THE FUTURE OF FARMING Shifting Skylines
CANNABIS IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL White House Going Green?
RYAN LOFLIN ROCKY MOUNTAIN HEMP
FREE STRAIN OF THE MONTH GRAND DADDY PURPS
GROW
GROWING GREENER
CONCENTRATE TANGERINE DREAM
CANNA-NEWS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATE DIRECTOR NOTE
MAY 2015 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE ISSUE 04
8 MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH GRAND DADDY PURPS
9 EDIBLES
CONCENTRATE TANGERINE DREAM
DISPENSARY
GANJA GOURMET SPACE CAKES
14
BUDDY BOY
16 CANNA-NEWS ORGANIC CANNABIS
12
20 CANNA-NEWS
COLORADO HEMP PROJECT
24 CANNA-NEWS D.C. SEEDSHARE?
At the Adam Dunn Show Invitational turning down a puff is incorrigible, you honestly don’t know who or what you might be declining. Held in conjunction with the weeklong 4/20 celebrations in Colorado, this secret, invitation only, bracket style tournament was the wet dream come true that every cannabis connoisseur continues to have. There were no categories at this competition. “Put your Haze vs. my Kush and lets see who wins” was the prevailing attitude among the invitees. The double elimination tournament pitted 32 strains from across the country, provided by the best home growers and breeders, against each other. Among the entries were Sour D and Guava Chem straight from the original sources, a bevy of OG’s and a new upstart in Catskill Grape. Competitors and strains from across the country including Hawaii, Michigan, New York, Washington, Oregon, California and of course Colorado were flown, shipped and driven to the secret event location in North Boulder. Threats from the MED, a stalled transport bus, and April snow showers couldn’t keep the ADSI from plowing through. DOPE Magazine feels honored to have been invited and involved. The ASDI Award Ceremony and live podcast invited listeners of the Adam Dunn Show to socialize, smoke, learn about and love cannabis together at a Downtown Denver bar.
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32 GROW
GROW
FUTURE OF FARMING
CONSCIENTIOUS CANNABIS
36 CANNA-NEWS VETERANS IN CANNABIS INDUSTRY
40 GARDEN DANK
While the smoke didn’t necessarily clear, the ceremony drew to a close as the event organizer Mitch Shenassa and Adam Dunn began to hand out the awards. “This one took down the Hulk” Shenassa quipped as he presented a semi-finalist award for the HashPlant strain that out dueled the original Bruce Banner #3 in the first round. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to “Dave Mahn” who had just been robbed of all his possessions, clones, plants and equipment. The society which this event served was able to come together and get him back on his feet with world-class genetics and topnotch equipment at a moments notice; a man like that needs to be growing.
42 PIECE
The speeches from award recipients were short and heartfelt. Second place winner Josh, who’s Flo OG was grown under six lights in a Colorado basement was admittedly nervous addressing the crowd.
THE ATOM BEAKER
He extolled “This is my first accomplishment ever,” and “I do this for the love of the plant!”
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48 CANNA-NEWS SUSTAINABILITY
FEATURE RYAN LOFLIN
56 ROAD TRIP
GOOD MEDICINE
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60 PROFILE
TRADING PLANTS FOR PROFIT
62 CANNA-NEWS WEED + RUNNING
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64 CANNA-NEWS KETTLE FALLS FIVE
In what many consider a final round too close to call, a somewhat surprising victor emerged from the collective ashes of the dankest cannabis in the country. Best know for his Essential Extracts in Colorado, Nikka T. is the first winner of the Adam Dunn Show Invitational. The Ghost OG, grown by Nikka T. and Abebech, blazed through the competition melting the faces of all who smoked it. Through all of the joints pearled and the dabs ripped, the underlying theme at the ADSI was community. From the pre-event get together at Green Labs in Denver (most attendees would meet each other for the first time here), to Crunchy and his catering team (feeding 50+ hungry cannabis enthusiasts), to the clean up crew beasting until the wee hours of the morning, it was clear everyone was in it together. Nikka T. said it best in his ADSI acceptance speech. “It’s a labor of love.” Stay DOPE, Emmett H.W. Nelson Colorado State Director
5/31/15
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
JAMES ZACHODNI
SHARON LETTS
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR EVAN CARTER CFO DAVID TRAN
R.Z.HUGHES DAVID BAILEY JOHNNY HALFHAND DR. KIMBERLY FREE JOSHUA KRAUS
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
CHRISTI TURNER
TREK HOLLNAGEL
CHRIS MARCUS
SALES MANAGER SHANON MELICK
CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS NARISSA-CAMILLE PHETHEAN
STATE DIRECTOR EMMETT H.W. NELSON
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR
JAMIE KRAUS
NATHAN CHRYSLER
PAMELA LUEDEKE
ONLINE EDITOR
ALEXIS EMBRY
MEGHAN RIDLEY
CHRISTI TURNER
COPY EDITOR ALISON BAIRD ART DIRECTOR BRANDON PALMA ( 8THDAYCREATE.COM ) LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER ALLIE BECKETT DOPE DESIGN AGENCY
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER DALLAS KEEFE
COVER PHOTO BY CHRISTI TURNER COVER DESIGN BY 8THDAYCREATE.COM
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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STRAIN OF THE MONTH
GRAND DADDY PURPS Testing Out And Enjoying
GENETICS WHAT DO you get if you mix Purple Urkle and Big Bud? The delicious Grand Daddy Purps of course! A sweet berry musk indica dominant hybrid that has a flowering period of 58-65 days and is grown by Patients Choice of Colorado.
WRITER CHRIS MARCUS
PHOTOS JENA SCHLOSSER
LOOKS GRAND DADDY
Purps arrives as a thick, dense, tightly packed bud that feels solid and powerful, and yet is a magnificent tapestry of green and orange colors. It has a really nice texture and feel and is simply beautiful to look at.
THC 20.23% • TESTED AT • THC-A by CannLabs
SMELL THIS STRAIN has the classic purple smell that’s like a mix of grape, berry, and tart-sweet. It’s a unique scent that is distinct from anything else that comes to mind, which makes it a lot of fun to just sit there for a moment and enjoy just how nice the Grand Daddy Purps smells. MEDICAL BENEFITS KNOWN AS “The Nightmare Strain” due to its amazing results in relieving suffering from a variety of sleep disorders, Grand Daddy Purps is the perfect solution if you need some help finding that perfect night’s sleep. It also helps with appetite stimulation, joint pain relief, insomnia, nausea, and migraines. EFFECT THE STRAIN has
a very peaceful and calming effect that would go great with meditation, deep reflection, or just winding down the evening. It’s nice in that you’ll be able to keep you’re eyes open and be aware if you want, yet also feel ready and relaxed when it’s time to call it a night.
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FLAVOR HOW ELSE can
you really say it other than the Grand Daddy Purps just tastes great! As soon as you take a big rip, one of the first things that comes to mind is a charcoal BBQ and sitting outside and grilling with your friends. Again it’s a very distinct yet pleasant flavor.
ISSUE 04 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE dopemagazine.com
AVAILABLE AT: •2251 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80201
EDIBLES
BLASTING OFF WITH GANJA GOURMET’S SPACECAKE 2 oz.
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Ganja Gourmet’s Spacecake is based on the original Amsterdam treat of the same name, and its delicious taste and vibrant body buzz are both reminiscent of a fun afternoon in a Dutch coffee shop. Created as “a nod to the past and those that have come before us”, the Spacecake is not only providing Denver with a bit of Netherlands history, its just downright delicious. The Spacecake is infused with 100 mg of THC, so take it easy! We enjoyed a burst of creative energy and if you’ve tried the original Spacecake in the ‘Dam, this tasty Ganja Gourmet version will have you reliving glorious past memories in no time!
• DONATED BY •
The Ganja Gourmet, 1810 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80210
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Proportion measured and marked bars Helping you recreate or medicate accurately. Now available on all our chocolates.
Twitter: #incrediblesMMJ | Snapchat: incrediblesMMJ | Massroots: incrediblesMMJ | Facebook: incrediblesChocolate | Instagram: incredibles_colorado
DISPENSARY OF THE MONTH
BUDDY BOY
“It’s a whole different experience.”
ITH THE cannabis industry still in its infancy, there remains a wealth of untapped opportunities. Buddy Boy, which opened last July, saw an opportunity to reinvent the dispensary. “The initial idea was to offer an experience people haven’t had yet,” says medical supervisor Jason Barlow. He and Chris Henton, the marketing manager, showed me around Buddy Boy’s Walnut Street location. There I learned that the Buddy Boy experience is comprised of three distinct selling points. First up is the store aesthetic, which is a revelation of design and atmosphere. The interior walls are all brick, while the floors, countertops, and display cases are built from richly grained wood. Strategically positioned lighting casts a warm and intimate glow befitting of a jewelry shop.
