Issue #33march 2013

NORTHWEST LEAFTHE PATIENT’S VOICE nwleaf.com

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NORTHWEST LEAF

COVER & CONTENTS PHOTOS Daniel Berman/Northwest Leaf

NATIONAL NEWS..................10QUOTED............................17NW CANNABIS MARKET........20LEGISLATOR Q&A....................24SATIVA VALLEY.........................26STRAIN OF THE MONTH ........44BBQ SAUCE RECIPES ...........52MEDIBLE REVIEW.....................54LEATHER.......................60GUITAR PIPES.......................62PREGNANCY......................82BEHIND THE STRAIN...............86

What’s in your cannabis? The only way of knowing that, whether you grew it yourself or acquired it from one of the collectives just down the road, is through rigorous scientific testing. That’s where Analytical 360 in Fremont comes in with their High-Performance Liquid Chromatography machine, capable of detecting more things than maybe, even, you really wanted to know.46

PROFILE

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54A Guide to HashWhat makes it five stars?

Frozen Medible MealEverything we want in a brisket

Extract Safety and YouWhich methods pose the least risk?

Homegrown medicine, local storySativa Valley Topicals

Dr. Rose’s Column

Growing Gear GuideDr. Scanderson gives splurge ideas

Should pregnant moms medicate?

Blanching & ButterTaking Cannabis to the next level

Cleaning Your BongA simple liquid solution is the key

contents MARCH 2013

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MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /9

founder & editor-in-chief

Wes Abney

Daniel Berman

Warren Carter Steve elliott kirk eri cso nAnthony MartinelliDr. ScandersonDR. SCOTT D. ROSEyellowjuana cake

photographer & designer

contributors

Contact Northwest Leaf editor Wes Abney to discuss advertising or displaying our magazine in a new location. We want to hear from you! Feel free to send submissions, share news tips, your take on a story or one we should hear. P (206) 235-6721 E nwleaf@gmail.com

MARCH 2013

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

We hope you will choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year with a little green, as opposed to the traditional options. Nothing says love like a little Northwest Cannabis. To celebrate all the quality local strains we put together a stunning strain guide, featuring 24 varieties in stunning macro photography. Each strain has a unique profile, including growing tips for those trying to decide which strains to run in 2013. On a more serious note this issue also shares the story of Casey Lee, the owner of Lacey Cross who was robbed at gunpoint on New Years Day. We also cover several recent Seattle robberies, and the steps owners are taking to prevent future incidents. The article includes important security tips for both patients and access points. Reporter Ray Flores brings us the intense story of Saul Ramos Sanchez, a 19-year-old patient currently facing charges for

possession of a single gram of Cannabis. Even as prosecutors across the state have dropped charges for recreational possession, this young man’s future is uncertain over a medicine he was legally authorized to have. Look for the story starting on page 30. You’ll also find sweet Valentines recipes for those medicated home Chefs, and a cool tutorial on how to make homemade hemp, almond, or other nut-based milks. Dr. Rose tackles the glaucoma and medical Cannabis connection, and we share the cause of Myo Mr. Kiefbox to “Burn Prohibition.” And for the dabbers, check out our Concentrate of the Month. It might not be what you’d expect, but it definitely exceeds expectations. As always, thanks for reading and supporting Northwest Leaf, The Patient’s Voice!.

T h a n k s f o r p i c k i n g u p t h e 3 3 r d i s s u e o f N o r t h w e s t L e a f !

TO OUR READERS,

— WES ABNEY

8/ mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

contents

editor’s noteVISIT NWLEAF.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF | EMAIL NWLEAF@GMAIL.COMNORTHWEST LEAF

30A community rebuilds

Spokane used to have 50 medical marijuana access points, but that was nearly two years ago, back before the billboards in view of the elementary school, and back before the small-town fervor. Back before federal raids shuttered every one of them. Today, the area is seeing a significant rebirth as nine collectives serve an estimated 10,000 people using Cannabis, and the mistakes of the past are left behind.

v

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10/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF “-David Boyer, Maine political director of the Marijuana Policy Project, speaking to the Bangor Daily News. Maine legislators are seeking to legalize recreational marijuana use. “Marijuana is objectively far less harmful than alcohol for the consumer and for the broader community.”

QuotedIT IS IRRATIONAL TO PUNISH ADULTS WHO SIMPLY PREFER TO USE [MARIJUANA]. LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON PREVENTING AND RESPONDING TO SERIOUS CRIMES RATHER THAN ENFORCING THE FAILED POLICY OF MARIJUANA PROHIBITION.

HOW LEGALIZATION COULD COME TO MARYLAND>> Another state hopes to make recreational use of marijuana completely legal for adults 21+

>> Republicans say they don’t want to be “bothered,” by all those vocal activists pushing for legislation they believe in

elegate Curt Anderson (D-Baltimore City) on February 21 introduced a bill in the Maryland House of Delegates that

would make marijuana legal for adults 21 and older and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed like alcohol. In summary, HB 1453:· Removes criminal penalties for private possession and home-grow-ing of limited amounts of marijuana by adults 21 and older;· Directs the Maryland Comptrol-ler to license marijuana retail stores, wholesale facilities, testing facilities;· Enacts an excise tax of $50 per ounce on wholesale sales, proceeds from which will be used to offset implementation of the act and fund treatment programs to prevent alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse;· Directs the Maryland Department of Agricul-ture to regulate the cultivation, processing, and distribution of industrial hemp; and· Localities may regulate marijuana businesses.It would remain illegal to use marijuana in pub-lic or drive under the influence of marijuana.

D“Most Americans now recognize that marijuana prohibition has been just as spectacular a failure as alcohol prohibition,” said Dan Riffle, dep. director of govt. relations for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). ”It is time for a new, more sensible ap-

proach to marijuana in Maryland, and that is what this bill proposes.” “Our public policies should be based on the facts, and it is a fact that marijuana is far safer than alcohol,” Riffle said. “Adults should not be made criminals simply for choosing to use the less harm-ful product. Our law enforcement efforts should be focused on preventing and in-vestigating serious crimes and not on ar-resting and prosecuting responsible adult marijuana consumers.”

“Marijuana sales are currently taking place in an underground market where they benefit criminals and drug cartels,” Riffle said. “Under the law proposed by Del. Anderson, marijuana sales would take place in tightly regu-lated businesses that are creating jobs and paying taxes that will benefit Maryland citizens. “We hope legislators will agree that it is time to once again make prohibition a thing of the past.”

“It is time for a new, more sen-sible approach to marijuana in Maryland,” said Dan Riffle of the Marijuana Policy Project.

Quick Hits!

40 Number of grams one can possess of marijuana and still be considered a misdemeanor under Washington state law, even though I-502 only

legalized possession of up to 28 grams, Seattle Weekly notes.

1Miles away from the Washington, D.C. Capitol that the first medical marijuana dispensary is. The revolutionary new access in the area comes after almost five years of

back and forth fighting between lawmakers and activists. There is still a relevant concern that Congress could shutter the facility, but activists say that they should listen to voters.

8 Number of public forums the Washington State Liquor Control Board will hold to get comments from the public about regulation recreational marijuana stores.

At a forum in Tacoma, more than 250 people appeared, saying pot should be well-regulated, but not highly taxed.

2 Number of kids in the car when a woman was stopped at the U.S. border carrying a -ton of pot worth about $900k. Relatives took the kids away.

7Years that a Massachussetts researcher has been unsuccessfully trying to obtain marijuana for scientific purposes - he wants just 10 grams to utilize for testing.

42 Age of a New Mexico man found with 102 pot plants growing in his home. Police seized nearly $12k in cash and 18 semi-automatic weapons.

The investigation began after he made threats to the cops.

20 Minutes allowed for public comment by legislators in N.C. on a proposed medical marijuana bill. They’ve refused to hear any other bill this session.

national BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

N.C. Lawmakers Kill Medical Marijuana Bill...For Being Popular!

you’re in North Carolina, make sure you don’t bother your lawmakers about pass-ing any, you know, laws.

In an interesting twist on representative de-mocracy, the Republican-controlled North Carolina House Rules Com-mittee killed a medical marijuana legalization bill in February after lawmakers complained they were being “bothered” by backers of the measure who were requesting their support on the issue. The lawmakers allowed only 20 minutes of public debate on the legislation before deciding to give it an “unfa-vorable report,” writes Mark Binker at WRAL. That, in itself, is an unusual measure, because bills that won’t pass normally just sit in a com-mittee unheard. “We did it to be done with it, so people could move on for the session,” snapped Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam (R-Wake). Stam claimed he and other lawmakers were being “harassed” because their constituents ac-tually dared to call and email them to express support for medical marijuana.

IF“We did it to be done with it, so people could move on for the session,” snapped Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam (R-Wake).

The infrequently used procedure effectively prevents any further medical marijuana bills from being considered by the North Carolina General Assembly this session, reports The

Huffington Post. Catherine Lyles, a 51-year-old brain cancer survivor, was one of the few allowed to testify before the committee in the brief, 20-minute hearing. She told them cannabis had allowed her to regain her ap-petite after treatment. “Today, my purpose is to con-vince all of you to legalize marijuana

for medical purposes,” she told the committee. Lyles said she’d been treated for brain cancer 17 years ago and was told then she’d only live for five years. Lyles said after the committee hearing that marijuana had helped her recover by getting rid of nausea that had made it impossible for her to eat. She said she began investigating medicinal cannabis at the suggestion of medi-cal professionals, who said there was no drug they could prescribe which would work as well. “It was quite a problem,” Lyles said. “I didn’t

know anyone who smoked pot.” She said her mother and best friend helped her eventually track down some marijuana through a network of old friends. “I cannot tell y ou how quick and complete the relief I had from horrible nausea was,” she told the committee. Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg), one of the bill’s sponsors, was the only lawmak-er who spoke at length about the measure. He pointed to fiscal studies which showed North Carolina could reap $39 million per year if medical marijuana were legal. Despite the fact that medical marijuana advocates heavily outnumbered the single op-ponent ( Jere Royall with something called the “North Carolina Family Policy Council”) who showed up at the hearing, the lawmakers were unmoved by the showing of support. In fact, the haughty lawmakers seemed eager to demonstrate their contempt for the patients and their supporters by cutting the hearing off after just 20 minutes and giving it the “unfa-vorable report,” thus ensuring that neither this bill nor any other medical marijuana law would pass the General Assembly this session.

WASHINGTON STATE MMJ PATIENT ARREST PROTECTION BILL PASSES COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY

NEW HEMP BILL UNANIMOUSLY PASSES HOUSE COMMITTEE IN WASHINGTON STATE

>> Patients would still be subject to an “affirmative defense.”

>> Patients would still be subject to an “affirmative defense.”

ashington’s Senate Committee on Health care voted unanimously to approve SB 5528, which would finally provide arrest protection for medical marijuana patients in the state, 15 years after voters approved medicinal cannabis.

Washington patients are still subject to arrest under their medical marijuana law’s “affirmative defense” rule. If they are caught using, possessing, growing, purchasing, or selling cannabis, they can still be arrested, charged, and hauled into court, even if they have a doctor’s authorization and are carefully following state law. SB 5528 would add defined arrest protection for qualified patients, protecting them from arrest by state and local law enforcement if they abide by Washington’s medical marijuana limits (24 ounces and 15 plants). The bill advanced to the Senate Rules Committee, where its passage would put it before the entire Senate for a vote.

ashington State HB 1888 passed a committee unanimously on Febru-ary 21, sailing through on a 8-0

vote. The bipartisan measure, sponsored by five Republicans and a Democrat, adds safeguards to assure industrial hemp’s le-gality in here, including raising the 0.3 per-cent THC standard set by I-502 to 1 percent

WW

THC, in line with the North American Hemp Council’s recommendations. HB 1888 would also regulate how hemp production would be licensed and overseen in Washington, and it authorizes Washington State University to research industrial hemp once they’ve received a license.The bill moved to Washington’s Rules Committee be-fore moving to a vote in the full House.

12/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /13

national BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

>> Although 62 percent of voters there approved medical marijuana law, each new Legislature refuses to have implement needed reforms

>> Pot tourism will likely benefit from changes

>> Adults over 21 would be able to grow six plants and possess up to 2.5 ounces at a time

Montana Republicans shoot down 4 Medical Marijuana Bills

colorado Marijuana Task Force Requires Potency Labeling

Will maine be next to legalize?

far, the controlling Republicans in the 2013 Montana Legislature appear to hate marijuana and medicinal canna-

bis patients as much as the 2011 session did. The House Human Services Committee in February tabled — and, according to Charles S. Johnson of the Missoulian, almost certain killed — four medical marijuana bills, all by Rep. Kelly McCarthy (D-Billings). All four of the bills died on 12-4 votes, with 10 Republicans and two Democrats opposing the bills, while four Democrats backed them.McCarthy wrote the bills to fix the 2011 medical marijuana law, SB 423, which has also been chal-lenged in court. SB 423 is so strin-gent, it has been described as “de facto repeal” of the state’s medical marijuana law, approved by 62 percent of Montana voters in 2000. Rep. McCarthy tried to remove the provi-sions in the law that have already been blocked twice with preliminary injunctions by District Judge James Reynolds of Helena, most recently in January. “We were hoping to make SB 423, as en-joined, permanent so the legal gymnastics could stop and all parties could get on with their lives,” McCarthy said after her four bills were killed. McCarthy is, by his own description, one of the least likely legislators to sponsor medi-cal marijuana bills. Now a banker, he served

So

I made a commit-ment to help them if and when I got elected,” said Rep. McCarthy, who was not surprised when all four of his bills died.

