Cover photo (above): Sharon Letts, Vintage Vegas motel sign

This series is currently published in Weed World Magazine UK, distributed internationally.

Weed Traveler began as Road Trip: In Search of Good Medicine, published in Dope Magazine for three years, self-cycled globally to several publications as Weed Traveler.

Weed Traveler: California’s Heartland

Touring California’s Central Valley, in search of safe access

Historically, California has been America’s leader in agriculture, with its vast expanses of land and temperate weather, the state accounts for more than 22 billion in farming agricultural revenue yearly - including its top producers of grapes at 5.54 billion.

While not listed among the top 10 ag producers in the state, due to Federal laws stubbornly clinging to the failed theory of “no medicinal value,” California cannabis sales certainly should be listed in the top 10, as its sales numbers climbed to 5.3 billion in 2022, following grapes.

Even more interesting to note, cannabis tax revenue doubled that of alcohol sales in California in 2021, with residents spending $832 million on cannabis products, as compared to $415 million spent on booze; prompting and further establishing the harm reductive Cali Sober movement of residents choosing weed over alcohol.

Yet, many cities and counties across the state have banned this most successful emerging industry, under the guise that it’s just not safe - and what about the children?*

I remain firm in my belief that the minute we called the plant recreational we blew it. Because recreational use left the door for criminality wide open, with nary a nod to what the plant really is, a medicinal super food with hundreds of beneficial compounds all working together with the human endocannabinoid system, delivering said compounds to all our biological systems, creating homeostasis in the body, or a place where illness cannot dwell.

Take away the high levels of psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), hybridized up over the years by human hands, and cannabis is just another boring healing plant no one would care about. 

Raise the psychoactive compound of THC to a non-therapeutic level and call it recreational, and we as a species have created yet another controversy the politicians can use against us. The irony is, THC is needed in a high THC cannabis oil, known to put cancers and other serious ailments into remission. So, it’s a conundrum, or a problem with no easy solution.

Shades of Purple on the Left Coast

The more conservative politicians throughout California’s Central Valley are indeed using the plant as a fear mongering talking point, as evidenced by voting margins leaning purple in the mostly blue or liberal state, often referred to as the Left Coast. 

The blue left coast was never so evident as seen on a precinct map of the state, showing Democratic voting cities and counties, with shades of pink to red denoting Republican leaning, conservative regions up and down the eastern region, north to south.

This Weed Traveler trip was made challenging by this fact, as my intent on planning these tours is to visit as many cannabis friendly communities and entities as possible. With no budget for travel, I rely on sponsors in the regions I’m covering. With safe access limited, the help I receive to tell these stories is silenced.

When a conservative demographic within a liberal state is allowed to ban safe access of a plant that was voted legal to do so by a majority, something is terribly wrong. Especially when said region allows a thriving delivery industry to covertly provide the same products in the dark of night.

The “not in my neighborhood” theory is blown out of the proverbial water when delivery vehicles are allowed to pull up curbside, covertly providing the partaker with the same type of products that could be found in a retail establishment.

And I don’t fault the services, the makers, or the farmers providing to this type of service. As long as the plant is getting to the people, that’s all I care about. Make your living, I say.

It’s poorly conceived laws, with way too high taxes, combined with a lack of real education on what this plant is that keeps its supply and demand in the dark, literally.

The amount of trash can smoke seshes done for the some 200 miles covered across California’s Central Valley for this trip is a good indication that more safe access and 420 friendly, safe partaking access via lounge locations are sorely needed.

According to the Pew Research Center, 88 percent of Americans want the plant legalized. With these high numbers, I’d say the purple zones in California, as well as the red or conservative states in the country need a good talking to. 

Fresno

The Artist Tree 

My first stop in Fresno was to visit an old friend and favorite concept dispensary, The Artist Tree (see Weed Traveler, West Hollywood), where I enjoyed its Santa Monica Blvd. location, complete with third floor yoga studio, and a partaking lounge, with a bar and patio seats overlooking the city.

With no lounge ordinances in the City of Fresno, this Artist Tree location is solely a retail location, with its Art Gallery element throughout the store, hosting local artists’ work.

There’s a greenhouse in the middle of each shop, offering up an educational, hands-on experience with the plant. 

The Artist Tree is known for its expansive array of products and its huge staff, earning it the nickname, The Apple Store of Cannabis, with the Fresno shop employing nearly 100 locals

Another dispensary in Fresno, Embarc, recently attempted to open a second location, but protests from residents shut it down - even though the facility was fully compliant in all areas. Complaints included the smell and security. Not points for debate, but discriminatory talking points, as security issues once a shop opens is never an issue - it just makes a good fear mongering tactic prior to open.

As for the smell, have you ever lived near a dairy farm? How about an onion or field of garlic? There are laws in the US denoting “Right to Farm,” prohibiting neighbors from suing farmers based on odors or general farming practices.

As for dispensaries, if there are no safe access lounges nearby or allowed within the shop, you are opening yourself up for trash can, curbside, and back alleyway seshes - with the scent of fragrant healing terpenes in the air.

Bottom line, banning safe access in a legal state should not be happening. A conservative faction of a populace should not dictate what the majority of people have voted on and want. See Tracy section below for more notes on legal lounges.

The Brass Unicorn

The Brass Unicorn and it’s Magickal Emporium opened in 1980, and offers a comprehensive selection of metaphysical tools and books, with incense handmade in the store. 

Rachel and I bought some stone bracelets to help bring our trip some good juju. Mine was made of amethyst, said to be the travelers stone.

There’s always magic when I’m on the road for the plant. This shop was a seemingly random find off the path of an itinerary where there are no coincidences. 

If you go: 

The Brass Unicorn, 1007 N. Van Ness Ave. (599) 441-7107

The Artist Tree (retail & delivery) 7835 N. Palm Ave. (951) 405-4534

Embarc 4592 N. Blackstone Ave., #103 (559) 420-7999

Good Eats

Mexican food is a given in the heartland, as 84 percent of its ag workers originated from Mexico. Lucky for Fresno, as its tacos are epic and plentiful, with Dab Tacos getting high marks for traditional Mexicana comida from local cannabis farmer, Sue Carlton.

From The Tipping Pointe, we took an Uber to the nearby Tower District, known for its arts and entertainment, good eateries, and the historic Tower Theater, originally opened in 1939 under Fox Studios’ banner.

Tempted to hit Grandmarie’s Chicken Pot Pie Shop, but ended up at Westwood’s for some beer and classic bar food of onion rings and breaded/deep fried pickles.

Westwood’s is a good example of a heartland eatery, with lots of barbeque on the menu, loaded sandwiches, and full dinners for a meat and potato meal that will stick to your ribs, as God intended for the heartland (but maybe not your cardiologist).

Shout out here for my traveling partner, neighbor and friend, Rachel “Sweet” Pack, for this is where she met her husband of more than 20 years, Sixx. She was waiting tables at Westwood’s and he was a working musician/local DJ, with an independent publishing business on the side. Together, they are traveling Blues musicians, Blues Against Hunger, raising funds, gathering food donations for food banks, and building good karma in every town they jam in.

Equally tempting was Veni Didi Vici, blending Asian and Italian in a way that’s not easy to describe, with one reviewer giving it five stars, and citing it with the “best and longest running Tower vibe.”

If you go:

Westwood’s BBQ & Spice Co. 8042 Blackstone Ave. (559) 449-9227

Grandmarie’s Chicken Pot Pie Shop, 861 E. Olive Ave. (559) 237-5042

Veni Vidi Vici 1116 N. Fulton St. (559) 266-5510 

Dab Tacos 721 Fulton St. (559) 981-2785 

Farming the Sierras

Sue Carlton of Rancheria Familia hosted us at her beautiful farm, complete with goats, chickens and a photo op with local photographer, Lucinda Ochoa.

Carlton farms Hemp, cannabis plants high in cannabidiol or CBD. Hemp has the same full beneficial compound profile as high THC cannabis, but with a low THC count. She offers up prerolls in cartons, flower, salve, and crowns made of CBD prerolls.

Her home is in Squaw Valley, perched on the edge of a lovely hill in the Sierras above the city of Fresno. A photo shoot in the garden had me wearing one of her crowns as the sun set behind the mountain. 

Farming is hard and in this restrictive market, not easy to get your products to town. Carlton is hopeful for a benefactor to purchase a full crop outright. Until then, she’ll dream up new ways to market her flower, her products, and herself, while frolicing on her hillside for all to witness on her busy Instagram account.

Visit Sue Carlton on her website, at https://www.rancherafamilia.com/ 

Follow Sue Carlton on Instagram @rancheramami 

Lunch with the Sisters, Merced

The Sisters of the Valley’s main farm is located in the farming region of Merced, an hour north of Fresno.

And though I’ve had the honor of staying the night several times during my trips across California, this visit was just for lunch and a sesh, as Sister Kate, the order’s matriarch served us pasta and prerolls. 

The Sisters order was created by Sister Kate Meeusen, modeled after the Beguines, caregiving women who tended to their communities from the 1300s to the 1700s in France. 

Like Carlton, the Sisters of the Valley grow low THC Hemp, making salves, tinctures and other remedies. They practice regenerative farming, planting and making medicine by the full moon. This isn’t witchcraft, as they are often accused - this is traditional farming, using tried and true practices found within the Farmer’s Almanac for centuries.

The Sisters have fought with the powers that be in Merced, working to educate them on what this plant really is. They have struggled through a pandemic and two floods, with no federal subsidies to help them, as mainstream food farmers are given a leg up. 

With the brand now global, Sister Kate hopes the Sisters’ brand - and the Sisters as educating influencers, can find synergy with other cannabis companies, and team up for the greater good, in an effort to keep the Sisterhood alive.

Modesto

420 Friendly: Holiday Inn Express

In planning a Weed Traveler to West Hollywood in Los Angeles this past spring (Weed Traveler issue # ), I was happy to have the help and sponsorship of several public relations firms and representatives working with the City of West Hollywood, The Woods, and The Artists Tree - all fully acknowledging the importance of cannabis tourism for its surrounding businesses. 

Modesto was no different, as I was assisted by Visit Modesto, part of the Modesto Convention and Visitors Bureau, helping to plan my every step in covering the city for cannabis and its businesses that never touch the plant. . 

Todd Aaronson was a gift, facilitating the city putting us up at the local Holiday Inn Express, complete with a place out front from which to partake. 

To give you an idea of what a big deal this is, the Holiday Inn is one of America’s oldest hotel chains, established in 1952, in the southern State of Tennessee, with 546 more across the country; and over 1200 hotels, globally.

Aaronson is confident that the city will add more options for cannabis patients and consumers, with Visit Modesto leading the way.

“We’re in the mid-stages of re-concepting our program around education, legal access information and consumption options,” he said. “There are at least two hotels that allow ‘smoking’ in designated outdoor areas that are not like the “trash can seshes” you mentioned. Those lodging partners will be highlighted in the new program.”

Aaronson sits on the CalTravel Cannabis Tourism Committee, and he’ll be at the CalTravel Board meeting in West Hollywood, visiting several lounges, bringing back ideas for city leadership.

Sharon’s Notes on Holiday Inn Express Sesh:

There were two designated smoking areas at the hotel. One out front by the main entrance, overlooking the drive where cars pull in to check-in and unload. This area was denoted only by one tall, free-standing ash receptacle, placed just off the walkway, near a large air conditioning unit.

Now, I feel a bit privileged to complain. After all, we were given this lovely suite, and were allowed to smoke weed outside this very mainstream hotel - at the entrance, no less.

To give my complaint some perspective, the second smoking section was located at the back entrance to the hotel, leading out to the back parking lot, and a gated entrance to the swimming pool, with a lovely wooden bench, a table and chairs, and the same tall, free-standing ash receptacle.

The catch? We weren’t allowed to sit in landscaped, luxury on a wooden bench, with the calming blue water beside us - because, what about the children? What if children are playing when I’m medicating for myriad ailments? (*see paragraph # 4, this feature)

Finding 420 friend accommodations is getting easier in states copasetic to cannabis via AirBnB, with many listings that allow cannabis use, either vaping or smoking inside, or in a designated outdoor area.

Many cities have welcomed cannabis tourism, realizing the economic benefits, not just for cannabis businesses, but for every other business in a city - especially food and lodgings. 

Because people who partake, like to do so  in nice settings - and we like to eat! 

All throughout California’s Central Valley lounges are sorely lacking. Plenty of bars and restaurants with alcohol, but nary a place to partake. Again, I point to the amount of trash can and curbside seshes my friends and I had to have as an indication of a regions lack of education on what’s needed for its people.

To remind, the entire state legalized, not just the blue or liberal leaning parts. In that respect, bans are discriminatory. I’m a serious cannabis patient, I’m using cannabis purposefully - medicating to recreate, if you will. I may be choosing plants (and a little fungi - wink, wink; nod, nod), over alcohol, but I’m still a contributing member of society, as they say.

Even when I’m visiting a city for a story, yes I’m sponsored, but the monies are still going to the community I’m visiting, including, dispensaries, delivery services, hotels, b&bs, gas stations, markets, shops, cafes, and the occasional amusement park, along the way. 

My money is just as good as the guy’s sitting at the end of the bar, as the girl’s smoking a preroll out back by the trash cans. We are all contributing members of a community.

Boomers: Weed & Miniature Golf

We were ecstatic to find Boomers across the street from the Holiday Inn Express. Boomers is a multi-use amusement park with an arcade, a go-cart track, and a miniature golf course that caused us to literally squeal with delight.

Memories of partaking and playing miniature golf go way back to high school and into my twenties, so this was a real treat.

Rachel and I saved a special preroll of Cantaloupe OG by Raw Garden, found at the Modesto Cannabis Collective, smoking the entire thing between us purposefully in anticipation of the game.

Giggles and fun ensued, and I nearly peed my pants laughing – which is always a good indication of an excellent time.

Modesto Farmers Market & Walking Mural Tour

On Saturdays near the infamous Modesto Arch, is the Modesto Farmers Market. On this sunny day, Rachel and I enjoyed our walk through the market, serenaded by a local band, perusing many cottage industry food makers, with many CBD products tabled, including CBD dog treats.

The City of Modesto is known for its murals, and you can do a walking tour starting at the arch, while listening and being guided via your iPhone.

Tracy native, Proof Wellness Representative, and Weed Traveler sponsor, Jen Noska, gave us a tour of the Modesto Cannabis Collective with CEO, Deana Vasquez Garcia. The collective is part of a chain equitably run the women, that includes the Tracy Cannabis Collective, managed and owned by Michelle Trew, with more locations in the works.

Dinner was leisurely enjoyed at Bahaus Tapas & Wine, owned by Chef Tye Bauer, with small plates to die for. Tinned Fish of Sardines on toast, Cauliflower Ceviche Tostada, and a pork loin drenched in locally sourced blackberry confit.

Small plates are perfect for cannabis partakers, as we enjoy sitting, talking, and eating good food. Leisurely dining means we also like to stop and partake in between bites. With no cannabis lounges within the City of Modesto, we were banished to the trash can out back.

To give you a visual, I was dressed fancy for the evening with tall shoes, yet was made to stand by the trash to medicate. What’s wrong with this picture? When a state or country legalizes, ordinances must include safe access to partake, not just to purchase.

Of interest and directly related to cannabis remedies, is the Sciabica Family Tasting Room, makers of fine olive oil. Olive oil has long been a favorite infusion base for cannabis and other plant medicine, so it makes sense to include farmers of olives on the tour.

The Sciabica family has been growing olives and making oil since Nicola Sciabica migrated from Sicily, Italy, purchasing the rance in 1925, where his grandsons and great grandsons still produce fine olive oil.

If you go:

Modesto Cannabis Collective https://www.modestocannabisco.com/ (209) 488-4172

Holiday Inn Express 4300 Bangs Ave. (209) 543-9009

Boomers 4215 Bangs Ave. (209) 545-5248

Modesto Walking Mural Tour https://visitmodesto.com/murals-4/ 

Visit Modesto https://visitmodesto.com/ 

Bauhaus 405 Downey Ave. (209) 857-5819 

Sciabica Family Tasting Room 2150 Yosemite Blvd. (209) 577-5067

Tracy

The Tracy Cannabis Collective took a grueling four years to open up after approved. The good news is, it sits right smack dab in beautiful old downtown Tracy. The location is a sign that something is being done right, when most cities hide dispensaries away in industrial neighborhoods. That said, most of the cities in this region are dragging their feet when it comes to allowing dispensaries to open in a timely manner.

Partner in the Tracy and Modesto Cannabis Collectives, as well as a Representative at Proof Wellness - an extraction company in California, Jen Noska is also a serious cannabis patient, replacing multiple pharmaceuticals for myriad ailments. She knows the importance of not only safe access to purchase, but to partake.

The lack of ordinances for safe access has allowed, what many now refer to as the “traditional market,” to continue. Some estimate that upwards of 80 percent of material and products produced are still going to this unregulated market. That’s the backlash of what a lack of education looks like on what it means to partake safely and why it’s needed.

“The traditional market offers sesh events that create a sense of community,” Noska shared. “People gather to purchase and consume products together - often with food, music and live entertainment. It’s great that we have a legal market now, with safe access in dispensaries, with clean and lab tested products, but we do not have anywhere for consumers to come together.”

And partaking lounges aren’t only used for seshing, as Jen adds, “Cannabis lounges offer a place for workshops and lectures on plant-based education. They become a place for cancer and other patients to come together and support each other. Seshing is already happening at private events, it’s time to bring medicating openly with cannabis in a legal state out of the shadows and back alleyways of the city and show the patients some respect.”

Food for thought: While researching for a piece on the City of San Diego banning cannabis at public events, I found that with thousands of cannabis event goers pouring out of cannabis events throughout the state, there are zero altercations of violence or disruptive behavior noted. As opposed to violence, abuse, DUIs and deaths reported after events where “Beer Gardens” are licensed in public events via the city. Not to mention the havoc that ensues after major sporting events, where alcohol is openly observed pre-game tailgate parties in the parking lot.

“And it doesn’t hurt to note, cannabis lounges will bring more revenue to a city that allows them,” Noska surmised. 

If you go:

Tracy Cannabis Collective 85 10th St. (209) 650-3306

Eats: Juniors, highlight: Chicken & Waffles, 939 N. Central Ave. (209) 879-9043

California’s Political Geogrphy 2020 https://www.ppic.org/publication/californias-political-geography

Weed Traveler: West Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

WeHo metamorphizes into the Emerald Village

The city that borders Beverley Hills to the west and the City of Los Angles to the east, became the incorporated City of West Hollywood in 1984. But, it was always an independent and free-thinking community long before it became known as one of the top LGBTQ+ friendly cities in the U.S.

Established at the end of the 19th century as the town of Sherman, by Moses Sherman and his partners from the Los Angeles Pacific Railroad, it remained fiercely unincorporated within Los Angeles County; opting out of being part of the City of Los Angeles, skirting the gambling and drinking ordinances of the day.

