Chase Gouthro's award-winning documentary Anything Can Happen tells the story of four paediatric cannabis patients and the courageous doctor who defied the medical establishment in order to save the lives of her patients and restore hope to their families. Read our film review and exclusive interview with the filmmaker.
“To feel heard, to feel understood… that’s rare.”
- Sara, Levi’s mom
In Anything Can Happen, filmmaker Chase Gouthro creates a safe space for his subjects—paediatric cannabis patients and their families—to be heard and understood, without judgement. Gouthro’s storytelling is grounded in his genuine respect for the four families portrayed in the short documentary, giving each the dignity to share their journey from diagnosis and failed medical interventions, to anger, stigmatization and finally hope in the healing power of cannabis.
The film opens with The Hippocratic Oath, quoting the importance of “warmth, sympathy, and understanding.” Here Gouthro sets up sharp contrast between the crushing frustration felt by parents seeking effective solutions for their medically fragile children and the medical establishment’s refusal to explore controversial therapies like cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis.
The film cuts to a delicate soap bubble floating in the breeze and the voice of Dr. Jennifer Anderson reflecting on her role as physician. “Being a doctor is a very sacred thing. It allows you to participate in people’s lives at the times when they’re the most vulnerable,” she opines. The theme of vulnerability runs through the narrative thread of the film. The tenuous health of the young patients. The bravery of the parents sharing their fears and hopes. And the risks they have taken by embarking on a contentious—in some places illegal—treatment using cannabis.
With the help of home videos, family photobooks and medical files, Gouthro details Dr. Anderson’s journey from the excitement of expecting twins to the stark reality that her son Nicholas, who suffers from cerebral palsy and intractable epilepsy, could very well die from his near-constant seizures. Frequent trips to the hospital where he was loaded up on antiseizure drugs, turned Nicholas into a zombie with no quality of life, and still his seizures raged on. “Even as a physician, I couldn’t do anything for my own son,” she admits.
As a last resort, Dr. Anderson tried cannabis, and it changed everything. On a Friday night, desperate and exhausted, she gave her son a single drop of CBD oil and the results were nearly miraculous. By Monday morning, the spark had returned to Nicholas’s eyes. From that point on, his seizures decreased significantly, he was able to sleep through the night, and he began to grow stronger and reengage with life. Nicholas’s extraordinary improvement completely changed her outlook on cannabinoids, and her career path. Whereas once sceptical of its value and uneasy with the potentially negative impact it could have on her professional reputation, Dr. Anderson, nonetheless, started treating other patients with CBD who had failed traditional medicines. The results were so startling and the availability of CBD therapy so limited, she chose to dedicate herself to the education of physicians and policymakers, and running a specialized CBD consultation practice.
The audience is introduced to three of Dr. Anderson’s young patients—Levi, Emma and Vincent and their families, all of whom we get to know better as the movie goes on and who contribute different perspectives to the narrative. The parents talk about their shared struggle with the medical establishment before finding Dr. Anderson. Vincent’s mom recalls, “I couldn’t find a doctor who would help us.” They discuss the unexpected benefits of CBD on their child’s health and their journeys of overcoming the stigma associated with cannabis, and finally the gratitude of having access to a medicine that really worked.
Anything Can Happen is an invitation to reconsider cannabis as medicine. For patients who have run out of options it can be a godsend. None of the families tout CBD as a panacea or cure, but are adamant that it has allowed their children to reach their true potential. Gouthro juxtaposes the parents’ fear for their children’s futures with the young patients’ fearlessness to move forward. In the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, the kids refuse to give up, instead embracing life and striving for independence. As Zachary explains, speaking of his twin brother Nicholas, “He’s not afraid of anything. He’s capable of lots.” This sentiment is repeated as each patient finds relief with CBD: Levi no longer engages in self-harm; Emma is brighter; Vincent can finally concentrate; and Nicholas is unstoppable.
Gouthro’s observational style of filmmaking is as gentle and powerful as CBD itself. He immerses the viewer in the lives of his subjects, inviting us to pull up a seat—on the dock, on the couch, at the local park—and sit with the pain and frustration of the families who have felt powerless to help their children. Levi’s parents urge others to keep advocating: “It’s a hard fight sometimes but don’t give up. It is worth it.” Anything Can Happen is a film all parents need to see—for those with medically fragile children, it will restore hope; for the rest, it will foster understanding, which in itself can be remarkably healing.
Watch the trailer here:
Heads Lifestyle: Hi Chase. Thank you for making the time to chat with us about your new documentary Anything Can Happen. It’s making the rounds of the festival circuit right now, what has the reaction been so far?
Chase Gouthro: It's such a powerful story. People seem to be responding well to it, and as a filmmaker, you can't ask for much more than that.
HL: How did you first meet Dr. Anderson?
CG: That's a good example of the planets and universe aligning, serendipitously. Jen [Dr. Jennifer Anderson] and I were introduced through a mutual friend. I was actively looking for a project that I could really sink my teeth into, and my friend just had it in her head that she should introduce me to Jen. I don't know why and she doesn't even know why—she just thought that a connection needed to be made. So we all went for dinner in the fall of 2019. Jen told me her story and I was honestly just blown away by how far she had come—you know, just hearing the story from her perspective. But a great story doesn't necessarily make a great documentary. After that first meeting, I met her family and spent some time—without a camera or anything—at their cottage. After meeting Nicholas and his brother and sister, I knew that not only would this make a great documentary, but that I had to be the one to do it. I decided that this was my project.
HL: How did you come to documentary filmmaking? Can you tell us a little about your background?
CG: I grew up in a small town in Manitoba and from a young age knew that storytelling in some form of the other would be what I did. I started working in radio when I was in high school, and from there moved to Winnipeg for college and studied communications. That was when I decided visual media was what I enjoyed the most. Out of college, I got hired to work as a photojournalist and editor for CTV Winnipeg and then I started my own company [Bare Hand Films]. This documentary was the catalyst for me wanting to get out of news and move into longer form storytelling.
HL: How did you select the families that were featured in the documentary?
CG: The families are all patients of Dr. Anderson. I discussed with Jen what we were looking for in terms of themes—each family experienced similar things, but I also wanted to show additional perspectives. One family brings the angle that the medical system isn't looking after patients 100%. The next one is that cannabis can help in ways that you might not even think. And then the last family was struggling with the stigma of cannabis and growing up with that message. So we discussed what themes we wanted and Jen contacted the families. Everything just lined up perfectly. Each family adds so much, and I couldn't imagine any of them not being in the film.
HL: Were you familiar with CBD before starting on this project?
CG: I think as much as anybody is nowadays. You hear a lot about it and since legalization in Canada, there are CBD dog treats and CBD bath bombs. But I didn’t realized how profound an effect it can have when applied in the right dosage and under medical guidance.
HL: What was your impression of these four incredible families?
CG: I'm so grateful to them for sharing things that are so personal, and very traumatic to relive. I'm sure it’s a parent's worst nightmare to have a child who is medically fragile. I'm very thankful for their trust, and entrusting me to share their story in such a public way. With the many obstacles that they've had to go through to get this treatment for their children, I think they all feel it just needs to be known that CBD is an option. Sometimes you have to advocate for your own kid, because the medical system isn't necessarily advocating for them.
HL: What do you hope audiences will get out of seeing this film?
CG: I hope that when people watch the film that the journeys of the people who have been through this fight can influence their perspective on cannabis’s role in medicine, and specifically in paediatric medicine. I think we've come a long way in Canada with regards to considering the medical benefits of cannabis, but there’s still a stigma associated with it, especially with children. I really hope that people will see this documentary and either have their perspectives challenged a little bit, or have it reinforce what they already believe.
HL: Anything Can Happen was filmed during the pandemic. What effect did that have on how you made the film?
CG: This is kind of a funny personal story. Growing up I was really good friends and neighbours with my cousin [Adam Carroll]. And when I was about 10 years old, we used to make movies with his little Hi8 video recorder. We would make and edit them and play around. That was my first foray into filmmaking. Fast-forward all these years later and we're making this documentary. I was able to bring on my cousin as my second cameraperson so it was just Adam and I filming. So really it came full circle. The stories of the three families of Dr. Anderson's patients were all filmed during COVID; that was part of the reason why it took so long to get the documentary finished. We wanted to wait until the numbers were at a point that everyone was comfortable, and also that Adam and I had been vaccinated before asking to come into these folks’ homes, especially given the fact that a number of these kids are medically fragile. So we were a very small but very dedicated team. But it's good like that; I think keeping it small lends itself to making everyone a little bit more comfortable.
HL: How long did it take from beginning to end?
CG: From pre-production to finished film, it took just over two years. Aside from the regular challenges of documentary filmmaking and fundraising, the pandemic really put the brakes on it. But I think it was kind of a blessing in disguise, because now is the perfect time for this documentary to be coming out. The delays allowed us to sit with it and think about it, and it really shaped how the story evolved, how you see it now. So I'm very thankful that it ended up taking as long as it did. And documentary filmmaking, in the best of times, is a slow, slow process.
HL: These families have been through so much hardship and yet you were able to spotlight the fact that these are kids just like any others—they have their own interests, hopes and goals. How did you go about putting your subjects at ease?
CG: You just try to ease into it a little bit and get to know the families first before you pull out a camera and start following them around with it. I spent some time getting to know the Anderson family and we filmed with them more than the other families. Nicholas loves the camera. But we only had one day to film with each of the patient families, so I tried to get as much information beforehand through Zoom calls. I introduced myself to the kids and asked them what were some of the things they were interested in. I think that really put them at ease and added to the final piece. For example, Levi showing me all of his Pokémon cards. That's something that was special to him, and it was special to be able to include it. I wasn't able to spend a whole lot of time with these families, but I'm really grateful for how generous they were with their stories, and how comfortable they were letting us into their homes.
HL: What reaction do you get from people when you tell them that your first documentary film is about paediatric cannabis?
CG: People are either excited or just very interested. It's a mix of interest and excitement. I keep getting asked, When can we see it? We have people from all over the country and all over the world that are interested in seeing this. I'm excited and eager to get it out more publicly, but strategically we're doing a slow rollout. I love talking about it, so, you know, I love having those conversations with people telling them about it.
HL: Can you tell us about the slow rollout?
GC: What we're doing now is bringing it to medical conferences, to audiences that are able to make change, but these are built in audiences. Getting it in front of an audience that is not necessarily a captive audience for this subject, an audience that is just there to see a film is important, too, because that's who really needs to see this film.
HL: Right. Absolutely.
CG: It's also neat to see it play alongside similar sorts of films. We're playing in the Yorkton Film Festival at the end of the month [May 26-29, 2022], which is North America's longest running film festival in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. As a filmmaker, it's a good barometer to gauge how it’s received.
HL: What did you learn from making this documentary?
CG: As someone who doesn't have kids myself, the most profound thing that I took away from this experience was seeing how far a parent is willing to go for their kids. That was something that kept coming up with each of these families—the necessity to be their own child's advocate. They would stop at nothing to find something that would work for their kids. And I think that's the underlying message of the film: the profound love these families have for their kids.
HL: Yes, I loved Vincent’s parents’ comments when they said that Vincent is the best kid in the world with the best laugh and a contagious giggle. Where some people may pity them, they feel others are missing out if they don’t get to know their son.
CG: You know, that goes back to the bravery of these families to share their stories.
HL: Do you have any other projects in the works or is this film taking up all your time right now?
CG: I feel like the work on Anything Can Happen is really starting now. We've made this film and now we want people to see it. And we want the right people to see it. So that's taking up a lot of time. I have ideas for other projects, but right now, my focus has been on getting this out to as many people as possible.
HL: There's a whole lot more to being a filmmaker than just making an exceptional film.
CG: The filmmaking part is the fun part. But there's so much to it that is not filming or editing and that is equally as important. I think at the end of the day, anyone who makes something wants people to see it, and, in this case, I think it's very important that people see it.
HL: How is Anything Can Happen different from other cannabis films?
CG: I was asked what genre of film Anything Can Happen is, and the best thing I can come up with is perspective advocacy, insomuch that it’s not an advocacy film that blasts a message in your face. It doesn’t make an argument, it provides a perspective from these families and that was important to me. These are just real, everyday families. They could be your neighbours. Each one of them brings a different layer to this story so that you can come away from it with your own conclusions. I really hope that’s what people do.
HL: Thank you, Chase. It's a deeply moving film with a tender rhythm and a powerful message. We hope a lot of people see it.
BIO
Chase Gouthro is a filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Gouthro began his career in media at 16 years old, working on-air at a local radio station in his hometown of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. While studying Creative Communications at Red River College, Gouthro found his passion behind a camera. After college, Gouthro spent nine years with CTV News, where he worked as a photojournalist, editor, and digital journalist for both CTV Winnipeg and CTV National News. In 2019, Gouthro left CTV and started Bare Hand Films, which specializes in non-fiction film, branded-documentary, television, and commercial media.
His debut documentary, Anything Can Happen, explores the use of cannabis in paediatric medicine in Canada, and has won multiple awards in film festivals across Canada and the United States.
]]>RCC’s Retail Cannabis Forum brings together industry front runners to share their knowledge of the ever-evolving cannabis market. Its series of expert-led sessions offer invaluable insight and guidance on how to capture the vast potential of the maturing market.
At first glance, it would appear that cannabis consumers are all about pricing and percentages—with a focus on how much THC is present in the products they purchase and the lure of the illicit market’s cheaper weed. But delve beneath the surface and a different story presents itself. Cannabis users—new, returning and existing—are eager to try a wide variety of innovative products, and the more sophisticated a consumer is, the more willing they are to pay extra for quality.
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]]>Having never planned to be the pot doc for kids, Dr. Jennifer Anderson battled bureaucracy, stigma and apathy as she sought care for her dying son. The experienced opened a door to helping patients and discovering her life’s passion. Today she advocates and educates on medical cannabis while watching her son and family thrive. Lesson learned: don’t ever underestimate the power of a mother’s love.
Heads Lifestyle: Good morning. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. When you went into medicine did you ever envisage becoming the pot doc for kids?
Dr. Jennifer Anderson: No. I often joke that if you told me ten years ago I’d be giving marijuana to kids, I would have said you’re crazy. No, I never set out to be a doctor that gave marijuana to kids. I grew up around people who used marijuana for chronic pain so I knew that it worked for some people. The funny thing is that when I started [my practice] some patients, who were on cannabis, had approached me to take them on and I said, “No, I’m just a fresh grad. I know I’m allowed to but I’m not comfortable with it and I don’t know anything about it.” A year later, I was faced with a child that was dying of seizures and I didn’t know what to do.
HL: What was the reaction you got when you first suggested cannabis for your son?
DJA: When I asked about cannabis, my neurologist was like, Oh, well, it might work but we really can’t help you because we’re not allowed. It’s a bureaucracy and the politics were preventing anybody from even touching it with kids. That was frustrating for me. Then when I did try it, it worked so well, I didn’t understand why nobody cared. It seemed like nobody cared that it was working well. All they cared about were the politics of it.
HL: Can you describe that initial experience using CBD?
DJA: My son was seizing all night. He has cerebral palsy and he was having vomiting seizures in the middle of the night. I’d have to quickly grab him and turn him over so he wouldn’t aspirate. I’m doing that multiple times a night and I’m not sleeping ‘cause I’m worried about him. You’re just in this constant state of awareness, and, you know, it was just me, so it was a little bit crazy.
I started it on a Friday night. I was exhausted and I didn’t know what else to do. My friend had a bottle of Charlotte’s Web and I thought, Well, I mean, this is the last thing. I just quit my clinic because I couldn’t work because I was in the hospital all the time. I gave him one drop and he slept the whole night. I thought it was a bit weird because he was always up seizing. So the next day I gave him a drop in the morning and then a drop the second night and he slept the whole night again. Then Sunday night. On Monday morning, I brought him to day care and I’ll never forget because the day care worker said, "Nicholas looks different. He’s bright and he looks like a different kid." And I looked at him and thought, Yeah, he does. What happened was he had slept for three nights, so all of a sudden he was awake. Before he was a zombie. We noticed the change right away. It worked really well immediately.
Within a week or two, my respite worker said, "Nicholas is starting to walk again, and he’s starting to eat again." He wasn’t choking on everything because his seizures really affect his swallowing. So we continued and over the course of six months, the seizures just dropped substantially. It was just such a blur and I didn’t really know what to think of it.
Then in the spring, he started having breakthrough seizures and turning blue. We kept going to ER because nothing was working and they’d load him with whatever and send him home and after three, four weeks of that I thought, Well, this isn’t working. I don’t know, I give up. But then this physician from Montreal, Dr. François Hallé came out to do a talk for veterans and we went for dinner. I just expressed all my frustration to him and he introduced the idea of dosing. His background is physiology and mine is too, so we had a really good conversation about the mechanisms that were already being discovered with the CB1 and CB2 receptors and how it might be working with epilepsy. I started realizing there are actually other people that are exploring this and there’s science behind it. He helped me.
We dosed it based on weight and we put it through my son’s G-tube and Boom! everything stopped. And through that experience I thought, Wow! This can be life changing. If we can figure out a method, we can develop a dose per kilo strategy. Then we can replicate it and maybe this is something that can help a lot of kids.
HL: You’ve had to sacrifice certain aspects of your medical practice. How do you feel about the direction your career has taken?
DJA: I think sometimes things happen in life that, in retrospect, save you. It’s just been a really rough roller coaster. I was always interested in everything and when you’re a new grad, you get offered so much stuff in terms of responsibilities because everybody’s tired and they want to offload onto the new grads. But you become so exhausted and you don’t know how to get off this wheel. That’s how I felt. I loved my practice. I loved everything I did but I didn’t know how to put my kids first and to reorganize my life after I went through a divorce and was now a single mom. I had to close my practice and quit the hospital; the only thing I did was continue emergency because it paid my bills. But it’s made me put my kids first and the only practice I do now is the cannabis practice, which is something that I love and am passionate about.
HL: What does a typical day look like for you?
DJA: Where do I start? I have three kids and I’m a single mom so my schedule really revolves around my kids. I try to book a lot of things during the day when they’re at school. I work in emergency and in hospital and schedule that around my kids. Then there is the cannabis work, which is more my passion. I do clinics during the day, usually once or twice a week by referral—everything from paediatrics to psychiatry to neurology. I have a consult-based practice, which allows me to cater my days to whatever is needed.
HL: Tell us about your patients?
DJA: My youngest patient is about three months old and my oldest patient is probably 105. So I see a wide range of patients. It started with just kids—primarily epilepsy, autism, lots of mental health, cancers and pain related to cancer, symptom management of cancer, sometimes patients, especially in paediatrics, want to explore really high doses of cannabinoids for cancers like glioblastoma. I never make any promises but we try to find strategies that may have worked before. With teenagers, it’s a lot of epilepsy, lots of mental health, lots of risk mitigation. And for adults, it’s everything from chronic pain, anxiety, cancer-related stuff, benzo and opioid withdrawal, addictions—the whole gamut. And with seniors, it’s more sleep and arthritis.
HL: And what is your son Nicholas like today?
DJA: Nicholas is a happy kid. Obviously, this is post-cannabis because before cannabis he was pretty much a zombie. You couldn’t tell sometimes if he was seizing or not. He’d be sitting in his stroller sort of in a daze. Our life really revolved around him and whether he was okay to take out or not. After cannabis, he really came alive. Now he’s a really happy nine-year-old. He still has seizures but we’re talking once every couple days, and they’re very small, nothing to take us to hospital. We haven’t been in hospital for three years now. He loves Paw Patrol and Ninja Turtles. He will watch the same things over and over. He’ll play with his little figurines. He started swimming this year, which was insane, with a lifejacket, but he loves it. I think his brother, who is developmentally neurotypical, really helped him in developing. He just tries to do everything Zachary does.
HL: You must have a pretty complex family dynamic. How do you balance the needs of each family member with the demands of your special needs child?
DJA: That’s a really, really tough thing to do and I am not perfect at it. My kids often say our life revolves around Nicholas. And my answer usually is, Yeah, it kind of does. I’m sorry but it does. It does less and less because we can do more but at the end of the day there are things we don’t do because of Nicholas. I do have a respite worker who is with me probably 40 hours a week on average during the school year and that allows me to go out with my daughter or my other son, or just go out by myself. I’ve always made a point to do that because I think it’s super important. But it has always been difficult.
HL: Speaking of finding balance, how to you carve out time for yourself?
DJA: My parents have been amazing. My mom is really good with my son and has always been someone I can leave him with because, as you can imagine, I can’t leave him with very many people. Before COVID, I was making sure that every couple of months I would book a weekend away. I like to snowboard. So in the winter, that would be getting to the mountains for a couple of days. I also like to surf. So right before COVID, I actually took a two-week trip to Nicaragua and did a surf-yoga retreat. I found out very early on as a doctor that you have to physically leave if you really want a break. You have to be somewhere where nobody can reach you—the middle of the ocean or on top of a mountain.
HL: Surfing?! How did you learn to surf in Manitoba?
DJA: Well, I started with wake boarding back when I was about 20. I had already done lots of snowboarding, so I went from snowboarding to wake boarding to wake surfing. Around 2010, I went to Hawaii on a conference and went surfing with some colleagues. I loved it, so I found conferences every year or two in Hawaii. I would go and take lessons with Brett Sheerin, who runs Maui True North. He also does adaptive surfing and kite boarding. He takes people with special needs and designs surfboards and things like that for them to use. It’s really, really awesome! You meet some really amazing surfers around the world. Brett was one of the first ones I met and he really inspired me. It really is a group of similar people. A lot of them are just easy going. It’s like a culture, it really is. And it goes well with cannabis, it really does.
HL: Why did you decide to make your story public on social media? And how has the messaging changed?
DJA: Well, my Instagram account was named Confessions of a single doctor mom. It started off as something to make me focus outward because, as you can imagine, it was really stressful. You know, share what it’s like to be a single doctor mom—the frustrations, the positives and negatives.
But then about a year and a half before COVID, I had a kid with brain cancer. The family was really desperate and I was terrified. I even talked to Dr. Bonni Goldstein because I didn’t see kids with cancer. I’d never used high doses and she helped me out in terms of dosing. So I started working with this one little paediatric patient. He had glioblastoma with a nine-month life expectancy. So we got him on a really high dose of THC and CBD because there has been some anecdotal evidence that it helps to reduce tumour size. We were just throwing things at it to see, although it was very clear that it might not happen.
The family came to me and said, Oh, by the way, we’re going on a trip to another country in a month. I was like, Well, you can’t travel with this. You can’t take this out of Canada. But this was their dream trip and I didn’t know what to do. He could die. He was on hundreds of milligrams of THC a day. I didn’t know what would happen when you took it all away. I got a little bit panicky. I mean that kid was like my own. All the kids I see I treat them like my own.
So I started making phone calls to some of my colleagues in the industry and various places asking how do get an exemption. How do I get him to be able to travel with this? And everyone was like, Well, that’s not a thing. You can’t travel with it. I actually ended up calling the embassy of the country where they were heading and they redirected me to the governor’s office. I ended up on the phone with the governor and I basically said, Hi, I’m a doctor from Canada. I’ve got a kid with a nine-month life expectancy coming on a dream trip and he could die. I need you to let him take his cannabis because right now it’s controlling his symptoms. And the governor was like, Oh my gosh! That sounds really important so I’m going to put you on with the health minister. So I talked to the health minister and she was fantastic too. Health Canada said that if I could get the other country to agree then they would grant the exemption. It was the day before they left and they were the first ones that any of my colleagues had ever heard of getting an exemption from both countries to travel with cannabis.
It was this experience that made me realize that I had a voice. And I thought, If the government would listen to me and allow a kid to travel, I don’t have to work with just the medical community. So I started to do other things like Instagram and I started putting my story out there. Just slowly because I was already terrified of losing my license or being ostracized, but I had already worked with kids for a few years and my colleagues respected my practice. I just started talking about it to anybody who would listen including my local politicians, because I realized that there are so many more people that can make this happen. It’s not just the medical community. I decided to work at it from the bottom up and the top down, and just try to make things happen. That’s why my Instagram sort of took a turn to really telling my story.
HL: That’s an incredible story of persuasion. What strategies have worked for you to invoke change?
DJA: What I’ve seen as a physician is that when you have a face-to-face conversation with a politician or with people that may be initially against cannabis, when you start talking about real individuals, like my son, they change. I always say this is my son, the face of cannabis. I’ve found that the reception has been way different than over the phone when they can’t see you as a person. I’ve used this strategy a lot to tell my story and to talk about the real issues my patients are having, and to present solutions. I find it’s changed a lot of people’s minds.
HL: Were you ever worried about pushback or repercussions?
DJA: A clinic in Winnipeg had asked me to see kids there because they had opened up a cannabis clinic and all these parents were coming and wanting someone to see their kids with epilepsy. At first I said, "Absolutely not. I’m not going to be the pot doc for kids." But eventually I went back to the clinic and said, "Ok, I’ll see these kids, but only the ones that have failed everything." I was worried about the College coming after me. But then I thought that the College is not going to come after me for kids that are dying. So we started with those kids and there were really successful stories. We got so connected to all these families. It was really special meeting all these families that had kids like my own.
I won’t say that every kid had positive results, but nobody had bad results. The parents just wanted to try. I understood that in them because I knew what it was like to be the parent on the other end, when your kid is dying and the medical community has exhausted all their options. As a parent, you don’t want your child to die unless can you say you got to try everything that you thought might work. And so that’s what we did and year after year we got way more kids. That’s how I developed the practice that I have today.
HL: Are you familiar with the Butterfly Effect, named after an ancient Chinese proverb that says the power of a butterfly’s wings can be felt on the other side of the world? Do you believe sharing your journey with cannabis will contribute to a global change for the better?
DJA: I do and I have decided that I’m all in. After the experience with the young cancer patient, I mentally came to the decision that I’m all in. It’s all or nothing. I am now a physician that gives cannabis to kids and helps other physicians navigate cannabis for their patients. I think this should be allowed for kids who especially have failed traditional therapy and I’m willing to put my career on this. I share my story as a physician because I feel that might help other kids.
HL: How many families have you helped so far by introducing them to medicinal cannabis?
DJA: I would say 50 to 100 families. That’s not including mental health. If you add those, it’s probably upwards of 200. But patients come and go. I offer a trial of usually three to six months and go from there. We have regular follow ups to see if things are working. And if they do, great, I keep them on as patients. If they decide it’s not for them or we’ve exhausted a lot of options, then we can re-explore it some other time. So patients come in and out.
HL: What is the success rate with your patients?
