san diego kush magazine may

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6024features inside

kush

10 | The Health Report: Blood Pressure by J.T. Gold

14 | Referendum: What Does It Mean? by Jessica C. McElfresh, Esq.

18 | Organics by Tyler C. Davidson

28 | Going Green with the Electric Bike by John Green

34 | Jim Squatter: The Kush Interview by Bill Weinberg

44 | Strain Review: Northern Lights by Aurora Borealis

46 | Hempful Hints by Bud Lee

48 | This Month in Weed History: Bob Dylan by Josh Kaplan

50 | The Plummeting Price of Pot Part III by Jade Kine

54 | The Tetracan Patch by Jake McGee

56 | Coachella 2011 Reviewed by Dillon Zachara

58 | We Dig This: Ocean Beach by Charlotte Cruz

64 | From Black Market to Free Market by Dan Downey

68 | San Diego Concert Roundup by Dillon Zachara

72 | Cinco De Mayo Recipes by Chef Herb

75 | Dailybuds.com Dispensary Directory

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san diego’s premier cannabis lifestyle magazine

24 Ice CreamAmerica’s favorite dessert, be sure to visit one of these great ice cream

shops. You’ll be glad you did!

42 Prestige PipesArtistic glass pieces for the 21st Century -- giving a new meaning to

“An Apple a Day.”

60 Cheryl Shuman Kush Magazine features one of our own -- The Nation’s premier

medical marijuana activist, survivor and passionate warrior fighting

for the cause.

62 EMERGENCY!If you need your medicine...San Diego needs your signature...now!

66 Patients Out of TimeThey gave up guns, booze, and nightmares, all thanks to marijuana.

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from the editors

m ay, the transitional month between spring and summer, the month of Cinco de

Mayo, college graduations, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, a salute to our soldier’s who have fought and continue fighting for our FREEDOM – yes I did emphasize FREEDOM, which the city council of San Diego and cities statewide, as well as states nationwide, keep forgetting about. In 1996 California became the first state to pass a medical marijuana ordinance and fifteen years later, cities like the city of San Diego are trying to refute that medical marijuana is a necessary medication that 10s of thousands of San Diegans depend on to cure their ailments or get through their battles with cancer, PSTD, AIDS, fibromyalgia, migraines, insomnia, chronic pain and a myriad of illnesses that marijuana has been proven to treat.

With the recent passage of two city ordinances that amount to an effective ban on cannabis collectives in the city of San Diego, this “in your face ban” has opened a new front in the ongoing, and at times unnecessarily aggressive, attempt of city officials in San Diego to deny the estimated 70,000 medical cannabis patients access to medicine.

On the date this magazine goes to print, the mayor of San Diego decided to do nothing!! Therefore by May 22nd, unless 39,000 signatures are gathered to put a referendum on the ballot, the ban will go into effect. “This is the fight of, and for, our lives,” says Fred, a collective director and a catalyst for the formation of The Patient Care Association of California (PCACA). “The house is on fire here. Collective operators and directors need to come

together by fighting for the common interests we all have: protecting patients’ rights to safe access, but also defending jobs for our employees and honoring the contracts and leases we committed to when we opened our doors.”

On page 14 and page 62 of this magazine are two very important articles that each and every person who reads Kush Magazine should read. This will tell you what you can do to prevent medical marijuana from being zoned out of the city of San Diego. Make sure you also go to www.pcaca.org, where you can get information about how you can get involved in fighting this battle. After all, many patients, including members of our armed forces who have fought for our FREEDOM need medical marijuana patients and advocates to fight for safe access to get their medicine. Kush believes this is a battle worth fighting. And we only have a short window to wage this war against politicians who just don’t get it.

On a lighter note, with spring in the air, and gasoline prices rising, be sure to check out the new electric hybrid bike manufactured by izipusa.com on page 28, or if you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo, check out page 72 where our own Chef Herb has created some delicious Mexican food recipes for the holiday (or anytime really). We also feature some incredible looking glassware by Prestige Pipes on page 42, including a beautiful apple shaped pipe and a Z shaped bong.

So PLEASE get involved, stop the madness and show the city representatives of San Diego that you are “mad as hell and you’re not going to take it anymore!”

Kush Editorial Board, www.dailybuds.com

v kushA Division of Dbdotcom LLC

Publishers | Dbdotcom LLC

Founder | Michael Lerner

Editor in Chief | Lisa Selan

Assistant Editor | Wasim Muklashy

Chief Executive Officer | Bob Selan

Business Development | JT Wiegman

Art Director | Robb Friedman

Director of International Marketing & Public Relations | Cheryl Shuman

Director of San Diego Sales | Charlene Moran

Advertising Sales Reps | Amanda Allen, Ed Docter,

Christianna Lewis, Denise Mickelson,

Quinn Mickelwright, Jason Moran, Fred Rhoades

Designers | Avel Culpa, Marvi Khero, Joe Redmond

Traffic Managers | Kevin Johnson, Alex Lamitie, Ryan Renkema, Jordan Selan, Rachel SelanDistribution Manager | Alex Lamitie

Contributing Writers Al Byrne, Chef Herb,Charlotte Cruz, Julie Cole, Tyler C. Davidson, Dan Downey, J.T. Gold, AnnaRae Grabstein, John Green, Josh Kaplan, Jade Kine, Bud Lee, Stephen M., Jessica C. McElfresh, Esq., Wasim Muklashy, Bill Weinberg, Dillion Zachara

Accounting | Dianna Bayhylle

Internet Manager Dailybuds.com | Rachel SelanDailybuds.com Team | JT Kilfoil & Houston

san diego’s premier cannabis lifestyle magazine

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On page 14 and page 62 of this magazine are two very im-portant articles that each and every person who reads Kush Magazine should read. This will tell you what you can do to prevent medical marijuana from being zoned out of the city...

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first thing that usually happens when you visit any health practioner is the taking of your vital signs, including blood pressure. They strap the cuff on your arm and listen with their stethoscopes as the tension lessens from the cuff and air pressure is released. Unless your blood pressure is abnormal, the nurse or other person administering your test may just spout out the number and say something like, “it’s fine.” Those two words are not to be taken for granted. Blood pressure is the gauge that keeps the body’s central nervous system on track and affects everything and every way our body functions and performs. So if it’s been a while since you have thought about your blood pressure, let’s take a crash course.

By DefinitionBlood pressure pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. During each heartbeat, bp varies between a maximum and a minimum pressure. The mean bp, due to pumping by the heart and resistance to flow in blood vessels, decreases as the circulating blood moves away from the heart through arteries.

The Numbers The blood pressure test monitors the systolic and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the pressure of the blood flow when the heart beats and diastolic pressure is the pressure between heartbeats. Written like a fraction, the top number represents systolic pressure and the bottom number represents diastolic. Normal range for adults is 120/80 or below. Prehypertension begins when blood pressure reaches 120-139 over 80-89. Stage 1 hypertension ranges are 140-159 over 90-99.

Prehypertension Prehypertension is the precursor to high blood pressure and most people who fall in this range can and will develop high blood pressure unless they adopt healthier lifestyles. When your doctor tells you it’s time to eat better, get more exercise and stop smoking, this is why. High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer” so it’s important to stay as far away from prehypertension as possible and get regular readings.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) High blood pressure is a common condition and affects most people eventually but can be controlled with medication. Maintaining healthy and normal blood pressure throughout your life is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy. High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart disease and heart failure and can go undetected without symptoms for years - another reason to check your bp regularly.

Staying in the Safety ZoneEssentially, we control our own destiny when it comes to blood pressure. The most important factors are diet, exercise and stress. A diet full of greens and healthy grains is a good start and you should get at least 45 minutes of exercise 3-4 times a week where you get your heart rate up and break a sweat. Go easy on rich dairy and fatty meats!

Meditation is an excellent way to maintain blood pressure. Learning to breathe and focus while relaxing the mind and letting go of anxieties is key to staying clam and keeping your heart beating and blood lowing smoothly. Even if you aren’t a practicing meditator, 20 minutes of silent or quiet, calming relaxation can help. As counter-intuitive as it may sound, you should find the discipline to chill on a daily basis. Blood pressure is serious business and it’s never too soon or too late to take care.

Be well.

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As San Diego’s medical cannabis community tries to decide the best way to proceed now that the City Council has passed a de facto ban on storefront collectives, many are considering a referendum. Which begs the question: what is a referendum and how does the community put one into action?

A referendum is a type of direct democracy – meaning that the people of the City of San Diego decide collectively how they wish to be governed. With a referendum, the entire electorate votes whether to accept or reject a law.

However, before the voters of the City of San Diego can decide whether to accept or reject the City’s de facto ban on storefront collec-tives, the referendum has to qualify for the ballot. This requires gathering signatures during the thirty calendar days after the medical marijuana ordinance goes into effect. Specifically, the community would have to gather 31,029 signatures from registered voters who reside in the City of San Diego, or five percent of the total number of city residents who voted in the last general election. Realistically, the community would have to gather at least 39,000 signatures in thirty days, because on average, the City Clerk disqualifies at least 25% of the signatures gathered for a peti-tion for reasons including illegibility, incorrectly writing one’s address, or the signatures did not come from a registered voter.

The City Clerk sent the medical marijuana ordinance to Mayor Sand-ers for his approval or veto after the second reading before the City Coun-cil on April 12, 2011. Under the San Diego City Charter, within 10 days of receiving the ordinance from the City Clerk, the Mayor has three options: approve the ordinance, veto it, or do nothing. If the Mayor approves the ordinance, it goes into effect. If the Mayor vetoes the ordinance, the City Council must reconsider the ordinance. Most likely, the City Council would override the Mayor’s veto. In that scenario, the City’s de facto ban on safe access would go into effect on the day of the over-ride. If the Mayor does nothing with the ordinance on April 22, the ordinance is considered approved and goes into effect without the Mayor’s signature.Well, the Mayor did nothing.

Now that the April 22nd date has come and gone, and the City’s de facto ban on storefront collectives has gone into effect, San Diego’s medical cannabis community has only thirty calendar days to gather the approximately 39,000 signa-tures needed for a referendum. That means that the community must gather over 1,000 signatures per day for the referendum to qualify for certification by the City Clerk.

At the end of the thirty days of signature gathering, the community must

submit the referendum petition to the City Clerk for her to evaluate it for certification. After receiving the referendum petition, the City Clerk has thirty calendar days to decide whether to certify it, meaning that she must determine through random sampling whether the community has gathered 31,029 genuine, correctly-written signatures from registered voters who reside in the City of San Diego in support of the referendum.

The City Council then would have ten business days to decide whether to repeal its new de facto ban on safe access, or to call for special election to be held within the next eleven months. In that special elec-tion, the people of San Diego would vote whether to accept or reject the City Council’s de facto ban on storefront medical cannabis collectives.

However, many believe that if San Diego’s medical cannabis community gathers enough signatures for a referendum, the City Council will not call for a special election. Instead, the Council will repeal its new de facto ban on storefront collectives. The City Council would repeal the ordinance for a simple reason: money. A special election would cost the City of San Diego approximately $3.4 million, funds that the City cannot afford to spare.

There is precedent for that rather than waste taxpayer money on a special election, San Diego’s City Council will repeal an ordinance when faced with a referendum. This past February, faced with a referendum that was funded largely by Walmart, the City Council repealed a zoning ordinance that required big box stores to pay for an independent study on how the store would affect the local economy, wages, and traffic as part of their application to open a location with over 90,000 square feet of retail space in San Diego. Walmart had denounced the new ordinance as a ban. To defeat it, Walmart pursued a referendum, hiring a signature-gathering

company. The signature-gathering company succeeded: they gathered 54,000 signatures in less than thirty days – 23,000 more than the 31,029 signatures required for the referendum to qualify for the ballot.

Faced with repealing the Walmart ordinance or forking over $3.4 million for a special election, the City Coun-cil repealed the ordinance, protesting that they had a duty to spend the City’s money wisely.