Named in 1888, Sunset Boulevard was the 22 mile path to the Pacific ocean from downtown Los Angeles. But within West Hollywood's 1.7 mile strip and lax legal structure of the day, its business district soon became lined with casinos and night clubs, and notorious for Speakeasy’s during the prohibition of alcohol throughout the 1930s.

West Hollywood became a place for people distrustful of oftentimes heavy handed government oversight, including the strong arm of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). 

When the city incorporated, lobbying was done by its LBGTQ+ residents, along with its Russian population who migrated after the end of the Soviet Union; joined by its growing senior population, with the city now known as WeHo becoming the first in the country to have an openly gay majority city council.

And though many of its nightclubs have been called gay since the silver screen days of Hollywood, its crowds were and are as diverse as the surrounding Hollywood proper and Los Angeles’ eclectic communities, with many music, art, film, literary, and TV industry people naturally congregating after hours, in close proximity to the film studios.

Known today for its music, fashion, and cultural scene, venues such as Doug Weston’s Troubadour (est. 1957) on Santa Monica Boulevard, was initially a folk music coffee house for pre-hippy beatniks, who would snap their fingers in lieu of clapping. The beatniks were known for their love of jazz, their poetry readings or spoken word, and their use of cannabis.

Still in existence are the iconic clubs of Sunset, including The Whiskey a Go Go (est. 1964), co-founded by record and film producer, Lou Adler; with The Roxy up the street, co-founded with Adler’s son Nic in 1973. These clubs were and are where emerging and established musicians can still be enjoyed up close in an intimate and now iconic setting.

LGBTQ+ and the History of Medical Cannabis

California was the first state in the U.S. to legalize cannabis as medicine in 1996, with its cooperative compassionate care programs that would become a model for jurisdictions in every state that acknowledges the plant as medicinal.

You can’t talk about cannabis as medicine without giving full credit to the LGBTQ+ community for championing its medicinal properties in the early 1980s, treating symptoms from HIV/AIDS and cancer long before the people of the state voted to legalize the plant for medicine.

The first case of AIDS was reported in Los Angeles in 1981, with its first Aids Walk established  in 1985, with more than $92 million raised by walkers and supporters its first year. 

And though much of the advocacy was being done in San Francisco, with Dennis Peron’s San Francisco Buyers Club as the first dispensary in the state, the LGBTQ+ communities in Los Angeles and the City of West Hollywood were simultaneously using the plant to care for its own. Important to note, WeHo was one of the first cities in the county to issue a medical dispensary license for this reason.

With the legalization of adult/recreational use in full swing in the state since 2016, according to its website, the City of West Hollywood, with its population of just under 36,000, has plans of issuing 40 licenses in various safe access categories, including adult use retail, consumption lounges (smoking & edibles, respectively), medical use dispensaries, and delivery services.

The Art of Lounging

People who partake have refined the art of lounging, and the spaces for tribal encounters have been raised to new heights in WeHo, now with the endearing nickname of the Emerald Village.

The LGBTQ+ community has been flying its rainbow flag for quite some time, with the rainbow cannabis leaf now firmly planted in queer soil in WeHo.

Historically, pre-COVID lockdown of 2020, West Hollywood welcomed the country’s first sit-down infused restaurant on LaBrea Boulevard, founded by Lowell’s Cannabis Company, then taken over by the Original Cannabis Cafe; now pending reopening by High Times Holding Company. The location was to be the first of 16 proposed lounges to open before the pandemic halted progress.

The Woods

One of the most beautiful cannabis lounges I’ve visited opened in the Spring of 2023 on Santa Monica Boulevard, The Woods - a  jungle oasis in the middle of the city.

Co-founded by actor Woody Harrelson and political pundit, Bill Maher, The Woods is situated in a building and gardens that were once an architect's office, replete with a meditative koi pond and longtime resident parrots.

As explained by WeHo storyteller and Director of the newly created, Emerald Village, Scott Schmidt, due to ordinances restricting size and capacity of lounges, The Woods used the ingenuity of the ghosts of architects past, creating a series of beautiful box-like lounge spaces, with floor to ceiling windows and comfy seating, giving magical views of the jungle-like gardens surrounding the pond.

Instagram Influencer, Jessica Gonzalez, aka: The Mommy Jane, joined me on this trip, and we were given the Living Room right next to the pond. 

Joining us was the newly named Queen of the Emerald Village, Sabbyiana; Videographer/Camera, Jason Gonzalez; Scott Schmidt, director of the Emerald Village; cannabis comedian, Angie Stalker; and Claire Taylor of Chapter 2 Public Relations (representing The Woods).

For the next year, Queen Sabbyiana will be WeHo’s Ambassador to the Emerald Village, hosting events and smoke sessions, and advocating for the plant and the city supporting it.

Originally from Montebello, California, Sabby said she would visit West Hollywood before she turned 21, but Micky’s wouldn’t let her in until she was of age. Then, she said she went to Micky’s every Monday night, eventually making WeHo her home.

In Sabby’s own words, her character is “sultry, stunning, and show stopping, with a mix of vibe of cholita, Bratz Doll, and creepiness,” and we have to agree. Jess and I will add that she’s the sweetest creepy doll we’ve ever hung with.

Just above us was another lounge in the tree line, aptly named The Treehouse. The lounges have varying prices depending on the day, and need to be reserved in advance. Partaking materials can be purchased in the dispensary up front. I was happy to see legacy farmers and friends from the Emerald Triangle, Huckleberry Hill Farms of Southern Humboldt; and Sol Spirit Farms of Trinity, beautifully displayed. 

On the day we were there, cannabis infused beverage company, Pamos was set up in the Giggle Garden, offering up lovely spirits. Jess and I enjoyed its Peach & Guava Bellini mocktail and it was divine.

Also in the Giggle Garden you’ll find three parrots who have been living by the pond all their lives, and have been lovingly adopted and well cared for at The Woods. It’s not uncommon for long-living parrots to outlive their owners, and we are grateful The Woods adopted them and they are allowed to live out their lives in the only home they’ve known..

Years ago I had a friend who would only partake at the top of a trail head, as the uplifting effects from being in nature were immediate. Being able to medicate freely within a natural space like The Woods is a gift, opening up the senses and soothing the soul.

If you go: 

The Woods, 8271 Santa Monica Blvd. (844) 484-3966

https://www.thewoodsweho.com/

The Artist Tree

With three locations in Los Angeles, and one in California’s Central Valley in Fresno, The Artist Tree is a unique concept for a dispensary, as they are also fully functional artist galleries throughout, with a full-time curator orchestrating displays and events, reflecting the artists and culture of each community they are a part of.

Like nature, art and cannabis go hand-in-hand, opening up our senses and allowing us to see beauty in the world. The Artist Tree provides this space, and I’d like to see more dispensaries add sensory components. Because, afterall, when we partake our third eye is fully open, and to be able to immediately come in contact with sensory stimulators, like art and music is everything.

You are also making memories, and when your limbic system is triggered in a good way, the memory of the place stays with you forever - along with the scent and taste of the cultivar you are enjoying.

The WeHo location on Santa Monica Boulevard is three stories high, with a dispensary on the ground floor, a lounge with patio terrace on the second floor; and a studio on top where yoga and other body, mind and soul classes and workshops are held.

Our group was treated to a gravity bong made by Stundenglass, with an employee assigned to help us. We also enjoyed a variety of prerolls and flower by Jeeter and Cream of the Crop, with employees nearby ready to help and refurbish.

If you go: 

The Artist Tree, 8625 Santa Monica Blvd. (310) 461-4134

Services: Dispensary, delivery, curbside pick-up

https://www.theartisttree.com/dispensary-west-hollywood/ 

Petit Ermitage

If you are lucky enough to stay at the Petit Ermitage, or even luckier to be invited by a guest, this boutique hotel tucked away in a residential neighborhood is a dream come true for the partaker who appreciates privacy with a little bohemian magic in the mix.

Built in 1979, the hotel was established 11 years ago with a French theme, 80 suites, a bar/lounge with live music and craft cocktails, and a rooftop warm salt water pool, with comfy lounge areas to die for, overlooking the city and beyond.

Notable is its owner Stefan Ashkenazy’s extensive collection of original art throughout, valued at more than 30 million dollars, including pieces by Willem de Koonig, Erte, and Salvador Dali. It hits you when you walk into the lobby that the painting just beside you is an original by none other than Spanish artist, Joan Miro.

Jessica and I spread out like Queens on a lounge bed in one of the rooftop nooks, referred to as the firepit room, an open aired lounge space with a lovely fireplace.

Our plethora of prerolls and other delights were lined up beside us, with the sun above, and a welcoming swim in the warm salt-water pool as icing on our cake.

I was able to order a tall carafe of chamomile tea that I shared with other guests, ever evangelizing on its calming benefits, much to Jessica’s amusement. Because no matter where I travel, I’m evangelizing some kind of plant. It can’t be helped.

When the sun set and the air cooled, candles and twinkle lights appeared, the fire was lit, and faux mink blankets were laid out. We nibbled on a beautiful charcuterie board and sipped lovely craft cocktails, as the sun set over the city. 

Think, Club Med in the 80s, and know that anything goes in this tucked away respite, where partaking of the herb is commonplace and the guests include actors, musicians, cannabis industry peeps, and patrons from around the world who make this little hotel their safe haven of non-judgement and joy.

If you go:

Petit Ermitage, 8822 Cynthia St. (310) 854-1114

https://www.petitermitage.com/

Alleyway Sesh

Jessica and I decided to walk the Sunset Strip in WeHo nearly to the gates of Beverly Hills, to see what we could see.

Partaking and strolling were made for each other, so, rather than sit in a cafe, we ordered two sandwiches and found an alley with a staircase to sit, eat and embibe. It was apropos that we enjoyed a preroll of lovely Rainbow Sherbet from De La Bo, and the full-flower smoke did not disappoint.

Sadly, it’s not unusual for us to medicate in alleys or behind trash cans. We who use cannabis purposefully are ahead of our time and misunderstood by the masses. Yes, California is legal for “recreational” use, insuring the stoner stigma with criminality implied, sitting us down in an alleyway off Sunset Boulevard. 

Shops of Interest

Mystery Pier Books, Inc. 

Resuming our walk, not unlike twin Alice in Wonderlands, we happened upon an antique book seller tucked away through a narrow hallway, down a set of stairs, opening up to a little courtyard and cottage with the sweetest secret garden.

Mystery Pier Books, Inc., specializes in first editions - antique and rare books, and signed award-winning scripts.

From the moment you walk into the front door, your senses are hit with the beautiful and undeniable scent of books. For a writer/reader, this is one of the most wonderful fragrances in the world. 

It’s proprietors, Louie and Harvey Jason, gave us a tour of the shop. Soon I found a full collection of one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck, with a complete set of first editions. 

Nearby, a row of beautifully bound signed scripts. Noted, a copy of Pulp Fiction, signed by Quentin Tarantino himself.

Harvey Jason is a soft spoken and thoughtful man. He came to Los Angeles via New York by way of London, England as a stage actor, then garnering many roles in both television and film.

“Twenty-five years ago I played the tour guide in The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” he shared. “I was siting with the Director, Steven Spielberg, telling him of our plans to open a collectible book shop - and here we are.”

If you go:

Mystery Pier Books, Inc. 8826 Sunset Blvd. (310) 657-5557

http://www.mysterypierbooks.com/ 

Fred Segal

Fred Segal opened his first store on Santa Monica Boulevard in 1960 to an A-List of customers that included The Beatles, Diana Ross, and Elvis Presley. Segal was a designer who created some of The King’s stage costumes for many years.  According to an article in Vogue penned after his death in 2021, Segal “helped define the look of West Coast style.”

Jessica and I made a special trip to its newest shop on Sunset, built in 2017; as our friend, Jessica Cadmus, has her line of stash and accessories, Rogue Paq, available there. 
Jessica is a dresser in Manhattan, New York, and while revamping high-end wardrobes, she noted her well-to-do clients had their smoking accessories in not-so-stylish containers - like old shoe boxes. So, she designed the Rogue Paq - a rolled up leather (or Vegan) satchel made to hold a variety of products and accessories for the savvy partaker.

If you go: Fred Segal, 8500 Sunset Blvd. (310) 432-0560

https://www.fredsegal.com/

Nightlife

Micky’s WeHo

The iconic Micky’s WeHo nightclub and gay bar opened up in 1989. And though there are many drag and gay clubs in the city, Micky’s stands tall as the pulse of the district. 

As one of the longest running and most successful gay owned and operated club in the Los Angeles, Micky’s is the only club allowed to stay open after 2 a.m., boasting on its website, “Because the fun doesn’t have to stop just because its the last call!”

Jessica and I were invited to sit up front for its Friday night show, “Let’s Go Bananas,” hosted by the fabulously talented Marta Beatchu. Themed shows are common, and on this night the dancers reflected the jungle theme and went bananas with animal-like costumes on fire.

Several dancers graced the stage, with Jessica shyly admitting this was her first drag show. An openly bi-sexual woman, Jessica waxed poetic at what she defined as a kaleidoscope of self-expression before her, as she embraced the vibrant hues of human identity.

“I realized that each of our truest selves shine brightest when we fearlessly embrace every color of the rainbow,” she said. “Each act was inspiring, thrilling and highly entertaining. I felt lucky to in their presence - and so up close and personal to their art.”

My virgin show was watching Laganja Estranja perform at Rich’s in San Diego with Ashley Manta of Cannasexual. 

Sadly, Laganja Estranja, aka: Jay Jackson, a longtime Micky’s girl was on a US tour with RuPaul’s Werq the World during our tour, but she graciously hosted us in her Hollywood home.

If you go:

Micky’s WeHo, 8857 Santa Monica Blvd. (310) 657-1776

Dispensaries

Jess and I visited Urbn Leaf, a successful chain of dispensaries with nine locations throughout California, purchased in 2022 by Harborside, Inc., founded by brothers Steven and Andrew DeAngelo.

Notable, it’s centrally located WeHo location was the first Adult Use/Recreational dispensary to open up on Sunset Boulevard.

When we visited, its manager, Kurt Haaker and staff were friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating, offering up many recognizable brands from throughout the state.

If you go:

Urbn Leaf WeHo, 8477 W. Sunset Blvd. (877) 420-8726

Services: Dispensary, delivery, curbside pick-up

https://urbnleaf.com/

List of WeHo Dispensaries/Care Centers:

Zen, 8464 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 656-6666

MedMen, 8208 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 579-1449

The Studio, 8625 Santa Monica Blvd. (2nd floor) (310) 3621004

Alternative Herbal Health Services, 7828 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 654-8792

Calma, 1155 N. La Brea Ave. (323) 498-0035

Los Angeles Patients & Caregivers Group (LAPCG), 7213 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 882-6033

420 Friendly Hotels/Stays:

AirBnB has many listings for 420 friendly stays listed in West Hollywood. Rule of thumb, contact host directly to confirm conditions.

The Ziggy, 8462 Sunset Blvd. (323) 654-4600 The Ziggy is known for its Sunday afternoon pool parties. 

Visit West Hollywood hotel guide: https://www.visitwesthollywood.com/hotels/ Note: Confirm with each hotel on 420 friendly options.

Food & Libations

The Formosa

WeHo has some of the best eateries in Los Angeles, and my first night in town I was treated to dinner and drinks at the historic The Formosa, Known for its craft cocktails and exquisite Chinese fare.

Founded in 1939 by prize-fighter Jimmy Bernstein, it was originally located in a 1904 Red Car trolley just across from the then, Samuel Goldwyn Studio, with stars like Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, and James Dean regularly dining there. The trolly can be found inside it’s new location on Santa Monica Boulevard, as a charming dining room.

Tail O’ the Pup

This hot dog shaped stand is hard to miss. Built in 1946, it’s said to be an excellent example of programmatic or mimetic novelty architecture - something Los Angeles was once known for. Designed by architect Milton J. Black for celebrity ballroom dance couple, Veloz and Yolanda Casazza.

For hot dog aficionados, Tail O’ the Pup is not to be missed. Jess had the classic corn dog, and I enjoyed its 1946 Pup, a split and grilled dog on a toasted bun, with grilled onions and mustard. Helpful to note, they also serve all their pups with Vegan dogs.

The Abbey (historic gay bar) 692 N. Robertson Blvd. (310) 289-8410

The Formosa (historic Hollywood Chinese) 7156 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 850-1014

Tail O’ the Pup (historic hot dogs) 8512 Santa Monica Blvd. (310) 579-1213

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd. (best craft hamburgers in LA at 25 Degree) (323) 856-1970

Harriet’s Rooftop, The Jeremy Hotel - light show in the sky between the buildings 8490 Sunset Blvd.  (424) 281-1860

Notable Vegan

Love Organic Cafe (Japanese Vegan) 8205 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 688-2065

Pure Vita (Vegan/Gluten-free pizza) 8274 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 688-2303

Vromage (Vegan cheese shop) 7988 W. Sunset Blvd. (323) 745-0157

For more information on the Emerald Village visit, 

https://www.emeraldvillageweho.com/

Max’s Wake & Bake Tours, New York City

Max Moyet has created the quintessential weed tour in the Big Apple.

As a cannabis patient who travels for work reporting on weed-friendly tourism, an insider tour of any city that shares copesetic medicating spots is welcome. But a tour guide who gets that waking and baking isn’t just about getting high, but is an experience in itself when you add sensory sights, sounds and the culture of a city like New York, is priceless. 

Max was born and raised in the city he loves to walk through. Prior to doing the tours he was a dog walker with a solid business.

“That’s how I met my wife. My clients were Broadway actors, and it was a good life. Then I was an Airbnb Superhost, and started taking guests on walking tours of the city.”

When the pandemic hit he’d already been doing the tours for about a year, and stopped hosting Airbnb focusing full time on its excursions via the walking tours, adding cannabis when the city legalized for adult use in 202

Under New York’s adult use ordinances, those 21 years of age can possess up to three ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of concentrate for personal use. Smoking is allowed wherever tobacco is allowed, with a few exceptions.

Be My Guest

Upon arrival, Moyet treats his guests to a piece of homemade (non-infused) chocolate-chip avocado cake - a special recipe that he said literally took him ten years to perfect. They also get two prerolls each to enjoy throughout the tour.

“I’ve been Vegan since 2021 for health reasons,” he declared. “I also quit coffee and alcohol, and self-medicate with cannabis ahead of the tour with my Volcano vape, because it helps with my pre-tour anxiety. Sometimes it’s stressful guiding a large group, and my main concern is that they enjoy themselves.” 

Luckily, he said that those who partake of cannabis are chill clients. For this reason he doesn’t encourage drinking alcohol on the tours, because he said it changes the vibe.

“Ninety-nine percent of the tour is laughing,” he said. “For the most part, my clients tend to be mellow and down to earth. Some take me out for a meal afterwards. One group were mortgage brokers from Texas. They had just returned from a trip to Belgium, where they bought a chocolate bar with psilocybin mushrooms, specifically to do on my tour, and asked me to join them. They were such a nice, well spoken group, so I did. When the tour ended, I made the decision to keep going, as I didn’t want to unleash them in the city while tripping.”

