cmwa

2 CULTURE • MARCH 2013 V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u re . c o m

MARCH 2013 • CULTURE 3


features12 The Taxman Cometh?Washington’s struggles with whether or not to tax cannabis.

16 Creature ComfortDon’t give your best buds to your best friend.

18 Getting Up ThereHow the ills of aging can be treated naturally.

22 Spin ClassAccording to Sander Van Doorn, we’re more progressive than Amsterdam.

24 Head GamesThe metal miscreants of Neurosis continue to defy boundaries.

departments6 Letter from the EditorWhen the cannabis cause strikes close to home—hearts and minds can change.

8 News NuggetsCannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers.

26 Legal CornerHow much cannabis is too much to drive? Attorney Hilary Bricken dives into that thorny question.

30 Strain & Edible ReviewsOur ever-popular sampling of amazing strains and edibles currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary.

38 Destination UnknownThese days, the green smell of freedom is everywhere in Prague.

40 Profiles in CourageOur latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you.

42 Cool StuffFrom Bubble Bowls to Sky Glass’ The Jimmy, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.

44 RecipesEmbrace your inner Irish heritage and sample a St. Patrick’s Day menu that’s twice as green.

48 Entertainment ReviewsThe latest films, books, music and more that define our culture.

Double Identity

Indie rock stars Tegan and Sara open up about musical maturity.

34

4 V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u re . c o m

On the Cover: Photo by Lindsey Byrnes


RobERTo C. HERnAndEz EdIToR-In-CHIEf

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CULTUREVOL 4 ISSUE 9

I’m sure you’ve heard the old saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.” Here’s a new one: Sometimes your worst enemies can end up your best

friends. Or at least a staunch ally. That’s the case with Melvin McDonald, a Mormon Republican and former U.S. Attorney whose job during the ’80s was being one of Reagan’s War on Drugs foot soldiers. You know those raids, indictments and prosecutions that we hear about all the time? Chances are, the guys handing out these marching orders are people just like McDonald: federal prosecutors who have made it a point to go after people like us: those of us who provide or utilize a god-given plant to benefit our health and the quality of our lives.

It seems that McDonald is no longer wear-ing the jackboots. He had a change of heart. Not surprisingly, it was because a close family member, McDonald’s son, suffered a catastrophic traffic acci-dent . . . and it turned out that medical cannabis was the only thing that could help him recuperate. The accident, which caused brain damage to his son, happened in 1996. By 1997 the son had developed seizures, seizures that spanned the past 14 years. This condition made it difficult for McDonald’s son to eat because of nausea and complications from prescription meds.

“Without marijuana he cannot eat and he can-not hold the food down,” he told The Huffington Post. “So I’ve come full circle from being on the crime-fighting end, to seeing it within my own home, having my wife have to go and obtain marijuana illegally to . . . keep him alive.”

How often have we heard these stories, these experiences; everyday Americans who never cross paths with medical cannabis—until it strikes close to home. The father diagnosed with cancer who later discovers that cannabis can keep him from wasting

Change of Heart

away. The Crohn’s disease sufferer who realizes a plant can help keep his condition in check. The veteran stricken by neuropathic pain who learns that the dried flowers he enjoyed for kicks as a teenager can deliver analgesic relief.

McDonald has made the same journey. He’s become a believer. Talk about a change of heart.

“There are people out there that have legitimate, genuine medical needs,” he said. “Marijuana is the one plant out there that solves enormous problems for people with—not only seizures like my son—but also cancer and other ailments.”

Wild stuff, eh? Never would I have guessed that such earnest words of advocacy would come from someone whose 9-to-5 was busting purported pot perps.

Now, I’ve got some concluding remarks . . . but I think I’ll use McDonald’s words speak for themselves about why medical cannabis is so important and why all levels of governments (Hey, Congress—I’m talking to you!) need to address the politics of prohibition.

“This is a critical need for sick people. It is like taking away diabetic drugs from diabetics because of some policy decision. We’ve got to set up priorities in this country so that people that need marijuana for these medical needs—legitimate needs—can get it.”

Well said, Mel. c


health and safety goals,” accord-ing to thinkprogress.com.

THE NATION

Oregon’s SB 281 could add PTSD to list of qualifying conditionsMedical cannabis advocates met last month in Oregon to aid those who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), according to a recent Cannabis Culture bulletin.

The advocates are backing SB 281, which would add PTSD to the list of conditions allowed by the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act.

Currently, veterans who suffer from PTSD cannot acquire medical cannabis through the program unless they have other qualifying conditions. However, Oregon’s laws do allow patients to acquire the plant for pain caused by the PTSD.

North Carolina medical cannabis bill introducedState Rep. Kelly Alexander intro-duced a bill last month that could potentially lead to the legalization of medical cannabis in the state, according to News 14 Carolina.

While North Carolina has had the opportunity to allow dispen-saries to sell to patients via past

legislation, Alexander’s Bill 84 is receiving more acceptance given that state residents are becoming more accepting of MMJ.

The bill would allow patients to grow their own cannabis and let them possess up to 24 ounces.

Alexander is a funeral director who has drawn on his personal experiences of “meeting the families of people who could have benefitted from medical cannabis.” “Compassion centers” might be in West Virginia’s futureWest Virginia is looking to join the medical cannabis club. The Panhandle State is considering a bill that would allow patients with certain medical conditions to use cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation, according to the Coal Valley News. In the past, similar bills have failed.

HB 2230, or The Compassion-ate Use Act For Medical Cannabis,

502. At press time, the board was scheduled to review the 112 sub-missions and announce its choice by March 5.

Drug Czar says feds will still go after Washington’s “distributors and large-scale growers”Despite the fact that Washing-ton has legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults 21 and older, Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske just isn’t having it. The director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy recently said the federal government will con-tinue to prosecute growers and distributors. In an interview with Canadian magazine MacLean, Kerlikowske said, “You’ll con-tinue to see enforcement against distributors and large-scale growers as the Justice Depart-ment has outlined. They will use their limited resources on those groups and not on going after individual users.” Late last year, President Barack Obama said that he has “bigger fish to fry” when he was questioned about pros-ecuting people in Washington or Colorado, who legalized limited possession despite the fact that cannabis is illegal at the federal level. The threat of prosecution “would no doubt have a chilling effect on the recreational mari-juana industry, and thwart state efforts to experiment with new approaches to achieving public

THE STATE

Gov. Jay Inslee says Washington intends “to do it right”Cooperation is the name of the game for Gov. Jay Inslee. The governor recently penned a letter spelling out how he intends the state to move forward with the legal and voter-approved adult-use cannabis market ushered in by Initiative 502. Inslee is exploring multiple options in this matter, considering digital plant tracking and more stringent for auditing. The state’s Liquor Con-trol Board is currently working on regulations.

“The world is watching,” Inslee wrote concerning Colo-rado—which, like Washington, legalized cannabis possession of up to an ounce by adults 21 and older last November—and his home state, and added, “We intend to do it right.”

Cannabis consultant—a desirable state job?Apparently a lot of people think they have what it takes . . . to be a cannabis expert. The Washing-ton State Liquor Board received more than 100 submissions from people seeking to be one of the state’s official consultants on all things green and leafy, accord-ing to the Puget Sound Business Journal. Washington officials are looking to hire a team of consultants to help them create rules and regulations for Initiative


President Vaclav Klaus is expected to sign a bill that allows for the partial legalization of medical can-nabis use, according to the Associated Press.

The law is creating some controversy, as for the first year the law is in effect the country will only import cannabis. Though there are plans to give licenses to in-state farmers, critics are speculating that users will turn to a black market for their sup-ply of MMJ.