DJA: It depends on the case. I never tell patients this is going to be 100%. If we’re talking about chronic pain in adults, I would say it’s like 80 to 90%. I think we’re understanding more about THC and know more mechanisms for that. If we’re talking about kids, I would say 50-70% of people find something that works really well and stick with it. With epilepsy and autism, we’re still trying to figure out the mechanisms. There’s so much variability in products that it’s a little bit harder.
HL: Can you talk to us a little about the costs of cannabis?
DJA: I operate as a family doctor in Canada so that means that the patients never pay anything and I’ve always been very strict on that. There’s never a charge to the patient [for the consultation]. In Canada, however, the cost of the products isn’t covered. I’ve been meeting with some of the politicians here in Manitoba to talk about, not only the cost savings for kids, but the cost savings for those who come through the revolving door of my emergency with chronic pain, PTSD, and lots of different things. I’ve been able to work with them and their emergency visits drop. So using those examples and cost analysis to promote the idea that covering cannabis could actually save a lot of money. I also pick up the phone and negotiate discounts with the licensed producers for my patients, which has a huge success rate.
HL: Why do you believe there is such hesitancy by traditional medicine to accept cannabis?
DJA: I think it’s the unknown. In the medical system, we like things that make sense. We like things that are studied. We like things that are black and white. We like randomized control trials. And cannabis doesn’t fit into any of that. There’s a massive political backdrop that really influences people whether they think so or not. It influences a lot of our laws. There’s the argument that there’s not enough research. Well, half the doctors don’t even know that we couldn’t study it because it was illegal to study. I think education helps physicians understand it better, but there’s still a lot of older generation physicians who just basically shut the door and don’t want to learn about it.
HL: How do you balance the unknowns of cannabis with the urgency to find effective treatments?
DJA: That’s the struggle because kids like mine would have died waiting. A lot of my colleagues’ arguments are, You don’t know the long-term effects of cannabis on kids. Well, the long-term effect of seizures on kids is death or developmental issues. So when your son is seizing three to four times an hour despite medications, I’m sorry but talking about the potential non-existent risk of psychosis in my son when he’s seizing all the time is not relevant. Family after family after family that I talk to say the same thing. They understand we don’t know the long-term risk but we’re looking at the child in front of us, who has low quality of life and in some cases dying of seizures. Unless you’re a parent of a kid that’s almost died, I don’t think you get it. Or you’ve had a family member that’s failed everything, if you haven’t had that frustration of the system and having to look outside the box for an answer, it’s just really hard to understand. But I think that the time is coming when that’s not going to be acceptable because now we have so much more research happening on cannabis.
HL: What is your biggest pet peeve regarding people’s attitude towards cannabis?
DJA: A lot of times people say, Oh, well, you just use it for everything or it’s not indicated for anything. Aren’t you using a lot of things off-label? The human body is so complex; there are a lot of strategies to try to get an effect, which is what we do in traditional medicine. With cannabis, we have receptors all over our body that we’re still trying to understand and the reason it works is because it interacts with so many receptors, not just our brain or just in one organ.
HL: What has surprised you the most on your journey?
DJA: As much as I’m helping other patients, they’re also helping me. My whole journey started with trying to reach outward to help other people so that I could get through my struggles. It sounds a bit weird but I’ve realized, especially when working with families that we’re all in the same boat. The therapeutic relationship that we were building was helpful on so many levels. The families that I was dealing with were traumatized, like I was, but they didn’t have anyone and neither did I, but now we’ve found each other. I feel like my whole life I’ve always reached out and made community around me and so that was my natural response—to reach out and find people to connect with.
HL: Do you consume cannabis?
DJA: I do, yes. Not at work. I do use cannabis for sleep. I’ve found it such a lifesaver. You know, a low dose THC and I’ve never had a better sleep in my life. It’s really made a big difference and I find that with my patients too. I won’t say I don’t use it recreationally but usually it’s with friends or colleagues. I have quite a few friends that are also working with patients so we get to try all the new products.
HL: What are your goals for the future?
DJA: I’m just here to try to make a difference, sometimes as a physician, sometimes as a mom. I’m trying to help both traditional medicine and up-and-coming cannabis, kind of figure out how we make the two connect. What kind of models do we need to bring these two together so the patients can get what they would like and the physicians can feel comfortable. And how do we become an example in Canada. I feel other countries do look to us as a role model. You know, there are other physicians, like Dr. Evan Lewis in Canada, that work with kids as well. So trying to build bridges and a network across Canada for physicians so that these kids don’t fall through the cracks and always have somewhere to go in every province.
HL: You are working on a new film project. What can we expect?
DJA: It’s called Anything can happen: a look at cannabis in paediatric medicine. It follows my story as a physician with my son and three of my patients—one with epilepsy and two with autism. It’s coming out in 2022 and you can find out more about it at www.anythingcanhappendoc.com.
HL: Cannabis in one word?
DJA: Cannabis is life changing on so many levels. It’s been life changing for me. It’s given me a purpose in my career and obviously saved my son. Yeah, I think it’s life changing.
BIO
Dr. Jennifer Anderson is a Métis Family Physician who graduated from the University of Manitoba in 2014. She started out in a rural community doing family practice including obstetrics, ER and hospital work. In 2016, her four-year-old son with cerebral palsy from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome started seizing uncontrollably after failing all medical options. Finding themselves in hospital 80-90% of the time, she advocated for a trial of medical cannabis for her son. Over the first year with cannabis, his seizures went from two to three an hour to two to three a month. Today, he is a healthy vibrant nine-year-old who enjoys life with his twin brother. His last hospital visit was almost three years ago.
In 2017, Dr. Anderson started seeing paediatric patients with intractable epilepsy as well as other diagnoses that had failed traditional therapies. She now operates a consult-only practice assisting other physicians in adult and paediatric medicine incorporate medical cannabis into a patient’s treatment plan. Her passion is to advocate and educate around cannabis in all age groups. She also strives to set standards of excellence in the field of cannabinoids so that patients can navigate cannabis safely with their physicians. She works with government and the educational system to incorporate cannabis into patient care and collaborates with physicians across the globe to provide support and education through various platforms.
Follow Dr. Anderson on Instagram.
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Scarlet Fire, Toronto’s latest dispensary is an offbeat, funky cannabis boutique inspired by the Grateful Dead and the counterculture aesthetic that grew around the band. The store offers top-shelf craft cannabis and is complete with a hallucinogenic Rabbit Hole, a replica of the Wall of Sound, Dave’s Picks section offering the staff’s selections, and Terpene Station where customers can deepen their cannabis knowledge.
The Grateful Dead may have played their last concert 26 years ago but that doesn’t mean their influence has faded away. If anything the legacy of the Dead has endured and evolved over the decades, solidifying itself into mainstream culture. Their inspiration is not just musical with offshoots like Dead & Company, Phil Lesh and Friends, and a new generation of jam bands—many of whose members weren’t even born when the band played their last show. The Grateful Dead aesthetic extends far beyond concert venues, casting a spell on designer apparel and footwear, furniture, décor, and accessories—and we’re not just talking tie-dye but high-end fashion statements.
Beyond the mixed tapes and hippie mystic, an integral part of the Deadhead experience was to seek out heightened states of consciousness. Let’s be real, you don’t become America’s most iconic psychedelic rock band without the mind-expanding drugs. So it makes perfect sense that in a legal cannabis market, it was just a question of time before the band’s rich culture was integrated into a boutique cannabis dispensary.
Cue Scarlet Begonias, add 30 years’ worth of Grateful Dead memorabilia and an inventory of top-shelf craft cannabis, and bring in SevenPoint Interiors, the acclaimed design and manufacturing firm specializing in cannabis retail to create a one-of-a-kind shrine to the Grateful Dead. What you get is Scarlet Fire, the latest offbeat and funky cannabis store complete with the hallucinogenic Rabbit Hole, a replica of the Wall of Sound, Dave’s Picks section offering the staff’s selections, and Terpene Station where customers can deepen their cannabis knowledge. Essentially an all-inclusive salute to the only band that did what they did.
Scarlet Fire is a reflection of founder David Ellison’s love for the Grateful Dead and the counterculture phenomenon that grew around the band.
“At Scarlet Fire, we wanted to create a customer engagement so different from what they are used to,” says Ellison. “We start our customers on a journey and educate them. We’ve created a place where cannabis, music, magic, and psychedelia merge.”
Scarlet Fire’s expert budtenders welcome visitors to a uniquely relaxing environment where customers are encouraged to hang out and talk weed, music, the Dead, or whatever is on their minds. Scarlet Fire’s Deadhead experience is so immersive, you might have one of those flashes you’ve been here before.
For more info visit: scarletfirecannabis.ca
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SevenPoint Interiors is striking the perfect balance between artistry and production in the cannabis retail space.
Beautifully crafted storage + controlled humidity = Sticky buds!
Heads Lifestyle's Q&A series with the cannabis community as we evolve to greet the new normal.
]]>Recent studies confirm that legal cannabis is associated with higher property values and a measurable boost to local economies as state governments collect billions in tax revenue. Begging the question of why more aren’t legalizing and cashing in.
As more states embrace legal cannabis in the U.S., many wonder how the reversal in policy will impact their lives. While licensed dispensaries seek to establish themselves in local communities, many sceptical residents default to an adversarial position of “not in my backyard.” Faced with such a dramatic change in long-held beliefs surrounding recreational drugs, the very notion of dispensaries selling legal cannabis is considered at best undesirable, at worst downright harmful. Recent studies, however, flip this antiquated thinking on its head. Based on a recent study of collected data, cannabis legalization is associated with higher property values and a measurable boost to states' economies.
In her report for Clever Real Estate, Dr. Francesca Ortegren reviewed “publicly available data from Zillow and the U.S. Census, among other sources, to explore the relationships between home values, marijuana legalization, dispensaries, and tax revenue” and arrived at some very compelling conclusions that will have many people re-evaluating their position on legalization.
Retail sales of cannabis not only drive tax revenue but also contribute to spending in local economies and job creation. Based on federal and state data, the cannabis industry currently supports 321,000 full-time jobs—of which 77,300 were created amidst the economic downturn caused by the pandemic in 2020.
These numbers are impressive but the upside of legalization doesn’t end here. Legal medicinal and recreational cannabis is a boom to states’ tax coffers. In 2020 alone, California collected over 1 billion in cannabis tax revenue—more than any other state.
What does this mean to the average American citizen—whether consumer or straightedge? Swelling tax revenue from legal cannabis sales allows state governments to invest in public education, substance abuse programs, criminal justice reform and pass on more money to local governments. This directly translates to an increased standard of living for countless communities. And as neighbourhoods are buoyed by investments, they attract new residents seeking economic opportunities and a better quality of life. This, in turn, drives demand for real estate, which pushes property values higher.
According to Dr. Ortegren’s research, “between April 2017 and April 2021, property values rose $17,113 more in states where recreational marijuana is legal, compared to states where marijuana is illegal or limited to medicinal use.”
The reason these numbers are so surprising is that for years the public was fed a solid diet of anti-cannabis propaganda based on fear and racism, with little scientific evidence to back it up. The very idea that greenlighting retail dispensaries in a community could drive prosperity for all is such a reversal in attitudes that many states are missing out on millions of dollars in tax revenue, and the opportunity to see local economies prosper, citizens thrive and real estate values soar.
Given the economic upside of legal cannabis and the boost to local communities that welcome retail dispensaries, we expect more and more people to embrace a more cooperative dynamic regarding legalization and say, Yes in my backyard!
The full text of Dr. Francesca Ortegren’s study is available here.
]]>As recreational cannabis use increases, so has the number of dogs accidentally poisoned by marijuana. Responsible cannabis consumption means keeping your stash stored securely and out of reach.
In the past few years, opioids and cannabinoids have received a great deal of attention from the media and public health authorities.
The dangers of opioids remains high, despite the efforts of public health authorities, the medical community, policy-makers and academics focused on combating addiction and substance abuse. In 2019 alone, there were more than 49,000 opioid-related deaths in the United States.
Additionally, changing attitudes towards cannabis and global trends in cannabis legalization have increased access to a variety of cannabis-based products, particularly edibles, which pose additional hazards as the public may be unfamiliar with their safe use.
However, little has been published about how changing patterns of drug use have impacted vulnerable populations that can be accidentally exposed to these products, such as children and pets.
Until recently, claims that dogs are being poisoned through the accidental ingestion of recreational drugs have only been supported by anecdotal evidence from pet owners and veterinarians. Our recent research highlights the potential impacts of opioid and cannabinoid use patterns in humans on pet dogs.
Using data from reported calls to the Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) — which is administered by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) — our research provides preliminary evidence that both human community-level factors and dog characteristics impact a dog’s risk of an opioid or cannabinoid poisoning.
Community-level factors reflect the level or nature of drug consumption in a given environment, while dog-level factors like breed and size affect an animal’s likelihood of exposure or the health impact of a particular exposure.
We found that in the U.S., the risk of opioid poisoning for dogs being reported to the APCC increases with rising opioid prescription rates in a county. In terms of dog-level characteristics, the risk of an opioid poisoning being reported is higher for non-neutered, younger and smaller dogs.
For cannabis, our findings suggest that lower legal penalties for cannabis use and possession are associated with an increased risk of dog poisoning events involving cannabinoid products. The odds of these calls were also higher in counties with higher percentages of people living in urban environments and where income disparities were higher. The dogs’ characteristics also influenced these calls, with reports of poisoning from cannabinoid products being higher among non-neutered, smaller and male dogs.
For both opioids and cannabinoids, veterinarians were more likely to call and seek advice from the APCC about a poisoning event. This may reflect a fear among members of the public of reporting these poisonings due to social stigma and legal concerns surrounding illicit drugs.
Lastly, we found that opioid poisonings in dogs declined over the study period — between 2005 and 2014. This may indicate that opioid dog poisonings are more related to prescription opioids than illegally obtained opioids; the overall rate of prescribed opioids declined while there has been an apparent increase in the use of illegally obtained opioids, such as heroin.
However, cannabinoid poisoning reports increased between 2009 and 2014, suggesting that the problem may be getting worse for canine populations.
These studies are the first to quantify the spillover effects of human drug use patterns on pet poisonings. Yet there is still much work to be done. Cannabis and opioid poisonings of pets can be traumatic for both dogs and their owners, but we do not have a clear picture of the full extent of the problem due to under-reporting.
While we have identified some socio-economic factors at the county level, we do not know if these characteristics are also shared by the dog owners.
Our research took advantage of a large pre-existing database, but other studies still need to be conducted to support our findings. Education will likely play an important role in preventing these poisoning events, but the appropriate medium, target audiences and messages still need to be explored.
The goal of this research is not to vilify those who use drugs, justify if these drugs should or shouldn’t be legal, or even how they should be controlled. It is to use an epidemiological lens to determine if dogs are affected by human decisions and conditions related to drug use. Human health management and policy decisions related to what appeared to be an exclusively human health issue can have implications for animal populations.
In terms of drug policy, the shift away from a law enforcement to a public health focus should have enormous benefits in the treatment of drug addiction.
The recent popularity of the One Health framework to explore the relationships between human, animal and environmental health may reveal other unexpected connections. Education and policies to encourage the safe use, storage and disposal of cannabis and opioid products should consider a variety of vulnerable populations, including pet animals.
For the public, the main take home message from our research is that it is important for people to be aware of drugs in their environment. Accidental exposures to pets and other vulnerable populations, including children, are preventable.
For consumers of recreational drugs, whether legally or illegally acquired, there is a responsibility for the proper storage and disposal of these products. With education, we can prevent these tragic poisoning events.
Authors:
Mohammad Howard-Azzeh PhD candidate, Population Medicine, University of Guelph
David Pearl Associate professor, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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From trailblazer to global influencer, an interview with Hilary Black, Chief Advocacy Officer, Canopy Grotwth
SevenPoint Interiors is striking the perfect balance between artistry and production in the cannabis retail space
Beautifully crafted storage + controlled humidity = sticky buds!
]]>If glamping in a rustic lodge on the banks of a salt water fjord nestled alongside the Olympic National Forest with high-minded friends, bonfire cookouts and the finest weed available to humanity sounds like the ultimate getaway, welcome to the Autoflower Cup, an immersive educational retreat hosted by Carla and Sebastian.
On an overcast morning in the Pacific Northwest, Heads Lifestyle connected with Carla Asquith, Camp Counselor and co-organizer of the 2021 Autoflower Cup to chat about the upcoming cannabis event and the circuitous journey her life took before eventually settling on living off the grid, foraging in the rain forest of Washington State and throwing the most elevated weed getaway.
After years of attending large-scale hemp and cannabis festivals, Carla and her husband, celebrated chef Sebastian Carosi, felt they had something fresh to offer the cannabis community.
“My hope is that people will come to this event and feel like they got an educational getaway,” explains Carla.
Festivals like Burning Man and Hempfest will always be popular, but Carla and Sebastian have a vision for a more refined private event with a strong educational component.
“We wanted to try—at least in our own way—to elevate cannabis’ reputation with our events and to elevate cannabis consumers’ reputation to that of a more educated group and lifestyle. So we’re trying to move our event to a more upscale education-based environment,” Carla continues.
But how does one arrive at the decision to throw a private, read: clandestine, three-day cannabis event? Let’s rewind to the beginning.
Carla grew up in a small farming community in Washington State. When she left home, she may not have had a lot of money but was imbued with a solid foundation of outdoor knowledge.
“My parents were very unconventional so at least three times in my childhood my parents put everything in storage and took us up into the woods. I spent a lot of my childhood off the grid, in the woods, and that familiarity with the things in the woods can really only come from experience,” she explains.
Carla was first introduce to medicinal cannabis as a expectant mother suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, the same condition that had Amy Schumer severely nauseated and vomiting on stage during her last stand up special Growing.
“I had a relationship with cannabis as a medicine from a super early age in my adulthood,” she explains.
In 2010, life threw her a major obstacle—a diagnosis of cervical cancer requiring a radical hysterectomy. After the rigours of cancer treatment left her a dark shell of her former self, she did what felt only natural—she put all her worldly goods in storage, packed up her three kids and went off-grid with her soul mate.
“After that nine months, I am more sure than I’ve ever been in my life that that disconnect was necessary for my mental health. Sebastian and I make it a part of our life to be outside and to completely disconnect—not just go to a campground, but really go out into the woods and disconnect from society,” Carla states passionately.
It was during this period of reflection and healing that they arrived at an understanding of what was most important for their wellbeing and happiness.
“Both of us had been foragers before that. We were both very outdoors oriented. But we really did an immersion study at that time. We tried to make every meal include something that we had picked that day,” she explains.
The Pacific Northwest is an amateur mycologist’s daydream with over 100 varieties of edible and medicinal fungi. Foraging for mushrooms and other wild edibles is easily accessible if you know where and what to look for. Carla considers herself a mycophile and expert outdoor enthusiast.
“I developed almost an obsession with mushrooms—not psilocybin necessarily, but all mushrooms. Mushroom foraging is my therapy,” she continues.
Upon their return to society and with a rekindled belief in the healing power of nature, Carla and Sebastian launched Camp Ruderalis to share their love of the great outdoors, plants wisdom and the pleasures of wildcrafting. They felt they had an inspired vision of what a cannabis event could be.
“After three years of us looking at each other after every event and being like, Well, we could have done this differently, we finally put our money where our mouth is,” explains Carla.
Through their company Camp Ruderalis, Carla and Sebastian will host this year’s Autoflower Cup with a breezy line up of outdoor activities, educators and copious amounts of cannabis. Guests can revisit all the traditions they loved about summer camp as kids—s’mores by the campfire, pyjama pancake and waffle breakfasts and film screenings—while their grown up selves get to partake in 420 sessions, jam to nightly music on the waterfront, forage for wild mushrooms in the Olympic National Forest, harvest wild oysters on the Hood Canal, and participate in live auctions and browse the vendor village. For foodies, there will be campfire chili and clam chowder cook offs, oyster shucking demonstrations, an artisan chocolate shop and food truck. Between eating and smoking and chilling, participants will attend presentations by cannabis and mushroom experts. The event comes to a grand finale with the awards ceremony and the crowning of the new Autoflower Cup champion.
At the interconnection of cannabis, psychedelics, wildcrafting and conservation, Carla and Sebastian’s holistic approach to Camp Ruderalis is built on their vast knowledge of the natural world and a strong sense of fellowship.
“The cannabis community and the mushroom community share so many people and so many ideas,” explains Carla.
Part of their educational mission includes emphasizing the urgent need to respect Mother Nature. In order to ensure everything goes smoothly, the event is open only to those with reserved tickets and the guest list will be limited to no more than 200 attendees. An environmental impact officer will be onsite to make sure everyone is picking up after themselves.
“We do have someone whose only job is to make sure that our party does not leave a stitch of litter anywhere,” confirms Carla.
Award-winning cannabis, gastronomical bonfire cuisine, and wild foraging—with so much attention to detail backed by years of real life hands-on experience, it sounds like Carla and Sebastian have created the ultimate stoner sleep away camp.
More information on Camp Ruderalis here.
Follow Carla Asquith on Instagram.
Follow Chef Sebastian Carosi on Instagram.
Poster artwork by Kyle Shold at Freshwater Bay Creative
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Chef Sebastian talks wildcrafting, cannabis cookery and his respect for the movement's deep roots.
Welcome to the city! Go ahead and pitch your tent
Twenty years of breeding excellence with Humboldt Seed Company
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What once seemed like wishful thinking has evolved into a flourishing industry in Canada. But succeeding as a cannabis entrepreneur in the retail sector comes with its challenges, from negotiating the ever-changing landscape to identifying opportunities, driving growth and building trust with consumers.
What once seemed like wishful thinking has evolved into a flourishing industry in Canada. But succeeding as a cannabis entrepreneur in the retail sector comes with its challenges, from negotiating the ever-changing landscape to identifying opportunities, driving growth and building trust with consumers. As a nascent sector, the Canadian retail cannabis market has a short track record of what works and what doesn’t. Realizing the potential of this expanding market means cannabis retailers and businesses tied to this retail segment need to be tactical in capturing the attention of cannabis consumers and catering to their needs.
The adult-use cannabis market is forecast to reach a retail value of $4.1 billion in 2021, up from $2.5 billion in 2020.* How to seize a piece of this windfall requires a nuanced understanding of Canadian cannabis consumers. And who better to shed some light on this burgeoning sector than tried-and-true leaders and influencers from the cannabis space. To tap into this knowledge, the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is holding its Retail Cannabis Forum on May 13 to explore the newest trends and best practices in cannabis retailing. RCC’s line-up of experts will tackle topics from creating immersive brand experiences and new marketing strategies, to educating consumers and finding the best talent. Presentations will also cover e-commerce development, diversity in the industry, new consumer expectations, and balancing growth with strategy.
RCC’s line-up of experts will tackle topics from creating immersive brand experiences and new marketing strategies, to educating consumers and finding the best talent.
Canadian cannabis consumers fall roughly into two categories: existing consumers and new and returning consumers. Experienced consumers drive immediate growth opportunities. This segment consists of regular buyers purchasing product from both the legal and illicit markets. Cannabis retailers must up their game if they hope to lure these consumers away from the gray market. Offering high quality products including premium merchandise at a higher price point, more variety, competitive pricing, and easier access in the way of home delivery will contribute greatly to meeting the demands of this segment.
New and returning consumers will drive longer-term growth potential. To tap into this market segment, retailers must focus on a mix of health and wellness products with an emphasis on addressing issues related to sleep, relaxation, stress and anxiety relief, and medical conditions. New consumers, in particular, are older, educated and interested in CBD and non-combustibles products to meet their health needs. As such cannabis retailing must adopt a more sophisticated consumer experience with an emphasis on education and building trust and brand loyalty.**
RCC’s Retail Cannabis Forum will bring together experts to address the multifaceted needs and demands of different cannabis consumer groups. In The Balancing Act of Growth and Retail session, industry leaders Isaac Watson, Vice President, Retail, Fire and Flower and Neal Claassen, Vice President Corporate Development, Canada, Visual Elements will address the unique challenges of opening new stores in 2020, what is working for retailers and detail their wish list to enable continued growth.
In the data-driven session, Building your Business with Better Data, Liz Connors, Vice President, Data & Analytics, Headset will take a deep dive into Canadian retail sales data to provide clear indications of consumer experience, habits, and preferences.
In a look back at 2020 and the effects of the pandemic, How COVID Impacted the Retail Cannabis Landscape, cannabis retailers will discuss the impact and opportunities that emerged out of the public health crisis. Eleanor Lynch, Chief Operations Officer, Kiaro, Darren Bondar, Founder, President & CEO, Spiritleaf and Michael LeBlanc, Senior Retail Advisor & Host/Producer, Voice of Retail Podcast, Retail Council of Canada will answer questions regarding new services like home delivery and how to safeguard their workers and brands in unpredictable times.
In the Marketing with Confidence session, Steven Fry, President, Sessions Cannabis, shares his experience of opening 30 stores in Ontario and how he successfully launched his brand by connecting with communities through building trust and alliances, all while navigating a competitive marketplace.
The Breaking the Barriers with eComm session will address the unique challenges cannabis retailing faces in bringing businesses online. Clint Seukeran, Owner, Ganjika House, chats with Albert Kim, CEO, Greenline POS about access to banking services, cyber security, delivery options and effective communication. Not to be missed by any retailer trying to create a seamless e-commerce experience.
The roundtable Diversity in the Cannabis Industry will bring together Dr. Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, Director of Research, Sameena Ibrahim, Senior Advisor, Partnership & Strategy, and Shilbee Kim, Communications & Enterprise Coach, from the not-for-profit Cannabis Amnesty whose mission is to convince the Canadian government to issue blanket pardons for people with minor cannabis convictions. The presenters will elaborate on why a more diverse cultural understanding will allow cannabis companies to broaden their consumer base and build the political capital to drive government to an enlightened regulatory approach.
Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the Canadian retail cannabis market requires a constant refreshing of ideas, strategies and knowledge. Current and prospective cannabis retailers, as well as, those who want to work with them must stay abreast of market trends. RCC’s Retail Cannabis Forum offers invaluable insight and real world experience on how to thrive and capture the vast potential of this exciting new market.
For more information on how to register for the Retail Cannabis Forum visit: www.retailcouncil.org
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SevenPoint Interiors is striking the perfect balance between artistry and production in the cannabis retail space.
Beautifully crafted storage + controlled humidity = Sticky buds!
Heads Lifestyle's Q&A series with the cannabis community as we evolve to greet the new normal.