Not on the tour was the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET), and for two additional tour hours the group had the good fortune of tripping to more than 5,000 years of art from around the globe in one of the largest and finest art museums in the world.

Waking & Baking with Max

Moyet’s note at the beginning of the tour instructs his guests that vapes, pens, and organic hemp wrapped blunts are welcome.

Cannabis has been used for centuries in spiritual practices. Said to open the third eye, smoking cannabis before a hike allows the partaker to soak up the sights and sounds around them. Cannabis is an enhancer, making the simplest flavors in food pop, the sun feel warmer, and the breeze crisper and cooler. Add art, gardens and food and its no wonder Moyet’s tours are steadily booked.

Knowing about sensory enhancements in food with cannabis, the tour begins at the reasonable hour of 11 a.m. at Absolute Bagels on the Upper West Side, known for some of the best bagels in the city. Founded in the 1980s, the little shop is never without a customer, with lines wrapping around the block at 7 a.m.

Parents often bring their grown children and partake together. A grandmother and her grown grandson signed up thinking “wake and bake” meant a tour of fine pastries throughout the city.

“This has only happened twice,” he laughed. “They were surprised at the 420 friendly aspect, but did the tour anyway and had a great time. Thankfully, we have a few baked food options - besides just getting baked.”

On the way to the next destination, the group passes by Tom’s Restaurant, made infamous by its recreation on set in Los Angeles, where the cast of the TV show, Seinfeld, hung out. 

“Tom’s is the perfect photo op as we pass by,” Moyet said. “Some go inside, but most just take pictures from the sidewalk.”

Next stop is St. John the Divine, a historic Episcopalian church opened in 1941, as one of five of the largest churches in the world. A favorite installation to view was done by the late graffiti artist, Keith Haring. This is poignant, as Haring was one of the first celebrities to pass of AIDS at the height of his career, with Moyet adding that LGBTQ+ people are more than welcome on his tours.

At St John the Divine, guests can soak in the beauty of the cathedral, the quiet of the sanctuary, and the meditative feeling enhanced by the plant upon entering.

Though public parks are typically deemed off limits to smoking, cigarettes or otherwise, cannabis smoking has become tolerated, and are destinations for the tours for partaking.

“No one has ever complained about my tours, probably because we are respectful,” he surmised. “Everyone is just so happy to partake in the park. On nearly every tour I hear guests say, ‘we can’t do this in Ohio, Atlanta, Texas or Tennessee.’ It’s amazing how many guests travel from states that aren’t legal for cannabis, and they are so happy to be able to freely medicate in a lovely park.”

The group strolls through Central Park where they visit the Harlem Meer, a lovely lake in the northeast corner of the park. 

Next is a sensory treat, visiting the conservatory garden, one of the most significant public gardens in the city, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as an arboretum, originally used as a propagation greenhouse in planting the park, which is solely man made, and has become a living habitat for a wide array of wildlife.

Being in nature while medicated with cannabis is everything. Next time you are couch locked, go outside, breathe in the air and get your fingers dirty. Let the plant enhance your relationship with nature. That’s one thing Moyet hopes for his guests, that they can connect with something larger than themselves. 

Subway rides in the city are mandatory, and from the park Moyet has his guests take a ride to 34th Street and the Hudson Yards, home of the Vessel. Commissioned in 2013, it was designed to be an interactive sculpture and public space. Designer Heatherwick created the structure as a vessel of God.

Next is Mercado in Little Spain, an authentic Spanish market and eatery where guests can enjoy a variety of foods. Moyet treats his guests to a chuco - a type of chocolate filled croissant, noted as a favorite in Spain..

It wouldn’t be a 420 walking tour without a walk on the High Line, an elevated freight rail line that’s been converted into a public park on Manhattan’s West Side with art installations and flora. Owned by the City of New York, the High Line was saved from demolition by neighborhood residents and opened in 2009.

“I couldn’t do the tour without a stop to the High Line,” Moyet laughed. “The jokes from my guests are priceless. ‘I’m high on the High Line,’ is a favorite. But, it’s a beautiful place for soaking up art and picturing taking.”

Little Island is another favorite stop on the tour right on the Hudson River, located within the Hudson River Park. It’s a beautiful place built atop of an architecturally stunning pier. It’s also a spiritual place, as it was once home to the Lenape tribe during the early colonization of America. 

Best to stop and say a little blessing for those tribal members who once hunted and fished along the Hudson, for their spirits are surely there.

Lastly, the tour ends at Chelsea Market, and the original home of the Oreo cookie. Constructed in the 1890s, it’s where the National Biscuit Company, later dubbed, Nabisco was founded.

The Chelsea Market also has a history with the Algonquin tribe, who traded game and crops on the banks of the Hudson. 

Today, it’s an international market, known as one of the greatest indoor food and retail marketplaces in the world. The floors above the market are home to the Food Network, where many cooking shows have been filmed, including the Iron Chef and Chopped.

“Chelsea is a great place for my guests to end up,” he concluded. “They can satisfy their munchies, have a nice meal, and shop for souvenirs.”

It’s easy to say, let’s get high and go for a walk, but the locations from this New Yorker, combined with an excellent smattering of food and flora make this 420 friendly tour special. 

To sign up for Max’s Wake & Bake Tour of New York visit, https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/188587?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=721f78eb-692b-4cb5-a1d5-4888ed9c02c6 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

A little green at the tip of Baja California Sur

Cabo San Lucas is found where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean on the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Like much of the Southern Baja peninsula, Cabo is subtropical, where the desert meets the sea. And though the weather is warm year-round, the spring and summer months can reach temperatures well into the 40s °C (100s °F), with the threat of hurricanes towards the end of summer into fall.

But, no matter the weather, the good news is, your tribe is already there. For the past ten years I’ve been traveling, embedding myself into our global cannabis communities, and one thing is clear, the spirit of the plant brings us together. Whether you are mystical, pegan or pious, the plant crosses every line, border, color and culture in the world.

Called Aspen on the beach, Cabo boasts some of the finest ocean front hotels and spas in the world, with celebrities and millionaires alike arriving on yachts and cruise ships from all points on the map, filling up it’s bay and tiny marina.

Also called the Mexican Riviera, its high end mall, Luxury Avenue, located near the marina, hosts Gucci, Chanel, and Givenchy (to name a few); but is found just blocks away from the more traditional tourista neighborhoods still offering up Mexican handmade goods and souvenirs.

Not too worry if you don’t have a yacht or home within one of Cabo’s many gated communities, for there are really two Cabo’s, with rooms still to be let for 33.16£ ($40 US) a night, affordable AirBnB’s, public beaches (where hotels have not yet been built), and cheap food options via local cafes and street vendors.

I’ve long said, when traveling, it depends on your economic status as to what kind of experience you’ll have, with two worlds to be witnessed in every city, no matter if you have a champagne or a beer budget (or weed in your back pocket).

Green for Green

My trip was sponsored by the Cabo Cannabis Company, celebrating its one year anniversary of having a retail shop near the marina. 

Whenever I travel into a cannabis community, I’m always curious as to just how much we can do out in the open, and Cabo didn’t disappoint. 

As owner, Grace Elisea, informed, everything is 420 friendly if you have money (see Grace’s profile in Women of Weed World). It’s no different in the US, the UK, or Mexico. 420 events thrive in private properties around the world, with the owners consent and the tolerance of neighbors. This is especially true where ordinances are lagging. 

The people and the plant prevail, because you can’t stop the healing that follows. The people are already doing the healing, ahead of legislators being educated and before any just laws are written for the people about a plant that heals.

My first night in Cabo, Grace and team took me to Sancho’s to meet the tribe on the waterfront overlooking that sea of yachts mentioned prior. It’s a welcoming and laid back local’s hangout restaurant/bar, where my hosts set up a dab bar in full view on the patio. 

Local singer/songwriter Angie Vertti serenaded the first night of the company’s week long of anniversary celebrations, wearing a cannabis leaf print dress, shouting out 420 greetings to the crowd. 

Owned by Margo Marek, an Expat from Texas, no less, Sancho’s had Teaxans in the house partaking out front. The message being, if you are from a conservative region of the world where cannabis use is misunderstood or silenced, and are looking for a progressive hang out in Cabo with great comfort food and exceptionally loaded craft shots, Sancho’s is where your tribe is welcome.

As a cannabis patient, it’s always a gift to medicate out in the open. Otherwise, I’d be out back by the trash cans smoking to compensate for the alcohol, as I’m not a big drinker. One or two at best, then I need to smoke. I can keep up with the smokers, but not with the drinkers.

Cabo High End

Cannabidiol or CBD, has been legal in Mexico since 2017, and is readily available in many markets throughout every state. I flew into Cabo from Tijuana (domestic flight) with CBD tincture and salve in my bag. I also had a vape pen tucked into my camera bag with THC, in a don’t ask, don’t tell move - with no issues.

The Cabo Cannabis Company specializes in CBD products, homemade edibles, and has a popcorn vending machine in the shop serving up warm, CBD infused popcorn to Cabo tourists and locals alike. You can also buy local hand blown glass pieces, and find a wide variety of smoking accessories and novelty items.

You can even order a CBD cocktail by the pool at the exclusive Grand Velas resort hotel, said to be frequented by American Actress Jennifer Aniston.

Grand Velas cocktails include Tiki Velas, served in a classic Tiki mug, with pear puree, ancho chili liqueur, and drops of CBD tincture; or Coco Brujo, with mint water, lemon juice, agave gin, and drops of CBD tincture. 

Jennifer is also said to be a devoted partaker of the plant, but that’s for another story. I can’t help but wonder, though, if she might have had something to do with CBD at the bar.

Salvatore G’s is said to be the best Italian restaurant in Cabo, and I must agree. Flavorful, traditional menu, with huge portions large enough to share or take some home for later. Our large group took up much of the upstairs patio, with our dab rigs fully laid out once again on the table. 

Note: As of this writing, Mexico has banned tobacco smoking in public places, based on the science of secondhand smoke known to cause cancer. And though it’s become common to see partaking of the plant in public places in Mexico, we don’t yet know if the public smoking of cannabis will be included. Important to note, Mexico is known for its lack of enforcement of its own rules. The rule of thumb is, know your surroundings, ask permission, and be respectful of those around you. Like Willie Nelson says, “Don’t be an asshole.” 

420 Cabo Adventures

Water and sun are a given in Cabo, and my first day was spent on the popular public, safe swimming spot of Medano Beach, located just east of the harbor. There, a dab bar and rolling station was set up under a sea of umbrellas, where we medicated freely.

Medano hosts several restaurant/bars right on the beach, with kayaks, wave runners, and stand-up paddle surf boards to let.

The second day, the company chartered a boat from La Isla Tour for a sunset cruise around the Arches, where, again, a medicating station was set-up and enjoyed by all. La Isla has a variety of party boats in many sizes, small or large, all set-up for socializing with full bar and catering options.

Homemade Sangria was prepared by Cabo Cannabis Company teammate, Hugo “Primo” Aranza. We took the delicious mix to the Santa Rita Hot Springs, where the team enjoyed a trippy day of dabs and psilocybin mushrooms in the pools. (See my Reels for recipe on Instagram @sharoneletts)

The hot springs are about two hours from Cabo central, but worth the trek and the short hike into the pools, that are 420 friendly. Our swim-up medicating station was situated that day on a rock in the middle of the springs.

A second day on the water was spent on a bay cruise with a hangout at Lover’s Beach, on the other side of the Arches, only accessed by boat. There, we set out anchor, with many diving from the top deck into the beautiful, clear blue water, hanging out on a floating mat near the boat, or taking a short swim to the beach.

Again, a dab bar was laid out on a table, and we did not want for lack of medicating. Edibles provided by the Cabo Cannabis Company were also enjoyed, as were infused and non-infused snacks and food from a variety of makers, including Grace, who caters infused foods to lucky Cabo clients.

One very special night was enjoyed in the private home of a patient Grace cooks for, Nicole Rudgren and her brother Chuck Renick. This fully loaded home’s sliding glass wall opens up to a spectacular view of the ocean, with a pool and hot tub. The five bedroom multi-level home that sleeps up to 10, can be found on Airbnb (see guide below) and is 420 friendly, complete with a pool table and a converted stone-walled wine cellar, turned cannabis cave.

Dinner was catered by Private Chef Los Cabos & Travel Services, with Chef Diego Hernandez in charge of a five star stoner spread of finger foods to be envied. A cannabis infused Spanish sauce was prepared by Cabo Cannabis Company’s Alan Santiago Martinez for street vendor-style tacos.

Little Doses for Big Pleasure

All throughout the week long festivities in celebrating the Cabo Cannabis Company’s one year anniversary, a variety of non-toxic, experience enhancing substances were enjoyed by many.

The goal of the week was for the employees in Cabo and its associates from various parts of Mexico to enjoy each other away from the tasks of work. And there is no better way for a cannabis tribe to bond than microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, and acid. All purposefully dosed on certain days, for certain activities. 

Most assume when using psychoactive substances, the subject will be hallucinating with the intent of having a life-changing experience, or what’s known as “ego death,” wherein you attempt to make real changes in your life by resetting your mind. 

This isn’t so with microdosing. I call a .5 or a 1 gram dose of mushrooms a giggle dose, as it raises endorphins and creates dopamine in the brain, much in the same way as cannabis does when smoking a terpene-rich cultivar. The difference is, the lift with mushrooms, for example, lasts longer, is more sustained, and has been well documented that the lift can last weeks, if not months - without repeated daily dosing, and little to no negative side effects reported.

Dosing with psychoactive and beneficial compounds is purposeful, as the serious and educated partaker will set intentions first. Setting intensions is aligned with positive affirmations or positive thinking, directing your experience to your wants or needs. 

For instance, on the day we visited the hot springs, a group microsed with MDMA, otherwise known as Ecstasy or Molly - a empathogen/entactogen stimulant, that enhances emotions and touch; giving the partaker a general overall feeling of well being and happiness.

Why do I give this particular part of the trip so much consideration? Because you do not have to be a Weed Traveler to take a trip in your mind. And each trip we take, either with out tribe or alone, is an adventure in itself.

Many thanks to Grace, her husband, Jesus, and the entire Cabo Cannabis Company tribe for making me feel a part of the magic you have in your beautiful community. Blessings to the Cabo tribe. May the tribe that we know is within the Cartel soften to the possibility of having a peaceful life together, supporting each other and the plant.

Cabo 420 Guide

Follow the Cabo Cannabis Company on Facebook & Instagram @cabocannabisco 

Grand Velas, CBD Cocktails https://loscabos.grandvelas.com/ 

Follow Sancho’s on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sanchoscabo/?locale=es_LA 

Villa del Norte Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/42539611?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=e23892f5-b323-4eca-86b7-9ec61bd4c5d2 

Private Chef Los Cabos/Diego Hernandez www.privatechefloscabos.com 

La Isla Tour Cabo, catamaran tours https://laislatour.mx/

Santa Rita Hot Springs https://www.quiviraloscabos.com/blog/santa-rita-hot-springs-a-hidden-sanctuary 

Salvatore G’s (Italian Restaurant) https://salvatoregs.com/

420 Friendly in The Emerald Triangle

Tourism in Northern California’s weed country

Clockwise l-r: Arcata Plaza, Farmers Market; Old Town Eureka, Carson Mansion; Old Town Eureka Boardwalk, Humboldt Bay; Arcata, Café Mocha & Finish Hot Tubs, private hot tub; Old Town Eureka, HPRC (old Bank of America); Fortuna, Humboldt distillery; Arcata, Humboldt Glassworks

Author’s note: This tour was in October of 2021, on the anniversary of my nine years of using cannabis oil in Humboldt County, putting breast cancer into remission, forcing me to cross over from mainstream media into the cannabis publishing space. On a personal note, it was a surreal and bittersweet return after being away for six years, leaving before legalization, when the region was still covert. One of my most surreal memories was being taken up into the hills in Southern Humboldt to the covert hill farm where the cannabis that put my cancer into remission was grown. Still in mainstream media, known for my work in the county, I was blindfolded, and the sim card removed from my iPhone. I had no issue with this hill policy. Me being high profile and in media posed the most threat to them, not me. Today, there are still covert hill farms, and visitors are not encouraged to traverse off-trail in search of weed. Respect to privacy still prevails.

Northern California hosts some of the most iconic and historic cannabis farms within the Emerald Triangle, making up Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties. But, for most who have traveled the five hours beyond the Redwood Curtain above San Francisco in search of the soul of the cannabis community may have been disappointed in the past.

This was due, in part, to the covert nature of an established industry fearful of Federal persecution. The healing and caregiving community surrounding the plant peeked out from the legal, but unregulated, medical cannabis market in 1996, with California the first to legalize the plant as medicine. But, the people to the north have historically hidden in the shadows; until legalization was voted for in 2017, then enacted in January of 2018.

Ordinances for tourism vary from county to county, with Mendocino being the most progressive so far, where tourism is concerned, allowing consumption, delivery and sales in lodgings. In Humboldt County, a farm can get a permit for tours, but they can’t offer consumption or sales. Up in Trinity County there are no specific ordinances to cannabis tourism, per say.

Most consumption being done in all counties so far is mostly on private properties, including hotels, cabins in the woods, camping and AirBnB options.

Cannabis lounges are popping up in the most unlikely of places - such as the old KMart in Eureka, smack dab on Highway 101 - now home to Pappa & Barkley’s 10,000 square feet mixed-use facility, complete with a farm, manufacturing facility, dispensary, and an outdoor lounge where the nursery used to be.

The historic Scotia Inn, located in the formerly privately owned company town of the Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO), has been taken over by the Humboldt Bay Social Club, also running a bed and breakfast on the spit of Samoa - it too, the former home of a lumber town.

After living many years in Humboldt, this writer never dreamed that my old Bank of American in historic, downtown Eureka would now be occupied by one of the oldest and most respected dispensaries, The Humboldt Patient Resource Center (HPRC). But, the times have changed in the Emerald Triangle, to be sure.

Following are details from each county, with a reference list at the bottom of the story.

Mendocino

Mendocino has the most progressive approach to cannabis tourism to date, with permits available for cannabis consumption in dispensaries, on farms, and at events with consumption areas allowed, including cannabis farmers markets.

It’s newly updated Ordinance 4491 allows all forms of cannabis to be offered to overnight guests of lodgings, via a non-storefront cannabis retailer, in conjunction with accommodations. Cannabis can actually be included in the room rate - in a bundle-type purchase, or have it delivered to the room by a service.

The historic MacCallum House is not a private residence, therefore you can’t smoke in the rooms, but is allowed on the room’s private deck or yard areas. According to the ordinance, the hotel offers cannabis bundles via an “Everything But the Bud” package, with the room reservation, so you can have your weed waiting for you or delivered upon arrival.

The hotel encourages visits to nearby Leonard Moore, with two sister storefronts in scenic Mendocino Village, located on a cliff along the Pacific Ocean. Nearby Spark offers up a good variety of handcrafted, locally made glass and paraphernalia.