I made a commit-ment to help them if and when I got elected,” said Rep. McCarthy, who was not surprised when all four of his bills died.

in U.S. military intelligence for 23 years, even participating in some operations to intercept illegal drug smugglers. But members of the Montana Cannabis In-dustry Association met with McCarthy during his campaign, explaining to him the challenges patients face when it comes to safe access to

the cannabis recommended by their doctors. “I made a commitment to help them if and when I got elected,” McCarthy said. But he wasn’t sur-prised, he said, when the bills died. “I understand that I’ve burned a bit of political capital on this one, but everyone deserves representa-tion,” McCarthy said. “When I didn’t see too many other legislators

wanting to take up the challenge, I leaned into the strike zone and took one for the team. “I didn’t think we’d win, but I didn’t let that stop me from giving it my best shot,” McCar-thy said. All four of McCarthy’s bills ran into op-position from another former federal employee who fought drugs: House Human Services Chairman David Howard (R-Park City). Howard is a retired FB agent and chief of law enforcement for the Bureau of Land Man-agement. He bragged to the committee how, in the 1980s, he “spearheaded” an effort to chop down thousands of illegal marijuana plants. Howard called marijuana “a poison” (yes, he really said that) and “a joke” after calling it “a

scourge” two years ago. It isn’t likely that any medical marijuana bill will pass the 2013 Legislature without go-ing through Howard’s committee; that’s just not going to happen, according to many ob-servers familiar with the issue. Over in the Montana state Senate, Sen. Dave Wanzenreid (D-Missoula), meanwhile, had two medical marijuana bills. One would prevent the Montana Board of Pharmacy from delaying the rescheduling of marijuana if Congress or a federal agency changes how it’s federally scheduled under the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. Wanzenreid’s other bill would add post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to the list of qualifying medical conditions for which phy-sicians can recommend medical marijuana. This is Wanzenreid’s final session of a long legislative career, and he’s been a friend to Montana’s medical marijuana patients. “There’s an old saying that doing the popular thing isn’t always the right thing,” Wanzenreid said. “The popular thing about medical marijuana this session is not to do anything and let the courts decide. Wanzenreid has another Senate bill he intends to introduce, incorporating provisions of all four of McCarthy’s failed measures from the House. “Responsible democracy for me is about speaking out and having a vigorous debate about things that some people would just as soon not talk about,” Wanzenreid said.

MISSOULA, MT

PHOTO BY FLICKR/KATIE@PHOTO BY FLICKR/AUVET

oining political forces from op-posite ends of the spectrum, State Rep. Diane Russell (D-Portland)

and Rep. Aaron Libby (R-Waterboro) unveiled at a Feb. 21 press conference the details of Russell’s new bill that would make Maine the third state in the nation to make marijuana legal for adults 21 and older and es-tablish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed like alcohol. “When it comes to keep-ing marijuana away from teens, keeping marijuana in an unregulated underground market is the worst possible policy,” Rep. Russell said. “Instead, marijuana should be sold by legitimate, taxpaying businesses in a tightly regulated market.” Russell estimated that taxing and regulating cannabis sales could gener-ate up to $13 million a year. She also supports allowing the transfer of mari-juana from one adult to another with-out compensation.Rep. Russell’s bill, the “Act to Tax and Regulate Marijuana,” would:· Remove criminal penalties for private possession (2.5 ounces) and home-growing (six plants) of marijuana for adults 21 and older;· Direct the Maine Department of Ad-ministrative and Financial Services to license marijuana retail stores, cultiva-tion facilities, product manufacturing facilities, and testing facilities;· Enact an excise tax of $50 per ounce

Jon wholesale sales, of which 10 percent of the revenue will be used for imple-mentation of the law, 10 percent will be used for substance abuse treatment and prevention programs, 5 percent will be

used for research on the ef-fects of marijuana, and the remaining 75 percent will go to the state’s general fund;· Regulate cultivation, pro-cessing, and distribution of industrial hemp; and· Allow localities to ban marijuana businesses.It would remain illegal to

use marijuana in public or drive under the influence of marijuana.If state lawmakers approve the bill this session, it will be referred to voters in the upcoming November election. If the measure gets carried over and ap-proved during the next legislative ses-sion, it will be placed on the November 2014 ballot. “Marijuana is objectively far less harmful than alcohol for the consumer and for the broader community,” said David Boyer, Maine political direc-tor for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). “It is irrational to punish adults who simply prefer to use the less harm-ful substance. “Law enforcement resources should be focused on preventing and respond-ing to serious crimes rather than en-forcing the failed policy of marijuana prohibition,” Boyer said. “It’s time for a more sensible approach.”

ecreational marijuana users in Colorado who aim to enjoy the herb’s new legal

status in the Mile High State should expect potency labels on state-licensed pot, if a task force’s recommendations are followed. Colorado’s Marijuana Task Force also voted against a resi-

Rdency requirement for buy-ing legal marijuana. This will make possible pot tourism a potentially lucrative source of revenue for the state. Expected potency rules would require marijuana stores to label products with the amount of THC, mari-juana’s main psychoactive

ingredient. Some critics of legalization have suggested that potency limits (similar to those in the process of being adopt-ed in the Netherlands) be imposed. That idea is dismissed as unworkable by those within the industry.The task force’s recommendations will ultimately be approved or rejected by the Colorado Legislature.

Portland Headlight, built 1791

v

michigan lawmaker wants medical dispensaries

Florida MMJ Bill Being Drafted

>> Amid growing local support, State Rep. Mike Callton wants to open up new safe access

>> Other bills have failed in the past, but activists are optimistic

bill in the Michigan Legislature could vastly change the medical marijuana scene in that state by

explicitly allowing dispensaries. Operators of the state’s safe access points are now hiding behind steel doors with peepholes, wary of strang-ers after a Michigan Supreme Court ruling this month turned them into outlaws. “Nobody I know in this state is advertising this service any more,” said Holice Wood, owner of a compassion club. “It’s all going to be word of mouth from now on.” State Rep. Mike Callton (R-Nashville) is sponsoring a bill that would leave it up to local governments or residents to decide if they want to allow dispensaries to dis-tribute medicinal Cannabis. Although a similar measure died in committee last year, Callton said this year’s bill has a better chance because it comes with bipartisan support — eight Republicans are co-sponsors. Another eight cosponsors are Dem-ocrats. “I’m a Republican and from a conservative area, but I’ve seen grow-ing support from a lot of other legisla-tors for this from both parties,” Callton said. “And now, with this court ruling, it becomes even more important.”Callton’s bill, HB 4271, would allow each community in Michigan to de-cide individually whether it wanted to allow dispensaries, and, if so, where they’d be located, he said. “I want people to be able to take a recommendation for (marijuana) from their doctor; we’re not calling it a pre-scription; the pharmacy people told me that was that word — and be able

a

Fto go to what we’re calling a provisionary center,” Callton said. Many Michigan dispensaries have closed their doors in response to the Su-preme Court ruling. Those still operating are doing so out of sight and in fear of police raids, according to Wood, 45, who runs the Trans-Love Energies compas-

sion club near Eastern Market in Detroit. “I believe we can stay in business,” Wood said Friday. “We’re a totally private club.” But Michigan Attorney Gen-eral Bill Schuette — a notori-ously fanatical anti-pot extrem-ist — said he plans to instruct all 83 county prosecutors in the

state to shut down anything that even looks a dispensary. “I see medical marijuana as a health care issue,” said Callton, who is known as the first chiropractor to be elected to the Michigan Legislature. “I know a lot of people — I have patients — who have clearly benefitted.” Attorney General Schuette’s office dryly announced last week that “no new legislation was needed” to protect and regulate medical marijuana, now that he’s shutting down all the dispensaries. “The Michigan Supreme Court issued a straightforward ruling, and we see no immediate need for legislation at this time,” spokeswoman Joy Yearout said. The Detroit-based National Patient Rights Association (NPRA), a coalition of dispensary owners, plans to give Call-ton’s bill lobbying support. “This will give control back to local government — to zone these centers and to say how many they want,” said Robin Schneider, a lobbyist in Lansing for NPRA.

“I see medical marijuana as a health care issue,” Calltontold the MI legislature.

“Using limited funds to attack patients and providers of medical Cannabis, takes those limited funds away from other crimes

“What’s happening right now is that people who truly need access to the medicine don’t have it,” said Jodi James, Florida Cannabis Action Network.

NATIONAL STORIES BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF. He edits tokesignals.com, an independent blog of Cannabis news and opinion.

lorida activists, buoyed by the legalization of Cannabis for medicinal uses in 18 states across the country, are pushing for medical marijuana in the Sunshine State.

Florida Cannabis Action Network president Jodi James said she’s an advocate for “sensible Cannabis policy,” reports Margaret Kavanagh at News 13. “What’s happening right now is that people who truly need access to the medicine don’t have it,” James said. Florida should legalize medical marijuana like other states, she said. “They regulated it; they controlled it,” she said. “The sky didn’t fall down and it makes more sense for public safety.” Jeff Clemens (D-Palm Beach County) is at work to create a bill to do exactly that — bring safe medical marijuana ac-cess to seriously ill patients in Florida. Clemens said his bill is currently in the drafting phase, and should be completed within the next few weeks. Past bills have failed, but supporters say the 18 states that have legalized medical marijuana, plus Colorado and Washington legalizing for all adults, mean the time is right.

Meanwhile, you have regressive, weed-phobic, Reefer Madness-style organizations like the Cen-ter for Drug Free Living, based in Orlando, that just can’t let go of the “good old days” of the War on Marijuana. “The easier to get it, the more likely it will probably be used and the more it’s used the more ad-diction and abuse you are going

to see out of it,” said Todd Dixon of the Center For Drug Free Living, displaying a majestic cluelessness. “Smoking in general, whether it’s marijuana or tobacco, has a whole host of negative health side effects,” Dixon claimed. But it’s no use pretending cannabis isn’t already available to anyone who wants it, according to James. “Marijuana is already here, Cannabis is already here; now we get to make some tough decisions on how we are going to regulate it or control it, who we are going to let have access to it, and who shouldn’t have access to it, so we want to have that conversation,” James said. “I think this is the year.”

national BY STEVE ELLIOTT FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

14/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /15

>> Adam Assenberg vows to arrest Drug Enforcement Administration agents who raid state-compliant patients and providers

Washington Marijuana Activist Plans Run For County Sheriff

51-year-old Washington state medical mari-juana patient and activist says he plans to run for sheriff of Whitman County in the 2014

election. Adam Assenberg recently beat marijuana charges connected to a 2011 pot raid dropped by the prosecutor’s office, and his property — including his Cannabis — was returned to him under court order. “I am running for sheriff because we live at a time where every tax dol-lar counts, and using limited funds to attack patients and providers of medi-cal Cannabis, takes those limited funds away from other crimes where thay should be used,” Assenberg told North-west Leaf. But Assenberg said he’d go farther than that. He vows to arrest Drug Enforcement Administration agents who raid state-compliant patients and providers. “As sheriff, I will be able to order officers under me to honor state law and arrest any DEA agent that attacks anyone that is protected under state law,” Assenberg said. “We need to teach this trick to everyone, so every county could fight back like this,” Assenberg told us. “That’s what I’m doing this for — to teach others to think outside the box and do things that have never been tried.

A“I am tired of patients and providers getting at-tacked, and I have no fear at all of death or the gov-ernment,” Assenberg said. Adam said he’s already building his office staff and has secured a backer who will pay the filing fee for him to enter the race, reports Mia Carlson at the Facebook page Big Country News Connection.

“I am doing this because I am tired of the rights of the public be-ing violated,” Assenberg said. “When the public votes on an issue, it should be honored and the Constitution of Washington should be protected over the whims of the federal government, who cares more about protecting big business.”

Assenberg said he will speak at Moscow Hemp-fest April 20 “to let the general public in on this.” He said he will work to bring the students of Pull-man’s Washington State University aboard “to make my win a landslide.” Earlier this month, the Whitman County Sher-iff ’s Office returned 82 marijuana plants, dried can-nabis, paperwork, and other items seized during a Quad Cities Drug Task Force Raid at Assenberg’s home in Colfax almost two years ago. (“Most of what he got back was moldy because they stored it improperly,” said his wife, Carla Evans Assenberg.

“We couldn’t even give it to the deer.”) He had been charged with manufac-turing a controlled substance, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, and two counts of delivery, but the prosecutor’s of-fice dropped the felony drug case against him last month after the Washington State Court of Appeals overturned a similar case in Spokane County. Assenberg said he is preparing a civil law-suit against Whitman County, the Quad Cities Drug Task Force, and the State of Washington for the raid; he is seeking $6 million in damages. He also plans to eventually sue the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ), based upon the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, which states that marijuana has no accept-ed medicinal value (hence pot’s Schedule I classification alongside heroin). “It’s time to stop going by orders of the federal government when it’s the U.S. Department of Justice, the DEA and FDA that have been violating guidelines of U.S. Federal Code 21, U.S.C. Section 812, Sub-section (B) since 2002,” he said.

WHITMAN COUNTY, WASH.

PHOTO BY RICK HOLLIDAY

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MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /17

quoted

COMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

Smoke  Sessions

Let’s get to the point/ Let’s roll an-other joint/ And let’s head on down the road/ There’s somewhere I got to go.

Now I have to play the part of the advisor/ Because the bud is just the tasty tantalizer/ The bud not the beer ‘cause the bud makes me wiser’

I would not feel so all alone/ Everybody must get stoned!”

Even with initiatives passed decriminal-izing the green grass/ They don’t wanna see that/ Might as well get you a forev-er green pass/ Hit that dispensary fast, believe that

When the stress burns my brain just like acid raindrops/ Mary Jane is the only thing that makes the pain stop.

My life is free now, my life is clear / I love you sweet leaf, though you can’t hear.

I’m so stoned/ And i’m free/ So free/ Said if you roll another spliff sir/ Won’t cha pass it right over to me

Cooking out the pot, I like my weed for lunch

and dinner/ Got some cookies in the jar, OG

in the blender/ You paying for quantity, but

quality is what you spend for/ If there’s

a marijuana-ology, I’ll be your mentor

“You Don’t Know How It Feels” — Tom Petty

“Now we learned a hard lesson in a small Texas town/

He fired up a fat boy and he passed it around/ The last

words that I spoke before they tucked me in/ I’ll never

smoke weed with Willie again. “Weed with Willie” — Toby Keith

“Pack the Pipe” — �e Pharcyde

“Rainy Day Women No. 12 & 35” — Bob Dylan“Smoke Two Joints” — Sublime

“Tommy Chong” — Blue Scholars

“Acid Raindrops” — People Under �e Stairs

“Sweet Leaf ” — Black Sabbath

“I’m So Stoned” — Slightly Stoopid

“O.G.” — Snoop Dogg feat. Wiz Khalifa

I smoke two joints in the morning/ I smoke two joint at night/ I smoke two joint in the afternoon/ It makes me feel all right.

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2329 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98144 (360) 420-4303FREE | nwcannabismarket.comHOURS: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. daily

NW CANNABIS MARKET

A TRIP TO THE BEACHAt the new Rainier Beach location of NW CANNABIS MARKET, patients can find more vendor space, easier parking and enhanced privacy. But will they miss smoking?