Those who wish to use medical cannabis must receive a prescription.

by the numbers

6 The amount of cannabis (in ounces) that North Carolina’s

HB 84 would allow patients to possess: 24 (Source: General Assembly of North Carolina).

7 The maximum size (in feet) of “total garden canopy” allowed

for home grows, according to HB 84: 24 (Source: General Assembly of North Carolina).

8 The number of dispensaries that have opened in

Massachusetts over the years: 8 (Source: 90.9WBUR).

9 The number of dispensaries that Massachusetts’ new MMJ

law would allow to open up: 35 (Source: 90.9WBUR).

10 The maximum amount (in dollars) of the civil fine for

possession of up to two ounces in Vermont, according to a proposed decriminalization bill, SB 48: 100 (Source: Vermont State Legislature).

would allow patients to possess up to six ounces and establish five “compassion centers” across the state. Patients would also be allowed to grow up to 12 plants in their homes.

“A majority of West Virginia voters want to see the state take a more sensible and compassionate approach to medical marijuana,” Matt Simon, a leg-islative analyst for the Washington, D.C.-based Mari-juana Policy Project told the News. “We sincerely hope the state’s representatives recognize that many of the voters who support medical marijuana are the same voters who elected them to office.”

THE WORLD

Czech Republic lawmakers approve medical cannabisAfter a decisive victory of an 83 percent approval vote in the upper Parliament of the Czech Republic,

Dark Star Orchestra in concert

11 The amount (in dollars) of the current fine for

possession of less than two ounces: 500 (Source: Vermont State Legislature).

12 The total number of products that make up

the global hemp market: 25,000 (Source: Congressional Research Service).

13 The total retail value (in millions of dollars) of

products containing hemp in the United States: 400 (Source: The New York Times)

14 The total value of hemp raw materials (in millions

of dollars) imported into the United States last year: 11.5 (Source: The New York Times)

Hello, old aging hippies! Want to party like it’s 1969? Well, you can’t because Jerry Garcia is dead. Hate to break it to you. However, there is a substitute that works just as well. Dark Star Orchestra is considered one of the greatest tributes to one of the greatest bands ever. They’ve performed over 1,900 shows, some of them with members on the Grateful Dead along-side them. If you listen to them side by side with the original music, it synchs up with The Wiz-ard of Oz! Okay, wrong band, but it sounds on par with the original performance. However, if you’re watching the concerts the way they were meant to be seen, it will feel like old times. In all honesty, these guys sound great no matter how focused you are on the performance. It may not be the Grateful Dead reborn, but it is above and beyond the best thing we have and Deadheads are all the more, well, grateful for their existence.

IF YOU GOWhat: Dark Star Orches-tra in concert.When/Where: March 30 at The Showbox at The Market, 1426 1st Ave., Seattle.Info: $25.Go to www.showboxonline.com.

1 The approximate number of blood samples from

Washington motorists that are submitted to the state toxicologist lab: 6,000 (Source: The Seattle Times).

2 The approximate number of samples that come back

positive for THC: 1,000-1,100 (Source: The Seattle Times).

3 The current number of State Liquor Board enforcement

officers in Washington: 56 (Source: King5.com)

4 The number of additional enforcement officers

expected to be hired to deal with cannabis enforcement: 16 (Source: King5.com)

5 The tax rate (percentage) of a proposed MMJ bill targeting

Washington dispensaries: 25 (Source: Associated Press).


FLASH

Recently the U.S. Court of Appeals denied a peti-tion made by Americans for Safe Access and the

Coalition for Rescheduling Can-nabis to take cannabis out of the most restrictive category and place it into a category acknowledging the plant’s healing properties. The Schedule I category contains substances considered to have no accepted medicinal value, to be unsafe to use even under medical supervision and to have the high-est potential for abuse.

A favorable ruling in this case had the potential to end the cur-rent federal/state conflict current-ly keeping qualified patients from enjoying safe access to cannabis medicines. Ironically, the reason for denial was based on the lack of clinical research made available to the DEA, a condition created by the DEA’s severe controls over the substance because of its place-ment on the Schedule.

Examining this campaign offers Washington patients a new perspective as state legislators

consider cannabis taxation for both recreational and medicinal uses.

Regardless of where a substance is categorized outside of Schedule I, if it has current medicinal value the end user is exempted from paying a sales tax. Patients purchasing pharmaceuti-cal medications, medical devices and items related to first aid are not taxed. When Washington state legislators introduced HB 1789 in an effort to impose a 25 percent excise tax on medical cannabis sold through access points, dispensaries and collective gar-dens, their efforts were met with stark criticism from proponents of medical cannabis. The State Finance Committee heard from a large number of citizens arguing medical marijuana regulations should remain completely sepa-rate from any taxable recreational marijuana based on the intended end use of the product.

In addition, the bill imposed the 25 percent tax on all three separate levels of transactions:

producer to processor, proces-sor to retail establishment and retail establishment to consumer. Even if the bill dies in committee, it paves the way for the conver-sation needed to alleviate the pains of two converging markets involving the same end product. Supporters of medical marijuana understand the need to stream-line the two industries, but are pushing legislators to recognize the unique needs of patients using cannabis as medicine. Patients are pushing for separate regulatory conditions to assure the purity of the product they use, keep prices for qualified medical cannabis recipients well below recreational and black-market prices and clarify taxation.

The national debate regarding the rescheduling of cannabis ties directly into dialogue between state legislators navigating the complicated waters of tax regula-tion. Were cannabis rescheduled into a less restrictive category by the DEA, the plant would no longer be able to be taxed for me-dicinal purposes and the State of Washington just established the need to remove medical cannabis from the taxation conversation altogether. The positive effects of placing cannabis into a different category would not impact mar-kets immediately. Once resched-uled, the plant would need to go through the process of gaining FDA approval—which requires an extensive amount of clinical trial studies—before being made available at local pharmacies.

Each outcome systemati-cally ends the ability for the federal government to continue with inef-fective prohibition laws restricting the use of cannabis and shapes the future of a world where citizens enjoy access to a plant for both medical and recreational use. c

Currently cannabis sits on the DEA’s Schedule I alongside heroin, LSD, peyote and Ecstasy to name a few. A petition filed by Americans for Safe Access requested cannabis to be placed in Schedule III, IV or V, loosen-ing controls on the plant to further clinical research and open the way for cannabis to be treated as any other prescription drug and made available to patients nationwide. The request was ultimately rejected.

A TAxINGQuestionTo tax oR noT To tax cannabis—Washington laWmakers HAVE A TRICky TASk bEfoRE THEM

{by STEpHAnIE bISHop}

BEHIND SCHEDULE


FLASH

We’ve all heard the joke about getting a dog high. However, in real life, medi-

cal cannabis patients usually don’t and shouldn’t give their cat or dog cannabis, just like a person would never feed an animal Paxil, ibuprofen or alcohol. Medication is a serious subject with serious consequences if consumed by your pet.

Eric Barchas, a veterinarian, has seen the number of cases where a pet has been made ill from eating cannabis increase over the years.

“Serious, long-term health consequences and fatalities from marijuana intoxication are essentially unheard of,” Barchas says. “But pets that are exposed to marijuana may display anxiety and are prone to ‘bad trips.’ They may lack the coordination to consume food and water.”

Depending on the dosage, your pet will most likely survive any cannabis ingestion, but the animal is not going to enjoy the experience.

“Intoxication with marijuana appears clinically similar to other, more serious forms of poisoning,” Barchas says. “How-ever, most animals recover from marijuana toxicity over a period of several hours.”

Individuals who have exposed their pets—either on purpose or inadvertently—to cannabis may not want to admit the fact to their vet, further endangering the pet’s health.