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3814 Walnut St Denver, CO (303) 308-0420 BUDDYBOYBRANDS.COM
WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
Then there are the people. While many dispensaries dismiss the importance of a well-informed staff, Buddy Boy understands that a true dispensary experience is not complete without access to subject matter experts. It also helps that everybody working behind the counter was, at some point, a grower. “Our staff genuinely helps people,” says Henton. “We’ve got people who are willing to take a little bit more time, and give a little bit better explanation of what you need, and they guide people through their decision making.” Completing the Buddy Boy experience is the ordering process, which is unlike anything currently being offered in the region. With both the medical and recreational sides forgoing prepackaged bud in favor of a deli-style selection process, all available bud is held in transparent trays, ready to be served up and weighed upon request.
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CONCENTRATE
TANGERINE DREAM by Bolder Extracts. Flower Grown By Bolder Cannabis
FLAVOR
EFFECT
TANGERINE DREAM lives up to its name,
DABS OF Tangerine Dream provide a clear-
delivering a delicious rich orange flavor with a light hint of pine that far exceeds taste expectations. This sweet concentrate provides a clean smooth dab experience, right up there with the best.
headed, motivational high gradually tapering into a mellow indica buzz. A clean euphoria without jittery side effects, TD is versatile enough for energy filled daytime dabbing, or unwinding at the end of the day.
LOOKS TANGERINE DREAM shatter breaks into
firm trapezoidal shapes with darker amber swirls dancing inside the resin. It maintains a degree of stickiness similar to butterscotch candy, but remains soft to the touch like fruit leather.
MEDICAL BENEFITS TANGERINE DREAM delivers a high
number of cannabinoids and terpenes quickly, which is ideal for patients who’d like to inhale less smoke. Capable of increasing and sustaining energy while relieving deep pain, this enchanting extract is a working medical patient’s dream.
GENETICS A DESCENDANT of the uplifting and legendary Tangerine Haze and long-time crowd favorite Blue Dream, Tangerine Dream was born with a silver dabber in its hand. Inheriting the best qualities from both parents, a sativa-dominant hybrid with powerful euphoric effects was born. The Tangerine Dream concentrate is a premium nug run, meaning it’s made entirely from cannabis flowers rather trim materials, yielding a higher quality product with a richer terpene profile. SMELL THE EXQUISITE aroma of this concentrate is not unlike walking through an orange orchard as plump fruit glistens with morning dew and bursts of uplifting tropical citrus scents float on the breeze.
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ISSUE 04 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE dopemagazine.com
WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
THCA 84.5% • TESTED AT •
BOLDER EXTRACTS
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“Wholesale Inquiries” : EdipureCO@gmail.com | Edipure.com | 720.445.6585 For medical use only. Keep out of reach from children. Medicate Responsibly.
MOVING TOWARD
ORGANIC CANNABIS CERTIFICATION
“Encouraging a safer, healthier approach to cannabis cultivation, the certification framework could incentivize farmers to transition towards organic, pesticide-free growing.”
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ISSUE 04 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE dopemagazine.com
CANNA-NEWS WRITER CHRISTI TURNER
ONSUMERS DEMAND to know more about the
environmental and health impacts of their food choices, now more than ever. In today’s foodie-driven market, we can satisfy that demand to know exact ingredients, provenance and certification for every ounce of food we put in our body. Buying “Certified Organic” only scratches the surface. Despite legalization, that demand isn’t being satisfied in Colorado’s marijuana market. As a growing number of consumers begin to ask what’s in their cannabis, folks in the cannabis industry scramble to create a mechanism for providing verified answers. In a new industry where no organic certification exists, and barriers abound, “Cannabis isn’t even considered a crop by the federal government,” says John Andrle, cofounder of L’Eagle, a grower and retailer in Denver. L’Eagle stands by its commitment to cultivate organic pesticidefree cannabis, but without federal recognition as a legal crop, it’s difficult to establish government-approved organic labeling guidelines. “We settled on this ethos because that’s how we look at food, that’s how we look at our lifestyle,” says Andrle’s wife and cofounder Amy. “We could really benefit from the standards that the USDA, FDA or the EPA could provide.” The potential for organic labeling, John says, is among the many reasons he and Amy “openly embrace regulation.” He wants consumers to know whether trimmers are “wearing a beekeeper suit and a respirator” – that is, whether pesticide fogging is standard or whether it’s anathema at a grow facility. Even now in the cannabis industry as the Colorado Department of Agriculture begins to apply standards regarding pesticide use, there is little transparency for the consumer. It’s public information, for example, that eight cannabis grow facilities were put on “hold” in April for use of banned pesticides - chemicals not included on the CDA’s Marijuana Pesticides List as approved for cannabis crops. But consumers aren’t told which grows. “That’s like secret, industry information,” John says. “If it were a beef recall, it would be on every channel, every radio station – everyone would know whose beef was recalled.” Colorado’s new Organic Cannabis Association is on the road to changing this. Its primary goal, says cofounder Ben Gelt, “is
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
to provide education for consumers by working directly with the industry to certify grows under several categories, giving consumers ready and reliable information about what goes into their product, allowing the industry to operate at the highest standard of transparency and protection.” Ultimately, the OCA hopes to incentivize growers to eliminate pesticide usage altogether. The OCA is crafting what would be the first certification available to the cannabis industry for addressing pesticide use with a tiered system similar to Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of LEED certification. The point is to make it easy for growers to enter the system at a level that works for them. Encouraging a safer, healthier approach to cannabis cultivation, the certification framework could incentivize farmers to transition towards organic, pesticide-free growing. “We can’t come in and use a hatchet,” says OCA cofounder JohnPaul Maxfield. “We need to use a scalpel. We can’t start mandating all of these things in one day.” In their other life, running the company Waste Farmers, Maxfield and Gelt offer a cannabis-specific organic soil called Batch: 64 to help growers go organic and pesticide-free. Head of production and “soil shaman” Matthew Celesta says the company already supplies some of Colorado’s most established growers. “We use OMRI-listed ingredients in all our Waste Farmer blends,” Celesta says, referring to the Organic Materials Review Institute – not a certifying body, but a nonprofit that determines which inputs are allowed under the USDA Organic program. “We try to source sustainable and local inputs. We use renewable products, like coconut coir, rice hulls and bio-char.” The owners and organic agriculture experts growing at L’Eagle, Waste Farmers bring a background in sustainable food to their whole business. “Food is central to our culture here,” says Emily Lawler, farm manager. After five years in business, the Andrles say they’re only just beginning to see growing consumer concern around organic cannabis. Gelt says consumer knowledge of how cannabis farmers grow their crop is still limited at best. “The use of pesticides is pervasive in the cannabis industry,” he says. “It’s nearly impossible to be truly organic.”
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COLORADO HEMP PROJECT The Dawn of a New Age of Agriculture
Colorado Hemp Project is poised to be a national leader in hemp education and innovation as policy begins to shift to a more sensible approach.
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CANNA-NEWS WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
ANKIND’S OLDEST
and most versatile crop is finally, once again, being legally grown in the U.S., after having been criminalized since the 1930vs. Hemp, or the non-psychoactive version of Cannabis Sativa, has become legal in states with recently legalized marijuana, but the rush to sow fields of industrial-grade hemp is not materializing at the same rate as its THC containing cousin. Colorado Hemp Project is a farm located in Sterling, Colorado and one of the first in the state with the licensing and ability to produce and manufacture hemp. Colorado Hemp Project is located on a nearly 200-acre farm, two acres of which were seeded with hemp last spring. The first harvest went primarily into making an all-organic line of body products, Nature’s Root, found in Colorado, online, and even at Whole Foods in New Mexico. That is only the beginning though, as CHP plans to involved themselves in every aspect of hemp’s normalization in the coming years. With an industry that is so new, and still seen as taboo across much of the nation due to scare-tactics used during the Reefer Madness-era, farmers looking to grow hemp are basically starting from the
ILLUSTRATION 8THDAYCREATE .COM
ground up. A united community is key for success and Colorado Hemp Project is helping to bring farmers together, share knowledge, spread the word, and facilitate the production of hemp everywhere. Even with plans to expand to 300-acres of hemp at their farm, its small potatoes compared to what they envision as a new national miracle crop. CHP knows that there would be better land and a healthier population if people grew hemp locally across the country, providing a boon to humans as well as natural habitats. For instance, hemp grown last year by CHP was only watered three times all season, where corn in an adjacent field needed water eight times. Not only was the hemp environmentally friendly, but it grew taller and produced a larger and more profitable harvest than the corn. Hemp has intrigued American farmers for years in part due to its seemingly endless list of costsaving and beneficial attributes. It takes a fraction of the amount of seeds to sow a field of hemp compared with other crops. It rids the soil of heavy metals leaving the soil healthier in its wake, instead of depleting it, like other more traditional crops. All you need to grow hemp is land and water, no pesticides needed. Colorado Hemp Project is poised to be a national leader in hemp education and
innovation as policy begins to shift to a more sensible approach. Collaborating with university professors and farmers across the country the Colorado Hemp Project is working to develop strains higher in CBD. They are also helping to resurrect hemp-farming techniques that have been lost in American culture for almost a century. Aside from the nutritional benefits and the relative ease of growing it, CHP is also excited about the aspects of hemp that would seem more at home in a sci-fi film. The bast fibers of hemp, basically the stringy inner-bark, carry an electrical charge and have recently been called “better than graphene” in terms of making super capacitors, or storing energy. They are also effusive regarding the durability of the lightweight composite plastics that can be produced, which are said to be stronger than steel. In the next couple of years CHP is hoping to have stabilized their genetics enough to offer seed packets at home and garden stores – national policy permitting. The fact that there is a foreseeable future in which hemp will be treated like any other plant is enormously encouraging. Perhaps now we will be able to utilize hemp’s thousands of spectacular properties, harnessing the power of this plant for a stronger society.