]]>Always outspoken and at times prickly, Chef Sebastian Carosi doesn’t play nice, unless he’s in his sweet spot happily foraging for wild edibles and transforming them into visually stunning and gastronomically spirited dishes. With an intense respect for Earth’s gifts, eco-gastronomy, and the pioneers of the cannabis movement, Chef Sebastian has become the revolutionary leader of slow food cannabis cookery. Perennially in demand, Chef Sebastian generously set aside some time to chat with Heads Lifestyle about his influences, beliefs and vision for the future.
Heads Lifestyle: First off, let’s clarify something: what exactly do you mean by cooking with cannabis? Is the idea to get high?
Sebastian Carosi: I mean cooking with it like the agricultural ingredient that it is, a plant. I don’t mind getting high but for me it’s more beneficial to consume the plant in its edible form and non-psychoactive form (although it’s quite easy to make it psychoactive). So, to put it in layman’s terms, I guess it would be easiest to say, try to eat your cannabis as if it were a fresh green like spinach or kale. And try to add a decarboxylated form of cannabis to the same recipe so you are getting the best the cannabis plant has to offer. This is an integral part of how I cook with cannabis.
HL: Why eat your greens when you can buy a tidy little bottle of CBD extract at the corner store?
SC: First off, I would not buy any products containing so-called healthy beneficial cannabinoids in a bodega or corner store (although give it some time and some of the large reputable brands will make it into every aspect of retail, even the corner store). Eating your greens in the raw vegetal state it is grown will lead to your body getting all the vital nutrients and compounds the plant has to offer in its raw form, aka, feeding your endocannabinoid system. One’s mind loves the psychoactive benefits—that’s why they are called psychoactive. But the body does not need the psychoactive ingredient; it needs the components that will feed the endocannabinoid system. Being high is just a bonus.
HL: How does cannabis compare to other dark green leafy vegetables in terms of nutrition?
SC: From the reading I’ve done and what preliminary research is available, I have found that raw cannabis and hemp contains more readily available vegetable protein than spinach and kale combined. A quick comparison of other vitamins and minerals will make you wonder why we weren’t eating raw cannabis or hemp years ago. And I’m not talking about buds; I’m talking leaves, shoots, fans leaves, roots—the entire plant. The majority of studies show that there is no other raw and leafy green on the planet that compares to cannabis or hemp. And we are learning more by the day.
HL: Both you and your wife, Carla had COVID. Do you believe the way you feed yourself and your family has aided in your recovery?
SC: I’m not sure if it helped in any way with COVID but I do know that with us trying to maintain a 40% wild food diet, it keeps our immune systems completely regulated to our region and area, which I believe is another good way to stay in good health. These nutrients give us the ability to heal quicker and stay healthier. I like to think of health as regional when it comes to naturopathy.
HL: Spending time in whose kitchen most influenced you as a chef?
SC: It would probably have to be my mom. Growing up, she did the majority of the cooking around the house until I took over at around 11 or 12 years old. My Dad, on the other hand, is a killer cook but didn’t do much cooking because he had that true green thumb. So many of the recipes in my repertoire started out as one of the dishes my mom made and we ate regularly and that I morphed into an Instagramable version. Somehow, I was dubbed “the short-order revolutionary” along the way and I think it was because I took all those traditional middle American and non-American household dishes and made them four-diamond restaurant worthy. I don’t mean snobby food, I just mean taking classic homemade dishes like tuna noodle casserole and making it with quality ingredients like locally harvested tuna, peas from the garden and cream and cheese from the local dairy.
HL: Tell us about your involvement in the Slow Food movement?
SC: Many years ago I was actually in the first Slow Food convivium started here in the United States. But my connection to the Slow Food movement goes far deeper than that. My family owns an agrotourismo in Sardinia, Italy where I was fortunate enough to do my culinary apprenticeship. It was there that I met a middle-aged Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, sparking a lifelong journey and passion to educate people about regional farm-raised and wild harvested ingredients.
HL: What have we forgotten or lost in our relationship to food and the natural world?
SC: Almost everything. In our household, we make it a strong point to forage for a good portion of our diet. Nutrient dense wild edibles whether it is mushrooms, greens, berries, or buds, in and around the region you live, tend to have a tremendous amount of nutrients compared to their grocery store counterparts. And who does not like to get lost in the pines and Doug firs?
HL: Your Instagram images are fantastic. Do you work with a photographer and food stylist?
SC: No. No food stylist. Just me and Carla. When you grow up dreaming of having your food on the cover of major food magazines without it being a complete Monet or Picasso you try to find the most natural setting for the dish. It doesn’t make sense to me to show truffles on gold-rimmed plates when truffles are foraged by peasants and generally enjoyed by a group of people that don’t have the opportunity to spend $60 on a dish of noodles at a fancy restaurant. I personally dislike the fact that peasant-driven ingredients have become elitist and separate people on socio-economic levels. I eat whatever hotdog I can afford at the time—sometimes it’s a 99¢ hot dog and sometimes it’s a nine-dollar hot dog.
HL: Where do you source the fresh hemp leaves for your recipes? If people want fresh leaves, where can they get them?
SC: Most of the time they are not hemp leaves; they are cannabis leaves. Hemp is great but I live in a legal state, so it is like diet weed to me. We have many different sources locally where we can get fresh leaves—farms, growers, and our backyard. In its raw state I prefer cannabis leaves because the dishes usually include other cannabinoid-based ingredients. There are several farms in the country from which you can currently get raw hemp leaves shipped to you. Soon, I’m sure regional hemp growers will be selling their hemp leaves from the farmers markets to natural food stores.
HL: What are you reading these days? If someone is interested in educating themselves on the Slow Food movement, foraging, and organics, how should they start?
SC: Carla just got me four new books: Oysters by Cynthia Nims, Ugly Little Greens by Mia Wasilevich, Forage, Wild Plants to Gather, Cook and Eat by Liz Knight, and Wild Food by Roger Phillips. Start with the books and then get out in your yard and start identifying things that are edible. If someone is into wildcrafting and wild foods, the books on organics are not necessary.
HL: Let’s talk wildcrafting. How much of your food comes from foraging? What can foraging teach us about the seasonality of food and sustainable practices? How does someone become initiated with wildcrafting?
SC: We try to maintain about 40% of our diet wild. That means 25% wild and a lot of preserving. We do a lot of pickling, sun ferments, wild vinegars, bitters, and a wide variety of dehydrated items from spices to the staples of the pantry. We take only what we need, always maintain sustainable and perpetual foraging techniques (i.e. open baskets*) and harvest things at the PEAK of their true and natural state in the wild. The disconnect in the grocery store goes beyond the ingredients we are lacking but also by eating food continuously out of season, when they have not reached their nutritional potential. Put the Twinkies and Starbucks down, head to the dispensary and grab a pre-roll and take a trip to the nearest spot of desolation you can find. Turn your eyes down to the ground and start identifying edibles in the book or field guide you brought. Positively identify said edibles, head home and cook them up. Although the best way is to find a fellow stoner that loves wild edibles and have them teach you what they know. It’s an infectious community.
HL: Let’s dig a little deeper; you have a real love of mushrooms. Can you tell us what attracts you to these magnificent creatures?
SC: The only things that attract me to mushrooms are all the things we don’t know.
HL: Can you tell us about your new writing project in connection to the film Fantastic Fungi and mycologist Paul Stamets?
SC: We are actually working on a cookbook with Eugenia Bone, another chef, to create the cookbook for the documentary that Paul helped create. I feel lucky living here in the Pacific Northwest; Paul is more of a neighbour than a myco-celebrity.
HL: Can you comment on the notion of plants over pills? And while we’re on the topic, what is your position on micro-dosing psilocybin?
SC: In my mind, plants have always held the answers but people still choose the convenience of drive-thru. As for psilocybin therapies, I believe that anybody that is truly into their own mental health should have a solid micro-dosing plan. I prefer wild psilocybin over lab created psilocybin simply because the wild form is the purest form known.
HL: You’ve been outspoken about the Green Rush and newcomers to the cannabis space. Can you share your thoughts.
SC: It’s truly sad to see the dollar sign bandwagon jumpers. I realize in today’s society everyone is trying to make a buck or have a productive side hustle but taking the hard earned money of those that are easily fooled by misinformation is heartless. It’s funny to see the LinkedIn profiles of people that have been growing cannabis for 3 to 5 years and consider themselves master growers. The same goes with CBD dog treat makers. If you weren’t making dog treats pre-CBD days with good results and positive sales, what makes you think making dog treats with the addition of CBD makes you a specialist on the pet endocannabinoid system?
HL: What is the meaning of the number 704574?
SC: I think it was the name of Cypress Hill before they became Cypress Hill. Just kidding that was the 7A3. This was actually my WSP number. The number I was given as a 17-year-old, here in Washington State for getting caught with several pounds of cannabis.
HL: What are your feelings on fame and celebrity chef culture?
SC: I wish more of them would use their position to educate on real world situations and problems versus trying to capture more dollars. I’m personally just not into the shit-baggery of deceiving people.
HL: You were recently published in High Times, something you’ve stated was on your bucket list. Any other items on your list that you are working towards?
SC: Yee-haw! That’s twice now—December 2020 and April 2021. Not only did I cross off a bucket list item, but I also crossed off being in High Times’ 420 Issue bucket list item. I wanted to meet and hang out with Jack Herrer and I crossed that shit off in the early 90s. I’d like to take Carla travelling outside of the United States and show her some of the places I have seen. I’d also like to meet Rick Simpson and OG Eddy Lep.
HL: Where do you see the future of cannabis?
SC: Hopefully in my time, I will see raw cannabis treated in the same way as carrots, spinach, and celery. We all know agriculturally what hemp and cannabis can do and are learning more and more every day.
HL: What other projects do you have on the horizon?
SC: Carla and I are currently producing and hosting The Autoflower Cup 2021 in Lilliwaup, Washington through our cannabis events company Camp Ruderalis, a company focused on roving-rural eco-gastronomic outdoor venues and cannabis immersion experiences. We also have a Pacific Northwest wild psilocybin symposium planned for this November. Also working on a cookbook, I think will be called Camp Ruderalis, Mostly Wild Cannabis Cookery.
HL: Favourite way to consume cannabis?
SC: We haven’t smoked cannabis in flower form for roughly 16 years, only concentrates and preferably live resin. I’m old school and don’t go for anything fancy. It’s still a titanium nail and a torch for us. I’m not into all the twirly-whirly fancy shape-shifting terp drops. If I need medicine, I want it and need it now. Straight to the point.
HL: What is your favourite kind of food?
SC: Thai or Vietnamese, Pork Pad Prik King or anything tempura. Asian food of all kinds is my go-to for health and flavour whether soup, stir fry, or snack.
HL: Which ingredient can you not live without? (Just one?! Go ahead, which 5 ingredients?)
SC: Sea salt would be the first one I couldn’t live without. Lemons, vintage white cheddar, rice wine vinegar, heirloom tomatoes.
HL: If you could share a meal with anyone, who would it be?
SC: Oh, for fuck sakes that is an easy one, James Beard!
HL: What would surprise people most to know about you?
SC: Just because I am in High Times, Weed World, or on TV doesn’t mean anything. We still live off the grid a few months a year in a 50-foot cargo container—by choice not by economics. Learning how to live without the convenience of a drive-thru is important to me.
HL: Other hobbies, interests?
SC: Anything associated with the outdoors, camping, foraging, berry picking, fermenting foods.
HL: Who most influenced you as a man?
SC: Now that you made me think of it… it would have to by my grandfather, Vito Carosi.
HL: Thank you Sebastian for your generous spirit and no-nonsense approach to living, cooking and shouting from the rooftops.
SC: Thank you very much for inviting me to share my thoughts with you.
*Open baskets refers to the practice of sustainably foraging using open holed baskets so that the spores of the mushrooms that have been picked can fall through the holes and spread ensuring a perpetual harvest. Open baskets is the only conscious and sustainable way to forage.
Photos: Chef Sebastian Carosi and Carla Asquith
More about Chef Sebastian Carosi and his projects here
Follow on Instagram at: @chef_sebatian_carosi
The chef has sharpened his knife, completed his mise en place, taken a dab and is ready to get cooking. All that's left is the perfect soundtrack to accompany him in the kitchen and we've got it for you here! Listen to our custom Chef Sebastian-curated "Eat Your Damn Greens Mix" on Spotify.
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In the not-too-distant future, cannabis plants might text you their list of demands: more water, less light, feed me! Science fiction or fact? MIT engineers have taught spinach plants to send emails; it’s but a small leap ‘til cannabis plants are choosing their own playlists.
Ping! Hang on! I’m getting a text message from my pot plants.
Am I dreaming or is it the weed talking? Scientists are “teaching”—in fact, engineering—spinach plants to send emails to alert researchers to the presence of specific compounds in groundwater. If plant correspondence is already a reality, it only stands to reason that in the not-too-distant future, my flowering cannabis plants could text me to tweak their living conditions: turn down the heat, dim the lights, more nutrients, please!
The field of plant communication is growing, specifically as a tool to solve the climate crisis and address how we will feed an exploding global population. Whether chatting among themselves or sending distress signals to the outside world, plants are certainly capable of communicating their needs and fears. So what if my cannabis plants could tell me exactly what they need when they need it? Imagine the higher level of cultivation we could achieve if only we listened more closely: greater yields with less additives, stronger pest-resistance with fewer interventions, superior water management.
Engineers at MIT are using plant nanobionics to engineer electronic components and systems into plants. This has allowed specially modified plants to send notifications via email. “This is a novel demonstration of how we have overcome the plant-human communication barrier,” states Professor Michael Strano who led the research.
Today, it may sound like science fiction, but with demand for cannabis—like so many plant-based commodities—surging, the need to optimize and standardize how we grow is becoming urgent. With a solid nudge from science, it’s but a small leap ‘til my plants are texting me with their most pressing demands: Enough Beethoven already, play me some jazz!
Not sure what kind of music your cannabis plants like best? The classic electronic album Mother Earth’s Plantasia is a great place to start. Composed expressly for plants, it includes masterpieces like Rhapsody in Green, A Mellow Mood for Maidenhair, and Baby's Tears Blues. A perfect soundtrack to thrive to, for you and your cannabis. Now spark one, then hit play.
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Canada’s restrictive packaging rules have inadvertently created some unintended side-effects such as focusing consumer decision making on high THC content and low pricing, rather than prioritizing product quality and brand loyalty. The industry is calling for more flexibility on par with legal American markets with greater emphasis on psychoactive and physical effects, cultivation methods, and cannabinoid and terpene content. With cannabis sales growing and product quality improving, it is time to leave behind generic packaging and embrace labelling similar to craft beers and other consumer products.
By Michael J. Armstrong
While efforts to legalize recreational cannabis nationally have stalled in the United States, New Zealand, Mexico and Israel, Canada’s legal market continues to evolve.
Health Canada has recently been receiving suggestions for revising its cannabis product regulations. Now it must decide what changes to make.
One priority should be giving producers more packaging and labelling flexibility. This could help businesses build their reputations and help consumers find suitable products. It would also better support federal cannabis policy, as existing rules inadvertently encourage higher potency while sidelining other aspects of quality.
Current packaging regulations restrict each cannabis container to a single non-fluorescent colour. It cannot have any photos or images beyond one small brand logo.
Labelling is likewise limited. The producer and product name must appear, along with the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) levels. Other cannabinoids and terpenes can optionally be reported, but little else. No stories about how the plants were grown, no suggestions regarding the product’s uses or effects.
The result is mostly generic-looking packages. That’s intentional: governments don’t want non-users being tempted by the stuff. But there are some unintended side-effects.
For one thing, the plainness makes it harder for producers to distinguish themselves from competitors and establish brand reputations. They consequently have less incentive to improve product quality and more reason to compete by lowering prices instead.
By contrast, retailers can design their stores to stand out. Displaying artwork, painting everything purple, or mimicking Scandinavian spas can attract customers who like the ambience.
Minimalist labels meanwhile cause problems for consumers by making it tougher to understand new products or compare them to familiar favourites. The labels also focus extra attention on what little information is present: the THC and CBD numbers. Those get viewed as indicators of overall quality, where more implies better.
Indeed, many producers believe high THC sells products, even if they know some less potent ones are more enjoyable. One major brand recently announced it will only offer cannabis containing at least 20 per cent THC.
Retailers see similar THC preferences. The Ontario Cannabis Store sells 73 times as much cannabis online in the over-20 per cent category as it does in the 12-to-17 per cent range.
But while THC is important, it isn’t everything. Cannabis contains at least 85 cannabinoids and 27 terpenes that create its effects and aromas. Defining products just by THC and CBD content is too simplistic.
Besides, bigger is not always better. One study found users got similar effects from smoking cannabis with either 16 or 24 per cent THC. In a cannabis-growing contest last year, only one of the six gold medallists contained more than 20 per cent THC. And other research suggests many consumers don’t really understand THC numbers anyway.
Canada’s labelling rules didn’t create this THC overemphasis. But they do worsen it.
For an analogy, consider automobiles. If automakers could only advertise horsepower, I suspect they’d mostly sell muscle cars.
To reduce these problems, Health Canada should let producers more freely differentiate and describe their products.
Look at wine bottles. Many have distinctive colours and images on the front to catch shoppers’ attention. Meanwhile, the back label describes the wine’s tastes (“fruity”) and uses (“goes well with seafood”).
Let’s allow something similar for cannabis. Multi-coloured packages could create distinct appearances for each brand. Labels could include a paragraph explaining the product’s characteristics and uses.
For example, U.S. cannabis products often mention their appearance and aroma, plus their psychoactive and physical effects. Some highlight their distinctive cultivation and processing.
Beyond allowing more words, Health Canada could also require more numbers, like total terpene content and total cannabinoid content. Those might interest experienced “cannasseurs,” while reminding less knowledgeable users that THC and CBD aren’t the only relevant ingredients.
Health Canada’s regulations update offers industry a chance to influence cannabis policies. A bigger one arrives in October, when the federal government begins reviewing its 2018 cannabis law. Everything federally regulated will potentially be up for change: licensing, excise taxes, law enforcement, etc.
The cannabis industry is already preparing for that legislative review. It will likely ask to have not only more packaging options to communicate with existing users, but also advertising to attract new ones. That will be controversial.
These reviews represent the next steps in Canada’s grand cannabis experiment. During legalization’s first year, it was dry cannabis shortages and insufficient stores that limited product sales. The second year saw sales grow as more stores opened, retail prices fell and product quality began improving.
Now in its third year, governments are rethinking the “least bad” way to regulate cannabis. If you have any good suggestions for them, start preparing your submission for October.
Michael J. Armstrong, Associate professor of operations research, Goodman School of Business, Brock University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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]]>Imagine holding the genetic secrets to the world’s greatest cannabis strains. Heads Lifestyle caught up with Nat Pennington, Co-founder of Humboldt Seed Company, who for the last 20 years has been creating a legacy catalogue of heirloom cannabis strains while developing exciting new varietals with an eye on the elusive “unicorn” prize.
Heads Lifestyle: How is life on the Humboldt Seed farm?
Nat Pennington: Busy as always. We are always exploring and going deeper into the world of phenotypes.
HL: How many strains does Humboldt Seed Company currently produce? How do you come up with the original names for your new strains?
NP: We try to maintain 40-50 at any given time. Some may be available in feminized, some in autoflower, some in regular, and we also have hemp CBD seeds as well. Naming has become more of a challenge, as there seems to be a rush on folks assigning names to things that may not have longevity and staying power. It’s so easy to take a male and a female and have them near each other, and come up with something that may look unique, but in many cases the resulting strain wasn’t developed carefully in a way that allows it to stand out. So, then a name gets slapped on it, and the code of cannabis ethics says you can’t use that name for anything else. Some great names get taken out of the mix this way. We try and have fun with the naming and have the ones we come up with reflect a positive vibe. It’s a team effort. We bounce ideas off each other and eventually something sticks.
HL: Humboldt Seed Company is 100% carbon neutral and self-sustaining with solar and micro-hydroelectric power. What led you to these decisions for your farm?
NP: Most of the original group—Ben Lind and myself—have a background in science. If you understand science, you understand the dire situation we are in. We feel that when science shows you the way, you follow the science and make decisions that you know need to be made. It was a no-brainer for us. It’s just the right thing to do.
HL: Tell us about Clean Green certification and why cannabis cannot legally be called “organic”? What is Humboldt Seed Company’s position with regard to organic farming?
NP: Everything we grow and produce is 100% organic. The term organic can get a bit sticky, as the term “organic” is now owned by the federal government, so they regulate whether things can bear the organic label. Since the feds do not yet recognize the legality of cannabis in legal states, we are not able to label our products as organic, even though we’ve always used strictly organic amendments. People assume because California has stringent pesticide regulations that it’s all organic, but in reality you can use as many chemical fertilizers as you want and still pass the CA tests. You can use Miracle Grow and still pass the tests. So, really it’s a good idea to know where your products come from and buy from trusted sources. The Clean Green Certified seal gives consumers something they can look for.
HL: Is there a significant difference between what medical and recreational users are looking for in their cannabis?
NP: California has for all intents and purposes merged the two. We try whenever possible to give price breaks for medical. Being a seed company, we are big proponents of consumers having access to grow their own medicine. In a lot of the medical use states, people who have medical cards are able to grow their own medicine. Sweet Annie and Willie G’s, as well as the CBD Hemp seeds from our partnership with the Yurok are all medical. Blueberry Muffin turned out to have anti-anxiety effects. Sometimes there is crossover. Many enjoy Blueberry Muffin for its pleasant effects, even if they are just recreational users, but many people with anxiety report it’s really helpful medically for them. A lot of people who used cannabis back in their high school or college days and are a bit older now find some of today’s high-THC strains to be a bit too much. Those folks tend to gravitate toward the high-CBD varieties. These can help with the inflammation from arthritis and also tend to produce pleasant, calming effects.
HL: For the novice consumer who has not experienced the cornucopia of different strains, what is your advice for deepening their understanding and experience of cannabis?
NP: I would say try a lot of different varieties. Growing your own is a fun and cost-effective way to try different strains and see what they look like, smell like, and feel like, and to discover how they work for you. Growing your own also has a destigmatizing effect. When you work with the different varieties in the garden, you realize that they are just plants with great properties!
I think the most special moments for me from the pheno hunt are those moments of collaborating with individuals from varied backgrounds, with the common goal of identifying something new and special—a true unicorn!
HL: Let’s talk about the Phenotype Mega Hunt. It sounds epic and on the cutting-edge of cannabis genetics. There were some truly fantastic moments in the video and we were wondering what stood out most for you?
NP: Every professional plant breeder knows the secret is looking through really large populations, but you also need to know what it is you’re looking for. I think the most special moments for me from the pheno hunt are those moments of collaborating with individuals from varied backgrounds, with the common goal of identifying something new and special—a true unicorn.
We had people from every facet of the industry—dispensary owners, farmers, nursery proprietors, avid consumers, geneticists, laboratory owners and technicians, and experts in bioinformatics. We even had world-famous Reggae music artists, the original experts. The group looked at over 3000 individual plants, and used a phenotype rating system to categorize individual traits. It was amazing to see the majority in this varied group choose the same plant. It was a real convergence of experience and intuition coming together. A beautiful thing!
HL: Benjamin Lind, COA and Co-founder of Humboldt Seed Company, describes the new new: “Smells that haven’t been smelled before and flavours that haven’t been tasted, highs that haven’t been felt.” Tell us about these highs that haven’t been felt before? We’re curious!
NP: It’s all about elation, creativity, and happiness. Sometimes we’re not sure if it’s the new strain we just created, or if it’s just that we are so excited about this work that we do. Probably both. We are trying to move away from what we call the paranoia molecule. Creating strains that don’t cause paranoia, like Blueberry Muffin, is really important to us. We want to target the desirable effects, and minimize the undesirable ones. Bringing something fresh and colourful to consumers is important to us, and also staying true to our motto of keeping the good vibes flowing. It’s in our genetics; it’s in the music we play around the farm. We really feel cannabis can be uplifting and powerful. We take creating something new very seriously, and are always looking to offer novel experiences and the highest quality genetics.
HL: Dan Grace, owner and CEO of Dark Heart Nursery, discusses the future of your collaborative efforts: “The varieties of cannabis that will come out in the next ten years will blow away anything that’s ever come out before.” It sounds like the golden age of cannabis is right around the corner and it’s a great time to be a cannabis consumer?
NP: We couldn’t agree more. We really appreciate all the work that Dan does and the capacity they have to get genetics to a large number of people. He has created a superhighway of sorts to get the people what they want! We are big fans.
HL: Dan Egan, owner of Happy Dreams Farm, discusses the “uncommon” especially in terms of terpenes: “I think the terpenes are going to be one of the most important things, so I’ve been trying to aim towards growing for terpenes.” What are terpenes and why are they so important?
NP: Terpenes are flavonoids and esters, and a litany of more obscure components as well that make up the complex flavour profiles that have an undeniable effect on the overall user experience. Often lab tests ignore how relevant terpenes are to the user experience, and we hope to see more deference given to the terpene profiles and associated effects, as the cannabis industry matures and evolves over the coming years. The creative possibilities and different ways of using terpenes are endless. We have created terpene fog for concerts, added terpenes to Lulu’s Chocolates, and even infused a little terpene magic into a perfume being sold at Saks called Fog & Tree.
Science is playing an increasingly important role in the cannabis landscape. With our entire founding team having a background in science, we are big proponents of using what science has to offer in our efforts to develop the best cannabis strains possible.
HL: Dr. Allison Justice talks about how the cannabis industry is a “researcher’s dream.” What role does science play in developing the best possible cannabis?
NP: Science is playing an increasingly important role in the cannabis landscape. With our entire founding team having a background in science, we are big proponents of using what science has to offer in our efforts to develop the best cannabis strains possible. We utilize marker-assisted breeding and do genetic research, not genetic modification, to inform our breeding practices. We use the appropriate scientific methods to get the information and results we need, but combine that with a good old-fashioned sniff test. There is no substitute for a connoisseur’s nose!
HL: Siobhan Darwish, Co-owner of Blessed Coast Farms, states, “It’s really important to keep and preserve those classic Humboldt strains.” What is Humboldt Seed Company doing to ensure heirloom cannabis strains that have been passed down from generation to generation aren’t lost?
NP: One of the ways we preserve heirlooms is by keeping them in our seed catalogue. Even if they are not the trendy, hot item of the moment, we feel they are classics and have the staying power to be relevant in the long term. We’ve got Trainwreck, Jack Herrer, and one of our originals PPD that has been around long enough to be considered heirloom. Lemon Kush and Purple Mountain Majesty are another two we are committed to keeping in the mix.