Do a 420 friendly search of AirBnB stays in this county and you’ll find many offering up accommodations, including private farms and homes.

Emerald Farm Tours began in the Bay Area of San Francisco, offering up private and group tours of multi-day adventures in California’s wine country. It’s tours cover the Emerald Triangle from Mendocino, to Trinity County at the top of the state, and Humboldt County, including the Lost Coast - the last bit of undeveloped coast along scenic Highway 1.

Southern Humboldt

Southern Humboldt is where the cannabis industry really began, and where many of the cultivars we enjoy today were developed, and continue to be developed to this day. It’s farmers are some of the best in the world, with the organic flower they grow outdoor in the sun in loamy redwood composted soil envied around the world.

Humboldt Cannabis Tours organizes tours of farms and cannabis entities in Southern Humboldt and throughout the Triangle, including the local hub of Garberville (contact below). 

Five Sisters Farm, located on Highway 101 in Garberville, has opened its doors to visitors, with bookings on Hipcamp.com and BudandBreakfast.com. They’ve lined up cultivars along the path to your own private bell tent, steps away from its licensed cannabis crop. An outdoor hot bath is nearby, with many camping options.

Second generation cannabis farmer, John Casali and his partner Rose, of Huckleberry Hill Farms were the first to acquire a permit for daytime farm tours from the county. Casali’s beautifully landscaped farm includes a bountiful vegetable garden and flowers throughout. Mother plants are displayed along the pathways, with each story and tribute noted on markers. 

If you ever wanted just a taste of what Humboldt or the Emerald Triangle feels like on a farm, Casali’s little bit of paradise is a good example of the magic of the north coast cannabis family.

Stroll along Garberville’s downtown and stop in at the Hemp Connection, the first hemp clothing store in the U.S., opened in 1990. The shop was the first business to be named a Cultural Landmark in 2021, along the newly established Northern California Historical Cannabis Trail.

Co-founded by Marie Mills, with her daughter, Teresa, they have the largest selection of hemp clothing and accessories in one place, with hemp paraphernalia, smoking glass, and educational materials via books and magazines.

This writer had a good cry with mother, Marie, over the hundreds of small farmers lost to legalization, and the passing of a lifestyle in the hills many may never see again.

I was hosted at 420 friendly, The Inn of the Lost Coast, with a jacuzzi tub in the room overlooking a spectacular cliffside view of the Pacific Ocean. 

Located on the Lost Coast in the infamous town of Shelter Cove in Southern Humboldt, the historic town has one road in and out; hosting an airstrip used for decades in the black market as a fly-in for small planes moving poundage. Its beautiful Black Sands Beach was also an infamous drop-off by sea to the remote area, but it’s also where you’ll find a trailhead to the stunning 20-mile Lost Coast Trail.

The black market, though illicit, thrived and provided for the community for decades in many ways in a true trickle-down to commerce, schools, food banks, and more. With the price per pound at an all-time low, causing many farmers to head back into the hills, it’s hard to say what the future looks like for SoHum.

Fortuna

Fortuna is one of the more conservative cities in Humboldt County, and has been slow to welcome cannabis businesses into the community, with nary a dispensary in the entire town.

That said, the Redwood Riverwalk boutique hotel located along the Eel River, that winds down through Southern Humboldt, is now offering up 420 friendly accommodations. 

My suite had a jacuzzi tub and I was able to partake in the room. I also enjoyed the Riverwalk’s indoor pool, able to medicate at poolside early in the morning for a swim.

As a fulltime cannabis patient, I can’t tell you how freeing it is to be able to medicate on the road in a nice hotel. There were even CBD products available for purchase at the register, and a lobby full of snacks, books, and games for play.

Across the street is the welcoming Eel River Brewery, where the locals hangout. I was able to strike up a lively conversation with an OG who grew black market weed in the 1970s. Hill stories ensued, as she relayed Humboldt’s colorful history in a way only someone who’s lived the life can. It’s the stuff Emerald Triangle folklore is made of, and it comes at the cost of a good craft beer, if you can sit a while and listen like a local.

Downtown Fortuna is home to the Humboldt Distillery, established in 2013, owned by Abe Stephens. Makers of organic sugarcane vodka, rum, spiced rum, malt whiskey; and favorite spirit, Humboldt’s Finest, a gin made with locally grown hemp (non-psychoactive).

Its vodka is dubbed the best selling organic vodka in the State of California, earning the “Spirit of the Year” award in 2019 from the Bartender Spirits Awards. But, its Hemp gin is a favorite in the cannabis community, said to be a “refreshingly herbaceous spirit that presents notes of pine, cucumber, green tea, lemon grass and basil.”

There’s a vintage tasting bar set up in front of the downtown storefront, which doubles as its manufacturing plant. Tours are given upon special request, with its spirits available at most retailers in the area (international orders via its online site, link below).

Another conservative town not allowing cannabis, but worthy of a stroll down it’s Victorian lined main street, is Ferndale, with the entire town named a historic monument. Not to be missed is a trek up to the top of the cemetery for a sesh with a view of the town and pastures to the sea, where the Lost Coast begins. (The Majestic and Outbreak were filmed here.)

Eureka

Note: Humboldt County has many surviving Victorian homes, hotels and structures, partly due to its never having had any major fires since its inception in the mid 1800s. Restoration of many of the Victorian buildings was further inspired when Restoration Hardware opened it’s first retail shop in downtown Eureka in 1979 (closed 2009).

Many of the historic hotels and AirBnB’s have strict fire codes for this reason, and management may require that you smoke outside, on a patio, or provide vaporizers for use indoors. Please be respectful of the reason behind this rule and proceed accordingly by reducing the risk of fire.

Pappa & Barkley’s 10,000 square foot multi-use facility on Highway 101 coming into town from the south, hosts a spa where you can indulge in a variety of treatments using cannabis products made on site and sold in its dispensary. You can also indulge in its outdoor lounge,  then order a meal from the gourmet food truck parked within its private sesh garden area.

Founder Adam Grossman developed Pappa & Barkley’s first product of topical, Releaf Balm, for his father who suffered from debilitating back pain. As the story goes, the balm got his father out of hospice care and back up on his feet. The name comes from Grossman’s papa and his dog, Barkley.

Take a walk in Humboldt’s County seat of Eureka’s historic downtown that runs along Humboldt Bay, and enjoy the Victorian architecture. There are many collectible shops, food and libation options, as well as dispensaries. 

This writer enjoyed a pre-roll along the boardwalk overlooking Woodley Island across the bay, with its rows of fishing boats and a view of the fisherman’s statue, commissioned by the wives of fishermen honoring those “whom the sea sustained… and those it claimed.”

(Admission: While working as the Lead Feature Writer at the Times-Standard a few blocks away, I took many a medicating break along the boardwalk, allowing me to focus on writing throughout the day.)

Not to be missed is a stroll north up Third Street to the historic and private Ingomar Club overlooking Humboldt Bay. Built by lumber baron William Carson, completed in 1886 - said to be one of the most photographed homes in the world. Across the street, note the pink painted lady, built for Carson’s daughter.

Arcata/Samoa

Take the bridges across Humboldt Bay to Samoa, a historic lumber town developed in the mid-1800s. This town with 80 homes is where the families of the lumber mill lived, and where I made my home for nearly ten years. 

Its Samoa Cookhouse is where the lumbermen used to eat, and where they still serve Americana meals family style on it’s long rows of redwood hewn tables. There’s even a mini-museum on-site, with lumber and kitchen artifacts.

An equally historic Round House below the Cookhouse is home to the Timber Heritage Association, and a collection of historic trains. Visit its website below for hours and information. 

Samoa is also home to the Humboldt Bay Social Club, a 420 friendly bed and breakfast and event hall. Take a drive down to the end of the Spit and park like a local to partake. 

Continue north along Navy Base Rd (Hwy. 255) to the Arcata, otherwise known as 60s by the Sea, and park near its town square. Here you’ll find many shops and eateries. It’s not uncommon to make a picnic lunch on the green, but don’t be surprised if you see some colorful passers-through, otherwise known as Trimagrants, or traveling cannabis farm workers. 

A must-do is a soak in the 420 friendly Finnish County Sauna & Tubs, with your own tub. Located blocks off the plaza, with its Cafe Mokka, serving nosh, coffee and teas. Reservations required (707) 822-2228

Take a walk around the Plaza and visit Humboldt Infuzions, where they have myriad blends and products infused with plants. Here, you can even get your own personal terpene profile done. On Saturday’s the infamous Farmers Market is in full swing, offering up locally grown organic produce and homemade products, with its own foodcourt. But, there are many options for food around town. 

For glass, Humboldt Glassworks is a must go. Humboldt has produced an enormous amount of glass paraphernalia for years. You can order online from many of the shops.

Herb & Market, located just up the road from the Finnish Spa, is a lovely dispensary with a history. It’s owner, Crystal Ortiz is a second generation cannabis farmer and remedy maker/caregiver who emerged from the illicit, then medical market, to go big, now owning her own shop. She’s one of the success stories in the county today.

Trinity County

The furthest outpost of the Emerald Triangle, Trinity County is often left out of the equation when it comes to cannabis, even though its farmers are equally historic, working the land, tending to and developing cultivars for decades.

Walter Wood and Judi Nelson run Sol Spirit Farm and Sol Spirit Retreats, respectively. Located  in the heart of Trinity, the couple have opened its gates to overnight glamping. The small, family run craft cannabis farm has operated for more than 20 years, and offers tours and workshops given by locals on cannabis farming.

Guests stay in luxurious bell tents, complete with real mattresses and linens, and enjoy farm to table meals made with fresh organic, locally sourced ingredients. The tents are in a field surrounded by trees, and at night the stars were plentiful, with the scent of lovely craft cannabis wafting in the breeze.

Retreats can be customized to suit your needs, with excursions given by locals with a deep knowledge of the area. Activities include rafting on the Trinity River, yoga, meditation, forest hikes and more.

Its Five night, six day extended package includes three nights at Sol Spirit Retreats in Trinity; two nights at The Inn of the Lost Coast; guided redwoods tour, guided river rafting on the Trinity with an official guide of the Hoopa Valley Tribe; farm tour and hosted dinner at Huckleberry Hill Farm in SoHum; farm tour and hosted breakfast at Five Sisters Farm in Humboldt, farm tour at Emerald Queen Farms, and wine tasting and tour at Miles Garret Wines dry viticulture farm in Willow Creek. Visit its website to reserve. www.solspiritretreats.com 

If you go:

Note: There are many 420 friendly listings for Emerald Triangle counties on Airbnb.com.

Mendocino

Emerald Farm Tours https://emeraldfarmtours.com/ 

Inn of the Lost Coast https://innofthelostcoast.com/ 

Visit Mendocino https://www.visitmendocino.com/listing_tag/cannabis-friendly/

Maccallum House Inn & Suites, Mendocino http://maccallumhouse.com/ 

Thatcher Hotel, Hopland http://www.thatcherhotel.com/ 

Yokayo Ranch weddings/events https://www.yokayoranch.com/

Campovida farm & working vineyard http://campovida.com/ 

Leonard Moor dispensary https://thelmc.org/

Mendo Experience farm tours + https://mendoexperience.com/ 

Humboldt

Humboldt Cannabis Tours https://humcannabis.com/wine-and-dine/ 

Humboldt County Visitors Bureau https://www.visitredwoods.com/things-to-do/cannabis/ 

Humboldt Bay Social Club (Samoa & Scotia Inn) https://www.humboldtbaysocialclub.com/ 

Redwood Riverwalk (Fortuna) https://www.hotelsone.com/fortuna-hotels-us/the-redwood-riverwalk-a-boutique-motel.html?as=g&aid=121956522998&dsti=18156&dstt=8&label=g_121956522998&akw=redwood+riverwalk+hotel&asrc=Search&ast=&nid=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw9qiTBhBbEiwAp-GE0Tr-KMFReVtOAnlqfwVTkEWQ9MHuwM8LZu3h8MiPwTaBftPNjBLmsxoCisYQAvD_BwE&lbl=g_121956522998 

Southern Humboldt

Southern Humboldt Business & Visitors Bureau https://www.elevatethemagic.com/ 

Hemp Connection 412 Maple Ln. Garberville https://www.hempconnectiongarberville.com/ 

Five Sisters Farm tent glamping https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/california/eel-river-escape/five-sisters-farm-deluxe-bell-tent#group_size=4&adults=4 

Inn of the Lost Coast https://innofthelostcoast.com/ 

Scotia Lodge (Humboldt Bay Social Club)  https://www.scotia-lodge.com/ 

Cookies Tree Lounge https://www.cookiestreelounge.com/ 

Wonderland Nursery/Humboldt Seed Co. https://wonderlandnursery.com/ 

Eureka

Visit Eureka https://visiteureka.com/activities/culture-experiences/ 

S.T.I.L. (glass) 2940 Broadway St.

Dispensaries, Lounges, Shops:

EcoCann Dispensary 306 F Street

Heart of the Emerald 103 5th St

Humboldt County Collective 1670 Myrtle Ave Ste B

Humboldt Patient Resource Center (HPRC), 445 4th St

Humboldt's Premium 1131 Broadway St

Kiskanu 2200 4th St

Papa & Barkley Social 4325 Broadway

Proper Wellness Center Dispensary 517 5th St

Social Nature 524 5th St

Zen Humboldt 437 F St

Arcata/Samoa

Humboldt Bud & Breakfast https://humboldtbudandbreakfast.com/ 

Humboldt Bay Social Club (Samoa & Scotia Inn) https://www.humboldtbaysocialclub.com/

Humboldt Patient Resource Center (HPRC) 980 6TH sT.

Pacific Paradise Cannabis 1087 H St. https://www.pacificparadisedispensary.com/ 

Heart of Humboldt 601 I St. https://www.theheartofhumboldt.com/menu 

The Fireplace 1041 F St. https://www.thefireplacearcata.com/ 

Livity 5000 Valley W Blvd. https://www.livitycannabis.com/ 

Herb & Market 427 H St. https://herbandmarkethumboldt.com/ 

Humboldt Glass Blowers 815 9th St. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/humboldtglassblowers/?hl=en 

Timber Heritage Assoc. https://timberheritage.org/history-of-the-samoa-shops/

The Emerald Triangle, Northern California

Historic and multi-generational farmers struggling in a legal market

Photos: Swami & Nikki of Swami Select, Mendocino; John & Rose of Huckleberry Hill Farms, Southern Humboldt; Judi & Walter of Sol Spirit Farm & Retreat (glamping tent), Trinity

When the children of the sixties left San Francisco after the Summer of Love ended (1967-1969), many headed north to live sustainably off the land. Called Back to the Landers, they grew their own food and farmed cannabis.

Cannabis was made legal for medicine in California in 1996, with little to no ordinances ever drawn up until just prior to legalization in 2016. Supply and demand was met through a loosely based medical cooperative, similar to a Cooperative Sustainable Agricultural program (CSA), where farmers, caregivers and patients worked together.

When California legalized, everyone knew the Bill wasn’t perfect, with many predicting devastating collapse of the small farmers to the north, who began the industry and created many of the cultivars we enjoy today around the world. 

But no one could have predicted they would soon be in the same predicament as the country’s food farmers - unable to cover the cost of farming, with reimbursement dropping from $3,000 to $4,000 thousand dollars a pound to a mere $400. 

The only difference between food farmers and cannabis farmers is, the U.S. Government isn’t stepping up to subsidize the cannabis farmers having to call it quits, as they do in the mainstream agricultural industry. There’s no safety net for our historic heritage farmers to the north in California, and no competing with large-scale corporate operations.

One thing is clear, the craft cannabis grown outdoors in the sun in some of the richest soil in the world, can not be compared to its indoor cousin, supported by electric lights.

Witnessing

Note from Sharon: In October of 2021, my associate, Farah Tariq, Esq. and I, went on a farm tour encompassing the Emerald Triangle (Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties) and beyond, on a road trip that lasted nearly a month.

Farah is a Harvard educated attorney who spent ten years in Manhattan in New York, selling her soul in corporate law, then crossed over as in-house legal counsel for cannabis corporations. She especially needed to witness, to meet the farmers and learn the other side of the industry, from their perspective.

Our goal was to visit heritage farms and listen to their stories. These three farms from three counties within the Emerald Triangle are just a few of the small craft farmers currently struggling in the new legal market.

Heritage : Denoting a traditional brand or product regarded as emblematic of fine craftsmanship

Swami Select, Mendocino

Swami Chaitanya & Nikki Lastretyo

Originally from the State of New Jersey, Swami Chaitanya, moved to San Francisco after partaking of cannabis for the first time in 1967.

“Swami grew his first plants on Telegraph Hill in 1978,” partner Nikki Lastretyo shared. “He came to San Francisco as a full-on hippie. I was born and raised in the city - a flower child forever - first smoking pot in 1969 with a neighborhood garage band. Changed my life. I attended San Francisco State University, and I say I studied business, but all my experience at that time came from dealing weed on campus.”

Ever humble, Nikki’s background is in journalism, working at the San Francisco Chronicle and for KRON-TV during the 80s and 90s.

Swami attended Wesleyan University in the State of Connecticut. A Fulbright Scholarship recipient, he studied German Literature in Germany; then went on to attend the State of Wisconsin, earning a Masters in history, with a minor in photography; ending up at the University of Pennsylvania and the Annenberg School of Communications.

After meeting, the two traveled the world, spending formative time in India and Asia.

“We were living in the Himalayas and had many neighbors growing ganja,” Swami explained. “When Nikki returned to California she met Tim Blake and started working on his farm - which was illegal at the time.”

When Swami returned from India they chose Mendocino, then acquired the ranch with the intent of making it into a sanctuary - planting cannabis was two-fold, as an income and for their own use.

Clean Green certified since 2011, Swami Select sits on 190 acres and is the longest running brand in Mendocino County. It’s crop is planted in the shape of a Sri Yantra, with sacred statutory and temples honoring several traditions throughout. 

Currently listed on its website are cultivars Magic Melon, sourced from the equally historic Humboldt Seed Company; and Raspberry Parfait, full of flavorful terpenes myrcene, limonene and ocimene. Krishna Andavalou, host of Viceland’s Weediquette, called Swami Select, The Dom Perignon of cannabis.”

“Our farm is very special, we have an unusually large, flat meadow up in the mountains - perfect for growing - it’s our own little valley,” Nikki said. “We established Ganja Ma as the Goddess of cannabis and incorporate her blessings into all we do.”

Using regenerative methods of farming in full-sun, typically using seeds they’ve harvested themselves, in living soil that’s been growing itself for many years. All of this combined with their own spiritual practices and Swami’s intuitive method of working with the plants make their cultivars special.

“Right now we only sell beautiful sungrown flowers,” Nikki said. “Our cannabis is unique because it’s aged - we store it extremely well, so it’s still super fresh a year later - testing higher for CBN than most - making it more relaxing, with a super smooth smoke.”

Education and outreach is everything to this small farm, and marketing their brand gives hope they can survive the harshness of the legal market.

