oregon leaf -- august 2015

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Aug. 2015FREE

THE PATIENT’S VOICE since 2010

OREGON LEAF

POSSESSION AND USE OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA HAVE BEEN LEGAL IN OREGONFOR ABOUT A MONTH. HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW.

iT’S LEGAL!

EDITOR’S NOTE.......................9DISPATCH.............................16STAR LEAF.............................30MEDIBLES...........................54ROSIN REVIEW...........................56CINEDOPES.............................58KOMBUCHA........................60AIR CONDITIONING...................66PESTICIDES.....................68BEHIND STRAIN.........................70

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40 Access ReviewSweet Tree Farms

44 Access ReviewNew Vansterdam

54 Edible ReviewsMedicated ice cream

National News

14 Prison DispatchThe Human Solution’s latest news

Steve Elliott with the roundup

Growtech

Tasty RecipesPatient Q & A Fresh and healthy summer diningChatting with Dominick Zuniga

Pesticides in pot

Strain of the MonthCenterspread pullout poster

Highly UnlikelyNew column on Canna-pioneers

contents AUG. 2015

COVER PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMANAmber Novak relaxes with a plant at Weed The People.

OREGON LEAF

24 Getting RaidedA Washington couple’s story

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18 What to know about legal marijuana

Best of Potlandhelped welcome inthe state’s new law

Access ReviewSweet Tree Farms

Access ReviewNew Vansterdam

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9 7 1. 2 7 6. 6 1 0 0e c o f i r m a f a r m s . c o m

contents

Photo by Daniel Berman

Legalized recreational marijuana arrived inOregon on July 1. The next day, Oregon’s Finestgave out free snowcones.More coverage pg. 18

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the truth about the plant you thought you knew, IN every issue.

Legalization is fully here and what an exciting time it is to be a Cannabis supporter!

editor’s note AUG. 2015ISSUE #14

Wes and Kori Marie

for the last two years in my home state I have dreamed of gardens turning on each night, and now it is a reality in Oregon. Four plants for every house. If you ask me, it should be mandatory to grow Cannabis, and your own vegetables, but at least having the choice is a big step forward. Still there are areas where Oregonians can be arrested for Cannabis use, specifically on federal lands — where all pot use is illegal. Be careful if you are going out hiking or camping this summer! If you head onto a national park or federal campground property your Cannabis will not be legal. In fact it could result in a multiple-year felony charge for possession of what is considered legal in the rest of the state. Be smart and be careful as you enjoy the last weeks of this beautiful weather.

Now that the serious stuff is done, let’s talk about this issue! It is jammed full of awesome information and reviews. We start with a look around the nation in news, and then jump right into coverage of the first days of legalization. Will Fergusen takes us into two great dispensaries helping patients with quality medicine and fair prices, and he had the pleasure of digging into medicated ice cream and some delicious rosin to share with you. Simone Fischer returns this month with a new look at the pesticide problem facing the industry, Dr. Scott D. Rose has a new health article, and our growtech guide from Dr. Scanderson takes on the issue of air condition and heat, and we have new book and movie reviews from Steve Elliott. I hope you enjoy this edition of the Leaf, and recommend doing so with our strain of the month, Holy Grail Kush.

As always, thanks for reading, and sharing the truth about our wonderful medicine!

OREGON LEAF

Contact ed itor Wes Abney to place an ad or to become a monthly drop-off location.Please feel free to share your thoughts, pitches, articles, story ideas and news tips. This is all our plant and we want to hear from you. Thank you for reading and supporting Oregon Leaf!

Daniel Berman [email protected]

FOUNDER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

wes abney [email protected] Cellphone: (206) 235-6721

PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGNER

ISSUE CONTRIBUTORSSTEVE ELLIOTT, NATIONALWILL FERGUSON, REVIEWSSIMONE FISCHER, GROWTECHPETER GILBERT, PHOTOGRAPHYPAUL GRZELAK, EDITINGHANNAH LEONE, FEATURESKORI MARIE, PRODUCTIONBOB MONTOYA, GROWTECHSEAN O’NEILL, ILLUSTRATIONDR. SCANDERSON, GROWTECHDR. SCOTT D. ROSE, HEALTHERIC SKELTON, DESIGNPACER STACKTRAIN, FEATURESJACOB THOM, PRODUCTIONLAURIE & BRUCE WOLF, RECIPES

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national STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

10/ aug. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Washington

Press Conference Goes South

The dispensaries must shut down in 30 days if they don’t have a license, although no medicallicense even exists.

Study:

Vocal protest derails a hastily scheduled event announcing the closure of 15 MMJ safe access points

King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Sat-terberg and King County Sheriff John Urquhart likely envisioned a very different news confer-ence than the one on July 8 in White Center an-nouncing the closure of medical marijuana dis-pensaries open in unincorporated King County.

Fifteen unlicensed medical marijuana dispen-saries (no licenses are available for medical dis-pensaries) were sent letters informing them they do not have a state-approved license for the sale of marijuana, and must close their stores, said Satterberg and Urquhart during the press event on a sunny stretch of stripmall hous-ing their local precinct office, sur-rounded by more than one medical Cannabis access point, plus a medical farmer’s market and a recreational marijuana storefront.

The medicinal Cannabis dispensaries, after years of mostly smooth operation, have been de-fined as “unlicensed” in a money grab by I-502 recreational marijuana store operators.

The dispensaries have to shut down in 30 days if they don’t have a license, although licenses are not available.

Satterberg and Urquhart were joined by Russ Hauge of the State Liquor Control Board at the Sheriff ’s Office White Center storefront. But that’s not what happened, reports Gwen Davis

New report backs what many have long suspected

Another scientific study has been added to the mountain of evidence disproving the theory that marijuana use will lead to later use of harder drugs.

Teens smoke Cannabis for very specific reasons, researchers report in the new study, and sometimes these reasons prompt them to try other drugs, reports Dennis Thompson from HealthDay News.

Researchers based their conclusions on data gathered from Monitoring the Future, an ongoing study of the behaviors of high school students. About 15,000 high school seniors are questioned each year for the study.

“We found that marijuana use within itself wasn’t a risk factor for use of other drugs,” said lead author Joseph Palamar, assistant professor at New York

University’s Langone Medical Center. “People generally use marijuana before other drugs, but that doesn’t mean marijuana is a cause of [using] those other drugs.”

Youths who use marijuana because they are bored, for example, are more likely to also use cocaine, while kids using weed to achieve insight or understanding are more likely to try psilocybin mushrooms, according to the findings, recently published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse.

The analysis focused on high school seniors surveyed between 2000 and 2011 who reported using Cannabis within the past year. Researchers also reported the teens’ self-reported use of eight other illegal drugs, including powder cocaine, crack, heroin, LSD, other psychedelics, amphetamines, tranquilizers and other narcotics.

Teens who said they used Cannabis to experiment had a decreased risk of using any of the eight other drugs, researchers found, and those who just wanted to try pot rather than use it as a crutch were at low risk for moving on to other substances, Palamar said.

“Most teens who use marijuana don’t progress to use of other drugs, and we believe this is evidenced in part by the fact that nearly two-thirds of these marijuana-using teens did not report use of any of the other illicit drugs we examined,” he said.

marijuana is nota gateway drug

About 15,000 high school seniors are questionedeach year for the study.

from the West Seattle Herald. A vocally hostile crowd of about 30 greeted them, with hecklers screaming at the prosecuting attorney and the sheriff as they attempted prepared remarks. “You are horrible people!” one woman yelled at Satterberg. “If you have a license, you can sell; if you can’t, you won’t,” Satterberg told the crowd. “I’d like to take actual questions, not speeches.”

When voters approved I-502 in 2012, it cre-ated a system for the licensed production, processing and retail distribution of marijuana with no medical qualification needed. Pa-tients were told that recreational legalization wouldn’t affect med-ical access. But it only took about

five minutes after I-502 passed that would-be recreational marijuana merchants started eyeing the profits earned at medical marijuana dispen-saries and sought to re-route that money to their stores. Retail I-502 recreational operations now represent the only places licensed by the state to legally sell marijuana. Medical marijuana dispen-sary operators now face arrest after years of serv-ing and helping patients in Washington state.

Patients must register with the state to grow more than four plants. If they join the registry they will be allowed to grow up to six plants. Until now, patients could cultivate as many as 15 plants.

“I’d like to take actual questions, not speeches,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, center, said alongside Sheriff John Urquhart and Russ Hauge of the Liquor Control Board.


QuotedTHE WAR THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS WAGED ON ITS CITIZENS TO FORCIBLY STOP THEM FROM USING MARIJUANA HAS BEEN TRAGIC AND COSTLY.-High Times Editor-in-Chief Dan Skye, in an open letter to President Barack Obama. Skye wrote that the war on drugs has resulted in 15 million arrests, a soaring prison population, families destroyed and billions of tax dollars wasted. “We had a lot of hope that things would change when Obama first came into office,” he said. ‘‘

Quick Hits!

New extended-release Cannabis capsules have launched in Colorado, a collaboration between Wana Brands and Israel-based Cannabics to bring patients true 12-hour relief.12

The legalization initiative rush has hit the Golden State, with seven competing groups hoping their version of legalization passes and sticks in California.7

The illegal delivery service Winterlife that operated in Seattle for over one year reportedly made more than $4 million in profits, without a single cent going to taxes.1

The first Cannabis commercial on TV for the compa-ny Neos was scheduled for a late July broadcast of “Jim-my Kimmel Live” but has been held up bureaucratically.15A Denver patient had her DUI charges dropped after she rightly argued that a 5-nanogram blood limit for THC does not imply impairment, despite her 19ng results.

Law enforcement in Australia began Operation Armscote on June 12, which has resulted in raids seizing 1,226 plants worth $7 million.

The national average cost for a pound of Cannabis declined to $1,686 from $1,712 last week, showing its commodity status.

191,2261,686

States with medical marijuana laws have seen the number of admissions to drug rehab facilities for pain medication and opioid overdoses decrease by 15 percent and 16 percent respectively, according to a new paper from the National Bu-reau of Economic Research.

“Our findings suggest that providing broader access to medical marijuana may have the potential benefit of reduc-ing abuse of highly addictive pain-killers,” researchers concluded.

Other studies have examined the relationship between legal Cannabis use and opioid overdose rates, but this is the first study to track addic-tion to opioids, too, reports Quartz.

The paper builds on previous work showing that “states with medical marijuana laws on the books saw 24.8 percent fewer deaths from painkiller overdos-es compared to states that didn’t have such laws,” reports The Washington Post.

But the new paper’s findings are even more com-pelling. It uses more data and the authors drew on a broader range of statistical methods to test the validity of their data.Researchers looked at the number of patients ad-mitted to centers in the United States for pain-

States with medical marijuana laws on the books saw 24.8 percent fewer deaths from painkiller overdoses

Study on prescription painkiller abuse reveals medical marijuana access helps reduce rehab visits.

cannabis saves liveskiller addiction from 1992 to 2013, opi-oid-related deaths from 1999 to 2013, and the amount of prescription opioids legally sold in each U.S. state from 2000 to 2011.

“We find no impact of medical mari-juana laws more broadly; the mitigating

effect of medical mari-juana laws is specific to states that permit dis-pensaries,” the research-ers wrote last month.

