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inside
contents 6.2019
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ROCK ON
Country rock group frontman Lukas Nelson shares his perspective on songwriting, his newest album debut this month, as well as the mainstream evolution of cannabis legalization. ON THE COVER:
PHOTO BY JOEY MARTINEZ
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departments
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Historic Talent Jack Tempchin, a well-known songwriter who became famous for crafting tunes for The Eagles, explains how cannabis is an essential creative tool.
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Working It Out Ultramarathon runners dedicate their lives to breaking the cannabis stigma and demonstrating how cannabis can benefit all athletes.
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Industry Insider Bhang COO Jamie Pearson excels as a mother and cannabis industry professional.
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Plant Power States across the U.S. are embracing hemp legislation like never before.
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Season of Love Wedding season is in full bloom—discover why countless couples are choosing to utilize hemp in their ceremonies and receptions.
news 10 News Nuggets 11 By the Numbers 12 Local News reviews 16 Company Highlight 18 Cool Stuff 22 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 44 À La Carte 46 Growing Culture 47 News of the Weird
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Online Exclusive! d CBD May Treat Heroin Addiction d Germany Issues Cannabis Cultivation Licenses
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jamie Solis ASSOCIATE EDITOR Ashley Kern EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Benjamin Adams EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Abel, Hilary Bricken, Devon Alexander Brown, Jacob Cannon, David Edmundson. Caroline Hayes, Carl Kozlowski, Alison Malsbury, Emily Manke, Kiara Manns, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, Nicole Potter, R. Scott Rappold, Ed Rosenthal, Kimberly R. Simms, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf PHOTOGRAPHERS Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Mike Rosati, Eric Stoner, Bruce Wolf ART DIRECTOR Steven Myrdahl PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Aguirre ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie Callahan, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Casey Roel OFFICE MANAGER Mikayla Aguilar
CULTURE® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 600 locations throughout the Southern California. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. CULTURE® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
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NEWS
NUGGETS
San Diego County Adds Cannabis to Social Host Ordinance On May 21, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted to add cannabis to its Social Host Ordinance, which means that adults who provide cannabis to minors will face punishment. Adults who provide cannabis to minors face up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, plus law enforcement costs and any applicable injury costs. “Under current laws, it is illegal to furnish alcohol to individuals under the age of 21. In California, recreational marijuana use by individuals over
Researchers Push for Cannabis Advertising Regulations Researchers at University of California, San Diego published a study on May 16 calling for federal regulations on cannabis advertising, which often includes purported health benefits. Researchers pointed out to the explosive growth of the nationwide cannabis industry. “Sales of marijuana are projected to increase from $8.5 billion to $75 billion by 10
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the age of 21 is legal. However, marijuana is considered a substance that cannot be consumed by a minor in such social settings, except for medical purposes if authorized under state law,” reads a description of the Social Host Ordinance on the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s website. The department also provided a 24-hour hotline to report social host violations. The updated law goes into effect on June 21.
2030, rivaling current tobacco sales ($125 billion),” researchers wrote. “The initial marijuana marketplace was limited to a few states, but emerging brands have developed sophisticated national marketing campaigns that could potentially have an effect across state lines. This marketplace expansion, along with questionable marketing practices, introduces a need for federal action.” The study was led by John Ayers, Ph.D., who mentioned MedMen by name. MedMen, for instance, has a billboard ad running in his area that reads “Heal. It’s Legal.” Ayers referred to the ad as “reckless” due to unproven cannabis-related health claims.
Delaware Lawmakers Introduce Recreational Bill Delaware Rep. Ed Osienski reintroduced House Bill 110 on May 16. This bill aims to allow adults ages 21 and over to purchase and possess up to one ounce of cannabis. An earlier version of the bill was defeated on June 27, 2018, but efforts to legalize recreational cannabis haven’t slowed down. The bill calls for authorities to issue 15 retail cannabis store licenses within 16 months of the bill’s effective date. If passed, it would allow 50 indoor and outdoor cultivation facilities of varying sizes, plus 10 product manufacturing facilities as well. It wouldn’t allow any cultivation athome as seen in other states. “On Thursday, [May 16,] I introduced a bill to legalize recreational marijuana, which would establish a new industry that could create hundreds of good-paying jobs throughout the state while striking a blow against the marijuana black market,” Rep. Ed Osienski stated. The new version of the bill follows a task force study on the impact of legalization.
The number of cannabis businesses that have been granted licenses in the city of San Diego, as of May 28: (Source: NBC San Diego)
The number of votes from the California Senate, out of 36, that were cast in favor of a bill that would allow private banks and credit unions to offer their services to cannabis businesses: (Source: CNBC)
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The maximum amount of money, in dollars, that San Diego County will charge an adult for allowing minors to gain access to cannabis on their property: (Source: Valley Road Runner)
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The average reduction of suicides annually in California after medical cannabis was legalized, between 1997 and 2004: (Source: Archives of Suicide Research)
398.9
The number of attorneys general from various states in the U.S. who agreed that Congress should approve a cannabis banking proposal: (Source: North Bay Business Journal)
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The percentage of women who said that they consume cannabis to ease PMS pain, depression and anxiety: (Source: Daily Mail)
The amount of money, in billions of dollars, that a recent report projects the hemp industry will be worth in 2026: (Source: GlobeNewswire)
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The estimated percentage of New Zealanders who support recreational cannabis legalization: (Source: 1 News Now)
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Fifth Native American Cannabis & Hemp Conference WHEN: Mon, June 10-Tues, June 11 WHERE: Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Pkwy., Temecula WEBSITE: nativenationevents.org Tribal leaders, councilmembers, legal professionals, doctors, patients and businesspeople in the cannabis and hemp industries are all invited to explore how Native Americans are tapping into the lucrative market. The Fifth Native American Cannabis & Hemp Conference is being held in conjunction with three other Native Americanthemed conferences on economic development, housing and healthcare. The price of admission gets you into all four
conferences. Presenters include attorneys Mark Levitan and Malina Duma, plus Vince Lane of Hotbox, Dr. Valentine Vozella and Kurt Schwinden. There will be multiple summits with numerous other speakers covering cannabis and hemp laws, Native American culture, The Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2019 and more. You can also learn about the healing properties behind cannabis and hemp and how it relates to Native American medicine. CultureMagazine.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
TAXATION TROUBLES
California Appropriations Committee declined approval of cannabis tax solution