“Swami is a founding member and sits on the Board of Directors of Origins Council,” she continued. “We are both flower judges in Tim Blakes long running Emerald Cup, which he started just down the road from our farm in 2004.”

Recognizing this type of craft cannabis farming is crucial to their survival, and the two hope that cannasseurs will see the benefits of the full terpene and cannabinoid profile of sungrown cannabis - which they’ve come to know as being better and healthier for humans for flavor and effect.

“The small farms must survive, as we fulfill a need for purity and sophistication of a fine flower made flavorful from the sun,” Nikki surmised. “So many have had to quit due to the high costs and unfounded requirements of the State, County, and various agencies - namely Fish and Wildlife, and Water Board. But those who do survive will be here to supply quality over quantity - that’s what we do and will continue to do.”

For more information on Swami Select visit, www.swamiselect.com 

Huckleberry Hill Farms, Southern Humboldt

John Casali & Rose Moberly

When John Casali was five years old, his mother moved them from San Francisco to the farm that would become Huckleberry Hill Farms. His earliest memories are learning about growing food and cannabis from is mom. They lived sustainably until CAMP was enacted and the helicopters came.

“My mom and stepdad decided the local fishing industry would be safer, and they left the farm to me,” he shared. “When I was 24, my buddy Todd Wick and I were raided, then arrested a year later.

They were each sentenced to ten years in Federal Prison, and ended up working on a government farm associated with the privatized prison system for profit for about 12 cents an hour.

“We were experienced farmers, licensed to operate heavy machinery, so we continued to farm in prison.” he said.

The purpose of prison is to reform, but Casali said he had little in common with the other prisoners from the failed War on Drugs within the drug recovery program.

“I learned about drugs in prison,” he revealed. “I learned about addicts and how they lose their ability to control what they consume and how much. Personally, I don’t believe cannabis falls into that category at all.”

After serving eight years, less two years for good behavior, Casali returned to the farm he loved within the newly created medical market, made legal the year he entered prison in 1996. 

“There were 50 people waiting to help me get back on my feet, because they know it could happen to anyone,” he said. “I never had any doubts I’d continue to farm this plant.”

With sentimental and ornamental  gardens and statuary throughout the farm, Casali and Rose have created several cultivars in memory to those who have passed.

“My mother died while I was in prison of a heart attack on the fishing boat at sea,” he explained. “She taught me everything I know about farming. This farm is her legacy.”

To honor her, they created a new cultivar from a favorite strain she created, Paradise Punch, by crossing it with both Blueberry Kush and Lavender Kush, to make Mom’s Weed.

When Rose became part of his life on the farm, Casali said it could no longer be just about him.

“Rose’s mom, Margie Zietz, passed away from cancer in 2020,” he said. “We took Paradise Punch and crossed it with Rose’s mom’s favorite strain, Wishful Thinking, creating Margie’s Magic.”

Another cultivar created, Whitethorn Rose, used the same cross as Mom’s Paradise, crossed with Lemon OG, that spoke to this writer like no other. Created in honor of a town in Southern Humboldt lost to raids.

“Whitethorn was a big part of my childhood,” he said. “When the raids began many of the small towns supporting farms turned into ghost towns.”

Casali said he and Rose are just grateful to work the farm for another season.

“To be able to farm this land that my mother found for us and loved is everything,” he surmised. “Did I take it for the team in prison? Yes and no. We are going forward with love and good intentions for this life we love on the farm. That’s really what it’s all about.”

For more information on Huckleberry Hill Farms visit, www.huckleberryhillfarms.com 

Sol Spirit Farm & Sol Spirit Retreats, Trinity County

Walter Wood & Judi Nelson

Walter Wood and Judi Nelson have been farming on the same spot, on the south fork of the Trinity River for 20 years.

Walter and Judi met at a memorial for Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead in Los Angeles just after. When Judi wanted to go to the Rainbow gathering down in Mexico, someone asked Walter to work on a bus to travel there.

“We never found the gathering, but had a great time and smoked a kilo of bud in no time as we wandered down to Mexico and back,” he laughed.

Walter had been working for Los Angeles Water & Power and acquired a permanent back injury, when he discovered that cannabis greatly reduced spasms and pain. The couple ended up in Louisiana together for Judi’s work as a Physical Therapist. But with a lack of cannabis, they headed back to California, initially growing their own indoors in the City of Arcata, where they landed in Humboldt County, before they settled on the property in Trinity County.

“We became homesteaders,” Walter explained. “Our farm is organic and sustainable, with grown in the sun cannabis. Our home is off the grid, made with straw bales. We have chickens and a few pigs that we do intensive rotations with, conditioning the soil as they graze.”

“Earth Conscience Cannabis,” is its slogan, with Walter stating that most of the regulations under the legal market seem out of step with the farming of, and the harmless nature of the plant.

“Environmental stewardship is our goal, producing exceptional craft cannabis,” he added. “Our team is small, but they are seasoned craft cultivators, producing small batches. We grow with intention and love.”

Growing in native soil, Walter said, allows the plant to fully express the terroir that’s made the region famous. Cultivars such as Sol Cookies, Sol Shine, Mother’s Milk, and the classic Sour Diesel don’t disappoint.

In an effort to open up to the community at large, as well as subsidize the farm, Judi has turned a flat meadow into glamping grounds, offering up overnight stays in well suited glamping bell tents with real beds and linens. As a plus, each tent has its own private bath house with hot running water and fluffy towels.

“Our breakfasts are farm to table,” Judi said. “We use organic eggs, produce and livestock from the farm, and locally sourced goods from other farmers in the area. Stays include guided tours of the farm by our master cultivator.”

Guests have enjoyed seeing how the farm clones, plants, grows, harvests, and manicures their flowers for market. They also can take advantage of river rafting on the nearby Trinity River, or attending a Zumba, Yoga, or Pilates class for a fee.

”The plant is sacred medicine, and it’s a huge part of our lives,” Walter concluded. “We  hope that our guests will come away excited and inspired to join a regenerative future. Our hope is that the small, craft sungrown farmers products are realized for their quality soon, so that we can survive corporatization and commodification of this sacred plant.”

For information on Sol Sprit Farm visit, www.solspiritfarm.com 

For more information and to book a retreat at Sol Spirit Retreats visit, www.solspiritretreats.com

Venice Beach, California

It’s common knowledge in Los Angeles, if you want to get a medical “marijuana” card quick and cheap you go to the Venice Beach Boardwalk and lay down forty bucks in one of its many tiny storefront operations.

California was the first state in the country to legalize cannabis as medicine in 1996 with Proposition 215 voted in and the Compassionate Care Act was added to its Health and Safety Code, giving Californians safe access to cannabis for real illness. Being a more liberal town, Venice Beach has embraced the cannabis culture with both arms outstretched and exuberance.

Venice Beach began in 1905 as “Venice of America” with tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney originally creating a 16 mile neighborhood of canals as homage to Venice Italy along the Pacific Ocean, with Marina Del Rey to the south and Santa Monica to the north.

Kinney, who had won the parcel in a literal coin flip, proceeded to develop the area as a tourist spot, and it remains a popular town within the City of Los Angeles for artists, musicians, and performers who line Ocean Front Walk on the beach, sharing space with flame eaters, chain saw jugglers, and the occasional MMJ card mill.

In the 1950s Beatniks gathered in coffee houses. By the 1960s artists and musicians converged and lived on the cheap. In the 1970s actor and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, could be found pumping iron on a part of the walk dubbed, “Muscle Beach.” After signing a law decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis in the state, he was quoted on the aroma of area, stating, “… you just inhale, and you live off everyone else.” At least we know he definitely inhaled.

Today the canals are lined with fancy upgraded mini-mansions with price tags only Hollywood industry-types can afford. There are just a few original cottages remaining. But the shops and stalls that line the beach are still fabulously funky.

The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and suffers were floating on out on the sea as I made my way through the circus-like atmosphere. A man broke bottles on a tarp as a crowd gathered, preparing to walk on the glass barefoot for tips; while a woman read palms for 10 dollars a pop; and an electric guitarist on roller skates played Hendrix. It was a typical weekday in Venice Beach.

According to its web site, “The Green Doctors” office is “located next door to Jodi Maroni’s Sausage.” “No appointment necessary” is the norm at the storefront MMJ card shops, so I popped in to have a chat with one of the good doctors - sans the sausage.

As was expected, the young doctor had little knowledge of the many benefits of the plant, cannabis oil, putting cancer into remission, or its ability of combatting myriad ailments from ingesting, rather than smoking.

No matter, I adjusted my proverbial Florence Nightingale cap and shared my story. He was more than a little surprised, is now following me on social media and, hopefully, he’ll be better informed to help those that present for a card only wanting to burn flower. In fact, a family member was currently suffering from an ailment mentioned, and he was eager to help with the newfound knowledge.

On the flip side, Venice also hosts some of the more enlightened dispensaries in the city, with “The Green Goddess,” located near the pier, walking distance from Ocean Front Walk. After posting a photo of the pier in social media, Annie Nelson (Willie’s wife) left me a comment encouraging me to visit the shop. With that kind of recommendation, it’s a no-brainer.

The facility was clean and staff was friendly, with security just outside the door. But I was most impressed with the selection of medicine available, including a large amount of CBD only oils, tinctures of varied strengths, cannabis caps by Hashman for easy dosing, and a variety of edibles – all tested and plainly marked in professional packaging.

Of the many products lining the tidy shelves were several from The Venice Cookie Company, including organic, vegan, agave sweetened “Not Guilty” medicated cookies; and “The 420 Bar,” sporting the motto, “The only bars we’re behind.” Its web site boasts that the thoughtful company creates everything from “teas to tinctures,” with its fruity drink “Cannabis Quenchers” a “Best Beverage” winner at the 2013 High Times Cannabis Cup.

The shop also carries “Mary’s Medicinal’s” CBD transdermal patches, a woman owned company originally from Colorado; and “Naturally Mystic Organics” tinctures and topicals – a personal favorite product line - which have a wide array of doses, combinations of THC, CBD, CBN, daytime and nighttime doses, using additional beneficial herbs than cannabis in the mix.

The most unusual product I’ve seen to date was a little box of infused toothpicks made by “Twig,” packing a whopping 300 mg of activated THC in each tiny stick.

The collective also carries Altai Brands “artisanal edibles thoughtfully crafted for well-being and enjoyment,” with each beautiful chocolate morsel seemingly hand painted in gold and silver. The company waxes poetic on its creations, stating, “Altai seeks to redefine the use of cannabis in our modern culture by placing it within a centuries-old context of human use.”

Members of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), Altai produces its products in a 15,000 square foot food processing facility with comprehensive food safety tracking systems and raw ingredient batch identification from seed to sale – something already happening in well-organized Colorado.

The Green Goddess Collective announced it has teamed up with Colorado-based, “Baker,” a software development company with its own online ordering app, available for iPhone or Android. The “invite-only” app can’t be accessed via the app store, but via its web site (TryBaker.com), and allows patients to pre-order, shortening their wait time in the shop.

As for myself, I purchased a refill for my vape pen – Sativa dominant hybrid, $35, and a pre-rolled cone I immediately strolled to the end of the pier with.

Visiting city dispensaries in culturally diverse towns always offer up a great experience. As a California patient I’m grateful for the many producers of good medicine in a favorite LA town, where it’s still cool to take a walk, witness art, music and good food in the Cali sunshine.

References:

California Department of Public Health/Medical Marijuana Program:

www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/MMP/Pages/CompassionateUseact.aspx

The Green Doctors, Ocean Front Walk

www.thegreendoctors.com

Twig Medicated Toothpicks

www.twig.is

Altai Brands artisanal edibles

www.altaibrands.com/learn-more/advocacy

California Cannabis Industry Assoc. (CCIA)

www.cacannabisindustry.org

The Venice Cookie Company

www.venicecookiecompany.com

Green Goddess Collective(s) (310) 396-7770

1716 Main St., Venice, CA

70 Winward Ave., Venice, CA

Naturally Mystic Organics

www.naturallymystic.com

Hashman

www.hashmaninfused.net

420 Lounge in Palm Springs

A safe place to shop, loiter, partake and play

The City of Palm Springs gave a nod to its first cannabis lounge – not in the warehouse district, like so many other cities allocate, but right in the heart of downtown, on Palm Canyon Drive.

Owners are brother and sister duo, Julie and Lenny Montante, who also own PSA Organica, a dispensary located on Sunny Dunes Road, about 20 minutes away.

Julie is admittedly not a cannabis patient or aficionado; she is a supporter of cannabis as remedy, as CBD oil (cannabinoid only, non-psychoactive) helped her mother get through the negative side effects of radiation after a cancer diagnosis.

Home Away From Home

Since California is legal to recreate on private property, all you need to get into the dispensary and lounge is a valid identification. An ATM is in the corner, with a security guard is nearby. But in this neighborhood the only reason he’s there is to comply with State ordinances. No crimes have been reported associated with the lounge or dispensaries nearby in this high-end neighborhood.

The lounge is set back from the main drag, tucked away behind The Mark and Trio deli with food to go, welcomed in the lounge. Close by is Josh Agle’s Gallery, better known as Shag; adding another layer of hip to the new hangout.

A $4,300 commercial filtration system keeps the room smoke-free, sending it high above the building – not detectable from the street.

The lounge is tidy and clean, with modern furniture and an Asian décor that includes a Chinese Apothecary cupboard in the well-stocked dispensary. It’s a functional cupboard, as lounge visitors can keep their stash safely in a drawer for the next visit. Good for those who’d rather not travel with products.

A table set up in the dispensary hosted Altai, a gourmet infused chocolate company founded in 2014, with seemingly handcrafted, beautiful candies that melt-in-your-mouth with goodness.

Distributed by Indus, Altai’s brochure reads, “Altai pays tribute to a rich and ancient history of cannabis use spanning more than 2,500 years... Inspired by the discovery of a mummified princess in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. Her burial chamber revealed ceremonial bridled horses, treasures, and a vessel of cannabis to ease her pain, which is thought to have treated her breast cancer.”

Meet your Tribe

How many times have you sat in a bar watching your friends drink, wishing you could have your bong in front of you, ripping hits rather than ordering yet another cocktail?

That’s the partaker’s dilemma. We sit there knowing full well the inflammation, infection, and damaged livers that ensue from spirits. Excusing yourself, sitting on the throne in the bathroom, you take out your vape pen and get some much needed relief – or you head out back by the trash cans and smoke a joint.

Socializing is a human need. Passing a joint is tribal. Standing out by a trash can to medicate or recreate is just demeaning.

Play is definitely in the air, but contemplation, too – with a lending library in the corner and plug-ins with complimentary Wi-Fi. Camping out for hours is welcome, as long as what you partake comes from the shop.

A big glass jar of cookies sits on one coffee table next to an assortment of board games, with an Etch-a-Sketch next to a big bowl of lollipops on another. Two men sit on a high bar table with a chess set between them, silently contemplating their next moves.

Extra-curricular activities include Drag Bingo, run by local queen, Jersey Shore. The entire club is available for let to private parties, with mixers and late-night hours planned.

Not High, Heavily Medicated

One man from out-of-town was visiting Palm Springs for a work conference in a nearby hotel. He was there with his laptop open, getting work done, while medicating freely.

Another man was sitting reading a book, as his dog lounged at his feet. Dogs are also allowed to medicate in the lounge, with CBD dog meds available in the shop.

An easy assumption would be to criticize the clientele as typical stoners, as that’s what the decades-long stigma dictates. But sitting down on one of the comfortable sofas, this writer chatted with two young men choosing to medicate for chronic pain; one from a motorcycle accident – both replacing all prescription medications with cannabis, via ingesting, smoking, vaping, and topical use. These are today’s “typical stoners.”

The word stoner relating to cannabis use is perplexing, as the term was initially used for alcohol intoxication, i.e. “stoned cold,” The word hardly describes the euphoria and third-eye-open state felt while medicated. Lifted is a more apt term, as cannabis lifts endorphins quicker than a morning job, quelling depression, anxiety, and more mental health issues than can be listed here.

In fact, of the ten or so people partaking in the lounge on a Saturday, not one was there to merely get high. All were there as patients, medicating for real ailments.

So chill was the vibe, this writer is looking forward to going back, as there was a tale at every table, with healing stories shared in every conversation. All were grateful for the space.

That’s what happens when a state legalizes cannabis. That edible taken for recreation turns into a medible very quickly, and people begin an entirely new path to healing, not intoxication.

The only thing missing was alcohol, people getting loud, the stale pick-up line, and the occasional barroom brawl. One young man expounded by stating, “This isn’t a meat market, this is a meet and greet place – at the end of the night we can still hold an intelligent conversation with each other.”

For more information on the 420 Lounge visit its Facebook page, 420 Lounge Palm Springs; or follow its Instagram page @420loungeps

Las Vegas, Nevada

High Rolling in Sin City

The city of Las Vegas literally sits in the middle of the basin of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. Founded 1905 after 110 acres were auctioned off next to the Union Pacific Railroad, the city was incorporated by 1911.

The desert town had been nothing more than a weekend getaway for Los Angles rebel rousers, as a place to drink, gamble, and get a quickie divorce. Motor hotels, called “motels” dotted the highway, but by the late 1930s Thomas Hull, owner of the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, built the western-themed “El Cortez Hotel,” hailed as the most up-scale hotel in the valley when it opened in 1941.

Hollywood reporter Billy Wilkerson dreamed up the “Flamingo Hotel” on the heels of the El Cortez’s success, in an attempt to attract high rollers. The name was inspired by Bugsy Malone’s starlet and sometimes mob-courier girlfriend, Virginia Hill, after her long, skinny legs. Funded by mobsters, The Flamingo became the start of a string of hotels along what is still referred to as “The Vegas Strip.”

As a child visiting Vegas in the 1960’s with my parents, I remember Highway 15 cutting straight through town and into the lights. It was, and still is, a magical experience to arrive in Vegas, with its metropolis of fun glowing as if it were day during night. The casinos were built as gaudy palaces, with winding driveways circling fountains and Greek Gods looking on.

My sister and I were only welcome poolside at the casinos or inside “Circus, Circus;” playing pin-ball machines upstairs, overlooking the adult-filled casino below, where my dad played Keno and mom camped out in front of a nickel slot machine.

Medical cannabis has been allowed in Nevada since 2013. And though registered voters in the state voted for recreational cannabis use last November, 2016, authorized dispensaries will begin selling legal weed as early as July 1, 2017.

Vegas has embraced the cannabis culture, evident in the  historic “Bonanza Gift Shop,” Vegas’ largest, block-sized tourist attraction, now sporting cannabis leaf emblazoned ashtrays and shot glasses, declaring “High Rollers,” in a whole new light. (My anti-Hippie dad would roll over in his grave at the sight.)

It’s no secret that big money is already there, waiting to invest, thanks to all those high rollers. And though federal law prohibits casino involvement into the cannabis industry, the green tourist trade has already begun; giving recession-strapped Vegas a breath of sweet, green air.