“Because it is a controlled substance, people who know that their pet has consumed marijuana are often reluctant to reveal this fact to veterinarians,” Barchas says.

Unless you want to put your pet through more misery, Barchas suggests that you tell the truth. “The symptoms of marijuana intoxication are similar to those of several more serious syndromes. If the veterinarian

treating the pet is not aware of marijuana exposure, he or she is likely to recommend a number of expensive tests and treatments that may not be necessary.”

Treatments for a cat or dog that has consumed cannabis in-clude forcing the animal to orally ingest a charcoal solution every four to six hours. The animal is also given plenty of water, intrave-nously if necessary, to restore lost fluids, to avoid dehydration and kidney failure.

The medical bills for your dog or cat can be as much as a car payment, especially if an overnight stay for observation is required.

Even if you aren’t trying to medicate your pets, they might poison themselves, warns veterinarian Jennifer Schoedler of the Alpine Animal Hospital in Durango, Colorado. “Dogs love the stuff,” Schoedler says. “I’ve seen them eat the buds, plants, joints and marijuana in food.”

So lock your meds up. Your pet really does thank you for it. c

Do dogs and cats enjoy be-ing the psychoactive effects of cannabis? According to Jennifer Bolser, a representa-tive of the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Colorado, the answer is no. “Marijuana exposure in pets causes neurologic toxicity, which is not the same as the ‘high’ that people experience. The symptoms that develop in pets do not appear enjoyable for them,” she says.

These symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, loss of bladder control, nausea, heart palpitations, anxiety, apathy, hypothermia and reduced balance and coordination. “The neurotoxic effects of cannabis ingestion in animals usually occur within a half-hour to two hours of eating it, and usually last for about 12 hours,” says Cheryl K. Smith, an attorney and executive director for the Compassion Center in Eugene, Oregon. “However, they can last for days because the cannabi-noids are stored in fat.”

{by VICToR HUSSAR}

DON’T WEED THE ANIMALS

Pet ProjectHow To kEEp THE peace bETwEEn man’s best friend And mother nature’s best medicine


BUZZ

Talking to kids about drugs can be touchy. Add to that a parent who is a patient or cannabis

user, and the conversation can take a drastically different direction.

To tell or not to tell? Can a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do-at-least-until-you’re-much-older discussion sink in? When the state and federal governments can’t even agree whether the stuff is all bad, how do mom and pop explain cannabis’ complexities to the kiddos?

Parents today grew up during a time when drug use was preva-lent, and may even have dabbled a bit. The Reefer Madness shtick of their parents’ parents no longer exists as anything more than a joke except to Fox News pundits and its sycophants.

And to muddy the waters, many states—20 at last count, plus Washington, D.C.—are just saying no to prohibition, legal-izing cannabis for medicinal and/or recreational purposes. There’s even a 2005 children’s book, now in its third printing, illustrated, written by and self-published by Ricardo Cortes, called It’s Just A Plant: A Children’s Story About Marijuana, meant for younger children to read and discuss with parents. As you can imagine, Bill

O’Reilly and the gang lost their unimpaired minds over that one.

But for parents grappling with how to even begin such a conver-sation, particularly those consum-ing cannabis to help battle the effects of cancer, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease or other ailments, a children’s book doesn’t sound like such a bad start.

Cortes, a childless New Yorker who famously illustrated the tongue-in-cheek bedtime story Go the Fuck to Sleep, was inspired to create the book after conversa-tions with friends. He listened to the worries of high-functioning cannabis users facing the cannabis conundrum with their kids and got to writing.

Sure enough, conservatives went batshit crazy over the book, culminating in Cortes’ rear in the hot seat on The O’Reilly Factor. An Indiana congressman even held up the book up in Capitol Hill during a subcommittee meeting and accused the Drug Policy Alliance of being in cahoots.

Cortes left out the clinical ef-fects of cannabis, which when talk-ing to teens could be the clincher. “I was trying to juggle,” Cortes says. “This is actually a children’s book. Some people see it as a joke or a snarky way of talking about

this thing. But I wanted to speak in a very clear language they can understand.”

For cannabis-using parents of adolescents, the language prob-ably should become more clinical. Parents can explain that the me-dicinal qualities of marijuana are too strong for young people with noggins undergoing neurological transformations.

According to Dr. Timmen Cermak, a private practice doc-tor who specializes in addiction and psychiatry, a person who starts using the plant between ages 13 and 19 is at higher risk for cannabis abuse. Studies have shown that because a teenager’s brain is still maturing and devel-oping in the frontal lobe, regular use of cannabis may have an effect on brain growth that leads to more advanced cognitive abilities and executive functions, Cermak says.

If you use cannabis as an adult, “there probably is not that much impact it’s going to have on your life,” Cermak says.

“But if you do the same thing from 14 to 16, you could gravely modify whether you go to college or be as effective in adolescence. Not to put more pressure, but it’s the truth.” c

{by ARRISSIA owEn}

It’s Just A Plant follows Jack-ie, who is awakened one night by a strange smell. She goes to her parents, who decide to teach her the facts about the green. Jackie and her parents set off on a quest that starts at a veggie farm where cannabis is grown. She learns about the history of the plant, its medicinal and recreational uses, the legal issues surrounding the drug and more. In the end, Jackie decides that when she gets older she wants to vote to help legalize the cultivation and consumption of the plant. The book does not promote cannabis for kids. For more information, visit www.justaplant.com.

COy STORy

NO KiddingTHE parents GUIdE To THE cannabis conundrum


TUNES

You’ve started to become very big here in the U.S. playing huge festivals. Electronic dance music is getting bigger crowds at festivals than rock or hip-hop acts. How do you feel about that?It’s bizarre to see how things have grown the last couple of years. I’ve been playing here in the U.S. for about eight, going on nine years now. I’ve seen the development and what’s going on these days is crazy. One of my biggest markets right now is the U.S., and it’s also the most fun market to play.

I listen to Sirius XM Radio all the time and I’ve heard your show called “Identity” a few times on the Electric Area channel. How did you get involved with that?Well, “Identity” started as a monthly show about seven years ago and the first station to broadcast it was DIW FM Radio. The show grew and grew until it became a bi-weekly show and the last couple of years it became a

Say

Wh

at?

I’m meeting Sander Van Doorn for an interview at a swanky hotel at 11:00 p.m. He’s late but that’s OK with me. The fact that he’s scheduled at a club at midnight is a bit worrisome, though. Having just played Las Vegas for three nights in a row before tonight might have something to do with why Van Doorn is tardy. The Dutch-born, world famous DJ is blowing up in the U.S. and he’s a pretty busy guy.

By the time he show up to talk to me around 11:15 he has exactly 45 minutes to be on the decks at Su-tra, a club about four miles away. Calm, collected and well spoken, we chat about the rise of electronic

dance music as well as Dutch and American attitudes towards cannabis.

dJ sander Van doorn SUppoRTS The moVement

weekly show. It’s now syndicated to about 35 to 40 countries world-wide. [With] Sirius XM . . . I have a lot of creative control; I personally think to have a good radio show you need to have creative input in your own house. Being from Eindhoven (which has “coffee shops” similar to Amsterdam) in the Netherlands, I take it you’re familiar with cannabis use and laws in your part of the world. How do you

feel about medical cannabis use and legalization in the United States?To be honest, it’s funny how Dutch people thought we were really progressive with cannabis. We just had a big debate on Dutch television about how the U.S. has become much more progressive than our own Dutch government. The problem with the Dutch gov-ernment is that we never actually

made it legal in the Netherlands. We had this strange rule where coffee shops could sell “soft” drugs, but it actually wasn’t legal to do so. The U.S. market kind of solved that by voting on it and saying OK it’s either legal or illegal from state to state—which I think is more progressive and cutting-edge than back home.

www.sandervandoorn.com

SAY CHEESESander Van Doorn supports cannabis—but he just doesn’t use it personally. “Person-ally, I have nothing against the use of cannabis—a lot of people in my surround-ings use cannabis,” he says. “It doesn’t really have the right effect on me as it just makes me really hungry and I’ll want to eat cheese then go to sleep (laughing). I really have to applause the U.S. and the stances the people are trying to make.”