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By Benjamin M. Adams alifornia’s black market sales of cannabis are thriving. About two-thirds of California cities blocked recreational retail shops from opening through preemptive measures, and the state has opened only 621 licensed retailers as of lateMay—just one-tenth of what was expected. But by far, the strongest push back into the black market has been Proposition 64’s unreasonably high cannabis tax rates. And on May 16, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee shot down one of the best solutions to the tax problem currently at hand. The Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), enacted when Proposition 64 was approved in 2016, imposes a 15 percent excise tax on the gross receipts and a cultivation tax of $9.25 per dry-weight ounce on cannabis flowers and $2.75 per dry ounce on cannabis leaves. And once all these taxes are added up on top of any local taxes, California consumers are paying up to 35 or 40 percent tax—far more than is required in nearly any other industry. In San Diego, a formal policy created in 2018 clarifies that distributors who deliver cannabis products to retailers located within the city also are liable for the city’s local taxes. This creates a double tax situation that makes the problem worse. Assemblymember Rob Bonta recently introduced a bill that was intended to help
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Toby Keith California’s legal cannabis market survive. Assembly Bill 286, or the Temporary Cannabis Tax Reduction bill, would have temporarily cut cannabis sales tax from 15 percent to 11 percent and suspend cultivation taxes for two-and-a-half years in order to help legal retailers compete with California’s robust black market. The temporary reduction in taxes would help the legal cannabis market catch up with the illicit market. AB-286 cleared the Business and Professions Committee with a 16-1 vote in favor of the bill and the Revenue and Taxation Committee by a 10-1 vote. At a hearing on May 1, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee expressed concerns about the bill, showing signs of hesitation. “AB-286 aims to combat the illicit cannabis market by suspending or temporarily reducing cannabis taxes,” Assembly Appropriations Committee Chair Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher of San Diego stated in a bill analysis. “Supporters argue this will allow legal businesses to offer more competitive prices in order to bring in customers currently buying from illicit market operations. In light of the pending [Legislative Analyst’s Office] report exploring the issue of cannabis taxation, the committee may wish to consider whether this bill is premature given that the legal industry has been operating for just a few years.” A report by legislative staff issued last year estimated the losses from cannabis tax cuts at $297 million. Assemblymember Fletcher said at a committee meeting last year that California could not afford the loss of tax revenue due to the proposed tax cuts. “It was really expensive,” she said, referring to the potential cost of AB-286. On a positive note, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced Senate Bill 51, which would create a cannabis charter bank and a charter credit union to serve cannabis businesses. Because of the federal status of cannabis, these financial institutions would have to issue special-purpose checks. For now, Californians will continue to pay steep taxes until something is done to readjust tax rates that continue to push cannabis consumers back into the black market. The black market may be tempting because of its low prices, but paying taxes helps to fulfill the promises that were made before Proposition 64 was approved by voters. c
In 2017, Toby Keith released “Wacky Tobaccy,” a humorous, lighthearted song about the leafy green plant that we all love. The country singer, songwriter and producer has made a solid name for himself in the country music industry. “Most people I know that smoke will come home at night, smoke about half of something, and then go lay down and go to bed,” Keith told CULTURE in 2018. “It’s just always been funny to me how much weight it carries in the world and how little it actually affects anybody.” Hear Keith perform live at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, just in time for Father’s Day. Keith takes a patriotic stance that is evident through his music and his projects, including performing for troops in the Middle East. WHEN: Fri, June 14 WHERE: Del Mar Fairgrounds, Del Mar WEBSITE: www.delmarfair grounds.com
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REVIEWS
company highlight products that are safe, tested and brewed to perfection. As we have taken a culinary approach to all of our formulations, we also encourage consumers to engage our products in ways that work for them. Whether it be a shot of our Mexican mocha added to their morning coffee or a few servings of one of our unique tinctures to charge up a salsa or salad dressing, we encourage this experimentation. This is part of what putting the power of dosing in the hands of the consumer really means.
THERAPY TONICS & PROVISIONS La Jolla, California www.therapytonics.com Interviewed: Christopher Coggan Founder & CEO, Therapy Tonics & Provisions Boardmember, California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA) Chairperson, CCIA Manufacturing Committee Boardmember, San Diego Cannabis Industry Association (SDCIA)
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How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? Therapy Tonics’ mission is to create healthy alternatives to traditional ways of consuming cannabis. We offer a wide variety of tinctures and beverages, with many vegan and low-sugar options, putting the power of dosing in the hands of the consumer. Our specialty is finding the most delicious and healthy way to ensure a consistent and enjoyable infused-product experience. Our company is empowered by a team of creative and committed individuals who work tirelessly to provide consumers with Therapy
What do you offer consumers that others don’t? We are quite possibly the only beverage of our kind in the North American cannabis marketplace. We provide consumers a homogenized beverage made with 100 percent non-GMO ingredients, most of which are USDA organically certified. Our drinks are low-sugar, filled with antioxidants, gluten-free, with many vegan options to choose from. They also boast a full plant infusion, providing for quick onset and stable, elongated effects. How and why did your company start up? The long version of that story will make a great movie one day, but in short, I had partnered in another cannabis drink company in early 2008. It didn’t really work out. After an opportunity to revive the company several years later failed, I decided I could do it better. About five years ago, Therapy Tonics was born in my kitchen. Working side by side with my good friend Elvis, spilling hot liquids, setting off smoke alarms, working with frenzied intent. The first day involved an exploding pressure cooker, a small, but formidable fire, and a quick lesson in how to break milk fats.
With the changing landscape of cannabis products, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? Any advantages? The challenges are many. First, the regulatory environment, from federal law all the way down to the municipal level, is dynamic and overly repressive. Although permanent regulations are in place in California, there are still a lot of issues both with that regulation and the underlying legislation. A second formidable challenge is specific to the cannabis beverage market sector, a single-digit percentage of the edible category, which itself only constitutes around 20 percent of overall California sales. Although there is a lot of hype around the cannabis beverage industry, the plain truth is, the anticipated explosive growth has yet to explode. In contrast to the acceleration principle, this market segment is seeing massive investment prior to increased consumption, further complicating the business dynamics. Third, the higher costs of doing business are not limited to regulatory and licensing expenses. From trackand-trace to testing, the cost of doing business is extensive, further complicated by federal banking and tax laws. And lastly, Therapy Tonics is a bootstrapped company grinding away in the shadow of deep-pocketed competitors. Even if we have the best products in the marketplace, even if we have a unique and compelling brand fueled by an amazing team of creative and passionate individuals, the likelihood of failure is much higher than that of success. All that said, the story of the underdog is our real story, and that story resonates through the hearts of our team members and the products we make. This is our real advantage. From the last few bottles of Therapy in the fridge at a dispensary, to the budtender who wears our swag, our narrative is being written. Everybody loves the come from behind, go for broke struggle driven by an impassioned team, unyielding determination and a shit-ton of luck.