Only states with laws protecting medicinal Cannabis dispensaries saw the decreases.

They found that the presence of marijuana dispensaries was asso-

ciated with a 15 percent to 35 percent decrease in substance abuse admissions, with opiate overdose deaths decreasing by a similar amount.

While opioid painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet can cause individuals to stop breathing if they overdose, it is impossible to fatally overdose on Cannabis.


national STEVE ELLIOTT is the editor behind tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion

a shameful disservice to patients, especially military combat vet-erans, Colorado health officials voted on July 15 against adding post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions eligible for

treatment with medical marijuana. The 6-2 vote came despite a recommenda-tion from the Colorado chief medical officer and a panel of physicians to make PTSD the first condition added to Colorado’s medical marijuana eligibility list in 15 years, the Associated Press reported.

Colorado Board of Health members said they weren’t swayed by the recom-mendations, claiming studies on using Cannabis for PTSD are lacking.

The vote was the third time the board rejected petitions to add PTSD to the list. About 60 PTSD patients attended the hearing, some loudly jeering the decision. A few were asked to leave the meeting — board members apparently didn’t want to be bothered by the opinions of PTSD patients.

“They just told every patient here, ‘we don’t care about you,’” patient advocate Teri Robnett said after the vote.

Colorado allows adults 21 and older to buy recreational marijuana without a doctor’s au-thorization. Medical Cannabis is taxed at 2.9 percent, compared to at least 19 percent for

recreational pot. Medical marijuana patients are also allowed to possess two ounces of Cannabis instead of just one.

Dr. Larry Wolk, chief medical officer of the Colorado Department of Pub-lic Health and Environment, doesn’t have a vote on the Board of Health, but he said that although he once opposed using marijuana to treat PTSD, he changed his mind because of widespread reports of PTSD sufferers being forced to claim pain is their ailment to get medicinal Cannabis.

Wolk said PTSD patients are using marijuana anyway so they should talk to a doctor “rather than self-medicating through the legalized program.”

Democratic Rep. Jonathan Singer of Colorado told the board his constitu-ents with PTSD were using medical marijuana to treat themselves, and looked to budtenders for advice. “We have to balance our science and our humanity.”

“They just told every patient ‘we don’t care about you,’”

In

H

Despite anecdotal evidence and hearty support, state ignores health condition

colorado rejects pot for ptsd

A limited number of dispensaries to be allowed on most of the islands

awaii Gov. David Ige signed House Bill 321 to legalize and establish a system of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, on July 15. Medical marijuana has been legal in Ha-

waii for 15 years, but patients haven’t had an official place to buy their medicine. Instead, they had to grow their own Cannabis or have a care-taker do it for them, reports Anita Hofschneider from Civil Beat.

Only 16 dispensaries will be allowed in the state. The bill stops counties from en-acting zoning regulations that discriminate against licensed dispensaries and marijua-na production centers, reports Jamilia Ep-ping from Big Island Now.

“I support the establishment of dispen-saries to ensure that qualified patients can legally and safely access medical marijua-na,” said Ige, a Democrat. “We know that our challenge going forward will be to adopt rules that are fair, cost-ef-fective and easy to monitor.”

Under the law, qualified patients and primary caregivers, along with employees of medical marijuana production centers and dispensaries, will be allowed to legally transport Cannabis in any public place.

Three licenses will be issued on Oahu, with two dispensary licenses issued each in Hawaii County and Maui County. One company will receive a license to grow and distribute marijuana on Kauai. The law allows for additional licenses to be distributed as early as October 2017.

Experts predict medical marijuana flowers will cost $200 to $300 an ounce, about the current black market cost. Once the Department of Health establishes rules, the agency will start accepting applications for licenses in January 2016 and announce the winners in April 2016.

HAWAII GETS MEDICAL!

Medical marijuana has been legal in Hawaii for 15 years, but patients haven’t had an official place to buy their medicine.

flying high, but only in oregonTravelers at Portland International Airport can legally board airplanes with up to one ounce of marijuana for any in-state flights under the state’s new law legalizing recre-ational Cannabis. If TSA agents at PDX find marijuana,

local police will be notified to ensure it is within the legal weight limit (up to 1 ounce), the passenger is of legal age (21), and the boarding pass indicates an in-state flight. If all that checks out, the passenger is free to go. “Traveling across state lines [with marijuana] is still a federal crime,” said Steve Johnson of the Port of Portland. “If someone is flying within the state to another destination in the state, traveling with recreational marijuana is allowed.” You cannot travel to Wash-ington, even though it is legal there. Passengers who don’t meet the requirements will be given the option to give the pot to someone 21 or older who is not traveling or surrender it to the cops to be destroyed.

[AUGUST PRISONER UPDATE]OREGON NEWS

jason endicott has anxiously awaited news on the Cannabis charges he is facing in Texas. Since Endicott’s initial arrest, he has expressed a deep fear of being sentenced to time in pris-on due to him being an insulin-dependent diabetic, as well as the fact that he would be leaving his wife and disabled daughter behind in Oregon.

Those fears may have been put to rest during a call with his attorney in Texas. Endicott’s attorney relayed the fact that both the judge

in the case and the sheriff do not want to see him in-carcerated due to his health issues. The DA in Endicott’s case offered probation that can be served in Oregon and deferment. Although this deal does means that End-icott would be free from jail time, his lawyer is still pur-suing a complete dismissal of his case.

tim hembree says he was entrapped in mid-April by an undercover police officer masquerading as an Or-egon Medical Marijuana

(OMMP) card holder and subsequently arrest-ed after he was present while a friend sold 13.2 grams of BHO (weight includes packaging) to the uncover officer. Hembree was released on July 13 after being in jail held on $50,000 bail and charged with three felonies: unlawful delivery, unlawful delivery within 1000 feet of a school and unlawful possession. Hembree’s trial is scheduled for September 18 in Hills-boro, Ore. If the jurors are fully informed of their rights, he may be found not guilty!


PRISON OUTREACHIndependence day has passed. July 4, the day of America’s freedom, but not so for many Amer-icans who are imprisoned over a plant that is legal in four states along with our nation’s capitol for rec-reational use, as well as 23 states and counting that have approved it for medical use.

Marijuana is medicine, but by the time you finish this paragraph, a vet has died by suicide or is facing criminal charges for a plant, all which could have been avoided if the laws changed in their state.

This month we would like to highlight Vietnam veteran Eddy Lepp, a man who did nothing but help his commu-nity in Northern California. Lepp believed in the power of Canna-bis, in its healing powers both physically and spiritually, but has been told he’s wrong for his faith. The prosecution of Lepp is not just one over someone growing for medicine or growing to sup-ply a recreational dispensary, but that of religious persecution as well. The government denies the whole “marijuana is a religious sacrament” defense, however this makes no sense, when one accepts that wine in Catholicism as well as peyote in Native American rit-uals are accepted as such. Sacrament is sacrament, and Eddy is not the only one that believes marijua-na is ceremonial.

The persecution, prosecution and imprisonment of Lepp is a breach of personal religious freedoms and highlights the lack of common sense within our judicial system. After the federal government raided Lepp, he was sentenced in 2009 to 10 years in prison. Eddy would not be in jail today if even one juror had voted not guilty. As Lepp always says, “respect all, hurt none, and love one another!”

dispatch By KRISTIN FLOR / MINDI GRIFFITHS / DANIELLE VITALE - O’BRIEN / BECCA NICHOLS / MIGGY 420

WASHINGTON NEWS

Josh Mauk and Debbie Brechler now face a bond revocation hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Au-gust 5 at at the Seattle Federal Courthouse. Brechler cheerfully reported on her Facebook page that she has passed a UA on July 10. Brechler also said their pretrial supervisor believes they are not consuming Cannabis. The standard window the courts recog-nize for a UA to be clean is 30 days.

“They have no knowledge and very little experi-ence with concentrate users,” Brechler said. We’ve reported on the twists and turns in these two’s case for many months. See more about them on pg. 24.

At this point, Brechler and Mauk will request the court to rely on the data taken from their test results to show the decline in THC over time. The trial is scheduled to begin in November. Education is the key right now to keeping our people out of prison.

Martin Nickerson is among state defendants feeling less and less hopeful about the resolution of their cases after the recent implementation of legal-ized recreational marijuana in Washington. Many feel the new laws are squeezing the medical Can-nabis industry out of the state. As Nickerson and his codefendants have been fighting their case for years, it could come to an end very soon. The pre-trial was scheduled to begin July 22 in Bellingham, Wash. and if found guilty, the three will face up to 30 years in prison. Martin and his codefendants are strong advocates for our plant and have done so much to maintain their freedom and the rights of others. Next month we will update you on how the pretrial went!

Kettle Falls Attorney Matthew Pappas dis-cussed the filing of a federal lawsuit seeking to en-join the justice department from spending further money in the criminal case against The Kettle Falls defendants in a press conference on July 3. This is part of a multi-faceted collaboration with multiple

Eddy Lepp believed in the power of Cannabis,in its healing powers —

physically and spiritually.

NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINES


NO VICTIM = NO CRIME = NOT GUILTYAll jurors have the power to vote not guilty.

attorneys and defendants who are defending the rights of those victimized by the system.

Please visit www.kettlefallsfive.com for more de-tails. Sentencing is scheduled for October 2. They need you to draft a letter to help convince the judge not to send them to jail. After being found not guilty on four out of five charges, the Kettle Kettle Falls defendants face sentencing for manufacturing 50-99 plants and are facing up to 20 years.

Please visit www.Thsintl.org for a list of ideas to include in your letter. Don’t have time to write? The website lets you electronically sign a pre-drafted letter! Remember, it’s very important we stand up for one another! Court support is imperative!

NATIONAL NEWSattitudes regarding the prohibition of Cannabis are rapidly changing. People across the nation are calling for the government to not only change the archaic laws, but to also release nonviolent drug of-fenders. The current buzz is that President Obama plans to use the clemency program to release many of these offenders. An estimated 98,000 inmates or just over 50% of the federal prison population were imprisoned for drug crimes between 2011 and 2013. Obama commuted 46 people’s sentences on July 13, which is just a drop in the bucket compared to the tens of thousands of people that will be left behind cold bars. Only two of the recipients were Cannabis of-fenders. Unfortunately, this small-scale presidential intervention is not enough. Many good people re-main incarcerated, moms and dads are still being charged and convicted, jobs are getting lost and children taken away. The war on families rages on.

GALEN FISHER is the owner and operator of The Flower Garden, a medical marijuana dispensary in Las Vegas. Fisher had been helping patients since April of 2014. In May, he received a call from what Fisher would later discover was an imposter. Fish-

er provided both medicine and information to help with the imposter’s medical condition on two separate occasions. He was unaware that he was being watched and felt he was com-plying with Nevada’s Medical Cannabis laws.

In late August of 2014, Fish-er was pulled over, arrested and charged with two counts of pos-session and sale of a Schedule I/II controlled substance. Fisher was then held in jail for more than seven months as a result of a charge for a mere 20.5 grams, a misdemeanor amount of Cannabis, and denied bail as well as an electronic monitor-ing device, which he offered to pay for and comply with upon his arrest.

Fisher was finally released from jail in March, after a 18% downpayment was made on the total bail of $120,000.

