical marijuana reform movement, recently receiving the 2013 Activist of the Year Award at Seattle Hempfest. Together Cheryl and Aimee, her daughter and EVP of Cheryl Shuman, Inc., have reached over 100 million viewers worldwide while appearing on such mainstream shows as CNN’s Piers Morgan Live, The Katie Couric Show, The View, ABC’s 20/20, Good Morning America, Fox Business News and many other media outlets. Cheryl Shuman is represented by the prestigious William Morris Endeavor Agency in Beverly Hills. For more information, please visit www.CherylShuman.com. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 05 THE GROW ISSUE
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CANNA-NEWS WRITER & PHOTOS SHARON LETTS
Humboldt Medicine
From recreation to healing Humboldt embraces the plant Arcata Community Center with Humboldt Bay in the background
MONG MANY firsts in Humboldt County this past year
surrounding the once covert cannabis plant was the firstever Medical Cannabis Conference, held this spring at the Arcata Community Center and sponsored by the Dandelion Healing Center of Northern Humboldt.
Executive Director and Founder, Herbalist, Jane Bothwell says she felt it was time the beneficial herb was recognized in the place from whence it came, so to speak. Being a novice to the medicinal applications of the plant, she said she gathered national and international experts in the field to present. While many outside the area might believe Humboldtians are well versed in the medicine of the plant, being covert for decades has not exactly helped spread the good word of healing throughout the land. “As an herbal educator I thought it essential that my students begin to learn of the healing qualities of cannabis,” Bothwell explained. “As the idea progressed I realized the potency of this topic, for not only
STONED VS. WELL
Amanda Reiman Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy, Drug Policy Alliance
Amanda Reiman is Manager of Marijuana Law and Policy at the Drug Policy Alliance. She’s conducted many studies on dispensaries, patient’s use of them, cannabis use as addiction treatment therapy, and the perceptions thereof. Cannabis is thought to have potential as a suitable replacement therapy for harmful addictions like prescription meds, street drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
Among some of the impressive and surprising statistics Reiman offered – out of 80% of hardcore drug users, just 20% ended up being truly addicted. Not the overwhelming and societal damaging numbers the powers that be would have us believing – and surely not serious enough
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my herbal students, but for health care providers, patients and those growing, manufacturing, and dispensing marijuana as medicine.” Presenters spoke to full rooms of eager participants that included doctors, nurses, patients, herbalists and everyone in between. A young man from the military was there, only to learn about cannabis as medicine benefitting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder sufferers, or PTSD, and nothing more, but it was a start. A concerning divide is arising between herbalists and those who make concentrated cannabis medicines, as some believe the plant concentrates should not be ingested daily due to a proposed toxicity. While this factor is yet to be fully debated with trials pending, Bothwell feels both parties can come together in unity. “Marijuana is just another plant,” Bothwell offered. “The same principals apply. The herbalist’s approach is to study a plant with the tools they have acquired as plant healers, learn about it thoroughly, and then apply it in therapeutic situations. To me this is a collaborative situation.”
numbers to continue the failed “War on Drugs,” in my mind. Reiman also rattled off some stigmas still surrounding dispensaries as safe access points, namely that 30-something able-bodied males line up for recreational pot, calling it their medicine. “Changing the perception of cannabis patients is something we need to take a look at if we want to understand how the plant is being used as medicine,” Reiman said. “By the time a male laborer is in his 30s he’s already worked ten years or more of physically challenging work and it’s safe to say they might have pain issues clearly helped with cannabis.” Replacing pharmaceutical meds used for pain with cannabis is one of the most amazing implications for the plant, while stronger concentrates can bring relief and remission to more serious illnesses.
CANNABIS & KIDS
Recently a workshop of particular interest is “Pediatric Epilepsy,” although this writer will not expose lecture content, or the families involved. The group of roughly thirty families came together four years ago in the Emerald Triangle (Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino counties) and they have been going through lengthy trial and error making the right oil to put seizures at bay for the kids.
popular with epilepsy patients, “Harly-Tsu,” continues to heal.
While Charlotte’s Web garnered fame in the Rocky Mountain for its CBD only properties, a little known fact is the original CBD strains were developed in Southern Humboldt County by longtime hybridizer Lawrence Ringo. Though “Ringo” (as he was known) passed away last year, his strains, “AC/DC,” “Harlequin,” and the strain
The thing about coming out of the smoky closet of prohibition with an above the board medical conference, is that it allows the community an opportunity to come together. The proverbial medicine wheel doesn’t need to be reinvented, and the cannabis community is there to help when the window opens.
The workshop presenter shared their trials and tribulations of making oil with the right balance of CBD to THC, to keep the kids from seizing. So far, so good, they report, as medicine makers from the county came forward to offer further expertise and help.
TRUE SELF VIA MEDICATING Humboldt physician Dr. Ken Miller discussed his patients’ use of cannabis to deal with mental disorders – especially those dealing with trauma that may be reached in a counseling office. Workshop about using Cannabis with mental disorders with Humboldt Dr. Ken Miller
“I tell my patients to go for a walk in the woods to do this particular therapy,” Miller advised. The type of self-reflection found by smoking one joint in the woods can’t be underestimated. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and Dr. Miller has brought that old adage out and dusted it off. Cannabis, he said, causes the blood pressure to lower, anxiety to diminish, and the third eye to open, allowing us to examine our deepest and truest self. A walk in the woods seems like the perfect prescription.