If the City Council is again faced with calling a special election for the steep price of $3.4 million, the City Council may do better with a second chance to do the right thing: repeal the de facto ban, allow lawful collectives to remain open to ensure safe access to medical cannabis, and redouble its efforts to enact reason-able regulation for storefront collectives.Lake APC is a San Diego law firm rep-resenting nearly 200 medical marijuana collectives. Contact managing partner Jeff Lake at [email protected] or (619) 795-6460

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have had great results both ways. Ster-ile systems work fine, as long as you stay ahead of the critters and never let them gain a foothold in your water sys-tem. Therein lies the rub, however - it doesn’t take long for an infestation to go from barely noticeable to killing your precious plants, and that’s a sur-prise no one wants! The other problem I’ve heard with this approach is the ac-cidental breeding of superbugs - just like prolonged exposure to herbicides eventually creates resistant disease strains that are much tougher to eradi-cate, the same thing can happen in your hydro system, leaving you with the scary prospect of superbugs that can toler-ate more hydrogen peroxide than your plants can! Alas, there is another way.

From the time we’re born until long after we’re gone, we humans are a teeming community of literally thou-sands of different varieties of bacteria, fungi and viruses. So many, in fact, cur-rent estimates are that there are 200 times as many microbes living on and in your body than there are cells OF your body! An emerging school of thought in medicine says that it’s not whether we have bugs that cause illness, it’s more about the balance and as long as we maintain that balance, we’re healthy. It’s the same in soil - the hugely diverse micro-ecosystem of microbes in the soil not only act to feed one another and the plant, they also act to control one anoth-er, so that unless things are out of whack the disease causing bugs never get the upper hand. So if this is the way things have always been, then maybe there is a way to put the power of bugs to good use in our nutrient solution?

It turns out that people are having great success with doing just that. It seems that making teas out of com-post and earthworm castings and then inoculating your hydroponic system with them works to ward off an inva-sion of disease causing pathogens by both supporting the plant’s own im-mune system and, in some cases, even by eating them directly! I won’t go into recipes here, they’re easy to find if you look around. They all cover a few points; first, brew your tea for a day or two to build up the numbers of benefi-cial microbes, and second, do not feed your microbes in your reservoir, rather, brew fresh tea (or keep the batch you whipped up in the refrigerator for up to a week or so) and re-inoculate your system every few days. This saves on buying lots of product and makes the additives more effective. Keep in mind that heavy doses of some chemically based nutes will work against an ongo-ing colony of anything in your water, and that the jury is still out on exactly how much beneficial microbes will im-prove the growth of your plants. On the other hand, just keeping the nasty bugs at bay should be reason enough!

So, if you’re concerned about taking the hydro plunge because of the horror stories you’ve heard about things go-ing horribly wrong, follow these steps and you’ll be well on your way to pro-ductivity levels and yields that will blow your mind! That’s it for this month, and happy growing!

Feel free to send any comments or questions to me at [email protected] and I’ll be happy to answer them!

Welcome back! Last month, I touched on some of the basics surrounding us-ing organic growing methods and using beneficial bacteria to your advantage when growing in soil. Since I knew the next question was coming, I am using this month’s column to talk about organics in hydroponic systems. There’s a debate currently raging out there about whether it’s best to go sterile in your hydro system or use bennies - and what, if any, advan-tages the beneficials might provide. An-other part of this debate is what to do with which kind of hydro system. Well, relax, I’ve done the homework and I am here to give it to you straight!

First, a little background about hydro systems - there are several types, and most of them have some sort of inter-ruption in their water delivery specifically to help combat the problem of root rot. That’s why ebb and flow, top drip and nu-trient film type systems all have an off pe-riod long enough to let the roots dry a bit. The extreme case is deep water culture, where the roots are submerged all the time without any breaks. Because of this, many people shy away from DWC sys-tems, thinking they’re prone to problems. The basics are important here; keep your water cool – 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit is best, well oxygenated with airstones, bubblers or waterfalls, and pH balanced within about 5.3 to 6.3, depending on what medium you’re using. Also, remem-ber that with nutrients in hydroponics, less is more, so start with your nutes at half strength and work your way up to what your plants can handle. With these basic parameters in place, you’re going to have fewer problems no matter what.

Second, let me say that people

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I didn’t think I could like ice cream any more than I already do until I set out to uncover the best ice cream in San Diego. Ice cream is such a great pleasure that I omit the word “guilty” from it. How could you feel anything except sheer joy when someone hands you a perfectly formed scoop of your favorite flavor on a sugar cone (Who eats the regular ones and why?). Favorite flavors are like religion to some people - very personal and not to be de-bated. Even little kids freak out when all they want is bubble gum ice cream and all that is available is chocolate chip. It’s not ok. So whatever it is you are searching for - a tried and true rocky road made from scratch or exotic flavors like pomegranate sage - San Diego has something for everyone.

Mariposa Ice Cream 3450 Adams Avenue San Diego, CA 92116(619) 284-5197 • www.MariposaIceCream.com

Mariposa Ice Cream is good, homemade, old-fashioned sim-ple ice cream and it is delicious. Their motto is “no gimmicks” and no truer words were ever spoken. Mariposa’s makes thick, creamy homemade ice cream with subtle flavors. The place is a very cool green and peaceful sort of joint with 60s rock icons on the wall and friendly ownership who make and scoop your ice cream themselves. They use only fresh ingredients and the proof is in the pudding/ice cream. Try the Mexican chocolate. Trust me…try the Mexican chocolate

MooTime Creamery1500 Orange Avenue Coronado, CA 92118(619) 435-2383 • www.nadolife.com/MooTime

The only thing better than an afternoon in Coronado is an af-ternoon in Coronado with ice cream. MooTime makes thick, delicious ice cream and has flavors like brownie batter and that alone sold me. The lines tend to be a little long because it’s so hard not to sample every flavor, so be patient. It’s worth the wait. With 1950s décor and a Pleasantville sort of atmosphere, go ahead and get lost in nostalgia while enjoy-ing a homemade waffle cone filled with homemade creamy brownie batter ice cream.

Niederfrank’s Ice Cream726 A Avenue National City, CA 91950 (619) 477-0828 • www.niederfranks.com

Niederfrank’s lets their customers know this: “Here at Nie-derfrank’s, we still make our ice cream by the most antique, inefficient, outdated and expensive process in the world. We think you will agree; the results are delicious!” They aren’t kidding. Their antiquated methods include making their ice cream in old-fashioned freezers, which apparently don’t blow air into the ice cream the way fancy new ones do. They make their flavor bases from real nuts and fruits and insist that their extracts come from 100% natural sources. Those are pretty high standards and that care and detail is noticeable in every bite. It’s real easy to tell when you’re eating real food and when you’re eating junk, and while ice cream is a treat, there’s certainly no junk to this food…just delicious, naturally prepared treats. Try the peanut butter and jelly!

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The market for electric bicycles has been rapidly in-creasing over the last few years and is expected to continue growing for the next decade across the globe. With millions of e-bikes already being sold in China and Europe, the US can look for a surge of e-bikes as consumers begin to see them as a cheap, reli-able, eco-friendly and efficient means of transportation.

From socially conscious techies in San Francisco’s Sili-con Valley and progressive epicenters of the Northwest business, to pleasure beach riders of Southern Califor-nia’s coast, hipster desert dwellers in Phoenix and other Green-friendly cities and college towns across the coun-try, throngs of environmentally-minded folks have already jumped on the bandwagon. Currie Technologies is ea-gerly eyeing this market for their IZip line of electric bikes.

The IZip Zuma is their excellent mid-level e-bike built with the purpose of capturing this wide demograph-ic that includes young professionals, baby boomers with active lifestyles, students, the weekend bike rid-er on an outdoor daytrip or the daily commuter. Heavy on design and boasting a grip of useful features, the Zuma handles all the cruiser’s bike riding needs.

The frame is built in the shape of a standard retro-style beach cruiser you see a countless number of zipping around college campuses or the boardwalk at Venice Beach. However, a quick glance at the bike reveals the

added components, which makes it leaps and bounds beyond a normal bike riding experience. While each IZip e-bike model varies to some degree on the de-sign and placement of the battery, on the Zuma, the battery is mounted on a rack over the rear wheel and yields enough juice for a range of 16 to 22 miles.

For riders who wish to move completely by the exertion of their own force, the bike can be used with the electric motor turned off and still provides a greater deal of enjoy-ment over a regular cruiser with its beefed-up aluminum frame, 7-speed gear shifter, front and rear suspension system, and alloy disc breaks. However, the true benefit of the Zuma, as with any IZip e-bike, is when the rider push-es the little red power button conveniently located within thumb’s reach on the handlebars. After a few pedals to build moment there is a sudden but subtle jolt as the 500-watt motor kicks in and takes over the work of the geared hub. Hills with a decent incline are handled as if riding on flat ground. A pull of the throttle located on the handlebars quickly gets the bike zooming up to its 20 mph top speed.

Overall the Zuma is an awesome bike and a bunch of fun to ride. It’s well made from tires to wires to seat cushion, and whether going to class, commuting for work, or just trekking around on an afternoon jaunt, the Zuma provides an eco-friendly and energy efficient transportation solution.

Check out www.izipusa.com for more info!

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Tell me about your work with Americans for Safe Access.Since I started, my goal has been to build dispensaries, train people how to grow, and give them legal training. ASA went around to virtually every early dispensary and gave trainings on what we termed “Know Your Rights” - which is really just, when the arrest happens, shut up, don’t say a goddamn thing until you’ve seen your attorney.

I heard you were also dispatched to Montana to try to get things going there.

Yeah, well I dispatched myself, basically. I have friends who live up there. The [2004 state medical marijuana] law had passed, but nobody had done anything for two and a half years. So I told my friends in Missoula, “OK, I’ll come up.”

I started working to build up the scene in Missoula. And I guess Missoula hadn’t had a radical for a while. I got there and set up a table with literature about medical marijuana, and the cops said, “No, no, you can’t do that, we’ll arrest you for that.” And I went, “Well, I’m not really prepared for an arrest today. Hey, I’ll tell you what. We’re going to do this again at both our convenience. I’m going to call you, and say I’m going to be at this corner at a specific time. You can count on that.”

So I got in touch with the Wobblies. I’m an old Wobbly, and the first free speech fight ever in the United States started in Montana, with the Wobblies, in 1909! I was like, “That was almost exactly a hundred years ago! This is gonna be great!” So I just put out a blast, I said, “I need freight-train riders, Wobblies, anybody - to Missoula! There’s going to be a free speech fight!”

I organized and I talked around town. And we set up a table. The cops saw us from around a hundred feet away. It was only me and another guy, but they had gotten some intelligence about who I was and what I was about, and how bad it would be to (mess) with me on this. So they just decided, “No, no, we’re not going to do anything. It’s now legal.”

Do you want to tell me how you became a medicinal user?

I broke my neck in December of 1994 and was instantly paralyzed from the neck down. It was a diving accident in Central America. I was in Belize. And I’ll tell you, it did not look good. I was taken to a jungle clinic, where a doctor eventually showed up and poked and prodded me and said, “Can you feel this, can you move that?” I said no. “You’re paralyzed.” He was really smart, I could tell. [Laughs.]

After campaigns to shut down the Livermore nuclear weapons lab and the Energy Department’s Nevada Test Site, he found himself working with the Cannabis

Buyers Cooperative of Berkeley or CBC - Berkeley’s first cannabis dispensary - and the advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA). Told by doctors he would be confined to a wheelchair for life, he is today walking freely - a testament to the human spirit, and the curative powers of cannabis. Reporter Bill Weinberg spoke with him at a coffeeshop near his home in downtown Berkeley.

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So you were rescued and taken to a clinic...

After I got hypothermic from being in the river, they knew I had to get out. So they went into the village and dismantled the altar from the church - the only large flat board in the village! So they put the board from the altar underneath me and raised me up. Now one of the side effects in males of a broken neck is priapism...like guys who get hanged. It turns out it’s true! So I was raised from the river on the church altar with a raging hard-on! Wouldn’t wanna embarrass ‘em! [Laughs.]

Eventually you were medevaced to Florida. How did that happen?

They decided I was stabilized enough that they were going to transport me into Belize City. And when I got there, they took an X-ray and showed it to me. I was missing one of my vertebrae. It was gone. You could see spinal chord naked, like a string, and my head was the f’n balloon! Fortunately, my friends in the states went to work and got my ass out of there.

I wound up in Bayfront Medical Center, in St. Petersburg. I got decompression surgery and then they put me in a medical coma. When I came to, I was in a mini ICU.

