oregon leaf - may 2015

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May 2015FREE

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OREGON LEAF

Oregon Diesel 45Ufull melT HASH by Oregrown76.54% THC100x closeup

THECONCENTRATES

ISSUE

&T E R P E N E STANNINS

TANNINS 07.11.2015

WEED & WINETASTINGSPECIAL EVENT

PORTLANDTICKETS COMING SOON! 2 1 &

EDITOR’S NOTE.......................9OPINION.............................12PAUL LONEY...........................16DISPATCH............................20ACCESS REVIEW......................24TRAVELING MAN........................32TASTY RECIPES..........................56 REVIEWS.....................................61GROWTECH.............................64DR. ROSE...................................68BEHIND STRAIN.........................70

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24 Access ReviewHerbal Grasslands

56 Tasty RecipesMedicating with avocados

64 GrowtechUsing water responsibly

National News

16 Legal Q & AWhat do the feds think of us?

Steve Elliott with the roundup

Behind the Strain

Health & SciencePrison DispatchThe benefits of going organicThe Human Solution’s latest news

Grandpa Larry has OG Kush vibes

Product ReviewsTwo Cannabis books to try

Strain of the MonthA beautiful bud shot, up close

contents MAY 2015

COVER PHOTO by DANIEL BERMANCONTENT PHOTOS BY CONTRIBUTORS

OREGON LEAF

32 No ReservationsA Cannabis ranch near Grants Pass

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THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE

Chemdawg 120 micronGrown by Nelson and Co. Organics Processed by Pua Extractions & Novus Rosa

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subscribeto the leaf

Info pg. 26

Access ReviewHerbal Grasslands

Tasty RecipesMedicating with avocados

GrowtechUsing water responsibly

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contents

Photo by Daniel Berman/Oregon Leaf

True North Extracts’ Buddha Kong CO2 Oil

CONCENTRATES

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Department of CorrectionsOn page 51 of the April 2015 Glass Issue, we should have

written that “Untitled Purple Bong” was by John Ambrose,

(not Josh), and it costs $1,750, not $300. @AmbroseGlass

May 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /9

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

Much of this issue explores the fascinating process of making and using concentrates

editor’s note MAY 2015ISSUE #11

Wes and Kori Marie

all across the world,Cannabis concentrates are making headlines. From explosions of homes to disappearing tumors, people are hearing about the use of Cannabis concentrates. Widely used and loved, many patients have turned to using them for a variety of reasons. Easier and more accurate dosing, less smoking, and increased potency all come with a good sample of concentrate.

This issue of Oregon Leaf explores a variety of different forms of oil, and has great information about which type is right for you! We also look at how to dose your dab, the best gear to dab with, and have Concentrates 101 for you to brush up on education. This issue also highlights more than 30 products from companies all over Oregon, with some of the prettiest oils I have ever seen. Check out the 16-page special section and break out the dab rig, because you got a whole lot of concentrating to do.

Our issue this month is full of other great information, including a noteworthy opinion from Will Ferguson about how the OLCC is handling the transition towards legalization. We also have a great news roundup, a book review from Steve Elliott, new Growtech, a Dr. Rose column and a new Q&A from attorney Paul Loney.

Durban Poison is our strain of the month, and it is truly spectacular. Check out the review and go pick up a sample from Oregon’s Finest in Portland. For those culinary specialists, the new recipes are delicious. We have a new Behind the Strain to get your genetics knowledge up to date. Overall this is a great issue to read and share with a loved one, especially if they are interested in using Cannabis concentrates as 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 ELLIOTTWILL FERGUSONPAUL GRZELAK, COPYTYLER J. MARKWARTSEAN O’NEILLANTHONY PIDGEONDR. SCANDERSONDR. SCOTT ROSEERIC SKELTON, DESIGNJACOB THOMLAURIE & BRUCE WOLF

[email protected] | 503-516-5934

Please email or call us to discuss print and online advertising opportunities in an upcoming issue. We do not sell stories or coverage. We offer design services with Kush Creative Group and can provide guidance on the best approaches for creating a successful approach for your medical or recreational or related industry business to advertise and excel.

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

10/ may 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

Since 2006, approval is up 20 percent

A new poll from Pew Research Center finds that 53 percent of people in the U.S. support

the legalization of marijuana, with 44 percent opposed. As recently as 2006, just 32 percent supported legalization, while nearly twice as many — 60 percent — were opposed, according to Pew.

Crucially, the poll finds that people are much more likely to change their minds from opposing legalization to supporting it than vice versa. Among the general public, 21 percent of people support legalization now, but once opposed it. In contrast, just 7 percent of people used to support legalization but now oppose it.

Those ages 18 to 34 lead the change, with 68 percent in favor. But across all generations, with the exception of those ages 70-87, support for legal marijuana has risen sharply during the past decade.

“The more that people learn about marijuana and look at the benefits of legalization, the more likely they are to support reform,” Tom Angell of Marijuana Majority told Northwest Leaf.

“Our opponents sure do have a lot to say about what they see as the benefits of continuing prohibition, but voters don’t want to hear it.”

The most frequently mentioned reasons for supporting marijuana legalization are its medical benefits (41 percent) and the belief that Cannabis is no worse than other drugs (36 percent), with many specifically mentioning they think pot is no more dangerous than alcohol or tobacco.

Over half the nationwants legal

Those ages 18 to 34 lead the change, with 68 percent in favor of legalizing pot.

Federal

President announces change of heart during weed TV documentary

a dramatic CNN interview April 19, President Barack Obama shared a long overdue if still surprising bit of intel:

medical marijuana states have his full support. It was all part of “Weed 3,” a show featuring

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon who changed his mind and began supporting medicinal Cannabis after reviewing the evidence.

During the program, Gupta delves into the often frustrating politics of medical marijuana research and state by state laws, and then sits down with Obama.

The president advocated for alterna-tive models of drug abuse treatment that don’t involve imprisonment, and then said he also was supportive of medicinal Cannabis in general.

“You know, I think I’d have to take a look at the details, but I’m on record as saying that not only do I think carefully prescribed medical use of marijuana may in fact be appropriate and we should fol-

In

Obama Declares Full Support for

Medical Marijuana

View “Weed 3” on CNNwww.Tinyurl.com/cnnweed3

low the science as opposed to ideology on this issue, but I’m also on record as saying that the more we treat some of these issues related to drug abuse from a public health model and not just from an incarceration model, the better off we’re going to be,” the president responded.

Obama said that more states will legal-ize recreational Cannabis and confirmed that while marijuana remains illegal under federal law, the feds will not interfere in state pot laws.

Gupta and Obama also took time to briefly discuss the recent bill on the Senate floor intro-duced by Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, which would reschedule Cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II under federal law. That would be huge, monumental news. Obama was silent on that particular topic.

“I think carefully prescribed medical use of marijuana may in fact be appropriate and we should follow the science as opposed to ideology on this issue,”the president said in a CNNinterview 4/19.

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may 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /11

QuotedCHAINED TO THIS POLE, I FEEL MORE FREE THAN I HAVE IN MY MEMORY. WE ARE LIVING DEMOCRACY RIGHT NOW.-David Keniston, a Washington, D.C. activist who joined several others in shackling themselves to a 42-foot pole at a tax and pot protest 4/15 on the National Mall. (The protest ends April 20). D.C. residents pay federal taxes but lack political representation in Congress — and the state’s rec pot laws haven’t been implemented. ‘‘

Quick Hits!

Michigan’s Ordinance 407 isolates medical Cannabis growers into a small strip of industrial zones, requires special use permits, and limits production.407A petition to legalize Cannabis in Arizona has been filed and now needs to collect 150,000 signatures by July 7, 2016, to qualify for the ballot. 150

After a 11-year-old boy told teachers during an anti-drug class that his mother uses Cannabis as medicine, police in Kansas raided the mother’s home.

Atlanta police busted a grow house last month with 320 plants and 98 pounds of marijuana, valued at $380,000, after investigating a call for a possible home invasion.

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The town of Granger, Washington just passed a six-month moratorium on producing, processing or retailing recreation-al Cannabis, showing how well legal pot under I-502 is going.

The dispensary search service WeedMaps.com is donating $2 million to legalize Cannabis in California, lending big support to the Californians for Sensible Reform campaign.

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More than 160 people have been hospitalized in New York in April from the synthetic marijuana drug, K2 or Spice. Remember, marijuana is safer.160

A family in Minnesota was raided over seven plants and accused of providing drugs to a minor after the father said he would “rather give a child Cannabis than Tylenol.”7

Oregon Marijuana Campaign Hires Lobbyist to Pass Expungement Law

New Approach Oregon has hired a lobby-ist to help pass bills in the Oregon Legisla-ture that would reduce marijuana offenders’ jail sentences and clear marijuana-related offenses from criminal records. The group behind Oregon’s law to legalize marijuana is also teaming up with the Bus Project to organize volunteers, host phone banks and win endorsements for House Bill 3372 and Senate Bill 364. Both bills await

Cannabis remains a Schedule I drug in latest roadblock

this judge doesn’t care

U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller issued the ruling on April 15 in response to a motion by defense lawyers to dismiss charges in a case the authorities claim involves a mari-juana-growing operation. Marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act means the U.S. federal government officially considers Cannabis to

be roughly on par with heroin (also on Schedule I) in terms of danger. Schedule I drugs are considered to have no accepted medical uses and a high potential for abuse.

It was the first time in decades that a federal judge seriously consid-ered marijuana’s classification. To rule that Cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance means ignoring the vast body of medical evidence that has accumulated in recent decades, including hundreds of clinical studies and thousands of patient testimonials.

Mueller’s move to hold a hearing last year to look at the issue is con-sidered a significant step because it reflects growing skepticism about federal marijuana laws, according to Sam Kamin, an expert on Canna-bis regulation at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.

“While this one came out the other way, what you see is a lot of momentum in changing federal marijuana law,” Kamin said.

Mueller claimed in a 15-minute hearing that she was “initially prepared” to grant the defense motion, but then decided from the facts of this one case that “this is not the court and this is not the time.” She explained away her unscientific decision by saying it was “up to Congress.”

To rule that Cannabis is a Schedule I substance means ignoring the vast body of medical evidence that has accumulated in recent decades, including hundreds of clinical studies and thousands of patient testimonials.

hearings in the House Judiciary Committee. SB 364 has already passed the Senate.

“We built a powerful organization to le-galize marijuana,” said Anthony Johnson, executive director of New Approach Oregon, “and we plan to use it to make sure these bills are passed. Let’s stop ruining lives by treating marijuana as a crime and start saving money by getting people out of jail and giving them a fresh start.”


opinion By WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF | PHOTO ILLUSTRATION by DANIEL BERMAN

The hearing for Senate Bill 844 (the implemen-tation of Measure 91) did not go as planned for the representing members from the Oregon Li-quor Control Commission in Salem on April 1.

The meeting started with OLCC officials ex-plaining how they had been meeting with rep-resentatives from Washington to discuss how the OLCC could implement certain aspects of Washington’s recreational market.

Why would Oregon want to implement as-pects of I-502? There is little that has worked out.