HL: Lisa Holland from KindPeoples Genetics gets nostalgic as she describes her personal unicorn: “I’m getting bananas. I’m getting jasmine. I’m getting pear blossoms. It’s bringing me right back to my nonna’s garden.” For the uninitiated, it may come as a surprise that cannabis connoisseurs speak a similar language to wine aficionados.
NP: Lisa has a real passion for the variety we find in cannabis, and she interacts with consumers every day at the dispensary. She does a great job educating the public on the sheer vastness of choice in the cannabis universe. We love her enthusiasm, and she is hands down one of our favourite cannabis sommeliers!
HL: You have been breeding cannabis with care and thought for over 20 years. This is testament to the fact that it takes time to develop an expertise and build a quality company. How does your business philosophy differ from the new wave of Big Canna who often launch with powerful investment financing but little practical cannabis knowledge?
NP: Fortunately, we launched over a long period of time and have had the luxury of growing organically and not needing to take on investors. We feel incredibly fortunate to be in this position. We have watched many of our peers struggle with striking the balance between the need for growth and the desire to stay true to their original mission. Taking the slow approach that we’ve been able to take has really allowed us to stay true to our roots, while at the same time embracing the growth necessary to succeed in the competitive marketplace. It’s been a little like the slow business equivalent of the slow food movement. Healthier for people, and the planet.
HL: How long does it take to bring a new seed strain to market—from brainstorming to making it commercially available?
NP: We really appreciate this question. It can take upwards of 1 to 2 years. We pride ourselves on the fact that when we discover a new varietal during a pheno hunt, we take our time and follow up this initial discovery with generations of inbreeding to stabilize the genetics. We want our Blueberry Muffin to smell exactly the same every time, giving people that hit of freshly baked blueberry muffins coming straight out of the oven.
If people don’t take the time to shop local and think about what is going into the cannabis they purchase, whether it’s chemical fertilizers or billion dollar hedge funds, it’s likely we will lose our small family farms.
HL: Yum! Sounds fantastic! You have raised the alarm regarding the corporate takeover of the cannabis industry. What can conscientious consumers do?
NP: If people don’t take the time to shop local and think about what is going into the cannabis they purchase, whether it’s chemical fertilizers or billion dollar hedge funds, it’s likely we will lose our small family farms. The fate is really in the hands of consumers. They wield a tremendous amount of power when it comes to what the cannabis craft market will look like in the future. Educating the consumer is really important for this reason. People need to understand what goes into what they are consuming, and then be willing to make purchasing decisions accordingly.
HL: The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that since the beginning of this century about 75 percent of the genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost, including many native land races, as a result of industrialized agriculture. Do you fear a future in which a company like Monsanto would control all of the cannabis genetics?
NP: Yes. I do have concerns, however the cannabis space is likely to be more resilient to that kind of capitalism. The biotech industry has not shown itself to be the most nimble. Their cash cow has been large monocrops, and genetic engineering is time-consuming and resource-intensive. Their offerings don’t change very quickly. We’ve seen how fickle cannabis consumers are and the market demands novelty each season. Nobody wants to smoke a monocrop! Quite possibly big biotech may end up dominating the hemp sector, which is really more about commodity agriculture, but cannabis does not lend itself well to being a commodity-type crop.
HL: What needs to be done to sustain a viable legal cannabis industry?
NP: Initiatives like the one we have put forward for mandatory labelling of GMO cannabis are needed. This project is on a bit of a hiatus due to the COVID-19 crisis, but we hope to continue on with it soon. Having real and meaningful organic certifications are key to consumers being able to easily differentiate a corporate commodity from the good stuff. The black market distribution network is so vast, that it will continue unfettered simply because cannabis is the most consequence-free recreational drug out there. A heavily regulated and taxed white market will ensure the black market is alive and well. If state regulators want to see the white market flourish and the black market diminish, they will need to embrace reducing taxes for legal producers.
HL: You talk about needing on-point genetics in order to make it in the competitive cannabis market. Where is most of your competition coming from?
NP: Ironically, a lot of the competition comes from the cities, like Los Angeles. It’s easier to market and hype your product when you’re right there in the thick of it. That said, Humboldt County has the most acreage dedicated to cannabis growing in the largest cannabis economy in the world, so this is definitely where the action is.
Having real and meaningful organic certifications are key to consumers being able to easily differentiate a corporate commodity from the good stuff.
HL: What is the greatest obstacle facing California’s legal cannabis producer?
NP: Without a doubt, we have to take a look at the taxes imposed on legal cannabis businesses. California, in particular, really made a mistake with the combination of a high barrier to entry, strict regulations and excessive taxes. This has made it really difficult for legal producers to compete. You can only drop your price so much, and stay on top of all the expenses required to operate. There was a robust medical marketplace before Prop 64, and the resulting regulatory structure has led to what some call the black market, but what I like to refer to as the grey market. This market is alive and flourishing. California regulators have since identified the problem, and have been working to actively reduce taxes. Even with the lacklustre start to regulatory changes that can address some of these issues, the regulators will ultimately figure it out. At the end of the day, people want to purchase safe, tested products, free from pesticides and other harmful chemicals. Anything like this involving government regulation just takes time and requires an inordinate amount of patience.
HL: What’s it going to take for the craft cannabis market to succeed?
NP: Consumers becoming more educated, like we saw happen when craft beer emerged. The consumer has to notice that every grocery store has Coors, before they realize that it’s not handcrafted and what they are really getting is a giant corporate beer. Another thing that we see happening is people get tired of smoking the same strains, and they are looking for something new and different. Companies can set themselves apart by working with breeders who are developing unique and interesting genetics. Then through effective marketing, they can signal to the consumer that their weed is not commodity weed, but craft weed.
HL: Ultimately, Humboldt Seed Company is a business. Can you successfully produce seeds for both the backyard gardener and the larger farms?
NP: Honestly, we enjoy producing seeds for the mom and pop and backyard grows as much or more, but our focus is simply breeding the best cannabis we can, and fortunately that works well in the backyard and on the acres and acres.
HL: We love the videos on your website describing each strain. You’re a natural in front of the camera. Do you see yourself, one day, moving into education or consulting?
NP: Funny you should ask. Before it was possible to be a full-time cannabis seed company owner, I was a biologist and educator. I worked as a fisheries biologist and environmental educator. One of the aspects of the job I enjoyed the most was working with kids programs at the local grade schools here in Humboldt County. I have also enjoyed consulting for different cannabis operations, especially the ones in Jamaica that I’ve worked with.
HL: As a recognized cannabis expert, we’d love to tap into your personal experience. What is your favourite strain for…
1) Relaxing?
NP: Blueberry Muffin
2) Socializing?
NP: Lemongrass
3) Feasting?
NP: Vanilla Frosting
4) Romance?
NP: Stupid Fruits
5) Listening to music?
NP: The Bling
6) Getting Creative?
NP: Our new strain Vanilla Cream Pie
7) Moving/sports?
NP: Trainwreck
HL: What is your favourite way to consume?
NP: Joints or bong hits.
HL: Is Humboldt Seed Company a family affair? What do you hope to pass on to the next generation?
NP: Yes, it absolutely is both in blood and in spirit. Ben’s family has a long history of growing up in the Appalachian Mountains. His aunt and uncle passed down their knowledge to him over the years. My daughter, Halle works full-time as a product executive at the company. We hope to pass on the real Humboldt cannabis culture, which prioritizes community, ecology, and social justice.
HL: Please tell us about the community initiatives Humboldt Seed Company is involved in?
NP: Six years ago, we co-founded Nature Rights Council, a non-profit whose mission is to ensure a sustainable future through advocacy, education, and social change emphasizing traditional ecological knowledge. The organization has grown to have several programs under one umbrella, with the most active being the Ancestral Guard. This is a Native American youth-led project that focuses on our region’s sustainable food webs, with an emphasis on Native tradition and Native autonomy. An exciting recent development is the removal of the Klamath Dams for salmon restoration. This is a project we’ve been involved with since its inception in the late 1990s, and has been described by National Geographic as the world’s largest river restoration effort.
HL: Wow! That’s impressive. Do you have any other passions?
NP: White water rafting and salmon restoration and research. We have lived on the river for many years, so everything seems to revolve around that. It’s a powerful force.
HL: Do you have a farm mascot?
NP: We have a turtle, Harold that lives on the farm. He is wild, but spends the majority of his time basking in the Humboldt sun on a little floating island we built for him in our pond.
HL: Do you believe that cannabis will change—perhaps even save—the world?
NP: Well, it has had an incredibly positive effect on my life, so I look forward to seeing what it can do when more people around the world have access to it and can experience it for themselves.
HL: Thank you, Nat, for taking the time to chat with us. Your insight is a real eye-opener and we wish you the best of luck with your future projects.
Lear more about Humboldt Seed Company at: humboldtseedcompany.com
Follow them on Instagram at: @thehumboldtseedcompany
Listen on Spotify
Want to know what's playing on the sound system at Humboldt Seed Company while the plants grow? Listen to our custom Humboldt Seed Co-curated "Humboldt Seed Co. Mix" on Spotify.
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Cultivating empowered women through cannabis
Organically speaking with Humboldt County's Talking Trees Farms
Outlaw geneticist Subcool shares some of his favourite strains
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When political artist Christine Cousineau accidentally stumbled on a collection of mugshots, she became captivated by their unmediated rawness. A deep dive into the workings of the criminal justice system revealed how biased it was especially towards racialized groups. As an act of political subversion, she started the Outlaws project, painting the portraits of these individuals to restore their humanity and start a conversation on racism.
Heads Lifestyle: What first drew you to mugshots?
Christine Cousineau: I accidentally stumbled upon a page of mugshots thanks to Google. At first I was fascinated by the unmediated rawness and immediacy of the images. They are the opposite of the Photoshopped images that inundate TV, magazines and social media. These were photos of people in absolute dire circumstances, perhaps experiencing the worst moment of their life. I was surprised at the wide variety of emotions that range from utter despair to defiance. The sheer number of mugshots was overwhelming—every age, gender, and economic status was represented.
HL: What is the purpose of a portrait?
CC: Traditionally, a portrait was intended to capture the likeness of an individual and to portray certain aspects of their character through elements like the expression and posture of the subject. Up until the invention of photography, a portrait was limited to the rich and powerful; now almost everyone has access to the means to create a portrait. With the development of Modern Art, the portrait became not only a representation of the sitter but also a reflection of the artist. A good example of this would be Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer by Gustav Klimt or the portraits by Picasso of his lovers. The stylistic elements and artistic concepts held by the artist become as important as, and in some cases supersede, the idea that the purpose of a portrait is foremost to attain a likeness of the sitter.
HL: What do you hope to capture in your portraits?
CC: The goal of my portraits is to capture the humanity of the subject. I want the viewer to see the person portrayed as an individual and to recognize something in them that they, the viewer, can identify with or feel empathy for.
HL: How can art advance difficult conversations in society?
CC: Simply put, the portraits of mugshots serve to illustrate the overrepresentation of African Americans in the justice system, to capture the humanity and individuality of the arrestees with compassion and to infer their worth and value as human beings through the long process of having their portrait painted. The point of the project is to draw attention to the situation and to start a conversation about racism in both America and Canada.
I accidentally stumbled upon a page of mugshots. At first I was fascinated by the unmediated rawness and immediacy of the images.
HL: How long does it take you to complete a portrait?
CC: The length of time it takes to paint a portrait varies widely. It is dependent on the size and painting style. The more stylistically “realistic,” the longer it takes. The larger the painting, the longer it takes. And then there is the indefinable aspect—sometimes a painting will go smoothly and it will be done in a week or two. Unfortunately that rarely happens. Most of the time the painting process is a struggle, a frustrating battle with many defeats until finally the painting reaches a barely acceptable degree of finish. I will then leave it and weeks later I will return to it with fresh eyes and work on it more. In other words, I am rarely satisfied and, unless I have a deadline, a painting is never finished.
HL: What message do you hope to convey in your Outlaws portraits?
CC: Outlaws is my response to the dissemination of mugshots published online. It is a series of paintings based on these images. Contemporary theory has demonstrated the complex ways in which control over images has been central to maintaining domination across class, race, sexuality and gender lines. In painting a portrait inspired by a mugshot, I am saying, Look at this person. This is a human being. They are worthy of being seen. They are worthy of being (re)presented in the cultural enterprise of Fine Art. They are not other. They are us.
In painting a portrait inspired by a mugshot, I am saying, Look at this person. This is a human being. They are worthy of being seen.
HL: Tell us about the compassion you feel for your subjects?
CC: Although the form that mugshots adhere to is unchanging, there is no limit to the expression that a photograph can capture in the split-second frozen moment. For every painting I do of a mugshot, I feel a kind of love for the person I am painting. I know that may seem ridiculous, as I clearly do not know these people. And yet it is the basis of each work of art. I see painting the portraits of these individuals as an act of love, and as a political action.
HL: Tell us about the process of “othering” by the criminal justice system?
CC: The widespread publication of mugshots online and in the press is part of a process of manufacturing otherness. People who become enmeshed in the criminal justice system, regardless of their crime, are ostracized and demonized by society before they even go to trial. Each painting attempts to subvert the purpose of the mugshot, which is, in part, to marginalize and categorize. The act of painting a portrait imbues a value on the subject. It directs the gaze of the viewer towards someone with the imperative that this person be seen. It states that this is a human being who is experiencing something and feels something and that feeling can be recognized and understood. If this step is taken, if a person can recognize and identify what the person in the portrait is feeling then the subject of the painting is no longer restricted to the category of criminal, they are no longer entirely “other.”
Each painting attempts to subvert the purpose of the mugshot, which is, in part, to marginalize and categorize.
HL: Is it true that booking photographs remain part of the public record even if the person is never convicted of a crime?
CC: Yes, it is true mugshots remain part of the public record even if a person is found innocent of a crime. I realized that the arrest photographs, which are widely published in newspapers and online, represent one of many aspects of the justice system in America that is, in my opinion, terribly unfair. There is no contingency in place to remove the mugshots of people found innocent after a trial. Websites will charge to have the mugshots removed. Although any given website will have a disclaimer indicating the presumed innocence of the people displayed, it is not prominent. What is clear is the photo, the name and age of the arrestee and the reason for the arrest.
HL: How do public mugshots fit into our view of criminality?
CC: The presumption of innocence unless proven guilty is the basic principal of the justice system in Canada and the United States. In the United States, in direct opposition to this right, is the dissemination of mugshots and arrest records, which are published prior to a trial. In other words, the presumption of innocence is undermined, effectively condemning the individual to great prejudice.
HL: What is the connection between your Outlaws project, the War on Drugs and the Black Lives Matter movement?
CC: Mass incarceration and the War on Drugs are inextricably intertwined and have resulted in the necessity of the Black Lives Matter movement. The War on Drugs, which began in 1970s, was a manufactured issue. At the time, the population of the United States was not concerned with recreational drug use. Drugs became the number one reason for arresting and incarcerating huge numbers of people and it has been well documented that the system of mass incarceration disproportionately affects people of colour and the poor.
At this time in the United States, 97% of all prisoners have not had a trial. The system simply cannot accommodate the number of trials that would be needed if each person charged with a crime had one. To deal with the massive number of arrests, the role of a public defender is effectively to work out a plea deal. Imprisonment and guilt are negotiated through plea bargains, not through the right to a speedy trial as guaranteed in the U.S. constitution. The question of guilt or innocence, determined by a fair trial is virtually nonexistent unless you have money to hire a lawyer.
The mugshot is taken early on in the criminal justice process. It is the first step in the public labelling of an individual as a criminal. In the United States, irrespective of the reason for an arrest, the message is that a criminal is someone to be feared and someone to be punished, regardless of the fact that in many cases the person in question is being arrested for something that is illegal in one state and legal in another. And since African Americans are disproportionately arrested, their mugshots serve to reinforce racist stereotypes, and it is those stereotypes that I attempt to subvert in the paintings.
African Americans consume marijuana in the same percentage of population as white Americans but they are almost four times more likely to be arrested for it. Every aspect of this fact is devastating and exemplifies white privilege and the arbitrary nature of the laws.
HL: Around nine-in-ten U.S. marijuana arrests are for possessing the drug, rather than selling or manufacturing it. In 2018, 663,000 arrests were made for marijuana-related offences, amounting to 40% of total drug arrests in the U.S. That’s a lot of mugshots to choose from for something that an overwhelming majority of U.S. adults (91%) believe should be legal for medical and/or recreational use. What do you think of the plight of individuals still incarcerated for minor drug charges like marijuana possession in state/countries where cannabis is now legal or on its way to being decriminalized?
CC: It is, of course, horrendous that anyone is in jail for simple possession of marijuana and I would extend that further to include all recreational drugs. It didn't take long to recognize that the mugshots were a bleak visual record of the inequalities of the American justice system. And with a little research it became clear that the whole system is appallingly racist. African Americans consume marijuana in the same percentage of population as white Americans but they are almost four times more likely to be arrested for it. Every aspect of this fact is devastating and exemplifies white privilege and the arbitrary nature of the laws. It seems surreal that someone can be spending a good portion of their life behind bars because they were born African American in Florida as opposed to Colorado where marijuana is legal. Prohibition doesn't work; it leads to greater harm and crime.
HL: The Outlaws portraits are an ongoing project you started five years ago. How has it evolved over time?
CC: Each portrait in the series is based on one mugshot. In the first year, I painted both males and females but have since decided to focus exclusively on portraits of women. Stylistically, my painting has become more abstract, more expressive than it was in the beginning, focusing on expressing the emotional rather than striving for an accurate likeness of the subject. The paintings range in size from the smallest at 12x16 inches to the largest at 30x40 inches.
I have started to take the Outlaws series in a different direction integrating them into my general art practice. I recently completed a painting that uses the image of a woman—her face is painted from a mugshot—combined with the body of a young Queen Elizabeth. The painting is called Outlaw Princess.
HL: Tell us about your approach to making art?
CC: In general, my art practice fuses historical painting techniques and digital technology. Each painting is composed of fragments of photographs from a variety of sources, which are compiled in Photoshop to form an entirely new image, which is then painted on canvas. The final image could include a face from a 1890s studio portrait, a dress found in the pages of a fashion magazine, the arm and handbag of the Queen of England digitally cut from a news photo. The chosen fragments are combined to reflect a strong and complex psychological portrait. I am influenced by folk art and fairy tales and Jungian psychology. I am interested in examining the social construction of normality and otherness and in how this division has informed art and culture. My art practice sits at the intersection between the resurgence of figurative, skill-based art and art that is the locus of social issues.
HL: In what direction will you be taking your art next?
CC: I am both fascinated and horrified by the huge gulf between the fantastical image of the United States being a great democracy—a land of freedom and equality and the America dream—and the reality. It is the most enormous instance of white washing or mass delusion ever imagined. I am not sure how that idea will translate into a series of paintings yet. I am also interested in making art about the devastating conditions and systematic racism directed towards the aboriginal people of Canada.
Christine Cousineau is a political artist based in Montreal. She creates complex psychological artworks that examine the social constructions and cultural divisions of normality and otherness. She holds a BFA from the University of Victoria and her artwork can be found in private collections in Canada, United States, Great Britain, France, Japan and Germany. She was a founding member of Artifact (Artists for Action), a collective of female artists with a concentration on making political art. After 10 years of painting murals in Nicaragua, NYC and Montreal, fundraising and holding workshops with Artifact, she decided to turn her attention to her own work. In her painting practice, she uses oil and acrylic paint producing both large- and small-scale figurative paintings.
Find out more about Christine Cousineau at www.christinecousineau.com
Follow her on Instagram at @cmcpainter
To purchase Christine’s work visit www.christinecousineau.com
The painting Outlaw Princess is currently on exhibit at Bridgeport Fine Art
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Where mood and movement meet
Visionary painter, Chris Dyer embodies love and light
The photography of Shayna Colvin
Heads Lifestyle first interviewed Hilary Black for our feature aHead of their time (Heads Magazine, Issue #8, May 2002). As a medical marijuana activist and founder of Canada’s first medical cannabis dispensary, she was at the forefront of the movement. Today, she is the Chief Advocacy Officer at Canopy Growth, Canada’s largest licensed producer and the world’s most valuable cannabis company. Heads Lifestyle caught up with the very busy C-suite cannabis activist to get her insight on the battle for recognition, post-legalization's evolution and her vision for the future. With her depth of compassion and burning sense of justice, Hilary Black embodies the very best of the cannabis community.
HL: You founded the BC Compassion Club in 1997. Now that you are the Chief Advocacy Officer at Canopy Growth, what is your involvement at the Compassion Club?
HB: I volunteer there and I do my best to help them when they need me. Though I am not an official consultant, I have helped them find their way through several different regulatory processes. And I will always be its mother. So while it has grown up and it has many other people that are living the work of the Compassion Club day-to-day, I will always stay connected to it.
HL: Heads featured you in our column aHead of their time in 2002—17 years ago!—and you truly were a trailblazer in terms of your prophetic vision for medical marijuana. What is your impression when you look back at those days?
HB: Oh my God! That article is so precious. You know when I look back at media from the very, very early days, it’s almost like I’m looking at a different version of myself, like I’m looking at my little sister or something. It’s amazing how much things have changed since then. And also it’s been a long journey. You know, that interview was really lovely to read. I was quite proud of that young woman in that interview actually. She’s pretty feisty.
I was quite proud of that young woman in that interview actually. She’s pretty feisty.
HL: What originally sparked that feisty young woman to embark on a cannabis crusade?
HB: Well, I learned about hemp on Grateful Dead tour—hemp for fuel, hemp for fibre, hemp for medicine, hemp for food, hemp for fun, hemp to save the planet. When I came back to Vancouver, Marc Emery had opened his hemp store and I very quickly started volunteering and working there. I had some very powerful experiences with the people who were coming and looking for cannabis as a medicine. I felt a great responsibility land in my lap. I felt this mission grab me and it’s almost like the spirit of ganja reached down and claimed me and said, You are now in service of me and your destiny is to spend your adult life working to free me from the chains that bind me. And the last 25 years of my life proved that to be true in that I have chosen to be dedicated to this path, to this mission. So my path was kind of laid out for me. And on the one hand, I can think about the sacrifices, but on the other hand, what a tremendous gift from such a young age to have a very clear sense of purpose and to have a path in this world that is meaningful. It’s not something everybody gets to experience and I feel incredibly privileged to have had that feeling from such a young age and it’s never faded.
I felt a great responsibility land in my lap. I felt this mission grab me and it’s almost like the spirit of ganja reached down and claimed me and said, You are now in service of me and your destiny is to spend your adult life working to free me from the chains that bind me.
HL: In our original interview, your primary focus was on meeting the needs of your medical patients. You detailed a long list of conditions the Compassion Club members suffered from including HIV/AIDS. Can you tell us about those days?
HB: In 1995-1996, when I first started distributing medical cannabis, and then opened the Compassion Club in 1997, Vancouver had an epidemic of HIV and hepatitis transmission rates. The public health authorities literally called it an epidemic. And the epicentre of it, of course, was in the Downtown East Side. There was a group of HIV-positive gay men that wrapped themselves around me and said, You go, girl. You just come out of that cannabis-distributing closet of yours, go public and we’ve got your back. So I had this infusion of courage from these very politically engaged men. That was the landscape of the health crisis that was happening in Vancouver at the time, which is very much reflected, twenty-five years later. Same neighbourhood, same community, but now we have an epidemic of the opioid overdose crisis. The connections and the mirrors of it—it’s a sad, tragic synchronicity. And cannabis has a role to play in both of those crises.
HL: The W.H.O. has acknowledged the “possible therapeutic application… of CBD to treat drug addiction.” Do you believe cannabis will play a critical role in bringing the opioid crisis under control?
HB: Let me tell you a story. Two years ago, my best friend’s daughter whose name is Gemma, when she was 18 years old, died of a fentanyl overdose. I have supported a lot of death and sickness and tragedy in my life, but never like a best friend losing their daughter. So I took a couple months off work and moved in with the family to just get them through.
When I went back to work, my boss, Mark Zekulin, was looking to do something meaningful in terms of social purpose work in British Columbia, and he said, Obviously, B.C. is the epicentre of the opioid overdose epidemic, what should we do? So I reached out to the brilliant Dr. Evan Wood from the B.C. Centre of Substance Use and said, I want to do something that is going to have a systemic impact. Not just a one-and-done. I said, Evan, you are the expert. Give me a project plan of what you would do if you had a big chunk of money. I had no idea how much money Canopy would give me to do the project, but I just wanted to dream big.
The proposal they came back with was to fund an endowment that would support a professorship at the University of British Columbia and that Professorship of Cannabis Science would be solely focused on creating clinical data and running clinical trials around the role of cannabis and cannabinoids as part of the solution to the overdose epidemic. The B.C. Centre of Substance Use had half a million dollars in the bank from the B.C. Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, and they were waiting for a philanthropic donation to match it against before they could spend it. So we put in $2.5 million and created an endowment at the University of British Columbia. They went through their process and selected a wonderful man named Dr. M-J Malloy to become the Canopy Growth Professor of Cannabis Science. They are now engaged in clinical trials, researching the role of cannabis as a part of the toolkit for helping people addicted to opioids. It’s not focused on pain patients; it’s focused on people who are addicted to fentanyl. Through Canopy’s support and faith in me, I created a legacy to Gemma, which is creating a body of clinical evidence that in the years to come will be what healthcare professionals around the world can rely on to understand that cannabis is one of their tools as gateway out of addiction. And these are the kinds of things that I can do working with the country’s and the world’s largest cannabis company.
They are now engaged in clinical trials, researching the role of cannabis as a part of the toolkit for helping people addicted to opioids. It’s focused on people who are addicted to fentanyl.
HL: You are now the Chief Advocacy Officer for Canopy Growth. What motivated you to join forces with the largest producer in Canada and the world’s most valuable cannabis company?
HB: I was one of the early adopters from the activist community who chose to work in the legal market. When I decided to make that move I knew that the Compassion Club model was never going to be successfully replicated across the country. I wanted to work in a systemic way. I believe that one of the fundamental principles of being a Canadian is that we have equal access to healthcare. At that point, patients across the country did not have equal access to medical cannabis. So I wanted to work with one of the early licensed producers, work in the new legal regime even though there were problems with it—it wasn’t my perfect picture of what legalization would look like even on the medical side—but to work with the system that exists and to work from the inside to be able to speak to more physicians and to be able to unlock this medicine for more patients across the country.