COMPARING THETWO LOCATIONS

PARKING YOUR CAR

Rainier Beach offers a few dozen parking spots while White Center only has nearby street parking.

NUMBER OF VENDORS

There are about 20 Cannabis providers at each site. Many said they will be maintaining tables at both locations to make it more convenient for regular patients. PATIENT PRIVACY

At Rainier Beach, the opening corridor has dividing walls between booth spaces so patients have more privacy and can inspect the medicine one person at a time.

ACCESSIBILITY

More open space means patients using wheelchairs have an easier time manuevering in Rainier Beach, but White Center remains ADA-compliant as well.

MEDICATING ON-SITE

Patients can smoke and relax on a couch at White Center location’s smoking lounge. Rainier Beach offers a BHO dab station for $5, but otherwise patients can only vaporize while on the premises.

A secondary cor ridor reveals more vendors for patients to visit. The nondescript building can be easy to miss, so look for the Mutual Fish sign. Local Roots Modern Medicine uses jewelry store displays. LeNard Jones of People’s Champz Medicated Edibles helps Jalen Henry.

wner Michael Keysor was up un-til 1:40 in the morning working to prepare on the day the NW

Cannabis Market location in Rainier Beach was opening for the first time. Still, he remarked, “Not everything is completely done.” As patients from across the Inter-state 5 region streamed into the ex-pansive, bustling space on opening day -- Wednesday, Feb. 12 -- the fact that some banners still needed to be hung was hardly cause for real alarm. “This building is going to give us a real advantage in catering to patient needs,” Keysor said. “This is going to give more people more opportuni-ties to connect with vendors. Overall, we’re off to a really good start.” And it is just the start. While the White Center location at 9640 16th Ave. SW in Seattle has been around for close to 1 1/2 years, and will re-main open, Keysor said the new space

offers some much-needed improve-ments, namely, more parking and in-creased accessibility. The Rainier Beach site has a few dozen dedicated parking spots in a lot fenced in from Rainier Avenue South, so patients won’t need to find street parking as in White Center. Patients using wheelchairs, canes or walkerswill find the new space has wider corridors and multiple vending sections, so it is easier to maneuver between booths without getting lost

in the crowd. However, that is only one of the highlights of this useful second location. Patients can pull up a stool at the Galaxy Dab Station, where $5 en-ables access to a range of butane hash oils. The dab station is nice, attendant Keith Winston said, because patients “don’t have to deal with the torches, they can just sit back, tell us about their day and we can handle the rest. A timer is turned to two minutes after a patient takes a dab, Winston

said, so they don’t become lighthead-ed and can relax for a moment. But though the White Center location has convenient access to a smoking lounge, only vaporizing and dabbing at the station are allowed in Rainier Beach --  joints, bowls — anything donated for at the market — will have to be tucked away for later. Of course, there remains plenty to do and see. Past the nicely appointed lobby, where friendly receptionists take your paperwork and verify your authorization, the main vending cor-ridor reveals 10 vendors with profes-sional looking booths (with dividing walls), glass display cases and the usu-al inventory found in most storefront access points. Near the front door, two juice ma-chines bubbled with apple cider and strawberry granitas at the People’s Champz Medicated Edibles booth. The tasty and refreshing, potent

elixirs were available in a 16-ounce glass for an $8 donation, but among their $25 eighths across the board, the dense and crystal-covered Pur-ple Arrow was a popular flower choice, manager LeNard Jones said. Across the room, Grassroots Seattle’s booth had a bud microscope connect-ed to a 42-inch TV so patients could examine their medicine – way – up – close. At the other end of the main hall, BluBird Collective showcased $8 cake pops in an array of colors, but only one flavor: white cake batter made with a gram of hash.

eyond the ATM and the site’s single bathroom is another vend-ing corridor. Here, patients will

find another 10 vendors. These tables have a decidedly independent feeling, but patients will find that they offer many strains of high quality Canna-bis and are more willing to cut a deal

such as a free joint or edible with your first donation. At the NW Buddha Gardens booth, large jars of tangy Afghoey and Sour Diesel were under the watchful eyes of Mushu, the Po-meranian sitting beside her owner, Bueno. “We call her the Roll dog,” Bueno said, “cause she rolls with us everywhere.” Noel Bracelin of Enjoy Wellness said she was so busy getting set up that morning that she forgot to write her name on her white-board sign perched above her table. She said not to forget her hard candy chocolate heart bites. The clear package of three hearts ($7 donation) was decorated with the Seattle skyline.

Nearby, the AWSM booth was lit up with purple and blue LED lights that gave the jars of beau-tiful Cannabis a Hollywood ap-pearance. Walking a little farther reveals the dabbing station, a stage for the

market’s monthly music and stand-up comedy events, yet even more vendors, and tables covered with a bevy of lo-cally produced glass. As with every market, Cannabis or otherwise, getting to know the vendors is key. For those near

Seattle, the markets are an oppor-tunity to explore a tantalizing se-lection of medicine in an environ-ment that improves on a model already helping so many patients.

O

B

Ryan Barker of Modus Vivendihelps a patient

searching for Maui Wowie

“This is going to give more people more opportunities to connect with vendors. Overall, we’re off to a re-ally good start.” - OWNER MICHAEL KEYSOR

STORY AND PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

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24/MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

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AElected at age 24, rep. joe Fitzgibbon (D-34) wants to be washington’s Cannabis law reformer. He filed House Bill 1661, which would toss misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession from the records of anyone ever targeted in this state. That could be thousands of people.

INTERVIEW BY ANTHONY MARTINELLI, CO-FOUNDER THEJOINTBLOG.COM

&A lot has changed from the last legisla-tive session to the current one, including the passage of Initiative 502. Do you feel a shift of energy when it comes to Canna-bis law reform, or is it business as usual?

Many legislators got the message sent by the voters with I-502 loud and clear. For a long time, legisla-tors have viewed Cannabis reform as an issue that would make them look soft on crime, and now there is much more interest in looking at how we can make Cannabis law (I-502 and otherwise) work better for the peo-ple of our state.

You recently filed House Bill 1661, which relates to clearing people of past marijuana misdemeanors. Can you explain this bill a little, and why you feel it’s so important?

HB 1661 would allow people with a marijuana misdemeanor (possession of 40 grams or less) to go to court and have their records cleared. Thanks to I-502, possession of an ounce of pot (28 grams) is no longer a crime in Washington, but there are still thousands of people in Wash-ington who have a possession con-viction on their records, which can be a big problem when applying for a job, housing, or higher education. I had the idea for this bill when many county prosecutors, includ-ing in King and Pierce counties, dropped all pending marijuana pos-session charges. I thought that was a great start, but wondered about all the people from decades and decades of prohibition who still had a convic-tion on their records, and wondered

what it would take to give them a fresh start. I’m very optimistic that we will be able to move this legisla-tion forward this year.

This legislation garnered 20 additional sponsors including a few Republicans. Was this a challenge, or a move you’ve found our elected officials are ready for?

Most of the legislators I discussed this with were eager to sign on. In fact, the most common response I got was, ‘This should have been in the initiative’ ” I assume the initia-tive sponsors didn’t want to over-reach, so this is an opportunity for the Legislature to demonstrate that we heard voters loud and clear on the issue of Cannabis prohibition.

Initiative 502 has passed, regulations for retail sales are in the works, and medical Cannabis patients continue to fight for pro-tections. It’s a tough question, but what do you see the environment looking like here in Washington in 5 years, as it relates to our Cannabis policies?

The future is still very unclear both for medical and recreational Can-nabis, because of the prospect of federal intervention, the Liquor Control Board’s ongoing work to enact rules to implement I-502, and the questions around how the Legislature may amend medical Cannabis provisions. In general I expect to see the medical and recreational mar-kets look more like one an-other than they currently do.

read house bill 1661 www.tinyurl.com/hb1661

What helped form your view that we need to legalize Cannabis, and put behind us the travesty of its prohibition?

It’s always been clear to me, and to most in my generation, that the problems associated with Can-nabis use are less in scale than those associate with legal sub-stances such as alcohol and tobacco. Prohibition of Cannabis drives the Cannabis trade underground to the black market, causes drug-related violence, results in serious environ-mental harm, and ruins millions of lives. Our state & nation will be bet-ter off when Cannabis is dealt with in a well-regulated legal market.

What inspired you to become a lawmaker?

I chose to run for the Legislature because I felt there was a need for a Legislature that was more rep-resentative of all the people of our state, including young people. It hadn’t seemed to me that the Legislature was taking enough of a long-term view of the problems fac-ing the future of our state, such as environmental problems. Given that you’re one of the younger elected officials in Washington’s history, do you ever feel that other lawmakers treat you differ-ently based on your age?

Yes, there are some legislators that have a hard time giving the same respect to someone much younger than them than they would give to

someone their own age. I have found that by work-ing hard, developing good relationships, and knowing the issues you work on, most legislators quickly move on from their first impressions. I was elected at age 24, and luckily there have been many other legislators younger than that over the course of our state’s history, and since I was elected in 2010, several other qualified young people have been elected to the Legislature.

Do you ever get frustrated jumping through the legal hoops involved with being a State Representative?

Every legislative session is frus-trating, because there are so many points in the process that a good idea can get killed. But at the end of the day if we are able to achieve something positive for our constituents, it is worth it.

Any other Cannabis reform legislation that you’re involved with this session? The only Cannabis-related bill I am working on this year is HB 1661, though there are many other ideas that other legislators are working on, such as amend-ments to I-502 dealing with the taxation regime for Cannabis, and ongoing discussions about how to improve the medical Cannabis law.

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A pp ly d i r ect ly where it hurtsSATIVA VALLEY TOPICALS uses a variety of in-house strains to create powerful lotions, balms, soaps, salts & body washes.

Product rep Leslie McKenzie, with founder Sam Konovalov, 22.

For a list of their products or to inquire about wholesale, visit facebook.com/sativavalley

sativa valley

Sam CAN control his entire product line from start to finish By MAKING MOST OF THE INGREDIENTS, including the medicinal strains, AND LOCALLY SOURCING THE REST.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

am Konovalov’s grandmother began using Cannabis topically to treat her arthritis in the 1990’s, perfecting a

method and recipe as a family heirloom for future generations. Sam’s introduction to her medicine was at the age of 15, when many students are being filled with Drug War propaganda. She taught her grandson the process of making her signature salves, and Sam quickly learned that the medicine was helping her. “I was learning about how she used Cannabis to treat her condition and learning about natural remedies at the same time,” Sam explained. “She made it very clear that this was her medicine.” The lessons had a major effect on Sam’s life, as did a serious car accident a year later. He was left in severe pain and has since developed a degenerative disc disorder and

S

f

suffers from seizures. When the time came to choose opiates or Cannabis, Sam chose the latter. “To find relief [from pain] without feeling the opiate sensation ... was huge. To not be detached, nauseated, constipated and grumpy was priceless,” Sam said. “I treated my symptoms with Cannabis, and then went on to become a provider for another patient and started growing. When I turned 18, I became a legal patient.” His grandmother went on to teach him the art of Cannabis cultivation, but the lessons went beyond growing meds. His family’s 3-acre property has vegetables, chickens and cows, and provides eggs and other homegrown items to local restaurants. They have even developed a full hydro greenhouse for their vegetables. “My grandmother has always grown

Cannabis. She is a small lady with these giant plants,” he said laughingly. “Some of them are taller than me!” This natural education led Sam to share the salve with other patients, and from that, Sativa Valley was born. It has developed during the past four years into a full medicated product line separated into three categories: Bath, body and pain management. “Every one of these products you would buy anyway,” said Leslie McKenzie, a representative for Sativa Valley. “It’s like a two–for-one deal. Patients are looking for products where they don’t have to buy other products.” The concept that any of their products is attractive even without the medicine is what makes them so special. All the ingredients are locally cultivated. Even the water used in the process is distilled by Sam on his property By tracking all the ingredients, including the medicinal strains, Sam is able to control his entire product line from conception to finish. “We manage our entire product line ... Even the essential oils and extracts are grown and produced on our property,” he explained. “We grow a variety of high CBD strains and several high THC sativas, making for a nice balance depending on the product we are making.” For the topical lotions, the blend is often made with Hawaiian sativa and AK-

48. The strains have a high terpenoid content, producing a nice, but lighter, medicated feeling.

or deep pain and migraines, the high CBD strains come into play. The mix of Harlequin, Omerita, Catatonic and Purple

Kush make the pain line a heavier dosage. Sam even carries a high-CBD tincture, in a variety of flavors, and a version heavy on the THC. The Vanilla THC tincture is absolutely delicious, and makes for a perfect coffee additive. From the body line, he carries a variety of new scents, but it’s the natural that really stands out. It has a deep green color and odor that makes the presence of medicine undeniable, and it is perfect for traditional topical medication. The CBD-rich Migraine cream is effective, and does wonders for a headache when applied to the frontal lobes. “Your skin is your biggest organ, so you might as well treat it!” Sam says with a quick laugh, pausing to rub a pain salve roll-on to his lower back. “It should be as natural as brushing your teeth.”

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN

IKE A PHOENIX, Spokane’s medical marijuana community is thriving after being denied access to medicine for almost two years. But for Spokane to reemerge as a beacon of compassion and safe access in

the Inland Empire, it must rebuild and learn from its mistakes. An estimated 10,000-plus patients in the city limits rely on Cannabis as medicine, making it necessary for them to have safer access. But it has to be done right. Access point providers must be stronger and smarter than they were when the air went out of the once booming market a couple of years ago. � ey must work to ensure the best practices are followed so that a strong community of medical patients can form. Fortunately, new providers are emerging in Spokane with a singular goal in mind: Building just such a community.

NORTHSIDE ALTERNATIVE WELLNESS Co-owners Lance and Jenn Lorz, and business partner Jeff (name withheld), operate one of the nine collectives now open in Spokane. “We want to be treated like legitimate businesses, Lance said.