COLORADOHEMPPROJECT.COM
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IGNITE YOUR PASSION www.thedopen.com
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www.manvsfilmproductions.com
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DID YOU SAY D.C. SEEDSHARE?
Navigating The Confusing Cannabis Landscape In Our Nation’s Capital
HE CANNABIS conversation
evolving in Washington D.C. is placing an interesting heat on the federal government and its antiquated stance regarding the plant. Nonetheless, while wandering our nation’s capital, one can’t help but notice what scent is still missing in the breeze here—the smell of that sweet sweet cheeba. However, it’s a hot topic of conversation, regardless of the circles you travel in. So when I asked D.C. native, Teddy, just
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where the weed was, his response was quick and to the point: “DC culture is alcohol heavy. We’re talking three martini lunches here. Cannabis is here, but it’s a very novel concept in D.C.” Then he showed me the two transdermal cannabis patches he had on his wrists and chuckled. Given that medical cannabis has been legal since January 1, 2011 and full legalization was realized February 26, 2015, one would assume that the plant is around town. But just where is it and what do people think about it?
ISSUE 04 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE dopemagazine.com
WRITER
ILLUSTRATION
MEGHAN RIDLEY
8THDAYCREATE .COM
SEED SHARES: The DCMJ project is making sure the cannabis freedom recently enacted takes root in actual plant production—gifting a total of 3000 seeds on two different occasions.
MMJ: Takoma Wellness Center—D.C.’s original dispensary—under perpetual scrutiny and still can’t get a functioning bank account.
AMERICANS FOR SAFE ACCESS UNITY 2015 CONFERENCE: Leading advocates in medical cannabis converge for thought provoking research and heartwrenching dialogue surrounding the fight for patient rights. Plus the hospitality suite is poppin’ off with the finest folks and cannabis you’ll find in the city. WHITE HOUSE/GREEN HOUSE: The Obama Administration has shake-ups coming--most notably the DEA chief Michelle Leonhart’s retirement.
WASHINGTON COURT HOTEL Bartender reflects on a recent DEA conference his hotel hosted—Do you want your kid babysat by someone on pot?
LIBERTY POLE ON NATIONAL MALL: 3rd St. SW Cannabis activists are chained to the pole in the name of keeping congress out of D.C. cannabis evolution.
Traveling from one Washington to another, you can’t help but notice that freedom smells a bit different in our nation’s capital. The bizarre argument the federal government is having with itself concerning cannabis lingers like a confusing haze over our changing legislation. While Washington D.C. is definitely warming up to Mary Jane, they aren’t exactly burning one down…yet.
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CAMERAS
|
ACCESS CONTROL
|
ALARMS
Changing the landscape of security in the cannabis industry
(Don’t let the beautiful graphics fool you. You can afford one of our systems.)
GROW
Conscientious Cannabis Tips to help you grow greener
WRITER DAVID BAILEY
ANNABIS USERS, growers
and the culture itself hold claim to many admirable characteristics too often lost in mainstream culture and the war on drugs. While the red eyed couch potato somehow became our mascot, generations of cannabis enthusiasts have grown beyond unfocused hippie agendas, to arrive as driven environmentalists, political lobbyists, and medical pioneers working
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ILLUSTRATION 8THDAYCREATE .COM
to change laws and lives for the better. As society marches forward with legalization, and medical trials continue to support evidence for cannabis as a medicine, let us not lose sight of the huge carbon footprint that could be left behind! I believe as a grower I have an obligation to our plant and our planet to grow in sustainable, and even in restorative, ways. Sustainability sounds fancy, but it’s actually cheaper, more efficient, and easier to maintain than you would think.
Lighting is obviously one of our most important components, but so many cannabis growers use too much light at the wrong times, and not enough when they need it! During vegetative growth turn down 1000w ballasts as much as 50%. Clones can even be rooted under T8 fluorescents instead of high intensity T5s. Crank them up as the plants grow or when you flip to flower. One of the biggest lighting choices is between single and double-ended bulbs. Most growers use single ended HID lamps, but double ended lights such as Gavita or PL Lighting produce 30% more usable light. Comparing, even the best single ended 1000w HPS bulb produces only 1,800 uMol, in comparison to the 2,100 uMol produced commonly by the 1000w DE systems. While it won’t benefit your electric bill, it will benefit your wallet, and the environment, since more light equals a higher yield with the same amount of power.
1) Next to the lamp itself, the reflector is the next most important tool for a grower and if you are indoors, get an air-cooled one as big as they come. A lumen or two may be lost due to the glass, but the money you save will pay to keep your room cool, and spreading the light out evenly is well worth it. Insulated ducting can also help reduce cooling costs, and running an inline fan is much cheaper than running the AC unit. 2) The time of day that the lamps are on, and how you wire your room, can make a drastic difference in how much energy you waste or conserve. Since most of an indoor grower’s equipment creates excess heat, allow dark periods to fall during the warmest part of the day. Lighting overnight reduces heating costs during the cold winter nights and reduces cooling costs during hot summer days. While the temperatures here in the PNW don’t change too drastically throughout the seasons, this saved me hundreds of dollars while growing in Colorado.
When wiring, always use the shortest cord possible to reach an outlet. Using a 100ft extension cord to cross a 10ft room is a big waste of energy, as much energy being pushed through is lost to resistance while traveling through the cord!
3) Soil and nutrients can make a huge difference in the amount of light needed. While it’s hard to drastically reduce the amount of electricity used indoors, what you feed your plants, and what medium you plant in, can make a huge difference in their resilience.
“While the red eyed couch potato somehow became our mascot, generations of cannabis enthusiasts have grown beyond unfocused hippie agendas, to arrive as driven environmentalists, political lobbyists, and medical pioneers working to change laws and lives for the better.” Debate is rising over chemical nutrients and how they might affect plant growth, potency, health, and quality. What is known currently is that chemical nutrients are hard on the environment and are obviously not sustainable in the nature, in that they must be man-made. Similar problems exist with bottled “organic” fertilizers because of the high levels of heavy metals needed to sustain shelf stable products. To keep it simple, soil is the most sustainable and eco-friendly way to grow for many reasons. It retains water well, meaning you lose less to the AC and give more to the plants. With a “super soil” blend you don’t have to blend nutrients every time you water, ass watering breaks down the organic matter, delivering more nutrients to the roots. A healthy soil can even defend against root aphids, and all of this without high amounts of heavy metals or agrochemicals.
One of the best advantages of soil is that you can reuse it. Unlike coconut coir, rockwool, peat moss, and many other soilless mediums, it can be broken apart, mixed with more soil and eventually reused. Some growers will even plant again directly into the hole remaining from the previous root ball. Because soil can support such diverse bacteria and fungi, the soil stays alive, helping to prevent diseases such as damping off, root rot, and insect pests. As the cannabis industry continues to expand across the United States, we are presented with a truly unique opportunity to demonstrate how we see the world today and how we would like to see it tomorrow. I believe we can provide a novel and profound example by maintaining the values we already hold dear like hard work, honesty and unconditional care for our planet and everyone living on it.
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GROW
The Future of Farming Part I: Shifting Skylines WRITER JOHNNY HALFHAND
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
Rooftops make up a huge portion of urban surface area. What if a small portion of that space was converted to green space?