Fisher will be going to court on these charges in November and stated, “my attorney, Bret Whipple had a number of trials so we had the trial date moved.”

Terisa Deming had a victory in court after her community service hours performed through The Human Solution International were challenged. As a result of her fighting to have the hours ap-

proved, the Las Vegas courts are now adding THSI to their approved list of orga-nizations that a resident can perform community service hours through. The fact that a court of law is now recogniz-ing pro-Cannabis organiza-tions as relevant is a sure sign of the changing times. Teresa is still fighting other charges for possession of her medical Cannabis.

Bill Levin is the founder of the First Church of Cannabis in Indiana, which has filed a lawsuit against the state of Indiana as well as the city of Indianapolis for being openly prejudiced against his church. Although Levin stated that Cannabis would not be con-sumed during their first ser-vice on July 1, the church said it plans to use Cannabis for ceremonies in the future. Levin is worried about his members getting hassled and

potentially arrested for being there. “We will not be dragged into criminal court for their advantage,” Levin wrote in a recent post on Facebook. “We will meet them in a civil court where the laws are clear about religious persecution.We do not start fights,” he said. “We finish them!”

P E O P L EA R E

S T I L LBEING

PUT BEHINDBARS.

Catch up with the Navy veteran and volunteer at Cherry City Compassion in Salem on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Dominick zuniga

Q & A“I DON’T THINK THAT I COULD EVER GO WITHOUT CANNABIS.”

How does cannabis help you?

It makes me normal enough to be in front of people. If I didn’t smoke, I’d still have to take a whole bunch of pills that keep me asleep but awake, and I can’t do that. I’m trying to reach a level of comfort in everyday life and Cannabis helps me do that. I don’t think that I could ever go without Cannabis. I would be a prison-er of my own home.

does PTSD affect your daily life?

It’s a nightmare, that’s my part of it. I am a veteran of the Navy so I experience intense flashbacks relating to my service and the battles I endured Often times, it feels like I’m running, but I don’t know what I’m running from. Even just thinking about it can induce flashbacks for me. Cannabis helps to get my mind settled down.

It sounds like you have to medicate pretty frequently?

Well, let’s put it like this. I get up in the morning and smoke a bowl of flower to get my stomach unclenched. Around 9 o’clock, I’ll smoke a joint, and then if I have anything to do, I’ll take a break until the afternoon. I medicate heavily in the evenings but I am responsible with it. I always have an emergency stash with me in case I get anxious and need a second to ground myself. I don’t want people to think that’s all I do. I do what I need to face the world. I love hash — I’m a hash oil head. I smoke a lot of bubble hash and I recently just tried rosin, which I love.

You also grow your own. Have the plants helped you?

Oh man, I talk to the plants. I’m like the wacky professor from back to the future. I’m crazy. I do what no one else does to the plants. I have a bond. I went out to Falls City for the first time last year. I was legitimately depressed during this time. I asked to go out to the property manager’s grow house and was out there for three hours. The plant takes care of me so in turn, I want to take care of her. Nightmare OG is my pride. I read that it helps PTSD and the first time my friend Josh grew it and I had a taste, there was no turning back.

What is your take on recreational coming to oregon? Medical is what it is. I believe in the medicine, I believe in the plant. That’s what I stand for. When I volunteer at Cherry City, I’m recommending people medicine based on how it worked for me. We’re trying to help patients get the medicine they need for their ailments. If a certain strain helps a patient’s ailment, they shouldn’t have to pay a premium price for something that helps them live. You take away medical just for money, you know that’s not Oregon, that’s not for the patients. I moved to Oregon be-cause they had the best medical marijuana program in my eyes and I don’t want to see it compromised by greedy corporations.

Profile By WILL FERGUSON | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN


Rehashed By HANNAH LEONE for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN


IT’S LEGAL*

Possession and use of recreational marijuana has been legal in Oregon for about a month, but buying and selling are a slower story.

Two days into the new law, Weed The People brought some 1,400 marijuana enthusiasts and newbies together for a sold-out, $40-a-head weed tradeshow and giveaway July 3 in Port-land. Most attendees walked away with about seven grams of marijuana from the vendors. Lines stretched for hours much of the fiery day.


Rehashed By HANNAH LEONE for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN Continued from pg. 18

Oregon voters approved Measure 91last November and the law took effect on July 1, making it legal for adults 21 and older to possess and use limited amounts of the plant in-state. They’ll be waiting a few months to purchase marijuana in a store, though. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is currently working on stan-dards for growers; retail; extracts; edibles, topicals and infused products; advertising and labeling; and business and wholesale. As Oregon officials scram-ble to come up with regulations for the recreational market, what exactly has changed?

Possession: Oregonians 21 and older can now possess up to 8 ounces of usable marijuana at home. In public, the limit is a single ounce. Tom Towslee, spokesman for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, has a rule of thumb for people who aren’t sure what’s public or private: “If you are in doubt, you’re probably on public property,” Towslee said.

Ingestion: Eligible adults can use recreational marijuana at home or on private proper-ty, but public use remains illegal. You may not use on federal property or in a national park. Public use includes places that can be seen from public property, so it’s illegal for people to smoke on their front porch if others on the sidewalk or street can see them. You may use pot in your backyard even if visible to neighbors, Portland Police Sgt. Pete Simpson said.

BEST OF POTLAND was a fun and free eventon July 1st in Portland when recreational potbecame legal. Attendees passed around jointsand checked out dank samples from Nectar plus Eco Firma Farms and Goochy Gardens.

IT’S LEGAL*


Hannah Leone is a Pacific Northwest native and Western Washington Univ. alumna. Her work has also appeared in The Oregonian/OregonLive, The Seattle Times & Crosscut.

Renters must comply with a property owner’s rules on smoking and using marijuana.When police get complaints about marijuana odor wafting from one home to another,

there’s nothing they can do about it, because the smell isn’t illegal, Simpson said. But he recommends trying to be a good neighbor.

OLCC Spokesman Tom Towslee also encourages people to consider not just what’s legal, but what’s responsible. “The not-so-obvious question I am getting is, ‘can people smoke in a house where children or people under the age of 21 are present?’” Towslee said. “Yes, they can, but once again we get back to the issue of personal responsibility.”

Cultivation: Oregonians can grow up to four pot plants/residence out of public view.

Edibles: Adults can make edible marijuana products at home or accept them as a gift, but no selling. And still no public consumption.

Policing: Law enforcement’s top marijuana priority is preventing people from driving under the influence while stopping those who are, Simpson said. Although there isn’t a breathalyzer for marijuana, and blood and urine THC tests only tell if someone used mar-ijuana in the past few hours or weeks, respectively, officers are trained to detect impairment in other ways, including traditional sobriety tests, Simpson said.

In the workplace: Measure 91 does not affect employment law. Recent court cases have reinforced that because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, employers have the power to fire employees, even medical card holders, for a failed drug test. If people don’t know their employers’ drug-testing policies, they should ask, said Ash-ley Albies, a Portland-based employment lawyer. In most cases, although it’s best prac-tice, employers are not legally required to notify workers of a change to company policy, including drug testing procedures, Albies said. She recommended asking for a copy of the employee handbook if an employee is concerned about how an employer might perceive questions specific to drug testing policy. “I don’t want to be alarmist,” Albies said “but I think it’s a good idea to re-familiarize themselves with what their employers’ policies are.”

Buying: People in Oregon can share or give away recreational marijuana, but can’t sell or buy it until licensed retail shops open, which the OLCC aims to accomplish by the third quarter of 2016. However, a senate bill would allow recreational customers to buy up to 1 quarter ounce per day of dried leaves and flowers, and four non-flowering plants from par-ticipating medical dispensaries starting Oct. 1. Lawmakers who pushed the bill framed it as a temporary black market diversion. It is currently awaiting Gov. Kate Brown’s signature.

“Senate Bill 460 solves the problem that arose yesterday, which is that while it’s legal to possess certain amounts of adult-use marijuana, it’s not legal to buy it in Oregon,” co-spon-sor Rep. Ann Lininger, D-Lake Oswego, told state representatives on July 2.

Delaying such sales until October gives local governments time to decide whether to allow dispensaries in their jurisdictions to sell recreationally, said Rep. Andy Olson, R-Al-bany. The bill contains provisions for local governments to pass ordinances preventing medical dispensaries from selling recreationally.

Federal law prohibits trafficking Schedule I controlled substances, which currently in-clude marijuana, across state borders — even borders between two states where marijuana is legal. But state police aren’t particularly concerned with Oregonians bringing marijuana back from Washington. “Not only is that not a priority,” Simpson said, “it’s a federal law violation, not a state law violation. So we have no authority to enforce that at all.”

weed the people scenes

*Please remember that all marijuana use remains illegal on federal property and in National parks


Feature By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

When police finished searching the home they found a single clone in an empty bud room, no weapons, less than $100 in cash and equipment to process concentrates that were not in use at the time.

Josh Mauk and Debbie Brechler and their children, Jayden, 8, and Liberty, 6, photographed at home in Maple Valley, Washington. The couple have been feder-ally charged with endangering human life, maintaining a drug premises, and manufacturing a controlled substance.

Raided.

Josh Mauk & Debbie Brechler felt short-lived relief when Washington state dropped charges against them related to making extracts at their Maple Valley home last July. Both are medical Cannabis patients authorized under RCW 69.51a — which purportedly serves to protect patients from this type of prosecution.Then the feds decided to pick up and try the case. They face 18 months in federal prison for the same round of hefty charges. As the two head to trial, they ask why them? Why single them out?


LA HISTORY OF CONCENTRATES

ike many patients last year, Josh and Debbie enjoyed having access to a type of medical Cannabis known as con-centrates, specifically those processed with butane. They felt that Cannabis

processing was legal for patients in the state, as did an industry that sprung up seemingly overnight to fuel the demand for quality medicine. Entire cups and events were held dedicated to concen-trates, where dozens of competitors would bring their best product for judging and prizes. The cou-ple earned more than a few wins as Home Blown Concentrates.

While Cannabis in all forms has always been illegal federally, the industry behind concentrates was considered safe. Then the explosions began. In efforts to produce oil, many unknowledgeable peo-ple began processing with butane in unsafe condi-tions. Butane is odorless and lighter than air, caus-ing it to pool in easily combustible pockets within a building or room. Something as simple as a pilot light for a fridge can cause a severe explosion.

The explosions caused millions of dollars in prop-erty damage in Washington, prompting Operation Shattered by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

“Manufacturing hash oil is illegal and poses a significant risk to families, neighbors, and the general public,” U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan an-nounced July 22, 2014 in a DOJ statement.

The DEA rounded up several perpetrators who had caused significant injury and even death in their processing practices, and the majority of MMJ processors breathed a sigh of relief as the operation focused on those doing harm.

When Josh and Debbie’s Maple Valley, WA home was raided at 11:07 p.m. Sunday July 27, 2014, some in the community assumed that their case was involved with Operation Shattered. But they’d never had an explosion; the cops that showed up at their house were local, not feder-al. None of the actions taken against the couple seemed justified. Then, the warrants and affidavits were released.

The story told by the warrants revealed a trove of manipulation, lies and a personal grudge gone way too far. What most would consider a minor dis-agreement led to a SWAT raid, CPS involvement, state charges, and finally a case where the federal government was prepared to tear apart a family over actions legal under state law.