HOW SPOKANEREBUILT theMEDICAL MARIJUANA

COMMUNITYAND really startedhelping patients

L

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

AN early MMJ boom

a new, different path

Spokane was incorporated as a city in 1881, and has since grown to a population of nearly 473,761 people, according to the 2011 census. It has a small town feel, with a thriving small business community. Driving through the streets of Spokane is challenging. Unexpected one-way streets crop up constantly, making focused naviga-tion a requirement. Looking through the streets, the evidence of the recession is evi-dent, but in di� erent ways than in Seattle. Empty storefronts, such as Comp USA, that have been dormant for years pepper the area, but small businesses are slowly � ll-ing the void left by the corporations. One small business that has returned to Spokane is the Cannabis access point. But their decline wasn’t based on economics. It was politics. By early 2011, an estimated 50 access points were within the city limits of Spo-kane, making it the second most densely populated dispensary-to-population area at the time. � e only place with more access per capita was Oakland, California.

he problem that emerged with the overnight boom in access was a complete lack of regula-tion on the city’s part, and a gen-

eral lack of common sense by many access point owners. � e examples were numer-ous and � agrant. Citizens of Spokane were suddenly inundated with marijuana ads and billboards. On � ursday, April 29, 2011, Drug En-forcement Agency agents raided several ac-cess points, claiming numerous violations of federal law. “More than one of the loca-tions are next to grade schools and schools,” said Tom Rice, spokesman for the Eastern Washington U.S. Attorney’s O� ce. “Under federal law, it’s more egregious, the penalty is greater if you’re distributing drugs in a school zone.” Indeed, one access point was fewer than 300 feet from a grade school and had a full-size billboard complete with a pot leaf di-rectly above the storefront. � e brazen and stupid actions undoubtedly contributed to the federal intervention.

T

O

Even for residents and patients in Cannabis-friendly areas such as Seattle, which is chock-full of access points, the idea of billboards by schools does not go over well. While Seattle took a similar approach to Spokane by letting the industry regulate itself, operators have been careful about how they set up storefronts. In Seattle, the model has worked well, with minimal intervention by law enforcement. But the mistakes made in Spokane made law enforcement intervention inevitable, and the result was the closure of essentially every ac-cess point in the city. For almost two years, the patients of the city were forced back into the black market to buy medicine, risking arrest and unhealth-ful products to � nd relief. But now, thousands of patients in and around Spokane are once again getting access to medical marijuana.

It’s not like Spokane stopped smoking weed. Drug dealers didn’t stop. Their business got better!

Pac i f i c NW Medi ca l Owner Sean Green

An employee at Pacifi c NW Medical checks on the clones.

During the past several months, almost a dozen storefront access points have opened – quietly – across the city. Most are small and don’t have signs marking their presence. � ey are tucked away into the di� erent corners without making a big scene. Each has its own feel and format for serving patients, but they all seem to have at least one thing in common: � e owners all know one another. In Seattle, it is common for access point owners not to interact with other owners, or only with a select few of personal choosing. But here the vibe is di� erent, with new access points calling each other asking for help, advice and often just to say hello. “When a new shop opens up, I like to call and ask if they need any help,” said Paul L., owner of � e Herbal Connection. “It’s a little weird at � rst when they ask why we want to help. � e only thing that is in it for us is to make sure everybody has what they need to help patients and are operating correctly.”

By reaching out into the community, access points are able to network and present a collective front to the city. For Sean Green of Paci� c Northwest Medical, the chance to open in Spo-kane has been a long time coming. In 2011, Green had bought a prop-erty, built a structure and prepared a collective to open storefront doors. But three days before his grand open-ing, the raids hit, he said. Plans were immediately postponed and he man-aged to cut his losses on the property. Ultimately, it wasn’t worth opening during that time of instability. “� e city is great. I love this city,” said Green, a Spokane native who raises his family there while operating an access point in Seattle, too. “People might think it’s a nothing town over here, but it isn’t nothing to the people who live here and travel here.” But even with dispensaries gone, Spokane didn’t change much. “It’s not like Spokane stopped smoking weed,” Green said. “Drug dealers didn’t stop. � eir busi-ness got better!” Patient Ken Rhone of Spokane echoed that idea, and shared how he was forced back into the black market. “I’ve pretty much been relying on the streets,” Rhone said. “It switched so quick, and there was no choice. I went from getting meds at a store-front to meeting downtown, sometimes in an alley or car.” Now that access points are returning, his abili-ty to � nd medicine for his condition has improved considerably. “I’m pleased as can be,” Rhone said. “Very pleased to see them back open. Now I can go to a place where people know about the medicine, a place where I can be safe. To have a selection again is wonderful. I can � nd the right meds again, and know that they haven’t been tampered with and are the correct amount.”

n the streets, patients risk life and freedom each time they buy medicine from a drug dealer. Often, the best-case scenario is subpar Cannabis at a

premium price. A night in jail is also not out of the realm of possibility. “It’s not a good feeling to have nobody there to help or guide you,” patient Craig Krus said. “You’d pay to get authorized and had nowhere to go. I’m glad places like PNW Medical are here.”

He became a patient one year ago, and has lived in Spokane for a decade. Now a regular at the collective, Krus is no longer feeling like a second-class citizen. “It’s nice,” he said. “I feel like I have a safe place to get medicine. And I’m not ashamed! For us sick enough to need these meds, we shouldn’t have to feel ashamed.” Spokane access points draw far beyond the city limits. Patients come from around the region to � nd safe access, often driving more than 100 miles to get medicine, Green said. It’s a phenomenon only seen with medical marijua-na. For pharmaceutical access, pharmacies are abun-dant, and often near schools and playgrounds. Some-times, there’s drive-through access to opiates. Yet the alternative medicine is pushed to the fringe, and almost out of existence. “It’s half the state coming here. Patients from Ya-kima, Tri-Cities, Pasco, Ellensburg ...” Green said, his voice trailing o� . Green said that their patient base is beyond just Spokane. “Spokane is the place for the patient in the middle. Anyone across the mountains has an easier drive com-ing here than going over the pass and into Seattle.”

rebu ilding sPOKANE | CONTINUED FROM PG. 31

Spokane patient Ken Rhone, with his Cannabis

I’m Very pleased to see them back open. Now I can go to a place where people know about the medicine, a place where I can be safe.

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access rebu ilding sPOKANE | CONTINUED FROM PG. 33

we lost it all in 2011.We want things to be different this time.SAMʼs Co l le c t i ve Owner Sco t t Fox

The only thing in it for us is to make sure everybody has what they need to help patients and operate correctly.

The Herbal Connection Owner Paul L., who said he calls new collectives to ask how he can help.

Rebuilding the imageSAM’s Collective on � or Street is barely notice-able, perched on another one-way street with a small sign in the parking area. It looks as though it might have been a hair stu-dio at one point or an idle attorney’s o� ce. Most recently it was a collective that fell during the 2011 sweep — sitting vacant until Scott Fox decided to open the collective. Fox worked with a di� erent access point in 2011, but had known of the location he now occupies. His shop still gets letters twice a month from the state Department of Revenue demanding back taxes from the old collective. Unlike the previous tenants, SAM’s is running as a nonpro� t and paying taxes to the state. Medicine is capped at $10 per gram.

“We wanted to contribute to the community, to connect and be a part of it. We also want to be as legal as possible while still serving the patients. � at’s why sales tax is included,” Fox said. “We lost it all back in 2011. We want things to be di� erent this time.” Fox watched the patients lose access overnight, and tried running a delivery service at � rst. But with uncertainty surrounding medical marijuana, it was di� cult to provide for patients. “It went from, ‘Can I see your selection’ to ‘What do ya got?’ � at was very tough, especially for the extremely ill and terminal patients,” Fox explained. “Plus we were living in fear, scared for our families and for our employees.” Now that the environment has changed, Fox is happy to be back to work. “If we improve someone’s day ... if they sim-

ply feel better from this medicine, lightens the load of their illness, then it is all worth it,” he said.

cross town, three partners are � ghting for the same cause with Northside Alterna-tive Wellness Center. It is being renovat-ed to add a second open bud room, while

they continue serving patients out of the � rst room. � eir lobby is brightly lit and feels like stepping into a Seattle shop. Once veri� ed, patients are invited through a hallway and helped in a private bud room. � e room is a MMJ oasis, with every product a patient could imagine. Above all, the owners are excited about the new possibilities the city is o� ering. “We are glad Spokane is looking at regulating and protecting access points,” said Lance Lorz, who owns the business with wife, Jenn, and business partner, Je� . Lance said they are encouraged by the political cli-

mate, but it isn’t 100 percent. “We want to be treated like any le-gitimate businesses,” he said, during a brief lull at the shop. � eir con� dence is showing in the remodeling work: they are reinvesting everything into what they hope will be a long-term business. � ey say they feel good about what they’re doing, and are determined to stand up for patient rights. “We are excited,” Jenn Lorz said. “� e return of access! ... we love it.”

A

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HOURS: M-F 11-7 • SAT 12-5 • NOW OPEN Sun 12-5

www.MountainMedicineClinic.com

South Hill Mall

7-11128th St. EMountain Medicine Clinic

Merid

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You deserve to know what goes into your medicine.That’s why we use the best unbiased testing service AS A SERVICE to our patients,

we have partnered with the great folks at Analytical360 for the analysis of all of our medicinal products. Analytical 360 is the only Washington lab utilizing peer-reviewed, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, which is the most widely accepted method for the identification and quantitative measurement of medicinal plant constituents, as recommended by the American Herbal Products Association, WHO, FDA, DEA

Combining science and nature for medication Puyallup can rely on.

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38/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

health & science BY WARREN CARTER FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

T h e H e a l t h S a f e t y of

concentrates

bluish  skin  discoloration,  chest  pain,  cough  

 

bloody  sputum,  fatigue,  fever,  shortness  of  breath,    

wheezing,  excessive  sweating  &

e v a l u a t i n g B u b b l e H a s h , B u t a n e H a s h O i l , I S O O i l , R i c k S i m p s o n O i l a n d L i q u i d C O 2 O i l

he evolution of Cannabis concen-trates from traditional brick-style hashish to solvent-extracted honey

oil has paved the way for an array of prod-ucts that are as variable in consistency as they are in potency. Isolation of nonpo-lar resins, or cannabinoids, is a booming trend among medical marijuana patients. As more MMJ patients browse the shelves of concentrates inside dispensa-ries, how will they know products they choose will be safe, nontoxic and properly purged of solvents? Well, they can’t. Currently, no health safety guidelines regulate how Cannabis extracts are pro-duced, packaged and consumed. �e few privately owned Cannabis testing com-panies in the Seattle area can screen for

Tmold, bacteria and relative potency. How-ever, the scope of their analysis falls short of identifying potentially harmful solvents. Although no one with Department of Health credentials has inspected or ap-proved any hash oil products as nontoxic and safe for human consumption, that doesn’t mean that occasional dabbing is unhealthful. So how does one go about selecting safe and e�ective concentrates? �e current lack of restrictions forces patients to depend on hash vendors and dispensary budtenders for information on what they’re consuming. But if patients are educated about which extractions produce the safest nontoxic products, they will lower the risk of su�er-ing lung damage or contracting a disease.

According to medical studies chronicled by the Centers for Dis-ease Control and Prevention, hy-drocarbons are toxic to many of the body’s organ systems in high doses, and inhaling hydrocarbon solvents, oils and resins can lead to rapid lung damage, including in-�ammation, swelling, bleeding and aspiration. Hydrocarbon pneumonia can set in, which can cause aspira-tory symptoms that require an emergency room visit. Smoking large quantities of hash oil, even if purged, can still cause aspiration, but usually nothing to sweat if used in moderation.

S y m p t o m s o f a s p i r a t i o n

MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /39

*your mileage may vary. use appropriate caution with any concentrate*

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access

46/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /47

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

Testing cannabis

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

How potent, really, is that Cannabis?Does it have powdery mildew or mites?Is it free of metals and growing chemicals?It’s up the folks at Analytical 360 to know.

he testing of Cannabis has existed for a short time, espe-cially relative to the thousands of years in which Cannabis has played a role in human medicine and tradition. It wasn’t

until the early 2000s that the idea of potency testing for Can-nabis � owers became popular. Before then, pot was simply pot. Patients in the early years were forced to buy whatever their local connection had, with choice or variety rarely an option. But as medical marijuana slowly emerged, high-quality Can-nabis began � owing more freely into the hands of scientists and patients alike. By the end of 2010, having a high THC percent-age from a test was a major mark of quality. Fast forward to 2013. Testing companies have spread across the states that have medical marijuana statutes. Even in Wash-ington there are almost a half dozen. � e companies all have di� erent methods, mindsets and highly calibrated machines but a similar mission: � guring out what is really inside your Cannabis.

T

A

Start of a Movement

big reason people � rst started testing Cannabis was to determine potency. THC percentages above 20 percent

are considered to be excellent quality, and knowing the amount of THC in a � ower or concentrate gives an accurate measure for e� ects and pricing. Some old-school folks are either scared of or threatened by testing their Cannabis. Attitudes are changing quickly though, and a newer generation of growers and access point owners are emerging that have a desire to conquer the unknown, and to prove that their medicine is the best. But the testing has far-reaching implications beyond simply grading medicine. It provides protection for consumers, and ensures safe practices by ac-cess points providing medicine to sick pa-tients. In the world of agriculture, most food is

Cannabis samples are ground to a fi ne powder before testing solutions are added as part of the initial fi rst steps of Analytical 360ʼs method.

tested for molds and the presence of pesti-cides before being sent into homes. � e same should be said of Cannabis. Microbial testing allows for a medi-cine to be graded for use either medically or recreationally, or can show that a crop is not safe for human consumption. Com-mon molds tested for include Alternaria, Aspergillus, Botrytis, Cladosporium, Peni-cillium and yeast. All these microorganisms can have negative e� ects for patients, especially those with compromised or weak immune systems. Of them all, Aspergillus (black mold) is the most dangerous. But even with potentially deadly side-e� ects, more than 60 of the strains of Aspergillus are considered medically useful in some cases. It’s this type of uncertainty that makes testing a must for medical Cannabis.

Chief Operating Offi cer Ed Stremlow

access

48/ MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /49

The Scientific Method Testing is an extensive, complicated procedure, but ensures patients know exactly what’s in their medicine.