I-502 is a poorly written initiative. It pro-hibits Washington residents from growing in their homes and taxes recreational Cannabis to the point where many people are turning to the black market, allowing state legislators to frame Washington’s medical marijuana program as the culprit. If this is the agenda of the OLCC, we will certainly see a push to abolish the Oregon

Medical Marijuana Program. Rep. Ann Lininger (D-Lake Oswego) had

concerns for the OLCC, too. Constituents from her district came forth to discuss the excessive use of force the OLCC has been using on university campuses. This abuse of force will most certainly exist in the Cannabis trade once Cannabis is legal in July. Why are we even having the OLCC take over the medical dispensary program? They can’t keep alcohol out of minors’ hands let alone man-age a program that has worked for 15-plus years.

We should have a separate Cannabis commis-sion for oversight of the OMMP. As Senate Re-publican Leader Ted Ferrioli stated, the “OLCC can’t even tell the difference between micrograms and milligrams.”

What business do they have in regulating our medicine? One of the state’s major concerns is the amount of Cannabis flowing to the black market,

prompting legislators to introduce bills including Senate Bill 936 and House Bill 3400, which limit patient plant amounts.

Limiting patient plant amounts will not de-crease flow to the black market, especially when, in July, every Oregon resident over the age of 21 will be allowed to grow four plants per household.

Does anyone really believe that this Cannabis won’t leave the state? Many patients use 2 to 3 grams of Cannabis oil a day and rely on the growers to donate it for free if they are low income. Cannabis oil needs to be made from fresh material in order to capture the full cannabinoid spectrum. The proposed increase in the amount of dried Cannabis that growers and patients will be able to store cannot substitute for the need for more plants and fresh Cannabis.

It’s ironic that alcohol is one of the most dan-gerous and abused drugs today, but we don’t see any limitations set by the OLCC on how many hops plants residents can grow or how much beer they can brew. The goal of the OLCC is to ensure that the recreational Cannabis market flourishes, even if it means framing the OMMP as the pri-mary foe of Cannabis in Oregon.

It’s ironic that alcohol is one of the most dangerous and abused drugs today, but we don’t see any limitations set by the OLCC on how many hops plants residents can grow or how much beer they can brew.

a step in the wrong direction The Oregon liquor control commission should notlook to follow washington’s rec marijuana laws

The Oregon liquor control commission should notlook to follow washington’s rec marijuana laws

The author is a Portland attorney specializing in medical & recreational marijuana law. www.oregonmarijuanalaw.com

1) Is it possible to break federal law even though I am an OMMP card holder or have received a Measure 91 license?

historically, the federal government was very active in pursuing anyone who violated the Controlled Substances Act. However, it normally didn’t prosecute anyone whose conduct was limited to possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use on private property; it left that to local law enforcement.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a series of memos clarifying its position on the potential prosecu-tion of “marijuana crimes,” as a response to states passing medical marijuana laws. Its first memo stated that the federal government would take a hands-off approach regarding those patients who strictly followed state law.

The second memo was in response to the opening of large medical marijuana grow operations and dispensaries.The federal government stated that if it thought such an organization were too big — without saying how big was too big — it would come after them.

The third memo was drafted in response to Colorado and Washington passing recreational marijuana legaliza-tion initiatives. It addressed what the federal government saw as potential issues arising from the conflict between federal law and state law that allowed everyone to possess and use marijuana. It listed eight enforcement priorities:

Preventing the distribution of marijuana to minors;Preventing revenue from the sale of marijuana from going to

criminal enterprises, gangs, and cartels;Preventing diversion of marijuana from states where it is legal

under state law in some form to other states;Preventing state-authorized marijuana activity from being used

as a cover or pretext for trafficking of other illegal drugs or other illegal activity;

Preventing violence and the use of firearms in the cultivation and distribution of marijuana;

Preventing drugged driving and the exacerbation of other ad-verse public health consequences associated with marijuana use;

Preventing the growing of marijuana on public lands and the attendant public safety and environmental dangers posed by marijuana production on public lands; and preventing marijuana possession or use on federal property.

The federal government’s priorities should be con-sidered as tripwires. However, the federal government also stated that people who don’t violate these priorities could still be prosecuted for violations of the Controlled Substances Act. It has the discretion to decide whom it will prosecute.

2) Did Congress tell the federal government not to prosecute people for marijuana crimes?

the u.s. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate re-cently voted to restrict the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration from using taxpayer funds to interfere in state-sanctioned medical marijuana programs in the 20+ states that have enacted them. (The Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment). While this is good news, it only applies to the current budget year, which ends Sept. 30. In the next budget cycle this restriction could be removed.

3) So, am I free from fear of government prosecution?nO. The Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Post Office still enforce their laws.

You are required to pay taxes if you earn income in the marijuana industry as an individual or as a business. Section 280(e) of the tax code is a burden. It states that federally illegal businesses may not deduct standard business expenses. Still, people must find ways to comply with the federal tax code.

The Department of the Treasury is the regulatory body for the banking industry and requires banks to report any suspicious activity. Traditionally, any money derived from illegal controlled substances was considered suspicious and the bank would freeze the suspicious account immediately. While the banks have some guidance in deciding whether to accept deposits from the legal marijuana industry, most banks don’t want to take the risk of being charged with money laundering until the banking laws are changed.

The vast majority of banks will freeze the account and make a report to the federal government if they suspect that the proceeds are from marijuana-related businesses.

The U.S. Post Office (USPS) has authority over all mail that goes through its mail system. The USPS prohibits contraband, which includes marijuana, from being placed into the U.S. mail system. It will also seize money that it believes are the proceeds of a marijuana transaction. Even if the USPS does not prosecute a person for money laundering, it will still apply for a forfeiture of the money.

While there is more certainty now as to how the federal government will interact with states regarding marijuana laws, there still remains a great amount of uncertainty and room for the federal government to prosecute individuals and seize financial assets.

LEGAL Q & A By ATTORNEY PAUL LONEY for OREGON LEAF


opinion

‘‘Traditionally, any money derived from illegal controlled substances was considered suspicious and the bank would freeze the suspicious account immediately. While the banks have some guidance in deciding whether to accept deposits from the legal marijuana industry, most banks don’t want to take the risk of being charged with money laundering until the banking laws are changed.

Ex-Marine Larry Duke was freed from a life sentence after serving26 years for a victimless crime.

[MAY PRISONER UPDATE] OREGON NEWS

JOY GRAVEs: On March 26, Circuit Judge William Cramer presided over a motion to dismiss in the case of the State of Oregon vs. Joy Graves and Raymond Martin. Both were charged with manufacturing marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school. The evidence? A vid-eo taken during the search of Graves property and testimony by Sheriff Glen Palmer.

Grave’s defense argued the search was ille-gal because the video shows Sheriff Palmer entering without permission. The judge agreed with the de-fense and granted the mo-tion to dismiss the evidence on April 9. The next day, the judge granted the state’s motion to dismiss the case. On a side note, pictures of Deputy District Attor-ney Matt Ipson smoking Cannabis and supporting legalization have circulat-ed on the Internet. Graves appeared in court sporting

one of these images on her T-shirt, along with a message about jury nullification.

Graves approached Ipson with a flier of his picture. He smiled, but declined Joy’s request for his autograph and promptly removed the photos from his Facebook profile. To order a T-shirt commemorating this case, go to thsin-tl.org/solidarity_store.

JASON ENDICOTT: He faces extradition from Oregon to his former home in Texas, which has threatened a 40-year prison term. The waiting game is very difficult. The attitude to-ward Cannabis seems to be quickly changing in Texas and Jason’s supporters are hoping all charges will be dropped swiftly so the Endi-cott family can move on with their lives.

WASHINGTON NEWS

Josh & debbie: On April 15, the federal court in Seattle indicted Josh Mauk and Deb-bie Brechler on several counts after picking up their charges from the state of Washington.

The indictment included counts of endan-gering human life while manufacturing a con-trolled substance, maintaining a drug involved premises, and manufacturing hash oil and marijuana. If convicted, the couple will have to forfeit any property constituting or derived from any proceeds obtained, directly or indi-rectly, as the result of the alleged offenses. The feds plan to take anything and everything the couple owns. Times are quite frightening for Josh and Debbie as they face the might of the federal government.

The couple have very generously given back to our MMJ community and now need as much community support as possible. Please visit www.thsintl.org/calendar for details on when and where you can show up for court support. On social media, Debbie wrote she was feeling like “we’ve done nothing wrong.” Look for an update in the next issue.

Kettle Falls: Sentencing is scheduled for Rolland Gregg, Michelle Gregg and Rhonda Firestack-Harvey on June 10. They were in-dicted federally for manufacturing 50 to 100 plants. The charge doesn’t carry a mandatory minimum sentence so regardless of the pros-ecutor’s recommendation, the judge can refuse to send them to jail. The family thanks every-one for their continued support and wants to remind everyone that this is not over. Go to facebook.com/KettleFallsFive and find out how you can help save them from prison.

Bellingham 3: In March, several protests were held outside the Whatcom County Courthouse, and pretrial was scheduled to be-gin April 20. The outcome of their trial will


PRISON OUTREACHThis year on memorial day, think about the soldiers that have given up their lives, but also the men and women who have lost their freedom due to the persecution of one of the most diverse plants on the planet. It’s a plant, it’s a sacred right, it’s a medicine, it’s Cannabis.

Please think about those who are incarcerat-ed and those who are being persecuted over this God-given seed we choose to plant. What separates a farmer from being an outlaw? That just ain’t right.

Here’s something positive, though: Last month, ex-Marine Larry Duke was freed from a life sentence after serving 26 years for a marijuana crime with no victim. The misery is over for Larry, a prisoner of the war on drugs. Larry spoke to us at THSI Radio Live about 72 hours after being released, saying he was sit-ting around in his old bathrobe and slippers.

Molly Fry was released from Dublin Federal Prison Camp in California on March 30. Molly grew Cannabis to treat her breast cancer but regardless of the state’s laws, the feds forced her to live shackled behind bars for five years. Tom Korby, THSI Nor-Cal Chapter coordinator, is helping Molly find a place to live when she must leave the halfway house. Molly is thankful for all the support and said she wants to join our mission to end prohibition.

Last month, activist and compassion caregiv-er Todd Stimson lost a battle against the state of North Carolina. Todd tried his best to run a le-gitimate business; he purchased the state’s drug tax stamp allowing him to grow marijuana. A jury found him guilty, but if just one juror had said “this is an unjust law, not guilty,” he would be free today. He was a contributing member of society even as he stood up to an ignorant law.

dispatch By MIGGY420, MINDI GRIFFITHS, DANIELLE VITALE-O’BRIEN AND KRISTIN FLOR

>> NEWS FROM THE FRONT LINES of THE HUMAN SOLUTION

NATIONAL NEWS

las vegas: In February of 2014, Terisa Deming, a medical marijuana card holder from Las Vegas was in a motorcycle accident that left her hospitalized and unconscious for several days.

Upon returning home, still wearing her hospital gown via Medicaid-paid transportation, Terisa was met at her home by the same officers who had re-sponded to her accident. At this time, Terisa was charged with one misdemeanor DUI, resulting from her allegedly telling an officer at the scene that she was a medical marijuana card holder and had been drinking, which she denies. Terisa has in fact been clean from alcohol for 30 years. Police confiscated the majority of Terisa’s Cannabis and equipment, and left without further charges.