Dandelion Herbal Center, Executive Director, Jane Bothwell
One of his male patients shared he had been though many treatments over the years, including “Primal Scream” therapy in the early 70s. Though his many practices have come and gone, using cannabis to heal himself has been a constant for more than fourty years, stating “feelings don’t live separately; feelings are a bowl holding emotions.”
“Cannabis can lead us to a deeply satisfying emotional life,” he continued. “Before I use cannabis I am a walking, talking putdown machine. The voices in my head are negative, but after one hour of smoking and being alone, there is nothing on the table in front of me but my own heart.” Another patient in her 50s shared that she had stopped smoking cannabis in her 20s, because it caused her social anxiety. Yet, after ten years of traditional therapy all she felt was hopelessness and frustration. “Dr. Miller suggested I have faith in myself,” she explained. “One hour after I eat a brownie I can relate to myself more easily.” The patient’s background of abuse included being bullied for “being a girl” by five older brothers. She says her family was emotional abusers – loud and foul mouthed. “Cursing is how my family expressed themselves,” she said. “Their words in my head feel like my flesh tearing. When I medicate I can speak truth to my father, and things soften between us. I can see his insecurity and I can deal with our truth.”
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KNOWLEDGE GROWS Other speakers included herbalists, growers and medicine makers all sharing a years’ worth of expertise and healing.
Author and “Project CBD” founder Martin Lee was on hand discussing the incredible benefits of CBD, or the Cannabinoid, compounds and of cannabis. Lee is no stranger to the politics of the plant, as his foundation outs bad medicine makers, while enlightening patients to the differences between CBD found in hemp, and medicinal grade found only when the cannabis plant is hybridized, with the THC bred down to medicinal levels. Samantha Miller, Chief Scientist of “Pure Analytical” laboratory spoke on high CBD strain isolation and plant physiology with Kevin Spelman, giving an overview of our Endocannabinoid system and what that means to our healing with the plant. For me the highlight of the event was meeting Dr. Donald Abrams, Chief of Oncology and Hematology San Francisco General Hospital, as well as a cancer and integrative medicine specialist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Mount Zion.
Dr. Abrams was at the forefront for testing with AIDS patients in San Francisco at the height of the epidemic in the 1980s. He conducted real studies on pain management and nausea with cannabis that are still respected today. When he flashed Tommy Chong’s story on his overhead presentation, then said he couldn’t get next to the oil just yet, my heart sank. Without real trials, he just can’t fully support cannabis use publically being a scientist and doctor, plus all the anecdotal stories just don’t fly with him. He also reiterated that he is an oncologist and prescribes chemotherapy, radiation and other traditionally damaging treatments for cancer. He posed the question, “If the oil works, why aren’t I seeing more success stories?” The answer may lie in the treatments used in conjunction with the oil. After his lecture I approached him asking for details, because in my world I see success stories with the oil every single day. It’s the world of weed I travel in. Perhaps healing doesn’t happen as often in his world of chemo. Perhaps I see more success of the oil being used alone with great success.
Author & Project CBD Founder Martin Lee Dr. Abrams let me know he felt my writing, alerting people to the benefits of the strong oil – especially where cancer is concerned - is irresponsible. I respectfully agreed to disagree, and there we stand. Nothing but respect for the good doctor, but until the U.S. Government admits this is good medicine and starts handing out pamphlets, I’ll continue to alert the masses to the good work being done outside the cancer clinics.
SENIORS MEDICATING
One of the more enlightened physicians was Dr. Jeffrey Hergenrather, who is Head of the Society for Cannabis Clinicians, and in-house doc for a senior center in Santa Rosa, California, that is incorporating cannabis in its therapies. After witnessing Dr. Abram’s sober lecture (or lack there of) on the use of the oil, Dr. Hergenrather’s talk was nothing short of inspiring, praising the herb in all its glory as a magnificent healer. His “Society for Cannabis Clinicians” is a platform where cannabis patients can document their stories of healing, so that doctors like Abrams can see the healing being done and learn. Some weeks ago a woman posted on a social media page that she began giving her father cannabis oil as he faded from life at a retirement home for the demented. After two and a half weeks, she reported her father had “come back,” with the care home asking her to take him home.
Dr. Hergenrather confirmed the successful use of ingesting cannabis to aid in calming the muscle spasms and shaking from neurological ailments stemming from diseases associated with aging like Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other central nervous system based disorders typically brought about by toxins. He’s also confirmed he personally knows of several cases of cancer, and other serious ailments, that have gone into remission from ingesting the strong oil – albeit, via anecdotal stories only, backed up by a physician’s observance. Knowledge regarding the plant will continue grow, and hopefully, historic conferences such as this one on Humboldt soil are the first of many to come. Albeit, two steps forward and one step back has been the norm for this movement, and today as always, the emphasis is on forward.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON: • Dandelion Herbal Center, visit www.dandelionherb.com • Project CBD, visit www.projectcbd.org • Dr. Donald Abrams, visit www.ucsfhealth.org/donald.abrams • Dr. Jeffrey Hergenrather, M.D., visit www.medicaljane.com/directory/professional/dr-jeffrey-hergenrather/
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