TESTING CANNABIS | CONTINUED FROM PG. 47

1 2 3

4

7 8

5 6

9

10Building an Independent Lab

Open Secrets

V i s u a l a n a l y s i s R e c o r d p h o t o s R e c o r d w e i g h t

M o r t a r s a m p l e N U G C a n n a b i n o i d e x t r a c t i o n H o m o g e n i z e s a m p l e o n V o r t e x

F i l t e r e x t r a c t i o n p r e p a r i n g t h e d i l u t i o n f o r h p l c

C h r o m a t o g r a p h q u a n t i f i c a t i o n

s a m p l e s w a i t i n Q u e u e f o r H P L C

n a sleepy section of Stone Avenue in Se-attle’s Wallingford neighborhood is a small office that has been converted into a Canna-

bis laboratory. Samples flow in daily from access points and growers across the state, all looking to learn what their Cannabis tests at. For the five founders of Analytical 360, testing Cannabis has become a passion as much as a job. “It’s not just about testing strains to say whether one is good or bad,” said Ed Stremlow, chief op-erating officer of Analytical 360. “It’s producing results for patients to make an informed decision about their medicine.” The founders started planning in 2010, working out of home offices to put the idea to work. Each person plays a different role within the company, making for a balanced partnership. There’s Ran-

OMdall Oliver and Laura Taubner, the two chief

scientists who developed the method for testing. John Brown is the IT wiz behind the website, and Brenton Dawber and Stremlow both serve as management. “We all feel we need each other, but you have growing pains. Besides being friends we’ve had to learn how to work with each other,” Dawber explained. “We try to use everyone’s skills.” The process began when the company found their storefront location, a necessity to even ap-ply for a lab license. Then the machines came in: two high-pressure liquid chromatography devic-es. The testing isn’t as simple as taking Cannabis and letting the machine do the work. Months of calibration and practice tests were needed to develop what is known as a “method” for various

forms of Cannabis. “We started with a peer-reviewed method for basic Cannabis testing and had to develop from there our own specialized method,” Stremlow said. “We keep the two machines running to test them against each other. One with the peer-reviewed method and one with the new process.” By checking one sample against the other, the scientists are able to ensure that results are accu-rate. This accuracy and constant double check-ing has allowed for enhanced testing methods for medibles, concentrates and new Cannabinoids. Also in the works is solvency testing for con-centrates. It should be available starting in April, taking a major step forward in ensuring safety for patients. “With edibles and concentrates, it is critical to

test,” Stremlow said. “The difference between a 10 mg THC sample and a 100 mg THC sample can make or ruin a patient’s day, or their dosage cy-cle. Depending on patient needs, you can choose a strain and a dosage. You can’t do that without testing.” All this is why potency testing is so important for patient safety, and for access points to fully in-form patients about their medicine. “Potency testing is important for many reasons,” Stremlow said. “Patients need to know what their medicine potency is, and it is very important for cultivators and access point owners to choose their medicine. It also helps access points reduce liability with truth in packaging.”

ost patients have had instances when they donated for a medible at a collective simply based off packaging. Sometimes products

promise amazing potency but don’t live up to the claims in the end. Patients might be upset because a certain prod-uct didn’t medicate him enough. But when the op-posite happens -- when a patient buys a medible that isn’t labeled and he overmedicates -- negative effects can happen. Patients have ended up in the hospital from symptoms of heavy THC dosing, and can experi-ence six to 12 hours of panic attacks and nausea. With the extreme potency offered by medibles for those who need larger doses, it is critical that pa-tients know what they are ingesting. Testing is also a vital tool for growers of all lev-els. By testing methods of growing or phenotypes, a grower can scientifically choose the most potent

The difference between a 10 mg THC sample and a 100 mg THC sample can make or ruin a patient’s day, or their dosage cycle. Depending on patient needs, you can choose a strain and a dosage.

strains or those with specific desirable charac-teristics. It can also make a grower aware of any mold, and stop major problems from happen-ing. By understanding the science behind a PH change or new nutrients, a grower can dial in his garden to produce the finest medical Cannabis. As Washington now faces the potential of having two Cannabis industries -- medical and recreational -- it is more important than ever that the medical industry shine with best prac-tices and quality products. “I believe we are in a position to make medical look better than recreational,” Stremlow said. “I think we need both, but true testing will show that recreational products do not meet the stan-dard of quality needed to meet patient needs.” As I-502’s hold on Washington deepens, test-ing could be a coup de gras for those forces who want to see medical Cannabis ended. “For medical Cannabis standards, as strict as they are and should be, they should be followed. For a cancer patient or a daily user … they should not be smoking moldy pot or impure BHO,” Stremlow said. “Looking at the acceptable levels for recreational ... patients don’t need that.”

“We get hits from all over the world,” Stremlow said. “All over America. The world is watching these test results, waiting to see what happens.” Analytical 360 posts every test its ever run on its website. The good, the bad and the ugly. Their transparency illustrates the independent nature of a third-party service. Each test result is given a

double-sided card with results printed for the grower or access point to display with the meds. All these factors encourage the results to be shared, not hid-den, because the Cannabis might not be perfect. “Besides the testing, displaying the data correctly is huge for us,” Dawber said. “The website is vital to this whole project.” With 4,000 tests under its belt in twelve months, the company has considerable data to sift through. Each test is a step forward for the industry, and for the patients who are dependent on the medicine. While medical marijuana’s future in an I-502 world is hazy, testing brings needed clarity. Access points must test their medicine, especially medibles and concentrates – and patients must be willing to demand safe and tested products for all of their needs.

TASTY

RecipesCOMPILED BY NORTHWEST LEAF

T R Y T H E S E D E L I C I O U S M E D I C AT E D B B Q S A U C E S ! O R TA S T Y m e d i c at e d s t. pat R I C K ’ S D AY r e c i p e s

52/MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

apricot- habanero bbq sauce

m u s ta r d b b q s a u c e

Teriyaki Sauce & Glaze

A classic barbeque sauce with a bit of heat for ribs

PREP: 20 MIN. • COOK: 10 MIN.

PREP: 10 MIN. • COOK: 30 MIN.

PREP: 10 MIN. • COOK: 20 MIN.

You probably didn’t think about making a bar-becue sauce out of fruit. Well this fruit based bar-becue sauce is sweet and hot. It works perfectly on poultry and pork. If you make it in advance, the heat from the habanero will have time to mix with the other ingredients. Makes 3 cups.

There is a flavor that is essential to great BBQ Ribs. This sauce helps you get there, whether you smoke your ribs low and slow for hours, or bake them in the oven. This sauce has a touch of heat, a touch of smoke, and a lot of flavor. Makes about 2.5 cups.

1 MEDIUM ONION finely chopped2 CLOVES GARLIC, minced2 TBS. medicated cooking oil1.25 CUPS water2/3 CUP dried apricots3 TBS. brown sugar1 1/2 TBS. apple cider vinegar1 TBS. powdered mustard4 TBS. habanero hot sauceSALT to taste1 YELLOW BELL PEPPER roasted, peeled, and seeded

1 CUP prepared yellow mustard1/2 CUP balsamic vinegar1/3 CUP brown sugar3 TBS. medicated butter1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce1 TBS. lemon juice1 TSP. cayenne

1. Saute onion and garlic with oil in a large skillet. Add bell pepper, water, apri-cots, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.

2. Reduce heat, stir together and simmer until apricots are soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Combine with mustard, hot sauce and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth.

PHOTOS BY FLICKR/KDAVIDCLARK & SIMON_AUGHTON

2 CUPS ketchup1/3 CUP brown sugar1/4 CUP minced onion2 TBS. medicated olive oil2 TBS. water3 CLOVES garlic crushed1 TBS. apple cider vinegar1 TBS. tomato paste1 TBS. Worcestershire sauce1 1/2 TSP. liquid smoke1 TSP. dry mustard1/2 TSP. cayenneFRESH ground pepper to taste

1. Blend onion and water into a puree. Heat a medium sauce pan over a medium heat. Add medicated olive oil.

2. When oil is warm, pour in onion puree. Simmer until slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients.

3. mix thoroughly and simmer for about 20 minutes.

1. Mix all ingredients together and sim-mer over a low heat for 30 minutes.

2. If you’re making this sauce for a whole hog multiple the ingredients by about 8.

Currant-Orange Irish Soda Bread

Chocolate Beer Cupcakes W/ Whiskey Filling & Irish Cream Icing

PREP: 20 MIN. • COOK: 30 MIN.

PREP: 30 MIN. • COOK: 20 MIN.

Well, you’re not going to be done baking just yet. But by the time the day comes to a close, you will have a few tasty treats to celebrate with.

These delicious cupcakes utilize medicated butter so they are very moist and potent. Try an indica butter to make this a pain-relieving cupcake! Yummy! Makes 24 cupcakes.

2 CUPS all-purpose flour 1 - 2 TBS. sugar 1 TSP. baking powder 1/2 TSP. baking soda 1/2 TSP. salt 1 TBS. finely shredded orange peel 3 TBS. medicated butter 1/3 CUP currants 1 EGG lightly beaten 3/4 CUP buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet, set aside. In large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, bak-ing soda, salt, and orange peel. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in currants. Make a well in center of the mixture.

2. In a small mixing bowl combine egg and buttermilk. Add all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened.

3. On a lightly floured surface gently knead dough to form a dough (about 4 or 5 times). Shape into a 7-inch round loaf.

3. tRANSFER the dough to prepared bak-ing sheet. With a sharp knife, make 2 slashes across the top of the loaf to form an X, cutting all the way to the edge. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

1 CUP Irish stout beer (like Guinness)1 CUP unsalted butter 2 TBS. medicated butter3/4 CUP unsweetened cocoa powder2 CUPS all-purpose flour2 CUPS white sugar1 1/2 TSP. baking soda3/4 TSP. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

2. Bring Irish stout beer & 1 cup butter to a boil in a saucepan and set aside until butter has melted, stirring occasionally. Mix in cocoa powder until smooth.

3. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl til well-combined.

4. beat eggs with sour cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low until well combined. Slowly beat in the beer mixture, then the flour mixture; beat until the batter is smooth.

5. Divide batter between the prepared cupcake cups, filling cups about 2/3 full.

6. BAKE in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cup-cake comes out clean, about 17 minutes.

7. Cool the cupcakes completely. Cut cores out of the center of each cupcake with a sharp paring knife. Discard cores.

8. Bring cream to a simmer in a sauce-pan over low heat; stir in bittersweet chocolate until melted.

9. mix in 2 tbs. butter and Irish whiskey ‘til butter is melted; let mixture cool to room temp. Filling will thicken as it cools.

MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /53

If you haven’t tried a mustard-based BBQ sauce then you’re really missing out. This sauce works well with almost anything, but is excellent for pork. Makes 2 cups.

It’s great to have an all-purpose sauce ready for any situation. Use it as a meat, chicken, pork or seafood marinade, or cut w/ water (try about 3: 1 sauce to water) to stir-fry vegetables, noodles or rice.

8 CUPS shoyu soy sauce6 CUPS sugar¼ CUP sherry wine¼ CUP medicated vegetable oil3-IN. ginger, peeled, sliced & crushed4 CLOVES garlic, peeled and crushed

Combine shoyu, sugar & wine. Heat oil in small frying pan & brown ginger. Add ginger to shoyu mixture, leaving oil in frying pan. Brown garlic & add to shoyu mixture. Mix well.

2 EGGS large ones2/3 CUP sour cream2/3 CUP heavy whipping cream8 OZ. bittersweet chocolate, chopped1 TSP. Irish whiskey, more to taste1/2 CUP medicated butter, softened3 CUPS confectioners’ sugar 3 TBS. Irish cream liqueur

Got a recipe we should feature?

Email it to nwleaf@gmail.com and it just might appear here

in our April 4/20 issue!

A RESTAURANT-QUALITY MEAL

56/MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

TASTY

ReviewsREVIEW BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF

PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

WE WERE QU I TE MED IC ATED BY THE T IME THE C ARRO T S AND PO TAT OS HAD SETT LED IN OUR S T OMACH

RIGHT IN TIME for St. Patrick’s Day comes a whole new twist on medibles. Canna-Haute has released microwaveable fully medicated meals with several sides. We found a full brisket meal at �e Green Door in Seattle for a friendly donation of only $20. I would like to say �rst o� that the presentation of the overall tray is amaz-ing. For somebody who likes to reuse things its perfect. Dishwasher and freez-er safe, with three departments. Every-thing held up nicely in our oven (since we don’t have a microwave) and tastes evenly cooked. �is is not what I would expect in any terms of take-out. �e collard greens are delicious and fresh, and it even has its own special twist with white raisins. If you enjoy greens, these de�nitely have what you want. You can taste the lovely Cannabis hint with it. �e mashed potatoes are thick and have skins included, with a light Cannabis and garlic taste. �e bris-ket tastes hand rubbed, with a nice layer of fat. �e meat is seasoned perfectly and is moist and tender. It is everything I want in a brisket. �e carrots and the onions are a real nice touch as a second vegetable, and the onions arrived pre-caramelized for a great almost sweet taste. Frankly, this is a restaurant quality meal but easy and convenient for the modern patient. By the time the potatoes and veggies had settled in my stomach, a warm feeling was creeping up toward my forehead. �e e�ects lasted for a solid four to six hours, which is perfect for someone wanting to eat a medicated dinner to help with sleep. I am left in bliss and ex-citement for the next new meal option from the new folks over at CannaHaute.

THE MASHED POTATOES ARE

THICK WITH A LIGHT

CANNABIS AND GARLIC TASTE.

THE COLLARD GREENS ARE DELICIOUS AND FRESH, AND IT EVEN HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL TWIST WITH WHITE RAISINS.

$ 2 0 . 0 0 — A V A I L A B L E F R O M

THE GREEN DOOR SEATTLE 1207 S. JACKSON ST.

54/mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

56/mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

ANALYTICAL 360 Cannabis Analysis Laboratory

Tested By

(8-OZ. BOTTLE RESULTS)

FIRST OF ALL, this juice tastes awesome! It tastes just as sweet as any lemon-ade, crisp and with a nice fresh tart-ness. You can tell it’s from freshly squeezed lemons, and the berry � avor comes from a quality puree. It is also all made in a commercial kitchen, and has a full ingredients list. � is type of transparency is almost unheard of with medibles, and shows the dedi-cation by the Sensi Sweets team to make a quality product. Unlike most Cannabis drinks the � avor of medicine in the drink is vir-tually nonexistent. � e palate is left free to enjoy the quality of the juice, and not su� er through a heavy green taste. But just because you can’t taste the medicine doesn’t mean it isn’t there! Small doses of this juice are a necessity to avoid overmedication. � is is not a drink you want to chug out of pure thirst. Take it easy, and split it up over time. � e 8-ounce size Mixed Berry Lemonade o� ers a stable one-dose medible. If it’s warm out, the juice goes perfect over ice. Just be sure to shake the bottle before pouring.