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HE 21ST CENTURY has
already shown great change is happening, yet even more is in store; the world is urbanizing, and new technology is allowing for innovative solutions. In particular, the world of agriculture is poised for massive changes. In a three part series, we’ll explore the potential changes just around the corner in the future of farming. Conventional wisdom holds that food production is for rural regions, while urban regions focus on maximum housing, production, and entertainment, and import food from the countryside in a massive scale. Urbanization has been accelerating across the globe since the Industrial Age, and just this century we’ve reached a point where over 50% of humans live in a city. According to some estimates, that share is probably due to rise to over 80% by 2100.
our cities could not only have skyscrapers of people, but full of crops as well. With space so limited in cities, wisely recycling vacant space is paramount. In Seattle tillable land is in extremely short supply but the demand for marijuana is high. Many grows take place in converted industrial spaces, rigged with lighting and hydroponics, to optimize growing conditions in the rainy city. Old factories and warehouses are prime spaces for these developments. There is something beautiful here about these Rust Belt relics going ‘back to the earth.’ Rooftops make up a huge portion of urban surface area. What if a small portion of that space was converted to green space? In March, France passed a new law mandating all new commercial buildings install green rooftops. Businesses can opt to install solar panel arrays, in addition to the vegetated areas on their rooftops, to generate needed electricity.
A question arises then; if most people live in cities, what will our relationship with nature turn into? How will we feed all these people? How will we manage this stress? In highly urbanized Japan, some have taken to ‘forest-bathing’ in an effort to defuse the stress of a fast-paced urban lifestyle, and the city’s depersonalized sterility. While a city can be a vibrant cosmopolitan confluence of peoples and cultures, an everexpanding sea of concrete hardly seems like a healthy place for people to truly thrive.
Environmentalists say this will help reduce the carbon footprint of commercial development, manage storm runoff flow, and offer a pleasant shelter for birds, and an increase in use of solar panels will help reduce demand on France’s powergrid. Perhaps Parisian rooftop gardens will be the new posh fine dining experience in a few years’ time, complete with locally grown vegetables. The green rooftop movement is just starting to take off in Europe, and with local advocacy, it may be spreading to the US soon!
There is still the limitation of space, and for this reason, vertical farming is being considered to improve agricultural output in a high-density urban environment. This entails stacking up plant beds like shelves, optimizing space and maximizing output; the trick is mainly to make sure all the plants get the right nutrients and conditions from top to bottom. With further research and development,
In New York City, community members banded together to advocate for the refurbishment of the High Line, an abandoned railway trestle than runs along the West Side of Manhattan. With the help of sponsors, city officials, and railway owners CSX Transportation (who donated the plot to the city) the High Line reopened in September 2014, after years of preparation. Instead of
a rusting structure looming over Chelsea, the High Line is now an oasis planted with gardens and grasses. There is ample seating for hanging out; a Tai Chi group meets there regularly, and there is a path for running and walking the length of the park. As cities grow larger and larger, these communal spaces will become more important. These green spaces are precious windows into the natural world, where we can learn from the force that has nourished us. Community gardens, now considered somewhat passé versions of victory gardens, will likely see resurgence as store-brand food becomes more highly processed. Keep Growing Detroit is a community organization undertaking the cause of ‘food sovereignty’. They seek to educate community members about healthy eating habits, and in the shadow of Detroit’s economic suffering, this is an incredibly valuable lesson. With time, we may see our cities developing new ways to allow for highly efficient agriculture, while maintaining maximum space efficiency. However, considering the role money plays in American politics, this won’t happen without extensive citizen advocacy and will depend almost entirely on local support for local ideas. Perhaps in one hundred years, urban families will live in towering apartment complexes with farms on the rooftops, each unit taking a share of the produce in exchange for some light volunteer gardening. While cities began as humanity’s escape from our own agricultural work, perhaps we are destined to return to that work in order to fully understand the harmony of our planet, and our food chain. Next month: Future Farming, Part 2 where we’ll cover advancements in home gardening!
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CANNA-NEWS
Veterans Find A Home In The Cannabis Industry
N 2012, Bolder Cannabis – then called The Greenest Green – was going through a rough patch. After being forced to shut down and relocate, they started racking up debt and losing morale, and that’s when they asked Alex Whitnell aboard to help right a sinking ship. It was the smart move. Whitnell had served as a sergeant in the military for four years prior, and was in a unique position to help. “I can’t tell you how many times in the military when you’re just like, ‘I don’t know how we’re gonna get through this,’” Whitnell says. “But you figure out a way to do it.” Whitnell, now Bolder Cannabis’s Director of Cultivation and Operations, quickly found his military skills transferable to his new role. Drawing on his experience motivating soldiers, maintaining discipline, and keeping order, Whitnell helped get the business back on track. “You definitely have to maintain and stay on top of your leadership skills,” Whitnell says. “Just keeping everybody motivated, even through hard times, is one of the most important things.” The cannabis industry is proving to be something of a home for returning veterans. The continuous challenges posed by new laws and evolving regulations demand strong leadership and an assiduous attitude. Whitnell is also answering to another call. Like many other veterans, Whitnell discovered how effective medical cannabis could be for treating the invisible wounds of war. Simply as a veteran working in the industry, he is helping to advance the dialogue surrounding medicinal cannabis, and educating other veterans about its benefits. Whitnell calls marijuana a “phenomenal tool,” and says that the jobs the industry creates, as well as the products it produces, are a major help to his fellow veterans. Whitnell is even leading Bolder Cannabis in an effort to establish a program at the facility that will bring in veterans for work. “Just seeing the work ethic that comes out of some of these vets is great,” Whitnell says. “The willingness to go hard no matter how little a task might seem, that’s
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WRITER JOSH KRAUS
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
the kind of thing that I saw in the military.” Curt Bean, another local veteran, is also committed to helping returning soldiers. Bean served two tours in Iraq before coming home, and proceeded to struggle with reintegration. After discovering the therapeutic benefits of painting, as well as the healing powers of cannabis, he decided to pay it forward. In 2013 Bean founded the Art of War project, aimed at helping veterans heal through art therapy. Art of War also works with Grow4Vets, a medical cannabis education group, and Green Labs, an event and co-working space for cannabis businesses. With these partnerships in place, Bean plans to start educating veterans about medicinal cannabis. “We’re trying to get professionals in front of veterans and tell them the facts of how it can be helpful,” Bean says. “We want to help people figure out the best way of going about applying cannabis to their lives.” In addition to running Art of War, Bean is also enrolled in a fine arts program at University of Colorado, and plans on earning his BFA next year. His packed schedule and many responsibilities can be challenging, but as Bean says, “My military experience has kept me from not quitting.” People like Whitnell and Bean are ahead of the curve when it comes to veterans and medicinal cannabis, as the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs still does not consider it a valid treatment option. The tide does appear to be changing however, and in January Colorado funded a study to measure the effectiveness of cannabis for treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Later in March, a bill seeking to lift the federal restrictions on medical cannabis was introduced to the Senate. Whitnell is confident that this progress will continue. “There’s too much evidence on the one [cannabis] side,” he says. “It’s a better tool, a better avenue for stress relief, whether you’re a veteran or not.”
Rooftops make up a huge portion of urban surface area. What if a small portion of that space was converted to green space?
“The continuous challenges posed by new laws and evolving regulations demand strong leadership and an assiduous attitude.�
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GARDEN
DANK
“You’ve got to stay ahead of the game.”
FTER NEARLY six years in the business, DANK has
reached an admirable level of success. Fortunately for their customers, their success hasn’t made them complacent. Instead of resting on their laurels, they’re charging ahead, improving and revamping their operation at every turn.
“We just feel that things are moving so fast in the world of cultivation that you’ve got to stay ahead of the game,” says manager Jay Griffin. One of DANK’s most recent projects has been to conduct a case study of the facility’s sanitation status. In conjunction with Surface to Air Solutions (S2O2) DANK analyzed, and subsequently improved, the cleanliness and sterility of their grow. “The rooms continue to get cleaner every week,” says Justin Jones, one of DANK’s owners. “We’re talking clean like hospital-grade cleanliness.” DANK is also taking measures to increase the quality of their flowers by bringing on two experienced consultants. Mike Leigh is a master grower working for Nectar for the Gods in Oregon, and Matt Bickell is a master grower specializing in plant pruning and organic plant health. Together, they are educating owners and staff alike on the industry’s latest methodologies and practices. For example, DANK is now integrating the Nectar for the Gods’ organic nutrient line in their cultivation process, and they have plans to make the shift toward an all-organic line shortly. “They’re researching the best way to do things, the newest stuff that’s going on, technique-wise and nutrient-wise,” Jones says. Bringing in two consultants has also democratized the workplace, as DANK takes the input from Leigh and Bickell and presents it to the entire staff to decide the next course of action. “It’s more of a grow council, rather than a dictatorship,” Griffin says. DANK is also taking regulatory compliance to new levels. “We decided we’re going to be uber compliant,” Griffin says. “You’ll see here it’s like a commercial agriculture operation.” To get an idea of just how serious DANK is when it comes to compliance, listen to this: Even though the store and grow are in the same facility, DANK treats the grow as if it’s across town. “If we have to transfer a product from the grow to the store, it goes through the same rigorous labeling, packaging and shipping requirements, even though we’re just moving it from this room to that room,” Griffin says, ensuring that wherever this industry is going, DANK will be right there with it.
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WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
“Together, they are educating owners and staff alike on the industry’s latest methodologies and practices.”