HL: Did you get any backlash for your decision?
HB: I was very, very heavily criticised, shamed even, for making that move. Traitor. Sellout. Shillary. But I was very clear about my strategy, even if people hadn’t caught up with me yet in terms of understanding what my strategy was. I knew that I was on point. And I never really faltered. I believe that it’s my responsibility as a trailblazer and as an activist and as a patient advocate to have as much power as I can and have a seat at the table. That’s exactly what I’ve done. And I have a tremendous amount of influence. My position is meaningful and I am incredibly well-resourced to now take my work global.
I believe that it’s my responsibility as a trailblazer and as an activist and as a patient advocate to have as much power as I can and have a seat at the table. That’s exactly what I’ve done.
HL: What advice would you give to women who want to participate in the cannabis space?
HB: The advice that I would give to women is: this is a brand new industry and it’s becoming global, and there’s huge opportunity. Huge opportunity! I’m the first female member of the C-suite in Canopy, which hopefully, one day, gender balance within the cannabis industry won’t even be a conversation anymore. But I am proud of my company for that. I don’t have that seat at the table because I’m a woman, but being a woman is great in terms of starting to create some more diversity at that level of the company. And Canopy is really committed to our evolution around diversity and inclusion. So that’s one of the many exciting parts of my mandate.
HL: How do you feel now that legalization has been enacted? Triumphant? Tired? Like there is still so much more work to be done?
HB: Really, all of those things are true. But mostly I’m just supercharged. There’s work that we have to do around the evolution of the legal framework in Canada to make it more inclusive and to make it friendlier for small businesses. That’s going to come when we prove that this version of legalization is working and the sky didn’t fall. Kids aren’t addicted. People aren’t driving off the road. We don’t have a huge spike in mental health concerns. I really believe we need a year or maybe longer of really good data showing that this is successful before we’re going to be able to push and open things up. Like the restrictions around advertising and marketing—they’re way too restrictive. It limits some of the education that we need to be able to do.
HL: Now that Canada has taken a major step towards changing public opinion regarding cannabis, what’s next?
HB: Parallel to knowing that we have more work to do in Canada, I am so incredibly proud of my country. I am so proud of us. The legalization of recreational cannabis is not just about the right to get high; this is a social justice issue. It’s about access to healthcare. And it’s about righting a tremendous wrong that is creating so much harm around the world. That’s why I’m passionate about this work. Because freeing this plant is an opportunity to address access to healthcare, a paradigm shift around how we deal with our health and a social justice issue in a way that is a really rare opportunity.
So now my new position is about working globally. It’s about social purpose globally. And it’s about patient advocacy globally. I’m just incredibly thrilled and I’m ready for the next decade. I’m ready to help the patients in the U.K. I’m ready to help the patients in Australia. I see Canopy as this unicorn; it’s an incredibly powerful economic machine that I get to ride around the world tearing down prohibition.
The legalization of recreational cannabis is not just about the right to get high; this is a social justice issue. It’s about access to healthcare. And it’s about righting a tremendous wrong that is creating so much harm around the world.
HL: Do you foresee a time when cannabis will be legalized worldwide?
HB: Well, I think that the whole globe is starting to move in bits and pieces. You know, we have medical regulations in Australia and in Germany and coming along in the U.K. And there are some countries in Latin America that are moving towards medical regulations. So I really feel like many countries around the world are starting to reform their cannabis regulatory framework. It’s not necessarily because the world is realizing that cannabis prohibition was based on lies and racism and that it’s a great wrong that has been done upon the world, but actually because there is a global economy emerging and now there are economic drivers pushing the evolution of the regulatory framework.
HL: You’ve stated that the current cannabis legislation is version 1.0. Was anything overlooked? Where do you believe we need to make adjustments?
HB: I’m thinking about First Nations. How are our First Nations communities going to benefit financially from this booming industry? I don’t have the answer to that question but that’s what I’m thinking about. I think that yes, we need more gender balance but of greater concern to me is how our First Nations are going to benefit. I think that the government has a bit of shifting to do around where the taxation and economic benefits from the industry are being spent. I would like to see that as something the government takes some action on. I also think about the disproportionate amount of marginalized and people of colour who have been incarcerated because of working in the cannabis industry. Not just about possession charges. So when the industry starts opening up in America, I want the whole industry to really have as top-of-mind prioritizing the employment and the retraining of marginalized and people of colour who have been incarcerated for working in the cannabis trade. I think that’s a great place of healing that’s needed. We need to make sure that the people who have been harmed by prohibition are part of the prosperity of a legal industry.
We need to make sure that the people who have been harmed by prohibition are part of the prosperity of a legal industry.
HL: Do you believe the “grey” market will ever really disappear?
HB: The point of legalization should be bringing everybody out of the dark and into the light. Hopefully we can bring all of the grey market into the legal market. But as long as the legal market is way more restrictive than the grey market, the grey market will always have an advantage—around packaging or advertising or marketing or potency of your edibles or all of these kinds of things. The answer is dependent on what happens with the evolution of the regulatory market. But I think more and more, people are really thrilled to get their cannabis—their medical cannabis and their cannabis for adult consumption—through legal, regulated channels. I was pretty excited the first time I ordered cannabis from a website operated by the government of British Columbia. That felt like a pretty momentous day.
HL: Let’s talk taxes. In Canada, prescription medications are not taxed and yet medical marijuana is subject to the same taxes as recreational. Why the disconnect?
HB: The tax courts, when challenged on this, have basically said that the legislation needs to be clarified. There’s this kind of loophole because cannabis is not an official prescription medication; it does not have a drug identification number. It’s accessed through the authorization program under the medical cannabis legislation. That’s how they’re continuing to tax it even though it’s technically not an over-the-counter medicine. I think it’s unjust to be asking critically and chronically ill Canadians to be paying sales tax on a medication that is not available over-the-counter, that is only available through the authorization of their physician. I believe it’s contrary to the spirit of the Excise Tax Act. Then they loaded basically what is equivalent to a “sin tax” on top of that. So it’s one of the places where it’s clear that we still have stigma around the legitimacy of cannabis as a medicine, otherwise we would not be taxing patients in this way. I have worked against these taxes for a very long time. It’s one of the few places where I feel patients’ needs weren’t properly protected as we went through the legalization process.
I think it’s unjust to be asking critically and chronically ill Canadians to be paying sales tax on a medication that is not available over-the-counter, that is only available through the authorization of their physician.
HL: You have always encouraged a more holistic approach to wellness. In addition to medical marijuana, the BC Compassion Club offers affordable natural healthcare services such as acupuncture, clinical counselling and clinical herbal medicine to name a few. How does cannabis work in synergy with these types of services? And what do you think of the new breed of “medibles”—therapeutic cannabis products combined with other medicinal herbs?
HB: Well, it’s a complicated question. In our apothecary at the Compassion Club, the only cannabis product that was in there was a topical one. Our clinical herbalists were not administering cannabis in compound herbal medicines. I would really have to take a look at the labels to give my judgment around if I have concerns or not about what those herbs are that are in there. Like if they need to be consumed with the support of a clinical herbalist. At the Compassion Club, I definitely believe for patients, cannabis, as a part of a comprehensive healthcare package, is what helps people with deeper healing. When people came in the door to try cannabis and then we got them seeing a counsellor, a nutritionist and a massage therapist, or an acupuncturist, that’s when tumours shrank and viral loads dropped and addictions were managed and trauma was healed. Cannabis was part of the toolkit. I wish everybody had access to combined healthcare services like that.
When it comes to edible cannabis products, I’m always very cautious about dosing. I don’t really know anybody other than Dr. Russo and Dr. Caroline MacCallum who produced a beautiful paper last year on dosing: MacCallum-Russo Practical Considerations in Medical Cannabis Administration and Dosing 2018. This is a place, when it comes to edibles, that we have to be so careful in making sure that people don’t have adverse events as they say on the medical side, or don’t have uncomfortable bad experiences. So that’s always my top-line concern when it comes to edible products.
HL: Now that cannabis is legally accessible and the stigma is decreasing, are you witnessing more interest from elders seeking it for therapeutic reasons?
HB: There are so many more elders who are starting to use cannabis. When it comes to patients and elders making sure that their dosing protocols are starting off in such an incredibly mild and gentle place. One of the things that Canopy is doing that I’m super stoked on is the softgel capsules. Part of why we developed them was to get cannabis into long-term care facilities. In our culture, we store our seniors away in these long-term care facilities and there’s no way to get cannabis in unless it’s administered the same way other medications are. So we actually have a clinical trial running with a long-term care facility company in Ontario. It’s another place where we’re investing and gathering data and evidence to show the benefit of our seniors and elders having cannabis as part of their program. What often happens with seniors is polypharmacy. So they may be on a pain med, they might be on a sleep med, they might be on an anti-anxiety med. Often with seniors, if they’re using cannabis under the care and with careful communications from their physicians, they can slowly start self-titrating off some of those other medications. You know, with seniors there’s things we have to be really careful about watching out for like euphoria and the possible impairment from THC because we do not want our seniors having falls. The consequences from a fall can be devastating.
HL: You’re a kind of cannabis superhero. What do you do when you’re not breaking down prohibition and saving the world one patient at a time? How do you unwind and recharge?
HB: When I’m home and the weather’s decent, I go outside and let nature support me. I exercise as much as I can because I spend a lot of time in airports and planes. I have a beautiful nephew who I hang out with. And up until last summer, my answer would have been, My dog. I hang out with my dog and we go hiking, and we play and we goof. But I buried him in June. So now I steal my neighbour’s dog. I’m having a total love affair with a year-and-a-half-old Border Collie mutt named Jake from the neighbouring farm. Pretty much every morning he comes over to say hello. On Sundays, if I’m home, I take him for the day and we go hiking and hang out and snuggle and pretty much nothing makes me happy in the way that dogs do. The stress goes away. They are just pure love. Really nothing brings me pure joy like hanging out with dogs.
Read more about Hilary Black:
Ahead of their time: Hilary Black
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Originally published May 2019
]]>Passion drove them to the top of their profession, yet the partners at Manzuri Law are more than just high-powered attorneys fighting for their clients, they’re advocates dedicated to changing the way the world sees cannabis justice. Heads Lifestyle talked to the 420 Attorneys about the solidarity and strength of an all-female team, seizing a trailblazing opportunity and how cannabis has defined their lives and careers.
Heads Lifestyle: We have so many questions to ask you about Manzuri Law, but first let’s start with the basics: when was the firm founded?
Meital: 2010. I chose to start the firm because I was a young woman and I knew that I wanted a family but would not be able to have the quality time I wanted with my children while working at a conventional law firm.
HL: How did you become known as the 420 Attorneys?
Meital: One day, Alexa and I were driving to court and we started talking about Instagram. I told her we had the @420attorneys Twitter account but that I wasn’t very active on it. She started looking to see if the account was available on IG, and low and behold it was, and we started growing the account from there. That was probably around 2015.
HL: How big is Manzuri Law?
Meital: Three partners, ten admin including law clerks and support staff.
HL: Let’s talk about cannabis. What came first: cannabis or the law?
Meital: Cannabis came first but cannabis law combined all things I’m passionate about, including entrepreneurship and trailblazing.
HL: Was cannabis always part of your personal lives?
Meital: Yes. I grew up with a lot of trauma in my childhood and cannabis has always been my go-to medication for relief from anxiety or depression as they may arise.
Michelle: Cannabis has been a part of my life since I was 13 years old, when I took my first hit out of a blue plastic bong.
HL: Were you in the right place at the right time to found a niche firm dedicated to cannabis law and do you considerate it a fortunate stroke of serendipity bringing together two passions?
Meital: All of the above! Right place, right time, seized the niche opportunity, and a great stroke of serendipity bringing together the two passions!
One of the things people should know about us is that we’re more than just attorneys in this space, we’re advocates
HL: Managing partner, Meital Manzuri has a longstanding relationship with the cannabis community from working on Ed Rosenthal’s case to teaching at Oaksterdam. How did you each first enter the cannabis space?
Meital: Ed Rosenthal’s case was the first federal criminal case that I worked on, but before that I had worked at the Jerry Garcia estate helping with IP issues and transactions. I also lived in Amsterdam while I was working in The Hague so it all came together so nicely right at the time when I was making serious career choices.
Michelle: Completely by accident. During law school, I developed a passion for criminal law while I was an extern for the California Court of Appeal back in 2010. After that externship, I spammed a bunch of criminal defence attorneys in Los Angeles desperate for the chance to learn their craft. One of the criminal defence attorneys who reached back out to me happened to be one of the first cannabis attorneys to ever practice in this space. As they say, the rest is history.
HL: You are very forthcoming about your cannabis consumption, especially on Instagram. Did you ever worry it could hinder your career?
Meital: There was a moment when we seriously considered whether it would be bad to come out about being cannabis consumers and some have had negative feedback about it, but ultimately we are part of the normalization movement and thought this was essential to destigmatize the plant.
Michelle: One of the things people should know about us is that we’re more than just attorneys in this space, we’re advocates. As advocates, we wanted to make sure we did our part to break the social stigma associated with cannabis and bring it to the mainstream. We ultimately felt that it would be hypocritical of us to push every day for the de-stigmatization of the plant if we, ourselves, hid our usage for fear of being judged.
HL: We love busting cannabis myths. Tell us about being functional potheads?
Meital: Cannabis is different for every single person and for some it works as a motivator and for others it works as a relaxant. For me, cannabis has led to extreme personal and professional growth and has been an essential part of my evolution as a person and as an attorney. Like any substance or medication, there is a time and a place to consume and we are all responsible with our use. We love celebrating the end of the day with a communal joint.
We love celebrating the end of the day with a communal joint
HL: What do your parents think about raising daughters that became the 420 Attorneys?
Meital: I think all of us are fortunate enough to have supportive parents that recognize our hard work and accomplishments.
Michelle: When I was in middle school, my parents grounded me for weeks when they found a dime bag that I had hidden inside the slot of my VCR player. Fast forward 20 years, they now constantly brag to their friends about the groundbreaking work that I do and how proud of me they are! Keep in mind; both my parents are Filipino immigrants who were raised in strict Catholic homes. It’s also widely known that President Duterte has been hell-bent on wiping out drugs in the Philippines and has even pushed for the death penalty for cannabis traffickers. When you view it from this cultural context, my parents’ support is even more remarkable and I couldn’t be happier to make them proud. It definitely took my parents some time to become comfortable with my profession though.
HL: How does cannabis law differ from the law you were practicing before Manzuri Law? Are you considered rebel lawyers?
Meital: Cannabis law has always been a part of my career and as an early adopter I have always embraced a trailblazing professional path.
HL: Why have you chosen to be an all-female law firm?
Meital: As the founder of Manzuri Law and a female CEO, I faced unique challenges, especially working in cannabis—a male dominated industry. I think I subconsciously sought out female partners to create solidarity and strength when approached with male alpha CEOs. As a minority, I found strength in numbers. We work with many male law clerks and attorneys and don’t foresee being an all-female company forever.
HL: You posted the following quote: “The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” ~ Adrienne Rich. Tell us how this is true in your daily lives and careers at Manzuri Law?
Meital: I am the youngest of three, with two older brothers. As the little sister, I often had to elbow my way in to participate with my siblings. Although this ability to grapple with the boys was key to my development and formed who I am today, I always knew I needed to find “sisters” in this world to reach my true potential.
I always knew I needed to find “sisters” in this world to reach my true potential
HL: There are a lot of bright, talented, educated women who would like to pursue a professional career in the cannabis space. What are your words of wisdom?
Meital: Keep your head up and pursue your dreams without fear. It’s OK to fail. Look for strategic partners—both male and female—that exhibit loyalty and who will support your growth.
HL: Did you have a mentor? Who inspired you?
Meital: I had many mentors and continue to seek out mentors, as I believe that I can learn so much from those who have different experiences. I felt very inspired by some of my supervising attorneys in San Francisco at Pier 5 Law Offices. Shari Greenberger White was one of them. She had photos of Wonder Woman all over her office. The managing partner there, Tony Serra, also had a reputation of being an atypical lawyer in appearance and mannerisms, but is one of the fiercest trial attorneys ever to exist and always got the best results for his clients. I also feel inspired on the daily by attorneys and entrepreneurs I encounter that break the mould.
HL: You’ve said that a constant challenge to you and your team as women in a male-dominant industry is having to prove yourself time and time again. Where do you find the strength and determination to overcome this?
Meital: We have a lot of support in-house and find a lot of strength and determination in our collaborative efforts. If one of us hits a roadblock, we have a team to back us up and troubleshoot.
HL: You went to the same law schools and passed the same bar as your male colleagues, why do female lawyers have to prove their professional worth once they start practicing?
Meital: In the legal industry—outside cannabis—there is widespread acceptance of female attorneys. For some reason, in cannabis, though, there was more of an uphill battle. Today, there are a lot of young female practitioners and we feel the vibe is changing. As a baseline, though, it has a lot to do with ego and power dynamics. Once we establish ourselves as the most knowledgeable and experienced in the room, we find that it shifts rather quickly.
HL: Curly or straight? Women are relentlessly judged on their appearance. When you walk into a courtroom, do you feel pressure to look a certain way? Can you wear a hoodie to work and still get the respect you deserve?
Meital: Ha! Ha! Great question. One of the best things about being an all-female office and working in cannabis is that we do not have to wear a suit every day. Early in my career though, I was very focused on how I would look in court and straight hair definitely seemed to feel more professional at times and because I’m short in stature I always wore heels to feel tall. As gender roles have shifted a bit in society, though, we are feeling less compelled to adhere to the norms we learned in law school. For example, I remember distinctly being told in law school that I should wear panty hose to a law firm interview. Yuck!
Michelle: Don’t get me wrong. While I love rocking a hoodie and a pair of sneakers, I clean up nice and dress to impress for court. But manicures, makeup, heels and hair straightening on a regular basis just to go to the office? All that adds extra worry, time and expense for lawyers who should be spending their time and efforts on doing amazing work for their clients. Luckily for us, our clients recognize that our value lies not in our appearance, but in the quality of our work and how we treat people. Those are the markings of a truly great attorney. I’ve also learned that if you want respect, authenticity matters more than appearance. People respect you when you look comfortable in your own skin, not when you look like you’re pretending to be someone else.
We all wake up every day feeling so blessed to have the careers we do!
HL: Do you feel like you’ve created your dream job?
Meital: We all wake up every day feeling so blessed to have the careers we do!
HL: What type of files makes up the majority of your practice? What are your favourite files to work on?
ML: We mostly work on regulatory compliance and business, corporate and transactional matters. We love our clients because they revere our work and our service. Our favourite files tend to be the emergency type ones where we get a big win for the client when other firms have failed. For example, we have gotten a lot of clients their licenses and/or saved their license from rejection when the stakes were really high. Similarly in Phase 3, Round 1 of LA licensing, we committed to clients on delivering their dream of becoming a top 100 retail operator and it was a very hectic and stressful process but, ultimately, coming out on top as the best performing law firm in LA was incredibly rewarding.
HL: How do you manage the constantly changing legislation and all the gray zones of the existing laws?
Meital: We are constantly reading and learning and strategizing for our clients.
Michelle: Google alerts are my best friend.
HL: Outside the law office, what do you do to relax?
Meital: The beach is absolutely my happy place, where I find serenity. I have two small kids and an amazing husband that I enjoy spending my free time with and we try to travel as much as we can and in the summer we hit the beach weekly. We often spend our summers in Israel (where my family is from and I have a huge family there). I also am a large believer in personal fitness and workout at least three times a week and when my schedule allows, I'm doing something active daily.
Michelle: I’m a nature junkie, avid snowboarder and a pretty badass co-ed flag football player.
HL: Do you take on pro bono cases? How are you involved in your community?
Michelle: Yes, we take on pro bono matters on a case-by-case basis. Last year, we represented two Social Equity applicants on a pro bono basis to assist with their retail licensing applications in the City of Los Angeles. We also offer pro bono assistance to select federal prison inmates who are still serving sentences for cannabis-related convictions in federal court. Because of our early background in criminal defence, we remain deeply rooted and committed to restorative justice and policy reform issues in the cannabis community. I also proudly serve on the legislative advocacy committee for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce where I help identify bills that will impact the LGBTQ business community and provide input on which bills should receive chamber support.
Meital: Educating the cannabis community in general has been our mission at Manzuri Law since I founded the firm. We offer many free educational events, blog posts and are as generous with our time as possible to the community. In addition, I volunteer with AYSO as a soccer coach.
HL: As women, do you have an opinion on maternal health and cannabis use?
Meital: Yikes! This is a tough one. I truly believe it is nobody’s place to tell a woman how to treat her body when she is pregnant. I have had two successful pregnancies and two miscarriages. With each one of these pregnancies I made different choices about consumption based on the way that I was feeling. Maternal health is so individual and there have been almost no studies showing cannabis is detrimental to the fetus. Plus, society needs to stay out of our bodies.
We have had clients whose children have been taken away due to cannabis consumption and they have all been great mothers. In all of the cases, we have been successful in restoring custody but the time apart is a trauma that both mother and infant will never fully recover from. In two instances, they withheld the child from the mother as a newborn and disallowed them to breastfeed due to positive THC in the bloodstream.
We remain deeply rooted and committed to restorative justice and policy reform issues in the cannabis community
HL: Questions for Jax. Is Jax an emotional support French bulldog? Est-ce que Jax parle le français? Does Jax have any paralegal training? Is Jax an animal oracle; can he predict the outcome of your trials or the future of cannabis legalization?
Jax: Thank you for your interest, human. It would be more accurate to say that Michelle is my emotional support animal, not the other way around. I don’t speak French and I don’t have any formal paralegal training. But I predict that federal legalization will happen within 10 years.
HL: Here are a few quick fire questions: What is your favourite legal movie? What is your favourite way to consume? Favourite munchies food? Sporting event or spa retreat? Hoodie or heels?
Michelle: My Cousin Vinny. Hitting my Puffco (gifted to me by Alexa). Magnum ice cream bars and warm, fresh baked cookies. Hoodies all day.
Meital: My Cousin Vinny is my fav movie too! Favourite way to consume is a good old fashion joint and I really like rolling spliffs. Cannabis actually suppresses my appetite so I don’t get the munchies often, but when I do pizza and ice cream all the way. Sporting event—love soccer and scuba diving. Hoodie, for sure.
HL: What does the future hold for Manzuri Law? Any secrets you’d like to share?
Meital: Future: keep doing what we’re doing—growing at a great pace and producing the best quality work there is. No secrets ;)
Lear more about Manzuri Law at: manzurilaw.com
Follow them on Instagram at: @420attorneys
Follow them on Twitter at: @420attorneys
Listen on Spotify
Want to know what the 420 Attorneys listen to after a long day of defending your rights? Listen to our custom Manzuri Law-curated "Manzuri Law Mix" on Spotify.
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The Heads Magazine 2007 Strain Review featured a panel of pot pros sharing the secrets of their stash. TGA Seeds breeder, Subcool joined the conversation with his insight and humour. Here are his answers to each of our weed lifestyle questions—some never-before published! They offer a glimpse into the depth of the Weed Nerd's knowledge and his bon vivant life philosophy.
Q: It’s 5 pm and you’ve had a helluva day. You’re finally home and ready to relax. You pack a bowl of… What strain is best for relaxing?
Subcool: My favourite winding down smoke has to be the Candy Store phenotype of Jillybean. While not the strongest strain, it has an amazingly sweet candy-like taste and a very upward buzz that doesn’t make me want to pass out on the couch. It also has a nice smooth drag and is easy on the lungs and throat. It has just enough of an Indica side to relax but the buzz almost makes me laugh it has such an up happy high. I like to clean the bong like brand-new, add some ice to the toob, and have a few rips with MzJill.
Q: It’s midnight and the party is starting to die. To help keep the night going strong, you pull out a bag of… What strain is best for socializing?
Subcool: Scarlet Queen is a cross of G-13, Romulan, and C99. We recently pulled the first of this strain down and were totally amazed at how talkative it made us. We smoked it for the first time with a good friend, Smokey who reads lips and Jill and I were talking so fast and at the same time that he could barley keep up. It also makes me silly and prone to giggle.
Q: You’re chilling at home with a few friends and order three extra-large pizzas. To prep yourselves for the huge feast ahead, you smoke a fatty of… What strain is best for eating/munchies?
Subcool: Chemdawg! I am not a huge pure Indica smoker and most of my strains, other than JC, really don’t promote hunger, but Chem was nice enough to leave me quite a few samples of his flagship clone and I could not get enough to munch after smoking it. I noticed even after a good night’s sleep—and believe me this strain works for that too—you are still hungry in the morning and I found myself eating more than normal all day.
Q: You’ve managed to score a date with the hottest stoner chick you’ve ever met, and now you’re at the “look out” point. To heat up the action you spark a doob of… What strain is best for bumping the uglies?
Subcool: I am very lucky to have “scored” an extended date with MzJill and she’s certainly the hottest stoner chick I know! I would love to tell you some magic strain that does it for me but all weed is great for making out, IMO.
Q: You just downloaded the best album ever. You’re at home with the lights out and the new music is blasting in your earphones. You start puffing away on a big spliff of… What strain is best for music?
Subcool: This one’s easy. Urkle came to us last year as solid purple buds tasting like Nehi Grape soda. I took a ride one day with a few bowls and jammed to some tunes as I was cruising. The combination of driving through the trees, smoking grape-tasting weed and listening to Elizabeth Reid (Allman Brothers) was one of the better drives I have taken.
Q: It’s time to write that blog post you’ve been mulling over for days. To help get your creative juices flowing, you vaporize a bowl of… What strain is best for getting creative?
Subcool: Apollo-13 is very motivating! One of my online friends noticed that each time I said I was going to smoke some A-13—poof! a thread appeared online with some how-to post. I had always considered the cross between Genius and P75 an up hybrid but I hadn’t realized until that point it affected me so dramatically.
R.I.P.
Subcool passed away on February 1, 2020 after a long battle with Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (A1AD). Subcool was a legendary breeder creating some of the most original and cherished cannabis strains. His contributions to the cannabis community will live on forever.
]]>Professional female athletes are changing the game. Whether scoring goals or challenging gender discrimination, these women are badass—body and soul. So once the match is won and recovery begins, more and more are turning to the healing power of CBD. Who better to speak to the needs of athletes than female-led Mendi? Heads Lifestyle caught up with CEO Rachael Rapinoe to talk about equality, recovery and Mendi’s role as a confident disruptor.
Heads Lifestyle: MENDI. We love the name. Can you tell us about it?