What are the goals and vision moving forward for your company? Where do you see your company in five years? Well our vision is to put the power in the hands of the consumer. I am not talking about regulatory potency limits here or exacting dosing, I am referring instead to the vehicle through which consumers engage cannabis. It has to be controllable, dependable and discreet. It should be made of healthy ingredients, and it should contain a full plant extraction. It should taste amazing and provide a consistent experience, every time. It should improve the quality of people’s lives both directly and indirectly. And our goal? Our goal is to expand our product line and empower consumers throughout California and beyond with our innovative offerings. What do you hope to see happen within the next five years of legal cannabis across California? We hope to see the regulators grasp a deeper understanding of the policies they implement and their effects on the industry as a whole. The illicit market has continued to grow with little to no consequences following the adult use legalization of cannabis. This, combined with overtaxation, pushes consumers to the illicit market to avoid the rising costs
of the over-regulated market. The hope is that state regulatory agencies are willing to take accountability for poor policy decisions and work with our industry to address the issues. The hope is that more local municipalities work to create equitable relationships with cannabis operators providing lower taxes and more accessible licensing opportunities. And of course, Therapy hopes to be there providing great products and educating the public on the functional use of both cannabisand hemp-derived products. c CultureMagazine.com
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REVIEWS
1. ScopeAround Flexible If there are two things we know about dad, it’s that although it’s near impossible to find him a Father’s Day gift that he’ll love, he is always working on at least 50 random projects around the house at any given time. Just imagine the look on your favorite dad’s face as he unwraps the ScopeAround Flexible. You’ll see the look of childlike wonder in his eyes as he considers the impossibleto-reach areas he is going to explore with this flexible camera that is only 5.5mm in diameter. Price: $189 More Information: scopearound.com 2. Datsusara Hemp Gear Bag Pro Need a durable bag that will hold a boot-load of gear this summer? In honor of Hemp 2 History Week happening this month, we found the Datsusara Hemp Gear Bag Pro. Constructed out of environmentally-friendly and extremely durable hemp canvas, this bag is also anti-microbial and breathable. Complete with tons of pockets and clocking in at 5,000 cubic inches of total internal volume, dad will stay organized with no storage shortage. Price: $150 More Information: dsgear.com 18
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3. The Path Don’t know which path to take in life? That’s okay—we have the perfect path for you. No matter if your future is in shambles, follow the journey The Path takes you on. The smoke travels down the device’s windy path, allowing smoke to cool down and filter before reaching your lips. Pack the bowl, and secure your cannabis for transport with the sliding cover. All-in-all, this attractive design is exactly what consumers need to have a more fun and enjoyable smoking experience. Available in black or silver, this will be a welcomed Father’s Day gift for the most awesome dudes in your life. Price: $75 More Information: smokehonest.com 4. Dulytek® 7 Piece Rosin & Wax Tool Set Looking to dab, scrape, slam dunk or scoop cannabis concentrate into your favorite rig? Look no further than the Dulytek® 7 Piece Rosin & Wax Tool Set. Five double-sided food-grade stainless steel tools were expertly crafted to fill every rosin and wax consuming need imaginable. Complete with a set of silicone finger protectors, don’t worry about your wax sticking to your fingertips. When you order it through the product’s official website, the set comes with a product warranty, and satisfaction is guaranteed. This means you can gift this set without any worry of disappointing your giftee. Price: $20 More Information: dulytek.com
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entertainment
RELEASE DATE: JUNE 21 AVAILABLE ON: NINTENDO SWITCH, PLAYSTATION 4 AND XBOX ONE
BOOK
American Hemp Jen Hobbs Skyhorse Publishing Curious to learn more about the sheer potential of the hemp plant? American Hemp delves into what makes hemp a superior product and its various uses from farming to 3D printing. Find out the ways that hemp can benefit the planet, including its ability to remove toxins in the soil and being an ecofriendly replacement for plastics and fossil fuels. Readers will also uncover the many medicinal uses of hemp, plus the complicated legal history of the plant. Complete with a foreword by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, American Hemp will give you insight into why it’s high time our nation embraces hemp. (Jacob Cannon) 22
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MUSIC MOVIE
GAME
Crash Team Racing NitroFueled Dev. Beenox Pub. Activision Crash Team Racing (CTR), a PlayStation exclusive that was originally released in 1999, was one of the only decent contenders to Nintendo’s powerhouse kart racing game, Mario Kart—but CTR was a thrilling way to compete with your friends while sabotaging their success (for those who didn’t own a Nintendo console anyway). That excitement is now being replicated in an official remake that comes with a complete overhaul of character and level design, plus a few extra surprises for longtime fans such as online multiplayer and customizable vehicles. (Nicole Potter)
Blaze Dir. Ethan Hawke IFC Films When singersongwriter, country artist Blaze Foley was shot to death at the age of 39 during a confrontation over stolen pension checks, all but a small handful of other musicians and close friends took notice. Over the years though, Foley’s music has become more and more well-known and his popularity grew enough to warrant a biographical film directed by none other than Ethan Hawke. Blaze traces Foley’s turbulent life and musical career as he struggled with substance addiction, homelessness and small successes as a songwriter. The film exceptionally does well introducing viewers to one of country songwriting’s least known geniuses. (Simon Weedn)
Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Fantasy Recordings A year-and-a-half since its self-titled Fantasy Records debut, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real returns with a stunning follow up, Turn Off The News (Build A Garden). The record finds the band honing in on perfection of its classic rock meets alternative country style and captures the band at its tightest. Though the album wears the influence of bands like The Traveling Wilburys and Tom Petty proudly, the songs merely use those artists as guide posts to create something wholly new rather than attempting to recreate the past. (Simon Weedn)
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Lukas Nelson talks songwriting, inspiration and his new album release happening this month
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By Simon Weedn For over a decade, Lukas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real have been hard at work honing a country rock ‘n’ roll sound that has roots planted deep in the past but keeps its eyes forward and feet moving into the future. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s bluesy, country rock style manages to sound both vintage and contemporary, and the band draws on many influences but never simply impersonates them. The last five years have seen Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real do everything from recording with Neil Young, appear in, cowrite and co-produce the music of last year’s hit film, A Star Is Born, release two albums of original material with a third out in the next few weeks, and tour extensively all over the world, in addition to also backing Neil Young or performing with Lukas’s father, Willie Nelson. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s self-titled 2017 album rose to number two on the Billboard U.S. Country chart and was nominated for Duo/Group of the Year at the Americana Music Awards, while the soundtrack for A Star Is Born opened at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. CULTURE had the opportunity to catch up with Nelson recently and hear all about his band’s new album Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) available on June 14, his experience working on A Star is Born, his activism and of course, his excitement about all things cannabis.
PHOTOS BY JOEY MARTINEZ
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How did you all find the time to get this album completed? The actual tracking only took us about 10 days at most. We went into the studio and basically recorded it live; we did three takes of each song and picked the best ones. There was also about an hour of pre-production beforehand where we decided how we were going to arrange the songs and everything. So we actually ended up with 20 tracks done in our first six-day session at ShangriLa Studios. Then we went and did another three-day session at The Village Recorder, where we did our last record, and ended up with another eight or nine tracks. So, we had about 30 total to choose from. Then we just had to narrow it down, pick the tracks and mix 28
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those—and that all happened in the span of the last year-and-a-half. Were the songs on this album written in the last year-and-a-half, or are some of these older tunes you’ve been working on? The song “Mystery” from the record is one that I put out on our first EP ever back in 2009. But that recording was actually the second version of the song, and the one that we’re putting out now is the way I originally wrote it back when I was 18. The only ones we revisited were that one and the song “Something Real” because I really wanted to get another recording of that one down too. The rest of them are new. One big thing that happened for you in that time frame was your
work on A Star Is Born. Was sitting down and writing with a pop star like Lady Gaga a radically different experience for you? Interestingly, when Gaga and I were writing together we seemed to see ear-to-ear, so to speak. She comes from her world, and I come from mine, but she knows jazz music, blues and the roots of music in general. When you know that language, you love a good song, and that’s what I pride myself most on— good songwriting. I don’t like to limit myself to a certain genre when it comes to that. I like a good melody and lyrics that speak to me, and if that’s the case then it doesn’t matter what instrumentation necessarily surrounds the song, how you produce it, or how you present it to the world. It’s all a matter of taste.