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PIECE
THE ATOM BEAKER By Heady Glass - “The Proper Way To Dab”
HE EVER-EXPANDING Colorado cannabis market has provided a plethora of ways to consume one’s bud, however they are definitely not all created equal. For those seeking the added personal touch of a finely handcrafted glass piece, check out the new Atom Beaker ($399) created and blown in person at Heady Glass on 324 W. Hampden Ave, in Englewood. The Heady Glass retail location is a particularly entertaining spot, as a glass window is the only thing separating the store from the blowing area. This unique feature allows patrons to enjoy a front row viewing experience of the entire process, giving visitors an interactive experience that’s hard to parallel. The Atom Beaker is a new product Heady Glass founder Chris Keller has been saving for an occasion as special as 420 in Denver. Well engineered, while remaining beautiful, it is designed to provide premium dabbing, but is also available in a version for smoking flower. Both provide an extremely clean cannabis experience, and each piece, made with heart and soul, passes Chris’s personal inspection. Designed thoughtfully with a solid, wide base for added protection against that clumsy friend or wagging dog tail, their glass pieces have a feel of quality when held that mass-produced products just can’t match.
$399
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WRITER CHRIS MARCUS
PHOTOS ALEXIS EMBRY
HEMP PIONEER RYAN LOFLIN “I know the plant will save this little town of mine.”
WRITER & PHOTOS CHRISTI TURNER
YAN LOFLIN, owner of Rocky Mountain Hemp, has emerged as a leader of the industrial hemp revolution. In 2013 he planted and harvested the first (modern day) American hemp crop, and he’s planting another fifty acres of hemp this year. Loflin makes his home between the western Colorado mountains of Crested Butte and the eastern plains of Springfield, where he grows his controversial crop. We caught up with Loflin in both locations.
How did you find your way to hemp farming? Well, I left the farm. Farming to me, as an 18 year old kid in 1991, didn’t look promising. I went in another direction. I went to welding school, did that for awhile, got into construction – that and skiing got me to Crested Butte. I’ve built houses out here for ten years, and for the last six or seven I did reclaimed lumber, before returning to the farm in 2013.
What drew you back to your hometown? Amendment 64 had something to do with that, of course; it opened the door. If I would’ve stayed on the farm the whole time, I probably wouldn’t have even known about it. Moving to a mountain community helped me build that knowledge. I’m a fifth generation Coloradoan on my mom’s side. On my dad’s side, we’re third generation farmers. I’d been saying to my dad for ten years, ‘we’ve gotta figure out how to grow hemp.’ We decided to go for it in 2013 and planted 60 acres. I just decided that it was time. Nobody else had done it yet.
Did you worry about the Feds disrupting your crop? I leased the land from my father, mostly to protect him from the Feds. We didn’t know what they might do – seize product, cut down the crop – but really for some reason I knew they weren’t going to come. It was an established farm, there since the 1940s; plus I told everyone about it. I told the New York Times and they came and photographed it. I thought, ‘I’ll build public awareness around it.’ We weren’t even sure we’d harvest the first crop. I had a plan to build a seed bank, so we could begin to have a real, respectable industry. (Loflin had to import his first seeds, not exactly legally.) That was the 2013 goal.
And what about the 2015 harvest?
processing equipment. I haven’t sold my seeds; I already have some processing equipment for cleaning the seed. I also have a machine that I built that captures the flower and the seed, which we separate by hand. I’m working with a company that makes insulation using hemp. We can grind up the hurd (soft inner core of the hemp stem) and make it into anything – from material for 3D printing, to concrete. I think the construction industry, especially the green building industry (which makes “hempcrete” from lime, water and hemp hurd), will be one of the biggest for hemp.
Is it a profitable business for you at this stage? Hemp is going to be a tool in a farmer’s toolbox, but for now we still raise alfalfa on the farm to pay the bills, and I still have my reclaimed lumber business. I’m saving everything, capturing every part of the plant. We can find a use for every component.
What do you think hemp’s prospects are as an industry in your town? It’s an interesting town. It’s an extremely conservative, Republican majority – they said no to medical dispensaries and recreational stores, but there’s a state Rural Economic Development program focusing on our area, because it’s at extreme economic risk. We’re all farmers and I can see this happening as an agricultural crop in our community. When I started, I called all the county commissioners, and all three were 100% supportive. It’s my goal to get a processing facility built in our community. There are four states within fifty miles; someday we could process several states’ worth of hemp in our little town. It’s a struggling farm community, but I know this [plant] will save this little town of mine. I know hemp has the ability to do that. It’s going to take the world by storm. There are endless products that can come out of it. It’s the perfect plant.
We’re going to do fifty acres this year. The goal is to really focus on seed production, and I’m working on getting more
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BUSINESS
(NEARLY) CERTIFIED ORGANIC Do You Know Where Your Cannabis Comes From?
Consumers currently rely on the integrity and reputation of farmers and shops, as well as vague packaging claims of ‘all-natural’ or ‘sun-grown’ to pick their herb of choice.
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WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
RODUCERS OF cannabis
have recently been struggling to get their crops certified as organic. Consumers across the nation, especially in progressive states such as those with legal and medicinal marijuana, have a desire and need to know what is going into their cannabis and their bodies. The local food movement has brought aisles upon aisles of organic veggies, dairy and meat to grocery stores everywhere, and it was only a matter of time before cannabis followed suit. As cannabis is still federally illegal, the USDA will have no part in inspecting or verifying that approved organic methods are being used on legal pot farms. Not only that, a product labeled “certified organic” that has not been properly inspected and certified carries a hefty fine. Consumers currently rely on the integrity and reputation of farmers and shops, as well as vague packaging claims of ‘all-natural’ or ‘sungrown’ to pick their herb of choice. This is a problem. It is impossible to say where the majority of the cannabis in the medical market comes from at times in terms of soil used, processing facility procedures, or even distribution methods. That’s not to state a majority of medical cannabis is riddled with pesticides and heavy metals, but there are certainly growers using a number of chemicals on their plants, many of them carcinogenic. Many, if not most farmers are switching to more organic and sustainable methods of growing, as it generally lowers
production costs while producing a higher quality flower. Other farmers use Ecofriendly packaging that won’t contribute to landfills, or offer their crops strictly to local purveyors in an effort to minimize their distribution network thus reducing their carbon footprint. In this climate of official regulations and growers seeking a legal alternative to the USDA’s stamp of organic approval, one name is emerging as an industry leader. Clean Green Certified is a third-party company specializing in evaluating, and certifying, organic cannabis operations. Chris Van Hook, the CEO of Clean Green Certified, has another company – one of less than 100 in the world – with the authority to accredit farms as organically certified. Taking this intimate knowledge of standard practices and legal compliance within sustainable agriculture, Clean Green Certified is equipped to implement systems for cannabis growers that will reduce carbon-emissions, help with pest control, and benefit the land and natural ecosystem. Consumers of high-quality cannabis more and more want, and deserve, to know the details of the cannabis they are ingesting or inhaling, and this will trend will not reverse. The idea of farm-to-table ganja is something that many consumers are demanding as cannabis comes out of the underground, and farmers become more conscious of the communal relationships and sustainable practices that are vital for any organic farm.
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CANNA-NEWS
SUSTAINABILITY A Greener Green
WITCH ON a 100-watt light bulb and leave it burning 17 hours – or smoke one joint. Drive across America five times – or buy one kilo of weed. In each case, the average emissions of carbon dioxide, a harmful greenhouse gas, are equal: two pounds of CO2 in the first case, and 6,600 pounds of CO2 in the second. These numbers come from an oft-cited 2011 study examining CO2 emissions from electricity used to grow cannabis indoors. This is before retail was legal in Colorado, before hundreds of industrial-scale indoor operations added to an already enormous energy footprint. Despite the “green” moniker often attributed to all things cannabis, Colorado’s flourishing industry is hardly a model of “green” energy use. “I call it the buzz kill,” says Tom Pennington, owner of the Denver Dispensary. It’s that awkward moment when a grower realizes that between the high-intensity lighting, dehumidification to remove water vapor, space heating during non-illuminated periods and drying, irrigation water pre-heating, generation of
CO2 by burning fossil fuel, and ventilation and air-conditioning to remove waste heat, that mild cannabis habit cancels out their Prius and their compact fluorescent bulbs. Pennington and co-owners Eric Roth and Chris Gilbane are setting out to be a green model in the cannabis industry – for Colorado and the states bound to follow suit. Making its home in north Denver since 2010, this fall the Denver Dispensary is trading in its two energy-conscious indoor grow rooms and breaking ground on an 18,000 square-foot greenhouse. The greenhouse will increase their grow area tenfold and double their square foot yield, Pennington says. With their other green initiatives, like reducing water use and recycling their soil, Pennington projects they’ll still turn robust profits, even if cannabis prices were to drop to one-third their current levels. “We want people to look at what we’ve done and say, let’s be that way,” Pennington says. “Let’s not be responsible for thousands of pounds of CO2 for every pound of marijuana.” Their target customer: “People who want a clear conscience when they buy their weed.”