My friends had started to fly in. The first one to arrive, every time I saw him for the first two days I was like, “It’s so good to see you! When did you get here?” It was like the first time I’d seen him.

Then I started encoding memory. But I was contorting uncontrollably. I was on the maximum dosage of Baclofen, the pharmaceutical anti-spastic. My friends had taken me out of the hospital into this courtyard. And they wanted me to smoke pot. I was completely skeptical. I had just rehabed my lungs so I could breathe on my own. But they were like, “Dude, you’ve smoked pot before. It’s no big deal.” So I was like, “OK, I’ll humor these bastards.”

They held the pipe to my lips, and I inhaled. And as I’m exhaling, my body starts to relax. I’d been tense and contorting, and my whole body relaxed—for the first time since I’d broke my neck. All the muscle contortions stopped. And I was like, “OK. So... I’m a believer.”

Later, I began to regain function. I started to slowly build back the ability to move and to walk. It took two and a half years, all the way.And this was contrary to the original prognosis...

Yeah. The original prognosis had been that I would never move a thing. I was supposed to be in an electric wheelchair for life.

To what do you attribute the fact that you’re now walking?

You know, it’s complex. Some of it is physical, and some of is...maybe spiritual, even. I think the fact that I dove into a river and stayed in until I was hypothermic helped cut down swelling. That was helpful. The fact that I’d smoked pot twenty minutes before I’d broke my neck - that was probably helpful.

Oh?Yes. I do believe there are

neuroprotective properties of marijuana. How far do those neuroprotective properties go? They don’t really know. That’s why researchers are interested in me.

And you’d say that cannabis played a significant role in your recovery?

It at least enabled me to deal with the spasms. You see, when you’re muscles are all firing simultaneously, you can’t really move at will. That’s part of the problem with a spinal injury - for the brain to get a message to the proper muscle. Marijuana helped me do that.

I kept taking pharmaceuticals—looking for ways to knock out the pain - Baclofen, Dantrium, Carbamazepine - but the problem with being on those drugs is that you don’t get to use your brain for anything like...thought. About two or three years post-accident, I finally got rid of all the pharmaceutical drugs. Now, I just smoke pot. When I wake up the morning, I still contort around. I have to organize the muscles to get out of bed, stumble over and do a bong hit, and then... [sighs] OK, now I can function again.

Tell me a little bit about your life before the accident.

I’m originally from outside of Detroit. I was adopted. And I had some serious difficulties with my family...to the point that I started living on my own at the age of twelve. And I spent the next year and a half incarcerated. I closed the institution down. That’s where I learned organizing.

When did you get to the Bay Area?I got here when I was 22. I’d been

squatting in Detroit, and decided that

freezing my balls off in an abandoned building sucked, and it was time to leave.

So you started squatting in San Francisco and got involved in the Livermore Action Group...

Right. They felt that non-violence involved praying, sitting down, and waiting to be hauled away. But I was like, “What about mobile tactics? Keeping this place closed as long as we can!” They were like, “That’s violence.” I said, “No, violence is violence. This is just having a good time!”

This was the mid-80s and your accident was in the mid-90s. What happened in those intervening ten years?

Well, we shut down the Nevada Test Site. Seeds of Peace was formed as a logistical group that helped other organizations do really big public events. We provided portable kitchens, shitters, water, trailers. We could set up a city for ten thousand anywhere. And at the Test Site, we worked with American Peace Test. And we were successful—we took control of the test site.

We disrupted their last test in ‘92. By this time, glasnost was happening, so some Soviet generals came over to witness one of our tests - and they got to see us dancing on Ground Zero rather than a test! And the Soviets’ test site in Kazakhstan had already been shut down by fifty-thousand people storming it - which we helped inspire.

So now you’re living in Berkeley...Uh-huh. Causing trouble here.

Although I might be moving to Washington soon, to start a new dispensary, on a different model.

The economy’s for shit. People are desperate for work. So everybody’s growing pot, and the price keeps going down. All agricultural commodities have gone through a cycle of boom and bust.

So you’re anticipating a bust.Yeah. It will become so not profitable

that people will start leaving - and then we’ll go back into another boom cycle. The federal government is looking for a model as a way out of prohibition. If the only model they see out there is the alcohol model, which guarantees that somebody is going to profit and somebody is going to be a consumer, that’s what they’re going to go for. I don’t want to see another big industry. There’s got to be an alternative.

Bill Weinberg is a freelance writer in New York City. His websites are GlobalGanjaReport.com and WorldWar4Report.com

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Cannabis industry leaders from across the country have recentlycome together to form the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA),the first cannabis trade association in the U.S. NCIA is already working inCongress to address problems facing the cannabis businesses community –from banking to reforming unfair tax laws to eliminating unreasonable DrugParaphernalia statutes.NCIA is the only organization representing the cannabis industry on thenational stage and we need your help.For as little as $100 a month or $1,000 a year, your business can be part ofthe growing list of industry leaders that make up the National CannabisIndustry Association. Membership also includes member discounts, access to exclusive industry events, and a listing in our industry directory. Contact us to join or receive more information today.

National Cannabis Industry Association Phone: (202) 379-4861E-mail: [email protected]. Box 78062Washington, DC 20013

Tristan Blackett420 Science, HI

Cheryl BrownMMBA, CO

Brian Cook Altitude Organics Corporation, CO

Troy DaytonThe ArcView Group, CA

Steve DeAngeloHarborside Health Center, CA

Becky DeKeusterNortheast Patients Group, ME

Adam EidingerCapitol Hemp, DC

Etienne FontanBerkeley Patients Group, CA

Jim GingeryMontana Medical Growers Assoc., MT

Len GoodmanNew MexiCann Natural Medicine, NM

Justin HartfieldWeedmaps.com, CA

Wanda JamesSimply Pure Medicinal Edibles, CO

Dale Sky JonesOaksterdam University, CA

Rob KampiaMarijuana Policy Project, DC

Ken KulowChameleon Glass, AZ

Jill LamoureuxColorado Dispensary Services, CO

Michael McAuliffeSensible Nevada, NV

Erich PearsonSPARC, CA

Bob SelanKush Magazine, CA

Brian VicenteSensible Colorado, CO

Bob WinnickiFull Spectrum Labs

Joe YuhasArizona Medical Marijuana Assoc., AZ

NCIA Board of Directors:

NCIAkushad3_v.4 3/18/11 4:30 PM Page 1

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When a box gets delivered to your office and the first thing you pull out is an apple pipe, you have to wonder…how did no one think of this before? I’m not talking about taking a plastic lunchline knife and a paperclip and cleverly fash-ioning a pipe out of a stale cafeteria granny apple behind the gym locker room…because yes, I know, we’ve all been there before. I’m talking about the grown-up sophisticated version…the kind of apple that rests in the teacher’s desk, not on it. The kind of apple that doesn’t attempt to offer any nutritional value, but rather focuses on medicinal value. I’m talking about, of course, the glass blown apple pipe.

Yup.This, our loyal readers, is just one of the quirky takes on 21st century canna-tools that Prestige Pipes is carefully sending out from their warehouses one-at-a-handblown time. A quick scroll through their site and you’ll see everything from sexy bubblers to tattoo spoons to springtime chillums, lizard-like sherlocks, volcano vaporizers, and wide stemmed zongs (yes, Zongs).

Kush felt compelled enough to reach out to Robert Owsley, the company’s owner, to talk to him about his inspiration, motivation, and, well, whatever other madness we might be able to get our hands on. “The reason I call it Pres-tige is because I don’t have the talents to make the

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products,” tells us Owsley, “but I have a lot of respect and admiration for the glass blowers that do. I would like to give more recognition to these glassblowers in the United States that are trying to make a living.”

The inspiration came when he was out shopping for a new piece and realized that everything he was find-ing was “that same sort of psychedelic 70s, Cheech & Chong era stuff,” he tells us. “And I thought, well, aren’t we in the 21st century? Haven’t we moved on yet?” So he did a little research and “I was talking to more and more glass blowers that were of the new generation and they were frustrated by the fact that they had too few venues to sell their products.” Being in the warehouse business of shipping and receiving products already, he figured he had enough of the infrastructure and experi-ence to take on the role of filling that void, “so, in May of 2009, I thought, well, this would be something that could be easy to buy and sell and ship.”

Robert figured all he really had to do was play the middle-man between the glass blowers and the public, and furthermore, he’d do it all through a website. “Ba-sically what I wanted to do for Prestige was to sell products that weren’t normally found in head shops or in brick and mortar stores.” But don’t be fooled, he’s not playing the role of a distribu-tor – as a matter of fact, he refused to take bulk orders. “I don’t want to do bulk,” he states emphatically. “I can be more exclusive this way, and also, it’s less of a strain on the glassblower.”

Through statements such as that one, it was quite refresh-ingly apparent that for Robert, it’s all about the art and the goodwill of the medical cannabis culture. “I certainly believe that smoking is a way of curing ailments medical-ly and I think the more educated someone is about it, the more comfortable they’d feel about doing it and can make better choices for themselves,” he told us. So in addition to a virtual store with a uniquely personal experience, he created the site as a way to increase awareness and education.

“It could be intimidating for a 60 year old to walk into a head shop full of twenty-somethings and ask them how to use a bubbler or a vaporizer, but if you’re on a website, you can look at it whenever you want, and feel much better about what

you’re purchasing,” Robert recognizes. “People respond to being taught something…being given

the gift of knowledge.” So on Prestige-Pipes.com, you’ll find a full section detailing how to use each and every

piece and product Prestige carries, from the vaporizer to the bubbler to the spoon.

“If you’re a 60 or 70 year old baby boomer who’s sick of prescription pills and their side effects and recently turned to medical marijuana as a means of helping with your insomnia, glaucoma, pain or the effects of chemo-therapy,” Prestige Pipes provides “a great tool to use in the privacy of their own home,” Owsley empathizes.

“I didn’t want Prestige to just be another site to make money, where I’d buy a bunch of product and flip it,” he expresses. “I wanted something more.”

Lucky for us, he’s given it all. To upgrade your collection to the 21st century, or simply to learn how to use the pieces you are sure to soon have, visit PrestigePipes.com (and tell ‘em Kush sent you…)

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Northern Lights is one of the most potent dominant indi-ca strains available today. Originally grown in the Nether-lands back in the 80s, this Afghani heritage strain is known for its ease in growing, optimally indoors, but also suitable for outdoor growing. Although it is low yielding, grows 4 – 5 feet high, and is not particularly known for the weight of its buds, it takes 45 to 50 days for flowering and grows so easily that it is often recommended for the novice grower.

Known for its relaxing mellow high, and for eliciting euphoric al-most psychedelic qualities, Northern Lights has an earthy smell with a fresh scent. Many describe the high as a ‘happy high’ so I was excited to try this strain. Photos of Northern Lights depict the plants big broad leaves and large buds loaded with crystals. The bud I had was covered with trichomes and was moist, fresh, and airy. My friends and I decided to pack a bowl into my new Prestige Pipes apple pipe. The taste was fresh and slightly piney and very smooth. After two hits, I had a head high and experienced the cloudy memory loss that seems to be

characteristic of Northern Lights, but within minutes, this gave into a great body high and extreme relaxation. Since we were planning on watching a movie, this was a great high for this couch-lock oriented activity. I realized I was smiling the whole time, experiencing that ‘happy high’ that I enjoy after a long day at work. Of course, within a short time, I had incredible munchies. Nothing an entire bag of popcorn couldn’t cure…

The strain I sampled was tested and its 25.68% THC content puts it at the high end of the potency rating, especially for pain relief and appetite stimulation. After the euphoria wears down, total relaxation takes over, making it a great strain for treating insomnia. While Northern Lights aren’t typically recommend-ed for treating nausea, its proven medicinal uses for stress relief, bitchiness, anxiety, nervousness, migraines and head-ache relief as well as reducing depression and chronic pain are well touted. Definitely one of the best strains around, so be sure to check out the Northern Lights at your local collective.