Available from:

West Coast Wellness (206) 420-329614314 Greenwood Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98133

For more info visit tinyurl.com/sensisweets.

TASTY

Reviews BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFFPHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

NW Berry Patch Lemonade41.24mg THC-TOTAL0.01mg CBD-TOTAL

Sweet Tea Lemonade30.73mg THC-TOTAL0.01mg CBD-TOTAL

Strawberry Lemonade24.30mg THC-TOTAL0.01mg CBD-TOTAL

NO CHUGGING TH IS CR ISP, TART AND POTENT LEMON ADE FROM SENS I SWEET S I S REALLY HARD TO PUT DOWN

THE PALATE IS LEFT FREE TO ENJOY THE QUALITY OF THE JUICE, AND NOT SUFFER THROUGH A HEAVY GREEN TASTE.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Initiate Members ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Joint

(206) 466-1766 5267 University Way NE,

Seattle, WA 98105 facebook.com/

ActivateWashingtonwww.ccsewa.org

360 Mag/SOS, Albion Whitman Inc, Bonezink LLC, Cannabis Creations Body, Cannatest, Care Wellness,CCC, Choice Wellness, Collective Health, Cotton Head Candy, Dockside Coop, Dream Cream, Fusion,

Giant Gong, Green Couriers, Happy Cakes, Herban Legends, Kush Creams, Medicine Jar, Muddy Waters,New Leaf Botanicals, Seattle Stefani Quane, SureCan, Tetra Labs, Tetra Medical Corporation,

Vita Verde, WAM, West Coast Wellness

Join The Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics today and learn how you can become a C.C.S.E. COMPLIANT member.

................................................................................................................

Patients, choose C.C.S.E. compliant businesses to ensure the best possible experience. We hold ourselves to the highest industry standards

CO

ALIT

ION FOR CANNABIS Coalition for Cannabis Standards and Ethics

An industry association for cannabusiness trades

CCSE political team / Liquor

Control Board meeting

- Olympia Nov. 2012

Kristen Flor (Montana) /activism- Fed. buldingSept. 2012

Jeremy (CPC) / activism

- Fed. bulding Sept. 2012Steven DeAngelo and Greta

Carter / Hemp Fest 2012

Maryam (Fusion) / ActvismJuly 2012Cale Morgan (Vita Verde) / political meeting Dec. 2012

Greta Carter (CARE Wellness) /

activism- Fed. buldingSept. 2012

Oscar (Docks

ide) / Actvis

m

July 2012

Picket signs /activism- Fed. bulding, Sept. 2012

John Davis (NWPRC) / activism- Fed. bulding Sept. 2012

Klaus Cannatest) /

political meeting, Dec 2012

Rachal Kurtz (CARE Wellness) /

political meeting, Dec 2012

CO

ALIT

ION FOR CANNABIS

Home of Free Joint Friday(206) 283-3333

5265 University WaySeattle, WA 98105

Northwest Patient Resource Center

Downtown

1809 Minor AvenueSeattle WA 98101

206.623.0848

West Seattle

9456 35th Avenue SWSeattle WA 98126

206.588.2841

14314 Greenwood Ave N;Seattle, WA 98133

(206) 420-3296http://wcwellnesscenter.org/

www.cannabiscreationsbody.com

74 S Lucile St. Seattle, WA 98134(888) 972-1555

www.thecpc.orgMon-Sat 12 pm - 7 pm

.............................................................................................................................

Shape the cannabis industry. Network and make great new friends.

Join C.C.S.E. today!Attend our OPEN meetings every 2nd Thursday of the month at 12pm

223n 36th StSeattle,Wa 98103

206.420.4837docksidecoop.org

60/mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

IT’S SOFT AND SUPPLE, FRESH AND JUICY.

The ones from the grocery store will never be as good.

TASTY

Reviews BY NORTHWEST LEAF STAFF PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

THIS FRUIT LEATHER ISN’T FOR THE KIDDOSFRESH TAS T ING AND FULL OF GREAT FRU I T - F L AVOR , WE WERE LEFT VERY MED IC ATED IN NO T IME

HIS DELICIOUS LITTLE PIECE of fruit leather is fun from the first bite. By sticking to the local fruit and berry options of the Northwest, its a fresh take on medi-

cine that is far from boring. At first glance the leather looks great. You can see the seeds and fruit right in the strips, and feel the flexibility in the bag. It’s better than any other fruit leather I have tried that is non-medicated. Store bought fruit leather (even quality organic options) are often overly chewy and

T hard to swallow. This leather tears lightly, and almost melts into the mouth. It’s soft, supple and offers a great texture while still fresh and juicy. It left me extremely medicated and relaxed, but without the sweets. It’s a great healthy alternative to all the brownies and normal dessert medibles. This product line goes to show that you don’t have to have all the bells and whistles to make great medibles. You just need honest ingredients and a quality medicine.

Visit nwleaf.com to view test results

FIRST-TIMEPATIENT

WITH EVERYDONATION

FREE GRAM FREE PREROLL

TOP-SHELFEIGHTH

$30

GET2 FOR 1

ALL EDIBLESL I M I T O N E C O U P O N P E R P A T I E N T P E R D A Y . C A N N O T B E C O M B I N E D W I T H A N Y O T H E R O F F E R .60/MAR. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

device of the month BY WES ABNEY | PHOTO BY DANIEL BERMAN

$ 8 5 . 0 0 — A V A I L A B L E F R O M

HEMPFEST CENTRAL 12351 LAKE CITY WAY N.E. #102

KUSH KRINGLE MARKET/GREEN LIGHT EXPO

(253) 282-3361

“This all came about because of music,”

Coucoules said. “Each one is a labor

of love.”

DEVICE BY ARTIST MICHAEL COUCOULES

or musician and patient Michael Coucoules, gui-tars are a way of life. �ey represent everything he loves. Sweet and rich wood and metal strings meet-

ing to form a perfect artistic medium. But it wasn’t un-til he decided to add his medicine needs into the mix that his true masterpiece was created. �e guitar pipe. Each of his custom-made pieces take four to �ve days to create and assemble. Most pieces have a combi-nation of di�erent show-quality woods involved, all of which are locally sustainable (they come from a guitar manufacturers recycling program.) �e attention to detail is the best part of the pipes. One can instantly feel and appreciate the handmade quality and love that goes into the projects. “�is all came about because of music,” Coucoules said. “Each one is a labor of love.”

FFor Coucoules, the wood piece takes him back to a time before glass pipes were even available. As a young adult, everything he ever used to smoke was made from wood or ce-ramic, he told us near his display at hempfest central in Seattle. Years later he still prefers the feel of a wood pipe, which can be next to impossible to �nd. All they need is a screen and the pipes are good to go for steady medicating, or make a fantastic co�ee table piece and conversation starter. Above all, he said he hopes to share his art and his message of locally sustainable art. New pieces and designs come regularly, with no two pieces being exactly alike.

www.facebook.com/mrcoucoules

These little wooden

you thinking your music sounds great

62/mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

why is that

hash?star5

64/ mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMANconcentrates

traits: Varied color and

combusts when heated. Dabbable: NoMelt Level: 1 (0% Melt)Donation:

TRAITS: Dark brown-green with

sheen and combusts when heated. Dabbable: NoMelt Level: 2 (25% Melt)Donation:

TRAITS:

on surface then combusts when heated. Dabbable: NoMelt Level: 3 (50% Melt)Donation:

1 2 3STAR STAR STAR

When it comes to bubble hash, not all products are created equal. While there isn’t necessarily a bad hash, products can vary by strain and method of extraction. �e hash being rated in the star system is made using Bubble Bags, hence the name Bubble Hash. It is considered a solvent-free concentrate, and is safe for consumption by all patients. But don’t hit it too hard, it’s not a bowl of �ower. While much of the medical Cannabis world has turned to solvent based concentrates there still exists a connoisseur level of bubble hash, with some of the best in the world being produced in the Northwest. As trends go, during the latest High Times Cannabis Cup (LA 2013), all three concentrate prizes were awarded for solvent-less wax, AKA 5-Star bubble hash. �is guide is here to help patients distinguish what quality of product best �ts their needs, lifestyle, and their budget.

1 - 3 s t a r q l e a n e r

mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /65

Debunking the Micron Myths

in the bag. But it is really based off two factors. Har-

down to the strain being used. Indica strains tend to

a good yield.

less dab-ability.

a very brief history of hash

There are two traditional ways to make hash. The

-

branches over a silk screen to shake off the trichomes.

right amount of effort.-

TRAITS:

Dabbable: YesMelt Level: 4 (75% Melt)Donation:

TRAITS:

into oil. The good stuff.Dabbable: YesMelt Level: 5 (100% Melt)Donation:

HASH PROVIDED BY: A Greener Today 9509 Rainier Ave. S. Seattle 98118 — agreenertoday.com — 206-257-0894

4 5STAR STAR

4-STAR jACK’S cleaner-Querkle Cross 5-STAR lemon diesel

4-STAR pineapple express 5-STAR pineapple express

68/ mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /69

HOW-TO guide

If you have any cuts on your hands gloves are a must. Alcohol on a raw cut creates a sharp burning sensation that is entirely unpleasant. If you have sensitive skin, wear gloves. � e mix will dry your hands out severely. Be prepared for a mess, and a strong odor. Have an area prepped and clear. Bath-rooms are great cleaning areas. Keep a bit of the cleaning solution for the end to wash your hands with, or clean any resin that splattered. Less is more with the mix. Start with a little, and wait until the color of the liquid goes from bright blue to black before changing.

Suggestions Oil Domes

1. Take a gallon zip lock bag and place the pipe inside.2. Open the mix and shake fully. This blends the alcohol and salt.3. Position pipe in the corner of the bag and pour cleaner until covered.4. Take air out of bag and twist, focusing bag pressure on corner with piece and the solution.5. Shake for fi ve minutes, let sit for fi ve minutes.6. Rinse with hot water. If exces-sive residue remains, repeat.

For Bongs

1. Rinse bong well with hot water2. Open the mix and shake fully. This blends the alcohol and salt.3. Pour cleaner through stem and the main tube of the bong.4. Plug both holes & shake 5+ min.5. Rinse with hot water.6. Repeat cleaning, rinse again.

For Pipes

1. Take a gallon zip lock bag and place the pipe inside.2. Open the mix and shake fully. This blends the alcohol and salt.3. Position pipe in the corner of the bag and pour cleaner until covered.4. Take air out of bag and twist, focusing bag pressure on corner with piece and the solution.5. Shake for fi ve minutes, let sit for fi ve minutes.6. Rinse with hot water. If exces-sive residue remains, repeat.

Find it at tobaccoshops and placesthat sell glass

The corner of a zippable bag is fi lled with the cleaner,just enough to cover most of the area you intend to clean.

How To Clean Your Bong(or pipe )If you’re anything like us, you medicate with the kind of frequency that gets your trusty device coated in resin lickety-split. With ample elbow grease and 420 Cleaner it should be good as new faster than you can say greens. OK, maybe not that fast.

BY WES ABNEY | PHOTOS BY DANIEL BERMAN Filling the bong up again with cleaner after a fi rst pass removed most of the grime and build-up.

After two cleanings with the 420 solution,this bong is as goodas new, with only a few small specks left.

HOW-TO guide

70/ mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /71

FOR MORE GUIDES, visit Yellowjuanacake.com

BLANCHING CANNABISFOR A BETTER FLAVOR

STORY AND PHOTOS BY YELLOWJUANA CAKE

MANY TIMES you find yourself in the unpleasant situation where you’ve tasted a medicated food product and find it to be...disgusting. I suspect it’s because people don’t know how to remove the unwanted or overwhelming flavor that comes with heavily medicated food. I’m going to let you in on a little secret: you can blanch your medicine. Blanching will remove the excess dirt and, basically, wash your starting material. Your infused butters, oils and glycerin will be that much better tasting without the chlorophyll and dirt, don’t you think?!

Dried leaf starting material

Use a strainer to uh, strain

Bring a big pot of water to boil

Repeat steps 2 through 4 several times

Add plant material to the pot

I TRY to pick through my starting material, pulling out the yellow and brown leaves, big stems and anything that just doesn’t look or smell good.

STRAIN the nasty water out of the leaf material. I shouldn’t have to remind you: steam is hot, so use caution when handling that hot water. Now’s a good time to slow down.

I TAKE the sorted starting material and add it to the boiling water and let it boil for 3-5 minutes, stirring a few times, then I strain and repeat several times.

WHEN I’M ALL DONE, I’VE RINSED MOST ALL OF THE EXCESS DIRT, UNWANTED PARTICULATES AND CHLOROPHYLL FLAVOR OUT OF THIS BUNCH OF LEAF. NOW IT’S READY TO INFUSE YOUR CHOICE OF BUTTER, OIL OR GLYCERIN.

REPEAT. Bring more fresh water to a rolling boil, add the weed, boil for a few minutes, then strain it again. You willdo this probably three, maybe even four times. Be persistent.

THEN ADD the leaf to the boiling water for 3-5 minutes.You’ll want to leave the material alone, pretty much, as stirring the pot will result in greater nutrient loss.

1

Begin with clarified butter

Candy thermometer comes in handy

1

2

Butter sits atop excess water. (2nd pass, on right)

4

3

NEXT, you can rinse the Cannabis with cold water. Squeeze excess water out of the plant mate-rial. Really get it out, it’s crucial for quality.7

2 3

4 5

6

AFTER boiling water, blanching the weed, draining and then repeating the process several times, you can rinse the material with cold water and then squeeze out the excess water. Don’t try to squeeze this by hand without first rinsing it with cold water. I thought long and hard about putting that warning into this

guide at all, so... please don’t call me if you accidentally burn yourself.

NEXT: HOW TO MAKEINFUSED BUTTER/OILSo you survived! Now transform blanched Cannabisinto potent, tasty and healthy butter or oils. Sinceyou started with good ingredients, this is worth it.