A Friendship Gone Bad

As spring was ending, Josh and Debbie were ap-proached by a friend about taking photos in their medical garden. According to Debbie, the photos were a gift from friend to friend, and there are

multiple text messages and emails to back her as-sertion. The photos were taken and for over two months everything was fine. Then on July 26, the friend suddenly wasn’t so friendly.

“I woke up and found that she was starting a pissing contest on Facebook, demanding I take down one of the pictures because it didn’t have her watermark on it,” Debbie explained. “It was just one photo. The argument lasted for two days, when I finally told her I refused to take it down. I said, ‘it’s my body; my photo.’”

Josh and Debbie weren’t worried about the situ-ation. But that night, they got the scariest wake up call a patient can get.

“We were watching TV, about 11 p.m., getting ready for bed. All of a sudden we heard a loud noise and thought maybe the neighbors were fighting. We turned down the TV and realized someone was calling our name over a loudspeaker,” Josh said. “We saw the red and blue lights and went out the door. I was in my boxers and socks and Debbie was not allowed to grab pants. As I was escorted to a patrol car, I went past the bomb squad robot and couldn’t understand why it was there.”

Debbie said the friend had called in the cavalry on Josh and Debbie’s quiet suburban life. Claims found in the police report include references to an over-the-limit grow, production of hash oil in an explosive environment beneath the kids’ room, large quantities of cash, pot, oil, and guns, Josh “wouldn’t go down without a fight,” they wrote.

The time between the initial phone call and the raid was less than nine hours. The sheriff ’s de-partment was present along with SWAT and the bomb squad, thinking they were facing an angry and well-armed individual in an explosive environ-ment.

Police finished searching the home. They found a single clone in an empty bud room, no weapons, less than $100 in cash and equipment to process concentrates that were not in use.

“The pictures she used to get the cops worked up were over three months old,” Josh said. “When they searched the house, they found no oil in the ovens, nothing growing, everything was dark and cold. They took a pound and a half of our high-grade medicine and left us with three pounds of trim and a note stating that.”

Post-Raid Troubles

Child Protective Services immediately became in-volved in every aspect of the family’s life. Josh and Debbie together raise his paternal daughter, Liber-ty, and her half-brother, Jayden, who is not of blood relation to either parent. CPS expressed concern over the medical use of Cannabis, but after sever-al months of meetings and planning, the case was dropped. A series of urine analysis done on Josh

showed he was only using Cannabis often. Despite the obvious presence of medical THC in his blood, CPS respected their rights under state law.

“By the end of our investigation, they told us we were great parents and respected our right to use our medicine,” said Debbie. “There was even a glimmer of good that came out of the CPS case. Josh was given full custody of Jayden after his mother failed to show any interest in being a parent to her child. They came in trying to take our kids and left us in a more secure position legally.”

During the four months of CPS involvement, their criminal case moved forward slowly, with the prosecutor offering a deal to both of them. Debbie was offered a misdemeanor and Josh a felony, both without any jail time. But Josh didn’t feel it was right that he was being given a felony and refused the deal.

On February 18, the federal prosecutor announced they would take up their case, and that they would seek time for both Josh and Debbie in federal prison for their alleged offenses.

“Hearing that news was devastating,” Debbie said, noting that she has had to take anti-depressant medication since the case went federal.

“Oh God, I cried for a week or more. But now I feel like the pills are a Band-Aid. Sometimes I know I should be crying and I can’t.”

An Uncertain Future

Today the family is living in limbo at the beck and call of the regional justice system. They must call a number every night to see if they need to report for a random urine analysis, something that happens at least once a week. A condition of their release is that they cannot use medical Cannabis, alcohol or illegal drugs, but pharmaceuticals prescribed by a doctor are allowed. They haven’t medicated since February.

“I always wear pro-pot shirts to my UA’s,” Debbie said with a troubled smile. “It burns me inside, the contradiction between the state and federal govern-ment. We were trying to help patients, and there are thousands of others like us including in the legal market who aren’t facing the same charges.”

Each hope other patients will wake up, and that the state will demand that the feds respect state law.

“The people of Washington voted to legalize it, but the federal government can come in at any time,” Josh said. “Washington’s attorney general and government should be a voice for the people, keeping us safe. We were in compliance. The only time Cannabis ruins lives is when the government is involved.”

Their next hearing is set for November 16 but there are offers yet from the federal prosecutor.

For now, the family is simply trying to survive, without access to their medicine and a tremendous burden hanging over their heads.


highly unlikely By PACER STACKTRAIN for OREGON LEAF

is one of America’s greatest and most unique artistic inventions. It could be said that the rhythms and improvisational structure of jazz is a direct representation of how Cannabis and other

substances made the artists who created it feel. Before Dr. Dre, Snoop, B-Real, 2 Chainz or even Wiz Khalifa, jazz players were some of the first popular musicians to glorify the use of Cannabis.

In the Jazz Age, they called it tea, gage, shuzzit, reefer, jive and sess. They smoked it in joints (cigarettes), vaporized it in bell jars with holes in the lid and a towel over their head, or ingested it via old-timey tincture solutions. While it’s true that musi-cians like Sydney Bechet (call up the lyrics to “Viper Mad” online, which reads like a modern-day weed hip hop anthem) and Cab Calloway had outright marijuana anthems, perhaps no other jazz musician was as enamored with Cannabis than the great Louis Armstrong.

According to his biographers, Armstrong first started smoking Cannabis (which he referred to as “gage”) in his late teens. He continued to consume it until he died at age 69, and would frequently smoke before performances and recording sessions.

“We did call ourselves Vipers, which could have been anybody from all walks of life that smoked and respected gage. That was our cute little name for marijuana.”

When watching Louis Armstrong on archival video, one can see the sheer joy the man possessed. Undoubtedly, this was a part of his nature, but if you look a little closer, you can see correlations between this upbeat yet relaxed personality and that of mod-ern-day Cannabis users. The happy sounds of his horn and voice were perhaps made a bit giddier by his use of Cannabis.

Louis Armstrong was also an early advocate for legalizing marijuana. During the height of the Civil Rights era, in September of 1957, he famously wrote to President Eisenhower to talk about the desegrega-tion of schools and the plight of blacks in the South. In this series of telegrams, he spoke about the bene-fits of Cannabis. “It makes you feel good, man,” Arm-strong said. “[It] makes you forget all the bad things

that happen to a Negro. It makes you feel wanted, and when you’re with another tea smoker, it makes you feel a sense of kinship.” Armstrong was also an early propo-nent of medicinal properties of marijuana, even before the term “medical marijuana” existed: “As we always used to say, gage is more of a medicine than a dope.”

If you’re not familiar with the music of Louis Armstrong, now is a great time to get acquainted. While the rhythms of traditional jazz may sound a bit foreign to our ears today, these players had a lot in common with modern Cannabis users. And for those of us lucky enough to live in the Northwest, Satchmo’s tale is a good reminder of how lucky we are to live in a place where a once-demonized flower is now free.

LOUIS ARMSTRONG

Louis Armstrong: An American Genius1985, Oxford Press

Jazz

Louis Armstrong and Grace Kelly on the set of “High Society” in 1956.

LIBR

ARY

OF C

ONGR

ESS

Armstrong began smoking Cannabis (which he referred to as “gage”) when he was in his late teens. He continued to consume it until he died at age 69, and would frequently smoke before performances and recording sessions.

In this burgeoning, amazing age of Cannabis legalization in America, it can be easy to forget just how taboo it was to admit to being a consumer of this plant even a few years ago.That’s why we want to highlight amazingCannabis pioneers throughout history.

Attorney at Law847-917-9673

The Law Office of Bradley M. Steinman

[email protected]

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wwwwww..ggrreeeennbbuussiinneessssllaaww..uussAttorney at Law

847-917-9673


[email protected]


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simple, beautiful, organic ingredientscannabis confections for the connoisseur

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Feature By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

STAR LEAF INSIDE

30/ aug, 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

STAR LEAF aug. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /31

>>A NORTHWEST JOURNEYTAKES A DETOUR WHENOUTDOOR MEETS OUTERSPACE.


Feature By WES ABNEY | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN Continued from pg. 47

Three friends set off to find a secret forest of extraterrestrial marijuana hidden deep in the olympic mountains.

but when one steals the sacred Star Leaf, they must fight for their lives against

enemies from another world.”

The film blends elements of science fiction with humor, Cannabis and strikingly compelling information about using the plant to treat post-trau-matic stress disorder. For writer, director and actor Richard Cranor, making the film was always about breaking down barriers society placed on pot. After battling lung and testicular cancer, Richard had a journey that led him to sup-port medical Cannabis.

“I realized I had a narrow view of the plant. If someone is sick or dying the last thing we should do is deny them a medicine that works,” Richard said. “I’ve been there. When you are in that situation, you will do whatever it takes to survive. I can’t imagine someone telling me I couldn’t do something to heal myself or a loved one.” Richard had the idea to shoot a film in Washington two

years ago after a trip to Mount Rainier. He saw the forest and knew he had to work it into a script. All he needed was a theme, and Cannabis called him.

“I knew something was happening to Cannabis beneath the surface, and I could see the winds of change probably sooner than some, especially Holly-wood,” he explained.

“Nature is important to respect and honor, and Cannabis became symbolic about what’s right and wrong about how we treat our planet.”

Richard set out to make the film without knowing if it would be shot, link-ing up with Ohana Farms out of Bainbridge Island to start a collective garden and make the mythical garden a reality. Growing those plants would ultimate-ly change his perspective on the plant, and on medicine.

>>

to smoke as much as you need while you’re still in the woods. They head deeper into the woods and quickly realize that everything is not what it seems.

The friends find and consume the Star Leaf with intense and hilarious re-sults, especially when Cranor comes into the scene as Ranger Dave. He advises them that “it is legal now,” takes a puff, and heads off into the woods. But things quickly go wrong for the trio, who break the rules of the grove by taking the plants and bud to make clones. This doesn’t go over well with the aliens, who manage the Star Leaf, and the film takes an interesting turn.

The bulk of the film involves the trio fighting to escape the aliens in the woods, and for the protagonist, fighting the inner demons that PTSD has left him to confront. An especially moving scene shows him believing he is

fighting in Afghanistan again before realizing he is only holding a stick. He battles his demons and the aliens, and the end of the mov-ie plays with both time and emotion to heal him of his PTSD, all while resolving many untold questions about the code of conduct with the Star Leaf.

For Richard, the ability to mix entertainment with truth has been a fulfilling experience.

“I think truth is far superior to fiction, and in this film, it’s sci-fi capped on real truth. With what is at stake in our society, this film should have been made by someone else a long time ago. With plants, our plant allies, we are given another means to see ourselves and the world in a way we couldn’t otherwise,” he said.” Cannabis is freedom in a leaf. We all deserve it, and it’s our right.”Visit Starleafmovie.com for more information and to download the movie. Look for it at your local dispensary soon, and on Netflix by the end of summer.


The film’s producer, Robert Leeshock, left, and Richard Cranor, who wore many hats during the making of the movie. Cranor directed, wrote, filmed, and starred in it as Ranger Dave.