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Hempful Hints

NothiN’ But the It’s a ruff world out there…the other day I’m chillin’ by this tree, and Charlie comes over and just starts barking up a storm about Big Moe and that crazy redhead he’s been chasin’. Apparently, they were seen around the backside of the park rollin’ around - who knows what they were up to: probably burying some bones or something - no really, she’s one scary bitch. So anyway, then Princess herself prances over like her shit don’t stink, and starts barking at me just for sniffin’ the hydrant on the way in – I didn’t even claim it with a shpritz…I tell ya, these high maintenance bitches are the worst. So she’s mad-doggin’ me at this point and I’m just staring back at her, like a standoff. And she starts kinda perking her lip up in what’s trying to be like a sexy come hither way, and the sunlight was hitting her just right. I was really taken aback, and I’m thinking the only way to really warm up to this bitch is to just be the Alpha-male, you know? Just then, she let’s out this huge fart, and it stunk up the entire place! She cleared the whole area around the tree. It was a disaster…even the humans were running…it was hilarious! We were rolling around for a while. That’s when she prances off denying it was her. Can you believe that dogshit? So, hey we’re get-ting together later for poker…you in?

If you, or anyone in your dog walking group has ever seen, heard, or experienced this scenario, or one close to it, then, well…get some help (or you really need to share your medicine with the rest of the group). But all joking aside, as animal owners, we must take care or our furry friends and remember how much joy they bring to our lives. In doing so (as humans), we are lucky enough to have the resources to share such info with other ani-mal lovers: the ability to spread the news about medical advances, breeding techniques, feeding and domesticating tips, training of animals, and, of course, general habits within each breed. These are the types of things that our animals depend on us for, and in return they look at us funny, like they understand us. And they do. They know when we need to cuddle with them, or when to run around and wrestle, or when we might just need that unconditional love they offer. These are the reasons that dogs in particular have become human’s domesticated animal of choice. Yes, there are cat people, and all the great farm animals that are somewhat domestic, but this is not about them. This one’s for the dogs… KUSH magazine continues to find new and exciting hemp products for you to use, and now your dogs can benefit from your eco-friendly ways, and support of hemp. With three new product lines and respective websites, we’ll let you and your pooch decide.

EArTHDOG.cOMwww.EarthDog.com, you will find an array of cool animal products, including solid hemp line leashes, beds & blankets, hemp chew toys, and designer Pewter medallions and key chains. There are also great items for us humans, like funny t-shirts, holiday ornaments, charity bracelets, posters and stickers. These make really unique gifts for the animal lovers in your life, and gift certificates are available. Maybe Fido’s birthday is coming up?

HEMpBASIcS.cOMwww.HempBasics.com have always had a huge line of hemp products for us humans like clothing, rope, oils, etc. Now they also offer a line specifically for dogs, with their Tug-A-Hemp rope chew and pull toys, made from dry-spun Hemp yarn, which is grown without any harmful pesticides, bleaches, chemicals or toxins. In fact they are 100% biodegradable. Fairly priced between $4.50 -$13.50, these eco-friendly items will bring you and Fido joy for numerous hours. Look into using their Hemp Seed Oil for your dogs too. It’s great for their coats, joint health, and also prevents chaffing of their paws.

NATurALWOOF.cOMLast but not least, check out www.NaturalWoof.com, where you’ll find an eco-friendly array of different leashes, muzzles, and harnesses, all made from strong hemp fibers and designed with earthy, vibrant colors. Along with eye and ear care products, dental prod-ucts, balms, salves and sprays, Natural Woof offers a variety of dog shampoos for all types of skins and coats. Whether Fido runs a little itchy at times, has odor problems, or just has a mangy coat that’s hard to manage, there’s a solution here for you. With all organic ingredients, both you and Fido will find a spring in your step. Check out their toys, beds, bowls and treats too.

So remember…who’s there for you day after day, week after week, month after month, through thick and thin, offering unconditional devotion to you, at all times? KUSH maga-zine! Just kidding (sorta). It’s your beloved dog! He or she deserves a little love this Spring, so check out these sites, and then you can tell all your dog park friends about them too (or, depending on your medication, perhaps your dog will take care of that for you…)

by BUD LEE

Dawg iN Me….

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On my recent travels through Europe, I found my iPod stuck on Rancid and their jackhammer gutter-punk riffs and beats, which led me back through The Clash’s catalog and the analysis of their shared influences of Ska, Dub, Reggae, Rock, and Punk, as well as their general stiff-upper-lipped viewpoint on the world. It seemed like a strange jump at the time, but I started “Jones”-ing for some Bob Dylan, and consequently, my entire trip was spent listening to these three artists. The more I listened, the more similarities I found: rebellious ideas through stories of protest and strife, with interesting combinations of strangely accented vocals and unconventional sounds. This really came full circle, and is an homage to one of the greatest singer-songwriters in American pop history: This Month In Weed History’s birthday boy, Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 21, 1941.

Dylan always wrote as a regular man with common everyday concerns. Rancid’s approach displays this same gritty work ethic, and also speaks to the common man. Their songs of left-wing political and social stances are sung with a whole lot of street cred and the mish-moshed drawl of a lower east-sider who’s lived in London too long - with a very wet bottom lip. This unabated notion of not giving a fuck, combined with really great songwriting has earned Rancid their stripes. And I’m pretty sure they are aware of how much they owe to The Clash, and Bob Dylan.

While Dylan may have never thrown a Molotov cocktail, or smashed his equipment in a musical rage, his going “electric” at the worlds biggest Folk Festival (Newport 1965) can now be considered as “punk-rock” a move as any - a whole decade before anyone knew who The Clash were. Bob Dylan may just be the most punk of them all. With the moniker of the “best” or “most famous” American singer-songwriter of our time, Dylan could have hung his flat-brimmed cowboy hat up long ago, but turning seventy this year, he remains a slave to the road, touring the world like some mystical Hobo, ever in pursuit of a fresh sound (having re-worked all of his old favorites countless times over). What’s more “punk” than never going home?

Dylan’s vagrant ways have become his norm. His Never Ending Tour (as it’s known) has been traipsing around the world playing nearly everywhere since 1980. Dylan’s song list is a cornerstone to Folk music, and he has fearlessly stepped into multiple other genres such as Blues, Country, Gospel, Rockabilly, Rock and Roll, Jazz, Swing, and even English, Scottish, and Irish Folk Music. Popularizing the acoustic guitar, as well as the keyboards and harmonica, Dylan has forged his sound far ahead of most of his contemporaries. His recognizable, and often mimicked nasal vocal quality is also a drawl of unique world travels - somewhere between Cowboy, Gypsy, and Creole medicine man, with the syllabic rhythms of someone new to the language, talking with marbles in his mouth.

This undeniable sound created by his voice, guitar, and harmonica is not for everyone, and some find it un-listenable. I, on the other hand have learned to really embrace his quirky styles. As Dylan gets older, and continues to tour, his live shows remain very interesting, and his counter-culture influences ever so evident. You want to see, and hear what he’s going to do next, vocally or through a new arrangement. This keeps his fans, and his band, on the edge of their seats. His vast set-lists leave the reigns in his hands, and all in the venue chomping at the bit to see which direction the stone will choose to roll next…

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The Green Rush Bubble

Most people without previous experience don’t dive into a new business in a new industry just because they heard the industry was doing well. If graphic design or welding sud-denly became the rage, people who had never used a com-puter or an arc welder probably wouldn’t think of starting a business in those trades even if the price of the commodity was rising (which it’s not in this industry). But for some rea-son, the medical Cannabis industry is viewed differently. I don’t know why, but right now everyone is riding high on the idea that even if they have no previous experience or back-ground in Cannabis whatsoever, it’s a perfect time to open up a Cannabis business. Don’t worry if you have no knowl-edge of the skilled trade itself, if you’ve never grown a plant or if you’ve never even worked as a budtender in a dispen-sary, “The Green Rush” is on and everyone in the Cannabis industry is wealthy, so go for it and assume it’ll all work out. Yeah, here’s a history lesson for the business majors. Most people who flocked to California for the Gold Rush didn’t actually make any money. In fact, most of them sank every-thing they had into land that never produced any gold. Far more people found bankruptcy than wealth. The only peo-ple that had financial security were the ones selling shovels.

So, for all the Cannabis industry professionals that are encouraging people with no experience to invest whatever they have into an industry based on a skilled trade that they have no previous knowledge of, you should really think about the ramifications of inexperienced individuals getting in over their head in an industry that still has many risks associated with it. As someone who spends a great deal of time educat-ing struggling growers and cleaning up the potential disasters created by people getting in over their heads, I can tell you that selling the idea of starting a Cannabusiness is a very danger-ous thing to do. I’ve seen several examples of dispensaries that opened after taking a weekend class on the Cannabis industry. Completely naïve but very eager, these businesses crumbled shortly after opening simply from lack of experience in the industry. In one very sad case, a poorly secured dispen-sary (that literally opened because they took a weekend class hyping the Green Rush) was robbed and the overnight secu-rity guard was beaten severely. Not only did the owner lose everything and all the employees were suddenly out of work

(one in the hospital), but all the product in the store was on consignment and now the growers operating on less and less of a margin all found themselves out of much needed income. In another case, a couple invested their retirement money in a dispensary only to lose everything in less than a year. Some-times I think the only people making money in the Green Rush are the people selling the idea of the Green Rush to people who are just seeking financial security in a bad economy. There are occasionally finances in the Cannabis industry, but there is very little security in them even when you do find them.

The idea of the Green Rush is by far the single big-gest factor influencing the market now. It’s responsible for the massive outbreak of both ignorant consumers and inex-perienced growers. The amount of superlative Cannabis is roughly the same now as it was 10 years ago, but it’s been diluted in an ocean of ho-hum buds. To find real chronic, dis-cerning consumers have to wade through lots of “pretendicas” - pot that passes inspection at a glance but is terrible once smoked. In the exceedingly flooded market, some Cannabis Stores that are unable to compete by turning over lots of high quality Cannabis, try to survive by focusing on increasing their margin. Many consumers assume that Cannabis Stores al-ways carry the best, but in the current market many of them just stock whatever they paid the least for. There are so many new patients every day who have no memory of better Can-nabis days that the shift in market quality is overlooked by many patients. Cannabis Stores that focus on quality and turnover and who pay their growers top dollar for premium Cannabis, always have better medicine than stores that do not. Many dispensaries are so focused on asking the ques-tion of “How little can I pay for this product?” that they forget to ask the more important question of “Will my competition pay the grower’s asking price to have this product?” If it is an outstanding product, consumers will travel to stores outside their usual shopping area in order to get it, so dispensaries that hold a hard line on a high quality standard will draw in more customers even if they have to pay a little more for the product. Instead of advertising how cheap their eighths are, they should advertise that they pay their growers top dollar. I bet the quality of herb in their store goes through the roof as growers with outstanding products start showing up again (along with the customers that follow outstanding products).

GROWERS GROVE

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Another Lawyer Joke

Recently, I was speaking with a few folks that repre-sent the current cutting edge of medical marijuana policy for their local area (ironically, none of them were growers). During a discussion of local rules and regulations, one cooperative op-erator told me that his lawyer calculated the expenses of grow-ing Cannabis and told him that he shouldn’t pay more than $3000 per pound of Cannabis because the expense “couldn’t be justified”. I told the cooperative operator that I’ve spent many years analyzing the economics of how much lawyers make versus how often their clients get screwed and I can’t find any justification to pay lawyers more than minimum wage. Besides clearly highlighting himself as an individual who has never grown a single Cannabis plant, this lawyer expressed a belief that many people who have never grown Cannabis believe – it’s soooooooo easy to grow. I mean, seriously, “it’s a weed”, right? Well, that might be so in some areas and you might enjoy smoking your moldy, untended, ditch weed; but fine medical Cannabis is something different altogether, or at least it certainly should be. I’ve never been out hiking and stumbled across a bunch of super chronic buds completely free of pests or diseases just sitting there by the side of the trail growing without care. Outstanding medical Cannabis doesn’t just hap-pen – it’s a labor of love. (Emphasis on the labor.) It almost always comes from controlled environments that require some expensive hardware. Maybe I should find this lawyer and ask him where he goes hiking. Or maybe it’s slightly more compli-cated than simply adding up a spreadsheet of items you imag-ine constitute a complete Cannabis garden (“Let’s see. Pots, dirt, lights – what else could there be?). Maybe fine medical Cannabis is a skilled trade with many facets, just like carpentry or welding or graphic design and requires a period of dedicat-ed apprenticeship along with the financial resources to build an excellent environment for cultivating fine Cannabis. Maybe the people who have spent many years dedicating themselves to the craft of Cannabis production are typically better at it, pro-ducing a higher quality standard that should be met with a mar-ket price that reflects an appreciation of everything that goes into producing fine medical Cannabis. Only those who’ve ac-tually grown Cannabis know what it really costs to produce it.