Rachael Rapinoe: MENDI is it’s own name. There’s nothing out there like it. We want it to become a household name people think of when they want something for pain management, recovery or just to feel better. We think Mendi rolls off the tongue nicely, too.
Whether you’re an elite or everyday athlete, Mendi wants to help people live in harmonious balance. I mean, doesn’t that sound nice?
HL: Sports commentators often declare: “It takes years of hard work to become an overnight success.” Tell us about the hard work that went into the successful launch of Mendi?
RR: Ain’t that the truth! It was the same for my last company and it’s definitely the same for Mendi, although I wouldn’t say we’re successful—yet! Our team had been concepting Mendi for three years before we decided to give it a go. Finally, in January we were accepted into a business accelerator program called The Initiative here in Portland, OR. This pushed our team to take the leap. The accelerator program was five days a week and very intensive. We all did this on top of running our other companies. I really can’t believe we’ve only been working on Mendi for nine months; it feels so much longer than that. Getting to market, announcing Megan Rapinoe and closing our investment round were huge milestones for us. But, this is just the beginning of our journey. To say this has been hard work is an understatement. However, we’re all more than excited for the challenges that lie ahead.
HL: You played professional soccer and suffered numerous sports-related injuries. You also hold a Masters in Health Studies in Exercise. Sounds like you are ideally qualified to speak to the needs of athletes. How did this lead to Mendi?
RR: I’ve been in the business of ‘being your best you’ for quite some time now. In tandem with my educational background, I also started and ran a national soccer and performance training company since 2014. I am more than qualified to speak on the demands of high performance training, as well as the importance of optimal recovery. Not to mention, my athletic background and connection to current professional athletes and all of the stresses they go through daily. In essence, I truly care about well-being and living a balanced life. Whether you’re an elite or everyday athlete, Mendi wants to help people live in harmonious balance. I mean, doesn’t that sound nice?
HL: It sounds great! But why cannabis? What brought you to this industry?
RR: My business partner, Kendra Freeman, brought me to cannabis. I had zero intention of ever getting into this industry until she educated me on the medicinal aspects of the plant. I started to connect the dots to athletes and athletic performance. Then, I started seeing many professional athletes using cannabis as a recovery tool. After doing an abundant amount of research and collecting anecdotal evidence, I believe 100% there needs to be a place for cannabis in sports. The findings are undeniable.
HL: The cannabis narrative is changing dramatically. But Mendi is vying for more than change, your goal is disruption. What would a Mendi future hold for athletes?
RR: The Mendi future is to disrupt the sports and pain management industries. Instead of people grabbing their bottle of Advil, they grab Mendi to help manage their pain and feel better. Ultimately, our job is to improve the lives of athletes using nature’s best tool.
Ultimately, our job is to improve the lives of athletes using nature’s best tool.
HL: Tell us about your starting line-up? How did you put together a balanced team?
RR: Our three MVP products that we decided to go to market with are a mix of propriety formulations and low hanging fruit. We had to launch a delicious gummy, because consumers love them. This was a no-brainer! However, we added a couple of Mendi elements to them by coming to market with a 25mg dosage, vegan and all-natural. Even with simple products like a gummy or soft gel capsule, we will do everything we can to differentiate ourselves from the pack. The Mendi salve stick is our star product and bestseller. We are very excited about the salve stick because it’s our own all-natural formulation. The form factor is different than most other salve products on the market and very functional for athletes. With a 500mg dosage, the efficacy on this product is amazing.
HL: Your title is CEO and Head Coach. Who’s harder to coach: 11 players on the pitch or an office full of workers?
RR: I’d say a roster full of 11 year olds! LOL! Right now, we have a small Mendi squad but we’ll soon be adding more employees now that we’ve closed our round, so I’ll let you know next year.
HL: What does women-owned mean to you?
RR: Badass! Particularly, in a male-dominated industry you have to be pretty badass to be a female-led sports CBD brand. We’re confident disruptors rapidly gaining the trust of professional athletes. We’re able to do this because we have a genuine story that resonates with many, many people.
We’re confident disruptors rapidly gaining the trust of professional athletes.
HL: Your sister Megan is one of your partners and your first athlete ambassador. She stands for so much more than just her sport. What does she bring to the Mendi team?
RR: Exactly that—so much more than being a soccer player. She and other athletes we are signing stand for equality, equity and are working everyday towards building a brighter future for the next generation. Megan brings a huge network of influencers, brand development and strategy firepower, high-level creative experience, product innovation and legitimacy to the brand.
HL: “Women and underrepresented minorities are the best agent of change during this time in history when an entire generation of kids who don’t fit in are searching for leaders who personify dignity, grace and power.” Please tell us how Mendi is implementing this statement in its day-to-day operations?
RR: Historically, women and underrepresented minorities are always the ones pioneering the way for change. Mendi is here to disrupt the old ways for managing pain and recovery, so who better to move the needle and fight this important fight with us? We intentionally came to market signing female athletes, first. Every athlete we sign, every employee we hire and every partner we work with will personify all that Mendi is. We are more than just a company selling products. We have something to say to the world. We want to do it all the right way.
HL: It’s a documented fact that professional athletes are overprescribed and often dangerously addicted to prescription painkillers. Can such a gentle alternative like CBD really work? Can it be a first step to addressing the opioid crisis?
RR: CBD does have a subtle effect, but I wouldn’t describe it as gentle. Our body is filled with receptors from head to toe. These receptors give information to our endocannabinoid system, which supports the function of a lot of things. The number one function of our EDS is to keep us at homoeostasis or balance. That is a HUGE job! Evidence does show it can help with opioid withdrawal symptoms, but there is a lot more research to be done on CBD to really grasp the full effect of this cannabinoid. Hopefully, the FDA will allow this to happen soon.
I slowly started using CBD for sleep, stress, inflammation, pain, etc. and the results were astounding. I felt like a new person.
HL: You called your introduction to CBD “organic.” Can you explain this and how you hope to educate the next generation of athletes?
RR: I was never the kid or young adult using cannabis. To be honest, I was a little scared of it because of all the propaganda we were exposed to over the past several decades (War on Drugs era). My introduction to cannabis was through athletes in my mid- to late-twenties, who were using it as a recovery tool. This was the first time I had ever seen anything like it. Then, I slowly started using CBD for sleep, stress, inflammation, pain, etc. and the results were astounding. I felt like a new person. After using CBD consistently for several years now, I’m able to focus for much longer periods of time, I feel calmer, less anxious/stressed and feel much better post-workout. It’s become a part of my daily supplement regimen.
HL: What makes an elite female athlete?
RR: Elite female athletes have the same makeup as elite male athletes. They’re incredibly competitive, obsessive, self-motivated, high-achieving individuals, disciplined, hardworking, and oh yeah, amazing athletes. There’s no difference, other than a few genetic differences, between elite female and male athletes. They all want the same thing—to be the best.
HL: Tell us about your plans for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics?
RR: I cannot disclose our Tokyo 2020 plans, but we will be representing several athletes and will have a new line in market. That’s all I’ll say.
Athletes know when companies are trying to blow smoke up their A$$. We are taking the time to meet with them, listen to their concerns and come up with solutions together.
HL: What’s your game plan for winning the trust of professional athletes and becoming the foremost CBD brand in such a crowded and unregulated marketplace?
RR: We’re rapidly gaining the trust of athletes because we are an honest, transparent and authentic brand that makes high quality products and has something to say. A lot of it is about relationships, but also being genuine. Athletes know when companies are trying to blow smoke up their A$$. We are taking the time to meet with them, listen to their concerns and come up with solutions together. They like being a part of the process. Everything we do has a different level of thoughtfulness and detail, compared to what you see on the market today.
HL: Let’s talk about the products—vegan, gluten-free, all-natural, and hemp-derived. Tell us about the decisions regarding the development of your product line?
RR: Again, we want to be differentiated with our products and brand. Going the extra mile to be all-natural, vegan, high bioavailability, high dosages and premium design/packaging elements to further separate us from the noise is critical. Consumers like companies who are detailed and can authentically story tell around their products.
HL: Where do you source your CBD?
RR: We source our hemp CBD from Colorado at the moment, although down the road we want everything to come from Oregon. Our supply chain is all-natural from start to finish and we definitely are concerned with being an environmentally sustainable company. Our goal is to be one of the most cutting-edge CPG companies in regards to biodegradable form factors.
HL: As a retired professional athlete, can you give us your elevator pitch for equal pay?
RR: If you don’t invest in the women’s game, it will never make as much as the men’s game. Bottom line. People try to make the argument that women’s sports don’t bring in as much revenue as men’s sports—that’s completely false. If we continue to give men’s sports a 100-mile lead, they will always make more money. They both need to start at the same line; otherwise it will never be equal.
HL: Heading a start-up is a lot of work and stress. What do you do to relax?
RR: Above anything else, I make sure to get enough sleep! It is the most important thing you can do for your body, especially if you’re stressed. Of course, I work out, eat healthy, take my vitamins (and CBD), etc. But I don’t mess around with my sleep.
Lear more about Mendi at: themendico.com
And follow them on Instagram at: @themendico
]]>Cannador CEO Zane Witzel knew there had to be a better way than baggies and shoeboxes to store cannabis, but nothing existed on the market. So he developed a quality-built environmentally conscious humidor specifically designed for cannabis and launched his company. But that was just the beginning of the Cannador journey. His advertainment series Growing Wild explores the evolving cannabis space and celebrates the small-batch craft growers and passionate entrepreneurs who are shaping the industry. Heads Lifestyle sat down with the Cannador founder to talk Hollywood, cannabis entrepreneurship and the quest for sticky buds.
Heads Lifestyle: To begin, please tell us what is Cannador?
Zane Witzel: Cannador is a lifestyle brand in the cannabis industry that specializes in keeping your collection safe and fresh. We manufacture storage products and accessories that compliment your smoking experience.
HL: You could easily be the poster child for the modern cannabis entrepreneur— young, educated and approaching the industry from a creative business angle. What brought you to the cannabis space?
ZW: Flattering! I had a typical ‘there’s gotta be something better than a shoebox’ moment when I lived in LA. At the time, there was nothing available to keep your collection safe and fresh. Humidity was considered weed’s evil enemy. I wanted to change that stigma because it turns out that the right amount of humidity can keep your buds sticky for a longer period of time than originally thought.
HL: You originally studied and worked in film and television, and this is evident in your series Growing Wild. Why did you leave the film industry?
ZW: To be frank, I didn’t enjoy the gig-to-gig lifestyle, constantly applying for a new gig among such a large pool of people. That’s a hard life and not many make a successful career in Hollywood. So I wanted to turn that experience into something I could easily see results with and also make a bigger impact. Rather than working as a producer on the next Housewives of Suburbia, I can work on a project that helps showcase the cannabis industry in a new light.
HL: You’ve expressed that Raw Craft hosted by Anthony Bourdain inspired you to create your series Growing Wild. What about it spoke to you?
ZW: It was such a cool series that combined advertising with entertainment. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d have no idea that series was an entire ad for The Balvenie. I like that style of advertainment because you learn something about small businesses and those passionate entrepreneurs who are shaping their respective industries. Same thing goes for cannabis. It’s not the big dogs that will ultimately push the needle; it’s the small batch craft growers that care more about product excellence than profit margins. I see a direct parallel to Raw Craft.
Humidity was considered weed’s evil enemy. I wanted to change that stigma because it turns out that the right amount of humidity can keep your buds sticky for a longer period of time than originally thought.
HL: We love the first two episodes of Growing Wild. Will there be more?
ZW: Yes! I’ll be hitting up new recreational markets soon in Boston, then LA. The idea is to give these markets time to develop and then go in and see what it’s all about. You can see how different each state is and how their laws end up shaping their culture. Just look at the contrast between Oregon and Colorado in those first two episodes.
HL: You are so natural in front of the camera. Did you miss your calling? Or can a CEO play more than one role?
ZW: I’d love to ham it up more. To be honest, I actually get nervous when the camera rolls because I’m thinking about everything other than what I’m supposed to be on camera for, like that CEO stuff.
HL: Your change of course took you from film to the cannabis industry, but first you went back to school to get a MBA. Was this part of a greater plan to start your own business?
ZW: Yes, it was a plan, an expensive one at that. I wanted the education because at the time I was not business savvy, yet I had the desire to operate my own business. I didn’t know what kind of business I’d ever want to run; I just knew I was capable of managing.
HL: Has cannabis always been a part of your lifestyle?
ZW: I’ve been using cannabis all my life, yet lately I’ve been treating it more like a glass of wine after a long day.
My two-cents is that if you’re lazy to begin with and you smoke weed, then you’re just a lazy person who smokes weed.
HL: We used to talk about “functional potheads” but you’re in a different category— the high-achieving cannabis consumer. Do you agree with the pothead myth that cannabis makes you lazy and unambitious or is it just more weed propaganda?
ZW: That theory is such a farce. In high school I was a two-time class president and played on the lacrosse team with a decent GPA. And guess what? Smoked all through high school. Key word: responsibly. Then I went to a good college and still achieved a decent GPA. Guess what? Smoked all through college. You already know how the story continues. So my two-cents is that if you’re lazy to begin with and you smoke weed, then you’re just a lazy person who smokes weed.
HL: You’ve stated that Cannador is about treating cannabis tastefully and respectfully. Can you please elaborate?
ZW: There’s swill liquor and swill beer and then there’s craft liquor and craft beer. Same logic should apply to weed, right?! I do, however, take issue with some companies trying to make cannabis this luxurious expensive thing. At the end of the day, it’s still weed. So we’re balancing on a tightrope here. Ultimately, I want to keep good weed in a nice container that actually keeps it sticky, so anything that can accomplish that is a win. We make it easy for the customer by putting it all together for them in a quality-built storage product.
HL: What can you tell us about humidity and technology?
ZW: We use a re-chargeable humidity control bead system that is both a desiccant and humidifier. The beads have micropores impregnated with a salt-based solution to maintain a desired level of relative humidity. In the right volume of space, with the right volume of beads and the right volume of water, you can achieve a specified level of relative humidity, which will keep the buds from evaporative loss (aka drying out).
HL: Why do you use mahogany to line your Cannador storage boxes?
ZW: The wood used in most tobacco humidors is cedar, which is oily and has a spicy smell to it that imparts flavour on cigars. You don’t want that for cannabis, so mahogany is a more neutral wood that is good with both maintaining moisture and smell.
Ultimately, I want to keep good weed in a nice container that actually keeps it sticky, so anything that can accomplish that is a win.
HL: You have included an eco component to your business using environmentally sustainable timber growers and collaborating with the non-profit Plant-it 2020. Can you tell us about these initiatives and why they were so important to you?
ZW: We need trees for oxygen. I don’t like the idea that we’re ripping out trees just to satisfy our consumer needs. At the very least we can replenish what we take by replanting a tree where it’s most needed. In our case, this particular non-profit plants trees in devastated areas that have lost trees due to wildfires, invasive beetles/insects and diseases. It’s extremely hard to ensure that our suppliers are sustainably reforesting their timber, so we try to stay as keenly aware of what’s going on with our downstream supply chain and apply pressure where it’s needed.
HL: Cannador offers a Veteran Appreciation discount. Can you share why it was important to support veterans?
ZW: Veterans go through hell in our country and at every turn it seems like our government tries to help but consistently falls short. At the very least, we offer support for them and hope we can help.
HL: In Growing Wild: Oregon, you visit HIFI Farms and chat with owner Lee Henderson. He states: “We don’t make a big show of being a cannabis company. We’re trying to normalize this thing. We don’t want to be audacious and flamboyant and try to put it in people’s faces. We just want to be a normal business.” That succinctly summarizes the feelings of many business people entering the cannabis space. Thoughts?
ZW: Amen! That’s the right attitude. In general, I believe casually dropping what you do in conversation if-and-only-if someone asks is much better than being outspoken and verbose. There are still people who don’t want cannabis legalized, so being flashy in your community won’t help the cause.
HL: What is the greatest challenge facing the cannabis business community?
ZW: Banking and Rescheduling. Congress must address the banking issue, no more beating around this bush. They’re now trying to add a bunch of new stipulations and items that are tangential to the problem rather than focusing directly on addressing the problem. As for rescheduling, this stems from bureaucracy not allowing government-run tests to make their way in front of the DEA. Private commissioned laboratory tests have all demonstrated cannabis’ therapeutic effects yet the DEA will only accept government-sponsored tests to prove it has medicinal value. As well, the dates on hearings with the FDA over rescheduling continue to get pushed back and everyone’s kicking the can down the road because it’s another election year. Countries like Uruguay, Canada, soon to be Mexico and New Zealand have all legalized through legislative means while our government is working on this through administrative means, which according to those in power say it will take years. Unacceptable!
HL: What’s next for Cannador?
ZW: More storage products and accessories, more stores selling our products in the US and Canada and more growth!
Lear more about Cannador at: cannador.com
Check out Growing Wild on YouTube
And follow them on Instagram at: @cannador
]]>Inventor-entrepreneur, Cullen Raichart believes the future of manufacturing is right here in America. His harvesting solutions are industry-born for the legal cannabis market. Promoting talent, innovation and humility, the tight-knit team at GreenBroz flourishes within the highly structured company. CEO Cullen took a moment from riding in the Nevada desert to talk to us about the keys to his success.
Heads Lifestyle: What is GreenBroz?
Cullen Raichart: GreenBroz, Inc. is a harvesting solutions company focused on cannabis and hemp. We design and engineer equipment and automated solutions for the industry. We like to push the edge a little bit. We want to create machine technology that will stand the test of time, and that will help the industry move into the future.
HL: Tell us about the GreenBroz company culture? It’s been described as a tight-knit family. How does valuing each employee translate into a positive work environment and successful business?
CR: I learned through my time in corporate America that many people who have valuable things to contribute get lost or overlooked. I wanted to have a company that sees everyone as having potential to move and grow in the directions that they are passionate about, and to recognize each person’s talents and strengths. This approach helps us to be innovative as a company, and what’s good for people is ultimately good for business.
We want to create machine technology that will stand the test of time, and that will help the industry move into the future.
HL: Is gender equality important to you?
CR: Very important. Gender equality and human equality are both very important to me. We have a diverse, strong team with wages being based solely on performance.
HL: Prior to founding GreenBroz, you worked as an engineer at Hewlett-Packard. That’s a pretty big jump. Why take that leap of faith and risk everything on a start-up, especially in such a Wild West industry?
CR: I really felt stifled by corporate culture. I like to work hard and be done. Corporate wants you sitting around keeping seats warm. I grew up in a small business family and always wanted to start a business. I am also an inventor and couldn’t think of a better way to get my inventions into the world, so it seemed logical.
HL: Why cannabis? It seems like a departure from your previous path?
CR: I was growing as supplemental income, and I saw the massive need for equipment specifically designed for the industry. We refer to our equipment as “industry born.” Our machines and equipment are designed and built to process cannabis and hemp, and not tweaked or re-purposed from another related industry.
HL: As a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, who served with the Navy in the Gulf War, can you tell us how that experience informs your entrepreneurial decision-making?
CR: The biggest takeaway from my time in the Navy was the importance and value of structure. Having a well-thought-out structure and workflow saves a lot of time, and is also safer when you are working around machinery. I also noticed that everything functioned smoothly when team members respected their commander and believed in the mission. We talk a lot at our production facility about not just the design process, but also the “why” behind what we do. I also try to be accessible to all team members, so everyone’s ideas are being heard. I am always looking for opportunities to let people grow. Sometimes you hire someone for one position and find out a few months later that they are really talented in another area. I try and pay attention to people’s strengths and to put them in positions that let them excel. In the military this was not always done, and I felt it was a missed opportunity.
Our machines and equipment are designed and built to process cannabis and hemp, and not tweaked or re-purposed from another related industry.
HL: You are committed to providing work opportunities for veterans. Tell us about this?
CR: I love the Veteran community. A lot of people had a very similar experience to the one I had. A lot of vets understand the value of structure in work, but they also love their freedoms. It’s been difficult for me to hear all the stories of struggle over the years from vets, and I feel it’s my duty to support fellow vets whenever I can.
HL: What does “American Made” mean to you? Why the commitment to American manufacturing when outsourcing overseas could prove more profitable?
CR: I feel fortunate to be a part of what I would call the American Renaissance in manufacturing. So many people here in the U.S. have been struggling in the manufacturing sector, and I want to support the American worker. It just makes sense to me on a deep level.
HL: You place a lot of emphasis on the importance of relationships in business, especially in the cannabis space. How is the cannabis industry different from others?
CR: The business was built on trust due to the underground nature of the industry. We had to work really hard to earn that trust, and we take that very seriously. It’s like a stranger who invites you into their home. We need to earn that invitation. So, in that respect it has been a bit different, but going forward as the industry matures it will likely mirror similar industries. Relationships are super important. We work closely with our customers, and want to maintain the kind of relationship where they can call on us anytime for any kind of assistance they might need.
HL: You talk about sharing your American Dream with others. Where did your generosity of spirit come from?
CR: A commander I worked under in the military was very plugged in and generous with his time. He made an effort to really know the people who worked under him. I saw firsthand how this translated to a higher functioning team, and it just seemed like the right approach to me. People are your most valuable asset. Invest in them and you will reap the rewards. If I see an employee really excelling and struggling to pay for college, to take that next step, I will help when I can. I also value a good work ethic and creativity. Sometimes creativity and being able to think outside the box is more important than a degree. If I see someone who clearly knows how to problem-solve, works hard, and is an innate innovator, I want to invest in them.
The business was built on trust due to the underground nature of the industry. We had to work really hard to earn that trust, and we take that very seriously.
HL: Many cannabis growers and producers offer special programs for veterans who rely on medical cannabis for their physical and mental health. As a veteran yourself, does this inform your business decisions?
CR: Absolutely. We have always supported the Vet community by offering vet discounts and support in their business-building efforts. I think it is important to give back to those who gave and risked so much for our benefit. I see it as a duty and a responsibility.
HL: Can compassion and generosity be part of a successful business model?
CR: For me it has to be. We can’t do things for free, and we are in the business of making a profit and supporting our team members. It is important to have humility. For me the business is everything. It’s very much wrapped up in my whole lifestyle and my feelings on equality, opportunity, and doing what’s right. I can’t separate those things.
HL: Is cannabis just another agricultural product like all others or does it speak to your personal lifestyle?
CR: We are equipment focused. I am a machine guy. That’s my expertise. That being said, I absolutely see the benefits that have come from cannabis. I see how it helps the vets who suffer from PTSD and other conditions. I see how valuable it is versus opiates, and helps so many people suffering from a wide range of issues. Personally, topicals have helped me a great deal with pain from a motorcycle accident. Cannabis and CBD targets pain and inflammation with zero negative side effects. Intelligent cannabis use can be part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s odd the amount of time and energy that has gone into debating its benefits.
HL: Your thoughts on legalization and medical cannabis?
CR: It’s long overdue. It’s interesting to watch the politics. As people who make laws start to profit, the laws come quicker.
HL: When it came to selling your first trimmers, you’ve stated that one of your greatest obstacles was turning “machine sceptics into believers.” This is also true of legalization—sceptics need to become believers in order to remove the stigma and recognize cannabis as a useful plant. Why do you think people fear change?
CR: It’s a fight against moral beliefs. Those ingrained beliefs that say something is right or wrong. Those things are seldom changed by mere rationale. It takes firsthand knowledge to change deep conviction. You can believe one thing and I believe another. That won’t change until I experience something that helps me see your side. The biggest problem we have is that intolerance keeps us blind to compassion and the ability to change. With moral judgements, we often don’t even know why we believe what we believe.
Intelligent cannabis use can be part of a healthy lifestyle. It’s odd the amount of time and energy that has gone into debating its benefits.
HL: What kind of kid were you growing up? Were you the boy who took everything apart and then tried to rebuild it? Did you drive your parents nuts?
CR: Yes, I am sure I did! I was that kid who took everything apart, even things that were not broken and did not need fixing. I see things in terms of connections and how things fit together. I still take everything apart. It’s just how my brain works. I need to see all the parts laid out in front of me, and then I can see the bigger picture and come up with new ideas.
HL: What are your passions? What do you do to relax?
CR: What does relax mean? I go after all my passions with the same amount of energy and drive. Whether it’s my business or motorcycle riding—which is my favourite way to blow off steam—I tend to go full-tilt. My main passions are my family, my business, and riding. Relaxing means being in a flow state, whether it’s a physical challenge or a mental equipment design challenge. When you’re in that state where you are embracing who you really are and going with it, that’s when you’re in it, and it’s not stressful because you are embracing your true self.
HL: Who inspires you?
CR: My stepdad, who adopted me. I have always admired his work ethic. He was an incredibly hard worker, and I think he is in large part responsible for the way I go hard toward whatever goal I’ve set out for myself. I am grateful for that lesson.
HL: If there is one word that comes up time and again in your discussions, it’s humble. This is not a typical buzzword in our success-driven society. Why is humility so significant to you?
CR: Humility is the recognition of who I really am. I am so small and insignificant in relation to the planet, solar system, the galaxy... you know? I mean the moment I think I am somebody; I get a solid reminder that in the grand scheme of things I am really not. It keeps me grounded and striving for more.
I think when you love the job you’re doing and it keeps you challenged and engaged intellectually, there is not as much need to escape it.
HL: As an entrepreneur how do you balance work with family life? As a family man, what are your hopes for the next generation?
CR: For me the lines are blurred between family life and work life. It’s just the way I live. I love everything I do, and it’s all intertwined to some degree. I put the same effort into everything I do. I think when you love the job you’re doing and it keeps you challenged and engaged intellectually, there is not as much need to escape it. My hope for the next generation is that they have the opportunity to do the work they are passionate about, and to thrive in their work lives and personal lives. It’s up to us to leave them that world of possibility.
HL: What’s next for GreenBroz?
CR: We are continuing to push innovation and automation for the industry and looking for partners to go along the road with us. We are currently nearing completion of a complete end-to-end automated system that will revolutionize harvesting, and make it possible for producers to scale up to increase efficiency and profitability. I like to think we are a “solutions” company. I love the challenge of coming up with solutions, and will continue to push the design and technology forward, and I’m looking forward to seeing what new challenges we’ll encounter in the next few years. I love a good challenge.
Lear more about GreenBroz at: greenbroz.com
And follow them on Instagram at: @greenbroz_inc
]]>SevenPoint Interiors, a division of Visual Elements, is the industry leader in shaping the new aesthetic for cannabis retail. Heads Lifestyle met up with Neal Claassen, head of Strategy Business Development to talk about providing fresh experiences and building brand personality and diversity in a quickly evolving industry.