“Pennington and co-owners Eric Roth and Chris Gilbane are setting out to be a green model in the cannabis industry – for Colorado and the states bound to follow suit. “
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WRITER CHRISTI TURNER
He isn’t the only one who thinks this way. Larry Kinney, founder of Synergistic Building Technologies in Boulder has spent four decades researching energy efficiency. “We invented this stuff to raise veggies,” he says of his novel greenhouse designs, different than Denver Dispensary’s model. Adapting them for cannabis cultivation is “as obvious as a freight train,” Kinney says. “Many are burning a helluva lot of coal to produce weed,” he scoffs. “I regard that as tacky and inappropriate.” One easy fix, he says, is to better distribute grow light. His greenhouse design does just that, using reflective insulated louvres to direct and block sunlight, inexpensive glazing to diffuse it, and other innovations. He also believes cannabis needs less light than growers think – as much as 10 times less – but this idea is still new to the cannabis industry. Meanwhile, he’s gathering data from his studies and prototypes. “We can put together designs that stand a chance of making Mother Nature happy,” he assures. “And of lowering your energy bill, and making better dope than the next guy.” Travis Howard of Shift Cannabis is banking on it. Howard has built a long-term relationship with Synergistic in hopes of producing a greenhouse capable of yielding “luxury grade cannabis on a netzero footprint.” While his company won’t sacrifice quality and consistency, “we do choose the lowest energy consumption option that meets our standards.” That means a step-up approach in cannabis’ vegetative stages, moving from fluorescents to a 315-watt lamp,
then up to a 600-watt lamp, before moving onto the flower stage of the lifecycle. “The flower lamps we choose are still energy hogs,” he says, “But we utilize models that allow us to place 1020 percent fewer lamps over the same plant canopy.” “We have a tremendous social responsibility,” Howard says. This is all music to government ears. With its ambitious 2020 energy reduction targets, the Denver Office of Sustainability has set a goal to hold total energy use below 2012 levels and provide 50 percent via renewables. While there are no energy reduction regulations in place for Denver’s plethora of indoor marijuana grows, city officials say collaborative efforts among growers, industry groups and government have already led to “best management practices,” including guidelines for energy efficiency. Even tentative agreements with Xcel, Denver’s utility, could allow the city to track the industry’s energy use trends and find opportunities for improvement. “We’re bringing people out into the light,” says Dan Rowland, communications advisor for the city. “This just wouldn’t have happened before legalization.” As for the pace of “greening” the industry, Rowland says, “It’s going to be a big, slow heavy lift.” Gilbane of Denver Dispensary is glad their business isn’t waiting for regulators. With all the challenges the public has overcome to achieve regulation and enjoy its benefits, “It would be a shame if the industry had to go away because it just wasn’t sustainable.”
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Stay Classy.
PROFESSIONAL DESIGN FOR THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY WEBSITES, BRANDING, PACKAGING, AND MORE WWW.NELLYWHITE.COM/GREEN
WEED AROUND THE WORLD WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
TEXAS INDIANA USA
INDONESIA THAILAND
If They Both Like Weed, He Must Be Freed
s the defense made their closing arguments in the trial against former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez for the murder of Odin Lloyd, it seemed his freedom depended on whether or not the jury believed he would kill his “bluntmaster�. By many accounts Hernandez smoked an upwards of an ounce a day and shared his passion for cannabis with Lloyd, so offing the guy who rolled it up for him seems like a bad move. However, looked at another way, it seems like one of the most ludicrous defenses in history.
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www. Facebook. com/Bong/ Oops
Two Russian nationals were arrested in Thailand last month after advertising their bong and cannabis business on Facebook. Police on the island of Koh Pha-Ngan found over 300 grams at the house along with plenty of hand-carved pieces. Let this be a lesson for all you Instagram hustlers: a little discretion goes a long way.
CannaChurch Approved In Indiana
Indiana’s much-maligned Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which allows businesses to deny service to people based on religious beliefs, has spawned at least one positive change. Bill Levin has created the First Church of Cannabis, where worshipers, or Cannaterians, are free to partake in the herb for religious sacrament. While there are no real winners with legislation that protects private companies at the expense of individual freedoms, it did leave some large loopholes that many are sure to take advantage of.
Hard Time In Texas
For just seven brownies and what looks like a half ounce of cannabis, two Texas men are facing life behind bars. Yes, that’s right, the ENTIRE REST OF THEIR LIVES could be spent in prison because of Texas’s bassackward laws that count the entire weight of a substance containing THC, instead of the actual amount of THC! This means that they were carrying over a pound of a controlled substance, instead of the reality of barely more than an ounce. Regardless, it’s a stark reminder that many Americans still live in fear of prosecution for something many others rely on as medicine and sometimes take for granted.
Cop’s Bonfire Gets Indonesian Town Blazed
Police in Indonesia have unwittingly contributed to, quite literally, what they work so hard to stop: a steady flow of drugs throughout their city streets. Residents of a western neighborhood of Jakarta were treated to fumes wafting from a police bonfire where they were destroying over 1,000 pounds of cannabis at a precinct. The cops destroying the stash wore gas masks, but people in the surrounding areas were not alerted and locals and journalists reported feeling dizzy.
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HEALTH
Nations Top Doc Takes New Stance on Medical Cannabis
WRITER HEATH LASLO
ACK IN February the nations new U.S. Surgeon General,
Dr. Vivek Murthy, appeared on TV for the first time since being appointed to office. The primary agenda for the 5 min. interview on CBS “This Morning” show was to address the resurgence of measles in our country. Specifically, his primary goal was to assure the public that the studies support the safety of the vaccine.
“I think what we need to focus on in this conversation is the science because the science ultimately, more than personal anecdotes and more than anything else, should drive our decisions as individuals and as families,” Fast forward four minutes into the interview and the news anchor abruptly stops and asks; “ Mr. Surgeon General while I have you on the record, how do you feel about the legalization of marijuana and what concerns do you have?” Dr. Murthy responds, “We have some preliminary data showing that for certain medical conditions and symptoms, that marijuana can be helpful”. He then went on to say; “So I think we have to use that data to drive policymaking, and I’m very interested to see where that data takes us”. This historical event was covered by a number of media outlets and while he was there primarily to get people to vaccinate their kids for measles, the real question of interest was “with so many states legalizing cannabis – when are we going to see it legalized nationally and when is it going to be removed off the schedule I drug list?
QUICK HITS:
New Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is the first S.G. in history that has supported medical research of cannabis. Dr. Murthy is the youngest doctor in history to be appointed to the position. Says cannabis “can be helpful” for some medical conditions, although he wouldn’t name which.
WHO IS THE SURGEON GENERAL The U.S. Surgeon General is nominated by the President of the United States and confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. He/she serves a four-year term. The Surgeon General is the leading spokesperson on matters of matters of public health within the federal government. Writes the warning box you see on the packs of Camel Lights (or whatever you young bucks are smoking these days) telling you that smoking cigarettes has been linked to more cancers than you can pronounce.
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When cannabis is rescheduled (likely schedule II or III), his office would be responsible for the verbiage warning consumers of the possible negative health implications, similar to tobacco (in a retail or recreational setting). Any prescription (Rx) cannabis preparations, like the oral spray that GW Pharmaceuticals is studying Duvet Syndrome and refractory cancer pain in the US, the FDA would take the lead in approving and regulating these products just like any other prescription.
DR. VIVEK MURTHY
Meet the Nations Top Doc
WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
Dr. Vivek Murthy is the nations top public health official. He has the influence with the FDA, DEA, and other governmental agencies to change national policies related to the use of cannabis. Namely removing cannabis off schedule I drug list. dopemagazine.com ISSUE 04 THE SUSTAINABILITY ISSUE
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ROAD TRIP
Good Medicine
WRITER & PHOTOS SHARON LETTS
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
Finding our way back to the garden HAT IS your good medicine? Fragrant herbs beckon us to them for health and well-being. When the sun shines we are drawn to its warmth. We are hydrated by the coolness of water, and comforted and strengthened by the food we eat. The way we move helps our biological systems to function, and if we are stagnant our bodies tell us with aches, pains, and illness. The things that keep us healthy and alive are simple – good food equals good medicine, and good medicine grows from the ground – not made in a laboratory from heavy metals and synthetic compounds. Real food to nourish is made by human hands, not manufactured by machines with “modified fillers and flavor enhancers.”