So what all goes into this “Premium Medical Cannabis”, anyway? Oh, nothing really. Except for the countless hours of labor, a controlled environment, tons of expensive electricity (or an expensive greenhouse), water, rent, nutrients, additives, pumps, fans, filters, meters, trays, pots, medium, inoculants, irrigation equipment, more labor, security, constant monitoring for pests and diseases, 50 trips to the hydro store, 100 trips to Home Depot, lots of sleepless nights and frayed nerves, more labor, blood, sweat, tears, dedication, experience, diligence, trial, error, waking up early, going to sleep late, air condition-ing, dehumidification, climate management, cloning, re-potting, pruning, staking, trimming, trimming, trimming, trimming.....hopefully it’s an easy variety to trim or else that part of the list would continue. Plus, you have to say goodbye to having a normal life. Suddenly unknown guests aren’t welcome, it influ-ences whom you date, vacations become impossible because

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the plants can’t take a vacation, etc. Now that’s a tough thing to put a price on and probably wasn’t on the lawyer’s itemized list of garden necessities. Even though the odds of getting arrested are somewhat lower now, you still have to cope with risks like armed robbery and burglary. Even without that, it takes a lot of labor and resources to produce. At any rate, it’s a lot more than most people give growers credit for.

The idea that Cannabis is “free” for growers is an illusion, like the idea that the drinks in Vegas are free. If you lose $100 at roulette over the course of 2 “free” beers, weren’t those actually the most expensive beers of your life? Similarly, the growers that still hang on to excellent, harder to grow, lower yielding strains only grow them only for their own head stash – they’re too expensive to grow if you’re not getting wholesale prices that justify it. They know all too well the high cost of producing fine Cannabis.

The bottom line is this. We’re currently in an era that is defined by a huge surplus of mediocre pot. As strains slowly disappear, and our genetic diversity dwindles in the wake of whatever is left getting crossed with the same few dozen common strains, we risk losing a lot of good medi-cine in the process. There’s a lot of herb out there and while competition in the market is fierce, new gardens that lack both the experience and the hardware to produce truly fine Cannabis need to be differentiated from older, established gardens with extensive climate controls that have been fine-tuned for success over many years. If you look closely at the products out there, you’ll find that they speak for them-selves when sampled with a careful eye and an experienced palette. Growers that have rare, outstanding products will eventually find it a good home – either at fine cooperatives that pay for quality or elsewhere with a little extra hustle.

It’s simple economics.

- Jade Kine(Growers Grove writer Jade Kine is a former greenhouse manager for the medical Cannabis industry with over a million plants worth of experience. He is also the founder of Can-nAcademy, a trade school dedicated solely to horticultural training for growers. Got a grow question for Jade? Drop him a line at [email protected] Complete bio at JadeKine.com)

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When Jim Alekson looks at the medical marijuana indus-try, he sees a promising yet scattered landscape. He ex-plains, “I think the issue at hand really is that no one, when they originally started approving marijuana legislation, ever gave any thought about just how large the industry is as a whole. I’m talking about the industry, not only the medical marijuana side, but obviously the entire industry of marijuana.”

Alekson doesn’t use marijuana, yet he still sees the benefits it gives to society at large. “We believe that there is a place in Amer-ican society for the medical therapies that are available through the use of medical marijuana. We find that there’s a lot of com-pelling evidence that it helps. And I know a lot of people that are currently in various states that have medical marijuana cards, and that they use it for pain control, arthritis, and other joint ail-ments, and it works very well as an augment to synthetic drugs.”

With this in mind, Alekson set out with his business partner- Chester Soliz- to figure out how to give the industry some con-sistent organization. This led to them developing the Medicine Wheel Project. “We’re looking at it from a much more busi-ness-like approach,” he says, “as opposed to what you normal-ly find in the industry at the moment. There are a lot of excellent business people, there are a lot of entrepreneurial individuals, but they’re not all working together, they seem to be somewhat fragmented. We’re hoping that we’re gonna be able to create a sort of central location, if you will, as a clearing house for all in-formation. We’re wanting to bring it all together under one roof, and then begin to see how the industry can be vertically ex-panded at the same time that it continues to grow horizontally.”

Their first offering to the industry comes from his other com-pany, Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems, in the form of Tet-racan, a skin patch that transcutaneously delivers THC at a certain dosage level over a set period of time. Developed in 2000 by Walter Cristobal, Alekson see it as “a clear depar-ture from the age-old delivery method of smoking. It really begins to move it into a whole different realm. For example, young people who are going through chemotherapy, you can’t very well feed them marijuana in its traditional way. But if you put a patch on, then now they’re starting to feel bet-ter, the nausea begins to dissipate, as we all know that hap-pens when using marijuana in its typical modality of delivery.

“Or patients who have lung cancer, they can’t very well smoke, and the patch allows them to be able to gain the therapeutic ben-efits of medical marijuana without having to smoke the product.

“I just think that there’s a real opportunity for the patch. Not to take over the industry, but certainly to be an augment to the industry, because not everybody likes to smoke.”

While the Tetracan patch is still months away from being available in stores, Alekson says they’ve been inundated by dispensaries across the country, wanting to sell the new form of delivery. “For example,” Alekson prides, “in Colo-rado, we’ve been approached by one particular distribution group that can get it into 300 dispensaries across the state.

“We’ve been talking with two major pharmaceutical compa-nies, who are interested in potentially coming with us, and manufacturing the patch for distribution within each of the states that have approved medical marijuana legislation.”

Medical Marijuana Delivery Systems expects to have Tetracan ready by year’s end. In the meantime, they’re hoping the Medi-cine Wheel Project takes off. “I think that it’s time that the in-dustry as a whole began to organize itself. Again, I emphasize that there’s a lot of very well-meaning organizations and very well-meaning people that are involved in the industry, but there doesn’t seem to be any overall organization of all the participants.

“Where we see ourselves coming into picture is, we’re brand new to the business. We look at this as an op-portunity to be able to take something that’s very frag-mented, and begin to give it some organization.

“Are we gonna do it right? You know, we’re gonna make some mistakes along the way, but we’re eventually going to accom-plish this. One thing about Chester and I is, there is no ‘Plan B’ in our lexicon, so therefore we will prevail as time goes on. It’s just a matter of working hard and getting the right people involved.”

ht tp://www.themedicinewheelproject.b logspot.com

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Every year in April, for a little over a decade now, thousands of music lovers and partiers make the annual pilgrimage out to the Californian desert for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Hippies and hipsters, bros and hos, Hollywood elitists, and every other type of person you can imagine become one for the length of a weekend. It marks the beginning of summer for many, and the beginning of festival season in the US. Many don’t shower, others don’t even remember being there, but just about everyone comes home saying that they had the time of their lives. I’ve been for the past 5 years, and despite the relative discomforts and lack of luxury, I have always missed it once I left. 2011 was a great year for Coachella - one of the very best. Below you’ll find the good and the bad from this year’s festivities

Arcade FireOne of the best shows I’ve ever seen, period. They had tons of energy, they were genuinely appreciative just to be playing, and there wasn’t a face in the crowd with-out a smile on. If you EVER have a chance to see this band live, you’re doing your ears an injustice if you don’t go. The #1 highlight of this year’s festival for me.

Kanye WestKanye’s got so many hits, this almost felt like a DJ set. But it wasn’t, and the man himself appeared on a crane in the middle of the crowd to kick it off. His set was broken up into 3 acts, featured feathered dancers, and was alive with the kind of passion and energy one should expect out of Kanye. You could tell that this show was important to him, and that his heart was in it 100%. True, he’s not a great singer. But who cares when the man is leaving everything out there on the stage?

SkrillexDo you remember liking koRn? Do you like dubstep? If you answered yes to both of those, then you would have loved this show. The Sahara tent was throbbing by the time koRn came on stage to play a couple songs with Skrillex, or Son-ny, and for a set that landed smack dab in the middle of the first day, there was an exuberant amount of energy. I didn’t walk into Coachella a fan of Skrillex, but I certainly left as one.

OFWGKTA (Odd Future)One of the most hyped acts coming into the festival af-ter a successful SXSW, Odd Future was very late, and really just sounded like crap. It just felt very uninspired. They are young, and may just be lacking consistency, so this is still a group that deserves another chance. But at Coachella this year, they were sub-par at best.

Cee-LoAnother late act, Cee-Lo showed up almost a half an hour late, citing a delayed flight as the culprit behind his time woes. Re-gardless, he was grumpy, had a lot of annoyed, hot fans await-ing his performance, and did not put on the kind of show that made them forgive his tardiness. Maybe next time, Mr. Green.

Animal CollectiveBORINGGGGGG. Not much else to say. They didn’t play their hit songs, and this was really just a yawner. Wasn’t a big fan going in, still not on board the Animal Collective train.

The StrokesDespite the arrogance and cockiness of this band of rich kids from the UK, it was one of the best rock concerts of my lifetime. The voice of Julian Casablancas is so infectious, you just get totally sucked in. Making many self-righteous comments that turned the crowd off, he teetered on the edge of losing us throughout...but with a voice like his and the tight knit set they put on, it really was an amazing show.

The CrowdSimply put, people seemed to be much nicer this year than in the past. It may have been the less strict security, but for some reason everyone just seemed to have a smile on their face, which made for an unmatchable atmosphere. People seemed overly approachable and friendly, which goes great with the amount of THC in my blood stream.

The ArtThe art installations are great every year, and this was no different. The glowing dandelions were probably my favor-ite, and the roller disco inserted in the heart of the camp-ground was an atmosphere straight out of 1976 (at 5am) like I have never experienced. The ferris wheel also add-ed a nice little carnival-esque atmosphere. Two thumbs up to the organizer of all that was not music this year.

The HeatEveryone knows it’s hot out at Coachella, but this year was rough. Flirting with 100 degrees all weekend, it was pretty difficult to spend an extended period of time out in the sun without wanting to pass out. Fortunately, wa-ter was only $2 per bottle this year, a reasonable price that allowed for proper hydration and fair consumption.

Overall, 2011 was a really solid year for Coachella. For those who camped (the right decision), there were a ton of fun ac-tivities and restrictions on alcohol were minimal. The wins and losses above are only a fraction of what happened over the course of Friday-Sunday. To fully understand the experience that is Coachella, you really have to make the trek for yourself. Hopefully 2012 will build on this year’s momentum, but don’t sleep on getting tickets...2011 sold out in less than 6 days.

(Editors note: While Dillon may have missed them due to the expected scheduling conflicts, it’s hard to wrap up this Coachella recap without at least mentioning Zack De La Rocha’s new band, One Day As A Lion…major win-ner! And yes, being that I grew up on RATM, I’m ex-tremely biased. YouTube them and you’ll be biased too…)

WINNERS

LOSERS

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San Diego is blessed with some of the most beautiful beaches in the nation and it’s not something we take for granted. If you are lucky enough to live here, then you know that the best part of any summery day is a few hours on our spectacular coast. If you’re a visitor, then you are certainly happy to be here from wherever you came. San Diego is blessed with Mediterranean sub-tropical climate, something that only 3% of the planet enjoys. Basically what this means is that we get the ma-jority of our precipitation in the winter months and ev-ery other day is sunshine and moderate. Perfect beach weather.

Every beach has a vibe as different as the surf breaks. This month we spent some quality hang time in the very cool, very earthy Ocean Beach.

Ocean Beach (OB) is a local’s beach more than any other beach in San Diego. It’s not so easy to get in and out of, which helps if you’re a resident looking to mini-mize tourist exposure in the summertime.

OB is a little town with a lot of culture, most of it being young outdoorsy types with a little touch of hippy. While some beaches are littered with volleyball players and athletic types who could easily be extras on The Hills or Melrose Place, in OB you’re more likely to find people on beach cruisers with environmentally friendly hemp

WE DIG THIS

grocery bags full of organic fruit from the farmer’s market rid-ing home with a dog in tow. Dogs are welcome on the beach here and the dog owner culture is very much a part of the town’s character.