Eight months later, Terisa was charged with a felony for possessing more than 1 ounce of Can-nabis, a felony for having too many plants and two felony gun charges for guns that were legally regis-tered. The previous misdemeanor DUI charge was dropped and replaced with two felony DUI charges. The police were aware that Terisa was, and still is, a medical marijuana cardholder. Go to thsintl.org/calendar for upcoming court support updates.

Kansas: On March 24, Shona Banda, a mother of two, realized that her 11-year-old child had been detained by authorities during a school drug edu-cation program.

Banda is a published author who has been a Can-nabis activist for many years and is a well-known inspirational figure within the medical Cannabis movement. They took her son right after he spoke up after the misinformation being given to the class. He was questioned by authorities, which resulted in a raid on her home. Confiscated were 2 ounces of Cannabis flower and 1 ounce of Cannabis oil. Ban-da has yet to be charged and was able to go home after the raid.

Shona’s next court date is ironically scheduled for 4/20, and her son has not been returned. She has no idea what will ensue next as a result of her


Members of the Kettle Falls family were indicted federally for manufacturing 50 to 100 plants but the charge doesn’t carry a mandatory minimum sentence so regardless of the prosecutor’s recommendation, the judge could actually refuse to send them to jail.

son’s courageous words, but says, “They don’t have a clue that I’m walking in with [my] head held high, proud of who I am and what I do.”

Northern California: Jury nullification has set Charred Richey and Linda Silvery free! The owners of Planet Herb have been fully exonerated of their charges. Shasta County was prosecuting them on eight charges. After six were dropped, they went to trial. A jury refused to convict them and found them not guilty of manufacturing. A trial is scary, but these brave women stood up against their charges. Jury nullification can save all of us — if our jurors are fully informed before entering the courtroom. They have the power to not only judge if the law has been bro-ken, but to judge the law itself.

Events: Members of THSI will be proudly repre-senting our organization at the Denver High Times event on 4/20. We are thankful to High Times for the booth, and to Danielle Muggi and Audra Ross for their devotion and organization of the event!

Hash Bash: THSI Executive Director Danielle Vi-tale-O’Brien represented THSI at Michigan’s Hash Bash and ran into one of our newest members — Tommy Chong. Tommy was very happy to see THSI all the way out in the great Midwest after meeting other members previously all across the West. He even recorded an endorsement sound bite for THSI Radio, which can be heard at blogtalkradio/thsiradio.

Defendants: Have you recently been charged with a Cannabis crime? Are you a new defendant who needs support from THSI? Please hurry and go to our website, go to “forms” and tell us your story. We will help organize community support or even a local chapter to help support your case. THSI has a sys-tem built to help keep you out of prison and to end the war on drugs. THSI recently launched our new operations manual, which will give our organization structure. Remember: No victim = no crime = not guilty. No one should go to jail or die for our plant.

be provided in the next issue. THSI honors the Bellingham 3 for their sacrifices. We salute their bravery to stand up and fight this war, regardless of the odds being against them. They are heroes. We thank them for their selfless contributions to the movement.

Learn more about The Human Solution You can help end the drug war! Please call 951-934-0055 to speak with a team coordinator. We need caring volunteers to help interview prisoners, write press releases, and prepare articles for release to the media.We are also looking for talented graphic artists, social media am-bassadors & videographers.Please visit the national team website at www.ThsIntl.org to learn about this important and deserving mission today.


access

Concentrates 4/5

AMPLE SELECTION with many of the major CO2 brands available on the shelves in a pleasantly wide range of forms. A total of 15 different BHO and PHO products, along with some local Salem products, were available for purchase. The friendly owners ably guided us toward the best extract for our needs.

Strains 4/5

THE SHELVES were stocked with more than 30 good- looking strains from around the region ranging in price from $5-$12 a gram. Herbal Grasslands has struck a fine balance between quality and quantity. Still, one qualm: let’s give more information about the farmers who grew it and expand on that local connection and community. That’s something all dispensaries should demand.

Edibles 3/5

INSIDE a large fridge near the counter was a large selection of refreshing looking drinks and scrumptious sweets. Sorted among some hemp-based products and gummies were local favorites, including Medi-Bliss Chocolate Peppermint Bars, the curiously pleasant in-house “Q” Infusions tincture and several items from Red’s CannaProducts.

Herbal grasslands By JACOB THOM for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by ANTHONY PIDGEON for OREGON LEAF

Reviewed

Cindy and Mark,married co-owners

THIS STRAIN, bred by the famous Barney’s Farm of Amsterdam, is a potent hybrid known for its couch-locking indica effects. This particular flower seems to have been sun-grown. When breaking down a few nugs, we didn’t notice the tangerine terpene profile we were expecting. When smoked in a raw cone, the flower didn’t have much flavor and was slightly harsh on the back of our throats. We felt a nice body buzz that faded quickly. This flower is effective for patients with low tolerances but still seeking relief.


Environment 4/5

YOUR CLASSIC mom and pop shop. The store is nestled next to a busy road with grand, out-facing windows that might be difficult to maneuver around during high-traffic. There are places to sit down and socialize and just take in all of the mellow vibes. The ambience is well-complemented by the cool local artwork and heady selection.

Overall 15/20

MARK AND CINDY dove headfirst into the Cannabis business when given the legal opportunity in March 2014. The married and kind owners and operators of Herbal Grasslands are strongly involved with the Salem Cannabis Industry Association, which gets dispensaries and patients involved and helps support the local business community and increase awareness of the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

HERBAL GRASSLANDS

1130 Royvonne Ave SE, Salem, OR 97302(503) 364-9522 Facebook/HerbalGrasslands

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THIS HYBRID bred by TGA has a dark purple appearance. When broken up, the buds smell like sweet licorice with a hint of berry. When smoked through a clean water pipe, the flavor was subtle with hints of fruit and berries. The smoke was rather smooth — the bowl was enjoyable to the end. This flower produced a nice even body buzz that eliminated our pain without lethargic effects. The strain burned to clean white ash, but the buds were a bit dried out. If you are particular to indica-leaning hybrids, Black Cherry Soda is one to try.

13.71% thc // 0.04% CBD TEST results by 3b analytical

BLACK CHERRY SODA Flavorful indica strain

Take your timeand relax a bit.

13.4% THC // 0.05% CBD TEST results by 3b analytical

TANGERINE DREAM Hybrid

There is a lot going on inside visually but the ambience iswell-complemented by the art.

Strain reviews by WILL FERGUSON

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

Wide selection of nutrients and soilFriendly, knowledgeable, experienced staff

100% locally owned

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

Wide selection of nutrients and soilFriendly, knowledgeable, experienced staff

100% locally owned

Embassy Wall Clock With Hidden Safe

FOOT POWDERSTASH CAN

$11.48, Amazon.com$16.99, bewild.com

This fully functioning wall clock pops open to reveal a hidden space inside. Something like this is ideal for keeping an extra copy of your recommendation, an emergency amount of cash, and even keep meds safe. With the non-assuming design and the fact it actually works, it’s definitely time to get an Embassy wall clock.

This “value size” stash can is perfect for hiding meds in plain sight. Besides, the last thing a burglar would ever touch is a persons foot fungus treatment. If the desenex isn’t your style, there’s insect spray cans, high life cans, furniture polish cans...the list goes on. One thing to keep in mind is that any stash can that looks like a drink is liable to be confused for one!

When patients travel with medicine or medicating devices, keeping a low profile is essential to staying out of law enforcement’s way. Stash cans and secure hiding spots are great for those with roommates and also anyone wary of tipping people off to their MMJ patient status. Although we can’t guarantee you won’t get in trouble using these, they are a solid way to remain just a little bit safer and better organized.

Hiding Spots

Being Safe1. Always keep your medicine in a secure container, stored out of reach and visibility of children or non-patients. Don’t get casual with leaving medicine laying around. Keeping it airtight is also a plus — it will help preserve the freshness of the flower or bud.

2. Keep all medicated products or devices out of reach of children. So important, we had to mention it twice. If you only medicate in one room, get a lock for that room right now!

3. If you have a personal garden, keep it secure! This includes cutting down on the smell, which is the number one way that grows get busted.

4. Keep an extra copy of your recommendation in a safe and secure space. Much like a passport, it’s only good if you have access to it. Also, if you lose a wallet/purse, you’ll still have proof of legal use of cannabis!

5. Invest in an air filtration system even if your not growing. It doesn’t have to be costly, you can buy a HEPA air filter that is designed for smoke at Walmart for about $50.It cuts the odor of stagnant smoke and encourages a healthy lifestyle.

HangingCloset Safe$14.99, Bewild.com

Of all the products for hiding personal documents, this hanging closet safe is the best choice. It looks like a plain black tanktop, and mixed into a closet of clothes is completely unassuming. But, it could easily be holding everything you need in a tough situation. The shirt unzips to feature nine different compartments capable of holding your medicine or even an extra copy of your authorization.


guide By WES ABNEY

Knowing where to stash your stuff is essential for people from all walks of life — apartment renters, college students, professional types and anyone concerned with handling that one pesky odor.

SSoouutthh CCooaassttCCoommppaassssiioonn CCooaalliittiioonn

wwwwww..ssoouutthhccooaassttccoommppaassssiioonn..ccoommDoctor evaluations available by appopintment

← To DowntownCoos Bay

GREELEY GALLERY6512 NORTH GREELEY AVE. PORTLAND 97217 // 503-889-0729

OPEN M-SAT 11A-7P

FLOWERS EDIBLES CONCENTRATES INFUSIONS CLONES PIPES

feature STORY AND PHOTOS by BOB MONTOYA for OREGON LEAF


NO RESERVATIONSSpring has sprung right into summer. I took a ride south to the Illinois Valley of Southern Oregon with Farmer Tom riding shotgun. Our destination was a secluded valley tucked away in a stunningly quiet forest just outside of Selma.

Rumors of a new Cannabis-friendly pri-vate resort drew me out to see Mr. & Mrs. B’s vision of what this paradise can become.Finding solace at Crooks Creek Cannabis Ranch and Private Resort


The ranch is a half-hour drive from Grants Pass. If you are heading to the Oregon Caves or the beach town of Brookings, you are in the neigh-borhood. The happy little valley is home to a va-riety of wildlife. With no pressure to move, an amazing flock of wild turkeys has taken up res-idence there. Birds of every shape and size are prevalent. The gobbles of turkeys can be heard all day and into the evening.

Mr. B wants to share this experience, and more. He began with a tour of the more than 100-acre property. The back 40 where camping will be is isolated in a box canyon. We sat for a short while and saw scurrying life everywhere.

Our discussions about everything Cannabis went late into the night. Breakfast was all it was advertised to be. Cooked on a brick-ov-en stove in a vintage kitchen, the hearty meal would get us past lunch.