Medicine Grows Terpenes are the medicinal compounds in the essential oils and are the active beneficial ingredients in plants. The fragrance of plants calls us to them, because we need them. It’s a symbiotic relationship, and the more flavorful and fragrant the plant, the more benefits it has medicinally. Beta-caryophyllene (BCP) is a terpene that mimics cannabis as it activates the CB2 receptor, acting as a non-psychoactive antiinflammatory. Freshly ground black pepper is said to have an abundance of BCP, and a strong whiff is said to relieve the paranoia often experienced with too much THC to the central nervous system.
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As cannabis patients we know the plant helps us. When we smoke, it immediately elevates endorphins as quick as a morning jog, relieving aches and pains and enhancing the effects of prescription meds. When ingested, it replaces both over the counter meds and pharmaceuticals. This knowledge has come to us at a price, after years of fighting through the prohibition of a plant demonized with misinformation. Enlightenment comes out of struggle, and no one has struggled more to free the plant than those that understand what good medicine it really is. It’s also opened the door to education and enlightenment regarding other herbs, spices and medicinal plants, as medicine makers realize adding other beneficial plants to the mix only adds to the healing.
Calming Chamomile A study found in the National Institute of Health’s U.S. National Library of Medicine Web site, authored in part by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC2995283/), states that chamomile is one of the “most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind.” A member of the Asteraceae/ Compositae family, there are two common varieties used medicinally, Roman and German. In reading a list of the medicinal properties of chamomile, the mild herb tea known for making one sleepy at night surprisingly mimics cannabis in its healing benefits. Antiinflammatory, anti-bacterial, and antifungal qualities help ease rheumatoid pain, gastrointestinal disorders, and fevers, similar to the effects of cannabis, without the psychoactive effects. In fact, without THC affecting the central nervous system, chamomile is incredibly calming. It can help with anxiety, panic attacks, and most symptoms under the autistic spectrum, and for overall calming when used in an alcohol-based tincture or stronger oil.
The study gets interesting when cancer is mentioned, stating chamomile was found to inhibit growth on normal cells and “showed significant reductions in cell viability in various human cancer cell lines” in skin, prostate, breast and ovarian cancers. But the plot thickens, as it is not only chamomile that mimics cannabis when ingested in a strong concentrate. According to another study found on the NIH site (www.ncbi.nlm. nih.gov/pubmed/20657472) eleven aromatic, or terpene heavy, beneficial plants were studied for their antioxidant and antibacterial properties in Northern Italy in 1993. Via steam distillation, essential oils were analyzed from lavender, thyme, Roman chamomile, French tarragon, bitter and sweet fennel, with Roman chamomile exhibiting the highest antioxidant rate. Yet another study on the same site (www.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20657472) shows thyme having the highest concentration of antibacterial activity towards human cancer cells when administered in a strong concentrate. Interestingly, a combination of thyme,
cinnamon and rose oils killed acne in less than five minutes on contact. In 2012 Chinese researchers studied the essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis L., commonly known as rosemary (http:// naturalsociety.com/wp-content/uploads/ molecules-17-02704.pdf), and found it to have strong antibacterial, antioxidant and cancer fighting properties when ingesting in strong oil distilled with steam. The study specifically sights a need for plant-based concentrates for fighting cancer and other modern day ailments – stating chemotherapy harms good cells, whereas plants to not. The success rates listed in various studies claim 90 percentiles on putting tumors and cancers into remission when ingesting a strong oil, with chamomile giving a 93 percent reduction, and as high as 97 percent reduction with thyme, oregano, and rosemary. This information gives serious food for thought when contemplating using herbs in teas and tinctures to quell symptoms, or when making stronger oils to put serious ailments into remission.
Relax; it’s Coca, not Cocaine Author and researcher Bill Drake has long known of the medicinal properties of plants bastardized by humans penning his first effort, “The International Cultivator’s Handbook of Coca, Opium & Hashish” in 1981. Recently, he’s written specifically on the coca plant with his e-book, “Coca Leaf Papers,” expounding on the healthful benefits of the plant that humans break down with acetone and chemicals, creating what’s commonly known as “cocaine,” a highly addictive and destructive synthetic drug. Drake describes how the beneficial properties of the raw plant – that could just as easily
be made into a tincture – mimic cannabis and other beneficial herb’s effects listed in this story. Inflammation, infection, pain, digestive issues such as Crohn’s disease, Hashimoto’s, and Alzheimer’s, are just a few of the serious ailments that may be helped with real medicine from the coca plant (being actively made in Bolivia today). This thread of plant based research weaves together a common and reoccurring theme, herbal and medicinal plants are not put on this planet solely to manipulate for recreation and profit.
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TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT?
A quick stop at my own local herb shop here in Humboldt County disappointed, though, when I shared the news of essential oils putting cancers into remission. The issue is the type of oil sold in most of these shops is barely above food grade, and not advised for daily ingesting. In my mind, this does not mean we can’t do it, it means we need a better grade of oil to use against serious illness. The oil sold now is used topically, or as needed and not considered part of a daily regiment for wellness the way cannabis patients know the plant. Student of medicine, Nicole Stevens, MS, dissertation on therapeutic-grade essential oils was made into a protocol for cancer. She reports the treatment is currently being used by cancer patients, doctors in private practice, and in U.S. hospitals.
WHAT IS YOUR GOOD MEDICINE?
Movement is crucial to humans for good health. Amber Gean and business partner Yanna Nicole founded Yoga Ah Studio in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2014. Its mission is to help people connect with others via the “Good Medicine” within oneself. “Yoga connected me to my breath and opened my eyes to how I could heal myself using natural methods,” Gean shared. “With regular practice you can eliminate tangible and intangible toxins that could keep you from feeling your best.” The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (www.ncccih.nih.gov) states that Yoga is “a mind and body practice with historical origins in ancient Indian philosophy.” The practice of meditative movement is used for health purposes to combat high blood pressure, glaucoma, anxiety, depression, weight loss and more, leading to better overall. Gean said they are all about healing their bodies and their minds, through movement and eating clean.
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The oils Stevens chose to use are from DoTerra (www.doterra.com) and are high quality, distilled, ingestible oils, sourced from organic and free-trade organizations from around the world. Most of the oils used in this treatment are common, such as thyme, clove, wintergreen, lemon, orange, sandalwood, and lavender. Frankincense, harvested via resin from the Boswellia family of trees in Africa is pricey due to the work involved, but it is listed as a highly beneficial compound for treating illness – not just a gift of incense for the baby Jesus. When I began this feature, chamomile was the only flower on my radar due to a random posting (now lost) on social media by a woman who put her breast cancer into remission via strong chamomile oil. As I continued my research I found that many strong terpene plants have the ability to right the wrongs of decades of heavy metal and toxic poisoning.
They are also said to be especially effective at preventing and putting cancers into remission, but plants aren’t the only tools in the shed of wellness. From the garden, the apple is a great natural standby. Simply carve a hole through it, add a piece of tin-foil or better a screen, and viola, you have an instant flavorful pipe with the bonus of a slightly medicated snack afterward. Other fruits worth mentioning are mini pumpkins and bananas with the peel on. In high school one inventive young man created what’s referred to as a “Ray Gun” when he stole a “Graham Condenser,” a steam roller that filled a big tube up when pulling the slide, rolling the vapor into his lungs. Way to use your scientific education, man.
Though Ohio is not yet legal for medicine or recreational use of cannabis, the women feel it’s just a matter of time. Until then, they will share their “Good Medicine,” via yoga, healthful sessions and a message of unity on t-shirts. “The Medicine Patch” t-shirt is printed on soft natural fabric, so when you put on the “Good Medicine” shirt you immediately feel connected to a higher vibration of self, healing and love,” Gean said. “Loved ones going through chemo found a sense of peace and comfort wearing it.” The “Good Medicine” shirt was given to a Shaman Healer who wore it for three days, as he sent prayers into the universe,” Gean added. “ “Yoga purifies your body from the inside out, alleviating disease,” Nicole shared. “A holistic lifestyle will make you feel like a whole person, nurturing your body and giving it freedom to grow through movement and by practicing being in control. In current times life can seem crazy, but we have a choice to keep moving, breathing, and finding more natural ways to heal ourselves with Good Medicine!”