Those ahead of the game have set up well funded, state-of-the-art laboratories, indoor farms, and concentrate processing facilities, ready for the expected onslaught of meeting supply and demand.

With dozens of dispensaries poised to serve, two have already been ranked in the top 25 in the country by Business Insider (Sept. 2016). Among them are The Grove (25); and Essence Vegas (22), with three locations, one of which is conveniently located on the Vegas strip – well played.

And, though the need for recreational and accessible weed will be great, something this Weed Traveler has noted in covering states before and after legalization is that more people get helped and healed, not more people getting wasted.

For the simple reason being, legalization allows someone who may have been practicing apothecary for years for family and friends, finally being given the option of bottling up that tincture, slapping a label on it, and taking it to market. Legalization also implies safe access, and that alone creates a safe place to get educated.

So, whether you are a high roller or heavily medicated in Sin City, you can rest assured, your weed will be tested, clean, and available on the strip.

 Tijuana, Mexico

Cannabica south of the border

Tijuana is a border town on the Pacific Coast, just south of San Diego, California, dividing Baja California from the U.S. Once a quant city catering to tourists crossing over for shopping and nightlife, Tijuana today is a modernized city with a population of more than 1.8 million, with its wider region hosting more than 2.1 million.

As legend has it, the city was named after a madam nicknamed Tia Juana. Eerily similar to later slang, Mari-juana - said to be just as suggestive, feeding into the Reefer Madness of the 1950s.

The first weed this writer smoked in 1975, was no doubt smuggled up from Tijuana, making its way north to my hometown of Redondo Beach. Thanks to my limbic system, linking scent to memory, I can still taste that flavor from time to time when I partake of Mexico’s weed grown in the valleys of Baja California today.

As a personal anecdote, my favorite Aunt’s boyfriend was arrested and held in the Tijuana jail in the 1950s, with my aunt and a friend making a concubine visit to bust him out. True story.

By land and sea, cannabis was smuggled across the Tijuana border to the states for decades meeting supply and demand of the most illicit and beloved plant on the planet.. Once the crossing became more difficult, elaborate tunnels were dug out underground - discovered in the 1990s.

Emerging Industry, Lacking in Protocols

As in just about every country around the world, the plant prevails, with Tijuana falling in line. With ordinances for growing, manufacturing and distribution of plant material and products still sorely lacking, the industry continues to grow without guidelines.

Hemp high in cannabidiol, measuring in at less than one percent THC, better known as CBD, was legalized for import into Mexico from the U.S. in 2016. Since then, CBD products with professional labeling are currently being made and distributed throughout the country.

In Tijuana, there are said to be 50 permits already issued through a sort-of backdoor process, allowing many to grow. Private clubs have been set up in an effort to regulate and host safe access locations.

One such card-holder explained it was acquired by applying, being turned down, then appealing using the 2018 Supreme Court decision that did away with prohibition of the plant. 

To bring you up to speed, it’s been three years as of this writing since the court gave legislators 90 days to put ordinances in writing for both medicinal and adult use. This past year, the court, disappointed in the lack of effort to move forward, decriminalized adult use altogether.

But, without guidelines, the private clubs and events being held throughout the country exist in a gray area.

Doctors have also been allowed to be licensed to “prescribe,” which is unusual language, considering in the U.S. the word used is “recommend,” since doctors are not educated on cannabis or plant-based medicine.

But, without proper guidelines on how cannabis is sourced for a patient, it’s unclear how this licensing will play out, as cannabis with THC is still not allowed to be brought up from the states, only licensed CBD products can legally cross the border.

Mexico is a socialized country, with its health department overseeing the medical use of cannabis. This will be a challenge for the myriad small independent pharmacias on every corner to get on board. Rumor has it there will not be traditional cannabis dispensaries, but time will tell how and when safe access can happen through the system it has now.

Author’s note: In one tourist area, pharmacias are already selling small bags of cannabis flower next to curio shops stocked with glass pipes. As I walked by one such seller, its barkers were yelling, Viagra, Oxycontin, and Vicodin! To which I replied half jokingly, “Only mota for me!” Mota meaning “little bit,” used as slang for cannabis, to which they responded, “Mota, si, aqui!” Letting me know they had it there - no problema.

Tijuana’s Underground Cannabis Culture

Accompanied by Farah Tariq, an attorney in the cannabis industry from the U.S., we were taken to many cannabis friendly venues by one such licence holder who dedicates much of their time encouraging others to do the same, assisting in filling out the oftentimes complicated paperwork involved.

In any state or country I’ve traveled in I’ve always been able to find the cannabis community with spaces offered up covertly, or not. In Tijuana, we were able to tour no less than ten locations copacetic to, or cannabis-related.

Smoking opportunities were everywhere in one high rent part of the city, dispelling any myths the plant only comes from the seedier sides of communities - Mexico or not.

Just as in the states, the plant is privileged, with a blind eye turned in upscale neighborhoods by law enforcement - especially the large exPat communities, where Americans are known to use cannabis both recreationally and medicinally.

The common citizen, as well as the visiting gringo getting pulled over, we were told, is still harassed for what’s referred to as curb money or a bribe - as has been a longstanding tradition among the poorly paid law enforcement in Mexico. This is another illegal practice tolerated, as the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision to do away with the prohibition of cannabis, stating there was no good reason to prohibit it in the first place and citing the plant, as well as the compound THC, as beneficial.

Even so, private lounges and pop-up seshes are commonplace now. With events hosting competitions of flower, concentrates and myriad products, with live music and infused foods in the mix, as was demonstrated by our most excellent tour of the Tijuana cannabis scene.

Build it and they will come

Our first stop was a private club and lounge in an unmarked storefront on a busy city street. The lounge hosts live music, lectures, and workshops all centered around education about the plant.

Inside were about a dozen of some 200 card-carrying members sitting at modern tables, chairs and leather couches, listening to Mexican rap music, eating and partaking, while a fooz-ball table encouraged play, and a large screen TV ran Mexican music videos.

The shelves were lined with supplies, tools, non-cannabis snacks, and professionally labeled CBD products. Some were clearly from the U.S., but many more were made locally.

The members of this club also engage in community outreach, organizing city and beach clean-up days promoted on social media. They also lead protests when called and organize the occasional event.

A young man holding a jar of psilocybin mushrooms was deep in conversation with a young woman wanting to micro-dose for depression, while a young woman rolled joints on a tray. 

As acceptance for alchemy-changing, plant-based remedies increases around the globe, the younger generation of Mexico is also educating itself on many natural remedies and experiences with plants.

Second stop was to the Underground Flower Club tucked away in a lovely courtyard, on a very busy tourist street. Here you’ll find the brand's own line of clothing and accessories, as well as imports from the states.

Another tiny shop on a tourist street I grew up going to, Revolucion, traditionally lined with souvenirs, cafes and clubs, had its acronym boldly printed on a sign above, “THC,” or Tijuana High Club, selling CBD products from the states and by makers in Mexico.

This was surreal to me, as I pictured my adolescent self walking down this same street more than 50 years ago. Never in a million years could I have imagined this.

The Habana Tijuana Smokers Outlet has been a staple on Revolucion for years, and hosts the usual tobacco products and hookahs, now also carrying many supplies needed for the savvy cannabis partaker. One brand from the states spotted was Cookies, via a signature blue vape pen with charger - less the cartridge, of course.

The Border Grow shop located in another upscale neighborhood downtown was like stepping into a Humboldt County (Northern California) grow supply store, with the shelves lined with nutrients and supplies from the north, portable grow tents, and even vegetable seeds for the well-stocked indoor farm. 

These types of shops demonstrate how a city and/or country’s economy can be boosted by the cannabis industry, as it touches every aspect of commerce - from farming to packaging, and everything in between from seed to shelf. It also confirms the plant is being grown widely by the people waiting for ordinances to be put in place.

Another shop downtown was skateboard-friendly, carrying a full-line of boards and accessories, as well as glass pipes, bongs, and more - knowing its clientele well. Raw rolling trays were sold alongside Clear Eyes and rolling papers.

A colorful graffiti- painted alleyway nearby was the perfect sesh spot to take a break in the middle of the day - surrounded by our Mexican tribe.

Sesh spots were easy to find, as cannabis is tolerated to a point. Or, maybe the plant prevails like this around the world. With patients and partakers alike living in the shadows together. 

We were privileged to join other’s partaking in a number of hideaways, likened to speakeasies in a don’t ask, don’t tell environment created by, again, a lack of ordinances. 

A highlight was being invited into one private club investor’s modern high-rise apartment overlooking part of the city. It was a breathtaking view and a joy to sesh with members of the elite cannabis community of Tijuana. These are the movers and shakers pushing the plant into the future, using their old-school Mexican money to fund a greater good industry too big to fail, and too needed for the health of its people to disappear.

TerpsFest 2021

Farah Tariq and I were also invited to attend the first annual TerpsFest held in a private location in Tijuana Playas, in a mansion on the beach. We were lucky enough to be just a few of those invited to spend the night, with a room on the third floor overlooking the event in the courtyard below and on a deck hosting one stellar band and performer after another just across our balcony.

Vendors lined the rooms inside and out with a variety of products and brands from the U.S. and Mexico. Edibles, medibles, and remedies including psilocybin mushrooms were available for purchase at Mexico prices.

Food offered up included cannabis infused chicken and waffles, with an assortment of foods from a local cannabis-friendly catering chef. This writer has a weakness for chicken and waffles, and they were delicious!

Farah was asked to judge concentrates and a joint-rolling competition. The Harvard Lawyer-turned cannabis counsel, enjoyed herself immensely, stating, “Half of my lineage is Mexican from my mother’s side. Even though I grew up in Southern California, I feel the connection here. These are my people, but moreso, this is my global tribe. It will be nice to see Mexico get ordinances to make the industry already thriving here legit.”

I’ve covered several states and countries for many years, reporting on cannabis as medicine, from the jungles outside Mexico City, to the streets of Detroit, and one thing that is universal around the globe is our tribe’s love for the plant, and the way we easily come together to sesh, knowing each other’s language or not. The plant is a bridge, if you will. World peace via partaking of the herb is not a bad idea.

Passing the peace pipe is as ancient as the plant itself for a very good reason. You won’t see altercations surrounding cannabis events like you do alcohol related events. It just doesn’t happen. Cannabis partakers are a peaceful lot no matter what country you are in. The plant works for our species and the sooner the greater community at large understands that, the better.

The future looks green, educated and global

When discussing the changing attitudes of cannabis in Mexico with a 30-something edible maker, it was clear the younger generation is stepping up to normalize cannabis use, demanding fair laws be put into place to legitimize the industry already booming.

“It’s up to the younger generation to change things in Mexico concerning cannabis and psychedelic drugs,” they said. “The failed War on Drugs wasn’t Mexico’s doing, but we were pulled into it and it devastated us and corrupted our people and our government. Things can’t continue the way it’s been. We are stepping up because we have to.”

Education on the plant as medicine is common chatter - with the younger generation embracing what generations before them already knew, that cannabis is just another beneficial plant - proven to be safer than alcohol or other recreational substances.

The U.S. created Mexico’s Cartel with its failed War on Drugs. It never worked, it only created one of the largest privatized prison systems in the states, full of non-violent drug war casualties.

The younger generation of Mexico and the world sees you. They see the damage done and are demanding change through education, while dispelling myths of the stupid stoner. The industry is as productive as its people, and as resilient as the plant herself. 

Viva la Mexico! Viva la Cannabica!

The Desert Hot Springs Inn

Desert Hot Springs, California

Imagine waking up in a colorful and beautifully appointed, mid-century modern themed room, then reaching for your vape pen on the bedside; or enjoying your Volcano on the coffee table like you were at home. Then imagine going outside in a lovely courtyard, overlooking the California Desert, burning a fatty, while your dog mingles and plays with other dogs.

No you have not died and gone to heaven, but the Desert Hot Springs Inn, just 20 minutes from Palm Springs in the California Desert is a close second.

For those of us who grew up with the prohibition of cannabis, and those living in not-yet-legal states, recreating and medicating out back by the trashcans has been part of the pratfalls of partaking. In legal states, where cities have given the green light to for 420 friendly lounges, café’s and hotels, they are a breath of fresh vape to the patient or partaker.

Waking and baking at poolside, in my plush hotel bath robe, smoking a bowl of California’s finest, then taking a dip in the naturally warm mineral pool, is something I never thought I’d experience in my lifetime.

Filling pot holes, rebuilding community

The California Desert is also home to tawny Palm Desert, with its El Paseo district likened to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive; and Hollywood’s playground, Palm Springs, with a weed-friendly lounge smack dab on the main drag; and green golf courses dotting the landscape.

Desert Hot Springs (DHS) is the little town on the other side of the expansive valley. Traditionally a low-rent neighborhood, the City was forced to file bankruptcy a few years ago, with its Mayor, Scott Matas, suggesting the City Council get on board for cannabis. The city wanted to be ready when legalization hit, stating, “We just want to maintain our city and fill the potholes,” Matas said, with no pun intended.

The city got to work, allocating nine acres of outlaying property to cannabis farming and production, currently boasting 18 large multi-use scale facilities on the outskirts of town, with more planned; with a plethora of dispensary options in town.

“The stigma from the public is that you are going to have crime because people are buying pot, but it’s just not true,” Matas defended. “We have little to no crime to speak of surrounding the cannabis businesses. They are all run very professionally.”

Inn Keeper, John Thatcher, brought the idea of a cannabis-friendly option to its owner, who was immediately open to the idea. Being a private property, no special licensing was needed, making it a smooth transition.

Healing waters, fragrant flowers, and thou

In August of 2017, the Inn updated its offerings, with Thatcher and owner pleasantly surprised at the surge in bookings. Also surprising was the amount of older guests from illegal states, sharing, “Many of our guests come to heal and medicate from states where cannabis is not available to them. A good number of people arrive to heal, suffering from real medical conditions.”

DHS has long been known for its naturally occurring and healing mineral springs, stretching for miles under the city. Hotels and motels once dotted the landscape overlooking the valley, with swimming pools and hot tubs filled with its healing waters. Add cannabis, and it’s a win-win for patients and those wishing to relax and recreate.

Also dog-friendly, the Inn puts no restrictions on the size or type of dog welcomed - with no additional fees or deposits. Its floors are designed for easy clean-up, and the entire complex safe for your pet to roam free – albeit, supervised. A nicely appointed kennel is also available to safely leave your dog when traveling into town or out to dinner.

My friend’s dog, Brutus, was on loan for the experience, and his favorite spot was lounging poolside in the sun, then roaming freely in the safe and secure fenced yard out back – as I lounged nearby.

Hiking and rock climbing is just a 30 minute drive to scenic Joshua Tree National Park, with historic 29 Palms just beyond.

If you build it, they will come

Private parties and cannabis-friendly events are common place at the Inn now; easily filling the boutique hotel’s six rooms, including suits with kitchenettes, and adjoining rooms for larger parties. Each room overlooks the mineral pool and the desert valley beyond. Sunrise and sunsets are breathtaking, with a star-filled sky at night.

Its full kitchen in the common room is perfect for cannabis infusion chefs to entertain, opening up to both pool and a dog-friendly, fully enclosed yard, with a barbeque and lounging areas large enough to accommodate events.

Additional perks include scheduling in-room massages with the inn’s own signature formulation of 50 milligrams of CBD per ounce of oil. Since cannabinoid only compounds are non-psychoactive, there’s no high in the massage, only a blissful, healing state of total relaxation – as defined on the inn’s website. Swedish, deep tissue, or a combination of both are offered up. Also available is a lymphatic massage, stimulating the lymphatic system, releasing toxins – essential to the healing process, promoting a deeper relaxation.

Whether you are arriving to heal or enjoy the freedom of partaking in the California sun, the Desert Hot Springs Inn, for this cannabis patient, was truly a thing of beauty in more ways than I can put to words.

I’m from the 70s and grew up in Southern California. My parents retired in Desert Hot Springs in 1984, and I’ve spent many hours at several of these hotels up on the hill. If you would have told me that one day I’d be able to sit poolside in a hotel robe enjoying weed grown just up the road, I would have thought you dropped the entire tab of acid.

The Desert Hot Springs Inn may not be heaven, but it’s as close as this writer has gotten – fatty in hand, as I gaze out over the desert valley I’ve grown to love.

Glowing Goddess Getaway

Sonoma, California Wine Country

Goddess god-dess, (noun)

1 : a female God

2 : a woman whose great charm or beauty arouses adoration

-          Merriam-Webster

Imagine being on the best campout ever, purposefully cut-off from everything, with like-minded girlfriends all around you, and a dab bar that opens at 7 a.m.

That kind of magic has been happening once a month for three years now during the Glowing Goddess Getaway; the love child of Dierdre Bagdasarian and Saileen Ossman, two Goddesses with a gift to facilitate, create, and bring best friends forever, together.

Bagdasarian had been making medibles within California’s medical cannabis industry for ten years, and felt that most of the events had a “boy’s club” vibe.

“After giving birth to my daughter, I was feeling isolated and in lonely in newborn-land,” she shared. “Like many new moms, I started fantasizing about a vacation; a getaway just for women – but with cannabis!”

Bagdasarian came to the cannabis table late in life, partaking for the first time when she was 25 years-old, quickly realizing it was not the drug she’d been warned about.

“After using it a few times, I noticed a profound impact on the depression I’d struggled with for years,” she said. “I had relief from symptoms for hours, sometimes days after use - not just while I was ‘high.’ It was changing how I thought and felt about my own depressive nature.”

Cannabis, she said, allowed her to examine her own thoughts and beliefs without self-judgement and criticism, helping her to grow and evolve as a person, long after the high wore off.

The getaways were created as a private, member’s only social club, and have become a platform for this exact kind of enlightenment and growth.

Enter Ossman, after sitting on a panel Bagdasarian facilitated for Women in Cannabis, geared toward a discussion about women’s retreats, she said she immediately felt at home.

“I felt like I had found my tribe,” Ossman said. “The love and sister vibes were so palatable, I wanted to be involved. Deidra had no idea at the time that I had 20 plus years’ experience in catering and event planning! I knew there was something magical happening – something much bigger than ourselves, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Ossman’s history with cannabis began as a coming of age in Southern California in the 60s.

“I was always drawn to cannabis,” she shared. “In my late teens I was in a near fatal car accident and was in ICU for over two weeks, with multiple injuries. I was on a respirator and had round the clock inhalation therapists coming every few hours to perform various therapies to keep my lungs clear. That’s when I learned about cannabis as medicine, and how it’s a natural bronchial dilator.”

Ossman said she made a clear and conscious choice to use cannabis in her healing process, and never took another pill.

“Today my greatest mission is to educate and elevate the cannabis experience,” she continued. “The getaways are a calling, and they fulfill my heart’s desire to create a safe place for women to come together to foster sisterhood connections. We are normalizing cannabis as a spiritual and creative tool.”

Wine Country, without the Wine

This past April (2019), the Goddesses rented a private estate in the California Wine Country, complete with a vineyard, swimming pool, and enough meadowland to create a camp haven.