A Cannabis dude ranch and private re-sort would be an excellent destination for adults who like to mix the good leaf with fun. A lodge-style resort surrounded by rough-hewn cabins and an infinity pool and spa would be the center of activity. You might zip-line down to the valley and enjoy a variety of out-door activities, including hiking, mountain biking

and camping in the valley. Some sports lend themselves to the Cannabis life — disc

golf is one of them. There is room on the property for a PDGA-approved 18-hole course.

The ranch will be a seed-to-shelf Cannabis farm and guests might participate in a variety of gardening and production practices. For those ea-ger to get right at it, a stop at the country store at the resort would have every Cannabis product made on the property for sale to guests. Educa-tional seminars on every aspect of the plant could be had for groups and individuals. Topics could include organic growing, concentrate techniques and how to use the plant in its many forms.

The ride back north with Farmer Tom was a blur of ideas after hearing Mr. B lay out his vi-sion. It seems we have all been doing a portion of this man’s dream. A critical mass of like minds is forming. Out of the shadows and into the light, Cannasapiens will have their day. Mr. & Mrs. B are making the history right before our eyes.

The Ranch is just a half hour from Grants Pass by road or a mere 13 miles as the crow fl ies.

OREGON LEAF

Available From Oregon’s Finest1327 NW Kearney St. Portland, OR 97209(971) 254-4765 www.ofmeds.com

Test Results by MRX Labs

Dense nugs are coated with layers of properly cured trichomes in this sweet-smelling Durban Poison. Fresh off a first place victory at the Oregon Medical Marijuana Cup, sof-resh farm’s Durban Poison is one of the most impressive herbs we have smoked lately.

This African landrace sativa was grown organically, using beneficial insects and mi-crobe-rich soil, just as nature intended. When rolled and smoked in a RAW paper, we noticed a strong lemon-lime flavor because of the high levels of limonene and pinene terpines com-mon in Durban Poison. As for the high, it’s energetic, clear and uplifting. This strain helped ease our anxiety and pain, making it perfect for daytime medicating. The flowers burned pure white ash, letting us know the medicine is clean and has been properly flushed and cured.

This strain is ideal for patients suffering from depression, nausea, stress, pain and PTSD. The extreme care and attention given to the han-dling of this strain from start to finish makes for a quality smoke.

STRAINOF THE MONTHBy WILL FERGUSON | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

GROWN by SOFRESH FARMS


DURBANPOISON

This strain helped ease our anxiety and pain, making it

perfect for daytime medicating.

passes microbial test

26.7% thc 0.33% cbd


a variety of concentrates by Xtracted Labs @x_tracted


By OREGON LEAF CONTRIBUTORSPHOTOS by DANIEL BERMANSTYLED by MALINA LOPEZ

40 EXTRACTS 10141 WHERE TO GO42 DABBING GUIDE44 BUTANE HASH OIL46 CO2 OIL48 SOLVENTLESS 50 HEAT-PRESS HASH 52 BUBBLE HASH




EXTRACTS 101One of the best parts of the medical Cannabis world is that new products and innovations are constantly emerging. The downside can be a lack of information, especially for innovations that haven’t reached the average user. A perfect example? Cannabis concentrates.While most veteran patients are familiar with Rick Simpson Oil and high-grade bubble hash, the dabbing movement has caught many by surprise. The following primer is meant to break down the types of concentrates, the attributes to look for and avoid, and the common lingo, prices, and best practices you should expect.

What is a concentrate?

A concentrate is an extraction of Cannabis and can be produced with or without a solvent such as butane, ethanol or CO2. Anyone consum-ing concentrates for the first time should do so with extreme caution. THC levels in concentrates range from 20 percent to 90 percent, so they can be overwhelming for many initial users.

Butane Hash Oil

Butane hash oil refers to Cannabis concentrate processed with bu-tane. All BHO should be tested by a lab for residual solvency, which is the amount of butane or other potentially harmful hydrocarbons left in the mixture. All medicinal use should be less than 500 parts per million, with the best range being 0 to 50 parts per million, especially for those at risk of cancer and other serious diseases. BHO commonly donates for $30-$50 per gram for quality product.

CO2 Oil

CO2 extraction is one of the cleanest and safest methods of extracting any type of plant matter. Carbon dioxide is pumped at supercritical temperatures under high pressure to pull cannabinoids from the plant material, leaving a pure and intensely flavorful concentrate. CO2 is not

toxic to humans and kills any microbial growth in the process of extraction. Plus, CO2 can be used for more than just Cannabis concentrates. It can be used to create natural essen-tial oils. Mainstream products processed with CO2 include herbal essential oils, hops for beer and decaffeinated coffee. Because of the considerable investment required to process CO2 (roughly $75,000), the average gram sells for about $30 to $60 per gram.

Solventless Hash & Bubble Hash

Solventless or bubble hash refers to hash or keif that has been processed us-ing just water and ice or a dry-sift method to gather Cannabis trichomes and cannabinoids into a smokable form.

Full Extract Cannabis Oil

Full extract Cannabis oil, or Rick Simpson Oil as it’s commonly referred to, is a pure Cannabis extract that has been used for decades to fight cancer and other diseases. FECO pulls a range of beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes and flavinoids that are successful in treating a variety of conditions. It should only be made with pure alcohol (food-grade ethanol or grain alcohol) and should be properly purged of residual alcohol before ingestion. FECO should never be vaporized or dabbed because inhaling alcohol is bad for the central nervous system and the brain. When eaten, the alcohol is safe for use. With the average dose being the size of a grain of rice, a little FECO goes a long way. While FECO should be made available at a compas-sion rate at most collectives, the average price is $25 to $50 per gram.

What is dabbing?

Dabbing refers to vaporizing a herbal concentrate. But it does often involve a torch, and a vaporization surface commonly called a nail attached to a water pipe. The nail is heated until hot (see our dab temperature article for more on this) before a small amount of concentrate is touched to the surface. The user inhales through a water pipe, and the clean and easy vapor is exhaled without excessive smoke or coughing. Patients can also use dab pens or vapor cartridges, both of which allow for portable vaporization of concentrates without the use of a torch.

Dosing Your Dab

Few health risks are associated with secondary or residual butane consump-tion in small amounts, including dabbing or smoking Cannabis by using a butane lighter. However, conflicting reports have been posted on the Internet about people suffering from collapsed lungs because of excessive dabbing. Because dabbing is relatively new to the community, no major media reports address hospital admissions with patients who are strictly dabbers.

People who are at higher risk of collapsed lungs should take that into con-sideration in their Cannabis consumption by smoking and dabbing. When smokers inhale — especially Cannabis smokers — they tend to inhale as deeply as possible and then hold the smoke as long as they can. Coupled with the action of coughing, it could accelerate small tears inside the lungs that could lead to a pocket of air being created between the lung and another or-gan, or the rib cage, resulting in a lung collapse. Be mindful of the three-sec-ond rule: Don’t hold a hit in longer than three to five seconds because you’re not increasing the amount of cannabinoids absorbed into your system. You are merely decreasing the amount of oxygen your lungs are able to take in.

Be mindful of the three-second rule: Don’t hold your hit in longer than three to five seconds because you’re not increasing the amount of cannabinoids absorbed into your system. You are merely decreasing the amount of oxygen your lungs are able to take in.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIESSAP BHO by left coast farms@Left_Coast_Farms

By OREGON LEAF STAFF | PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN


40 EXTRACTS 10141 WHERE TO GO42 DABBING GUIDE44 BUTANE HASH OIL46 CO2 OIL48 SOLVENTLESS49 DAB GEAR GUIDE 50 HEAT-PRESS HASH 52 BUBBLE HASH


WHERE TO GO &WHAT TO KNOWBy WILL FERGUSON for OREGON LEAF When shopping for quality concentrates, I always

keep a few things in mind. If I’m searching for solvent extracts such as BHO and PHO I’ll consider a couple of important questions: who is the processor? Was it processed in a Closed Loop System or not? Was the starting material grown with synthetic nutrients or not (you don’t want to be ingesting concentrated pesticides, do you?)

Many extractors are transparent with their processes on social media, which is a good way to tell whether you want to be ingesting their products. Quality BHO and PHO extracts should be light, golden in color and have good terpene retention. I always take a close-up look at the concentrate I have my eye on. Also, keeping a watchful eye on a collective’s social media information and Leafly menu helps me find the best deals.

Many collectives have concentrate specials on certain days of the week, and I sometimes plan my trip around those specials to save a few bucks. As far as prices, I usually won’t pay more than $30 per gram for a trim-run concentrate and no more than $40 per gram for a nug-run concentrate. Solventless full melt/ice wax is another concentrate I often shop for. Water hash is hard to find at many access points, so finding it can be difficult at times, but some shops carry them when they can. What I look for in good bubble hash is solid terpene retention, stable trichome heads (not greasy or cakey), a light blond color with little to no contaminants and a full melt with little to no residue left behind.

Clean, organic starting materials are also of utmost importance to me because it truly captures the flavor of the plant and indicates how it was grown. Good bubble hash is more expensive than sol-vent extracts because of its lower yields, so my price cap is around $60 per gram. I don’t often shop for CO2 concentrates, but when I do, I ensure they meet my requirements.

When looking for a CO2 concentrates, I look for extracts that have a nice amber color, are derived from organic material and are processed using a state-of-the-art, supercritical C02 system. CO2 concentrates are more costly than BHO extracts so my price cap is around $40 per gram.

Processed correctly, concentrates are worth the time and money to be able to use — it’s just a matter of knowing what to look for.

Many collectives offer concentrate specials on certain days of the week, which you can plan your trip around in order to save a few bucks.

Lobster butter by clear concentrate@TheClearConcentrate


THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE PHOTO by DANIEL BERMAN

Dabbing Guide

CO2 Syringe

ShatterExtract

Wax Concentrate

Very hot e-nail

DomelessTitanium Nail

Tyler J. Markwartprepares to dab

With an array of new companies, accessories and technolo-gies available to patients, the talk about the proper temperatures for dabbing Cannabis concentrates comes up in conversations repeatedly. With the focus of the topic of temperature on terpene and cannabi-noid retention, patients have experimented with an array of tempera-tures when it comes to getting the most flavor and medicine out of each dab. Let’s take a look at a few of the industry standards when it comes to dabbing and what the pluses and minuses are of each product are.

Butane gas torches are a common and convenient way to get your nail to its proper temperature. It’s quick and portable, but not sustain-able. Because canned gas has to be purchased in order to refill and use the torch, it ends up costing you and the environment.

Types of nails

A nail is the part of the rig that is heated up in order to vapor-ize the Cannabis concentrate. But what kind to pick? Quartz and titanium have both been the industry standards for dab rigs using nails. With quartz, patients are able to get a clean hit because it does not emit gas when heated. Titanium, on the other hand, has several grades at which it is produced and sold. Because of the differences in the production of titanium alloys, some metal nails can off-gas, which is not desirable for medical patients. Thankfully, those grades are becoming more standardized within the industry. So which one is better? Depending on how you handle your equipment and what your goal is, the chart below can help you compare the advantages and disadvantages.

E-nails are another dab accessory in which the nail is constant-ly heated by electricity. These stand-alone units plug into a standard wall socket, allowing patients to dab without having to use an open flame to heat the nail. With a high entry cost, the e-nail is not for everyone, but it works for patients who are constantly dabbing in the same location.