“Star Leaf” could become

to this generation of Cannabis users what Cheech

and Chong’s “Up In Smoke”

was to the ‘70s.“There was a day when I was in the garden growing the Star Leaf plants for the movie, and my girlfriend and I were nervous about having our 30-plant collective garden. I went out among the plants — about four to five feet tall by then — and sat back and looked at them. At no point did the plants try to mug me; none have done anything to me to be so judgmental to them. These are just plants. Nothing about what they are doing that is harming anyone, and if they can offer any benefit to patients they should not be denied their place in nature.”

“Star Leaf ” revolves around the concept of a mythical strain of Cannabis that has been planted by forces beyond our world with the ability to heal a variety of ailments, including PTSD. A recently returned Afghanistan War vet decides to take a road trip with his girlfriend and best friend who is struggling with reintegrating into society, all in the hope that the magical plant will help his symptoms. But access to the garden comes with a caveat, and that is where the actors find just how supernatural the forces are.

“Three friends set off to find a secret forest of extraterrestrial marijuana hidden deep in the Olympic Mountains,” goes the tagline, “but when one of them steals the sacred Star Leaf, they must fight for their lives against enemies from another world.”

The film is fast-paced right from the start, mixing scenes from the two friends’ experiences in Afghanistan with an energetic buildup as they start their trip. They arrive at a commune in the middle of the woods where they receive a map to the grove, and the rules: don’t take any cuttings or bud from the plants and no photos or electronics to give away the location. But, feel free

We’re giving away fivecopies of the movie atFacebook.com/nwleaf

>>

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Breaking down a few nugs turned our hands so burdenously sticky with trichomes that we had difficulty assembling the rest of the joint.

30.49% thc 0.10% cbd Passes microbial standard

HolyGrailKush

OREGON LEAF

Test Results by 3B Analytical

Available From Cherry City Compassion2025 25th St SE, Salem, OR 97302(971) 273-7607 CherryCityCompassion.com

HOLY GRAIL KUSH is a genetic powerhouse. Testing at just over 30 percent THC, this strain combines the best of the OG 18 and Kosher Kush. Its incredibly strong terpene profile is quickly noticeable. Cracking the jar unleashes fuel-like scents reminiscent of the Dogwalker strain.

The buds are forest green with sticky trichomes covering each beautiful bud. Breaking down a few nugs turned our

hands so burdenously sticky with trichomes that we had difficulty assembling the rest of the joint. A few tokes from

the joint left my mouth coated in a fuel-like flavor that tasted like a combination of Dogwalker and Gorilla Glue.

The effect comes on quickly, starting as a cerebral head high upon inhalation, quick-ly turning into deep body relaxation, with relatively no euphoric effect.

Because Holy Grail Kush produces a strong body high, this strain is helpful for patients with chronic pain, appetite loss, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

STRAINOF THE MONTHBy WILL FERGUSON | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

GROWN by LEFT COASTFARMS


access

Concentrates 4/5

THE DISPENSARY stocks a wide variety of high-quality concentrates, most of which are processed exclusively by Mistah Nasa. Boom Extrax CO2, Sirius Extracts and Dab Society Extracts were also available. Concentrate donations ran from $30/g for in-house runs to $50/g for tasty live resins. Concentrate aficionados will certainly find something for their pallet at Sweet Tree.

Strains 4/5

SWEET TREE FARMS has a nice variety of strains available to patients. All flower stocked is organically grown as they have strict intake standards to ensure patients are consuming the cleanest medicine.Some patient favorites include Lodi Dodi, Cannatonic, GDP and Pink Lemonade. Donations for flower run from $8-12/g with weekly specials available on social media.

Edibles 4/5

AN ENTIRE shelf and fridge are devot-ed to medibles at Sweet Tree Farms where patients can find products from trusted vendors such as Lunch-box Alchemy, Dirty Arm Farm, Rock-et Edibles, Peak Extracts and Gaia Medibars. Patients enjoy 20 percent off of medibles every Monday as part of their Medible Monday offer.

SWEET TREE FARMS By WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by PETER GILBERT for OREGON LEAF

Reviewed


Environment 4/5

PATIENTS WILL enjoy the open, spacious medicine room that is designed to help multiple patients at once. The medicine counter is shaped like an S, giving patients ample room to check out medicine. Couches and a TV are located in the northwest corner of the room so patients can hang out if they desire.

Overall 16/20

THIS QUAINT little dispensary in West Eugene that is dedicated to clean, organic medicine. The location is convenient for those coming from other parts of Eugene, as well as towns like Junction City and Halsey. Patients looking for a wide array of medication with compassionate service should be sure to stop by.

SWEET TREE FARMS (MEDICAL)

4097 W 11th Ave, Eugene, OR 97402(541) 246-8075 @SweetTreeFarmsOR

The location is convenient for those coming from other parts of Eugene, as well as towns like Junction City and Halsey.

PROCESSED BY SIRIUS EXTRACTS > This stable shatter comes packaged in a plastic tube and is shaped like an icicle or “dab-sicle.” The extract doesn’t have much smell, but is a beautiful transparent amber color that is easy to break dabs off of. When dabbed, this shatter did not have much taste at all, but was very clean and smooth. Sirius Extracts’ process removes more terpenes in order to make a consistently clean shatter. The effects are immediate and potent, causing an intense cerebral high for the first few minutes. The body effects are almost non-existent, making this a rather dysfunctional high for us with incredible medicinal effects. This strain is great for patients with depression and fatigue as it is an energetic, uplifting daytime strain.

14/20

THE SCORE

va l u e : ta s t e :

e f f e c t: packaging:

t o ta l :

81.20% THC // 2.40% CBD TEST results by going green labs

KILLER QUEEN SHAT TER Instant effects

GROWN BY SWEET TREE FARMS > The SFV OG is a classic strain with Southern California roots. This strain has that classic OG smell that is complimented by piney undertones. The buds are on the less dense side but have nice trichome production and a proper cure. The smoke is smooth with hints of piney OG flavors on each exhale, as the joint yielded to white ash showcasing a proper flush. The effects are nice and mellow as we felt very medicated yet not anxious—perfect anti-anxiety medicine. SFV OG’s calming effects also make this strain useful for patients with Crohn’s disease, chronic pain, nausea, insomnia and depression. And like everything else here, this strain is grown all organically.

25/30

THE SCORE

a r om a :d en s i t y :

c u r e :l o o k s :

f l av o r :e f f e c t:

T O TA L :

24.72% THC // 0.18% CBD TEST results by oregon analytical

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY OG Hybrid

6850 N. Interstate Ave Portland, OR 97217 || 503-285-4768

Wide selection of nutrients and soilFriendly, knowledgeable, experienced staff

100% locally owned


access

Concentrates 4/5

ONE CORNER houses a refrigerator stocked with several solvent extractions. Concen-trate vendors such as Dab Society Extracts, House of Concentrates, Heights Farm and Mad Farma fill the hash fridge. Varieties of solvent extractions were also available, in-cluding shatter, sugar wax, sap and crumble. New Vansterdam only stocks extractors who adhere to strict processing standards.

Strains 5/5

NEW VANSTERDAM has one of the largest flower selections we have seen in an Oregon collective. The farms include Geek Farms, Big Beard Farms, Jasper Hill Farms, Ideal Farms and So Fresh Farms. A variety of products from some fine farmers fill the shelves at this newly opened dispensary. Some of the patient favorites include Querkle, J1, Gorilla Glue #4 and Bruce Banner #3. Flower donations range from $6-12 per gram with NV’sdaily specials on top-shelf strains posted online as well.

Edibles 4/5

AN ARRAY of fresh treats prepared by vendors Wee Farms, Chill Provisions, Elbes Edibles and Sour Bhotz are available in a refrigerated display. New Vansterdam carries a solid selection of medicated products (and in varying dosages) making it easy for patients of all tolerances to choose the right medible for their needs.

New Vansterdam By WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Reviewed

GROWN BY GEEK FARMS > This Querkle is some of the frostiest flower I’ve seen in a while. The bud is a deep purple and is covered in well-preserved trichome heads. When I broke open a few nugs, I noticed the odor of marshmallows, which I associate with Purple Urkle. The taste is completely clean and smooth, with hints of marshmallows on the exhale. I enjoyed this flower out of a clean water pipe using hemp wick to light the bowl. The effects are incredibly sedating — a few bowls might leave you

hungry and couch-locked. This strain is effective for patients with chronic pain and insomnia. Careful attention to organic growing methods make this flower a clean, potent medicine that is truly a “medical-grade” head high.

26/30

THE SCORE

a r o m a : d e n s i t y :

c u r e : looks:

f l av o r : e f f e c t:

t o ta l :

QUERKLE Heavy indica | Hints of marshmallow on exhale

28.95% THC // 0.30% CBD TEST results by MRX LABS


Environment 4/5

THE DISPENSARY has a clean, modern look. The medicine room is spacious and styled with handcrafted wooden shelves, new floors and large display cases for all the varieties of medicine. The dispensary also has a separate area for glass and accessories that are stored on handmade shelves.

Overall 17/20

NEW VANSTERDAM is conveniently located along Beaverton Hilllsday Highway, making it an easy stop for workers on their way home from West Portland. The dispensary has plenty of parking around back and is easy to spot from the road. Patients wishing to access a variety of high-quality medicine will do well to visit this spot.

NEW VANSTERDAM (MEDICAL)

4709 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Portland(503) 889-0715 NewVansterdam-med.com

The medicine room is spacious and styled with handcrafted wooden shelves, new floors and large displays for all the varieties.

PRODUCED BY WEE FARMS > Medicate stealthily with these CBD-rich capsules. Each capsule contains roughly 1mg of THC for every 24mg of CBD. I ingested two of the caps to fully experience the impressive CBD-to-THC ratio. These capsules are small and easy to ingest. After about 90 minutes,

I began to feel only the sedating, pain-relieving effects of the CBD and little psychoactive effect. These capsules kept my chronic pain at bay for roughly four-plus hours. I recommend these capsules to patients who desire long-lasting sedative effects without the cerebral high for conditions such as chronic pain, insomnia, appetite loss, fatigue and anxiety.

13/15

THE SCORE

va l u e : e f f e c t:

packaging: t o ta l :

1.3mg THC & 24mg cbd per capsule TEST results by green leaf lab

GROWN & PROCESSED BY HEIGHTS FARMS > J1 is a powerhouse cross of Jack Herer and Skunk #1 that is widely available in dispensaries across Portland. This stable shatter is a beautiful transparent golden color and can easily be broken into sizable pieces for all dabbers. When dabbed at a low temperature, this shatter tastes exactly like the strain it was processed from. The piney notes of the Jack Herer are complemented by the mellow flavors of the Skunk #1. The effects are rather cerebral and euphoric, making it useful for patients suffering from depression, fatigue and nausea. The J1 is an ideal choice to turn for potent, uplifting and euphoric medicine.

16/20

THE SCORE

va l u e : ta s t e :

e f f e c t: packaging:

t o ta l :

79.33% THC // 0.33% CBD TEST results by 3b analytical

J1 SHATTER Piney goodness with cerebral effects

CBD OIL C APSULES High-CBD

3 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon Canna-olive oil3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced1 lemon, thinly sliced1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved if large8 springs thymeSalt and pepper to taste1½ cups cooked couscous, quinoa, or rice.