You decided to work with John Alagia again for this album. It seems like every release prior to this one and the one before have had different producers. What made you decide to continue working with him? Well, I love John. He’s a good friend of mine, and I like his approach. We’re pretty raw as a band and are more on the Neil Young or The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street end of things. I like his ability to put a polish on our sound when we work together; it really balances out into something great. I think that’s why we work so well together. We both have our approaches, but we both come from the same place and love the same types of music. We both love great songs, and John is an incredible songwriter. In fact, for our new single, “Bad Case,” John and his friend Jamie Hartman, who is also a great songwriter and works at The Village, gave some ideas that I wouldn’t have necessarily thought of to make the song more accessible to people. I want to reach all types of worlds, though not the ones without soul, but I’d like to reach the soul of all genres. From a production standpoint, was there a particular type of sound you wanted to achieve? You know, when I wrote “Bad Case,” I felt Tom Petty. I felt him in my spirit, I was missing him, and it really came out that way. We got Adria Petty to do the music video for it, and it’s going to be fantastic; it’s beautiful. I miss all of the songwriter rock ‘n’ roll of people like The Beatles and Tom and all of the other folks who inspired me. Even
“I don’t think there’s a marijuana enthusiast in the world that isn’t at least a little bit happy now that things are going our way.”
Clapton and Jimi Hendrix had these amazing songs with rock ‘n’ roll in them. They weren’t just great sounding guitars with lyrics masked by production that you couldn’t really hear which seems to be the style happening in this age. I’m not a fan of it. I want to hear what people are saying, and I want the lyrics to touch me the way a good poem does. CultureMagazine.com
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On the topic of lyrics, with a title track like “Turn Off The News (Build A Garden),” was it your intention for this record to be more of a direct commentary on the world we’re in today than some of your previous albums? Oh yeah! But in a way that’s hopeful. My idea while we’re touring on the release of this record is to reach out to all of the farmer’s markets in the towns we play as much as we can and go to the farmer’s market, play for free and encourage the people who attend our concerts to come out and support their local farmers. As a public figure, I feel that I have a way to create the world that I want to see in the way that I can. I’m not advocating turning off the news completely and being ignorant. It’s putting down your phone, turning off your TV for a minute, going out and getting involved in your local community. That way you can be consciously a part of what’s happening in your community, and you can make efforts to ensure that on a local level, things are going well. I think that will trickle into the macrocosm of our society and create a domino effect if we all work that way. Turn Off The News (Build A Garden) is really a call to action. Is it at all challenging for you to find your creativity with so much unrest happening in the world around you? I don’t know if it’s a challenge, no. Creativity is born of inspiration, right? And you can get inspired by something very small. Depending on your level of observation and connectivity to the world you could get inspired by just the way someone looks at you one day. I think creativity is about being present in the world and observing. If things are going well around you, then that’s something else to be writing about. Some of the greatest Motown songs are about being happy. Songs don’t have to be born of unrest. But I actually think unrest provides more material, because it provides the challenge of overcoming challenges. 30
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I’d imagine at the very least it must bring a little bit of solace to see something like cannabis legalization gaining such mainstream acceptance on a national level? Yes. I don’t think there’s a marijuana enthusiast in the world that isn’t at least a little bit happy now that things are going our way. I imagine it’s kind of like the way prohibition was back in the day—when you couldn’t drink, people still drank, and when you couldn’t smoke, people
people won’t be getting arrested and thrown in jail for this little plant like they used to be, especially minorities. I think that’s the best part of the national decriminalization that’s happening as well as the exploring of the medicinal qualities too because it’s really good for you. But really, I think the worst part of it was that people from minority communities were being thrown in jail for something as small as having a joint. Unfortunately, they’re still being thrown in jail for silly things,
“As a public figure, I feel that I have a way to create the world that I want to see in the way that I can. I’m not advocating turning off the news completely and being ignorant. It’s putting down your phone, turning off your TV for a minute, going out and getting involved in your local community.”
still smoked. The irony is that probably a lot less people smoke now because a lot of times people want to do things that are illegal just to feel like they’re giving the finger to the man, especially young kids. I think we’re growing up in a time now where a lot of kids don’t smoke weed, because their parents were stoners, and they want to do the opposite of what their parents are doing. I’m just glad that hopefully
but at least that’s one thing that can’t happen to them anymore. As a son, does it make you proud to see something that your dad has been harassed for and working so hard as an activist on for so long finally being taken seriously as a social issue? Oh absolutely! It’s a complete vindication for him! WILLIE’S RESERVETM is doing fantastic and to have that company now, I’m really proud of him!
Speaking of your dad’s company, I’ve heard you’ve got your own strain out through them. Can you tell me about it? Well yeah, WILLIE’S RESERVETM put out a “Promise of the Real” sativa strain of weed, and it’s great! To get back to the music, you have an all-star lineup of collaborators on this record including Kesha, Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Lucius, Neil Young and your dad. How did you decide who you wanted to work on with? You know, our friends just kind of came along. We worked with Kesha on a great song that might be coming out on her next record, became friends during that process, and she heard my song “Save A Little Heartache” and asked if she might sing on it. I said, “Yeah! Absolutely!” I’m just really grateful to have a relationship with her, because she’s a super sweet person. I love her very much, and she stands for what’s right. One of my favorite quotes is, “A rising tide lifts all ships.” When you’ve got a community of people of like minds and intrinsic values of how they want to see the world, the music, and the love, it almost doesn’t matter what genre it is; if you can lift each other up then you can make the world a better place with art. c lukasnelson.com CultureMagazine.com
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PEACEFUL AND EASY
Jack Tempchin on songwriting, collaborating with The Eagles and cannabis By Benjamin M. Adams Jack Tempchin is the writer or co-writer of dozens of familiar classic rock songs, including many of The Eagles flagship hits like “Peaceful Easy Feeling” and “Already Gone.” That foray would lead to a decadeslong songwriting partnership with vocalist Glenn Frey, and he co-wrote many of Frey’s most massive hits like “You Belong to the City” that was written for Miami Vice and peaked number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. His composition “Slow Dancing,” his favorite, was covered by many artists including Olivia Newton-John, and it peaked in the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with a cover by Johnny Rivers. The Songwriter Hall-ofFamer chatted with CULTURE about how songs are formed, the music industry and how cannabis can be a creative tool. 32
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How did it feel to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame into 2019, the same year as Cat Stevens, John Prine and other songwriters? It’s been really great. Everybody makes a list: What am I going to do today? What am I going to do this year? What are my life goals? Being in the Songwriters Hall of Fame was never in any of my lists. It didn’t occur to me. But it’s been a big boost getting in there. This is who I am, I suppose. All the crazy things that I did in my life went into these songs.