DutchTreat{by kRISTopHER CHRISTEnSEn}

“Soarin‘ through them Kush clouds/Yeah, that’s where I hover at/I’m lovin‘ that/Jet life to the next life”

—Curren$y lyrics to “4 Hours & 20 Minutes [Ride

to H-Town]”


V

TUNES

“I’m not going to talk about personal shit,” says Scott Kelly, vocalist and guitarist for Neuro-

sis. “I’m not going to talk about it. We’re not going to do that.”

Details be damned, Kelly does admit this: personal issues con-tributed to the delay and depth of Honor Found in Decay, the band’s first full-length album in five years. He continues, “We didn’t intend to take five years between records, but that had more to do with our lives and what was going on. That was what caused the delay, but the experiences we went through really came through on the record. The songs are more open emotionally than they have been before.”

Steve Von Till, who shares the vocal and guitar duties, said in a promotional trailer that there can be no legacy if the band doesn’t “continually burn down the past and plant seeds in the ashes.” Neu-rosis—whose lineup also includes

Dave Edwardson (bass), Jason Roeder (drums) and Noah Landis (keyboards)—arguably cemented a legacy already as an influential metal band that defies boundar-ies. Still, this death and rebirth theme epitomizes the band’s artistic fire, and from the ashes arose an album with newly frayed emotions and a deeper electronic assimilation.

“It just so happened that Noah really nailed it,” says Kelly, responding to the album’s much-praised keyboard contributions. “It is very clear that he has moved into another space with his work and comfort level. His sounds really drove the record in many ways as we were writing it, more so than previously.”

Kelly sees the band’s divergent side projects as a positive influ-ence as well. He adds, “Anytime you work within this craft, it helps broaden the scope. If [songwrit-ing] is like a funnel, it makes the funnel bigger and allows more

things to come in.” As Neurosis approaches its 30th

anniversary, the metal vets remain relevant by employing a novel approach. The band members prefer to support themselves with day jobs rather than live off the band and risk letting the busi-ness side of things overpower the art. This allows them to avoid long, punishing tour cycles that might sap their creative energy and enthusiasm. This mindset is evident when Kelly describes what other bands should do to find their own magic.

“Do whatever they must to find that spot inside themselves and commit to doing it,” he ex-plains. “It is an act of submission. It is not like practice, practice, practice, and you’ll get better. You must turn your soul over to the shit. That is how it happens. You just have to turn it over and let it go.” c

www.neurosis.com

In the past, Neurosis vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly has talked about using psychedelic drugs and struggling with addiction, so he currently pursues a sober path. Still, considering Neurosis

played in Denver last month, he praises that state and

Washington’s new marijuana laws. “I think that is great, man,” he says. “Decriminalization is a

victory as far as I am concerned. It will help the economy and keep people out of prison. I

don’t see weed as problematic, and much less so than alcohol and tobacco, let alone heroin, speed, cocaine and pharma-ceuticals. As far as medical

use, he adds, “Sure, why not? I am not a doctor, but totally. It makes perfect sense for me.”

An Act of SubmissionAfTER A fIVE-yEAR SpELL, neurosis pLAnTSMUSICAL seeds foR THE future{by dAVId JEnISon}

V FOR VICTORy


by HILARy bRICkEn

legal corner

Recently passed Initiative 502 (I-502) legalizes the recreational use of certain amounts of cannabis for adults 21 or older. I-502 also introduces a new green DUI provision under which drivers can be charged

with a DUI if they are caught driving with 5 nanograms of THC (per milligram of blood) in their system.

Green DUIs are nothing new in Washington. The novelty is that law enforcement has never actually had a quantifiable amount of THC to point to when alleging a DUI violation. Based on some studies, 5 nanograms of THC is approximately equiva-lent to Washington’s 0.08 percent blood-alcohol level. However, it is unclear how much cannabis one could consume before reaching the level of “too impaired to drive,” and very little sci-ence or data has been released to indicate that Washington got it right in the Initiative.

In Vancouver, Washington, on December 18, 2012, Scotty Rowles struck and killed a pedestrian with his car while under the influence of cannabis. Even though it is clear from the police report that the victim, Donald L. Collins, was at fault when he

voluntarily stepped into moving traffic, police cited the green DUI law in placing the fault directly on Rowles because he was believed to be under the influence of cannabis (cannabis he ingested around 90 minutes before the accident). According to one of Rowles’s family members, Rowles wasn’t impaired while driving; he was very functional—he simply didn’t have time to stop his car when surprised by Collins walking into traffic.

Police arrested Rowles at the scene based on vehicular homicide charges and on the suspicion of driving under the influence of can-nabis. Nonetheless, on December 19, 2012, after reviewing the facts of the case, Clark County prosecutors dropped potential charges against Rowles (although the investigation on the case remains open and Row-les could still be charged under the applicable statute of limitations). Rowles was never actually charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants.

The incident in Vancouver only leads to more questions about the accuracy of I-502’s green DUI law. While Seattle’s po-lice department has said the smell of cannabis no longer amounts to probable cause for a search

of your car, not all cities have followed suit. In turn, the biggest concern with the new law is abuse of discretion by law enforcement.

Many medical cannabis patients are functional with only 5 nanograms of THC in their system yet, under the new green DUI standards, if they get behind the wheel, they could find themselves behind bars because of frequent cannabis consumption for their ailments. Like alcohol, the amount of THC in a user’s bloodstream over time will vary based on the user. Even more so than alcohol, however, is the variance on level of impairment among different people with the same measurable amount of THC in their systems. Chaining green DUIs to a set amount of cannabis will always be arbitrary unless that amount is set at a lower bound significantly higher than the current 5-nano-gram limit.

Cannabis is not alcohol and its effects are completely different. Ultimately, Washington needs to undertake more serious studies regarding the effects of cannabis and driving. Otherwise, many patients (and non-patients) will likely find themselves victims of arbitrary science and over-zealous law enforcement. c

The Canna Law Group is a practice group of Seattle-based law firm, Harris & Moure, pllc. The Canna Law Group focuses on cannabis business law and litiga-tion under both medical and recreational cannabis

laws in Washington state. The Canna Law Group can be contacted via phone or web at (206) 224-5657 or

www.cannabislawseattle.com.

The Tricky RelationshipBetween Cannabis and Driving

Say

Wh

at? “I can’t

claim a Bill Clinton and say that I never inhaled.”

—Sarah Palin


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is serious. According to one study, PTSD affects nearly 8 million Americans in any given year. When the disorder strikes a military veteran or someone else who has suffered a severe trauma, a number of things can be done to treat it, including desensitization, support groups and mental health profession-als. And instead of opting for anti-anxiety or sleep-inducing pharmaceuticals (with their laundry lists of side effects), some patients opt for the soothing relief that cannabis can bring. New Mexico even considers PTSD a qualifying condition for its state MMJ program. Here are some of PTSD’s common symptoms:

Reliving a traumatic event, such as wartime experiences or an accident. These can take the form of flashbacks or nightmares.

Irritability or angry outbursts.

Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much alcohol.

Dizziness, fainting, headaches and “survivor guilt.”