INGREDIENTS

Makes 4 servings

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oils. Add the gar-lic, lemon slices, cherry tomatoes and the thyme. Sauté on low/medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the shrimp to the pan and sauté, turning the shrimp, for 4-5 minutes. The shrimp will turn pink and become firm. Don’t cook too long or they will be tough. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

3. Serve with or over your favorite grain, such as farro.

SAUCY SHRIMP

recipes By LAURIE WOLF for OREGON LEAF | PHOTO by BRUCE WOLF for OREGON LEAF

48/ aug. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF > more summertime recipes pg. 50

*

No reason to turn on the oven for any of these Canna-treats.

The shrimp are begging for some crusty bread, so dip away. The smoothie tastes like a dreamy milkshake,

and the salad is summertime goodness; refreshing and delish. As always, adjust

these recommended Canna-ingredients to suit your

personal tolerance. Less is usually more. Word.

recipes By LAURIE WOLF for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by BRUCE WOLF for OREGON LEAF


Continued from pg. 48

CREAMSICLESmoothie

INGREDIENTS1 cup almond or coconut milk½ cup orange juice1-2 teaspoons Canna-coconut oil1 small banana, peeled and frozen1-2 tablespoons honey1 teaspoon vanillaOrange slice for garnish

*

1. Place all the ingredients with the exception of the garnish in your blender. Best to start with the liquids.2. Process until smooth and serve garnished with the orange slice.

Serves one in a big way

1. In a medium bowl combine the arugula, chicken, berries, grapefruit and scallion.2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil and mustard.3. Toss the dressing with the greens mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.

2 cups arugula, rinsed and patted dry2/3 cup cooked chicken, chop into chunks1 cup strawberries, cleaned and sliced1/2 cup pink grapefruit sections2 scallions, chopped3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar2-3 teaspoons Canna-olive oil1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustardSalt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS

STRAWBERRYSUMMERTIME

Salad*

Serves two

Coming soon to an Oregon dispensary near you

Organic Strawberry Jelly & Cashew PB&J Chew

For wholesale or product info email contact@leafchews .com

Infused withPure CO2 Oil

tested by Ana l ytical 360

This medicated ice cream from Cream of the Crop is the best ice cream I’ve ever had, non-medicated included. I mean seriously, this stuff is better than Salt & Straw! I was fortu-nate enough to try the Panaforte flavor. A medicated clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon ice cream with toasted almonds and candied citrus peels, and 100mg of THC! All ingredients used are organic, natural and each batch is handspun, mak-ing this truly gourmet ice cream. The taste is incredibly rich and creamy with no Canna flavor whatsoever. The combi-nation of toasted almonds and candied citrus peels comple-ment the nutmeg, clover and cinnamon ice cream perfectly, creating a sweet yet savory dichotomy. I consumed the entire half pint, which was no difficult task. After about an hour and fifteen minutes, I began to feel medicated. Unlike most strains for me, the high started in my body and slowly transitioned into a more euphoric, uplifting effect. The high lasted for about five hours, leaving me pain-free for most of the day. Cream of the Crop medicated ice cream is perfect for patients who cannot stand the green taste of many medibles as it truly tastes like ice cream served at a five-star restaurant.

Va l u e : ta s t e :

E f f e c t: Packaging:

O v e r a l l :

THE SCORE

20/20

MEDICATEDORGANICICE CREAMby Cream of the crop, $20, Panaforte flavor100mg THC/half pint Tested by Oregon Analytical


THE COMBINATION OF TOASTED ALMONDS AND CANDIED CITRUS PEELS COMPLEMENT THE NUTMEG, CLOVER AND CINNAMON ICE CREAM PERFECTLY, CREATING A SWEET YET SAVORY DICHOTOMY.

Available From Calayxes7501 SW Capitol Hwy Suite A, Portland, OR 97219(503) 889-0682 Facebook.com/Calyxes @Calyxes

Produced by Chad Cherry | in collaboration with Green Bodhi | medicated with EVOLVD Organics CO2 Oil

TASTY

Reviews By WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF Photo by peter gilbert for OREGON LEAF

CBD: 1.03%

69.93%THC TOTAL

> Grown & processed by Trich Cycle Farms @TRICH_CYCLE

concentrates


The solventless extract was packaged on parchment paper inside of a cardboard envelope.

Available From Collective Awakenings2823 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232(503) 206-7090 CollectiveAwakenings.com

By WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

Va l u e : ta s t e :

E f f e c t: Packaging:

O v e r a l l :

THE SCORE

19/20

Sour Diesel x Super Lemon Haze

Mt. Hood Magic Mix Hash Rosin

TESTING by GREEN LEAF LAB

Rosin tech is a relatively old extraction techniquethat was brought to light by SoilGrown as a way for people to easily extract their own solventless dabs at home. This rosin by Trich-Cycle Farms was pressed from full-spectrum bubble hash (120-25u) and is loaded with terpenes. The solventless extract was packaged on parchment paper inside of a cardboard envelope. The rosin is a deep amber and has an incredibly strong Lemon scent to it when opened. The rosin can sometimes stick to the parchment so storing it in a cooler environment before dabbing allows for a workable consistency. The extract has a pull-and-snap consistency and we noticed intense flavors of lemon and diesel that overwhelmed our taste buds when dabbing this rosin at low temperatures. The smoke was expansive inside our lungs, but smooth on the exhale. The effects are euphoric and uplifting, but not anxiety-producing like many sativas. The use of organic cultivation methods ensures a quality, clean, pesticide-free product. The sativa effects make this strain particularly useful for those with depression, fatigue, wasting syndrome and nausea.

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com


WATCH “CINEDOPES” ONLINE | YOUTUBE.COM/TOTALANARCHYTV

PASS THE POPCORNUnpacking a sophomoric (and smoky) new web series set at the cinema

hard to imagine someone more qual-ified than Karin Lazarus to write a book on gourmet Cannabis desserts.

In 2010, Karin founded Sweet Mary Jane, a bak-ery in Boulder, Colo., and quickly found an appre-ciative audience for her treats.

It’s been a lifelong calling for Karin. She got her first Sunbeam Mixmaster at age 8, and has been whipping up tasty treats to brighten her friends’ days ever since.

When Karin began baking professionally, she learned how to incorporate medical Cannabis into baked goods. After she took home the grand prize in a cooking contest, she decided to combine the skills needed to incorporate marijuana into baked goods with the art of baking delicious confections.

Sweet Mary Jane became one of the nation’s first legal medical marijuana bakeries. Five years later, it’s a household name in Colorado.

From her bakery, Karin has made it her mission to bring flavor, passion and innovation to a cuisine often known only for pot brownies. As a result, her decadent confections have won her loyal fans all across Colorado. Everything she does is made with premium medical Cannabis, high-quality chocolates, real butter and pure vanilla.

When you step inside the place, the intoxicating smells of OMG Brownie Cheesecake Bars and Just Peachy Coffee Cake waft toward you. And at times, when you are reading “Sweet Mary Jane,” you can almost catch a whiff.

In this distinctly “high-end” Cannabis cook-book, she explains her secrets for baking delecta-ble confections — with or without Cannabis — with recipes for dreamy treats such as Pop Star Caramel Corn, Twix Tricks Cupcakes, Chai High Truffles, Smashing Pumpkin Bars and French Kiss Toasted Macaroons.

This groundbreaking volume contains more than 75 recipes and some stunning photography, together with vital information about adjusting for potency. “Sweet Mary Jane” is a good fit for any 420-friendly baker who wants to know how to create delicious treats that take the art of Can-nabis baking to a new level.

It’s

ack in the 1970s, comedy and Cannabis were natural allies, look at Cheech and Chong and George Carlin who figured that out years ago. Today, the stoner comedy has become a subgenre of its own with modern performers like Doug Benson and Katt Williams carrying on the high comedy tradition. Now there’s a new stoner web series that’s worthy of your bleary-eyed attention.

“Cinedopes” follows the laughable struggles of Tim, a dime bag weed dealer and failed filmmaker who inherits a dilapidated movie theater run by a group of morons and deviants. It re-launched in July. “Cinedopes” creator/writer Brian Drolet, a veteran of MTV’s “Disaster Date” and “The Hills,” plays Tim, who partners with a lifelong buddy and neurotic lawyer named Blake (played by writer/co-executive producer Ben Gleib (of Game Shown Network’s “Idiotest”). Tim and Blake — faced with competition from a Megaplex cinema across the street — decide to convert their new indie theater into the world’s first cinema and marijuana dispensary. Reliably, highjinks ensue. Any film fan will pick up and appreciate the movie references, quotes and parodies, and stoners will have plenty to love. What others may call sophomoric humor, I call funny as hell. If you feel like letting go of your cares and just watch-ing something silly and damn funny, you won’t go wrong with “Cinedopes.” I found myself regularly enjoying belly laughs. There’s an added bonus for hip hop fans. Kottonmouth Kings debut songs on the show. Season one of “Cinedopes” is the only place where KMK fans can hear the new tracks.

BWas it a

good idea to add a

dispensary to a movie

theater?“Cinedopes”makes you

wonder.

Reviews

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE, 2015 | 294 PAGES | $25.00

By KARIN LAZARUS

75 Delicious Cannabis-Infused High-End Desserts

75 Delicious Cannabis-Infused High-End Desserts


health & science

KOMBUCHAGULPING DOWN THE PROBIOTIC BENEFITS OF A SPARKLING FERMENTED TEA

BY OREGON LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

Kombucha is a fermented tea beverage with a rich history of tradi-tional use and an ever-increasing popularity in modern times—readily available in most grocers’ cold drink section. Commer-cial production and US sales of kombucha have mushroomed to more than 400 million per year. Being that kombucha is a fermented beverage, it does contain alcohol in mostly small amounts but the content can vary by batch. Kombucha has its roots in Asia but has been shared around the world, and many produce their own kombucha at home and consume regularly for the many touted health benefits.

Some research dollars have been devoted to investigating these health claims and results have come back favorable, beginning to turn the tide on the usual blanket statements that the health claims are inconclusive and un-substantiated. Kombucha is not right for everyone, but looking into regular consumption may just be a part of the wellness plan.

The name kombucha refers to a variety of preparations of fermented, slightly sweetened and naturally lightly carbonated black or green teas. These health elixirs date back to the Qin dynasty in China 5,000 years ago. The divine tea as it was known was valued for giving energy, vitality and helping the body to detoxify.

Legend has it that a Korean doctor by the name of Kombu brought the beverage to the Emperor of Japan in 414 AD for his digestive difficulties. It reached Russia by 1900 and from there to Europe and now to the U.S. Kombucha is actually an English term only dating back as far as 1991 when commercial production be-gan. Previous to that it was a popular health food item consumed in the U.S. since about the 1950s, slowly increasing to the commercial production in the 90s and exponential growth since.