Over the years I’ve found several infusion methods, but this is my favorite. I like it because it gives me the cleanest flavor and the strongest final product. In order to use blanched Cannabis in your infusion process, you’ll have to use clarified butter. To watch a good video tutorial, go to tinyurl.com/clarifiedbutter. It’s also known as “Ghee” or “drawn” butter and after the milk fat solids are removed, the clear golden butter can with-stand much higher temperatures, which you’ll need in order to achieve decarboxylation. All other oils, with the exception of flax seed oil, can with-stand the temperatures necessary to activate the cannabinoids, so you can truly infuse just about any type of oil that you prefer.

OH, THE TOOLS YOU’LL NEEDblanched Cannabis material + a pot for blanching

clarified butter + large bowls + cheesecloth +

potato ricer* + crock pot + thermometer.

ONCE YOU’VE COMPLETED CLARIFYING THE BUTTER AND BLANCHING THE CANNABIS, YOU CAN COMBINE THEM IN THE CROCK POT AND TURN THE TEMPERATURE TO HIGH. IF YOU’RE INFUSING AN OIL, YOU CAN SKIP THE CLARIFICATION PROCESS, OBVIOUSLY, AND GO STRAIGHT TO COMBINING BLANCHED CANNABIS WITH A MEASURED AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE CROCK POT, ALSO WITH THE TEMPERATURE ON HIGH.

NOW that you’ve combined your blanched Cannabis and clarified butter or oil in your crock pot and you’ve turned it onto the highest setting, you’ll need to watch the temper-ature. The goal, now, is to “activate the cannabinoids” or decarboxylate so the medicine will be as potent as possible. The cannabinoids are attached to the plant matter with a carbon molecule and the only way to get the mol-ecule to “let go” or release the medicine, is to heat it up. You want your temperature in the mix to get up to at least 250 degrees before reducing the setting to low and allowing it to soak for several hours. I let infusions soak for 24 hours, but you can probably get away with doing it in 4, if you’re pressed for time.

* (that’s just for my poor arthritic hands – but I promise a potato ricer will make the job easier)

After you’ve let your Cannabis and oil soak for at least four hours, strain the Cannabis from the oil. I cover a bowl with cheesecloth and secure it to the bowl with a string. I double up my cheesecloth for the best filtration.

EVEN after you strain your cannabis out of the oil or but-ter, you’ll find it may have some leftover water from the blanching process, and possibly has transferred more of the color/flavor that you may have missed with your blanching. This is a chance to clean it up, one last time. In order to separate the last of the water from your butter or oil, you’ll put it into the refrigerator to cool down. The oil or butter will harden and the water can be poured off. I suggest using the freezer to separate oil, and the refrigerator for butter. The fridge just doesn’t get oil cold enough to separate it without making a mess, so it’s better to get it as cold and solid as possible to separate it from the water, or rather, the ice, by then. To “wash” your butter or oil, you have to cool it and separate it from the last of the dirty water, then you can boil fresh water just like you did during the blanching process and add your butter or oil. Stir vigor-ously and then separate it again with the refrigerator or freezer. Do this repeatedly until rinse water is clear.

BY THE END OF ALL OF THIS, YOU’LL HAVE SOME OF THE CLEANEST AND MOST POTENT BUTTER YOU CAN MAKE IF YOU USE TOP QUALITY BUDS IN YOUR STARTING MATERIAL. I LIKE TO USE AN OUNCE OF BUDS TO A POUND OF BUTTER, BUT MANY PEOPLE PREFER A STRONGER DOSE WHEN THEY CONSIDER HOW MUCH BUTTER OR OIL THEY’D NEED TO INGEST JUST TO GET THE INTENDED RESULT. YOU CAN PLAY AROUND WITH DOSING, BUT DON’T FORGET THAT CAUTIOUS EXPERIMENTATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL CANNABIS COOKING.

$6/gram $150/ouncewhile supplies last

18820 Aurora Ave N | Shoreline, WA | (206)629-5642MON-SAT: 12 pm to 8pm

GRAND OPENING ON MARCH 7TH

limited 1 oz per person per day

growtech

74/ mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

Grow Gear Guide

LIKE SEATTLE COLLECTIVES in 2012, there is a new system, pump, controller, bulb, ballast or lter popping up everytime you turn around. Making heads or tails of the purpose(s) each of these items serves — and the di� erences between them — can help growers choose where to spend their money and where to save it. In this month’s Growtech, we’ve reviewed grow gear in several important categories, providing a wide range of quality and value for each item, along with notes borne from personal experience. As with many specialized, equipment-intensive industries, there is a spectrum of quality and functionality in each growing category.You may notice that in many categories that the price

The vast AND abundant array of intimidating gear AND Expensive gadgets available to today’s CANNABIS growing enthusiast is TRULY mind-numbing.

seems to function like pH: exponentially (little weed nerd humor for you!) Most of the products are within 10 to 20 percent of one another in price. � en a product will be double the price of one just below it. It’s important to note that the performance of the product sel-dom warrants the price: in other words, it may cost twice as much, though not be twice as good. But it will still be better — albeit by a small measure, it outperforms the rest in itss function. � e reason I mention this is so growers can decide for which products they rquire high-end performance, and for those which they do not, before investing accordingly.

LampsHortilux

Considered by many to be to the leader in agricultural lighting, Hortilux has been the tried and true choice of so many gardeners for longer than most. And with good reason too. With some of the very best technology on the market and results, results, results, Hortilux arguably has established the industry stan-dard many are judged by.

Super HPS 1000-watt retail: $129

Perhaps the best high-pressure sodium lamp on the market, it contains enough violet, blue and green spectrum to be used as a standalone lamp throughout the plantʼs entire life cycle.

Canʼt decide? The Dual Arc lamp combines the two lamps above in one vessel. Youʼll get 400 watts of Super Blue metal halide and 600 watts of Super HPS driven by any 1000-watt HPS ballast. Advanced gardeners, who have achieved near-perfect balance in all other areas of the garden and are familiar with the application of metal halide lamps in fl ower, can use this lamp to help bring fl owers to a new level of quality and resin production.

Dual Arc 1000-watt retail: $259

Super Blue 400-watt retail: $129

The analogous version of their Super HPS is the Super Blue. A step above their standard metal halide lamp, the Super Blue offers one of the most complete and closely matched spectrums to the sun available in HID lighting.

Sun Pulse: $130

Developed in 1999, Sun Pulse was the fi rst company formed specifi cally to develop lamps for digital, high frequency, HID-ballasts. Fueled by a well credentialed team of scientists with oodles of research on lighting and light application engineering, Sun Pulse offers a lighting application that reports better results thanks to updated technology. The approach utilizes the implementation of up to four different lamps, each specifi cally tailored to a particular life stage in order to more closely mirror the natural spectrums of light the plants would receive in nature. Unlike most other companies, Sun Pulse categorizes their lamps according to the Kelvin color temperature scale, i.e. the color of the light spectrum each lamp emits.

mar. 2013 FACEBOOK.COM/NWLEAF /75

GUIDE CONTINUES NEXT PAGE

Higher Kelvin temps indicate cooler colors to we humans. This lamp offers a fuller spectrum of blues, greens and violets more closely imitating daylight and is recommended for use during most of the veg.

Offering a full spectrum of balanced reds and oranges as well as blues and greens, this lamp is recommended for seedlings and cuttings, and for fi nishing out veg.

Lower Kelvin temps are indicative of warmer colors and this lamps provides a rich spectrum of reds and oranges, and is recommended for use during the bulk of fl ower. Also for those who want to use only one or two bulbs, this is the recommended “silver bullet” lamp usable throughout the plantʼs entire life cycle.

The last week of fl ower, Sun Pulse recommends kicking up the ultraviolets with this 10K lamp designed just for the very late stages of fl ower as a “fi nishing” lamp.

6.4K 1000-watt retail: $130

4K 1000-watt retail: $130

3K 1000-watt retail: $130

10K 1000-watt retail: $130

Ballasts Powering our mini glass tubes of imitation sunlight requires special electrical current to maintain the high intensity discharge. Plugging these lamps into your wall socket simply isn’t going to cut it (and isn’t possible). Indoor gardeners turn to HID ballasts that take electrical current from a source like your wall outlet and compress and convert the current to properly drive the lamps.

Magnetic Coil Ballast 1000 watts: $129-300

Durable and long lasting, hot and heavy, magnetic coil ballasts are fi rst and with the exception of the past few years, the standard in lighting ballast choice for indoor gardeners. Many gardeners continue to swear by them. I overheard a highly respected gardener in the community say, “ ʻDonʼt believe the hype: Iʼve got a stack of those blue ones (digital ballast) at home, none workʼ ” as he purchased a new coil ballast.

Hortilux eBallast 1000 watts: $699

Do you hate money? Do you love name brands? Hortilux has got the ballast for you!!! Springboarding off their industry leading lamps (and prices, ahem), Hortilux released a digital ballast. Itʼs 1000 watts. It doesnʼt have a dimming feature. Itʼs twice the cost of any other ballast. Naturally, Hortilux claims that itʼs the only ballast on the market properly built to drive their lamps, but from the research Iʼve done, it looks as though itʼs another low frequency digital ballast purporting to be the best developed application of this technology. I dunno. I havenʼt tried it and donʼt know anyone who has. It would appear to be a combination of the standard grow industry gouging and exponential price increasing characteristic that exist at the highest level of most any specialty technology supply.

MANUAL

DIGITAL

Badass Ballasts 1000 watts: $359

Brought to you by Advanced Nutrients, Badass ballasts utilizes low-frequency, square wave technology which reports to provide a lower level of harmonic resonance and, therefore, a more effi cient conversion, superior spectrum and longer life for your lamps.

Sleek and slim, cool running and super light, the digital bal-last is at home in this, the digital age. Digital ballasts were introduced to the market more than 10 years ago, but quickly garnered the reputation of being unreliable and full of bugs. Worse yet, no matter what these digital ballast com-panies were engineering, all the lamps that had been designed for hobby ag-ricultural application had been designed to run with a magnetic coil ballast. Since then, digital ballasts have improved considerably and are now a popu-lar choice for indoor gardeners, o� ering features such as internal timers, remote controls and dimming, which allows the user to select the wattage being emitted. � e digital ballast does all this while providing potential for a superior spectrum emitted from the lamps through more e� cient digital conversion. � ese devices certainly seem to be on their way to holding the majority share of the market.

Quantum 1000 watts: $359

Known for making great ballasts Quantum Horticulture offers reliable equipment that seldom has need for their warranty. Specializing only in horticultural lighting, they provide dimmable ballasts allowing the user to drive a lamp at several different watts.

growtech

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 75

Grow Gear GuideHydro Systems

Tents

StealthIf you are not growing in pots or bags you’re probably growing hydroponically. Several of these applications provide great solutions for gardeners using soil and soilless mediums as well.

Flood and Drain Tables 2 x 4 retail: $60

Simple and effective in their design, fl exible in their sizes and accommodating of a diverse range of installation needs, fl ood tables are a popular choice. Growers simply fi ll the reservoir located below the fl ood table with their desired nutrient solution, add a pump and timer and the table will fl ood, or fi ll with the nutrient solution periodically according to the timer. Some growers place several individual plants in porous net pots with a range of grow medium in the table, others put the medium and plants directly into the table itself. This avoids containers entirely as the table becomes the container. Soil gardeners can place multiple plants in larger tables and use the table to collect the runoff from several plants at once.

Sentinel MEF-1 Ebb and Flow 12 sites: $499

Very popular in emerging hydroponic system design is larger individually plumbed fl ood and drain sites. Iʼm gonna take a shot in the dark and guess that the demand for larger yields from fewer plants was met with the introduction of new specialized equipment, all ready for assembled, just for you. In these systems, several buckets are plumbed together and regulated with a control bucket. Each bucket is fi lled with grow medium (usually hydroton or equivalent) and, periodically, the entire system and each bucket is fi lled with nutrient solution before being allowed to drain. These systems offer the advantage of pulling new oxygen into the grow medium through the draining process, and the ease of nutrient application provided by the fl ood and drain style feeding in a large, individual, hydroponic container that isnʼt a water culture. If youʼre considering one of these systems, be sure to consider getting one of several new ones that drain from the underneath side of the bucket, not the bottom side.

Hydrofarm Water Farm / Power Grower 8 sites: $515-687

The fi rst to market with a mid-sized, individual, hydroponic, non-water culture system was Hydrofarm. The waterfarm and powergrower vary only in the size of each site. Both plumb eight individual sites to a central control bucket and reservoir. Each site is comprised in half by an inner bucket holding medium and the other half an outer bucket functioning as an individual reservoir for the bucket above. Nutrient solution held in the outer bucket is pumped up through a pump column and out a drip ring to the inner bucket above, holding the medium and plant. The real value of this system, in my view, is customizing it by drilling several small holes in the inner bucket and a small hole on the outer bucket to fi t it with line for an air stone. This effectively allows the plant to start in the top section and fi nish in deep water culture.

Under Current 8-gallon 8-site: $1,315Under Current 8-gallon 8-site: $1,315

Okay, okay. You must be thinking, “this system had better grow a magical forest of medical-grade Cannabis in less time, for less cost and less effort, with better results and a free foot massage while doing it for that cost. Well, I almost hate to say it, but it does. Except for the massage part. If you are a water culture enthusiast, Under Current is really unmatched. The system works on the principle of creating periphery pressure to quickly circulate highly oxygenated nutrient solution throughout the system. Utilizing two and three-inch hard PVC plastic plumbing, commercial-grade air and water pumps, and custom eight, 13 or 25-gallon sites, Under Current effectively creates a mini waterfall in each site of rushing water, constantly being infused with oxygen. Depending on the specs, the system circulates the entire amount of solution every seven to 15 minutes and can be combined with a chiller. The oxygen saturation in this system reaches levels that allows for unmatched nutrient uptake effi ciency. The result is faster growing, faster fi nishing plants that use between 66 and 75 percent fewer nutrients. I use 25 percent of the recommended feeding amounts for light feeding plants and 33 percent for the really, really heavy feeders (ppm range from 250 to 400). Anything more than that and the plant will show signs of nutrient burn. DISCLAIMER: You should be very familiar with your plants, their nutrient schedules and have a sense of exactly what they need and when and be very familiar with water culture gardening because, like many hydroponic systems, the higher you push the threshold, the greater the margin for critical errors with detrimental impacts. Again, this is more highly specialized equipment with pricing that increases exponentially and which demands a very high level of competency in order to be appreciated and utilized to its highest potential.