“We thought [cannabis legalization] would happen so much quicker. It took 50 years from the time I started smoking until the time it happened. It’s still not legal. It’s not federally legal, anyways.”
When you were in the middle of writing “Slow Dancing,” did you know deep down that it was going to be a huge hit? After I’d written it, I played it for some people, and I could feel it when I played it myself. I thought maybe it was a hit. I feel that I really hit the nail on the head. At the time that I wrote the song, I was falling in love with the person that I’m still with. Other songs like “Peaceful Easy Feeling”—I had no idea that could ever be any kind of a hit song. What began your long partnership with The Eagles? About five years before The Eagles existed, Glenn Frey and JD Souther formed a duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle. They had some gigs in San Diego. So when I met them in San Diego, I asked them to stay at my house, which was a large hippie pad with five bedrooms and a candle shop in the garage. They stayed with me, and we became really good friends. My joke is if you want to get into music, just meet a superstar about five years before he gets famous. When Glenn Fry, Don Henley and the others went their separate ways to establish their solo careers, what was your reaction? Well it worked out for me because Glenn said, “Let’s get together and write some songs.” We’ve been really good friends. He had recorded a couple of my songs with The Eagles, but we had never written a song together at that point. That started a 14-year career of me writing songs with Glenn for all of his albums. It was incredible because my friend turned out to be one of the greatest writers of our time. As far as The Eagles, I was never in favor of them breaking up. I always felt like if they get back together, that will be great. CultureMagazine.com
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When Glenn Frey passed away, did it feel like a void was left there? It was tough because we’d been friends for 47 years. I was sitting on the cliff above the ocean, where I go to write songs. I wrote a song about him called “Never Had the Chance to Say Goodbye.” Everybody has people that they lose. It was just so great to have gotten to know him. Your music has crossed over from rock ‘n’ roll into the country industry. How do the industries compare? They’ve always been totally different. In the early days, country was one-tenth of the sales as rock. So when you went to do a show in Nashville, they expected you to record it and mix it in one day like a factory, whereas in rock ‘n’ roll, you’d show up to the studio three hours late and spend two days recording— until SoundScan came on. Then overnight, people realized the actual record sales were different than what was being put on. What comes to you first, the lyrics or the melody? Usually it’s the idea that comes first. You have an idea for a song. Then you think of the title and the music comes with it and you put it all together. The idea—to me—comes first. Have you ever used cannabis as a creative tool when writing songs? Well yeah. Not so much intentionally, but most of the time, for a period of maybe 40 or 50 years I was high for a good percentage of the time. I would write songs when I was high, and then I would write songs when I was not high. I didn’t, however, have to be high in order to be able to write songs. Pot [has] been my friend. Tell us about your line of wine from South Coast Winery. I had trademarked the name “Peaceful Easy Feeling” for wine, and I found the South Coast Winery. They are an award-winning wine 34
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brand out of Temecula, California. They put my name on it, and my wife did the artwork for the label. Right now, I’m looking for an established marijuana producer with a high quality product that is interested in using the name “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” I have a song, and it’s called “I Want Everybody to Light a Joint.”
I rambled down the rainbow road to the Promised Land. A peace sign necklace and a joint burning in hand. They said, “Hey Longhair, you look like a girl.” I said, “I’m get ting free love and changing the world.” I want everybody to light a joint. Are you surprised by cannabis legalization? We thought [cannabis legalization] would happen so much quicker. It took 50 years from the time I started smoking until the time it happened. It’s still not legal. It’s not federally legal, anyways. Why was it illegal in the first place? A mysterious question indeed. None of the reasons make any sense. It’s strange that it took this long. So what’s next? I have a new album I just made with Jerry Nicholson producing. He’s won two Grammys for producing. I used a lot of famous musicians. I think it’s my best album and it’s got a few Glenn Frey songs that I co-wrote with him, one of which no one’s ever heard, [called] “One More Time With Feeling.” I’m pretty excited because I sent two of the songs to Jimmy Buffett’s label, and he heard them personally. He signed me on to Jimmy Buffett’s Mailboat Records. He’s probably having a “Coral Reefer” right now. c www.jacktempchin.com
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Ultramarathoners find purpose through running and cannabis
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“Overall, cannabis products are a great tool to add to my training just like I use protein and BCAAs or coffee.”
Flavie Dokken Ultrarunner and military veteran, Flavie Dokken, has a long history as an athlete. From running in high school to bodybuilding, she has continually elevated herself to new heights over the years. In 2019 alone she has scheduled three 50-mile ultramarathons. “My goal is to complete more challenging and technical races this year and also a 100-miler possibly next year,” she shared with CULTURE. Along the way she has partnered with Wana Brands, an edibles producer, whose mission is to enhance the lives of its consumers physically, emotionally and creatively. Being from the Alps, Dokken’s solace for running resides in the mountains. It is also the landscape where most ultramarathons take place. “Ultrarunning is something that always pushes you and make you stronger mentally and resilient,” Dokken expressed. “And of course, it gives you the chance to discover amazing places!” Over the course of her running career, this wonder
Avery Collins
woman has also worked in the cannabis industry since 2013. An affiliation with a cannabis company appeared to only be a natural step that would combine two of her greatest interests. Dokken detailed her decision in choosing Wana Brands as a partner and sponsor explaining the importance of breaking the stigma around cannabis and its consumers. “I really liked Wana’s approach, and of course I have been a big fan of their products, so they were already part of my regime. It’s a partnership that makes sense since we’ve always shared the same values, and I was definitely looking for an authentic partnership.” Dokken first began using cannabis as a part of her training for bodybuilding. Because the intensity of the sport can be harsh on the body, she experienced relief in treating herself with cannabis. Once she joined the U.S. Army, cannabidiol (CBD) oil came to the rescue to manage pain from femur stress fractures. “Overall, cannabis products are a great tool to add to my training just like I use protein and BCAAs or coffee.” Like other veterans from the military, Dokken turned to cannabis for medical treatment instead of prescription drugs. “When I got back to civilian life, I was looking for a better way to manage the pain and inflammation that still happened after long runs. The army was quick to prescribe pain medication, which I did not want to take. Cannabis became legal, and I got introduced to more products, especially the one containing CBD that could help out.”
“It’s simple. I love running, and I love cannabis.”
“It’s simple. I love running, and I love cannabis.” The words of Avery Collins ring loud and clear. This ultrarunner does not hesitate to emphasize the benefits cannabis has brought to his life and the potential it has to improve the lives of others. Collins has not only served as a spokesperson for 420 Games, he has also been sponsored by Incredibles Infused Products, Mary’s Medicinals, Roll Uh Bowl and Weedmaps. Just a quick glance at his Instagram profile will show his love for the outdoors. His photos showcase his active lifestyle, from skiing in the snow to running through the mountains. The ultrarunner also highlights several of his runs on his own YouTube channel that has documented his journey for the last two years. “I enjoy big mountain races from 50 [kilometers] to 200 miles in distance,” Collins shares on his website. “I have ran and finished first at every distance from 50 [kilometers] to 200 miles and also setting course records in almost all of these distances as well.”