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For more information on Good Medicine’s clothing line visit, www.goodmedicineclothing.com
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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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PROFILE
TRADING PLANTS FOR PROFIT
WRITER SHARON LETTS
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GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
AKE AWAY the Industrial Revolution and all that’s left are plants, people, and other living things on what used to be a fully organic planet. Add human activity, and we are going to hell in a handbasket. Heavy metal isn’t just a rock genre. The mining and use of synthetic properties we had no business unearthing or putting into our bodies are now slowly killing us, with the majority of our modern day ailments linked to poisoning from the very stuff we’ve created for convenience. There were chances for us. Henry Ford’s first car was Hemp fueled. His wife drove his electric car, refusing the oil-laden model, stating it was dirty and noisy. If he only would have listened to his wife we may have gotten a break, but his hand was firmly held by Rockefeller’s big oil empire. In 1947 it was announced we would not have to cut down another tree, our Hemp production was so great, with more than 2,500 products made from the beneficial plant, including the oil base for more than 250 medicines. Newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst had an interest in the forests and pulp mills, and kept clear cutting for profits, eventually demonizing the productive Hemp plant into non-existence in this country. DuPont patented the first petroleum by-product of Nylon in 1942, spawning the synthetic pharmaceutical and plastics industry. That same year Hemp was outlawed, and by 1949 author Morris S. Beale, former city editor of the Washington Times, penned two tell-alls, “The Drug Story: ” and “The House of Rockefeller,” exposing big oil’s influence on the emerging synthetic pharmaceutical industry. “The Drug Story” was said to be one of the most important books on health ever written, but Beale’s books were only sold via the post, not reaching readers on bookshelves until the 1970s, when the damage was already done. Plastics were said to be the most revolutionary products created, helping us replace our taxed natural resources. That’s what they said, but the truth is, we are now drowning in the toxic swill of the manufacturing from plastic products, and literally sinking in the mass of debris that followed.
According to “The Plastics Scorecard v.1.0.” developed by BizNGO, there are more than 244 million metric tons of chemicals referred to as “high concern to human health and the environment” used in the manufacturing of plastics via petroleum byproducts. The synthetic compounds found in this toxic mix include cancer-inducing benzene, and styrene, as well as hormone disrupting phthalates and Bisphenol A (BPA). Rachel Carson tried to shut down Monsanto’s manufacturing and distribution of pesticide DDT in the 1940s, when it came home from World War II after being used in biological warfare. Her book “Silent Spring” wasn’t published until 1969, prompting the “Clean Air & Water Acts” of 1973 and 1974, respectively. But, again, the damage of DDT in our water, soil and food was done, with DDT staying in our bloodlines up to five generations that we know of, with cancers and other neurological and central nervous system ailments embedded in our stem cells. Leave nature alone and it works with us. Greek physician Hippocrates, dubbed the “Father of Western Medicine” (460 – c. 370 BC) instinctively knew this, using herbs, spices, roots, and vegetables as medicine stating, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” He scoffed at the belief that disease was an infliction from the Gods as punishment. He believed ailments occurred naturally and should be dealt with in a holistic way. Needless to say, he was way ahead of his time. The good news is, through legalization of cannabis, people are learning about plant-based medicines again. Medicine makers, using plants for decades, can finally feel safe sharing their knowledge and medicine at last, with healing taking priority in legal states. Hemp is making a comeback, with states lining up to grow what was once the largest and most sustainable cash crop in the world. Can we turn things around? All we have are our words and the knowledge we’ve gained through struggles, seeming success, and subsequent illness from the very things we created for mere convenience and profit. The plants will continue to grow, all we need to do is keep planting them and remember where the good medicine comes from.
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CANNA NEWS
RUNNING ON EMPTY Working Out With Weed
WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
UNNING IS tough. It’s tough on the body and tough
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
enjoy a big bowl of green along with his 12,000 calories a day and it’s no mystery that NFL, MLB, and NBA players have all touted on the mind, steadily hardening those who partake the benefits of cannabis as opposed to prescription painkillers. in it into highly productive fleet-footed individuals. Running competitively is it’s own beast entirely, and it There are an increasing number of athletes who openly smoke pot takes a special type of person to withstand – and even during training, with no obvious adverse effects on their performance. enjoy – grueling training sessions in the wee hours of Huff especially likes edibles during relays where she runs five to the morning. To push one’s body past the point of exhaustion in an ten miles at a time all day long and then ends up sitting in a car attempt to unlock the capabilities of the human spirit is fascinating, for a couple hours in between but some of these trained athletes running times with lactic acid have now been known to use cannabis. How would cannabis “Cannabis and running are more much building up in her legs. fit into a grueling marathonmore compatible than they might seem Cannabis and running are more training regime? I found myself at first. They can each teach a person much more compatible than sharing beers with two of these demons of speed, to chat about much about themselves like how to they might seem at first. They the benefits of both running and operate within discomfort, and about can each teach a person much about themselves like how to cannabis, and how they can be their strengths and weaknesses.” operate within discomfort, used to enhance one another. and about their strengths and weaknesses. They are both Acacia Huff, a native Seattleite spiritual experiences in their own rights, and things that have been that grew up playing basketball, has been competing in marathons, a part of our collective conscious for eons. “I appreciate how far my relays, and numerous other races for over a year. “I always smoke feet can take me,” says Huff and she means much more than that. a blunt after I’m done with a run!” she announces enthusiastically, Both cannabis and running have the potential to open the soul to “It helps with my appetite and soothes my muscles after being new experiences, people, parts of town, and the pleasures of life. so stimulated.” While this may sound counter-productive and “It’s a tool. Not recreational, not medical, but a tool to be utilized,” perhaps out of the norm, it’s fairly common in the world of highMike Conrad tells me earnestly as we hurl darts, “as an athlete it is performance athletes. Olympic legend Michael Phelps is known to
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always about trying to get an edge.” Conrad has been running for much of his life and competes in 100-mile races. Cannabis allows him to unlock potential in different parts of his body, loosening muscles and centering his breath. On the 75th mile of Conrad’s latest race to the century mark, his body began to betray him. After running for nearly 24-hours, his muscles tightened, breathing became labored, and he started to question his will to continue. Luckily, there was a doobie stashed in his water bottle for such an occasion. After stepping off the trail to roast the aforementioned joint, his wave of anxiety and severe muscle cramping subsided, turning the remaining 25-miles into a blur. “I felt very fortunate to have cannabis,” he says, and without weed, it may have been a different race. When talking with athletes, one consistency across all sport is the ‘getting in the zone’ concept. Most people know what it feels like to be ‘in the zone’, even if it is in something as banal as grocery
shopping or driving a car. It’s the feeling of pure control and focus, where everything is going your way and you can’t explain why. It’s clear, after speaking with these two athletes, that cannabis can help some runners get into their ‘zone’, and get the most out of their bodies. Cannabis can allow self-evaluation during extreme physical states where they push their body to the limit while their brain screams at them to PLEASE STOP RUNNING. Cannabis is not their only recovery tool, and is by no means necessary for performing at a high level, stresses Huff. One must optimize nutrition, good sleep, and keeping up with workouts in order to succeed in this fast-paced world. They are equivocal in considering weed a natural supplement. “Running is natural and weed is natural,” Conrad proudly states, “it is only natural to combine two completely raw components of the human experience” and DOPE couldn’t agree more.
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Sentencing Looms, Energy Builds In Case Of Kettle Falls Five
WRITER
GRAPHICS
MEGHAN RIDLEY
8THDAYCREATE .COM
CANNA-NEWS
S THE ongoing federal prosecution
of the “Kettle Falls Five” inches toward a formal sentencing date of June 10, 2015, energy is building from all directions to see if true justice will be served.
In yet another landmark move by Congress, Representatives Sam Farr and Dana Rohrabacher formally requested that Attorney General Eric Holder make the intention of the Consolidated and Continuing Appropriations Act crystal clear to the Department of Justice, stating: Criminal prosecutions, like the recent Kettle Falls Five case in Washington, as well as asset forfeiture actions like those mentioned in the recent L.A. Times article against dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, were what motivated us and a majority of our colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to approve this measure and ensure it was codified in the Consolidated and Continuing Appropriations Act late last year. In fact, we can imagine few more efficient and effective ways of “impeding the ability of states to carry out their medical marijuana laws” than prosecuting individuals and organizations acting in accordance with those laws. This April 8th, 2015 affirmation from Congress holds obvious and significant implications for the Kettle Falls Five, including the possibility of an interlocutory appeal to the 9th Circuit, where the case
could be thrown out once and for all. While this case carries extreme significance for medical marijuana cases nationwide, the three remaining defendants in the case, Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, Rolland Gregg and Michelle Gregg, have their freedom hanging in the balance. Not to mention lives that bear little to no resemblance to their pre-DEA raid realities. Rolland Gregg, in particular, has groundbreaking work to present at Tesla Tech in late-July. As co-founder of Native Clean Energy—a company dedicated to providing sustainable food, water, shelter and health to communities everywhere—he has revolutionary work to complete that is not conducive to a jail cell. On a high note, as the federal government sorts out this sticky mess of medical marijuana, former defendant Larry Harvey has received the motorcycle back that was confiscated during the Kettle Falls Five raid performed by the DEA in June 2012. As Rhonda Firestack-Harvey said on her Facebook, “Now that Larry has his bike back finally, get him healthy, so we can ride.” One can only hope that soon we will live in a world where the government isn’t taking motorcycles from old men for growing medical marijuana. Thankfully, the Kettle Falls Five appear to be riding away with a well-fought victory, and a sacrifice that won’t soon be forgotten.
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DOPEMAGAZINE.COM
SPRING 2015 COLLECTION