Participants are asked to bring a bed roll, pillow, personal belongings, and snacks to share. Everything else is all-inclusive in the average price of $420 per person, depending on location and what’s offered. Extracurricular offerings include Astrology readings and assorted workshops special to each getaway.

The only thing missing from the California Wine Country getaway was the wine, as the retreats are for cannabis partaking only, with no alcohol allowed.

Jessica Gonzales, aka, The Mommy Jane on Instagram, was in attendance with her own mommy, Jamie Fraser. Gonzales is known for giving up wine for weed, becoming a better mom in the process.

“For someone who has alcohol abuse on both sides of my family tree, to be able to attend this retreat with my mother – not only booze-free, but blissed-out and high on life and cannabis – is something I hope everyone gets a chance to experience in their lifetime,” she shared. “To be in this space with my mother and cannasisters, fulfilled and loved – I can only say that the Glowing Goddesses have created heaven on earth!”

For Gonzales, the maternal vibe began the moment they arrived, with experienced participants greeting the newbys with helpful advice and a friend to sesh with right away.

“We felt so taken care of, literally!” she exclaimed. “Everything was all ready for us to enjoy and consume. The entire weekend was mapped out for us. For a mother who is usually the one making arrangements and always taking care of others, this getaway was more than a treat, it was desperately needed!”

Glowing Together

Base camp is a large, sheltering, open-air tent that’s the hub of the gathering. Upon arriving, Bagdasarian offers up an inspiring welcome. She details the weekend’s agenda of crafts, astrology, belly dancing, and more. You can do as much or as little as you like – it’s your time to play, bond, and smoke a lot of weed – which enhances the entire experience.

After a Puff & Paint workshop led by Mindie Gum-Grivell of Aries Art NW.com, infectious laughter was encouraged in a Laughter Yoga session led by Claire Coughlin Powell.

According to a definition in Wikipedia, the premise for Laughter Yoga is the belief that voluntary laughter gives the same physiological and psychological benefits as spontaneous laughter – as forced laughter typically turns into real and contagious laughter.

With an exuberance rarely seen from a yoga instructor, her playful stances and the way she brought out laughter from all of us, stayed with us the entire weekend, helping us bond at the top of the event.

Each morning Ossman leads a mindful meditation session. Her words are fresh and ring true of love and acceptance, for each other and for ourselves.

A large plastic bag, holding seemingly hundreds of pre-rolls, are procured, becoming a comical, yet welcome sight before each workshop and session.

Munchies are important, and each camper is asked to bring their favorite junk food to share, making snack time an orgy of chips and sweets. A cutting board of cheese straight from Wisconsin is laid out, courtesy of Goddess, Emily Duncan, who flew with everything from her home state via carry-on.

Mealtime did not disappoint, with meals provided by local Thai and Indian caterers, with a Taco Truck on the last day; a full breakfast buffet each morning; and a bounty of snacks laid out 24/7.

To end each day, a party-like gathering came together under the big glow tent. Karaoke was a given; with Show & Share a favorite for what’s called “Tribe Time,” with Goddesses performing skits, dance, and song.

On the second day, a panel of cannabis industry professionals shared their own stories of healing and growing in the world’s fastest growing industry. On the last day, an awards and appreciation ceremony was held, during a final bonding moment, before heading back to reality.

In My Lifetime, an Understatement

Though I’ve been covering cannabis events for more than eight years now throughout the U.S., I’m from the 1970s. My first hit was taken hiding out in a gas station bathroom. The reality of being able to partake openly, to celebrate the plant with like-minded people, is still a dream come true for this old educated stoner.

To be able to giggle with sisters, besties, girlfriends old and new, from morning until night – while exploring and revealing our souls to each other during purposeful sit-downs, was truly a kind of heaven, reserved for those of us who have crouched in alleyways and stood on hotel room toilet seats, blowing smoke into ceiling fans, for decades.

“The getaways are absolutely our heart project, and Sailene and I are devoted to this community,” Bagdasarian surmised. “The more we learn, the more we want to share; and the Glowing Goddess Community has become an amazing place to share all we know about cannabis as remedy, and a therapeutic tool.”

For a Glowing Goddess experience near you, join a Sister Sesh Sunday, each Sunday at 4:20 p.m., when sisters gather to sesh across the U.S. The Goddesses welcome their sisters from across the world to join them. #SisterSeshSunday

For more information on Sister Sesh Sunday, or becoming a member visit, www.glowinggoddessgetaway.com

Footnote: The Glowing Goddess Getaway is for women, or those identifying as women.

Copa Cannabica, Baja California, Mexico

Mexico’s second cannabis cup showcases its emerging cannabis industry

Author’s Note: Due to the cannabis industry in Mexico emerging prior to ordinances being put in place, the names of the competitors and industry professionals have been excluded. Mexico’s Senate is currently in session and has until December 15 to establish ordinances for both adult use and medicinal use.

While protestors continue to plant and maintain more than 700 cannabis plantings around the Senate building in downtown Mexico City, demanding that fair ordinances be put in place for both the recreational and medicinal use of cannabis in the country, the emerging cannabis industry is already thriving, with the people healing and enjoying a safer recreational alternative before legislation.

Mexico’s second cannabis cup, Copa Cannabica, was held in September of 2020, in Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s wine country. Often compared to California’s posh Napa Valley wine country to the north in California, it’s located just under two hours from California’s San Diego/Tijuana Border, with more than one hundred wineries established, and more being launched each season.

As with most cannabis events around the world, the event was private, held on private property, on the rooftop of the Baron Balche winery, overlooking acres of grapes, with beauty of the valley and hills beyond.

Many event locations, wineries and restaurants in Mexico look forward to legalization and the cannabis tourism that follows, promising much needed economic growth with it.

Event organizers from Tiijuana teamed up with event organizers and a production crew from Mexico City, taping interviews with competitors, vendors, and the occasional politician stopping by to show support.

DJs, rappers, and bands graced the stage throughout the event. Minimal attendance was encouraged due to social distancing practices from COVID-19. Since the event was outdoors, masks were optional, yet many wore them.

The judging portion alone lasted three afternoon’s, starting at 4:20 p.m. each day, with judging and the highlights of the event streamed to half a million viewers, all told.

This writer was honored to be asked to judge, and was the only woman on the panel, along with one male farmer from California. 

Concentrates via vape cartridges, dabs and wax were plentiful, as were edibles and flower, with a door open to California competitors. Critics panned the move allowing California’s finest, but with Mexico’s industry still emerging, organizers felt they needed the additional entries. Some argued the California entries raised the bar for locals just starting to compete in the country.

On a personal note, it was apparent which flower was from Mexico and what was brought down from Los Angeles, Oakland, and Humboldt County, in Northern California. The terpenes don’t lie. My own limbic system was triggered with memories of Humboldt’s finest flowing with each hit from some of the flower that turned out, indeed, to be from Humboldt - where I made my home for nearly ten years.

The level of professionalism on packaging for the products in Mexico is impressive, making it even more apparent the industry is already here. Remedy makers stated they have already been able to sell their products at private “dispensaries” around the country, with private clubs in Tijuana, Ensenada, and Mexico City said to be already established and running safely, with no issues.

CBD from Tijuana

Decades ago, Tijuana was once a sleepy border town for exit and entry to Mexico from San Diego County in the United States. Today, it’s a thriving metropolis, with a population of nearly three million. 

Not surprisingly, the city also hosts an equally thriving, albeit temporarily covert, cannabis community.

First place in the CBD category went to Indiico, founded by a young couple from Tijuana. They launched the brand in April of 2020, at Mexico’s first cannabis cup in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, on mainland Mexico - the first time the copa allowed CBD products. 

A family business, mom was at the booth, giving support, proud of her family and the win. As with many remedy makers in the cannabis industry, the principal of Indiico was helped by the plant, inspiring the business.

“We started the company after CBD products improved both my physical and mental well-being,” they said. “The tincture can be ingested or used as a topical, and I use it myself for chronic pain. I ingest it to control seizures for epilepsy, and to treat depression.”

With expert graphics on its black and white packaging and booth signage, this company is ready to go big in the industry when ordinances are ready to guide them.

Medibles from Cabo

First place medibles went to an American woman married to a Mexican national, living in Cabo San Lucas, in Southern Baja. GGG offered up a large whimsical cookie shaped like an apple, testing at 100 milligrams of activated THC; with the addition of two gummy worms sticking out of the apple, testing at five milligrams of activated THC each.

“You can eat the cookie, and if you are medicating with grandma, she can have a worm,” they explained, only partly joking about the unique delivery mode. This writer appreciated a five milligram gummy now, saving the cookie for bedtime.

The company makes a wide variety of edibles and medibles CBD and low dose THC in the mix, depending on if you are medicating or recreating - stating that it’s all the same. The company said they love the Cabo San Lucas cannabis community, and explained that there was also a private, members only cannabis club in the area.

“There are many Americans in Cabo who use cannabis, but most of the people we cater to in the area are Mexican locals,” they said. 

Concentrated Goodness

Winner of the solventless dry hash extraction of OG Platinum, is a company called Mexa OG. The maker said they first came into the cannabis industry like many have here and around the world, through the back door.

“I began by selling cannabis to friends more than ten years ago, they said. “As I learned more about the plant I began to expand my product line, until I could leave my day job.”

Now, beyond ready for legalization and proper ordinances, they say it’s been a painful process getting to this point in time.

“I think we are a country where legalization is very slow,” they explained. “We need jobs, and this industry can provide them. We also need education and research in the therapeutic uses for people in need. I believe cannabis is both medicine and a safe way to recreate. It also helps with mental disorders, to help clear the mind and chase away the demons.”

Tested, Tried & True

Organizers of the cup hired an engineer to set-up a lab in one of the hotel rooms nearby, testing each product for cleanliness and effacacy. Since it’s difficult to judge edibles in a short amount of time, and nearly impossible to feel effects of the CBD products, this was necessary. 

A microscope was set up on the judging table, allowing us to look at what might have appeared to be a perfectly normal flower. It’s necessity was proven when a small flower showed up with a tiny, black nylon thread woven throughout. Shame, as it was a lovely fragrance, but this judge didn’t want to smoke plastic, no matter the small size. Everyone else partook.

This writer also took it for the team when a concentrate appeared to change consistency after being exposed to the exceptionally warm weather, causing me to question its contents. One hit and my throat burned, with a nasty aftertaste. No one else tried it. 

Fails happen, hence the cups. Competition brings the community together and rewards 

those who work hard to achieve the best products possible. The fails are lessons learned from well-meaning remedy makers and farmers who are brave enough to step forward.

Covert No More

Rhetoric in the U.S. when a state legalizes is that more people will get high and “what about the children,” but the reality is, that edible taken to get high quickly becomes a medible, with real healing taking place if the recreational user is actually a patient with real ailments.

As for the children, they were the first allowed to use cannabis in Mexico, with the compound cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD, already helping many in Mexico since 2017; after Raul Elizalde, father of eight year-old Gracela, worked to get CBD oil for his daughter, suffering hundreds of seizures a week from a rare form of epilepsy.

Gracela’s experience also helped the people of Mexico to understand some of the healing properties of the plant, after decades of being told it wasn’t medicinal all throughout the failed war on drugs.

Prior to the CBD ruling, Mexico decriminalized all drug use in 2009, but the only news reported from the decision was the violence of retaliation from the cartels, who it’s been said since, are not making money any longer with cannabis - rather planting poppies in Sinaloa, as reported by longtime Drug War correspondent, Don Winslow.

The people of Mexico won’t be prosecuted for having five grams of cannabis on them, or 50 milligrams of heroin - but, the local police will still want, what’s called, curb money if they find anything on you - that’s a different issue altogether. For the most part, cannabis use is tolerated in Mexico. 

This ruling was created in an attempt to help people, not create criminals. If you are caught with the legal amount of drugs, rehabilitation, not jail is encouraged. It was a first step in denouncing the failed Drug War. 

The Future Looks Verde (Translation: Green)

As detailed in an interview with Vicente Fox for Forbes, the former President of Mexico is confident the country will be a leader in cannabis, globally.

“Mexico is very dynamically advancing in all things related to the total legalization of cannabis,” he stated. “This positions Mexico to become a leader in the world markets, when it comes to cannabis.”

One of the lead organizers of the protest, Pepe Rivera, said the four main demands of the movement are, as follows: 1) Unlimited home grow for personal use; 2) Possession without limits; 3) Safe consumption sites; and 4) Protection of the rights and dignity of users.

The occupation, dubbed, #Planton420, is a form of protest where people “plant themselves in front of someone until demands are heard.” This occupation is taken literally and figuratively along with the planting of cannabis by the Senate building.

“The lack of compromise by Mexican legislators has fueled civil disobedience at its best,” Rivera said proudly. “Mexican activists are partaking openly and planting the country’s capital with cannabis in protest. We started by planting one single plant on one of the capitol’s main streets on December 23, 2019, in order to gage the response of the state. We then proceeded to occupy the Senate’s park and the main entrance to the building on February second of 2020.”

As in every cannabis community in the world right now, the plant prevails and the healing continues. The more than 700 plants around the capitol demonstrate the point.

The young people of Mexico are ready to grow and learn about the plant’s many benefits and income opportunities. They are done with the failed Drug War that started in the U.S., and they are all too familiar with the supply and demand that made the cannabis industry too big to fail.

The plant can’t be stopped, and the organizing of cannabis events, such as the Copa Cannabica, show the will of the people prevails when it comes to this most misunderstood and beloved plant on the planet.


For more information on Copa Cannabica visit its Facebook page or website,  https://www.facebook.com/Copacannabicamx/ 

http://copacannabica.mx/?fbclid=IwAR37SnpTV720WMgpV-QD0_cHIjeZ8bHVEuGKrCrus7PHSQ8dEGcwpPPRatw 

For more information on the decriminalization of drugs, with amounts permitted visit, https://www.loc.gov/law/help/decriminalization-of-narcotics/mexico.php 

Detroit, Michigan

From Petroleum to Pot

Note: This piece was originally published within the series Road Trip: In Search of Good Medicine, for Dope Magazine.

You can’t talk about the history of Detroit without taking about the demise of one of the largest U.S. manufacturing industries in the world – the automotive industry. Yes, there is Motown and the rich history of music. There’s also a history of great food, as the auto industry brought many cultures from around the world to its work force.

The auto industry in Detroit has been dismantled for decades, leaving the “big three,” General Motors, the Ford Motor Company, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US barely standing. Its neighborhoods have become a virtual wasteland of burned out homes and empty fields. Unions were to blame, they said, with third world countries offering up cheap labor. The corporate bottom line, not human need, took precedence.

Legalize to Educate

Since the knowledge of industrial hemp for fuel and materials has resurfaced, those in the know are looking to the auto industry for real changes in our transportation’s environmental footprint.

In 2013 BMW announced its i3 electric model was made pounds lighter and more efficient by using hemp fibers throughout, including trunk liners, airbag parts, and door panels. And while Ford announced its cars will have 30 percent worth of recycled content, we’ve yet to see American manufacturers jumping on the hemp wagon just yet.

Cannabis as medicine has been legal in Michigan since voters gave it a nod in 2008, with 18 cities decriminalizing its use altogether, including Detroit.

Verbiage on Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs’ (LARA) website states, “The program implements the statutory tenets of this act in such a manner that protects the public and assures the confidentially of its participants.”

Nice words, but not exactly true, as the state nor its cities and counties have adopted workable ordinances to protect those who would help patients with safe access under state law.

Dozens of recent raids have shut down retail medical storefronts operating without the safety net of a business license. Dispensaries operate under caregiver licenses only, allowing just five patients per under a drafty umbrella.

Now anticipating legalization for recreational use, cities in Michigan are panicking, enacting bans that would stop further education on good medicine. But that’s where the irony of legalization is found. What most city officials don’t realize is, the lack of persecution once legalization is in place actually allows medicine makers to come out of the smoky closet of prohibition, with communities healed – not more people getting wasted, as is the common misperception. And more people healed with cannabis means less money to pharmaceutical companies.

Petroleum Based Pharma

In 1949 Morris Allison Bealle penned The Drug Story, with the sub-text, “America’s $10,000,000 Drug Cartel – its methods, operations, hidden ownership, profits and terrific impact on the health of the American People.”

Bealle traced the beginning of the petroleum-based pharmaceutical industry to the 1860s and William Rockefeller’s first patent of raw petroleum as a cure for cancer.

Father to John D. Rockefeller, William was a farmer in upstate New York until 1850 when he moved to Cleveland and registered as a “physician,” peddling his snake oil of raw petroleum, called “Nujol,” or “new oil,” with son John’s Standard Oil researchers seeing huge profits from byproduct that would have otherwise been tossed.

Hence the connection to petroleum and not-so-good medicine in America.

Today there are more than 300 cannabis dispensaries within Detroit’s city limits. And while they recently adopted a business license process, it’s limited to “Medical Marihuana Caregiver Centers,” with each employee of said centers requiring a caregiver license. Hence, any retail center operating prior to the new ordinance are noted as “operating illegally.”

Illegally Healed

To make matters worse, the lack of education on ingesting cannabis as real medicine – not just smoking to relieve symptoms and getting high – is prominent throughout even the cannabis community, with the mid-west being behind the enlightened west coast by about 10 years.

For along with Detroit’s newfound ordinances allowing licensing, the city simultaneously enacted a ban on concentrates made with Butane hash oil (BHO), with the shelves of its retail shops left empty – albeit for flower to smoke. With nothing differentiating from BHO products to infused butter or oil products, all concentrated products have been banned out of sheer ignorance.

Detroit patients must now travel to other cities for ingesting or topical products – boosting the economy of more fortunate neighborhoods.

Or, they go back to the black market for real, ingestible medicine, as was witness by this writer. Imagine my surprise during a visit to a Detroit apartment when a guest emerged from a back bedroom with hands full of infused gummy bears, topical salve, and a few cartridges of CBD smoking oil.

The Detroit resident purchasing products from a back room was suffering from myriad side effects from cancer treatments, medicating illegally within his own city limits, in a medically legal state.

As Detroit grapples with its ever crumbling economy, the hope is that the education of cannabis as medicine, and the bounty that hemp has to offer, will reach its officials in time to make a difference for many. Until then, the plant continues to prevail for patients in spite of the mid-western mindset and the powers that be.

Backstory: A brief history of plant-based fuels and materials in the automotive industry

Henry Ford and Thomas Edison were close friends. Ford had been employed at the Detroit Edison plant as an engineer prior to incorporating his own auto company in 1904. The two owned winter homes next door to each other in Florida, where Edison had a botanical library researching industrial uses of plants. Both were friends of the farmer and convinced that the energy from plants and the industrial materials they produced could be used for the greater good.

By 1941 Ford had created a car made of plastic manufactured and fueled mostly from plants.

“It will be a car of darn sight better design in every form,” he announced via the New York Times in February of 1941. “And don’t forget the motor car business is just one of the industries that can find new uses for plastics, made from what’s grown in the land!”