Vape pens are fairly new in the last few years on the scene and have been growing in popularity. With many styles available for var-ious types of concentrates, patients have a variety of options to help them medicate wherever and whenever they need to. Vape pens are effective because they are discrete, portable and work instantaneously. They don’t give the same size hit as a dab rig, but they are excellent for on-the-go use or in public places.

What temperature should you dab at?

When dabbing, hitting the right temperature is tricky. Concentrates that are dabbed too hot will burn off the terpenes, leaving a bland

By TYLER J. MARKWART, WES ABNEY & WILL FERGUSON

taste behind. Concentrates that are dabbed too cool might leave pooled-up residue and not fully vaporize. The best way to reach a happy medium is to use a carb cap, which sits on top of a nail once a dab is applied and holds both heat and vapor in. A carb cap will vaporize an extract at the lowest possible

temperature. I find that letting the nail cool down sufficiently and then using the carb cap will produce a flavorful, fully vaporized dab. Solvent-less extracts such as full melt bubble hash/ice wax should be dabbed at slightly higher temperatures. To determine whether your temperature is right, check the color of the residue. If the residue is a blackish, it means your dab was taken too hot. If the residue is a light brown, it means the dab was vaporized at the optimal temperature.

What are concentrates made up of?

Looking at Analytical 360’s lab results for concentrates, we can see that

Concentrates that are dabbed too hot will burn off most of the terpenes, leaving a bland taste behind.


Oil Vape Pen

Carb Tap& Dab Tool

ShatterExtract

BHO

Butane Torch

Electro-formedDab Chubbler

sample concentrate results have varied ratios of cannabinoids. A majority of the results are falling below the 70 percent cannabinoid range per sample, which means that there are other chemicals and matter present in the samples. Scientists have been able to identify hundreds of chemicals present in Cannabis flowers, ranging from cannabinoids to plant

waxes. When flowers are processed into concentrates with solvents, they need to be purged and pasteurized for safe consumption. With CO2, dry sift and water extractions just the pasteurization process is needed to en-sure proper processing because no residual solvents are left in the sample.

Proper purging is priceless

As far as the Leaf is concerned the first and foremost area to be test-ing concentrates in is residual solvency. Cannabinoid levels do not matter nearly as much as solvency, the testing of which is lacking in Oregon. There are a nearly a dozen different dangerous chemicals that can end up in concentrates, and they must be tested for to ensure a product is safe. In the purging process, pressure and heat are combined to help purify the concentrates by removing processing chemicals.

Most medical patients can handle butane consumption in low levels of 50 to 1,000 parts per million, but it is not pleasant on the consumer. Butane can also cause serious side effects when consumed continuously and in larger amounts, especially by patients with compromised immune systems. With side effects ranging from excessive coughing to death by chemical poisoning, patients should ask for test results that show the re-sidual parts per million in the product that they are buying. A properly purged product will dab fantastically at a lower temperature with less ir-ritation on the throat and lungs, leaving the patient with more available medicine and flavor and an overall better experience.

Ethanol wash (winterizing)

The cell walls of the Cannabis plant can sometimes contain large wax concentrations. This is an evolutionary advantage for land race genetics because Cannabis has adopted itself in almost every single environmental condition on earth. Some areas such as mountain ranges and higher al-titude locations are susceptible to colder weather and more intense solar radiation. The waxy coatings help protect the Cannabis plant against pests and radiation damage in more intense environments. For patients, these plant waxes often lead to excessive coughing when dabbing. When it is dropped onto a hot nail, the wax melts, exposing the water to the heat.

By washing the concentrate sample with alcohol, the wax will remain in the container and the cannabinoids will be absorbed into the alcohol and distilled off as the alcohol evaporates in a separate container. Concentrates with higher amounts of plant waxes and lipids will require a higher tem-perature to dab and as pointed out earlier, will cause more irritation on the throat and lungs. Special note- Any concentrate that has an ethanol wash should be tested for residual alcohol. Residual alcohol can be harmful if vaporized at high ppm’s.

Pasteurize your dabs?

Pasteurizing is a process that heats a product to a certain temperature for a determined period to reduce the amount of pathogens that can be harm-ful to humans when eaten. Heat at 160 F for five seconds can help reduce the amount of pathogens such as E. coli when cooking with extracts.

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Titanium

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Vape Pen

RED

= W

INN

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ATEG

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Patients should ask for test results that show the residual parts per million in the product that they are buying.


THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Butane Hash Oil

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES BHO by PROPER EXTRACTS 86.7% THC | 0.31% CBDDelicious terpy wax full of mint and rich chocolate flavors.

Silvertip Cola Nug Run Shatter by White Label Extracts82.04% THC | 0% CBDTerpy, golden goodness that elevates with true euphoria.

pure white bubblegum by jolly bee extracts99.02% THC | 0.29% CBD If it’s energy you’re after,this is a lip-smacker to try.

Blackberry Kush Honeycomb by White Label Extracts85.12% THC | 0.96% CBD A gorgeous dewaxed honeycomb testing at 0 ppm residual solvent.

Harlequin Tsunami CBD sap by Dirty Arm Farm 4.44% THC | 70.1% CBD Delicately sweet high-CBD medicine offers relaxing relief.

RASPBERRY KUSH shatter by dab society extracts 96.83% THC | 0.20% CBDA pink colored shatter that tastes like fresh raspberries.


blue dream BHOby 1859 concentrates70.4% THC | 0.62% CBDSweet dreamy floral notes with a smooth finish you’ll crave.

F.I. Harlequin Shatterby left coast farms 57.09% THC | 20.69% CBDProvides near-instant pain reliefand anxiety-quashing power.

blue dream x gc shatter by dab society extracts 76.64% THC | 0% CBDA heady blend of two classic sativa dominant hybrids!

mystery haze Shatter by White Label Extracts76.3% THC | 0.4% CBDAn incredibly tasty extract with an energetic, productive high.

Girl Scout Cookie Sap by left coast farms 70.5% THC | 0.16% CBDMint meets Cannabis, love en-sues, and now they’re hitched.

Liberty Bell BHOby 1859 concentrates74.8% THC | 0.97% CBDHeady oil that hits the cerebral cortex with a near-audible thud.



trinity dripper syringe by nug run enterprise 45.48% THC | 6.96% CBDFlavorful and easy to dose withrelaxing blend of CBD strains.

betty mix cartridge by golden xtrax 71.24% THC | 1.56% CBDCustom blend of strains mixes all the best effects in one cartridge.

cannatonic shatter by pop naturals 56.5% THC | 31.34% CBD Beautiful high CBD oil that tastes of dark cherries.

outer space cartridge by golden xtrax 76.63% THC | 0.76% CBD Super high potency cartridge that delivers solid THC high.

BLACK CHERRY SODA cartridge by o.pen vape43.58% THC | 0.85% CBD Smooth and tasty vapor with a sweet and skunky taste.

Canna tsu cARTRIDGE by the co2 company 34.6% THC | 34% CBDPowerhouse mixture of CBD and THC — wow.

CO2 Oil

purple kush pure dripperby NUG RUN ENTERPRISES66.06% THC | 1.41% CBDA perfectly relaxing and effective manageable dripper system.


jack herer Oil by the co2 company 59.8% THC | 1.16% CBDPerfect oil for daytime use and for maintaining energy.

girl scout cookiesby pop naturals 52.91% THC | 5.21% CBDHeady oil that hits the cerebral cortex with a near-audible thud.

venice og cartridge by o.pen vape 54.30% THC | 0.64% CBDSmooth and relaxed vibes with that signature OG family flavor.

blueberry vape cartridge by pop naturals39.07% THC | 6.06% CBDEasy and mild vapor with a wonderful fresh blueberry flavor.

platinum og CARTRIDGE by true north extracts 58.94% THC | 0.91% CBDJust like the mineral, this CO2 is a truly Platinum concentrate.



Solventless Concentrates

OG KUSH HASH by permaculture solutions 71.9% THC | 0.92% CBDClassic OG flavor and taste withsuper heady effects you’ll feel.

Sour diesel ice wax by Davis Farms 69.3% THC | 0.18% CBDAn incredible smelling hash, testing in at over 15% terpenes.

hash plant 45iu rosin by kush kirk 58.54% THC | 0.15% CBD You really get the full flavor of the plant with this Rosin hash.

chem dawg 70 micron grown by nelson & co ORganics 74.65% THC | 0.14% CBD Processed by Pua Extractions andNovus Rosa with high-end material.

blue goo rosin hash by kush kirk68.39 THC | 0.19% CBD Fantastic and cerebral hybridRosin pressed hash worth trying.

green queen ice wax by davis farms 64.6% THC | 0.25% CBDA beautiful, floral smelling large micron water hash.


Dabbing Gear Guide By WES ABNEY | MAIN PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Helpful products to let you carry out your consuming in a safe and easy manner.Don’t forget to explore your favorite local shop for an array of unique dab tools.

Kind Tray Art Set $119 Master the art of the dab with this custom Kind Tray artists set. The silicon containers and pad are permanently attached to this hand-cut wooden frame, making it perfect for traveling. This release will be launching at the beginning of the new year. Check out more than a dozen styles and types on its website. www.kindtray.com

Nail Crown $30Love medicating on the go but hate worrying about dealing with a scorching hot nail? Worry no more. This useful 100 percent pure silicon travel case opens up to hold your hot nail on the go, no burns required.www.dabkings.com/collections/nail-crown

710 Oil Whip Electronic Ceramic Nail (seen above) $145If you are looking for a quality e-nail on a budget, check out the 710 Oil Whip. This is an easy-to-clean and transport setup that can instantly transform any bong into a dabbing station.www.710.life

The Hollow Splatter Dab Rig $120These sick little dab rigs hit hard everywhere but the wallet. The splat-ter comes in a variety of colors, including slime green or amber/gold. It looks like real oil is dripping off the piece. Check out their website for custom work and other dabbing options. www.thehollow.me

Happy Daddy Machete pick $40When it comes to dab tools the Happy Daddy crew is the best around, period. They take qual-ity metals and innovative design and bring it all together in an affordable form. We love this Machete dab tool! It makes you feel like a bad-ass dab ninja and is functional for a variety of concentrates. Check out their line of products and nails online! Happydaddyproducts.net

Titanium Carb Cap $30We found this quality generic carb cap at Third Eye in Portland for only $30. Made out of grade 2 titanium, it’s a

trustworthy and solid tool that will last. Carb caps range in price from $20 to $60, so pick the one that works

best for your budget and your life. Amazon.com or any local glass shop


THE CONCENTRATES ISSUE By TYLER J. MARKWART for OREGON LEAF | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN

Heat-Pressed Hash (Rosin Tech)


The finished hindu kush rosin techby raw zen is a light-golden wafer

east coast white diesel + tangie rosin tech by a greener today

Rosin Tech, a new spin on an old processing technique, requires a hair straightener, parchment paper and full buds to create high-quality hash in seconds. In the past year, the process has caught on quickly because it is safe, cheap and the results are fantastic … as long as you begin with fantastic buds. With dabbing becoming more popular, different techniques for processing will emerge and be refined. Rosin Tech seems to be able to get the best of all worlds, combining flavor, potency, yield and quality into one beautiful little golden dab.