CULTURE


Northern BerryThis may be one of the best examples of hydroponically grown medical cannabis that we have ever encountered. Strong words, we know, but this particular Northern Berry from Natures Resource Center in Tacoma gets two thumbs up for its grower employing a full 10-day flush (twice as long as many hydroponic growers typi-cally flush) because the result is smooth as silk. This indica is tasty as well, with sweet berry overtones on inhalation and exhalation. Northern Berry is 17.7 percent THC and .85 percent CBD, accord-ing to this collective’s in-house testing. We trust its results because Natures Resource Center was one of the pioneers of in-house testing in Western Washington. Kudos, too, to this Northern Berry’s grower, who has produced true, bliss-inducing medicine that got us through a serious bout of pain and spasms.

Crystal MountainThis is one of those new hybrids that makes us pleased with the current wave of custom strain creation in Washington state. Frankly, Crystal Mountain—from the good people at Budding Health in Puyallup—is one of the most pleasant indicas we’ve run into in a while. Credit this strain’s tested 1.2 percent CBDs and its 19 percent THC. As you might ex-pect with a higher than usual CBD strain, there is a very real sense of calm that comes soon after exhalation. This is an excellent strain for a broad range of chronic pain issues and this Puyallup collective reports that its patients with appe-tite issues get good results. We definitely noticed a certain hungry-now moment with this hybrid of Sour Lemon and a “house secret” that we’re semi-certain comes from the Kush family. Whatever its parentage, Crystal Mountain produces clear mental effects and is suitable for daytime use by expe-rienced patients. This strain is exclusive to Budding Health, which plans to produce concentrates from this strain. Well worth checking out.

Grammy’s Fruit LeatherIt’s not often that we rhapsodize in print about just how tasty an edible or infused medical cannabis product is, but in the case of Gram-my’s Fruit Leather let the rhapsodizing begin. They are the best tasting fruit rolls we’ve ever tried and they are well-crafted from Wash-ington state fruits and berries (we do grow some of the best fruits in the world). What’s even more unusual is that this edible, from Seattle Quality Collective in North Seattle, is not designed to be a heavy hitter, but instead focuses on delivering high doses of non-psychoactive CBD. Grammy’s Fruit Leather delivers CBDs by way of actual high-CBD hash in each fruit leather, and that Zen-bliss-peace effect that CBDs often produce is extra prevalent in these tasty offerings. Available in a variety of flavors, including raspberry, mixed fruit, blackberry and strawberry.

strain & edible reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE

www.iReadCulture.com


Power KushPower Kush has long been a patient favorite because it simply works well as a chronic pain treatment. We can attest to this ourselves as this wonderful example from Columbia City Holistic Health in south Seattle helped soothe us recently during an evening of epic back pain. Our spasms ebbed and our pains eased. This Kush is a hybrid of Afghani and Skunk #1 and its odor is that of sweet citrus and dank skunk, although it’s not an over-the-top odor bomb. It’s definitely an evening strain as it does induce a certain drowsiness, but that makes Power Kush useful for insomnia and anxiety and stress relief as well. We’re experienced enough with this strain to tell you that its grower did an excellent job, producing a dense, pleasant-to-smoke offering that does everything an indica-dominant strain is supposed to do.

Captain Cosmic’s Extra Mellow Coco Crispy TreatThe only thing we found to be missing from the name of this edible was “awesome.” If it had been included, it would have been truth in advertising because Captain Cosmic’s work is just that good. Using Cocoa Krispies is always a great call on its own merits, but this treat the 8th Wonder folks in Tacoma have is actually tested—still less common for edibles than for dried medicine—and clocks in at an awesome 274 milligrams of THC per dose and 271 milligrams of ac-tive cannabinoids. Trust us when we tell you that even experienced patients could start with a one-third dose and proceed from there. Yes, the Captain is that strong, so proceed accordingly. Needless to say, this edible is a superb pain killer. We also found it to be a sleep inducer and perfect for late evening use.

Blue BoyThere’s a whole lot of intelligent strain hybridization happening in Western Washington—to a degree that is exploding with variety and promise. We knew Blue Boy—available at The Healing Leaf in Lake Stevens—was going to keep to that trend from the instant we examined its gorgeous, large leafy buds. But then how could a sativa-dominant hybrid of the two All-Star strains Blue Dream and Northern Lights #5 not be something special? Blue Boy is a daytime medicine—strong in body effect and quite heady but in a non-distracting, focused manner. In our experi-ence, the effects lasted for an hour-plus. We’re happy to report that this one works well on pain and spasms and would also be a good candidate for treating anxi-ety. Blue Boy also reportedly works well for migraines, colitis and nausea.


“It was a complicated year leading

up to the making of the record,”

says Tegan, chatting from New

York City two days before heading

out on tour behind Heartthrob.

“There were a lot of heavy, very

intense conversations about the

future of Tegan and Sara and we

both felt that we had been held

back by our own insecurities

about what we would be capable

of accomplishing.”

Though Tegan says she and

34 CULTURE • MARCH 2013

her identical twin never actually

discussed quitting, they certainly

seriously considered continuing

as songwriters and producers for

other artists rather than as a tour-

ing act themselves.

“We definitely talked about

is this a project we want to put

250 days a year on the road into

still?” the almost disarmingly frank

Tegan admits. “We started to just

be real—I mean, we’d just turned

30; we were absolutely having

that clichéd moment where it’s,

like, midlife crisis; what are we

doing?”While Tegan and Sara’s previ-

ous release, 2009’s Sainthood,

had been critically well-received

(including being shortlisted for

the 2010 Polaris Music Prize), it

had sold fewer units than they

were used to (peaking at No. 21

on the Billboard 200).

“We were absolutely at a point

where it’s like ‘I’m not 22 any-

more; I don’t want to be in a van

travelling around North America

eating McDonald’s,” says Tegan.

“I don’t have that spirit inside of

me anymore. I’ve been doing this

professionally for 14 years—I want

to look up; I want to achieve more;

or else I want to do something

different.”

A Poppier-

Sounding R

ecord

When T&S started discussing its

MARCH 2013 • CULTURE 35MARCH 2013 • CULTURE 35

hopes and fears for a prospective

new album with senior Warner

Bros. executives and Heartthrob’s

eventual producers (Greg Kurstin,

Mike Elizondo and Justin Meldal-

Johnsen), the duo’s confidence

and sense of sonic adventure

continued to snowball.

“Everybody just kept encour-

aging us,” says Tegan. “They were

just, like, ‘Stop being afraid; stop

being so worried—just make the

record you want to make. Reflect

the music you’re interested in

and rip back the layers and tell

us something that you’re afraid

of. Sing about all the things that

you’re afraid to sing about and

people will love it.’”

“It was after that point that

we started writing the bulk of the

music that made Heartthrob. And

we just decided that we wanted

to make a record that we’d never

made before . . . in every area:

We wanted to make a poppier-

sounding record; we wanted

better production; and we wanted

a short record.” (Heartthrob’s 10

tracks clock-in under 37 minutes

total)Make no mistake, Heartthrob

is an out-and-out, big and shiny

pop record. In the four years since

Sainthood the twins have been

busy collaborating with dance

artists including house music

producer/DJ David Guetta, electro

house maven Morgan Page and

alternative hip-hopper Astronau-

talis. This informed Tegan and

Sara’s move away from indie rock

guitars and towards writing on

keyboards (which, as classically-

trained pianists they had always

done to an extent) and recording

with primarily electronic rather

than organic instruments.

“We were definitely more em-

bedded than ever before in what

was happening in the pop, alter-

native dance, electronic world,”

Phot

os b

y Li

ndse

y By

rnes


Tegan and Sara spoke very openly with CULTURE about medical cannabis and canna-bis rights. The sisters acknowl-edged they smoked the plant when they were younger. “Sara and I have made no effort to hide the fact that when we were teenagers we smoked a lot of pot. We were ambitious teenagers—we wrote a lot of music; we did well in school; we volunteered on a youth teen-line; we had jobs; we took piano lessons. We were busy, but we also smoked a lot of pot.”