Newport Avenue, the main street in OB is full of antique shops, head shops, tattoo parlors and bars. These sights alone let you know that OB is no la Jolla, nor does it wish to be. OB is the very definition of laid back and there is no room for fancy art galleries or shops that sell $500 teacups. If you want to grab a beer and a burger, OB is the place. There are plenty of healthy options for food including organic juice bars and vegan options at many restaurants. Sunset Cliffs are the place to watch the sunset (clever name, isn’t it?) and crowds gather every evening to watch the sun retire in the Pacific. The waves crash against the rocks and the unobstructed views are a great way to end a day. If you’re new to surfing, Ocean Beach is a great place to learn. The unintimidating waves offer the newbie a chance to try their hand at the sport without getting clobbered. There are several surf instructors and even a school on Newport Avenue that can help you get your surf legs on. And the crowds at OB? They’re friendly, forgiving and even helpful.

Ocean Beach—good vibes, good food, great weather and awesome views. Dig it.

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She was 3 years old when her parents divorced and separated. And it might have been the best thing that ever happened to her.

Cheryl Shuman, mother of two, successful optician to the stars, Forbes Magazine featured self-made entrepreneur, never saw it coming.

Cheryl’s parents, who had separated under un-amicable terms, announced they were getting back together and getting married on Valentines Day 2006, more than 4 decades after they had split. Cheryl, who was working in Los Angeles at the time, immediately packed up her stuff and drove cross-country back to her home in Scioto County, Ohio. “I was going to have a family again!!” she remembers excitedly.

But this excitement did not last long. Reality has a funny way of slapping you in the face in the most unexpected of ways. In Cheryl’s case, it happened as soon as she walked up to the door. One of the first things her mother said to her was “Something about your color doesn’t look right,” Cheryl clearly remembers. Her uncle had just recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died just three weeks earlier. While she brushed it off as stress and exhaustion from her demanding workload back in Los Angeles, mother’s instinct won the battle and insisted Cheryl go see a doctor. “So I did,” Cheryl remembers clearly. “Just to be safe make mom happy.”

But this didn’t make anyone happy. Rather, Cheryl’s entire world was about to be turned upside down. All it took was one ultrasound to immedi-ately determine that tumors had spread throughout her ovaries, bladder, colon, and uterus. “I was rushed into emergency surgery, and the doctors told me I probably wouldn’t live through the rest of the year.” After spending the next several months preparing for her own passing, all the way down to the brutal task of setting up her own cremation, she came to a point where she was getting sick of being, in effect, a dead body. After all, she was still alive. And in a testament to the power of the mind, she made the switch:

Cheryl decided that she was going to live.

Around this same time, through a chance meeting she ran across an old high school friend, Frederic Rhoades. Rhoades happened to be an organic farmer who was growing produce for clients that included Whole Foods and Kroger, as well as his own Rhoadeside Organic Market. As fate would have it, in addition to produce, he happened to have expert experience as a cannabis cultivator from a previous stint in California so, naturally, he sug-gested marijuana. At first she was extremely skepti-cal, for “I had never had a drug in my system. I’ve never even had a cigarette.” But as she began to take stock of the cornucopia of pharmaceuticals she was

ingesting daily “just to stay alive,” and as she thought of the morphine drip that she was depending on to numb her pain, she decided, “it couldn’t hurt. At the very least, I’ll die with a smile on my face.”

Over the course of the next couple of months, her use of cannabis helped wean her off the more than 2-dozen pharmaceuticals prescribed to her. Within less than 6 weeks, her outlook began to im-prove, her activity level was beginning to return to normal, and she began to regain some of the weight she lost through the treatments. While she began to feel and look better, and evidence in the form of CAT Scans and MRIs had shown that the tumors from the initial prognosis hadn’t gotten any worse, her battle had, in a sense, only just begun. The new tests had shown tumors that were not seen before…tumors that had metastasized to her liver. Once again, there was a timestamp on her life.

The clock was again ticking…this time, quicker than ever.

By this time, The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) had caught onto Cheryl’s story and invited her to the NORML Conference in San Francisco in 2009. This laid the foundation for what would eventually bloom into one of the most prominent and tireless activists in the nation. She had found what she was looking for...a respected community dedicated specifically to the ordeals that she had been facing. Cheryl Shu-man was invigorated. She soon found herself as the Director of the Beverly Hills chapter of NORML, which, under her direction, grew bigger and quicker than any chapter in the organizations 30-year history. “Cheryl Shuman is without question one of the most proficient public relations people I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” ex-presses Keith Stroup, founder and legal counsel of NORML. “She is a delight to work with and always exceeds expectations.”

However, all was still far from rosy. In April of 2010, Cheryl suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA), in essence, a mini-stroke. More often than not, TSIs are soon followed by a full stroke. While going through the list of medications with her doctor, she was cornered into admitting that she is a legal medical cannabis patient. This was the moment that changed everything.

“There’s no way you’re going to ever get a liver transplant Cheryl,” expressed her doctor. “Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug.” On top of it all, she was in-formed that her insurance would also be cancelled. Not exactly what a stroke patient wants to hear. Be-fore he could finish what he was saying, she looked over at Frederic, “we need to get out of here. NOW!”

That very afternoon, there was a city council meeting in Los Angeles that was hearing the case

Cheryl Shuman:

The grass keeps getting greenerby wasim muklashy

cheryl and Tommy chong

cheryl with ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer

cheryl with NOrML Women’s Alliance Sabrina Fendrick

cheryl with Melissa Etheridge

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for and against closing the city’s dispensaries. Cheryl and Frederic literally left the hospital and headed directly to the meet-ing. “I had never spoken in front of city council,” remembers Cheryl. “I had to fight back tears and emotions, but when my name was called, I tried to condense a lifetime of experiences into 60 seconds of testimony. I was terrified and intimidated, but felt like I had to say something.”

“I had no idea that video cameras were captur-ing my testimony and I certainly had no idea that the video would be spread virally throughout the Internet and make it to other news outlets.” This, in effect, played a huge role in saving her as well as helping to put a precedent in motion for patients to come. Because of the pressure the media was putting on the insurance giant, Aetna, rather than cancel her policy, helped push her through the red tape and got her into the UC Davis Oncology Treatment program.

But Aetna’s ‘goodwill’ only lasted until the media frenzy died down. Once her premiums were raised to almost 3000 a month, Cheryl was forced to drop it…at a time she was requiring 24-hour care. Around this very time, Michigan’s 420 University approached her. She was introduced to various cannabis-based treatments spearheaded by Dr. Robert Melamede, prominent University of Colorado biologist and premiere researcher of endocannabinoids, especially relating to their medical uses in combating cancer. “They told me about all these uses of cannabis I had never heard of including cannabis oil capsules, the juicing, and eating the raw leaves, and all these different diseases that had been cured by employing some of these methods,” Cheryl remembers. “So when he asked me if I would be willing to be a guinea pig for some of his experimental methods, I said certainly.”

Once again, she began seeing immediate results. Her strength was regained, her appetite began to come back, her nausea decreased, and she was able to live a semi-normal life again. Kush Magazine was so intrigued by her story, they felt compelled to bring her in and offer her a job. They figured, who better than Cheryl and what better than the success of Cheryl’s story to help propel the movement of medical cannabis to the next level?

Her newfound energy and life has quickly catapulted her into the position of being one of the most influential medical cannabis activists alive to-day. “It appears that people are responding and I’m happy to try to make a difference,” she expresses. “Now I realize that we need to educate the main-stream as to how these laws are truly impacting pa-tients, families, and the community as a whole. The legal system is confusing at best. We need to clarify concise, and consistent legislation.” So, in addition to her full-time work as the Director of Interna-tional Marketing & Public Relations with Kush, Cheryl is a member of the Steering Committee and Board of Directors for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), she’s a National Ambassador for Americans for Safe Access (ASA), and has volunteered alongside Sarah Lovering for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), and way too many other accolades to list here.

“I don’t know how it works, I don’t know why

it works, but I know that it seems to be working and I’ve literally dedicated each and every minute of the rest of my life to educating people about the benefits of this plant and how it’s worked for me,” she manages to squeeze out between tears. “I feel it’s my moral and ethical obligation to do so.” And she’s doing it with a fierce determination reserved for someone who’s life literally depends on it, the very fierce determination that could save other people the harrowing experiences she has been through. As a matter of fact, her case could be the first case in U.S. history to be accepted for FDA clinical trials, leading to legalization, decriminalization, or, at the very least, reclassifying it from a Schedule 1 drug, which says it has no medicinal benefits, to at least a Schedule 2, that states there is at least currently accepted medical uses in the States.

“When we have full legalization, with a tax and regulate business model, the world will see the true benefits of this miraculous plant,” Cheryl expresses. “We will see health improved for mil-lions not only through cannabis medicines, but through the funding of educational programs, mental health programs, support for our veterans suffering from PTSD and other health issues.”

Until that point, Cheryl will not slow down. In addition to all her activist work, Cheryl Shu-man, along with her business partner Frederic Rhoades, have started a small farm in Northern California, where they grow fully organic me-dicinal cannabis that they provide through their private non-profit medical marijuana collective, “Shaman Therapeutics.” Also, Kevin Booth, direc-tor of Showtime’s wildly popular documentary “American Drug War,” has deemed her story so vital to the movement, he decided to prominently feature Cheryl in the upcoming follow-up, “Ameri-can Drug Wars II – Fight For Your Life.” “We’re really setting out to expose the professional side and look of this industry, and I think Cheryl is a really good spokesperson for this,” explains Booth. “She’s someone that people will take seriously.”

Needless to say, Kush Magazine is absolutely honored to have such a fierce and tireless warrior on their side. “Her work ethic is incredible, and it’s a pleasure to have her affiliated with Kush magazine,” expresses Editor-in-Chief Lisa Selan. “She fills a void that the industry desperately needs; genuine passion mixed with a professional-ism seldom seen these days.” “She’s an absolute go-getter and is the perfect bridge between us and the community,” adds Kush CEO Bob Selan. “Cheryl brings extreme value and legitimacy to the movement and her positive and energetic disposition about life, especially considering her own personal experiences, continues to awe and inspire us on a daily basis.”

With films such as “Medical Cannabis and Its Impact on Human Health,” and Len Richmond’s “What if Cannabis Cured Cancer,” along with high quality research becoming more readily pursuable and available, the minds (and pockets) of influ-ential medical, political, & culturally influential forces are opening up, all due in no small part to warriors like Cheryl Shuman, who seems to have taken pleasure in leading the charge.

Cheryl Shuman:

The grass keeps getting greener

Keith Stroup and cheryl Shuman

cheryl and Joe rogan

cheryl and Danny Glover

cheryl and Governor Gary Johnson

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The recent passage of two city ordinances that amount to an effective ban on cannabis collectives has opened a new front in the ongoing, and at times unnecessarily aggressive, attempt of city officials in San Diego to deny the estimated 70,000 medi-cal cannabis patients access to medicine. Even before it became official, the city attorney had sent out blanket letters to landlords informing them of the city’s intent to issue citations enforcing the city-wide shut down of all collectives within 30 days. Patient-rights groups, activists, and now, a new group comprised of collective directors, The Patient Care Association of California (PCACA), have all vowed to fight back by taking this issue to the

voters - or the courts, if necessary.“This is the fight of, and for, our lives,” says Fred, a collective

director and a catalyst for the formation of PCACA. “The house is on fire here. Collective operators and directors need to come to-gether by fighting for the common interests we all have: protect-ing patients’ rights to safe access, but also defending jobs for our employees and honoring the contracts and leases we committed to when we opened our doors.”

The gravity of the impending city actions has brought 40 collectives, representing over 20,000 patients, together under one roof for the first time in San Diego history. Committed to provid-

You need your

medicine?

Then we need

30,000 signatures

in 30 days!

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ing a unified voice for the city’s medical cannabis community, the founding directors of PCACA developed a two-pronged strategy to combat the city’s assault on the community.

The immediate goal, according to Will, another key figure in the formation of PCACA, is to qualify a special election referendum to overturn the new ordinances (in other words, return to the regulations in force prior to the ban). This will require the medical cannabis community to gather over 30,000 valid signatures in 30 days. This, however, is limited in its long-term effectiveness because even if the PCACA proves successful, the city can simply change the ordinance slightly and re-introduce the ban again…a perpetually never-ending cycle of tit for tat. However, this strategy can lead to a respite in the city’s attack, whether temporary or permanent, as well as give PCACA the leverage to bring the city to the table to negotiate a settlement.