Many cultures have considered hash the standard way to smoke because it stores better and hits harder than flower. With the application of heat-controlled hair straighteners, T-shirt press-es and shirt irons, Cannabis consumers can now prepare and make their own high-quality dabs within minutes without the worry of blowing themselves up from using an explosive solvent.

If you plan to use a hair straightener, we suggest you buy a new one. Most hair straight-

eners are used after chemicals have treated someone’s hair, which contam-

inates them and raises the possibility of contaminating your sample. Think before you just grab something to press your buds with.

Tools needed:1) Hair straightener or T-shirt press 2) Parchment paper3) Oven mitt or silicon pad

First, take some well-cured buds that have decent water content. You don’t want them too dry and you also won’t want to grind the buds up — that makes it harder to collect the material at the end.

Take a large piece of parchment paper and fold it in half.

Place a nice-size bud of your favorite flower between the edge of the paper and the crease.

Fold the paper so the bud is trapped inside the parchment paper.

Place the paper and bud in the hair straightener and press hard for three to five seconds.

Release pressure and remove paper. Remove bud and let rosin dry.

Repeat on the same bud for second, third and even fourth runs, depending on the quality and size of the bud.

Scrape and collect the rosin and enjoy.

Justin Ruiz from HypeHerbally has seen the rapid growth in the concentrate market and has moved quickly to set up a rosin processing company called Raw Zen. Keeping a focus on knowing what’s in your medicine, Raw Zen is working with producers Mana Gardens’ Purple Nepal and Crop Circle’s Hindu Kush to bring this product to market. Rosin Tech at home requires some trial and error, but once you have the technique down it becomes simple. Take a few seconds to check the Internet for a slew of videos that show the technique in a step-by-step process and you will save yourself from some burned nugs — or worse — a burned hand. Simple, cheap and straightforward, this technique is not new but small-batch home processing is achievable.

The basic technique is not new; humans have been pressing and heating hash for quite a while.

produced by raw zen@HypeHerbally



Bubble Hash Guide (3 to 6-stars)

ANCIENT MEDICINE: Hash is thought to have originated in the Middle East, with its use dating back thousands of years. In places such as India, Cannabis grows naturally. Over time, specific strains were chosen and cultivated for their hash-making properties. Traditionally, hash was made in two ways. The first method is to take the flowers of the plant and rub/roll them with your hands until enough trichomes are on your fingers to scrape off. The second method was perfected in Morocco, where hash makers slap cured branches over a silk screen to shake off the trichomes. It isn’t easy, but it can produce large yields. Today, a huge variety of extraction methods and tools exist for making hash. Still, we find the best way involves ice, water and a little bit of elbow grease.

When it comes to bubble hash, not all products are created equal. While there isn’t necessarily a bad hash, products can vary by strain and method of extraction. The hash rated here is made using bubble bags, hence bubble hash. It is considered a solvent-free concentrate and is safe for consumption by all patients. While much of the medical Cannabis world has turned to solvent-based concentrates, superior bubble hash has attracted connoisseurs, with some of the best in the world produced in the Northwest. As trends go, the latest craze in the dabbing world has been full–melt, dabbable five- and even six-star hash. This guide will help you pick the best products for your needs and budget.

3* 4*

3* 4*

By WES ABNEY | PHOTOS by DANIEL BERMAN


Bubble Hash Guide (3 to 6-stars)

the Micro Myth: Bubble hash is made by filtering Cannabis trim/buds through bubble bags. The bags act as a net to catch THC trichomes, which separate and gather at the bottom of the bags. Much like fishing, the bag size, measured in microns, varies depending on the size of the trichomes the maker is hoping to catch. The quality of the hash is not necessarily dependent on the size, it’s based on two factors: harvest time and strain phenotype.

If a crop is harvested before the trichomes fully develop, the chances of having a four- to five-star yield are minimal. You simply won’t have enough

trichomes. The second factor comes down to the strain being used. Some strains tend to have larger crystals, so a larger micron bag will yield higher quality hash, while other strains tend to have smaller crys-tals, making a smaller micron bag necessary for a good yield. It is good to experiment with various methods.

Another pro tip for producing top-quality solventless hash is the ad-age, “put good in, get good out.” Treat your trim with respect and fresh freeze it for best possible results.

Produced by A Greener Today @AgreenertodayRow 1: Rudeboi OG Row 2: Alien Express

3-star Dark brown & earthy with hints of original strain flavor. When heated, forms small bubbles on surface then combusts. Perfect for loading on a bowl of flower or rolling into a joint. Not dabbable, but with 35 to 50 percent melt. About $20/g.

4-star Light brown, less pronounced flavor profile but with stronger hints of original strain flavor. Bubbles into a puddle with heat. This is the lowest star level for dabbing, as it leaves a lot of residue on the nail and has a very earthy flavor. About $30/g.

5-star Blond, full flavor profile that invokes the strain it is processed from in smell and taste. When heated, fully melts into oil but still leaves a slight residue and flavor of plant matter when smoked. It’s dabbable and costs about $50/g or higher.

6-star Light-blond resinous gold, super fine texture. When pressed, forms into an almost transparent slab. This should taste and smell like the purest nectar of the strain, which it essentially is. Dabs easily on a nail, leaving zero plant matter taste and an extreme-ly smooth smoke. It costs about $60/g or more.

5* 6*

5* 6*

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

56/ may 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF More recipes pg. 58

Spring is here and farmers markets throughout the Northwest are again bursting with fruits and vegetables that have revived after the dark, rainy days of winter. Going shopping at these markets is always a treat. Although I pay a little more, our meals tend to be vegetable-centric, hence, less expensive. A farmer from southern Washington had early corn this past week that I couldn’t resist. If I do add meat or poultry to a meal it is as more of a side rather than centerstage. Heavy dressings and sauces are no longer how we roll; we prefer fruity olive oils and a splash of lemon or vinegar. From now through fall, you can count on some pretty sweet seasonal offerings. Light and lovely, no shortage of taste, easy and fast. When adding Cannabis, the dishes are taken to a new delightful level of enjoyment. High expectations? Good, we aim to please.

12 small slices black bread3 tbs. cream cheese, softened1 tbs. canna-butter, softened1 avocado, peeled, cored,and cut into small chunks3 tbs. fresh lemon juice8 radishes, thinly sliced1 scallion, chopped¼ cup dill sprigsSalt & pepper

INGREDIENTS

MEDICATED AVOCADO SQUARES

1. Place the bread on your work surface, then, in a small bowl, mix the cream cheese and canna-butter.2. Spread the bread with the cream cheese mixture. 3. Toss the avocado with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and mix with the radishes, scallion and dill. 4. Add salt and pepper to taste.5. Divide the mixture between the open face sandwiches and garnish with additional dill.

Makes 4 servings

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


Serves four 1. Place lettuce on your work surface.

2. Combine the chicken, celery and scallion in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, oil and spices. Lightly toss the mayonnaise with the chicken mixture. Divide the chicken between the lettuce cups.

4. Distribute blue cheese between cups and serve.

8 lettuce cups, cleaned and patted dry1 cup cooked chicken, cut or shredded 1 small stalk celery, sliced2 tbs. chopped scallion2 tbs. mayonnaise1 tbs. canna-oilSalt and pepper2 tbs. blue cheese, crumbled

INGREDIENTS

LETTUCE CUP CHICKENContinued from pg. 56

INGREDIENTS1 tbs. canna-oil1 tbs. regular olive oil½ cup bell peppers, any color. ¼ cup corn niblets2 cups fresh spinach1 scallion, chopped4 eggs, lightly beaten½ cup goat cheese¼ cup cheddar cheeseSmoked paprikaSalt and pepper

Serves two 1. Heat oven to 340 F. In an oven-proof sauté pan, heat the oils. Do not sauté on high because that would affect the THC potency. Add the peppers and sauté 6-7 min. Add the corn and sauté 4-5 min. Add spinach and sauté until wilted.

2. Pour the eggs into the pan and stir for a minute or two to mix well. Shred the cheeses and sprinkle over the egg mixture along with the spices and place into heated oven.

3. Cook until eggs are set and the cheese is melted — about 15 min. If you want the top to brown, place under the broiler just before serving. Slide the frittata onto a serving plate. TWO-CHEESE FRITTATA

*Installation referrals available in Oregon and Washington

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1 tbs. canna-oil1 tbs. regular olive oil½ cup bell peppers, any color. ¼ cup corn niblets2 cups fresh spinach1 scallion, chopped4 eggs, lightly beaten½ cup goat cheese¼ cup cheddar cheeseSmoked paprikaSalt and pepper

May 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /61

product

Reviews

In 1979, Wisconsin native Tim McBride hopped into his Mustang and drove south. He was 21 years old, and his best friend had offered him a job working as a crab fisherman in Chokoloskee Island, a sleepy town of fewer than 500 people on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Eager to experience

life, McBride jumped in.He quickly learned this was far from your average fishing outfit. Tim had

been recruited into a band of weed smugglers — middlemen between a Colombian Cannabis cartel and their Miami distributors.

“The Gulf of Mexico smelled like cow shit,” the book begins, and right off the bat you start to get the idea that this isn’t going to be a boring ride. (On McBride’s first weed pickup on the open water, the Colombian smuggling boat carried a load of cattle as camouflage.)

He was soon handling tons of marijuana, and living the life of wealth.His operation caught the attention of the federal government in 1984,

and very quickly the boss and most of the key players were out of com-mission. McBride somehow avoided the roundup and by default became the new go-to guy for the Colombians, the boss of an operation that was ultimately responsible for smuggling 30 million pounds of marijuana into the United States.

A self-proclaimed “saltwater cowboy,” McBride evaded the Coast Guard and the Drug Enforcement Administration for years, facing volatile Co-lombian drug lords and risking betrayal by romantic partners until his luck finally ran out. He ended up pulling a 10-year federal prison sentence.

McBride’s wild tale of crime and excess rings true and reads well; his book is one of those that, as you near the final page, you start reading more slowly because you don’t want it to end. The book won me over, and this was after some initial skepticism. Upon first examining the cover, I was ready to dislike McBride and his book, for no better reason than the cocky photo of the author.

But once I got started reading the thing, I realized this was the real deal: An actual story of how all that delicious, red and gold Colombian marijua-na I enjoyed in Alabama in the 1970s had found its way to my rolling tray. And if you successfully bring in 30 million pounds of weed, maybe you’ve earned the right to be a little cocky.

Tim McBride rebuilt his life after being released from prison, and today he owns a construction business and is a father of two on the Gulf Coast of Florida.

It’s not often that one gets to witness the birth of a major volume that is going to change the way thousands of people think about the Can-nabis plant. It was my privilege to do exactly that as my friend Cheri Sicard (Cannabis Cheri) wrote “Mary Jane,” the women’s interest and

lifestyle guide to Cannabis released by the publisher on 4/20.Sicard shared with me, as the book was written, the frustrations and joys

of preparing a 200-plus page book covering the history, culture and politics of our favorite weed. And I’m happy to report that what emerged is nothing less than a masterpiece.