And even though Tegan and Sara no longer use can-nabis, it’s something they continually joke about with fans during live shows—as any simple YouTube search using “Tegan and Sara” and “marijuana” will reveal.

“[I]t’s definitely an ice-breaker [on stage] . . . We always joke that we’re kind of like Phish, but for our genera-tion,” Tegan says. “We have a lot of diehard fans who follow us around, and I swear to God people smoke so much pot at our shows!”

But when it comes to the medical use of cannabis, the artist-siblings regard it very seriously—Tegan even describes the plant’s illegal status as “kind of ridiculous.”

“I know multiple people right now who are struggling through Stage 4 cancers, and the fact is that cannabis is just a massive support and help in those situations,” she says.

says Tegan. “I like the production and the instrumental storytelling that was happening in electronic music, but I still really missed [lyrical] story-telling, so when we got off the road and started to write Heartthrob I had been challenged by Sara and a few other people to try to write outside of where I usually write and not to write self-depreciating, self-loathing shoe-gazer music.”

A Sense of NostalgiaHeartthrob’s abiding sense of nostalgia—it’s a record staring off into space in the middle of the party—comes not just from its tales of lost, incomplete or unrequited love, but also from sounds evocative of an-other era in both music and in the sisters’ young lives.

They delved back even further into their parents’ love of Bruce Springsteen, Kate Bush and Tom Petty, adding their own ’90s influences.

“Heartthrob is almost like two sides of a record,” explains Tegan of both the album’s sound and its title. “My songs are sort of romantic and nostalgic . . . And Sara’s side of the record is more about rejection and sadness and sort of heartbreak that she’s suffered, but also it’s like a very reflective tone—so she’s basically singing about being well past that.

“The commonality there is that we’re both singing about people that we were interested in and we both have this awful tendency to idolize the people that we like, and so I kind of love the idea of heartthrob . . . because I love the idea that we are not the heartthrobs; we are the ones pining for our heartthrobs.”

An “Everyone Band”So deep is Tegan and Sara’s immersion in the world of dance music that this association is now perhaps partially eclipsing their actual songwrit-ing and performance talents in the same way that their being twins and

LGBT has in the past.“For a lot of years when people

didn’t talk about us being gay—back in 1999 through maybe 2003 . . . I felt like being twins overshad-owed our music,” say Tegan. “Then from 2003 to like 2010, it felt like being gay overshadowed our mu-sic. And now all that anyone talks about is our production style and all the pop and dance collabora-tions that we do.”

“Everybody’s looking for an angle,” she mulls. “[But] in a strange way I have more in com-mon with straight men than I do with anyone else, because I’m singing about girls!”

In fact, Tegan hopes that Heart-throb will make Tegan and Sara an “everyone band.”

“We’ve spent a lot of our career opening for huge acts, and I like being on a big stage; I like look-ing out at 10,000 faces singing along—and I have never seen that as something we could do [as headliners],” she explains. “But all of a sudden I was like ‘Why can’t we have that—and be credible?’”

“So the challenge became let’s make a record that is absolutely heartfelt and real and credible and great, but let’s make it so that people hear it.” c



destination unknown SToRy by dAVId JEnISon pHoToS CoURTESy of pRAGUE InfoRMATIon SERVICE

“My generation, faced as it grew with a choice between religious belief and existential despair, chose marijuana.”

So wrote Prague’s most celebrated author Franz Kafka. Ninety years after his death, the revered scribe appears prophetic as the Czech Republic has one of the highest European cannabis usage rates and a capital city described as the Amsterdam of the East. Of course, the Czech green streak fits nicely into the country’s recent narrative.

In 1968, a series of liberal reforms ushered in what history calls the Prague Spring. The Czech government initiated a return of personal liberties, including freedom of speech and press, sparking a Soviet invasion to stop them. Years later, John Lennon’s death inspired Prague locals to create a graffiti tribute wall at a time when Western music was still outlawed. It became a symbol of the political youth movement, and every time the secret po-lice whitewashed the wall, new Beatles art would quickly take its place. Finally, when the Velvet Revolution helped crack the Iron Curtain in 1989, the so-called “imperial scourge” of the West—that would be mari-juana—became the smell of freedom.

These days, the smell of freedom is ev-erywhere in Prague. Jiri X. Dolezal, a.k.a. the Czech Hunter S. Thompson, is famous for books like Marijuana and Stoned Country,

and he started the annual Reflex Cannabis Cup competition to honor the most beauti-ful cannabis plants. Likewise, the three-day Cannafest fair just celebrated its third year with more than 130 exhibitors, including Dutch seed banks. Legislatively, the gov-ernment made cannabis possession a mis-demeanor, and people can grow their own plants, so most cannabis is locally grown from plants and seeds imported from the Netherlands. Prague has become a popular destination for green-friendly tourists, who can often find providers at popular expat bars. The only black mark is all the cabbies, street sellers and train station con artists peddling fake cannabis.

Prague, of course, is about more than smokin‘ weed and smokin‘ ladies. The Czech capital, barely damaged during World War II, once served as the capital of historic Bohemia. According to Guinness World Records, the 9th-century Prague Castle exceeds seven football fields in size as the world’s largest ancient castle. Mozart debuted his Don Giovanni opera at the Estates Theatre, which appears in the Oscar-winning film Amadeus, and Frank

Gehry fans will enjoy the Dancing House buildings originally known as Fred and Gin-ger. There is also the glorious 14th-century Charles Bridge, the Eiffel-cloning Petrin Lookout Tower and the Milo Rambaldi-like Astronomical Clock. Those with a taste for the bizarre should explore the works of famed Prague sculptor David Cerny, whose urinating mechanical statues are consid-ered high art.

Speaking of Cerny, those are his face-less baby sculptures crawling across the 700-foot Zizkov Television Tower. The sci-fi structure, which geekishly graces the cover of the Star Wars novel Lost Tribe of the Sith: Savior, features a Michelin-starred chef dishing out enigmatic fare like “roasted rolled neck of lamb on wine.” Those who roll like Romney will enjoy the tower’s sole hotel room, a five-star affair at 216 feet up. Among its many luxuries, the room features a horsehair-stuffed bed that has Rafalca wishing she showed better in Olympic dressage.

Lastly, do not forget to try the coun-try’s other bud: Budweiser beer. Igniting the granddaddy of all copyright disputes, Anheuser-Busch named its beer after Budweis, the Czech town that produces European Budweiser. Labeled Budvar or Czechvar in other countries, the Czech version would win every Bud Bowl ever, and it’s a choice local remedy for cot-tonmouth. c

THESE dAyS, THE SMELL of freedom cannabis—is eVerywhere In prague

yourselfCzech


profiles in courage Are you an MMJ patient from Washington with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to [email protected].

Why did you start using medical cannabis?To calm my nerves and balance my mood swings.

Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?Yes, many meds with horrible side effects. I have found a nice balance now with a good doctor who recommends medical cannabis as a combined treat-ment.

What’s the most important issue or problem fac-ing medical cannabis patients?In my opinion, public [outlook] and employment issues.