Tents are one of my favorite items. � ey o� er an instant, cost-e� ective, complete and inclusive solution for anyone who wants to grow. Previously solved with the closet cultivator’s guide, displaced clothing had the last laugh with the emergence of super a� ordable grow tents. As with most popular grow equipmen, there is a range of costs, but budget grow tents readily available on websites like eBay of-fer almost all the same advantages of the more costly ones. Given that the budget grow option can save you up to 400 percent, it certainly is something to explore. Secret Jardin Dark Room Twin: $349

This is one of those spots that specialization price tags may be worthwhile. This tent has two spaces allowing multiple confi gurations, at least one of which allows the gardener to stack the two spaces on top of one another like a refrigerator/freezer combo. The smaller section provides an ideal size and space for seedlings, clones and beginning veg plants. The bottom section can fi nish veg out and take the plants all the way through fl ower. With two independent areas, one can start the next round while the fl ower round fi nishes without risking light contamination.

Budget Grow- 4x4: $120

Unless you are planning to hang an insane number of hoods with extra heavy fans, donʼt have access to tape or really enjoy convenience, budget grow tents are the way to go in my opinion. They offer high quality materials where it counts (refl ective material, zippers, seam stitching) and cut corners on luxury items like sleeved, closable exhaust and intake ports, windows, multiple doors. Using DIY items like duct tape to seal ports and making do with one door that unzips the entire grow area will save you lots and get you growing high quality meds right away. They also provide great solutions for testing out unknown genetics and breeding.

� e grow community, once � ooded by myriad solu-tions and, frankly, the most shameless price gouging I’ve seen, is no longer illegal, but

items which help conceal the grow operation, aka stealth items, are still completely necessary. Stealth items primarily remove or neutralize smell, mu� e sound or conceal light. What once may have been considered as a necessary evil that could potentially protect one from incarceration (but also left plenty of room for exploitation), has shifted to a need to mini-mize blatant outward exposure, o� er courtesy, maintain family values and extend a very simple pleasantry.

Carbon Filters

silencers

Carbon � lters aren’t going anywhere for indoor gardeners, no matter how accept-

able growing Cannabis becomes, simply because the bi-product of their function is that they remove smell from the air. � e pri-mary function they serve to the health of the garden is to scrub the air of impurities and the o� gasses of sealed rooms. To this end, they serve both purposes e� ectively when combined with the properly sized fan and � ange.

E� ective at lowering the decibel level created by fans and pumps, si-lencers can provide discretion and tranquility to those around the gar-

den. Silencers conveniently allow high e� ciency fans to be placed near exit sources without making it sound like an airport to those passing by. Now re� ecting the lower demand for such items. they are considerably more a� ordable.

Can Filter 75 407 CFM 29 x 8: $229

Like Hortilux, Can has been around for a long time and is the choice for many grower s for carbon fi lters and fans alike. Can fi lters are packed with more carbon than their competition, absolutely work 100 percent on the fi rst time when properly applied and lead the industry for carbon fi lter air treatment.

Phresh Filter 550 CFM 6 x 24: $151

Offering an alternative to a once monopolized category, Phresh fi lters use activated Australian carbon to effi ciently scrub the air. Phresh says using their technology and active carbon along with the recommended maintenance allows more effi cient use of the carbon and therefore longer life. They have a number of unique sizes and shapes to fi t many spaces and applications.

Phresh 6” x 18”: $83

If you are a do-it-yourself person, this is the one to model yours after. Itʼs essentially a metal tube lined with a soft and spongy, sound dampening eggshell lining and six-inch fl anges to fi t on your fans or ducting. While they can easily be reconstructed for a fraction of the cost, they work effectively and bring noise levels down considerably.

Elicent 6” x 10.2”: $154

This style of duct silencer is similar in design to the Phresh but more expensive. The difference is they use another sound dampening material that is more akin to hard rubber or plastic encased under a rigid metal screen. The material used is supposedly very effective at dampening sound but NOT in a gardening application. Iʼve used them and they simply do not decrease as much sound as the other design, but do come with the courtesy of a price tag of almost double. Skip it.

For speci� c questions on any of the equipment reviewed please e-mail me at thegreengardengroup@gmail.com don’t forget to stop by my Youtube channel for even more information as well at www.youtube.com/user/drscandersongt

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Dr. Scott D. Rose is a Naturopathic Physician Acupuncturist specializing in pain management with a private practice in Kirkland.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

health & science

AT ONE MONTH OLD, the Cannabis-exposed babies scored higher in areas of alertness, irritability and self-regulation and were judged to be more subjectively rewarding for caregivers, had better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach goals, according to a 1994 study by Melanie Dreher, PhD, published in the Journal of Pediatrics.Dreher studied Cannabis use in rural Jamaica for over 30 years.

For more informationabout the effects of Cannabis and other medica-tions, go to the National Libraries of Medicineʼs LactMed database at www.tinyurl.com/toxnetlact. For answers to this and other breastfeeding questions, call the ADHS 24-hour breastfeeding hotline at 1-800-833-4642.

ccording to � e U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Cannabis is the most commonly used “illicit drug” among pregnant and breastfeed-ing women. � ere is much to contemplate for

females who can get pregnant, who are pregnant or are breastfeeding their child and also making the decision to use Cannabis. Some research has shown some seemingly posi-tive e� ects or no e� ect at all, while other studies focusing mostly on adverse   ndings have shown negative side e� ects. Major academies, groups and  governmental  agencies on pediatric health, disease, and toxicology have issued policy  state-ments  against the use of Cannabis during preg-nancy and breastfeeding. In states where laws are on the books for medical Cannabis patients, women � nd themselves

A

R

in the cross� re and may even face criminal pen-alties for using Cannabis during pregnancy and or while  breastfeeding. � e same policy  state-ments  advocating for breastfeeding infants due to breast milk’s superiority over infant formula, speci� cally names Cannabis use as a con-traindication (read: dealbreak-er) for breastfeeding.  Studies on infants fed with breast milk are few and far between. � e pub-lished data is old and limited to random  breast milk screening rather than controlled studies be-cause of ethical considerations in administering Cannabis to nursing mothers.  � e screenings show that THC and other Can-nabinoids, the active plant compounds found in

be brought about by the binding of what is nat-urally made in the body, or through the use of Cannabis. � ere are two types of Cannabinoid receptors found in di  erent tissues and a hand-ful have been found in the human body. Can-nabis contains upwards of 100 Cannabinoid compounds that have been identi� ed and only several that have been studied at all. � e Endo-cannabinoid system is important in all animal physiology from the spark of life through the last breath perhaps. Dr. Ester Fride’s work at the Department of Behavioral Sciences at � e Hebrew University of Israel notes that, in animals, the Endocannab-inoid system ful� lls many important develop-mental functions. From neural development and neuroprotection to the development of memory, and the development of motor skills, the Endo-cannabinoid system is clearly integral. It is even responsible for an infant’s suckling instinct. “A role for the Endocannabinoid system in the human infant is likely,” Dr. Fride wrote in a 2004 paper, entitled “� e endocannabinoid-CB receptor system: Importance for develop-ment and in pediatric disease.” Dr. Fride strongly recommends the use of Cannabinoids in pediatric medicine within the context of her work concerning non-organic failure to thrive, a rare condition where infants cannot grow because they cannot ingest food. Dr. Fride’s work has shown that there is a grad-ual development of the CB1 receptor type in the nervous system of young organisms. CB1 receptors are the binding site for THC, the main psychoactive compound in Cannabis. In other words, infants may naturally respond pos-itively to the medical application of Cannabi-noids without undesirable psychoactive e  ects. Melanie Dreher, RN, PhD has studied the Cannabis users of rural Jamaica for more than 30 years. Dreher and her team set out to iden-tify the neurobehavioral e� ects of prenatal marijuana exposure on neonates and reported their � ndings in the Journal of Pediatrics in an article published February 1994. � ey compared the babies of moms who used Cannabis during pregnancy with those who didn’t. � eir study compared the infants using standardized testing at three days old and at one month of age. At the three-day mark there were no signi� -cant di� erences shown between the two groups. At one month, however, the Cannabis exposed babies scored higher in areas of alertness, irrita-bility and self-regulation and were judged to be more subjectively rewarding for caregivers, had better physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to reach goals. Interestingly, at four weeks old, infants born

From neural development and neuropro-tection to the development of memory, and the development of motor skills, the Endocannabinoid system is clearly integral.

to Cannabis-using mothers had better scores on autonomic stability. � ese are the basic functions of the body such as blood pressure and breathing rates. � ese mothers likely did not cease their use af-ter pregnancy, but they were likely breast-feeding. University of Montreal researcher Dr. Peter Fried has studied the chil-dren of middle-class mothers who used only Cannabis during pregnancy alongside a control group of moth-ers who used no substances at all. Dur-ing the � rst � ve years, Fried observed little e� ect. Soon, however, he started to notice a trend of slightly increased intellect in the Cannabis-using group. He called this the “earth-mother e� ect.” It seemed moms who used Cannabis spent more time with their kids and read more to them than the non-using control group. Breastfeeding and continued Cannabis use again was not taken into account. � ese � ndings are positive and are com-peling enough to warrant further investigation in the future.

esearch since the early 1960s has focused on � nding birth defects of prenatal Cannabis use. Mainly, they have looked for di� erences in birth weight, birth length, head circum-

ference, chest circumference, gestational age, neu-rological development and physical abnormalities. Most of these studies, including the largest study to date which involved more than 12,000 women, have found no di� erences between babies exposed to Cannabis prenatally and those who were not. In some studies, the babies of Cannabis users appear healthier and hardier. In others, researchers have found adverse outcomes in the babies of Cannabis users. All of the research conducted has looked at smoked Cannabis, exclusively. � e American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise nursing moms to abstain from Cannabis use in any form while breastfeeding. � ey tell mothers that formula must be introduced to baby instead of the “tainted” breast milk as soon as possible. � ese rec-ommendations have been wholly based on research focusing on birth defects, but not how Cannabis may actually prove bene� cial to the health and well-being of the baby. � e Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine has a protocol that moms can use to make breastfeeding decisions. For more information about the e� ects of Cannabis and other medications, go to the Na-tional Libraries of Medicine’s LactMed database

at http://tinyurl.com/toxnetlact. For answers to this and other breastfeeding questions, call the ADHS 24-hour breastfeeding hotline at 1-800-833-4642. When women are confronted with the complex issue of deciding whether to use Can-nabis during their pregnancy or while breast-feeding their child, they should be open and honest with their medical team.  It is widely accepted in general medicine that breast milk is far superior to formula.  � e comparison of breast milk contain-ing Cannabis versus regular formula out of a can may be  undeniable, but, many policy statements say formula cannot recreate nature. And if breast milk is available? However, there are still no studies relating to the long-term e� ects of Cannabis exposure via breast milk. For ethical reasons, very little research has been done on the e� ects of Cannabis on a breastfeeding baby. � erefore, the longterm e� ects remain widely unknown. Cannabis has been used by many cultures worldwide for thousands of years rather safely, but is that enough when it comes to a child? As Cannabis is the most widely used sub-stance during pregnancy and breastfeeding, moms must educate themselves of the legal implications and of the e� ects to their unborn or nursing child. A lot to contemplate, indeed.

BY NORTHWEST LEAF SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR DR. SCOTT D. ROSE

Cannabis, are found in the breast milk of wom-en who use Cannabis. � e metabolites, or the breakdown products of these active compounds can be found in the blood, urine and feces of

the infant after consump-tion of the Cannabinoid containing milk. � is information establishes

that when mom uses, baby uses too. Now the question

is, is this necessarily a bad thing? � e Endocannabinoid system is a complex set of receptors and molecules found within the human body. � ese receptors are like docking stations that only recognize the right molecule and when binding occurs then there is physi-ological activity — an e� ect. � is activity can

You’re a mom who breastfeeds.Should you be using Cannabis?

The science is divided. There are possible legal ramnifi cations. But studies showing positive health benefi ts means that this is onedebate far from over.

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BEHIND THE STRAIN

The Genetics:

smoke report:

BY DR. SCANDERSON FOR NORTHWEST LEAF

Lineage

Typical to many OG Kush’s, the Kosher is a bit of a slow starter and a lighter feeder in veg. Once she takes off, she can stretch 300 percent or more, growing densely spaced branches that take patients to lst but respond very well to super cropping. She likes nitrogen through week two to three of fl ower and will take high levels of calcium. Not as nutrient-sensitive as other OGʼs, she still isnʼt a heavy feeder. Within 63 to 68 days, she will produce medium-sized spear-shaped nuggets comprised of tightly stacked calyxes deeply encrusted with resin. This plant prioritizes resin

The Effect:

I reach up to check my nose holes and delight in my astonishment to fi nd both fully in tact, but not before noticing a particular clarity in my thinking. As my eyes lids take a familiar “sunset” position I can feel my perky, clear, kushed up, symptom-free state emerge. I remember to thank Don and Aaron for making their lifeʼs work creating and sharing such stable, reliable and elite genetics with the world.

Once a tightly held elite cut of OG, one garnered by a crew in L.A comprised mainly of Jewish kids sometimes referred to as the J.G. crew, the cut was supposed to have been blessed by a Rabbi and was considered by many to be one of the most elite cuts of OG at the time. When DNA Genetics had a chance to secure a copy of the cut, they did so and kept the lineage of the plant alive by naming it the Kosher Kush. Since, Kosher Kush has lived up to its “blessed” status winning the High Times Cannabis Cup in 2010 and 2011 in the indica category.

The flowers have tightly organized calyxes, with almost no leaf evident anywhere. They explode from a center of what appears to be an opaque white fuzz. The overall color appears blondish on a consequence of the vast sea of glandular heads jockeying for position on every surface of the fl ower. As stacked as each fl ower is, it breaks apart perfectly, sending out a potent rush of Kush and Lemon Cleaner. The familiar and riveting scents of piney Kush with notes of cedar and a deep Lemon Cleaner reach into the mouth, yanking fi ercely as a thick rush of expando-smoke escapes through the throat ready to wreak havoc of epic proportion on unassuming lungs. My chest cavity explodes and a pine needle forest spills out of my mouth as I exhale, almost certain about the loss of at least one nose hole.

Kosher Kush (clone only) x OG Kush

>> An instant head high is followed by the feeling of someone removing layer upon layer of chilled washcloths from my face .

HOW IT GROWS

Within 63 to 68 days, she will produce spear-shaped medium-sized nuggets comprised of tightly stacked

Kosher Kush

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