Kombucha is a fermented food or beverage. Fermentation is a metabolic process that con-verts sugar to acids, gases or alcohol, lowering

the sugar content in the final product. It occurs in yeast and bacte-ria. Other fermented foods include sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers,

yogurt, Korean kimchi and natto to name a few. Each of these fermented foods are said to offer health benefits, especially to the digestive tract. These are excellent sources of probiotics, benefi-cial acids, active enzymes, vitamins and minerals. The body easily absorbs fermented foods as well. Most are familiar with other

fermented beverages that contain alcohol such as beer and wine.The process of making kombucha is similar to that of beer and

wine in that yeast is added to sugar a source—malted barley for instance in the beer, grapes in the wine and sugar and tea in the kombucha. However, not only is yeast an important part of the kombucha fermentation, but also beneficial bacteria are added with the yeast.

As the fermentation process progresses, a SCOBY is formed at the top of the solution looking like a flat, whitish, rubbery pancake. The SCOBY, or the “mother” as it is also known, stands for a Symbiotic Colony Of Bac-teria and Yeast. This giant slimy blob is a perfect example of a biofilm. The SCOBY is a dense microbial mat, fused together byproducts that mainly the bacteria secrete such as cellulose. The most predominant bacteria found

in SCOBY cultures from around the world are the genus Gluconacetobacter and the predomi-nant yeast genus being Zygosaccharomyces.

As a side note, this production of cellulose is a sustainable and biodegradable process. Most cellulose used in the industry is used for paper-board and paper and comes from wood pulp and deforestation. Other major uses of cellu-lose come from cotton for clothing production. The SCOBY can serve as an excellent source of cellulose. The SCOBY, when dried, becomes a leather-like textile known as microbial cellu-lose that can be molded onto forms to create seamless clothing. When treated with different organic dyes coming from such things as coffee, beets or carrots, microbial cellulose is changed sI

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Dr. Scott D. Rose has written about Cannabis and health for years in the Northwest Leaf. He is an acupuncturist with a pain resolution clinic in the Crown Hill area of Seattle.

in both color and texture. In fact, fashion designers have released entire lines of clothing made solely of this microbial cellulose coming from kombucha!

The fermentation of the sugar in the black or green tea by the yeast com-ponent produces a little ethanol and a little carbon dioxide. The bacterial component converts this alcohol into the acids, which is why the content of alcohol is relatively low. The alcohol content of kombucha can be below 0.5% ABV (alcohol by volume) or it has been documented as being as high as 3% ABV.

Many retailers pulled kombucha from their shelves in 2010 due to im-proper labeling. For perspective, a 12-ounce Beck’s Lite has 3.8% ABV. If the level of alcohol in the kombucha is at or above 0.5% then it must be labeled as containing alcohol along with all the other usual warning labels and generally falls under the classification of beer. If it is below the 0.5% ABV level then it does not need to be labeled and is not considered an alcoholic beverage. The chemical makeup of kombucha includes: various acids such as malic acid (high in apples), acetic acid (vinegar), gluconic acid, enzymes and amino acids; polyphenols; and other specific compo-nents including glycerol, lactic acid, B vitamins and vitamin C.

People have used kombucha as a medicine for centuries. Kombucha tea is used for mem-ory loss, rheumatism, aging, loss of appetite, AIDS, cancer, high blood pressure, constipa-tion, arthritis, premenstrual syndrome and hair regrowth. It is also used for increasing white blood cell (T-cell) counts, boosting the im-mune system and strengthening the metabo-lism. It is beneficial to the digestive and elim-ination system due to the acidic compounds and the pre and probiotic content.

Some people apply kombucha tea directly to the skin for pain. In the February 2014 Journal of Medicinal Food, an analysis and review of the kombucha literature to date was presented and it was “shown that kombucha can efficient-ly act in health prophylaxis and recovery due to four main properties: detoxification, antiox-idation, energizing potencies, and promotion of depressed immunity.” The authors went on to say, “the recent experimental studies on the consumption of kombucha suggest that it is suitable for prevention against broad-spectrum metabolic and infective disorders.”

The December 2000 Journal of Biomedical Science, report-ed that rats fed kombucha for 90 days showed no toxic effects. A recent study written in the April 2015 Journal of Pharmaceutical Biology revealed that kombucha administration induced protective and curative effects on high cholesterol rats, particularly in terms of liver and kidney health.

These studies are contrary to the review paper offered in The Forsch Kom-plementarmed Klass Naturheilkd in April 2003, written by E. Ernst whose conclusion was that “the largely undetermined benefits do not outweigh the documented risks of kombucha. It can therefore not be recommended for therapeutic use.” He stated, “no clinical studies were found relating to the efficacy of this remedy. Several case reports and case studies raise doubts about the safety of kombucha. They include suspected liver damage, meta-

bolic acidosis and cutaneous anthrax infections. One fatality is on record.” These incidences are likely from homebrew batches and due to con-tamination. This is one argument for commercial production for quality standards. However, it is quite easy to produce your own kombucha, and it is much cheaper as well.

Take a wide-mouth glass or met-al container, linen and a rubber band to cover it. A SCOBY disc is required. They are available online, in health food stores or from a friend or neighbor who is also brewing kombucha. A

SCOBY is a must because that is where the yeast and bacteria come from and it also offers a scaffolding

for the generation of a new SCOBY. You must have water, sugar, tea (black is tra-

ditionally used, but green may offer more anti-oxidants), and some premade kombucha that must again be bought, borrowed or from the previous batch to further innoculate with the organisms. There are many online sources for recipes with ratios and amounts. You may make plain traditional kombuchas that result in an earthy and slightly sweet (depending on the length of fermentation) beverage with hints of vinegar. When bottled and stored, carbon di-oxide is trapped, making the kombucha bubbly. Other teas, fruit juices or fruits may be added to give more flavor and flair to the resultant product.

Findings of health benefits from the con-sumption of kombucha are real, and I agree that studies in humans should be conducted, but humans have been consuming kombucha and realizing benefits for centuries. Certain in-dividuals should heed caution to the consump-tion of kombucha such as pregnant/breast-feeding women and people who suffer from alcoholism should not consume kombucha due to the alcohol content.

Common sense is key with consumption, as there is no real dosage recommendation. Inter-

estingly, kombucha evolved from plant organ-isms over 2.5 billion years ago; it has been around

a long time. People have been preparing and making this fermented tea drink for many centuries. T

The fact that it is still here today lends merit to the fact that millions of people throughout the world for centuries have found it to be of great value. If you have not tried kombucha before, pick one up in your grocer’s beverage cooler and remember: make sure you are over 21 and don’t drink and drive!

Kombucha has its roots in Asia but has been shared around the world and many produce their own kombucha at home and consume regularly for several of the reported health benefits.

Kombucha tea is used for

and hair regrowth.

memory loss, rheumatism, aging,

loss of appetite, AIDS, cancer,

high blood pressure, constipation,

arthritis, premenstrual syndrome

64/ AUG. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

growtech By SIMONE FISCHER for OREGON LEAF

due in no small part TO A SPATE OF RECENT negative publicityand lacking regulation, Cannabis testING labs are under firE —(exhibit #1? “A Tainted High” by THE OREGONIAN’S Noelle Crombie).tHE CANNABIS INDUSTRY HAS similarly BEEN MARRED BY A lack of oversight, questionable potencies AND varied testing methods.

BROKENSYSTEMPESTICIDE REGULATION & RECOMMENDATIONS

AUG. 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /65

BROKENSYSTEMSimone Fischer is a Portland OMMP patient and Cannabis advocate. She is a contributing editor at Ladybud Magazine and a graduate of women’s and gender studies from Portland State University.

sought the perspective of Ric Cuchetto, a chemist serving in a prominent role on the Measure 91 joint committee responsible for implementing Oregon’s recreational Cannabis law. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemistry and consults as The Cannabis Chemist, a business contracted under Agilent Technologies. Cuchetto hoped Oregon labs would

take the initiative to self-regulate themselves ahead of the 2015 legislative session, but that process has failed. Straight away, I asked Cuchetto where the regulation of test labs in Oregon was headed. Cuchetto stressed the idea of “not thinking about Cannabis testing as a problem specific to Oregon, but a national public health concern for all states looking to roll out new Cannabis regulation.”

Cuchetto has actively voiced his distress about the current state of Cannabis lab regulation in Oregon, primarily the concern of public safety in regards to pesticide and residual solvent testing. People within the Cannabis industry are essentially shopping for labs that will pass their product (allegedly free of pesticides, mold and mildews) to allow Cannabis businesses to flourish at the ultimate expense of Oregon medical patients and recreational users come 2016.

Growers around the state boast about using the latest in organic cultivation methods, but Cuchetto probes the ultimate question: are these organic nutrients actually organic? Do growers actually know what is inside their nutrient lines? And I’m not just talking NPK ratios. Not all pesticides & adulterants are listed on nutrient labels because of proprietary formula, so companies can sell products without giving away their industry and often-patented mixes.

Given Oregon’s noted hardline stance on organic produce and outspoken attitude regarding GMO-anything, patients truly believe that when a test lab label is marked “PASS,” they are receiving top-notch, medical-grade Cannabis or Cannabis products. When I asked what the guidelines were on what qualifies a bad pesticide, Cuchetto immediately referenced the pesticide guidelines from the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. But

there was a catch: most of the pesticides Oregon labs currently test for do not pertain to Cannabis growers. An example is Spinosad, (an insecticide banned for Cannabis use in Colorado and currently in the AHP) but toxicity is often so low and insignificant, Cuchetto recommended Oregon take it off the current list.

Azadirachtin is a metabolite that is found in neem seeds — another relatively safe, organically occurring product — but because it’s applied as an oil, it is potentially unsafe for Cannabis use because you can’t wash it off before consumption.

Cannabis growers often use powerful chemicals known as plant growth regulators, which inhibit vertical growth by increasing nodes to cultivate trophy Cannabis flowers. PGRs are not inherently bad, but can cause serious public health scares if used improperly.

For instance, take Alar, a potentially carcinogenic PGR if exposed to heat, but which is used to uniform bloom and ripening times for apples. Alar remained on the market for fifteen years before government regulators adequately tested it. It took a scientific paper published in 1977 to garner attention around potential health risks stemming from Alar; public outrage ensued in no time. By the mid-1980’s, the chemical finally underwent regulation. Unsafe amounts of Alar were found in apples and apple juice, posing a major public safety threat that lead to cancer.

Cuchetto is upset by the treatment of Cannabis as an “ornamental” in the legal medical market currently governed under HB3460. Patients and dispensaries often stress the size, density, aroma, trichome production and “bag appeal” of a bud before even considering what might have been sprayed on it at some point in production. The aspect of public safety should be at the height of

our attention, second to bud aesthetics. This comes down to growers responsibly using and understanding pesticide applications, nutrients and proper flushing methods. Currently, no Cannabis growers are required to obtain pesticide applicator licenses to insure all chemicals are being used properly.

Another problem? No chemicals are currently approved on a federal level for use on Cannabis. The OLCC subcommittee has proposed pesticides such as abamectin, bifenthrin and dichlorvos as compounds to look for when testing Cannabis for public safety. Residual solvent testing is another major issue among Cannabis concentrate producers,

given the newfound popularity of dabs. Solvents such as ethylene glycol, hexane and methanol are on the list of recommended compounds to test for once recreational regulation rolls out.