What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?To most I know that are of the opinion that it’s just a way to get [high], I try to inform them that the amount of people taking prescription meds and are addicted [is] 100 times greater than [for] medical cannabis, and as far as I have read cannabis is not addictive. I know that to be true for me. I don’t crave it and can go weeks without using it if need be. c

PATIENT:Howard HollenbeckAGE:32CONDITION/ILLNESS:Type 1 diabetes, bipolar, depression, panic attacksUSING MEDICAL CANNABIS SINCE:2010

Photos by Kristopher Christensen


cool stuffBedol Water ClockThe phrase “just add water” takes on another dimension with the Bedol Water Clock. No electricity, no batteries—no prob-lem! Just add tap water (replace it every six months or so) and you’ll be keeping perfect time. Available in green, charcoal, pink and purple. Now that’s being water wise! ($29.99)www.bedolwhatsnext.com

Sky Glass Z-7 The JimmyIt’s all about the journey not the destination, right? Fortunately for us, Sky Glass has just the thing to help us on our journey from debilitating pain to blissful relief. With the Z-7 The Jimmy—part of the com-pany’s golden-hued Classic Sky line—you benefit from 15 years of experience in perfecting hand-blown glass, beautiful lines and that glass-on-glass touch that means so much to patients. (MSRP $64)www.sky-tubes.com

Bubble BowlsInterested in making your own concentrates? Bubble Bowls and its Dri-Shake Sys-tem says it’s easy to do. Just place your plant material in the bowl, add dry ice, cover with the form-fitting lid, use a salad bowl as a catch basin and shake-shake-shake your way to golden glands through the 160-micron fused-in screen. Bowled over? ($59.95)bubblebowlkits.com


despite its deeply religious roots, Saint Patrick’s Day over the years has become a celebration of irish culture, a celebration open to anyone and everyone—not just those with roots in the Emerald Isle. Since green has special significance to our community as well, CULTURE has cooked up this irish-inspired menu that will surely get your eyes smiling.

MENU: IRISH CoRnEd bEEfMELon SALAdREfRESHInG MInT pUnCHCHoCoLATE CHESS pIE

by AUnT SAndy

Sandy Moriarty is

the author of Aunt’ Sandy’s

Medical Marijuana

Cookbook: Comfort Food

for Body & Mind and a Professor of

Culinary Arts at Oaksterdam

University. She is also the co-founder of Oaksterdam’s

Bakery.


Irish Corned Beef

Melon Salad

Place corned beef in a slow cooker. Arrange vegetables around beef and add beer, bay leaf, Cannabis Infused Oil and water to cover. Cover and cook on high setting for four hours. Discard bay leaf. To serve, arrange vegetables on a large serving platter and garnish with a tablespoon of Canna Butter, salt and pepper to taste. Slice corned beef and arrange on platter. Serve with rye bread.

Cut melons into chunks. In a small bowl combine Cannabis Infused Oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar and honey. Pour over melon and toss. Place lettuce and arugula on salad plates. Spoon the fruit mixture onto lettuce and drizzle dressing over top.

3 lbs. corned beef brisket6 large potatoes, peeled and

quartered1 lb. carrots, peeled, halved

and cut into sticks1 head cabbage, cut into

wedges2 onions, quartered

12-ounce can of beer 1 bay leaf

1/4 cup Cannabis Infused Oil*1 tablespoon Canna Butter**

3 cups waterRye bread, sliced

MAKES SIX SERvINGS.

MAKES FOUR SERvINGS.

1 cantaloupe melon, peeled and seeded1 honeydew melon, peeled and seeded

3 tablespoons lime juice3 tablespoons Cannabis Infused Oil*

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar3 tablespoons honey

2 cups baby Bibb lettuce leaves, torn2 cups arugula


LEGAL DISCLAIMER Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the

safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism

and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with

your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.

Canna Butter**Cannabis Infused Oil*

Cannabis Simple Syrup***

Bring water and butter to boil in a small pot, lower heat to simmer. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Mash and stir frequently to extract all THC from the plant material. After cooking, use cheesecloth to strain the butter/water mixture. Pour about 2 cups clean boiling water over the leaves in the strainer to extract every last drop of butter. Squeeze plant material well to remove as much liquid as possible. Chill the butter/water mixture in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified (1 to 2 hours). Separate butter from water and keep butter in the refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage) until needed.

Place cannabis in a slow cooker. Add oil. If necessary, add a little extra oil in order to just cover the cannabis. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring often. Strain through cheesecloth to remove plant material. For further purity, strain through a coffee filter. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.

In a saucepan, sauté the buds in sugar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain the buds. Pour the remaining green-colored syrup into a glass container. Let it cool and refrigerate. Pour over fruit or fruit salad and let the syrup fully absorb.

1 cup unsalted butter 1 ounce low to average quality dried leaf marijuana or 1/2 ounce average

dried bud4 cups water

1 cup cooking oil1 1/4 ounces low to average quality dried leaf cannabis or 3/4

ounce average dried bud

1/2 oz cannabis buds1 cup sugar1 cup water

Chocolate Chess Pie

Melt Canna Butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and set aside. Combine sugars, eggs, milk, flour and vanilla in a medium bowl. Gradually add chocolate mixture, beating constantly. Fit pie crust into 9-inch pie plate according to package directions. Pour pie filling into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool before serving. Garnish with whipped cream.

1 tablespoon milk1 teaspoon all-purpose

flour1 teaspoon vanilla extract

9-inch refrigerated pie crustWhipped cream

MAKES SIX SERvINGS.

Refreshing Mint Punch

Bring mint and Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup to a boil and mash the mint with a fork. Set aside overnight, then strain the mixture and discard leaves. Add lem-onade, 3 lemonade cans of water and ginger ale to the mint mixture. Mix well and serve over ice.

MAKES SIX SERvINGS.

2 cups fresh mint leaves2 Cups Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup***

12-ounce can of frozen lemonade1 quart ginger ale

1/2 cup Canna Butter**1 1/2 1-ounce squares unsweetened baking

chocolate, chopped1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar2 eggs, beaten


MalaDevendra BanhartNonesuch Records

Weeds: The Final SeasonLionsgate

The Ganja Kitchen Revolution: The Bible of Cannabis Cuisine

By Jessica CatalanoGreen Candy Press

Most hipsters know the inspiring thin, wiry, acoustic folk sounds of Devendra Banhart, from his 2002 debut album, Oh Me Oh My; yet, here we are almost ten years later, and he is putting that album

to shame with his new work in Mala, scheduled to release on March 12. Banhart’s recent albums have been more full-bodied than the first, with

noticeably higher quality production. This record continues on that larger-sounding trajectory but still keeps to his analogue, lo-fi roots by tracking the album entirely on a vintage Tascam recorder. The new pieces feature dreamy, textural synth beds for Banhart’s mellow, reverb-laced guitars, vocals, and sparse percussion. Mala’s new experimentation seems to share influences with the recent sounds of John Frusciante and Grizzly Bear. A blending of classic, warm and earthy analogue sounds with contempo-rary electro-folk details; Mala shows Banhart’s continued development without damaging what made his music attractive and interesting in the first place. A great addition to the already impressive body of work of Banhart, and creates great anticipation for his future endeavors. (Simon Weedn)

Buy this for the photos—they’re that good. The Ganja Kitchen Revolution turns a canna-cookbook into gorgeous eye candy with its rich colors, sublime sharpness and visible textures that leap

right off the proverbial page. Don’t believe me—check out the photo of East African Spice Pea Soup on page 142. Hungry yet? Chock full of clear, concise recipes and mouth-watering pix, one nice section that is particularly helpful is the Strain Flavor Profiles and Alternative Strains section. It lists strains (such as HeadBand or NYC Diesel), gives their genetics, spells out the flavor profile (a must-know for canna-cooks, right?) and provides alternative strains. So, for instance, you’re looking for Strawberry Cough (a sativa-dominant strain with notes of sweet strawberry and hints of rose petals), but just can’t find any at your local access point. No problem—Strawberry Skunk, Strawberry Haze or Chem Crème should do the trick. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous—that’s all I gotta say about this book. Gotta run—gonna make some of that Pea Soup. (Matt Tapia)