Collins has participated in ultramarathons located in the Black Mountains of western North Carolina, the North Georgia Mountains, Steamboat Springs, Colorado and more! “I do what I do because I can’t imagine a life without adventure, a life without pain and fatigue or something to look forward to every day.” c CultureMagazine.com
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Industry Insider
“My belief is that the world is abundant. I believe there is enough for all of us; I believe that if we work together, we lift each other up, and we make friends. We’re not competitors; we’re colleagues.”
EMPOWERED PRO Motherhood is a defining role of Bhang COO Jamie Pearson
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By Megan McClain Jamie Pearson is a cannabis executive who raised her children in a similar environment she herself lived in, and rebelled against, while growing up during the “War on Drugs” era. After being lifted PHOTO COURTESY OF BHANG
up into the cannabis industry and becoming a mother herself, she is using her position, experience and knowledge to support others in the industry— especially other women who are in leadership roles. “My belief is that the world is abundant,” said Pearson. “I believe there is enough for all of us; I believe that if we work together, we lift each other up, and we make friends. We’re not competitors; we’re colleagues.”
S.
Solid Roots
Pearson is the chief operating officer of Bhang, which includes overseeing Cypress Hill’s venture Cypress Hill Bhang. She also owns a cultivation operation with DJ Muggs, her cousin. She is a member of the advisory board at Liberty Leaf Holdings Ltd. and most recently, she was asked to join the advisory board of the Herer Group. “That just happened,” Pearson explained. “[Jack Herer] is the legend in cannabis. His son Dan is carrying on his legacy, and it was an absolutely unbelievable huge honor for me to be asked to help guide them.” Pearson credits Leah Maurer—Oregon cannabis activist, consultant, editor of The Weed Blog and mother—as someone who really introduced her to cannabis and led her education when she was new to the industry. Maurer champions parents who consume cannabis, and Pearson echoes the belief that parents should have open conversations about it in order to continue breaking down the stigma. “I’m with Leah. We need to start treating our kids like they can handle this information,” said Pearson. “We’re going to have a massive generational change.” “The stigma already doesn’t exist the way it was in the ’80s when I was a kid,” she said. Pearson herself had experience growing up around cannabis. Her father and uncle grew cannabis, and her cousin, DJ Muggs of the rap group Cypress Hill, drew massive attention for lighting up a joint on Saturday Night Live in 1993. “When I tell you cannabis has been a part of my life, I wasn’t smoking it, but I couldn’t avoid it,” she said. Pearson reflected on how she bought into the anti-drug campaigns “hook, line and sinker” when she was growing up, but now recognizes her father’s wisdom about cannabis and wants to raise her own children with an open mind as well.
O.
Open and Honest
Pearson was honest with her children about her work in the cannabis industry and the legal status of cannabis in their home state of Montana and federally, but she also asked them to be cautious with the information. She told them that some people in the community wouldn’t understand her business role and would view her, as she had once viewed her father, as a drug dealer. “I always talk to my kids like they’re capable of understanding what I’m saying, and they always
“We’ve got children, we’re creating life, we’re responsible for human beings, we’re powerful beyond measure. And if we see that in each other, and lift each other up, not in a super crunchy cliché way, but in a really deliberate way, magic happens. And I’m living proof of it.” rise to the occasion,” said Pearson, whose children are now college-aged. “With them, it’s been fantastic.” Bhang is going public, and Pearson is finding herself running a globally-distributing company and equipped with knowledge and connections— tools she wants to use to lift others up in the cannabis industry. “I feel like that mentality and that model of doing business really fits in cannabis. It fits the industry,” said Pearson. “It’s what we should be doing anyway, in the world and in the universe, and it’s absolutely how I operate.” Twenty-seven percent of cannabis executives are women, according to Marijuana Business Daily, compared to 23 percent for the national average. At Bhang, 90 percent of the executive team members are women—many of whom are mothers. Parenthood is acknowledged as a priority at Bhang, and Pearson knows women who feel their employer takes their motherhood seriously will feel valued and be able to prioritize about both their families and their careers. “Ultimately, your job’s important, but there’s room for both. It’s all going to balance itself out, because I’ve hired a person who is passionate about their work and allowed to be passionate about being a mom,” said Pearson. Along with Bhang CEO Scott J. Van Rixel, who has a young daughter, Pearson acknowledges the role that women and mothers should have in the cannabis movement and the collaborative approach women bring to the workplace. She referred to an advertisement Bhang released with an image of a cannabis leaf and the words, “Respect Her.” “We’ve got children, we’re creating life, we’re responsible for human beings, we’re powerful beyond measure. And if we see that in each other, and lift each other up, not in a super crunchy cliché way, but in a really deliberate way, magic happens,” said Pearson. “And I’m living proof of it.” c gotbhang.com CultureMagazine.com
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GROWING BENEFITS 40
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From coast to coast, hemp is being legalized and recognized in the U.S. By Nicole Potter
and it will redefine the meaning of “marijuana” to specify that hemp is not the same.
Iowa
Hemp is no longer an undefined term. In fact, information about hemp has become widespread over the past decade. There is more education, more hemp-based products and a more accurate understanding of how the plant works and how it’s different from cannabis. The hemp industry has made many leaps in progress over the last few years alone, with thanks to many researchers and inventors who have crafted products worth investing in. And finally, multiple states have begun to take notice. Recently, a handful of hemp bills were approved. In honor of Hemp History Week (June 3-June 9) we take a look at a few states that have recently made progress on the hemp front.
Thanks to the signature of Gov. Kim Reynolds, the state of Iowa welcomed the Iowa Hemp Act (SF599) on May 13. This means that farmers are legally allowed to use up to 40 acres of land for hemp cultivation. The only caveat is that this change doesn’t immediately take effect. First, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship will need to create a plan on how to regulate hemp cultivation, which will need to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Alabama
Georgia
Oklahoma
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries approved 216 licenses for those who applied to be industrial hemp cultivators in late-April. According to AL.com, 152 of those licenses belong to cultivators, 59 belong to processors and five were approved for local universities. These licenses were approved thanks to the foundation set by the Alabama Industrial Hemp Pilot Program that was originally established in 2016.
House Bill 213 was signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 10. Entitled the “Georgia Hemp Farming Act,” this bill authorizes hemp research and studies, provides licensing and permit requirements for potential hemp cultivators and processors and redefines the term “marijuana.” Currently the state does have a limited medical cannabis program, but all products are imported from other states.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 868 on April 18, which will pave the way for industrial hemp to thrive in the state of Oklahoma. The bill allows the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture to control the future of the industrial hemp program, which is expected to be in place by 2020.
Connecticut On May 9, Gov. Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 893, also called “An Act Concerning A Pilot Program for Hemp Production,” which legalizes industrial hemp cultivation in the state of Connecticut. Through this legislation, an industrial hemp pilot program can now be established. Prior to this bill being signed into law, the only hemp cultivation that was allowed was through state universities and the state’s agriculture department.