The second prong of the strategy is to field an initiative in the primary elections in 2012. Whereas the referendum mentioned above reverts to the previous governing language, an initiative actually becomes the law of the city, effectively overriding the ordinances that are currently being implement-ed. PCACA says its main goal in fielding an initiative would be to put some good formal law on the books implementing zoning regulations similar to the recommendations made by the Medical Marijuana Task Force. Specifically, sanctioned collectives should be allowed to open in all zones other than residential as long as a collective is away from sensitive uses such as schools.

A third and final option, one which some collectives plan to take regardless of the electoral strategy, is to file suit and get a court-ordered injunction to halt the mandatory closures while the legal case works its way through the court system.Regardless of which strategies are deployed, collectives, patients, and their supporters will still be forced to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and campaign expenses just to defend their right to access - money better spent continuing to serve patients.

According to the PCACA, collectives contribute $5.5 mil-lion dollars in city tax revenue, $4 million annually in rent, and employ over 1,000 people in the city. Overall, collectives gener-ate approximately $500,000 a day in total business and trade activity. “The frustrating part,” offers collective director Rose, “is that the Collective community wants to be a good citizen. We pay taxes, we hire people, we have been compliant with the laws, asked the city for guidance, adjusted our collectives ac-cordingly, and this is what we get in return – a de facto ban.”

Echoing this sentiment, Stephen, a local activist, states that “the City Council has built an empire of irrationality around medical cannabis use. They have aggressively arrested handi-capped persons in the past, and now, despite the fact that we

are still in The Great Recession, they want to halt economic activity that brings in taxes, creates jobs, and pays rent. It just doesn’t make sense.”

So PCACA couldn’t be coming together at a better and more opportune time. In the first month of the organization’s existence, approximately 50 of the city’s 150 collectives have already signed on and Fred expects more as the word gets out about the draconian measures in place. In fact, one of the key reasons for bringing the collectives together is to help them understand the complex legal and political issues now con-fronting their livelihoods. As this test of political wills unfolds, patients in need of medication are left contemplating how the loss of access to their medicine will impact their well-being. Wheel-chair bound from a recent surgery, Simon, a patient at a local col-lective in the Hillcrest region of San Diego, is tired of the politics being played around a medicine that is critical to him for managing pain. “I wish they would stop talking like they know anything about medical cannabis,” he expresses. “The politicians don’t listen to the people and this action by the city will force me back to my old methods of acquiring medicine, which means no control over the quality and no guarantees that pesticides weren’t used,” Simon laments. “The games these people play are getting old.” Bobbie Brown, a patient at Ocean Beach Wellness Center, commented on the new rules, “It’s unfair to me, it’s unfair to the collectives, and it’s unfair to everyone involved. Tell the mayor,” she continued, “that it isn’t right that he makes me into a criminal for needing my medicine.”

Once again, the City has launched a full frontal assault on the choices people make regarding the private choice of medicine. The strategy of SWAT raids, followed by subsequent failed prosecutions, has been replaced with the bureaucratic equivalent: using zoning and other regulatory minutiae to squeeze the life out of the medical cannabis community in San Diego. PCACA and their allies will continue to fight back using the tools of democracy, elections, and, if need be, the courts to send a message to the tone-deaf politicians:

“The people have voted to have medical cannabis, we are here to stay and want fair and consistent rules to play by.”Please visit www.pcaca.org where you can find more informa-tion on how to participate, where to donate, and how else you can help keep your local collectives open. After all, access to your medication completely depends on it.--Stephen M is a political activist, cannabis business consultant, and the Director of Medical Compassionate Caregivers. He can be reached at HYPERLINK “mailto:[email protected]”[email protected]

“These days, it appears that the last refuge of petty tyrants is the local planning commission.”

–Anonymous Political Scientist

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Cannabis industry professionals work to increase the legitimacy of medi-cal marijuana businesses and transform the sale and production of a federally controlled substance into an emerging economic engine.

Marijuana is a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. This is a fact. It’s also a unique challenge for businesses in the cannabis industry. So, how do businesses successfully navigate the production, sale and use of a federally controlled substance? Many in the medical cannabis industry are finding out, often by costly trial and error.

But trials and errors do not a viable business make, particularly when a business is just starting out, or considering an expansion. Investors aren’t going to place money into half-baked businesses operating in direct opposition to Federal laws. Furthermore, navigating legal gray areas can be treacherous and devastating for any sized business.

The cannabis industry changes every day. The insight and expertise earned through experience in the industry is indispensible. Legislation, municipal guidelines, national leadership all impact the industry as a whole, probably more so than any other industry in history. In order to address inherent and emerging issues confronting cannabis business owners, a handful of professional services firms have joined together to develop a reliable resource for the cannabis industry, The Business Park.

The Business Park partners found that what businesses need are agencies and organizations that understand the intricacies of the indus-try, professionals who can appreciate the unique challenges cultivators, dispensary operators, product manufacturers and suppliers face in the community and the industry at large. Guardian Data Systems, a found-ing partner says: “Our clients constantly ask us who to trust for taxes and accounting services. Some even ask who we should use to advertise our business. The Business Park provides that portal, the professional resources our clients are asking for.”

So, while common business acumen does not condone a purely “trial and error” approach, State legislation, compassionate use laws and a general ac-ceptance of medical marijuana as a viable alternative medicine, have prompted massive growth in the cannabis industry over the last several years; this in an industry which, according to Federal guidelines, is trafficking in contraband.

How, then, does an industry go from black market to free market? How do dispensaries, cultivators, caregivers and manufacturers comply with state and local medical cannabis guidelines and operate businesses free of constraint and criminality? They employ the help of industry supporters and experienced service professionals. They look towards The Business Park.

The medical cannabis industry is exploding. The massive influx of entre-preneurs and investors flooding the medical marijuana industry might not be unlike the flood of fortune seekers heading West in the middle of the nine-

teenth century. And, not unlike the Gold Rush of the 1850s, there are more than a few speculators, carpetbaggers and snake oil dealers setting up shop in states across the nation. The Medical Cannabis industry yields tremendous opportunity, both for success as well as for failure. Smart business owners and entrepreneurs do their homework, they work with professionals who know their industry and in an industry like medical cannabis, with so many gray areas and legal issues, business owners can’t be too careful.

“When dealing with our advertisers on many occasions,” says KUSH Magazine, “we are asked about basic business necessities such as who pro-vides insurance, merchant services, security systems, or other professional services. The Business Park has proven to be a good source of quick and thor-ough answers to many of these questions.”

Every Business Park partner and affiliate maintains a standing client base in the cannabis community and understand the changing guidelines and business needs of this burgeoning industry. They also know the inherent dangers. And what better way to combat shortfalls, missteps and potentially catastrophic mistakes than by enlisting the expert advice of those experienced in the industry. According to Mike Aberle, a founding partner, “each member of The Business Park has been qualified and proven to uphold select standards, and partners frequently utilize each other to fulfill their own needs.”

Flashfog, a commercial burglary protection company and founding member, has been working with companies from The Business Park for some time. “The professional services offered were just what our clients needed.” Specialists in their own fields, The Business Park partners understand the markets, the vendors and the mutability of this burgeoning industry.

As the cannabis industry continues its trajectory towards legalization and decriminalization nationally, and as investors, entrepreneurs and opportunists continue the Green Rush into the medical marijuana industry, one group will con-tinue its support of this legitimacy and work to maintain integrity and honesty in the community. The Business Park will continue to promote the legitimacy and support the viability of the industry and will work to move medical cannabis culti-vation, sale and distribution from a black market trend to a legal economic engine.

More information about The Business Park and links to Business Park partners is available at www.thebusinesspark.org

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Patients Out Of time:

JohnnyBetween 1987 and 1992, I became involved with a

Veterans Health Administration and Agent Orange Class Assistance Program that funded Vets, acting as peer counselors, to search out and offer aid to fellow Veterans. All the counselors who did the fieldwork fought in Vietnam, as did almost all of the clients or patients.

There were a small number of women in the group, all nurses of the Army and Navy. The majority of the guys were Army or Marine enlisted, a smaller number of Navy “brown water” sailors and a few from the Air Force. The closer you came to death every day, and there were many ways to observe that act, the likelier a Vet was to be diagnosed with post traumatic stress (PTS).

I was the only counselor to have served as a Commissioned Officer and I doubled as the Contract Administrator for the multi thousand dollar grants we used to help Vets in the Appalachian region of Virginia and West Virginia. I had about 200 guys I worked with over those years. Johnny was one of those guys.

Johnny worked at a wood yard, as did his son. His boss had called us one day looking for someone to talk to Johnny…get him some help. I showed up late one afternoon and met the boss, who was younger than Johnny and I by a dozen years. Johnny was his friend as well as an employee and he was drinking himself to death. Johnny’s boss was sure it had something to do with Vietnam.

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Johnny and I saw each other every week for months. He was on parole for pistol-whipping a bar patron who thought the little guy in the corner of the room could be bullied. Johnny took that bar patron for a ride of terror before knocking him in the head and dumping him and his car in a big ditch. I took Johnny for rides through the tree-lined roads of the county, away from the saws, the noise. He was angry and drinking incessantly, doing lines of coke whenever he could get his hands on it.

My job was to find a way to get him to talk out his pain, the emotional scars he carried along with their live-in demons. Talk we did - about his homecoming, a day late he said to me, because if he had been there when the flood came, he could have saved his family; father, mother, two sisters and younger brother. He was convinced that he could have saved them (or at least died with them), but the Marines had him in a stockade for acting up when he came to the states, for refusing to get a “getting out” haircut, for telling a sergeant to go to hell. Guilt is a primary factor in PTS and Johnny had more than enough because he had not been at home when he could have been.

This was on top of a tour of duty that young 19-year old Marines like him endured in the endless jungles of danger. He was a gunner on an armored vehicle. Four fifty-caliber machine guns fired at his command with the power to blow an engine block to pieces. One night he and his friends found themselves under attack. The next morning, in front of his guns, he found over 400 dead men…but he was untouched. It was 20 months of talk before he remembered that morning, that night, and when he did…he cried for a long, long time.

It had not taken the counselors long to determine a trend among the Vets. Some drank to excess and, like Johnny, took any other intoxicating drug they could find. Then there were those who did not drink or do coke or take pills. They used cannabis instead.

Johnny told me he could not sleep more than a couple of hours at a time - an exhausted rest at best. He told me he could not relax, his appetite was reserved strictly for alcohol and being unconscious. I urged him to use cannabis and he did. He stopped the coke cold. His alcohol intake decreased to only a few beers a day. And he slept. He slept.

A cannabis researcher in Italy has coined a phrase about the endocannabinoid system. It helps us eat, sleep, relax, protect, and forget. Cannabis is the only plant that has phyto-cannabinoids (made within the plant) that are similar to the endogenous cannabinoids (made within the body) recently discovered in the human body. When I use cannabis I do not dream and I told Johnny that and I told him that he could sleep again too if he used cannabis. It

would help him eat again…real food. It would help him relax for a while, and concentrate on good thoughts and forget the painful images he carried in his head and while these positives were replacing the negatives, his body would enjoy a return to homeostasis from feeding his system with cannabis compounds.

Johnny called me a couple of years later, after I no longer worked as a counselor. He wanted me to know that he was fine now. “You helped me man,” he said. Straight up. He then proceeded to tell me that he stopped drinking, was married now, his son was with him, and he still used cannabis every day.

Surprisingly, especially after hearing a story like this, it may be hard to believe that in the US, military Veterans like Johnny are denied the use of cannabis for any purpose in 34 states. Furthermore, in the 15 states with medical marijuana laws, an illogical and ignorant law-enforcement–and-lawyer-generated medical protocol for medical cannabis use is in place. These “medical marijuana” programs are morally unjustified, medically unsound and designed by men and women with no medical training at all. Johnny and I use cannabis illegally in Virginia to help us cope with the trauma we endured, for what we did for our country…things that these politicans and lawyers could never imagine in the worst of their worst nightmares.