Heads Lifestyle: You got your start in product display with the family business, Schadebo Showcases. Working with family is not always easy but it launched your career. Can you share that story with us?
Neal Claassen: My parents are actually antique art dealers. We moved from Holland to a manor in England when I was ten, and there were no good showcases available in England so my dad started importing them from Holland. When we moved to Canada, we started bringing the same displays here, and when the Canadian dollar was super low in 1990, we started manufacturing them in Toronto. Family business may not be easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I have a relationship with my parents that most people would envy.
Back then I was only smoking it and buying it from “a guy” who would pull it from his cowboy boot, just like everyone else.
HL: Could you have ever imagined back in those early days that you’d be part of a firm like SevenPoint Interiors defining the look of the new legal cannabis space?
NC: Back then I was only smoking it and buying it from “a guy” who would pull it from his cowboy boot, just like everyone else. It was a time, of course, when the sale of cannabis was de-criminalized in Holland. I remember going back to see my friends in Amsterdam and we would shop for dinner, go to a store and pair a nice wine, and then go to a coffee shop to pair the weed for desert. I thought it was very civilized. Now we get to enjoy this normalization of cannabis in Canada, but it saddens me that they are moving backwards in Holland. Life is like a pendulum, I suppose.
HL: SevenPoint is a division of Visual Elements, which specializes in high-end retail experiences. Making the leap from corporate to cannabis was clearly a brilliant move, but also very gutsy considering its reputation as a bête noire. Did you ever worry about the reaction of your more traditional clients? Did any of your existing clientele object to the new venture?
NC: It was a real eye-opener when years ago the guys from Cannabis Culture invited me to tour their stores in Toronto so I could give them retail help. This was when mid-market retail was getting hit hard and stores were closing everywhere. I saw then the potential of cannabis retail. It was at that precise moment that Visual Elements acquired my whole company (me included) and it didn’t take much convincing to take this sector seriously. Of course, we were worried about what Coach and Nordstrom would say if they saw their store pictures next to those of cannabis stores, so out of respect we created the SevenPoint brand so we could keep it all nicely separated. To be honest, I think most of them still have no idea, but the stigma is quickly fading so I don’t think it will be an issue for much longer. We will keep doing our cannabis business under the SevenPoint brand though, simply because it is so well recognised.
I love the creativity in cannabis retail. Nobody can claim that they have figured it out yet, but at the same time you can see who the smart retailers are.
HL: All things being equal, cannabis is a product like any other. Are there design issues that distinguish cannabis from, say, a Coach bag? What is the greatest challenge to marketing cannabis?
NC: Of course there are, and that can be a really long topic. First of all, a Coach bag is aimed at a specific demographic. You can’t do that in cannabis. If you have a cannabis store, EVERYONE is your customer from college students to retirees and hipsters to soccer moms. With Coach bags, we have had some time to perfect the craft, but cannabis is brand new and constantly changing. You need fresh ideas all the time. What we do know is that a strong education component is necessary for new clients. But for those who know what they like, you need crazy fast response times to process $5000 worth of transactions per hour. I love the creativity in cannabis retail. Nobody can claim that they have figured it out yet, but at the same time you can see who the smart retailers are. Right now, everyone is making money. Even the ones that just throw a counter in a box and put up a sign like a market stall in Marrakesh. (I won’t name names.) It will be in a few years when we approach market saturation that the creative retailers will come out on top.
HL: You have a strong connection to the art world. This was on display in your conference booth at Lift & Co this past summer. Can you tell us about your wall of art?
NC: It’s in my blood. I love building museums. In our show booth, we didn’t want to show a straight up cannabis retail environment. What’s the point? That is a place where we can show off our design-build chops. We actually took an abstract pattern from Versailles and recreated it in laser cut metal. That stuff is just way too cool. Here at VE, we like to say that we strike a perfect balance between artistry and production. A funnier way to say it is Cinderella meets Heavy Metal.
We pepper our clients with questions till we feel we really know who they are and we can reflect their personalities.
HL: SevenPoint has designed some high-profile retail cannabis shops including The Hunny Pot and Spiritleaf. How do you go about creating individual personalities for each dispensary when they’re all selling the same cannabis?
NC: In a word: listening. Many people think that these companies pay us and we create magic, but the truth is that when you hire us we put you to work. We pepper our clients with questions till we feel we really know who they are and we can reflect their personalities. This is really important because a brand without personality is hollow. We also need to ensure there is diversity in this really young industry. From diversity we will learn what works and what does not.
HL: Stoner culture was well established long before legalization with its own aesthetic. How do you bridge the gap between the old pot leaf iconography and the more polished corporate needs of the legal market? Or is there even a demand to respect the roots of the culture?
NC: Stoner culture will always exist, but there is no need to bridge any gaps. Like I said before, now is not the time to segment the market as you have to sell to a wide variety of demographics. Once there are enough stores out there to satisfy demand, you will see some stores go back to stoner culture and they will thereby create a following. Just look at the lessons you can learn from Amsterdam! All I can say is that if you are to open a store in Canada today, don’t scare anyone off.
All I can say is that if you are to open a store in Canada today, don’t scare anyone off.
HL: SevenPoint Interiors has a SM post that states: “An intoxicating blend of wood, glass and steel.” Tell us about the materials you use in your trade and what each one contributes to an overall design?
NC: Like fine food, materials need to work in combination. No material does much by itself. Having said that, the reason we focus on fine metalwork is because it’s the hardest of all the trades. It’s fun to do the things no-one else can. Our principal, John Simmen is one of those guys who can make a Harley from scrap metal and a welding rod. They should make a TV show about him.
HL: Do you incorporate hemp into your designs?
NC: Yes, but only as fabrics. It’s crazy that there have been so many restrictions on hemp in the past. It’s a beautiful product and it is exciting to see new hemp products coming to market. It’s still really hard to source in volume.
I love how this is dubbed cannabis 2.0. This industry is changing so fast that we will be at cannabis 57.4 in just 5 years.
HL: The industry is getting excited about the second wave of legalization—edibles! This will open up new categories of products and therefore new display requirements and opportunities. How do you see this new market?
NC: This is only one of many developments. I love how this is dubbed cannabis 2.0. This industry is changing so fast that we will be at cannabis 57.4 in just 5 years. Right now edibles are all to be packaged like everything else, so there won’t be many different display needs, but it does show that stores need to be really flexible to keep up with rapid change.
HL: You’re a passionate skier and coach. You’ve stated that you joined the family business right out of university instead of skiing for a living. Can you share with us your love of the slopes?
NC: Ha! Yes, I originally graduated from Ski Area Management. I was young and all I wanted to do was ski. I moved to Banff and that life was a lot of fun, but I quickly learned that it is hard to make a serious living in that industry, so I went to university. I was planning to go back afterwards, but here I am. I still coach; and racing with the kids in Ontario can be a blast. It’s not the same as skiing in the Rockies, but the trick is not to compare the two and enjoy what you have.
An old Austrian ski instructor pulled out a bottle of Stroh Rum to ring in the New Year. I had no idea it was 151 proof.
HL: In our experience, nothing makes perfect powder better than a slopeside safety meeting. Any stories to share?
NC: Ah, the famous safety meeting! I can honestly say that I prefer my drinking after skiing, especially if you are pushing the envelope. I do have a great memory from the morning of January 1, 1990 at Mt Norquay. If you have never been there just understand that Norquay redefines steep. An old Austrian ski instructor pulled out a bottle of Stroh Rum to ring in the New Year. I had no idea it was 151 proof. I took three shots like everyone else because it was cold out. By the time I got to the top of the mountain I was a mess. I have no idea how I got down.
HL: Is cannabis just another product category or does it speak to your personal lifestyle?
NC: I have not been terribly passionate about using cannabis since I left Banff. I now prefer using it at home and only to celebrate with friends. The freedom to use cannabis on the other hand is something I am fiercely passionate about. I also think that being in the position that I am makes me responsible for doing everything I can to bring life to this freedom in an elegant and dignified manner. I am also very excited about research and what we will find out about the benefits of cannabis in the future. I’m just perplexed at how a disproportionate amount of research funding is going to investigating the harms of cannabis. I guess we need to be patient.
I think that being in the position that I am makes me responsible for doing everything I can to bring life to this freedom in an elegant and dignified manner.
HL: What does the future hold for SevenPoint Interiors?
NC: We are really fortunate to be so far ahead of the rest of the store building industry in this sector. What we are doing now is investing in research and product development to stay ahead. Much of the exciting stuff is in a patent process right now, but we will do a big unveiling at MJBIZcon in Vegas in December. I guess you will have to come to Vegas to find out.
Lear more about SevenPoint Interiors at: sevenpointinteriors.com
And follow them on Instagram at: @sevenpointinteriors
Also, check out Elleke Claassen Arts & Antiques at: ellekeclaassenantiques.com
]]>Stu Helm was enjoying a successful career as a fine artist, illustrator and graphic designer. Then he got hungry. Championing the remarkable farm-to-table, Southern Appalachian, international food scene in the small city of Asheville, the Food Fan’s restaurant reviews garnered a ravenous following that he parlayed into food tours, podcasts and competitions. Fair warning: Stu ain’t your typical food critic, far from it.
Heads Lifestyle: How did you become a food critic?
Stu Helm: I started writing about food at the request of my friends here in Asheville, NC, where our local food scene has been growing bigger and better for years. I was trying all the new restaurants and my friends asked me to review them on Facebook. They liked my write-ups, encouraged me to find a publisher, and a guy named Jason Sanford of the notorious Ashvegas.com news and rumour blog published them, and it took off from there!
HL: Who in your life sparked your interest in food?
SH: My parents had an interest in good restaurants and international food. They would bring my sister and I to some pretty nice places even when we were still young. More recently, my girlfriend Dawn and I have discovered a love of great food and restaurants together.
I started writing about food at the request of my friends here in Asheville, NC, where our local food scene has been growing bigger and better for years.
HL: As a bit of a Renaissance man—you’re an artist, writer and podcaster—how did your talents combined to create the Food Fan?
SH: For a while, I illustrated my own food reviews. These days, I use my art and design experience to make my own logos and flyers for the various food-related events that I've produced, like the Asheville Coffee Expo, the Asheville Pie Fight, and Punk Rock Hot Dogs. I was lucky enough to do a podcast for two years that was also broadcast locally on public radio. It was a great way for me to cover much more of the food scene than by writing about it alone. I interviewed tons of people and got a reputation as someone who was fun and entertaining, and cared about good food! The podcast helped me to transition into doing food tours in downtown Asheville, which is maybe the best gig that anyone could ever have.
HL: Asheville, North Carolina has become known for its vibrant food scene. How did this come to be?
SH: That's a long, complicated story, but I can try to condense it by saying that it's always been a town in which the surrounding family-owned, small scale farms have played a major role, and still do. I personally think it's the most authentic farm-to-table food scene in the country. Restaurateurs are on a first-name basis with the farmers who walk in the front doors of their venues with bushel baskets of fresh local produce, or who invite the restaurant owners to come inspect their livestock, just twenty minutes or so outside of downtown. Further, I would say that it's a Southern food scene, an Appalachian food scene, and an international food scene all concentrated into one very small, very cool city. I also have to give credit to the craft beer scene which opened up the whole wide world to Asheville, and brought hungry people with somewhat refined tastes, and a desire to try new things to our city.
I personally think it's the most authentic farm-to-table food scene in the country.
HL: You’ve made a name for yourself with your Asheville food tours. What is your most memorable food tour experience?
SH: Bar none, the time a guy stepped aside to adjust his colostomy bag. He was a great guy, and I gave him cover while he took care of business, and it all went smooth. That is something I will never forget. Even my boss, Paddy, said that was a new one on him, and the company is over a decade old!
HL: You’re not exactly what most people would expect in a traditional food guide. How do people react when they first meet you for a tour?
SH: Ha! You mean because I have a skull tattooed on my neck and I swear like a sailor? Yeah, no, sometimes people seem put off at first, but I'm a friendly person, and I make a lot of really bad jokes along the way on the tours, plus I feed them and pour booze down their throats, so they love me by the end. Little old ladies give me hugs, and bachelorette parties want me in their group pictures. I'm not even kidding.
Little old ladies give me hugs, and bachelorette parties want me in their group pictures. I'm not even kidding.
HL: Judging by your social media channels, you appear to be eating constantly. How do you not wear XXXL by now?
SH: Scientists will be debating that for centuries after my death.
HL: Do you cook or just eat?
SH: I love to cook, and I'm good at it too, according to the reviews!
HL: You’ve never been shy about your cannabis consumption. What are your thoughts on pairing weed and great food? What about edibles?
SH: I live in a prohibition state, so it's still underground, but that doesn't mean it's hard to find weed or edibles. Of course, one of the reasons I love food so much is because I have a pretty much permanent case of the munchies. As for edibles, if they taste like ass, which they sometimes do, I'm like, Whoa, why would you do that to a cookie? Or weed? Other times, they taste great and I'm like, Yum, gummy worms, and now I'm high as fuck. I know a guy who knows a guy who makes some chocolate truffles that are dangerously tasty, if you know what I mean. I'll be eatin' 'em, like, Fuck, yeah, gimme another bon-bon, Hon, and then I'll be asleep for the next ten to twenty hours. I once ate a "cancer pop" from Colorado that had me on a cloud for three days, no exaggeration. Best three days of my life. So, yeah, if they taste good, and get me high, then I'm all about the edibles. Gim.
One of the reasons I love food so much is because I have a pretty much permanent case of the munchies.
HL: North Carolina is lagging in the legalization process even though 80% of voters support medical cannabis. What’s going on? What are your hopes for the future?
SH: I'm so sad and distraught about so many things right now. We live in the most fucked-up version of America I've ever seen in my 53 years on this planet, and I honestly have no idea what's going on. Among my many hopes for the future is that Donald Trump will soon be in jail, and everyone ever convicted of a cannabis-related crime will soon be out.
HL: Do you modify your tours if you know that your clients are burners? Any plans for cannabis-friendly tours once legal?
SH: Occasionally, we'll chat about weed on the tour. I point out the local headshop, which is on the tour route, and pretend that I don't know what happens inside. I hear they sell pipes, and maybe incense. The tour patrons all laugh, because, duh, I'm obviously blazed at all times, and then if there are any potheads on the tour, we might chat after that. And yes, one day, for sure, I will do stoner food tours. Get baked, eat things. Fuck yes!
One day, for sure, I will do stoner food tours. Get baked, eat things. Fuck yes!
HL: You’ve recently been doing food competitions. What’s that all about?
SH: Chefs love to compete! Here in Asheville a VIP named Kelly Denson has been hosting several large food fights for many years, including The Battle of the Burger and The Wing War. The restaurants compete, and a panel of judges, as well as, the public get to vote for their favourites, and awards are given out to the winners. They're a real good time, and a super-important part of our food scene. Well, the people and the restaurants wanted more, but Kelly had her hands full, so I stepped in and did some much smaller scale competitions for donuts, pizza, mac 'n' cheese, pimento cheese, pie, hot dogs, and more. They're fun, and filling, and we always raise a little money for a non-profit of one kind or another.
HL: If you were a dish, what would you be?
SH: Good lord. Wellll… If I was a dish, I guess I would be a nice steak, with some bone marrow and a deep brown jus. Actually, that's totally possible! When I die, you have my permission to make me into that dish. This interview is my new Living Will.
HL: Heads was always one of your biggest fans. Tell us a little about Cheesy Graphics and why you made the move away from illustration and design towards food?
SH: Thanks, man! I appreciate you! The weird fact is that after a lifetime of drawing pictures compulsively, and over twenty years of doing it for a living, the muses just stopped singing one day. Boom! I had no more desire to create visual art. Zero! It was tough on me emotionally, to be honest, but food writing was already there for me, and has been one of the most fun and interesting career paths I ever could have stumbled down. Very recently, I've started a new writing project that does involve some visual art and design aspects to it, so maybe the muses haven't gone completely silent.
HL: Can we expect any Stu Helm Food Fan branded cookware in the future? Or Food Fan branded cannabis?
SH: Ha! Who knows?! I'm open to any and all marketing ideas, so shoot 'em way!
HL: What’s next?
SH: I'm currently working with Ashvegas and Shay Brown Events for the second live Asheville Food Fan Awards, in which I give out awards and accolades to the great people and places that comprise our local hospitality industry. After that, I'll start planning Punk Rock Hot Dogs 2020, which is my personal favourite food competition. In July of 2019, Chef Steve Goff of the AUX Bar won with his GG Allin-themed Toilet Dog. It doesn't get much better than that!
BIO
"Stu Helm was born in 1966 in New Bedford Massachusetts, and has lived in Boston, Chicago, and now resides in Asheville, North Carolina. He has a BFA from the Art Institute of Boston, and worked as a fine artist, illustrator, and graphic designer for over 20 years, before making the switch to being a food blogger. Since 2013, Stu has been writing and taking pictures of the remarkable farm-to-table, Southern Appalachian, international food scene in the small city of Asheville, where he has become a very popular and recognizable independent media figure. Stu's reviews reflect his upbringing and sense of humor, and come with an adult language warning. His photos of food have been described as "beautiful," "epic," and "monolithic." He is very active on Facebook and Instagram as Stu Helm Food Fan, as well as on his web site stuhelmfoodfan.com"
Editor’s note: Our relationship with Stu goes way back to Heads’ print days when he created one of our most popular medical marijuana covers: In Case of Emergency Smoke Grass, illustrated numerous articles, served on our panel of cannabis experts for The Weed You Need, and created our all-time favourite burner, The Caveman. Heads wouldn’t have been Heads without the soul-affirming infusion of Stu’s humour and creativity.
]]>
Heads Lifestyle: What’s the meaning behind the name Talking Trees? Do your plants really talk to you?
Talking Trees Farms: Yes, the trees talk to me. Trees have always fascinated me especially here in Humboldt with the ancient redwoods that bring a majestic feel to the forest. One of my farm helpers actually came up with the name. There is this one part of my property where, in the afternoon, the wind blows and the trees make all these creaking sounds and they just get loud. Plants definitely speak; they show us what they require by visually communicating their needs.
Plants definitely speak; they show us what they require by visually communicating their needs.
HL: Talking Trees Farms is perched on the side of a mountain in Humboldt County. How did you come to be situated in such a beautiful spot?
TTF: We are mostly on the top of a mountain ridge. I got somewhat lucky. I found a smaller parcel at a good price that wasn’t so great for cultivation but still really nice with a cabin so I jumped on it. Once I had the smaller property, I got to know the neighbours. Then one neighbour after another approached me about selling their properties and worked out nice deals for me so I accumulated four adjacent parcels in a matter of five years. It’s a very beautiful area.
HL: You grow strictly organically. What led to this decision? What are the challenges of growing organically versus industrial farming?
TTF: Yes, we grow organically and as sustainable and renewable as possible. It has been my personal ethos since I was a teenager to live an organic lifestyle and be a minimalistic focused on simplicity and sustainability. I want to do my part to save the planet. In all my businesses, I have always tried to make things better. Satori Wheels made the first post-consumer recycled skateboard wheels and Satori Movement always focused on hemp and organic cotton for apparel. So it’s only natural for Talking Trees to be as organic and sustainable as possible. It’s such a challenge when it comes to state-mandated packaging regulations; there is so much waste involved in cannabis packaging. I hope to address that and find better ways to meet the regulations as the business grows.
It has been my personal ethos since I was a teenager to live an organic lifestyle and be a minimalistic focused on simplicity and sustainability.
HL: Where do your plants grow? Outdoors or in greenhouses?
TTF: Talking Trees grows full sun outdoor, in greenhouses and also indoor. Most of our plants start in our indoor nursery and get transferred to greenhouses. Then for flowering, we have about 60% in greenhouses and 40% full sun outdoor.
HL: You are a fully independent farm. Tell us about this choice?
TTF: Yes, we have no outside or corporate investors in Talking Trees. It’s all me and the hard work my team and I have put in over the years. We are growing very rapidly with product going into over 120 dispensaries across California. I prefer to remain independent and grow organically rather than become the next mega-cannabis company.
HL: What is your end market? Medical or recreational?
TTF: The market is mostly rec these days but any of our products can be sold as medical because in California it’s just a matter of labelling. More so, I consider all cannabis to be wellness-based. Cannabis benefits personal wellness in so many ways.
I prefer to remain independent and grow organically rather than become the next mega-cannabis company.
HL: Do you grow your own proprietary cultivars?
TTF: More and more, we are working towards that. We recently started to focus on breeding. It will take some time for us to drop our own proprietary strains but we also have unique phenos from other breeders that we have selected which are somewhat proprietary.
HL: Can you tell us how many people work on Talking Trees Farms and what the farm environment is like? Do you grow year round?
TTF: The farms employ nearly 20 full-time employees for the actual cultivation from nursery/clone management to the flowering of the plants. Then there are additional employees that work in processing and packaging. We reach up to 60+ employees during harvest time. The environment is very clean and professional now that we are regulated by the state. So much extra work and protocols had to be implemented, like installing an ADA compliant bathroom and parking on a rural property up in the mountains. Some of the things we have to do are silly.
We have a great crew that loves cultivating so the environment on the farm is upbeat and happy. But we work hard because cultivation brings a lot of demands in a limited timeframe. We do grow year-round with the indoor but 49,000 square feet are only in operation from April through December. Even in the off-season, there is much to do with cleaning, attending to compost and such. The work keeps us busy year-round.
Legalization is definitely bringing more light to the industry. There are so many good operators now that have come out of the shadows; this helps improve any negative reputation that some people may have had.
HL: Cannabis farming, especially in the Emerald Triangle, suffers from a rather dark reputation. Is that changing with legalization?
TTF: I really don’t know much about the Emerald Triangle having a dark reputation. I guess Murder Mountain didn’t help but that only represented one aspect of the industry. I think overall the Emerald Triangle has a well-earned reputation for producing the best cannabis in the world. Legalization is definitely bringing more light to the industry. There are so many good operators now that have come out of the shadows; this helps improve any negative reputation that some people may have had.
HL: What was the legal licensing process like for you?
TTF: It’s an extremely difficult and lengthy process. In many cases, it’s a game of win, lose or draw based on your property. I was lucky in that my properties didn’t have too many challenges to overcome and I started very early before the County or State even had a permitting scheme. CDFW (California Department of Fish and Wildlife) is the biggest challenge. The agency is very anti-cannabis and they have made it extremely hard for many operators to get permits. You have to deal with so many government agencies and the process costs so much money. It’s hard. It took nearly four years to finally get our annual permits.
Being single-sourced from our own farms allows us to control the quality of all our products. We are proud of the standards we have put in place at Talking Trees.
HL: Is the cannabis grown on Talking Trees Farms sold only as flower or is it transformed? Where are your products distributed?
TTF: Talking Trees makes a wide variety of products. We sell a lot of flower in graded tiers from budget smalls to top-shelf. We also produce pre-rolls and focus on solvent-less extracts. Bubble hash, live rosin, hash rosin are all products we produce in-house. We also collaborate with other manufacturers for live resin and distillate products. We produce infused products from our bubble hash for Space Gem gummies and now Satori teas. We have a very diverse spectrum of high-grade products. We are single-sourced; we do not source flower from other farms to label under Talking Trees. We tried that and consumers noticed the difference. We are proud of the standards we have put in place at Talking Trees and the level of quality we strive to achieve. Being single-sourced from our own farms allows us to control the quality of all our products.
HL: You use the cannabis plant in its entirety. Tell us about your “leave no waste” approach?
TTF: We try to make use of every part of the plant. These days, the trim is almost more valuable then the flower. Back in the day, growers just threw their trim away. Times have changed and it’s great to see so much innovation in the cannabis space. We are trying to take it a step further and figure out what we can do with the roots, stalks and stems. Even the fresh fan leaves can be juiced or freeze-dried to make a product of value. Our goal is to transform what was historically cannabis waste into new products.
HL: What do you do with your post-processed materials?
TTF: We try to find a new purpose for it. From the rosin pressing process, you are left with pouches of material that can then be heated in coconut oil. There is still value in the material. We collect the kief from our trimming process and are able to put it into products. After that the post-processed materials we are left with go to compost.
Our goal is to transform what was historically cannabis waste into new products.
HL: You rely on rainwater catchment to hydrate your plants. Why?
TTF: To be honest, water is scarce and the CDFW enforces summer forbearance on using surface water from streams. When I bought the main property, the previous owner had dug a pond that is nearly ¾ of an acre. I had the pond naturally compacted and diverted rain from the building roof into the pond. It also catches a lot of rain in the winter season. Essentially, we are using water that would over-saturate the ground. By capturing this rainwater, it helps the surrounding vegetation stay healthier and greener through the spring and summer seasons. We also know our plants are getting clean water, not water that has been treated with chlorine and other chemicals. The properties are off-grid, so municipal water is not an option. We do have three wells on the property but try to refrain from using any of that water except for domestic use.
HL: You throw special events at the farm. Tell us about this?
TTF: Occasionally, we will invite other local farmers and friends up to celebrate the season as we draw near to harvest time. Everyone works so hard throughout the hot summer months, it’s nice to have a celebration towards the end of the season and I have great relationships with musicians so it just tends to happen.
HL: Do you have a Talking Trees mascot?
TTF: All of our dogs. Ha! Ha!
HL: What does the future hold for Talking Trees Farms?
TTF: The future is bright! We are going to keep cultivating and producing new products. Our sales are growing as we become available in more and more retailers. In time, I foresee Talking Trees being a nationally distributed brand. I am also looking to expand into hemp for CBD. I want to bring a whole plant CBD extract to market that will be superior to isolate-based products. The future is growing!
Check out Talking Trees Farms at: www.talkingtreesfarms.com
And follow them on Instagram at: @talking_trees_farms
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The rise of the Golden Age of legalized cannabis has brought forth innovative products for every style and taste. As part of the hemp renaissance, Shine is boss, elevating the luxury cannabis market with its 24K gold rolling papers. Heads Lifestyle rolled a 24K gold blunt with Shine founder Dave Brown who shared his impressions of owning the luxury smoking experience.
Heads Lifestyle: A lot of great cannabis-related products have been conceived during late-night smoke sessions. In 2013, when you got your start, could you have imagined your 24K gold rolling papers taking off the way they have?
Dave Brown: We were excited about the product and knew that people’s responses when they saw it in person were always very strong. But, when we started posting on social media, the feedback was immediate and overwhelming. There was no doubt that we had a hit on our hands at that point, as the viral nature of the product was self-evident. We always knew we could succeed as a celebratory item, but we definitely were surprised by how many people began choosing Shine as their everyday paper of choice.