Three hundred pounds lighter than Ford’s steel-framed model and said to be more durable than metal, his plastic car from the garden was made from a combination of “strong fibers,” that included corn, ramie, hemp, straw, soy, and slash pine fiber – fueled, in part, by a combination of ethanol made from corn.

Ironically, DuPont had already created the first synthetic material from petroleum in 1935, with its own patent for Nylon registered in 1937. The creation of nylon initially replaced silk for women’s hosiery, but the petroleum-based material was just the start of a plastic industrial revolution that also spawned the pharmaceutical industry – successfully replacing plant-based medicines to this day.

Though electric cars had been produced around the world since the late 1800s, saving energy via batteries, combined with a lack of speed, did not make them attractive to the consumer. Ford himself built one as an experiment in 1895 and was said to have a personal collection of electric cars made at the time.

It wasn’t until 1913 that Ford announced via the New York Times in 1914; “Within a year, I hope, we shall begin the manufacture of an electric automobile…The fact is that Mr. Edison and I have been working for some years on an electric automobile which would be cheap and practicable… The problem so far has been to build a storage battery of light weight which would operate for long distance without recharging. Mr. Edison has been experimenting with such a batter for some time.”

An energy plant was purchased in Niagra Falls and a manufacturing plant was set-up in Dearborn, when all was lost by fire in December of 1914. It seems Ford’s downfall in the project was insisting on friend Edison’s nickel-iron batteries that were said to be incapable of powering the electric car. Heavier lead-acid batteries were installed behind Ford’s back. He became enraged at the switch and the project ended before it could begin.

With the Ford Motor Company incorporated, Ford went into production with his combustion engine that was said to be less costly to the consumer.

Did DuPont’s interest in petroleum squash Ford’s farm fresh production? Did William Randolph Hurst’s interest in the redwoods of northern California contribute to the end of Hemp, as detailed in Jack Herer’s page turner, The Emperor Wears No Clothes? The debate is still up for discussion.

Some speculate the drug war was created out of sheer prejudice to minorities, specifically blacks and Hispanics where cannabis, then Hemp, were concerned. But here’s something to ponder, did the powers that be use prejudice as smoke and mirrors to demonize hemp and the use of plant-based fuels and industrial materials?

We can’t change the past, but we can move forward with the newfound knowledge of the power of plants, specifically hemp, and their relationship to the sun and the energy found naturally on the planet.

Barney’s of New York, The High End

Los Angeles

Barney’s of New York has long been known for its progressive vision when it comes to fashion and culture. In light of California legalizing cannabis for recreational use, the high end retailer added The High End shop to its Rodeo Drive store in Beverley Hills in Los Angeles.

Curating high end accoutrements for the savvy cannabis consumer was a given, and adding CBD products to its personal care department was nothing short of brilliant.

But, the excitement quickly faded, as news of Barney’s demise hit the newsstands this past October, with a Chapter 11 filing, and licensing firm, Authentic Brands Group, set to liquidate 15 of its 22 existing locations. The flagship in Manhattan, New York, will be used as a cultural, museum venue highlighting Barney’s historic past.

A valiant fight was waged via social media, but Sam Ben-Avraham’s “Save Barney’s” campaign failed to get the investors needed to keep several stores open, including the Rodeo Drive store with its newly curated, The High End shop.

This Weed Traveler was able to visit the 300 square foot nook at the top of the building on the fourth floor this past summer. The grand building that stands on its own among some of the most expensive stores in the world; catering to some of the most high profiles shoppers in the world, from nearby Beverly Hills, Bel Air, right down to the beach in Malibu.

Michael Burke held the unique title of Apothecary Manager. He spoke of the progression and success of having CBD products, et al, in-house.

“All of the products have been well received,” Burke said, standing next to a wall of lotions, oils, and personal care products all infused with cannabinoids or CBD, derived from cannabis. “Our main challenge was finding companies who could meet supply and demand from both our physical shops and online purchases.”

When asked about the quality of the products, as compared to other high-end lotions Barney’s stocks, Burke said the products were just as finely made as any other of their luxury lines.

An entire wing had been created for The High End shop on the top floor of the building. Inside, savvy and well-heeled cannabis partakers could purchase fine smoking accessories, sitting under glass cases, surrounding by marble walls and gilded pedestals.

Fine bone china vintage ashtrays from Hermes Paris, with one of its signature designs, could be had for about $700 a pop.

When asked how the historic design house, Hermes, felt about its ashtrays being for sale in such a space, Burke replied, “They are happy to be selling ashtrays again.”

Under another glass case, rolling papers are carefully laid out from French company, Devambez, made exclusively with hemp grown in the South of France. Burke added that if you haven’t smoked a joint rolled in a Devambez, you just have no idea what the fuss is all about.

Sterling silver accessories created by Good Art.com include pokers, lighter sleeves, and bud containers, all made by the hands of Los Angeles silversmith, Josh Warner. One of Warner’s sterling silver grinders comes with a price tag of $1,474.

Longtime iconic New York jeweler, Carole Shashona, has joined the healing trend, and now includes a line of cannabis leaf adorned fine jewelry for the shop.

There’s glass art via beautiful bongs by Caleb Siemon, of Siemon & Salazar, a design duo, schooled in Italy, from Southern California; and stash boxes by Ginger Brown, a French design house in Normandy.

Italian housewares design house, Lorenzi Milano, typically creates beautiful tableware, barware, and personal care items, such as handcrafted shaving kits, comes to the High End table with its mother-of-pearl signature coffee table lighter and ashtray.

While some may scoff at a seven hundred dollar ashtray, or a thousand dollar grinder, there is a market for such fodder.  Gone are the days of plastic baggies and shoe boxes to hold your stash. The coffee table of the elite now sport high end accessories for partaking. Because, why not? Raising your ritual never looked this good.

Hopefully, when the dust settles around Barney’s historic empire, there will still be a space for such extravagances. Because having items like these in a mainstream, high end shop like Barney’s is a sign of things to come. It’s an indication that cannabis has been taken from the alleyways, backrooms and bathrooms, and is now sitting at the grown-ups table, beside crystal brandy snifters and sterling silver decanters for recreating and medicating pleasure.

Avenue CBD

Los Angeles

In 1975, the year I began smoking weed - was the same year my favorite Aunt Gloria started taking me into Los Angeles – to Melrose Avenue and the Zephyr Theater, a 90-seat playhouse that opened my eyes to the beauty and amazement of avant-garde in the city.

Soon thereafter I’d have my own car and would make the trek to the trendy shops on Melrose – with Aardvark’s Odd Ark a favorite for second hand clothes. From the late 70s into the 80s, Melrose Avenue became a hotspot for shopping. After the popular TV show, Melrose Place, aired, it became a little too hip for this local.

Imagine me now, some 40 years later, walking down the avenue and up to a beautiful storefront, with absolutely nothing but CBD products lining its glass display cases.

In my lifetime is a phrase I’ve probably overused since coming into the cannabis space, but I never tire of every new business that normalizes the conversation, while helping to break the stigma of cannabis use. What better way to educate than putting a CBD shop in the heart of a hipsters hood?

One Compound

Isolating the highly beneficial Cannabidiol, or CBD compound, without the high, has been the legacy of Lawrence Ringo, a mild-mannered Southern Humboldt farmer, we lost a few years ago to cancer.

Ringo, as he was called, took years to hybridize cannabis plants low in THC, the psychoactive compound of the plant, while unknowingly raising the percentage of CBD to new heights.

This process cannot be confused with any trace CBD found in Industrial Hemp or the isolates made from it. The difference between percentages is huge – two to four percent CBD from Industrial Hemp, if that; and upwards of 12 to 14 percent from cannabis hybridized for lower or trace THC – specifically lower than three percent.

Important to note, California disallowed any CBD products where the compound is derived from Industrial hemp for this reason. Meaning, all the products at Avenue CBD are sourced from cannabis with a low THC count, labeled Hemp for this reason – not Industrial Hemp, which is a different plant altogether.

The option of having a cannabis remedy without psychoactive properties has helped raise awareness of the medicinal properties of the plant, while helping to quell the negative stigma.

While this writer remains firmly a whole plant kind of gal, I do see the advantages of this one compound that treats epilepsy, fights inflammation, infection, anxiety, and more; while creating homeostasis within the body, preventing illness.

CBD Forever

Avenue CBD on Melrose Avenue in the heart of the city is confirmation the compound isn’t going anywhere soon, and is fully accepted in this high profile neighborhood.

Once entering the stylish shop, you are hit with a sea of CBD products the likes you’ll never see anywhere else in one place. Tinctures, topicals, medibles and more line the shelves, adorned in beautiful packaging professionally designed.

Being a licensed shop, all products have been tested and are clearly labeled for potency and safety, per California State regulations.

One product that stood out was celebrity and Multiple Sclerosis patient, Montel Williams’ line of Hemp Extract Capsules – with an image of the man on the box, simply branded, Montel. While he also has a line of THC activated products, Avenue CBD only carries his CBD products.

As is the welcomed trend of cannabis formulations, Williams’ brand adds other plant-based concentrates to the mix, giving assorted results, depending on the ailment, disorder or need at hand.

As the world eases into the knowledge of cannabis as remedy, isolating the non-psychoactive compound, CBD, and offering it up to the masses as an option to whole plant with activated THC, is a first step to educating on what cannabis can do.

For more information on Avenue CBD visit, https://avecbd.com/

San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market

San Diego, California

San Diego is often referred to as the birthplace of California. San Diego Bay was said to be discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1542, though the native Kumeyaay people had already been living there for some 12,000 years.

Today the city has its share of hi-tech companies, and a vibrant harbor, and tourist trade; but its history is rich in agriculture, with progressive horticulturist Kate Sessions landscaping Balboa Park with the common plants we know today, such as Bougainville, Agapanthus, and myriad palm trees, that she brought up from Mexico in the 1920s.

San Diego has long been the checkpoint to smuggle cannabis up from south of the border, though the demand for Mexican weed has diminished since California established its medical program in 1996.

Multiple military bases were established in the 1880s, with the U.S. Navy setting up shop in 1901; Camp Pendleton in 1942, and the Marines’ Air Station in Miramar, home of its Top Gun school, in 1996.

Due to its heavy military leanings, the region has long been known as conservative, politically. Driving along the coast on Highway 5, recreations of Middle Eastern villages dot the landscape, with tanks and planes flying overhead in simulated war games on a regular basis.

The city also hosts a large Evangical Christian base. It’s also home to the Mormon Church who heavily funded the campaign against legal weed in California’s first effort to legalize with Proposition 19 in 2010.

This conservative base has demanded the banning of retail cannabis dispensaries throughout the county, with farming within county lines prohibited. This makes safe access to cannabis as medicine difficult, leaving much of its population uneducated about the benefits, as safe access equates to people openly sharing help with the plant.

The flip-side is, delivery services are thriving, as covert residents in upscale neighborhoods partake in the privacy of their homes. And while delivery is convenient, the selection of medicine can be limited to flower and smoking oils – hence the lack of education on medicine in this narrow space.

With the addition of the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market established in 2016, start-ups gearing up for recreation, and an on-going Local Sesh popping up regularly, the smoky closet door has now been fully opened.

The market is hosted quarterly by the Honey Flower Collective, founded by and representing San Diego farmers and medicine makers, with each market sponsored by a different featured company.

The market has become a place where residents can enjoy music, listen to patient testimonials, and learn about the benefits of the plant from the people who farm it and make the products.

Organizers are reluctant to speak out, as the city is lagging in creating ordinances for safe access, but one co-founder shared that the collective hadn’t noticed how great the need was to bring the community together in this way until the events began.

“There was no platform for patients and up-and-coming start-up companies to connect in San Diego, as most events were held in Los Angeles,” one of the co-founders said. “Though we are not the first cannabis event in the city, the market is the largest, thanks to the community.”

Cannabis entities often give back to the community that supports them, and guests at the market show up with canned food and donated clothing; helping more than 300 locals and families in need, by donating more than 1,000 pounds of food and clothing since the event began.

“Education is huge,” the co-founder surmised. “We feel that as the city looks into our market, they will see it’s a positive experience. We hope they see the market is part of the movement to go forward in creating ordinances to support safe access and help its people. As Proposition 64 goes into effect things will change, and we hope we can be known as part of that progressive change.”

For more information on the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market, visit www.sandiegocannabisfarmersmarket.com, visit its Facebook Page, or follow them on Twitter and Instagram

Portlandia

Portland, Oregon

The city of Portland is a quintessential north coast town; progressive in its politics and cultured in its art and food; with a constant stream of enlightening events throughout the year. Add the legalization of cannabis and the city is exploding in imaginative activities surrounding the plant, with healing products coming onto the scene in a steady stream.

http://whatslegaloregon.com

Nicknamed, “The City of Roses,” one of Portland’s most excellent hangouts include a hike or pic-nick in the historic International Rose Test Garden. Established in 1917 as an effort to save and preserve the roses of Europe from decimation during World War 1, its sweeping views of the city and literally thousands of roses and other flowering plants and trees will delight the senses.

www.portlandoregon.gov

Nothing tastes better than when you are fully medicated with your third eye and all your senses fully open. Luckily, Portland has a plethora of food trucks throughout the city to satisfy your ever munchie need. A walk down Alberta Street is mandatory to peruse the dozens of colorful vintage food trucks lining the street, dishing up everything from gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches to gluten-free, paleo, and vegan grub.

www.foodcartsportland.com

Aside from the many cafes other options for treats, one can’t leave Portland without a check-in to Voodoo Doughnuts. Known for its large, sugar (and often bacon) laden creations, sprinkles are replaced with Fruit Loops, and the line is typically out the door until the wee hours of the night.

www.voodoodoughnut.com

For an honest-to-goodness legal hangout in Portland, the Northwest Cannabis Club is a go-to. This old-school lounge/bar has been converted into a dabbers delight, with rigs lining a historic wooden bar. Bring your own and enjoy socializing with some of Portland’s finest. Events are held regularly and include Cottonmouth Comedy Nights on Fridays; Sunday Wake & Bake; and live music every Saturday night.

www.nwcannabismarket.com

Portland’s movie brewpubs were developed by creative hoteliers and brothers, Mike and Brian McMenamin, who pioneered the revival of some of Portland’s finest and historic buildings, transforming them into hotels, restaurants, and breweries. A few bucks will get you a first-run movie and the chance to sit back on a couch, order a pizza and beer and enjoy the show.

www.mcmenamins.com

For a true Portland adventure, ride along with Pedal Bike Tours as they tour dispensaries, glass shops, and more.

The tour starts in historic Old Town and travels along the waterfront, across the Steel Bridge to the other side of the Willamette River and a stature of Vera Katz, 1973 champion of the decriminalization of hemp in the state.

A real history lesson is alive and well at The Third Eye glass shop, originally opened by legendary hemp activist and author of game changing book, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” Jack Herer. The perennial funky shop is now run by son, Mark. Though the neighborhood surrounding the shop has turned trendy, the Third Eye is still a kindred place that has not lost its sense of place or history.

www.pedalbiketours.com

Lastly, for a downhome treat, Prism House is a private home open to the public for special gatherings and events. The space is copasetic to cannabis, as its facilitator, Samantha Montanaro and husband Chris, came to Oregon in order to treat Samantha’s arthritis.

Cannabis events such as “Puff, Pass & Paint,” which began in Denver by Heidi Keyes. Samantha added “Puff, Pass & Pottery” workshops. It’s a warm home with a good vibe, and a great way to socialize while medicating among friends. Other classes surrounding the plant include Yoganja, infused meals, and Oil Room, a workshop in basic wellness incorporating essential herbs.

The space was created by the hobbyist couple in order to live the Portland life fully, while being able to medicate freely in a legal environment. It’s the quintessential Portlandia experience incorporating fun, and freedom in a friendly space – much like the city itself.

www.prismhousepdx.com

Heaven Grown

Hempcrete for all

Since 2011 Heaven Grown has been building simple shelters out of hemp fibers mixed with a simple recipe of lime and water. The process is inexpensive and fast, enabling the crew to build a structure in a matter of days.

Co-Founder Stephen Clarke said he created Heaven Grown with a small group of environmentally concerned friends and associates after attending a conference in Granada, Spain presented by the International Hemp Building Association (IHBA), hosted by longtime director Steve Allin.

“We have 13 years’ experience, accumulatively, working with renewable energy systems, and have looked at many ways to for optimizing energy efficiency in the architectural and building space,” Clarke said from his home in Mexico City. “When we heard of the amazing benefits hempcrete has – not only on the thermal side, but the sustainability for the planet – that’s when we decided this would be our flagship material to create a 100 percent sustainable building.”

The organization added the equally sustainable material of bamboo during its first-ever combined build of hempcrete and bamboo for a community complex deep in the woods an hour outside of Mexico City.

“The energy savings are huge,” Clarke added. “With walls measuring in at 16 inches, we are able to eliminate the use of heating or cooling in certain builds. It’s a very light weight material, thus transport and installation costs are much lower – actually, almost 65 percent less.”

Clarke said that once the U.S. crops are plentiful prices should drop drastically, allowing for more use of the material.

Historically Hemp

According to Hemp History Week (wwwhemphistoryweed.com), hemp was the world’s largest cash crop until demonized in the 1940s for looking like its psychoactive counterpart, cannabis.

More than 2,500 products were once made with the plant that has proven to be disease and drought resistant, with fibers stronger than linen or cotton; including ship rigging and sails, canvas on covered wagons, to “nutrient-dense seed oil.”

The site goes on to state, industrial hemp was grown in the U.S. since the first European settlers arrived in the early 1600s.  In fact, the Declaration of Independence could have been drafted on hemp paper grown on Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, or John Adams farms.

Thomas Jefferson has been widely quoted as saying, “Some of my finest hours have been spent on my back veranda, smoking hemp,” though the web site for his former home, Monticello, states no such writing could be found.

Hemp Homes

Heaven Grown has become a sort of hemp Habitat for Humanity, constructing small hemp houses for low income people in Mexico, but they also build the occasional private structure for the greater good, such as the hemp bamboo build an hour outside of Mexico City.

“This is a sacred area and the 15 families who will eventually live in this cooperative community will live here sustainably,” Clarke said of the compound located near the magical town of Tepoztlan. “This build was done in days and took many volunteers coming together.”

The large structure, that will be the community workshop for both creative and structural building projects within the community, has the appearance of an ark, and Clarke said because of the resilience of the hempcrete and the bamboo together, it will ebb and flow in the often harsh jungle storms common in the region.

“A common belief is that hempcrete is stronger than concrete,” Clarke continued. “It’s actually more resilient, and won’t break up as with traditional concrete structures that don’t have a chance in say, an earthquake.”

With misinformation righted where hemp is concerned, the future looks bright as far as a more sustainable option in building. Heaven Grown aims to make sure they are a part of the new history of hemp globally, and the green future of health and happiness with plants in mind.

“We are excited about the future,” Clarke surmised. “We are partnering up with many entities in the cannabis space in the U.S. and hope to build small projects as examples of what this material can do, while showing everyone how easy it is to use.”

For more information on Heaven Grown visit, www.heavengrown.com