HB3460 only regulates pesticides, but other adulterants like mycobutinal, a fungicide, also pose threats to pubic health. Cuchetto does not know exactly how far Oregon wants to micromanage EPA-listed adulterants in conjunction with pesticides applied to Cannabis. Until the FDA approves chemicals to use on Cannabis, the OLCC subcommittee will give recommendations on how pesticide regulation should work in Oregon. Cuchetto stresses the importance of

pesticide applicator licenses and educating growers on the trace chemicals in nutrients used to grow Cannabis.

The lack of lab regulation implemented in HB3460 remains a glaring failure that the state must take responsibility for in order to ensure Oregon Cannabis is safe for all in 2016.

I 0

NUMBER OF CHEMICALS CURRENTLY APPROVEDFEDERALLY

FOR USE ON CANNABIS.

PESTICIDE REGULATION & RECOMMENDATIONS

ir conditioning provides the primary solution for removing heat in most indoor gardens. In my October 2014 Northwest Leaf column, headlined “Portable Nightmares,” the specifics of how air conditioners work and why portable units are inefficient are

covered in detail. In this month’s GrowTech, I’ll elaborate on various air con-ditioning systems, focusing on how to select a unit that is the correct amount of BTUs and is the right system to handle the needs and stresses that an indoor garden creates. Here’s a recap of the general workings of any compres-sion-based air conditioning unit:

An air conditioner uses a compressor, some sort of refrigerant and a fan to move warm air over cold coils, cooling the air and adding it into the environ-ment. Portables units are not subjected to the same manufacturing regula-tions for energy efficiency that other units are, so the design is fundamentally inefficient. Window units are more efficient than portables, but again, be-cause of their design they are often difficult to use in indoor gardens. Because one side of the box must be inside the garden and the other in a cooler exte-rior environment, they are usually unsuitable for indoor gardens. Mini splits provide a solution for indoor gardens, and when properly sized and installed they often do the job. However, mini splits were designed with compartmentalized home and office environment climate control in mind. Supplementing areas where a central HVAC system has difficulty controlling is where those units excel.

As growers, we are trying to use existing technolo-gies to accommodate our gardens’ needs. To control an indoor garden with these home/office units, a chang-ing and dynamic amount of humidity must be controlled


A


DR. SCANDERSON

AIR IT OUT>>CONDITIONS, CONDITIONS, CONDITIONS

It’s the time of year in the Northwest when we get at least

a handful of days heading into the mid-80s. Those pasty white torsos that have been flocking to the lake since the first glimmer of sunlight in March might have you thinking we’ve been in a heat wave for a while, but many scientists predict this summer will have some of the hottest temperatures in decades. For an indoor farmer, that means you might have to upgrade your climate control.

growtechdaily. And then, over the growth cycle of the plant, uniform and intense heat sources placed throughout the rooms end up multiplying the num-ber of stresses placed on the plants.

For example, two mini splits allow for more consistent output of cold air into a garden. What would otherwise be a short and inconsequential two to five minutes that it takes a standard mini split unit to pull com-pressed liquid coolant from the compressor to the coils for cooling has effects that are magnified in a garden. During that time, the heat might rise 5 to 10 degrees, which can take the environment from ideal to stress-ful. Furthermore, the load in a sealed room is now increased for that new compressed coolant because the room has stored up some BTUs, which require the AC to bring the temperature down and maintain the cooling load to “catch up.” By running two independent compressors, you start to compensate for the unit not being designed to handle such a large load of heat.

Another way to address this is to “size up.” For instance, even if you calculate your heat delta to be met or exceeded by 2 tons, the third ton will help address the additional heat loads built up from the warmed gaseous refrigerant traveling back to the compressor to be turned back into a liquid.

Does it work? Yup. Is it efficient, though? I believe the answer has been demonstrated. So what’s left? Like many areas of the Cannabis growing market, some business or another decides enough financial gain exists to manufacture a “grow-specific” product or just pull a marketing trick and call itself the new “specialist” in whatever market it wants to penetrate. These companies are motivated by profits alone, so they include severe markups on generic products by putting them into a “grow-specific” packaging and marketing their image.

I’ve had the displeasure of working with several of these “Cannabis specialized” HVAC outfits. The best one I have found will get the job done, while the rest will have no problem spending upward of $100,000 of a client’s money without having the foggiest idea of how to outfit an indoor garden space.

The only problem with the single company that gets the job done is it charges an egregious amount of money and requires that you purchase all your equipment through them at their costs. Ever seen an installation only quote for 20 DIY units for more than $20,000? I hadn’t either be-fore I was introduced to a Can-nabis-specialized HVAC compa-ny in northern Washington.

I know and support many tal-ented gardeners who have used these guys, paid them a fortune and had successful gardens. It still completely chaps my ass, though, to see these companies charge 300 percent to 500 percent more than they would a comparable office space simply because their opinion is that Cannabis growers deserve to pay more. The good news is this type of exploitation leaves room for other outfits to compete and still make a profit.

You need to understand the variance that a commercial-grade sys-tem provides that allows it to so easily and efficiently outperform the multi-mini split model. Commercial units have compressors that exceed 3 tons. Even if your mini split claims to have a 5-ton total cooling capac-ity, if you have a single compressor, you have a 3-ton and a company with a marketing department. Larger compressors mean larger total cooling

Like many areas of the Cannabis growing market, some business or another decides enough financial gain exists to manufacture a “grow-specific” product or just pull a marketing trick and call itself the new “specialist” in whatever market it wants to penetrate. These companies are motivated by profits.

GROW GUIDE CONTINUES PG. 68

cooling capacity. Another feature to commercial units is they move the coolant between the compressor and indoor unit quickly and efficient-ly. But a commercial unit isn’t just a larger compressor. The interior air handler for a commercial-capacity unit is where huge benefits are found. A mini split has a long thin circular blower fan that is fine for pushing reasonable amounts of cool air into a slowly warming room. In an indoor garden where the heat always is getting intensely focused, the room bene-fits when a large amount of cold air is pushed out. As a result, shorter, but much larger, blower fans are used.

The larger blower makes a dramatic difference. Rather than a stream of cool air being picked up and whipped around by adequate air circulation provided by multiple wall fans, the air handler itself has the capacity to generate huge amounts of ice cold air. The larger air capacity needs to be compensated for, too. Commercial-capacity air handlers have a much larger bank of coils providing for more surface areas and increased cooling capacity. Commercial systems also require a professional to install because of the units’ complexity.

hen it comes to air conditioners, it all comes down to moving large amounts of air over an adequate bank of ice cold coils. While air conditioners are rated in British thermal units, which specify the energy it takes to cool or heat one pound

of water by 1 degree F., it would be easier to properly outfit your indoor garden if there was a rating for the number of CFMs of air cooled at the advertised BTU per one hour period under constant load. It’s this measure that allows a 3-ton commercial capacity unit to cool up to 10 1,000-watt gavitas, a heat load that I would generally recommend at least 6.5 tons of mini splits cooling for.

Last year, I found what I believe is the only company manufacturing commercial-grade systems specific for “mission critical” applications. Ex-cel Air has combined the benefits of building everything in-house with the needs for easy installation, which allows it to manufacture compressors of commercial capacity and avoid the 3-ton limitation distinctive to mini splits. The interior air handler it created is novel, allowing for huge air ca-pacity combined with an ample bank of ice cold coils and easy do-it-your-self installation. Distributing the cold air quickly and evenly throughout the room is also made easy by another first: a soft-ducted “air sock” that is easy to install, efficient, accommodates most any installation plan and is easy to clean.

Excel Air didn’t stop there, however. It uses an integrated ultraviolet air purifier, an easy-to-maintain integrated charcoal filtration system, inte-grated dehumidification and even a feature that separates the compressor portion from the outside unit. It’s placed in a sound-insulated container so no one will hear a compressor turning on and off.

The most amazing part is they do this at a cost about 50 percent to 70 percent less than comparable commercial packages. You can find more info at www.excelair.ca. The support I have personally received from the company has been overwhelming. Employees are completely available and committed to answering questions, addressing concerns, troubleshooting any issues and ensuring that you are a most satisfied customer. It does this without a retail outlet; the business relies on local retail distribution.

If you have further questions on this article, send me an email [email protected]. Follow me on instagram at @DrScanderson_gT and as always, Happy gardening!

W

The larger blower makes a dramatic difference. Rather than a stream of cool air being picked up and whipped around by adequate air circulation provided by multiple wall fans, the air handler itself has the capacity to generate huge amounts of ice cold air. The larger air capacity needs to be compensated for, too. Commercial-capacity air handlers have a much larger bank of coils providing for more surface areas and increased cooling capacity. Commercial systems also require a professional to install because of the units’ complexity.


growtech Continued from pg. 66

BEHIND THE STRAIN


BEHIND THE STRAIN

KUSHBERRY

I know I’ve just smoked some kush because my eyelids assume an at-ease position.

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HOW IT GROWSA lot of the structure of this plant has an OG feel. She is taller and will put out a fair stretch at transition and enjoys higher levels of calcium through flower onset. The blueberry, however, adds a noticeable improvement in stem stability and tolerance to a range of feeding schedules. Topping and other standard height-mitigating techniques will be rewarded with strong stems that don’t need the same level of support as most elite OG Kushes. While she is a little slower to set flowers than her Blueberry heritage, once she gets going, it’s off to the races. You can expect this strain to pack on frost and weight quickly and finish off in a solid eight weeks.

EFFECTSthe quick onset provides an immediate head change and a light sweat. I know I’ve just smoked some kush because my eyelids assume an at-ease position. In spite of the fast onset, there is also very much a creeper characteristic where the effect continues to set in throughout the first 15 minutes after dosage. Even more impressive is how long the effects keep symptoms at bay. Experienced users can expect a heavy medicinal effect for three hours or more without any couch-locking effects.

these blooms come out looking like chunky OG Kush nugs. Elongated thick spears of tightly packed calyxes complete with dark red hairs and ample frosting, it looks like a nice OG. When the jar is cracked, this strain really begins to sing. Familiar earthy dank scents of OG Kush are dramatically magnified by the sharp citrus blueberry platform handsomely laid out by the parent stock.Its complex scent reaches an apex precisely where Kush becomes an ammonia lemon cleaner. Rather than finishing off lemony, the scent evens out in a creamy dark berry and currant. And if that sounds far too pompous, just think Crunchberry cereal and you’re in the neighborhood. Ground up, these blooms are overwhelmed with the gassy, cleaner smell of OG and that’s right where the flavor takes you. With somewhat mild lung expansion for such an OG-dominant plant, the smooth smoke is potent with quick onset. Big Kush flavors almost completely dominate the berry flavors until well after the exhale, where the kushy flavor dissolves into a lip-smacking berry delight.

BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT

Flowers in 57-65 days

GENETICS: OG KUSH X BLUEBERRY

BREEDER: DNA GENETICS

SUMMARY: DNA is at it again, carving the way with some of the best genetics in the game with an instant legendary Kushberry. A fantastic solution for anyone looking for a slightly easier-to-grow kush that still comes with all the desirable characteristics one comes to expect from OG, and then some.

LINEAGETwo old-school favorites come together in this legendary cross. It’s rumored to be the Christopher Wallace cut of OG Kush combined with DJ Shorts legendary Blueberry. The strain balances an extraordinary combination of terpenes and effects.


DR. SCANDERSON

When the jar is cracked, this strain really begins to sing.

oregon leaf -- august 2015

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