We always knew we could succeed as a celebratory item, but we definitely were surprised by how many people began choosing Shine as their everyday paper of choice.
HL: You were inspired by the glam of luxury cigars. Do you believe your 24K gold rolling papers are elevating cannabis to the level of fine spirits and cigars?
DB: I don’t think there’s any doubt that we’ve elevated cannabis accessories to the level of fine spirits and cigars. Setting multiple-use items aside such as glass or vaporizers, Shine created the luxury smoking experience and owns it fully; no one really comes close. I think a clear signal of this is how much mainstream press coverage Shine receives, which I believe is because we hit at the intersection of cannabis and luxury. Forbes, GQ, Goop, Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vice, Vogue, and Elle are just a few of the outlets that had to find a singular item to share with their mainstream audience about what’s happening in cannabis now and Shine is always the go-to product for that.
HL: Do you feel that by creating a new lux category of cannabis products—one associated with sophistication and refinement—you are doing your part to break down the longstanding stigma surrounding cannabis?
DB: I absolutely believe we are doing our part to break down the stigma surrounding cannabis. Ignorance leads to fear and allows people to create false narratives in their minds with regards to what cannabis is about and who uses it. It’s not just the kid with baggy pants and a backwards cap that doesn’t feel relatable to other segments of America. When a product like Shine is featured on mainstream platforms, the refinement of the product is a clear signal that we’re entering a new era of cannabis consumption and knowledge about the plant. The novelty and visual appeal of the product also excites people, who may not otherwise be interested in trying cannabis. But lots of people are open to being fancy with their friends.
The novelty and visual appeal of the product also excites people, who may not otherwise be interested in trying cannabis. But lots of people are open to being fancy with their friends.
HL: Tell us about the gold. Where is it sourced? And what about the gold ashes? Has anyone come up with an idea on how to re-purpose them?
DB: The gold is sourced overseas and six different countries make up our supply chain. We’ve seen many people save their gold ashes as a badge that says they’re part of the Goldgang, but no one has re-purposed them beyond that. It’s still ash. There’s only a very thin layer of gold on each paper.
HL: Your Shine Days have really gotten a lot of attention from your followers. Can you tell us about how you came up with the idea and why you wanted to give back to your supporters?
DB: We wanted to own a day like Amazon does with Prime Day. Basically a unique day where there’s not a lot of competition for eyeballs and dollars like other traditional shopping holidays such as 420 or Black Friday. A day where whatever we do can be the top news story of that day in our ecosystem. We decided on February 4th (2/4 for 24K), and created a national scavenger hunt for our goods that our fans love. We receive tons of messages every year from people who didn’t win the hunt but had a great time playing. From our perspective, the engagement and activity it generates makes it the most successful marketing initiative we’ve done, and 2020 will be our 5th anniversary of Shine Day so it’s going to be MASSIVE.
HL: Shine’s 24K gold products are unequalled for rolling out the green carpet for special sessions and celebrations. What do you think is the perfect occasion for turning up the Shine?
DB: We always used to say, people don’t sit at home on the couch by themselves and smoke Shine. Our point was this is a social and celebratory product. So anything from a night out with friends, to a birthday or wedding, and even a few funerals that we’ve shipped product for, these are the times when you should be using Shine. Occasions when you want to connect with the people you care about.
HL: You partnered with NORML to help raise funds with the sale of your 420 packs. As a member of the cannabis community do you feel a responsibility towards supporting ongoing legalization?
DB: Yes, we feel a responsibility to support ongoing legalization. We feel like everyone in the industry has an obligation to do that, even if it’s not with dollars. There are many ways to support from volunteering to even just being a great example of the positive effects cannabis can have on a community. We can all do our part to move that forward.
There are many ways to support from volunteering to even just being a great example of the positive effects cannabis can have on a community. We can all do our part to move that forward.
HL: Your 24K gold rolling papers have sparked a lot of creativity when it comes to custom novelty blunts. Do you feel your unique products appeal to stoners’ inventiveness?
DB: We didn’t invent creative rolling; we just made it way more interesting and allowed these amazing rollers’ creativity to flourish. A great painter needs a wide palette of paints to choose from, and what’s better than gold when you want to make something noteworthy with a creative roll? We have a ton of fun interacting with the rollers and watching the amazing things they can make with Shine. We take a lot of pride in it.
HL: The gold in Shine Papers gets all the attention, but they’re also made of hemp, the cornerstone of the culture. Can you tell us more about that?
DB: It took us awhile to find a paper we really loved. When we first launched Shine, people would sometimes complain about the taste, and the paper had more of a crinkled texture. What was interesting is that when we found a new hemp blend paper, the texture of the paper became super smooth, and the taste became incredibly clean. So the gold attracts people to the product, but the hemp blend paper keeps them with us because the actual smoking experience is far superior to other papers.
HL: What’s next on the horizon for Shine?
DB: We have a ton on our horizon. We’ve launched Shine Cannabis in California. We just launched Shine 24K Gold Vodka. On the smokables side, we’ve launched our hemp blend paper as a stand-alone product called Blaze by Shine. And, we’ve re-launched Pure Leaf, which is our natural leaf blunt wrap, with brand new packaging and a reduced price-point so that people can afford to use it everyday.
Read our product review of Shine 24K gold rolling papers here
Heads Lifestyle featured Shine 24K gold rolling papers in Highly Curated 2018 Holiday Gift Guide
Check out Shine at: shinerollingpapers.com
And follow them on Instagram at: @shinepapers
]]>This article was originally published in Heads Magazine May 2002
Heads: What is the VCCCS?
HB: The Compassion Club is a registered non-profit society; we have been distributing cannabis for medical use for four years. We began as a one-woman dream, equipped with a paper and a backpack full of borrowed cannabis, eagerly breaking the laws prohibiting cannabis each day. Now we have created a zone where prohibition does not exist in order to allow medicinal cannabis users to access cannabis without the fear and stigma of prohibition. We have matured into a consensus-based organization that employs 28 staff, and serves a membership of 1,600 people. The members have a huge range of conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic pain, seizure disorders, glaucoma, hepatitis C, anxiety, depression, insomnia, eating disorders and many others.
We began as a one-woman dream, equipped with a paper and a backpack full of borrowed cannabis, eagerly breaking the laws prohibiting cannabis each day.
Heads: Other than supplying marijuana, what does the club offer?
HB: Both the registered members of our organization and the members of the local community benefit from access to low-cost alternative healthcare through our Wellness Centre. Available to them are clinical herbalists, clinical counsellors, a nutritional counsellor, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, a Reiki practitioner, an acupressure massage therapist, and a yoga program. These services are subsidized by the sale of the cannabis and, as a result, users can access them on a sliding scale. Those who have more, pay more; those who have less, pay less.
We operate with a consensus decision-making model in all levels of the Society to ensure that all voices have equal influence and our decisions are as high quality as possible. We have a flat pay scale, therefore all employees regardless of their position, are paid an equal wage. Our members are involved beyond accessing the services available, as we have monthly meetings to discuss and make decisions on current issues. Our members are stakeholders in the consensus process regarding our political positions, policies they are directly affected by, and other important decisions.
The members have a huge range of conditions, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, chronic pain, seizure disorders, glaucoma, hepatitis C, anxiety, depression, insomnia, eating disorders and many others.
Heads: What are some of the challenges you have faced?
HB: There have been many challenges along the way; thieves, by-law inspectors, unfriendly landlords, grumpy neighbours, greedy growers and poverty stricken members, to name a few. However, it is the victories and the miracles that truly stand out. The cop who guarded a safe full of our cash and cannabis when thieves tried to rip it off. The judge who first recognized that we provide an essential service. And, most recently, the senator who told us we are “untouchable.” The miracles are happening every day.
There have been many challenges along the way; thieves, by-law inspectors, unfriendly landlords, grumpy neighbours, greedy growers and poverty stricken members, to name a few.
Heads: Can you tell us about some of your members?
HB: Gregg Cooper is a young man who was diagnosed with rapid-onset multiple sclerosis only four years ago. Today, he cannot bathe himself, dress himself or feed himself without cannabis to ease his muscle tremors and pain.
Vicky Nicholson has multiple sclerosis fibromyalgia, a serious joint and muscle disorder, and is restricted to a wheelchair. Instead of living a life debilitated by these conditions, Vicky is a national marathon athlete, winning medals each time she races, and she attributes her amazing physical success to cannabis.
Instead of living a life debilitated by these conditions, Vicky is a national marathon athlete, winning medals each time she races, and she attributes her amazing physical success to cannabis.
Michelle David is in her sixties, suffering from serious arthritis among other conditions, and she is able to resist the pressure to move into a nursing home, resist the pressure to use morphine, and lives an independent, drug-free life through her use of cannabis.
Many of our members cannot walk, eat, sleep or work without cannabis. With access to cannabis and alternative healthcare and support from the community at the Compassion Club, we have assisted people addicted to heroin, cocaine, crack, methadone, morphine, codeine and alcohol to overcome their addictions.
This new industry will become either a government- or corporately-controlled monopoly, or it will become a sustainable, efficient, and fair cottage industry.
Heads: How do you feel about Canada’s recent moves to legalize medical marijuana?
HB: As medicinal cannabis becomes a new legal industry in Canada, new challenges face the Compassion Club and the greater cannabis community. This new industry will become either a government- or corporately-controlled monopoly, or it will become a sustainable, efficient, and fair cottage industry. As it stands now, Plant Prairie Systems is positioned as the sole legal producer of medicinal cannabis in Canada. Economically and ethically, this monopoly is unacceptable.
The highly charged political environment caused by prohibition has created a situation where the political agenda has been prioritized over the real healthcare concerns. Prohibition has muddied the waters for those creating the regulations for access to medical cannabis, and the regulations pander to prohibition, rather than creating an effective, rational program. The regulations as they presently exist are far more extensive, invasive, difficult to administer and enforce than regulations for any other prescription drug or natural medicine.
The bodies that govern the medical community, such as the Canadian Medical Association, have rejected the new regulations so extremely that doctors are being threatened with insurance revocation if they recommend cannabis to their patients. The doctors are afraid and those in desperate need wait in the horrible Catch-22.
Within the cannabis community are the resources necessary to create an alternative structure to the one the government and corporations would have us caged in, the one we are collectively going to continue to tear down until it is destroyed.
Heads: How do you propose we solve this problem?
HB: We, the cannabis community, will solve this insane situation. Community-based cannabis distribution centres run by caring, responsible, and informed folks will continue to be the most effective model for the distribution of medicinal cannabis. Within the cannabis community are the resources necessary to create an alternative structure to the one the government and corporations would have us caged in, the one we are collectively going to continue to tear down until it is destroyed.
I believe it is possible to have successful, community-based cannabis distribution centres meeting the needs of all Canadians who need access to this forbidden medicine. I believe it is within our power and I believe it is our duty.
Read Black Ops - Heads Lifestyles' exclusive May 2019 interview with C-suite cannabis activist Hilary Black here
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As the first permitted cannabis farm in California, Blessed Coast Farms has stepped out of the dark and into the light. Siobhan Danger Darwish, who runs the farm and spearheads the Grow Sisters, took a moment from farming to satisfy our curiosity about what it is like to be a legal cannabis cultivator.
Heads Lifestyle: Siobhan "Danger" Darwish, can you tell us about the Danger part of your name? There must be a story.
Siobhan Danger Darwish: Oh, everything is more fun with a little element of Danger, you know.
HL: How did your relationship with cannabis, in particular cultivating, first start?
SDD: My relationship with cannabis has been an absolute love affair since I was a child. I grew up watching my father tend his plants and at a very young age I learned to speak the language of cannabis. My first memory of the immense love I feel for cannabis was around eleven years old. As a preteen I began to feel the stress of growing up in an intense world and remember wanting to help in the garden to escape the outside world. My father often put me on watering duty where holding a hose was the main job. This became a meditation for me and I still feel that in my garden today.
My father often put me on watering duty where holding a hose was the main job. This became a meditation for me and I still feel that in my garden today.
HL: As the first farm in the state of California to be awarded an official permit to cultivate cannabis, what kind of pressure do you feel to set a precedent, do it right and pave the way for the industry?
SDD: As the first permitted cannabis cultivation site in Humboldt County, which is also the first county in the state of California to issue these permits, Blessed Coast Farms has been gifted the honour of setting a precedent. Our farming methods are not only sustainable but ethical as well. On Blessed Coast Farms, we plant directly into the native soil. We amend our soil and use only compost tea. We have never used any synthetic or bottled nutrients. Our family farm focuses on cultivating high quality craft cannabis and we are proud that we have been recognized for our sustainable practices. Being the first permit, we are honoured to pave a sustainable path for the industry that supports family farms, because that is what Humboldt County was built on. I personally felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from my community once we started posting about our lives on social media. More farms felt comfortable to proceed with the legalization process and share their farming practices. Social media has created a platform where consumers can research where and from whom they purchase their cannabis. The pressure we felt to set a precedent has become the best transparent way to showcase our farm and who we are.
HL: Prior to legalization, growing cannabis was notoriously stealth and hush-hush. Grow Sisters seems to be flipping the script on the old ways. Why have you chosen to take this approach?
SDD: Grow Sisters has certainly flipped the script! We are celebrating stepping out of the dark and into the light by telling our story, communicating our passion, and expressing our newfound freedom on social media. Freedom is sharing our lives and cultivation knowledge on such a large platform! I spent my life hiding in fear and not telling anyone what my family did. Now we can celebrate the medicinal herb that we love and believe in. We took this approach because we have knowledge to share and the platform to do it. By spreading our cultivation knowledge, we hope to encourage our viewers to grow their own medicinal cannabis. If our viewers are not able to grow their own cannabis, they can still watch where and how their cannabis is being grown. When Grow Sisters Flower is purchased it comes with a story, a farmer, and an education behind the medication.
HL: What elements of black market farming have proven to be still useful as a fully licensed cultivator? What are some of the old ways that you've had to shed?
SDD: Elements of the black market that have proven to be useful now as a licensed cultivator really span in so many directions! As black market farmers, we had to quickly learn to adapt to make each harvest happen. Factors such as location, funding, and water source were always pieces we had to work at getting to fit correctly. The cannabis black market was much like Ninja training. Seventeen seasons of cultivation has certainly given us a head start. The black market sharpened my negotiation skills and now working with contracts versus dirt road handshakes has certainly made things easier. One of the larger reasons we decided to go legal was to end the old black market farming practices. Most were not clean, sustainable, or ethical and we were ready to see the change happen.
The black market sharpened my negotiation skills and now working with contracts versus dirt road handshakes has certainly made things easier.
HL: Your business sense, in particular your social media game is strong. How do you see social media’s role in terms of building a cannabis or cannabis-related brand?
SDD: The birth of Grow Sisters in 2017 was fuelled by the longing to educate others about cannabis growing and our Humboldt lifestyle behind the Redwood Curtain, while providing Blessed Coast Farms with free marketing through the rising popularity of cannabis. But we soon discovered that after hiding our entire lives; Grow Sisters was the liberation from our childhood fears! Finally a way to join in and celebrate and normalize cannabis with the world! Through Grow Sisters, we have really enjoyed sharing our lives and cultivation knowledge. Social media’s role in building a cannabis brand is huge! Legalization’s momentum has created a transparent marketplace. We see this carrying through in social media. Consumers want to know where and from whom their cannabis is coming. What are their ethics? What are their farming practices? Consumers are now able to not just know their farmer, but also see how the product is being grown. Cultivators are being held to much higher standards through legalization, which has created transparency. When a consumer purchases Grow Sisters Flower they know it's from a sustainable farm and can be assured of its purity.
HL: You seem very comfortable being the face of Blessed Coast Farms and the modern female cannabis entrepreneur. Have you always been centre stage? Were you an outgoing kid?
SDD: It is a massive honour to finally legally share my legacy. I celebrate the attention and am humbled daily to still be here as a small farmer. I have not always been centre stage on a stage this big! Maybe the goofball stage with my friends as audience, but not like this. Growing up it was bad to draw any attention to yourself or our business. I have always been outgoing and now I can share my weirdness with the world!
HL: Grow Sisters is by no means a one-woman show. Who’s on your team and what unique skills or characteristics do they bring to the table?
SDD: Last season, I launched Grow Sisters with the help of my biological sister Sloan Reed, as a way to market our farm. The recent change in legal age to be on a cultivation site means my sister cannot work on the farm this season. Since then the Grow Sisters have "grown" to represent an association of women coming together to support female empowerment in all forms. We realized the importance that education plays towards achieving this goal, so Grow Sisters decided to plant a new sisterhood for this season. The Grow Sisters Season 2: Sister Grow Your Own Summer Project is dedicated to helping sisters cultivate the many aspects of this medicinal and recreational plant, blooming a larger sisterhood that expands beyond cannabis farming and providing a richer and more robust foundation for true female empowerment, in both plant and person, both online and in product and service!
Those being our stated objectives, Grow Sisters is currently a one-woman show. Though I do have the support of my community and sponsors of the Sister Grow Your Own Summer Project.
HL: You mentioned that your previous venture—a skin care boutique—was essentially put out of business when a big block retailer moved into your town. It’s no secret that big pharma is taking a huge interest in the cannabis industry. Do you anticipate a similar threat to cannabis farming? What can you and other small to mid-sized farmers do to protect yourselves?
SDD: Yes, I owned a skin care boutique called Lady Luxx and I was put out of business by a large block retail store. We see this happening in the cannabis industry with big pharma and this was a major reason for launching Grow Sisters. Through education we create conscious consumers who ask the right questions about the products they purchase. Questions like: Who grew this? What are their farming practices? And, Is this a cultivator I want to support? I feel the cannabis industry has the momentum to flip the script on big pharma with conscious consumers using their purchasing power to take a stand against generically produced cannabis. This is the age of the conscious consumer, the farm-to-table movement and knowing your farmer. Through continued consumer education and transparency other family farmers will strive in an industry that truly belongs to them.
I feel the cannabis industry has the momentum to flip the script on big pharma with conscious consumers using their purchasing power to take a stand against generically produced cannabis.
HL: Where would you like to see the cannabis industry in 5, 10 years?
SDD: Currently, the cannabis industry in California is quite the rollercoaster. In five years, it would be wonderful to see the foundation of the cannabis regulatory structure become secure in supporting craft farmers. By this time groups like the Cannabis Certification Council (https://cannabiscertificationcouncil.org) will have established the quality bar for clean cannabis and their education efforts will have reached consumers. Educated consumers will know what is in their medicine and where their cannabis is coming from. In ten years, we will have a system in place where all patients in need can access clean, affordable cannabis.
HL: When you aren’t lovingly tending your plants and your social media followers, what keeps you busy? Do you have any passions or hobbies?
SDD: Thanks for asking! I love my horse, dogs, and cat. My animals keep me very busy and bring so much joy to my life. I also enjoy dirt biking and surfing whenever I can get off the farm!
HL: Got any pet peeves, cannabis-related or other?
SDD: My biggest pet peeve is dirty cannabis cultivators. Unfortunately even permitted farms are still cultivating just for the money and not for the medication. Farming practices using mass amounts of plastics or synthetic chemicals need to stop. This is why it is so important to research your farmer. Social media is a fantastic place to start. Social media pages with no photos of gardens or the faces of the farmers usually mean they are hiding something. You really need to question their practices. Find farmers you can really trust and love to grow your cannabis.
Unfortunately even permitted farms are still cultivating just for the money and not for the medication.
HL: Who do you look up to, find inspiration in or strive to be like?
SDD: I have a major love for Alexis Bortell. Her story and strength have been a huge inspiration. Alexis is a 12-year-old girl who is spearheading a campaign to legalize medical cannabis across the United States. She and her family had no choice but to move from their Texas home to Colorado to treat her severe epilepsy. Now, her family and a handful of others are suing Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). I admire her and her family in their efforts to help others with epilepsy. Grow Sisters is a sisterhood of women contributing to the many facets of the cannabis revolution and Alexis is a true Grow Sister.
To find out more about Blessed Coast Farms and Grow Sisters visit them online at www.thegrowsisters.com on YouTube at: Grow Sisters and follow them on Instagram at @grow.sisters
]]>Heads Lifestyle sat down with Craig Nejedly, owner of Satori Wellness and visionary cannabis entrepreneur to talk about the trials and elation of finally opening his new dispensary in McKinleyville, Humboldt County, California, living a conscious-minded lifestyle, growing organic cannabis, positivity, and skateboarding, of course.
Heads Lifestyle: This is not the first business venture for the Satori Brand. Tell us the Satori story in a nutshell?
Satori: Satori Movement began in 1998 with the mission being a conscientious skateboard company. We started with skateboard wheels and a professional team that represented the brand. At that time, we were also making hemp and organic clothing. To this day, we still produce clothing and skateboard wheels that are distributed globally. Now Satori is also up front and open in the cannabis industry as we always had a reputation as a stoner brand.
HL: What is Satori’s guiding principle in all that you do?
S: Our goal has always been to make top-notch, high-grade products as sustainably as possible while promoting them with a positive branding image focused on an organic, conscious-minded lifestyle.
HL: Choosing McKinleyville as the location for your dispensary was a real collaborative affair with the town and community. Can you comment on this experience?
S: It took seven years to open the dispensary. McKinleyville is just north of Arcata where Humboldt State University is located. There were no dispensaries in McKinleyville and it was the fastest growing community on the North Coast, so it just presented itself as being a great location. Satori Movement has also been operating out of McKinleyville since 2009.
Our goal has always been to make top-notch, high-grade products as sustainably as possible while promoting them with a positive branding image focused on an organic, conscious-minded lifestyle.
The main hold up was Humboldt County being so conservative and passing a ban on dispensaries. Our application was accepted and processed for agency referrals, which is the last step before a staff report and then public hearing. Satori Wellness was so close to opening in 2011 until the County passed a ban on dispensaries and our application was suspended. Finally, in 2016, the County issued a new ordinance to allow dispensaries and we had to reapply. (Satori Wellness opened on March 3, 2018.)
HL: What’s the reception been like in the neighbourhood? Have folks been cool?
S: Now that the shop is open, the community support has been great. We run a very nice, clean and professional shop. Our local supervisor even came through in support and bought a salve product for his aching knee. Business has been great in our first month. We are here to support the community and add value and integrity to the perception of cannabis. We have even joined the local chamber of commerce and have their support as well.
HL: Do you carry any items or products that are unique to Satori Wellness?
S: Yes, for sure. I have multiple farms under the brand Talking Trees Farms. Satori Wellness exclusively carries all the Talking Trees products in Humboldt and produces a wide variety of strains, bubble hash, distillates, oils, topicals and edibles. We are the exclusive retailer in this region for the brands Blue River Terpenes, Prana Medicinals, Dying Breed Seedz, Gold Drop and more. Of Course, we also carry Satori Movement apparel as well as skate products. Actually, we may be the only dispensary that is also a skate shop.
HL: Has there been any surprise hot sellers since opening? What’s the most common or popular purchase?
S: Pre-rolls are a huge seller. We sold almost 700 pre-rolls in our first month. They fly out the door daily. Space Gem gummies, which is a Talking Trees affiliated brand, is probably our second top seller. In general, 1/8s of flower are definitely popular but everything we carry sells—carts, high-end live resins and sauces. We even carry cannabis suppositories!
HL: What is the greatest misconception potential customers have towards cannabis?
S: Options. Most customers don’t realize how many ways there is to experience cannabis. We see customers of all ages including a great deal of older people who are coming in to learn more about cannabis. There are so many ways to intake cannabis from raw THCA products that do not get you high, to CBD, which is particularly beneficial for many ailments and diseases.
HL: What’s your employee policy about sampling the products?
S: Due to state regulations, we are not allowed to offer samples to employees or customers. We are actually mandated by the state to quarantine and destroy all samples used for display. So we hold social club type events at a private location where our budtenders can get to know our vendors and their products. This gives them the opportunity to try products and that enables them to provide customers with more knowledge.
HL: Do you have any compassionate pricing programs for veterans, first responders, low-income individuals, or others?
S: We are launching a compassion program now. Veterans always get 10% off every day of the week. For sick patients that cannot afford the cannabis they need, our compassion program will ensure they get access to their medicine through deep discounts or even free product in some cases.
HL: What does the future hold for Satori? You’ve achieved your goal of opening a dispensary, where are your sights set next?
S: Satori is always growing into the future. There may be more dispensaries to open in the state. Satori is part of a family of brands that I own and operate. Satori Wellness is a great way for us to learn about the retail experience; to know what works and sells in the retail environment. I also own High Grade Distribution that is in an adjacent unit to the dispensary. High Grade Distribution was formed in 2004 as a distribution centre for brands like Creation Skateboards, Upful Skateboarding and others. Now, we’ve converted High Grade’s operations to cannabis distribution serving shops in California. We will primarily be distributing products from Talking Trees Farms so we are constantly working on new infused products and extracts to bring to market. These are always produced from high grade, organic and sustainably grown cannabis. So the future is bright yet busy! I have been in the cannabis industry for over 20 years now. I started growing in 1998; I am in this industry for the long run and excited about the opportunities.
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Satori Wellness opened its doors on March 3, 2018. Satori Wellness is a premier medical and adult use cannabis dispensary offering a wide range of high-end products. Satori Wellness is situated at 1551 Nursery Way, Suite B, McKinleyville, CA 95519; (707) 839-4599
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As of this summer the land of Green Gables, Prince Edward Island will have four government-owned retail cannabis locations up and running with an online direct-to-home delivery option.
In anticipation of the federal legalization of cannabis, the province of PEI has been consulting its Islanders and developed a tailor-made plan. Starting with four dedicated retail sites situated in the towns of Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague and West Prince, with the possibility of future expansion as needed, the PEI government will also offer an e-commerce platform with home delivery. Adults over the age of 19 will be allowed to purchase 30 grams of legally-produced dried cannabis.
PEI is known for its fertile red earth and ability to grow exceptional produce. Could red-hued cannabis be next?
Notably, PEI is taking a level-headed approach to protecting its youth with a focus on prevention, diversion and harm reduction rather than punishment through the justice system. Public education and information on safe and responsible cannabis use in the form of educational campaigns will be an important part of the legalization process.
PEI is known for its fertile red earth and ability to grow exceptional produce. Could red-hued cannabis be next? The answer is yes. PEI offers its own cannabis strains with evocative names like Brackley Beach Waves, Cavendish Dunes, Charlottetown Sunrise and Souris Skies produced by the only licensed grower on the island, Canada’s Island Garden.
The government plans to implement legislation on edibles in the summer of 2019.
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