That is not right.So I’ve got a suggestion for the citizens of the US. A suggestion that I feel is fairly decent and not out of line. Please support your troops by allowing doctors and nurses, rather than lawyers and politicians, to take care of Johnny and me and the other Vets. He and I and they have had enough of what this country has not done for us, especially after what we have done for this country, and allowing Veterans the use of clinical cannabis would be a great start on remedying that situation. Is that really too much to ask?

Take care, Al Byrne for Patients Out Of Time

Patients Out of Time is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating health care professionals and the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis.

I choose to drop the “D” for disorder, making it PTS rather than PTSD. The symptoms of post traumatic stress are a NORMAL response to an ABNORMAL stress. It is an insult or added stress to diagnose someone who has undergone severe trauma with a disorder. Some choose to call it post traumatic stress syndrome.

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TV On The Radio 5.02.11 @ 4th & BBrooklyn’s TV On the Radio make their way to 4th and B in San Diego for a night of post-punk/electro/soul jammin’ (just listen). The group has released several EPs and three acclaimed albums since their formation in 2001, including Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes (2004), Return to Cookie Mountain (2006), and Dear Science (2008). Upon the completion of their latest album Nine Types of Light, bass guitar and keyboard player Gerard Smith was diagnosed with lung cancer, and will be unable to participate in this tour due to treatment. Things look positive though. According to their site, “Gerard is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care. Already we have seen dramatic results.” Some notable outside contributors to this large family of a band include David Bowie, Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Kazu Makino of Blonde Redhead. If you haven’t seen them live, get to 4th and B for this show. tvontheradio.com

This Page: Zion | & the Grouch Right From Top: The Diplomats, Ellie Goulding, Dengue Fever, G. Love & Special Sauce, The Naked & Famous

Kush Concert Calendar San Diego’s Live Music Preview:

Dirty Vegas + Jamuel Saxon 5.05.11 @ Soda BarDirty Vegas, the Grammy-winning British house trio grace our presence at Soda Bar this May, bringing Jamuel Saxon and some other friends along with them. DV, comprised of Ben and Paul Harris (no relation) on instruments + production and Steve Smith on vocals, formed all the way back in 2001, then broke up in 2005 before reforming in December 2008. Known for their international trance hit “Days Go By,” which went mainstream with a 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse TV commercial, these dudes also produce great remixes and put on a pretty exciting live show. San Diego electro-pop trio Jamuel Saxon has a bright future, and a bounce-worthy performance that should get you going. Keyboardist and founder Keith Milgaten told NBC after a show, “I’m not really into dance music, but I’ve found it’s a way to connect with people, so I’ve tried to maintain that while adding the elements of a live band...I’m trying to please everybody by having both (electronic and live) worlds there.” This is definitely a show you’ll want to be dancing at, so prepare accordingly. dirtyvegas.com, jamuelsaxon.tumblr.com

Fleet Foxes 5.06.11 @ Spreckels TheatreFleet Foxes, the Seattle based folk band signed to Sub Pop and Bella Union, is one of the better folk rock groups around right now. They rose to prominence in 2008, with the release of their second EP, Sun Giant, and their debut, self-titled full length. Both albums have received vast critical praise, and they’re often noted for their use of refined lyrics and smooth vocal harmonies. Self described as “baroque harmonic pop jams”, Fleet Foxes will be around for a while and are worth checking out at Spreckels on this spring eve. Do it. fleetfoxes.com

Atmosphere 5.06.11 @ House of BluesAtmosphere is on the road with their “The Family Tour”, which features Blueprint, Grieves w/ Budo, and some other notable artists. They come to the House of Blues in SD on May 6th, and it’s a concert not to miss this month. Atmosphere’s latest album, The Family Sign, was released April 10th, with two previously released singles - ‘Just For Show’ and ‘She’s Enough.’ Although the Minneapolis based guys have been working on a lot of side projects lately, they are still producing great new hip-hop under the Atmosphere monicker. Working together since 1993, Slug and Ant still bring the heat with a live show that includes live drums, keys, and guitar. Solid hip hop with lyrics that hit you emotionally and really make you think. Should be a fun show. www.facebook.com/atmosphere

Lord Huron 5.11.11 @ The Loft (UCSD)Lord Huron is a tropical folk pop group from LA, busting on the scene after releasing a couple of solid EPs, and honing their live set. Their Mighty EP was

released in November of 2010, and their Into The Sun EP was released in June of 2010. Both have some

real gems on them (check out “The Stranger”). Their

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sound can take you into a mystic wonderland of flowing fields and aural pleasure. Lord Huron is really one of the top indie bands to watch right now, and with a live set that is absolutely fantastic, you’ll be telling all your friends about these Angelinos for some time. That is until everyone knows about them...a scenario that seems likely in the coming years. Get to UCSD for this show…you won’t regret it! lordhuron.com

93.3 Summer Kickoff Concert 5.13.11 @ Cricket Wireless AmphitheatreIt’s time to kick off the summer concert series at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre out in Chula Vista, and 93.3 brings a slew of pop stars to start things off right. The lineup for the festivities include love-to-hate pop princess Ke$ha, along with Pitbull, a re-surging Nelly, Taio Cruz, Lupe Fiasco, and many more. For all the time you spend listening to these artists on the radio, isn’t it about time you saw and heard what they are like live? Head to Chula Vista on May 13th, for what should be a really fun spring day filled with songs that you’ve probably heard a million times already...but that’s ok, right? channel933.com

Yelle + French Horn Rebellion5.20.11 @ The CasbahFrench, electro-pop darling Yelle is a sweet little singer, with a band by the same name. They’ve put together a really nice live set for songs that many would expect to just exist electronically, not in a live performance. So far, she’s become pretty huge in France, and is finally seeing some significant recognition in the states with her recently released album Safari Disco Club. Joining them is the dance friendly band French Horn Rebellion, from New York and Milwaukee, who have been putting out quality tunes over the past year or so, with a slew of fun remixes to keep their name popping up on Hype Machine. FHR also has a really great live set that often calls for crowd surfing and yes, a horn. This ought to be a really fun night of dancing and music at the Casbah. yelle.fr, frenchhornrebellion.com

Rodrigo y Gabriela 5.26.11 @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the BayRodrigo y Gabriela are an impeccably cute little acoustic rhythm guitar duo, natives of Mexico, who got their start playing underground bars and pubs in Dublin, Ireland. Their smooth style of dueling guitar is so simple and sweet, yet powerful and intense, that it needs no extravagant setup to blow a crowd away. A great show at Humphrey’s that is certain to fill your soul with good vibrations and your ears with wonderful noises. You will fall in love with this pair within one song. Enjoy! www.rodgab.com

More Great Shows!Vivian Girls + No Joy : 5.02.11 @ The Casbah

James Blunt : 5.03.11 @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay

The Dirty Heads : 5.05.11 @ House of Blues

Chris Cornell : 5.06.11 @ Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay

Ghostland Observatory : 5.06.11 @ 4th & B

Ezra Furman & The Harpoons : 5.07.11 @ The Loft (UCSD)

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AvocAdo Fruit SAlAdINGrEdIENTS• 3 medium ripe avocados, pitted and peeled • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 1/2 cup plain yogurt • 2 tablespoons honey • 1/8 cup THC olive oil• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel • 1 medium apple, chopped • 1 medium firm banana, cut into 1/4-inch slices • 1 cup halved seedless grapes • 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

dIrECTIONSCut avocados into chunks; Place in a large bowl; drizzle with lemon juice and toss to coat. Drain, reserving the lemon juice; set avocados aside.

For dressing, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, honey, THC olive oil, lemon peel and reserved lemon juice. In another large bowl, toss the apple, banana, grapes, oranges and avocados. Serve with dressing.

A true sign thAt summer is Almost here.

To learn more abouT Chef herb &cook with herbgo To www.cookwithherb.com

Celebrate Cinco De Mayo All Month with GreAt MexicAn treAtS

ASpArAGuS SAlSAINGrEdIENTS• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces • 1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped • 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro • 1 garlic clove, minced • ¼ cup THC olive oil• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • Tortilla chips

dIrECTIONSPlace asparagus in a large saucepan; add 1/2 in. of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine the asparagus, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, THC olive oil, vinegar and salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, stirring several times. Serve with tortilla chips.

cAlico cheeSe dipINGrEdIENTS• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies • 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained • 4 green onions, sliced • 3 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced • 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley • ¼ cup THC olive oil• ¼ cup white vinegar• Tortilla chips

dIrECTIONS

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lime juice. Chill the lime juice and scallops all day or overnight until scallops are opaque (you cannot see through them).

Empty 1/2 of the lime juice from the bowl. Add tomatoes, green onions, celery, green bell pepper, parsley, black pepper, THC olive oil, and cilantro to the scallop mixture. Stir gently. Serve this dish in fancy glasses with a slice of lime hanging over the rim for effect.

elote (Mexican corn-on-the-cob)INGrEdIENTS• 4 ears corn, shucked • ¼ cup melted THC butter • ¼ cup mayonnaise • 1/2 cup grated cotija cheese • 4 wedges lime (optional)

dIrECTIONSPreheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat.

Grill corn until hot and lightly charred all over, 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the temperature of the grill. Roll the ears in melted THC butter, then spread evenly with mayonnaise. Sprinkle with cotija cheese

and serve with a lime wedge.

MexicAn riceINGrEdIENTS• 5 tablespoon THC olive oil • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed • 2 teaspoons paprika • 1 pinch red pepper flakes • 1 pinch cayenne pepper • 3 green onions • 1 green bell pepper, chopped • 1 cup pre-cooked corn kernels • 2 small tomatoes, diced • ¼ cup ketchup • 2 cups cooked rice • salt to taste

dIrECTIONSHeat THC olive oil in a wok-style pan with turmeric, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili flakes, and cayenne pepper. Add

In a large bowl, beat together the cheese, chilies, olives, onions, tomatoes and parsley until blended.

Prepare salad dressing mix THC olive oil and white vinegar; pour over cheese mixture and mix well. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

corn breAdINGrEdIENTS• 1 cup THC butter, melted • 1 cup white sugar • 4 eggs • 1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn • 1/2 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers, drained • 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese • 1 cup all-purpose flour • 1 cup yellow cornmeal • 4 teaspoons baking powder • ¼ teaspoon salt

dIrECTIONSPreheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat together THC butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chiles, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into center of the pan comes out clean.

ScAllop cevicheINGrEdIENTS• 1 pound bay scallops • 8 limes, juiced • 2 tomatoes, diced • 5 green onions, minced • 2 stalks celery, sliced • 1/2 green bell pepper, minced • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley • freshly ground black pepper • 1/8 cup THC olive oil • 1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

dIrECTIONSRinse scallops and place in a medium sized bowl. Pour lime juice over the scallops. The scallops should be completely immersed in the

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the green onions and the green peppers; saute 1 to 2 minutes over medium-high heat.

Add corn and tomatoes and saute until tomatoes release their juices. Add ketchup and stir until mixed.

Add rice and stir until heated thoroughly. Salt to taste.

bAjA couScouSINGrEdIENTS• 1 cup couscous • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste • 1 ¼ cups boiling water • 1 clove unpeeled garlic • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained • 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained • 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro • 1 jalapeno pepper, minced • 1/3 cup THC olive oil • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste

dIrECTIONSCombine the couscous, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the boiling water and seal with plastic wrap. Set aside for 10 minutes.

While waiting for the couscous, cook the unpeeled garlic clove in a small skillet over medium-high heat until toasted and the skin has turned golden-brown. Peel the garlic and mince. Stir the garlic into the couscous along with the black beans, corn, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, THC olive oil, and lime juice. Serve warm or allow to cool.

SiMple South-oF-the-border cookieSIngredients• 1 cup THC butter• 1/2 cup white sugar• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract• 2 teaspoons water• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup chopped almonds• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

dIrECTIONSIn a medium bowl, cream the THC butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared

cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from pan to cool on wire racks. When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners’ sugar. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

cinnAMon cookieS INGrEdIENTS• 1 cup THC butter • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

dIrECTIONSPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and THC butter until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture to form a stiff dough. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Mix together 1 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; roll balls in cinnamon mixture.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven, or

until nicely browned. Cool cookies on wire racks.

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