Hawaii As of this writing, Hawaiian Gov. David Ige has Senate Bill 1353 on his desk. In late April, a conference committee provided last minute approval of the bill to be passed on to the governor for consideration. Gov. Ige received the bill on May 6, and it remains unsigned as of late May. If it becomes law, it will become the state’s agriculture department’s job to establish an industrial hemp program. It will also remove any contradictory rules that exist under the current hemp pilot program that launched in 2018,
Texas On April 24, Texas legislators approved House Bill 1325, which aims to allow cultivators to legally grow industrial hemp in the state. The legislation was approved by the Texas Senate on May 15.
Washington Legislators in Washington recently passed Senate Bill 5276 into law on April 26 with a signature by Gov. Jay Inslee. According to the new law, a regulatory program can now be established in order to regulate hemp production. Specifically, it will target licensing, inspection and testing of hemp under the USDA. c CultureMagazine.com
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GREEN NUPTIALS Hemp is an ecofriendly and growing wedding trend By Caroline Hayes Having a “green” wedding is a fullblown trend, and incorporating hemp into the planning process is an easy way for couples to make less of a negative impact on the planet. Hemp is used to make rope, paper, clothing, food, building material, body products and more. It’s one of the most sustainable, replenishable resources on the planet, and seeking it out over plastics and other mass-produced goods will show wedding guests that brides and grooms have the planet’s best interest at heart. Thanks to the growing popularity and availability of hemp, it’s easier than ever to acquire various goods made of the earth-friendly fiber. Since wedding season is in full force, CULTURE created this quick guide for incorporating hemp into wedding plans by way of invitations, gowns, suits and accessories, decorations, food and gifts. Kick off your hemp 42
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wedding by printing or buying wedding invitations on hemp paper. Green Field Paper Company sells a signature Hemp Heritage paper, which has a rich look and feel. It also offers eco-friendly seed paper that you can plant. Rick Smith, president of the company, told CULTURE, “We source our hemp pulp from Spain, presently. We used to source it from Canada, but they stopped processing and producing fiber in favor of extraction of oil and seeds. No one in the U.S. is processing hemp into the form that can be used for pulp.” Once the marriedcouple-to-be decides on the format and other details, Green Field Paper Company will supply the paper and send the design to the printer. Next, dress the wedding party. There are several websites that offer hemp wedding gowns, dresses and suits. Silk is a common fabric that is blended with hemp, giving dresses an elegant look. Designer Autumn Star of Autumn Star Light on Etsy got into making hemp wedding dresses after she studied textile design in college. “[I] was immediately drawn to hemp as a superior fiber in strength and durability, not to mention the processing is considerably more friendly for our environment,” she said. Autumn is always honored to help brides design their gowns. “It’s such an intimate experience to make a dream dress come to reality for every customer I work with. Making [her] dress tested my sewing abilities and grew the sweetest friendship. I really loved how they incorporated cannabis into their entire wedding theme as well,” she said of a recent dress-making experience.
Tara Lynn Bridal is an online site that specializes in making hemp and ecofriendly dresses. The company also makes a gorgeous hemp suit that comes in three different styles. The website offers easy steps to ordering a custom-made suit or dress. If you are looking to support a small business, visit a local tailor or seamstresses and order a custom-made suit or dress with fabric purchased from Hemp Traders or EnviroTextiles. Barefoot sandals are a growing trend as all natural and simple wedding accessories. Keri Mikulec of Earth House in New York state makes elegant hemp barefoot sandals for those wanting to ditch the shoes for the ceremony. She also makes colorful necklaces and bracelets that are a fresh update from the hemp necklace you made in high school. Not loving the traditional wedding band idea? Look into hemp resin rings found on Etsy from SerasBeach for an affordable $20. The rings are made using epoxy and leaves from the hemp plant. They truly make a statement. Hemp décor has a DIYvibe that touts boho and earth-friendly feels. Adorn your tables with hemp table runners, and place small sprigs of hemp in the centerpieces. Light up the room with hemp wick candles from the Lit Up Candle Co. Hempmade dreamcatchers and windchimes are easy breezy décor ideas found on various Etsy stores. For a homemade project, paint wooden hearts your color of choice and string them on hemp rope. A fun place to include hemp is in the food as well.
Cook vegetables in hemp oil, and add hemp seeds to desserts and pastries. There are a growing number of companies that specialize in cooking with hemp for hire to cater a wedding. Another new trend is beverage companies that make and sell hemp-infused drinks, with or without alcohol. We are seeing “hemptails” make grand appearances at wedding receptions as well. Rocky Mountain High and Canna Hemp make CBD-infused energy drinks. New Belgium Brewing and Humboldt Brewing Co. brew beer with hemp seeds. Last but not certainly not least, gifts for the bridal party and guests. What better way to say “thank you for being a part of our special day” than to give the gift of hemp-based CBD
body products? Hemptivate makes hempinfused lip balm, delightfully scented body lotion and non-psychoactive CBD tinctures. The company ships to all 50 states and offers wholesale pricing for large orders, making your gifts cost effective yet still meaningful. Like any large event, a wedding can produce a lot of waste. Having a hemp wedding is a way that couples are actively reducing their negative impact on the planet. By incorporating hemp where you can, it can support a small business while encouraging sustainable, ethical and clean farming practices. Hemp comes in many forms and can add a chic, conscious vibe to any celebration. c
“[I] was immediately drawn to hemp as a superior fiber in strength and durability not to mention the processing is considerably more friendly for our environment.”
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COURAGEOUSLY COFFEE Forest Coffee Trading Company sets the bar high with top-quality beans and CBD Cold Brew
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By Alex Distefano
With just four employees, Forest Coffee Trading Company is finding success and gaining a fan base, thanks to diligence, hard work and a true passion for artisanal coffee—including the company’s special CBD Cold Brew and fresh beans, which are available for purchase online, as well as throughout
the Denver area and other parts of Colorado, at places like Whole Foods Market and Marczyk Fine Foods, as well as numerous local mom and pop coffee shops. What truly makes this Cold Brew coffee special is the beans. Owner Olivia Kidd explained that the idea and concept came from her husband Garrett after a 2012 trip to Thailand. “He came across this village in northern Thailand called Chiang Rai,” she said. “The villagers told him that they used to be poppy farmers for opium until the government made it illegal decades ago, so they had to switch to become coffee bean farmers.” Kidd said her husband was amazed by this story, and once he tasted the coffee, he knew he found something special. “He was just amazed at the flavor profile of the beans and wanted to know where he could find it in the U.S,” she said. “But he found out they didn’t import it into the U.S. So, when he came back, he was obsessed and convinced me about this coffee. We spent a year researching and learning about coffee, importing and learned as much as we could.”