As women across the nation are finally coming out of the Cannabis clos-et, they are learning that marijuana offers many benefits. As Sicard’s book points out in its easy, conversa-tional style, weed complements many aspects of women’s lives, and can even help treat prob-lems that are distinctive to women’s health.

Far from a lofty theoret-ical treatise, “Mary Jane” is packed with practical tips and facts to help women make in-formed decisions about Can-nabis. From cooking with marijuana to responsible par-enting, this informal handbook gives women the information they need to embrace the culture and lifestyle of Cannabis in any way they choose.

Topics in the book include extracts, concentrates, medicinal applications, using weed to spice up your sex life and Cannabis careers. Sicard covers all the important bases, including an absolutely stellar final chapter on “How To Win Any Argument About Marijuana” which every activist — male or female — would do well to read.

Once a closeted marijuana user, Sicard now works with numerous re-form groups, frequently helping organize rallies, speaking at city council meetings, and giving classes on various aspects of marijuana. She is also a powerful and prominent advocate for prisoners serving life sentences for nonviolent marijuana offenses and authors the “Life For Pot” series at TokeSignals.com.

ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, 2015 | 272 PAGES | $25.99 ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, 2015 | 232 PAGES | $18.00

By STEVE ELLIOTT Editor, Tokesignals.com

By TIM MCBRIDE with RALPH BERRIER JR. By CHERI SICARD

Saltwater cowboy

mary jane

The Complete Marijuana Handbook for Women

The Rise and Fall of a Marijuana Empire

Once a closeted marijuana user, Sicard now works with numerous reform groups, frequently helping organize rallies, speaking at city council meetings, and giving classes on various aspects of marijuana.

Crops in Kansas viewed from abovegrowtech

64/ may 2015 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF Continues pg. 66

Bound by laws and forces we are only beginning to understand, Mother Nature offers countless lessons for those willing to learn.

AN INCONVENIENT FRUITWestern society, many of the lessons and practices responsible for our ini-tial survival on this continent have unfortunately fallen prey to industrial

agricultural practices. These practices in the past 100 years have created a consumption model of natural resources that has left our agricultural land barren. Technologies have been invented and applied to account for the damage we have done in our des-perate attempt to improve our agricultural practices and produce heavy yields, relying increasingly on technology to remedy our damage. With each step, however, an essential element is missing and con-tinues to set us further from creating a sustainable solution. All of these behaviors have one detrimen-

In tal characteristic in common: They continue to im-pose on nature our desire to grow more food.

The practice of tilling or plowing the soil is just one farming practice that demonstrates that point. In this practice, the top layer of the earth, which includes the fragile and limited topsoil, is dug up and exposed to the air to remove all the ground cov-er. The benefit of this practice is that all the organic elements embedded in the soil become exposed to oxygen.

This dramatic increase in oxygen rapidly accelerates the rate of decomposition of the or-ganic compounds in the soil, making huge amounts of nutrients rapidly available.

BY OREGON LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR

DR. SCANDERSON

Farmers then plant crops in this fertile soil and initially see explosive growth in the crops. But this practice doesn’t consider the plan that nature

has already set forth to grow food-producing crops. Instead, it emphasizes our desire

to produce more food in the way we think is best. By plowing the soil and accelerating the rate of decomposition, many nutrients become available, but in doing so much of the organic mat-

ter where those nutrients come from are depleted. In the case of the Great Plains, it

took only two generations of plowing the soil and replacing nothing before the drier southern region was depleted and the Dust Bowl began.


Continued from pg. 64

AN INCONVENIENT FRUITgrowtech

never learned from these mistakes. After conventional agricultural prac-tices depleted the soil, the ground was deemed infertile. Synthetic

chemical fertilizers soon were introduced into com-mercial agriculture once it was discovered that the petroleum molecule, controlled by the country’s largest private economic monopoly, could be made into fertilizer for commercial agriculture. These chemicals provided the crop with all the nutrients they needed, but they are salt-based.

The buildup of salts and application of chemi-cal-based fertilizers continued to deplete and erode the land and the crops became entirely dependent on humans for nutrients. The practice of monocrop-ping and row planting created a magnet for patho-gens. With the land so depleted of any sort of life that would otherwise balance the infestation, the plants were treated with still more toxic chemicals.

Our effort to produce Frankenfood in soil that is so badly damaged has left us with farming practic-es that more closely resemble a medical experiment then food production. We are so intent on imposing our will on nature and disregarding the system she has in place that we think we can genetically modify

D r i e d a n d c r a c k e d e a r t h i s v i s i b l e o n a n u n p l a n t e d f i e l d a t a f a r m i n c a l i f o r n i a . PHOTO BY NBC NEWS

We the food we grow to be resistant to insanely toxic compounds and poisons that kill absolutely every-thing but the food crop.

It’s not all gloom and doom, at least if we don’t want it to be. In the past 30 to 40 years, a move-ment has emerged in the United States that offers a solution. We now can surely see that this approach not only heals the earth and accelerates the rate at which our agricultural lands return to a living, breathing, productive, natural substrate but it also is a more productive, lower-cost, lower-energy, low-er-labor approach that also produces more food.

This is permaculture. Bill Mollison is consid-ered the father of the movement, which has an ever-evolving definition. It is an approach to inter-acting with nature that models itself after existing symbiotic relationships and yields a regenerative result benefitting all beings and the earth. At its heart, it models itself after what has been working since long before we arrived and will continue to work long after we perish.

Many free and low-cost courses on permaculture are available locally and online. Because the topic is so vast, I’d like to examine just one small way that permaculture can change the way you approach

gardening, especially in outdoor applications. Most people in the U.S. consider water to be an

abundant and inexpensive resource. We pay hun-dreds of millions of dollars per year for Nestle to bottle our tap water and sell it back to us and we have building codes requiring the water that re-ceives our excrement to be the same potable qual-ity as the water that comes out our kitchen faucet. Imagine: We have so much clean water we shit in it. But the value and scarcity of water is deeply dis-guised by government subsidies that make the ac-cess, along with our reliance on it, all but invisible. Travel to most places in the world and you’ll see the measures that farmers, businesses and citizens take to preserve one of our most precious resources.

Changing the way we treat water will allow us to stop the continued deterioration of our clean wa-ter supply and increase the production of our food and medicinal crops. Clearly, our plants can’t hear our bullshit and are strictly concerned with effi-ciency. They simply respond to the variances from nature and adapt as best they can. They respond and perform best with untreated, natural rainwater, especially in many areas of the Pacific Northwest, where air pollution rates haven’t yet become tragic.


THREE ESSENTIAL WAYS you can change the way you treat water and start gaining the benefits at work all around us.

1) HARVEST IT. In Western Washington, most places average over 35 inches of precipitation yearly. Use a rain collection barrel that channels your roof ’s water or other large sloped areas to a collection bin for reuse.

Permaculture provides another method to harvest water. Inspired by the an-cient farming practice of terrace farming, notably employed by the Mayan and Inca civilizations, is the use of swales. A swale is a long, wide trench dug hori-zontally to the fall line of a property with the purpose of preserving the rainwa-ter and keeping it on the land for use. A typical roof is a large area that obviously collects a bit of rain and is clearly angled, but so is all land. It will have a overall slope, however gradual, one way or another that continues down toward a creek, river or ocean and is bound by the water table.

With a post and level line, you can determine a rough topographic map of any area of land. Digging swales into the land, especially in hilly or obviously angled areas that can otherwise be difficult to produce food in, turns this land both into a water harvesting and filtering station. Besides becoming productive areas for crops of all kinds, swales provide habitat for animals, insects, bacteria and other beings. Swales can be dug in one long connecting switchback traversing laterally along a grade or individually. Both drop incrementally in elevation as they trans-verse an area and harvest an astounding amount of water — enough to return a barren area of land to a thriving ecosystem at an accelerated rate.

2) USE IT. A swale has far more uses than trapping water. Planting trees and other large rooting, long-living plants on the lower bank takes advan-tage of the newly moistened soil, filters the water itself and provides structural integrity to the land. These trees and plants can be harvested. For instance, fruit trees, which have deep roots to provide structural integrity and water filtration, can produce fruit as the swale matures. As the swale habitat ages, other plants will have the opportunity to thrive, improving soil conditions even further. Eventually, the bank will be so rich with life and the swale will provide enough efficiency that the soil will begin storing the extra water trapped below the swale and the hardpan as it travels downward with the grade.

You can improve the efficiency of a swale by filling it with a mulch or compost, then mulch. Although this detracts from the physical area, the mulch will absorb a lot more water. During rainfalls, the water penetrates the mulch gathering at the low point created by the swale, effectively harvesting the water. The mulch or mulch and compost will continue to hold water long after a rainfall allowing the land to absorb and ultimately store even more water.

If you’re using compost and mulch, you can plant some annuals into one side of the mixture so the swale itself produces food right away. The other side you can save for a walking path.

You can direct any gray water to a swale and take advantage of the complex root systems and regenerated soil to filter and clean the water. Gray water is the

water we dispose of that comes from areas that usually don’t involve bio-logical waste contaminants, including water from your shower, bathroom sink, kitchen sink and washing machine. Section-off any food that comes in contact with the soil to swales higher than the gray water deposit.

All of this requires only the effort to create and plant the swale system. Afterward, allow the rainwater, land grade and the natural succession of the plant system to do the work. Little effort or maintenance is needed.

3) REUSE IT. You might find that after digging swales to collect and channel water you’re able to collect some runoff. You can reuse water that is spilling over the banks by digging a pond. Not only will a pond allow you to collect the balance of any runoff, but it creates an amazing habitat for many beneficial creatures.

Reuse your gray water. With the exception of certain clothes, most of this water starts out as potable and then is only exposed to soaps and cleaners. While it’s no longer safe for drinking, it has many other bene-ficial uses. In areas where it’s needed, such as Arizona, they have finally created building codes that provide for the shower, sink and other gray water to fill the toilet and be used for sewage (black)water disposal.

While it’s still illegal in many states and is governed through the per-mitting process, you can easily and legally use the gray water from your washing machine and collect it for your garden. Look on the back of your machine and you’ll see what’s usually a black flexible hose coming off the washer and into the wall. That’s a drain. All the water from the multiple fills and drains of your washing machine is pumped out of this hose and down the drain. Take the option to use it by removing the hose and ex-tending it to a collection bin.

As long as you use all-natural washing machine soaps, your garden’s soil and root systems will turn that gray water into water that can be used

on other crops. Don’t worry about leftover commer-cial detergents in your machine. Most use some form of ammonia as a cleaning agent, which is quickly and efficiently broken down into nitrogen for the plants. It’s not uncommon to see gray water being used to “green up” areas.

These examples are just a tiny speck of an insight into a more holistic way of living. It creates more harmony

by acknowledging that we are just one of many facets of a system of genius provided through nature. One of my favorite teachers, Max Myers, is one of the pioneers of intermingling the principles of permaculture and aqua-ponics. One of his book’s chapters has a title that perfectly expresses this ethos: “Waste is a resource not to be wasted.”

Our ability to observe nature and create systems that mimic it is the foundation for a more productive, more colorful, higher-flavor, lower-cost, lower-labor and lower-energy way of living. HAPPY GARDENING!