Within three years, the Kidds had found a way to import these coffee beans from Thailand, but made a conscious effort to be direct traders. “We work directly with the village; there is no third party,” she said. “We have a closer relationship; our customers are getting a higher quality product. We have both been there. We can both with certainty say this is exactly where the coffee came from, it’s all 100 percent handpicked, and it makes a difference.” In 2019, Forest Coffee Trading Company is in the early phases of expanding regionally, according to Kidd. “We’re pretty much available only in Colorado, but we just got into a national distributor, so we will be soon available in New Mexico, Utah and other states in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond. Right now, we just sell coffee beans and Cold Brew." With this expansion comes the addition of CBD Cold Brew Coffee, which sees a partnership between Forest Coffee Trading Company and Evo Hemp. “Evo Hemp created a water-soluble CBD that is the coolest thing because there is no taste,” she said. The CBD is purchased from Evo Hemp and specially blended into the Cold Brew Coffee. “My whole concern was that it would [ . . . ] have an aftertaste, which it does not.” Kidd said Evo Hemp and Forest Coffee Trading Company share a similar business model as well. “They are a great company they direct trade their products like we do, so we have a lot in common.”
“People love the CBD Cold Brew. We get a lot of feedback [that] it’s a perfect combo of being mellow and having the energy to get your work done.” Despite its size, Forest Coffee Trading Company sees huge potential and future for the company in the world of high-quality coffee beans and cold brew coffee. “Right now, we are the only single origin cold brew in this region,” Kidd said. “We are the top cold brew in most [of] the grocery stores we are located; our Cold Brew has a distinct flavor profile of cinnamon cocoa and dark berry, because it is from one place.” These coffee aficionados have goals, and bringing CBD consumption and coffee culture together is among one of them. “I didn’t use too much
CBD before,” said Kidd. “But this is perfect, because you get the energetic jolt from the caffeine, but the relaxing effects of the CBD, so it’s a nice balance. People love the CBD Cold Brew. We get a lot of feedback [that] it’s a perfect combo of being mellow and having the energy to get your work done.” Kidd said Forrest Coffee Trading Company seeks to expand at the national level. “We have a goal to be in more retail chains and go national, we want people to find our coffee in California, Florida, Texas, New York and everywhere in between,” he said. “This includes all our coffees and CBD Cold Brews. We want to be known as one of the top cold brew producers in the country.” c forestcoffeetrading.com CultureMagazine.com
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GROWING CULTURE
HIGH ENDS AND NE W BEGINNINGS By Ed Rosenthal
Enjoying the Harvest It’s been more than seven weeks since the winter/spring crop of “Ed Rosenthal Super Bud” has been harvested. It was left to dry in an unheated room with ambient temperatures in the low 60s. After it dried, the plants remained in the room under the same conditions. During this time, the smaller plants disappeared under suspicious conditions, leaving in their place only ashes and temporary conditions of stoned joy. The result: Only the four “larger” plants now remain. These plants will be manicured and destroyed using controlled burns. Expert manicurist, Darcy, soon completed the task. Testing
The four plants were part of a larger group that were just past clone stage when they were replanted and placed in a natural light greenhouse in February. Since the dark period was more than 12 hours, they were triggered to flower immediately and were ripe about eight weeks later. They didn’t have a chance to grow branches before budding. 46
followed. The testers’ evaluations: Marisa: “A deliciously pungent nose: Pine, citrus and melon; sweet and spicy. It has a weird upper high, uplifting, cerebral, in-the-clouds feeling.” Darcy: “Sweet and tangy. One of the totally unique varieties. Now when I smell it, I know what it is, because it’s unlike anything else. Newer strains have lost something that’s in this. It’s more funky, has more terpenes. It’s more crystally and more potent. It tastes like an individual strain. It’s good.”
Starting the New Garden Today we’re germinating an unnamed cross of feminized seed, London Pound Cake x Watermelon, by Loud Seeds. I’ll be testing an oxygenated water system that I built and will describe in more detail next month. For now, we are covering germination. One-hundred-andthirty seeds were soaked for 12 hours in a solution of two ounces of tap water and one tablespoon of three percent hydrogen peroxide for sterilization purposes. The solution was switched to a very
The dried buds being manicured.
The seeds were placed in pieces of rockwool.
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diluted compost tea for another 12 hours before being inserted into a small piece of rockwool so it would stay put, rather than fall through the large spaces between the pebbles. The seed holding rockwool was pushed into a twoinch cup a filled with pea-sized hydro-clay pellets. These pellets hold a small amount of water on their surface, but they also have colloidal action, meaning that they wick up water, much like a tissue. As they lose water to roots or evaporation, they can pull it up from a pool below and transfer it between pellets. I’ve placed the cups in a two-foot x fourfoot tray that was filled one-inch deep with a three-part germination solution, as recommended on the fertilizer label. A four-foot, four-tube HO (high output) T5 fluorescent reflector hangs over the table and provides bright, but not intense light. I’ve placed a cover consisting of plastic wrap over the top of the tray to keep the germination area moist. It will be removed after as soon as the seedlings appear. In a few weeks the plants will be ready for more intense light and a stronger fertilizer mix. c
The pile of dried buds. A nice little treat that took virtually no effort.
The rockwool was positioned between pebbles in the cup.
Jarred buds with a moisture pack to keep them fresh.
The cups were placed in the tray and one inch of nutrient/water solution was added. The water will travel up the hydro-corn using capillary action.
NEWS of the
WEIRD
BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL
LEAD STORY—FLORIDA! Police officers in Indialantic, Florida, responded to at least seven calls about a man disturbing the peace on April 7. Patrons of Starbucks and Sassy Granny’s Smoothies, among others, were startled when 61-year-old Thomas Devaney Lane started yelling, calling himself “the saint” and threatening to unleash his army of turtles on the community. According to WKMG, Lane went along with an officer to the police station, where he screamed at the dispatcher
and pounded on the walls, but then left the building. He was located later at a 7-Eleven, verbally assaulting customers. As officers stood by, Lane called 911 and told the dispatcher, “I need to leave now or you will all be sorry you (expletive) with the saint.” Lane was charged with disturbing the peace, resisting arrest without violence and misusing 911.
several groups: “We come here to listen to country music, not hang out with football boys,” pouted a bride named Cara. “I’ll tell you who’s going to pay for this. My husband. No football next season,” threatened a bridesmaid named Cyndi. But a bride named Savannah was more Zen about the situation: “We’re gonna make the best of it. It is what it is.”
THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS In Nashville, Tennessee, as the NFL Draft was taking over the town, brides and bridesmaids celebrating bachelorette parties were confounded by the crowds. WZTV reported on April 25 that the influx of crazed football fans was cramping the style of
INEXPLICABLE The Lankenau Medical Center in suburban Philadelphia was the site of a break-in on the morning of April 20, but it was the stolen loot that leaves us scratching our heads. Two men and a woman stuffed several colonoscopes worth $450,000 into three backpacks. The scopes are
used to examine colons during colonoscopies. “This is not something that a typical pawn shop might accept,” said Lower Merion Police Det. Sgt. Michael Vice. “My feeling would be that it was some type of black market sales.” He also told WCAU that it’s not yet clear whether it was an inside job. YOU KNOW YOU’VE THOUGHT OF IT United Press International reported on April 25 that the Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested yet another driver using a dummy in the passenger seat to cruise in the HOV lane along State Route 202. “Don’t let this be you,” the department’s Twitter feed warned. The mannequin in this case was dressed as a woman.
CultureMagazine.com
JUNE 2019
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