Get in Touch [email protected]

Like my InstagramFollow @DrScanderson_gT

Build a swale to direct water underground


health & science

Consumer Reports suggests buying organic peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes, otherwise they are highly susceptible to retaining harmful pesticides.

What’s In Your Basket?

GrowingOrganic Why sustainable agriculture

matters in a time of chemicals


DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

Keeping it organic has tremendous benefits. Growing your own or-ganic garden in your backyard, shopping locally at the farmers market or visiting a farm and getting to know the farmer who grew your food, ben-efits yourself and the planet. Organic farming and food processing meth-ods support health for the people who eat them and for the planet. With the use of proper crop rotations and organically derived soil enrichments and fertilizers, soil fertility is maintained and pests are controlled without introducing toxins to humans or the environment. This is in contrast to the over-farming of the soil in conventional agriculture, where only one or two crops are grown at a farm. Where there is less biodiversity, crops are more prone to the rapid spread of disease. Also, chemical fertilizers and pesticides often are used in mounting quantities with increasingly adverse environmental effects.

One of the founders of organic farming was Lady Evelyn “Eve” Balfour, a British farmer who helped pioneer many production techniques central to the movement. In 1943, Balfour famously noted that “The criteria for a sustainable agriculture can be summed up in one word — permanence — which means adopting techniques that maintain soil fertility indefi-nitely, that utilize, as far as possible, only renewable resources; that do not grossly pollute the environment; and that foster biological activity within the soil and through-out the cycles of all the involved food chains.”

Organic farming was known simply as farm-ing until the early 1920s. Later, synthetic pes-ticides for controlling pests, herbicides for con-trolling weeds, fungicides for controlling fungal infections and large-scale growing operations were being introduced.

The U.S. landscape of small, environmental-ly friendly family farms began to morph into agribusinesses. But not all who succeeded gave up their green-conscious roots. J.I. Rodale is commonly regarded as the father of the mod-ern organic farming movement, helped found the Rodale Research Institute, and started publishing Organic Farming and Gardening

magazine. Beginning in the 1940s, Rodale provided the most informa-tion about chemical-free farming methods and was heavily influential in developing crucial organic production methods.

By the 1970s, increased environmental awareness and consumer de-mand fueled the growth of the organic industry. General agreement ex-isted on philosophical approaches, but no standards or regulations exist-ed in defining organic agriculture. Each state or certifying agent could determine standards based on production practices and constraints in their region. This decentralized approach prompted Congress to pass the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990 to develop a national standard for organic food and fiber production. National standards were not im-plemented under the OFPA until 2002. “Organic” then became a label-ing term that indicates that food has been grown following the Organic Foods Production Act.

All agricultural farms and products claiming to be organic must be guaranteed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved independent agency and must meet the following guidelines: No application of pro-hibited materials for three years prior to certification and thereafter while

licensed; no genetically modified organisms or irradiation (the Food and Drug Administration has approved a variety of foods for irradiation in the United States, including beef, pork, crus-taceans, fresh fruits, vegetables, lettuce, spinach, shellfish, poultry and seeds for sprouting (e.g., alfalfa sprouts); employ positive soil building, conservation, manure management and crop rotation practices; provide outdoor access and pasture for livestock; refrain from antibiotic and hormone use in animals; sustain animals on 100 percent organic feed; avoid contamina-tion during processing, and keep records of all operations.

Again, this was standard up until the 1920s. Remember the old saying? “Try organic food, or as our grandparents called it — food!”


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.

People You May Know

The small-big guyJoel Salatin (1957-) has

become a national leaderon small-farm high-volumegrowing from his fields inthe Shenandoah Valley.

The modern farmerJ.I. Rodale (1898-1971), influential agribusiness expert, helped develop

organic growing methods in the 1940s and 1970s.

tHE ORGANIC PIONEERLady Evelyn Balfour

(1898-1990), a British farmer and educator,and founding figure in the organic movement.

Organically grown foods might be the cheapest health insurance you can buy. Research findings are correlating environmental chemical/pesticide exposure with autism, Alzheimer’s,Parkinson’s and many cancers — no surprise when 55 million tons of chemical fertilizer are used in the U.S. annually alone.5.6 billion pounds of chemical pesticides are used worldwide.

In some quarters, organic is considered expen-sive and elitist. Organic food often does cost slightly more, on average, than conventionally grown food.

However, society bears the cost of conventional agriculture due to crop subsidies, a governmental payout to farmers and agribusinesses using taxpay-ers’ dollars to supplement their income, manage the supply of agricultural commodities and influence the cost and supply of such commodities. The cost to so-ciety is borne also in food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, antibiotic resistance, water pollution and other hidden costs to the environment.

The choice really comes down to buying responsi-bly priced foods or buying irresponsibly priced foods. That huge pile of conventionally grown GMO Arc-tic apples that don’t bruise at the grocery store might cost less money, but with organically grown foods, the cost is upfront. The FDA approved GMO apples in March, along with six varieties of GMO potatoes that refuse to bruise.

Organically grown foods might be the cheapest health insurance you can buy. Research findings are correlating environmental chemical exposures with autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and many cancers — no surprise, since 55 million tons of chemical fer-tilizer are used in the U.S. alone per year, and 5.6 billion pounds of chemical pesticides worldwide.

Many of these chemical compounds are retained in the soil and food as residue that, when eaten, can bioaccumulate in the body. Organic food is one way to reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals.

Organically grown food contains substantially higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and phytochem-icals than conventionally grown food. Organic foods contain up to 69 percent more of certain antioxi-dants, including vitamin C, thanks mostly to the fertility of the soil, said Alyson Mitchell, an associ-ate professor of food science and technology at the University of California-Davis.

“With organic methods, the nitrogen present in composted soil is released slowly and therefore plants grow at a normal rate, with their nutrients in balance. Vegetables fertilized with conventional fertilizers grow very rapidly and allocate less energy to develop nutrients,” Mitchell explained.

The more intense flavors in organic fruits and vegetables probably stem from two factors: The higher average levels of antioxidants and lower av-erage crop yields. The high yields achieved today through chemical pesticide use on some crops have come at the expense of nutrition and taste.

Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley runs one of the most productive and sustainable small farms in the United States. He urges “relationship marketing” — people taking the trouble and expense to buy directly from the farmer. His approach is outlined in his book “Holy Cows and Hog Heaven: The Food Buyer’s Guide to Farm Friendly Food.”

Salatin recommends local farms serving the near-by community, not organic food grown on a large scale to supply large grocers. This approach reduces fossil fuels burned in shipping. Fruits and vegeta-bles typically travel up to as much as 1,500 miles to reach the end consumer.

Community Supported Agriculture organiza-tions are a locally based economic model for ag-riculture and food distribution. A CSA refers to a network or association of people that have pledged

to support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest.

Once harvesting begins, they periodical-ly receive shares of produce. In addition to produce, some CSA services include farm products such as honey, eggs, dairy and meat. Some provide for contributions of labor in lieu of a portion of costs.

With summer approaching, the farmers markets are opening up. Consider joining a CSA, visiting an organic farm or doing some relationship marketing by reaching out to the growers personally. Plant a garden and enjoy the pleasures of creating your own sustenance.

It’s always best to buy organic meats and dairy products. At the very least, try organic food for three weeks and see what you taste and notice. Organic cooking can even be done on a budget — rice and beans are a cheap and easy way to start on this healthful journey.

Planting, growing, harvesting and eating delicious organic food that you grew is an enriching experience. The Seattle Tilth is an excellent resource at seattletilth.org.

Organic farming techniques are proving to be healthier for people and the planet. It is, in a way, a revival of past practices.


BEHIND THE STRAIN

GRANDPA LARRY

Pillows of smoke pour from my mouth with such exquisite candied-lemon flavor that I cock my head to the side in curiosity.

GENETICS: LARRY OG (LUMPSTATUS’ CUT) X GRAND DADDY PURPLE NO. 5

BREEDER: DUNGEON VAULT GENETICS (ORIGINALLY BY GRAND DADDY PURPLE)

FLOWER TIME: 65-68 DAYS

LINEAGE The lemon Larry OG Kush cut is a coveted cutting that unites some of the best lemon and Kush flavors. Taking a powerhouse like that and adding to it can be a tricky endeavor, but this wonderful strain pulls it off. Although I selected a pheno that only showed up twice out of two packs, the search was worth it.


DR. SCANDERSON

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HOW IT GROWSthese plants start a bit on the slow side, similar to many of the elite OGs. The pheno I selected for is slow to get started in the first two weeks, and compared to the others appears shorter, bushier and features more indica in its growth pattern. It sports a more uniform growth structure but it’s combined with deep, dark, three-blade leaves. She’s a medium feeder and responds very well to topping, creating a balanced and even pattern with little bending and training. In flower, she is also a bit slow to transition and doesn’t stretch much, a welcome change from other elite OGs. She can take flower formula and higher levels of P and C earlier than most Kush varieties. Like her speed in veg, she’s a slow and steady winner. You have to be patient with this strain because during her last 30 days, and especially the last two weeks, she really starts to flex. In fact, everything seemed rather average until those last three to four weeks. It’s at that point that she starts throwing triches out like an East Coast snowstorm, adding chunk and girth at an alarming rate. With deep forest-green leaves, the formerly green- and orange-haired buds begin to shimmer with unmistakable violet hues that are deceptively rich in color.

EFFECTSa nearly instant head change hits hard with a nicely balanced hybrid effect. The clear and inspired feelings I’ve come to love from many a sativa-leaning Kush is an excellent daytime medicine or anytime when inspiration is needed. With flavors like these, Cannabis enthusiast may not even need a second helping. With one bowl, I experience my scalp morphing into a rushing river, complete with waterfalls cascading behind my ears. It’s a gentle reminder of the indica heritage that makes this an exceptionally well-balanced medicine.

This is one beautiful, chunky, dense bud. Bulky nugs display the coveted “rainbow” look. The combination of evergreen and bright orange hairs is further accentuated by the dark purples that display the copious amount of trichomes. These blooms are definitely some of the most beautiful to be found on any shelf. Unlike other blooms with comparable looks and frost coverage, these flowers hit high and hard in the terp department. The danky Kush scent only dances momentarily on the senses before being overrun by a sweet and a bit of a sour Kush lemon candy fragrance that has a definitive Lysol and cleaner quality to it. Ground up and ready to roll, I get pungent redberry lemonade. Skunky, gassy, sour Kush flavors creep down my lungs and assume attack position as they explode with lung-busting expansion. Pillows of smoke pour from my mouth with such exquisite candied-lemon flavor that I cock my head to the side in curiosity. The flavor of these blooms is one of the most durable of any Kush variety I’ve sampled. Candied lemonheads and Lysol flavors stay bright and prevalent, giving way to a sour cucumber-melon taste. It’s rare that I come across Cannabis that has such potent and lasting flavors.

BAG APPEAL & SMOKE REPORT

With deep forest-green leaves, the formerly green- and orange-haired buds begin to shimmer with unmistakable violet hues that are deceptively rich in color.

PHOTO BY SEEDFINDER.ORG

oregon leaf - may 2015

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