One of the most awkward things to do is to come into a show late in the game, and reviewing the last season of Weeds without seeing the rest of it is no exception. I consistently had

to background check the characters and info to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. But inexperience aside, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was a genuinely funny, entertaining and heartfelt show. When the humor is there, it comes at a rapid fire pace that’s truly enjoyable. Some of the drama is incredibly awkward and the situations come across as a beyond prepos-terous (all the affairs and drama verge on soap opera levels), but leads like

Mary Louise Parker and Hunter Parrish give strong enough performances that it can mostly be forgiven. The special features are fun diversions (especially the live session with Guru Doug) that are a good bonus for the fans. Newbies like me should go back to Season 1 for the full picture, but it’s not a bad rental for fans who have stuck with the show this long. (Joe Martone)

entertainment reviews

Titlow Mud Run

Feel like getting dirty? This family-friendly trail run covers over two miles of the Titlow Park in Tacoma. The course is designed for dirt-tromping, mud-loving children and adults as well as fastidious folks who plan to puddle-jump and offer congratulatory and clean support for their mud-lovers. All mud is naturally produced by Mother Nature herself, and there will be prizes for the top male and female participants as well as a muddy picture contest! Participants will not be required to crawl through mud unless truly desired, and no one will be forcing anyone to be eating mud pies unless you really want to. Only $15 per person, this day-time mud run is a barrel full of fun the whole family can enjoy! It’s a dirty job, but—you know the rest.

IF yOU GOWhat: Titlow Mud Run.When/Where: March 24 at Titlow Park, 8425 6th Ave., Tacoma.Info: Check-in is at 11am. Go to www.metroparksta-coma.org/calendar/index.php?cid=1987.


liner notes by kEVIn LonGRIE

Did you see those people play-ing football at the BEYONCÉ concert? Millions of people tuned in last month to watch

the Super Bowl. A team won. Most people will forget which one got football’s high-est honor in about a year or two, but what will last forever in the hearts and minds of children everywhere are the hilarious photos of Beyoncé mid-dance, mid-shout or mid-thrust.

Bey, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful people our nation has produced, proves that if you use high speed, high definition cameras, you can catch anyone making an awkward face. Beyoncé looks, in the photos, like some kind of vascular, angry character from an anime series, an Amazon bellowing out a war cry. Now normally these would just float around the Internet and people would laugh at them, make memes of them, and then just go back to cranking “Single Ladies” in the car on their drive to work. But Beyoncé’s publicist was not happy about the unflattering pictures. He said he would pursue action to have the photos “taken off the Internet.” The publicist has obviously never seen the Internet nor comprehended that such a phrase is absurd.

If you’re like me, you appreciate a good musical documentary. Now I’m not talking about Never Say Never, the JUSTIN BIEBER story. I’m talking about Gimme Shelter or The Monterey Pop Festival. Stephen Kijak, director of the recent ROLLING STONES documentary Stones in Exile as well as the great SCOTT WALKER doc 30th Century Man, is planning his next target. Will he set his sights on another legendary group or reclusive genius? Well, not exactly. He’s decided to make a documentary about the BACKSTREET BOYS. He’s collaborating with Pulse, the producers of Shut Up and Play the Hits, the excellent documentary about LCD SOUNDSYSTEM and its final moments. The question to consider now is: What happens if a compelling, engrossing musical documentary is made about The Backstreet Boys? Are we ready? I, for one, am hopeful. I want it that way.

There is an urban legend that relates a man’s shoe size to his . . . well . . . other

size. This is the basis for a new app called Chubby Checker, which predicts a man’s penis size based on his shoe size and other factors. The only problem, other than the app’s hap-hazard pre-dick-tions is that there already was a CHUBBY CHECKER. What a twist! That’s right, the famous singer is not too happy about his nickname being used to test measure-ments. Maybe he’s appalled at the app’s function or maybe he just wants a slice of the penis-prediction-app market. He is suing the parent company responsible for making the app, citing that there was “ir-reparable damage” to his character, name or likeness. He’s seeking $500 million, even though the app was only download-ed 84 times. That’s about 6 million dollars per download, a steep shot up from the 99 cents that people paid for it on PalmOS.

LADY GAGA has had to cancel the rest of her tour in order to undergo surgery and give herself time to recover. Now, anyone following Gaga news knows that she hurt her hip early last month

and had to cancel four shows to see if the swelling would go down. But what I suggest is that this is not an injury related accident. What if, instead, Gaga was going to get a sex change operation unlike any the world has ever seen before. She would not become a man, but some third gender that would, from that time forward, put an end to the frankly exhausting dichotomy we’ve got now.

The rapper 2 CHAINz, known for be-ing very clear about the number of chains he has and possible his music career, was arrested on Valentine’s Day for possession of marijuana. He could spend up to a year in jail. If this happens, it has been specu-lated that he will change his stage name to Several Bars. c


Let’s Do ThisOur picks for the coolest things to do around town

Passion Pit, March 5Born of the legendary Berklee College of Music in Boston, edgy in-die rock band, Passion Pit pushes the envelope in production and creativity while staying honest and relatable. Passion Pit’s tunes are shimmering and manic but pegged to a dark underside.The Paramount Theatre, Seattlewww.stgpresents.org

Hollywood Undead featuring Dance Gavin Dance, March 7Wearing obscure masks and going by aliases to hide their iden-tities, the guys in Hollywood Undead pack a performance that proves they are very much alive.Knitting Factory Concert House, Spokanesp.knittingfactory.com

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series Tacoma Invitational Sat, March 9Yee-haw! It’s time to sit anxiously as you anticipate some of the great athletes in the bull riding industry, including Shane Proc-tor, Silvano Alves and Marco Eguchi, muscle down the wildest bucking bulls in the west. If the size of these beasts don’t intim-idate you (these monsters weigh about 1,500 pounds), some of their names will—Bushwacker, Asteroid and Smackdown. www.tacomadome.org

The Music Man, thru March 10Oh, The Music Man . . . why is it that con-artists seem to get all the ladies? A classic Americana play, this love story first became a hit on Broadway in 1957—and has returned to grace audiences with a musical journey that’ll have you whistling the tune of “Seventy-Six Trombones” in no time.The 5th Avenue Theater, Seattlewww.5thavenue.org

Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show, March 15-17There are a number of reasons to go to the 10th annual Inland Northwest Motorcycle Show. With a stacked vendor list of Colbert Powersports, Lone Wolf Harley Davidson, Roundy’s Kawasaki and many more, you’ll have hundreds of motorcycles and thousands of accessories to choose from.Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, Spokane www.spokanemotorcycleshow.com

Irish Festival of Seattle, March 16-17Grab your favorite Irishman (or woman), paint your face green and head over to the Irish Festival of Seattle. It’ll be a day of all things Irish—Irish games, Irish history, Irish movies, Irish language lessons, Irish demonstrations, Irish celebrities . . . Irish,


Irish, Irish! And don’t worry, there won’t be any little green leprechauns running around in search of a pot of gold—at least we hope not.Seattle Center, Seattlewww.seattlecenter.com

Murs, March 16Take advantage of the rare opportunity to kick it with the one and only Murs, a laid back rapper with a raspy voice and beats that’ll make you move your feet. With his new song, “316 Ways”, you’ll find yourself contemplating how many ways there are to guarantee your spot in his exclusive crowd. The Crocodile, Seattle www.thecrocodile.com

Seattle St. Patrick’s Day, March 16Trace back to your roots and join forces representing the province of your ancestors. Whether your genealogy tracks back to the Ulster, Munster, Leinster or Connacht province in Ireland, there’s a banner for you to march behind, showing your true green Irish pride for your heritage. 4th Avenue at Jefferson, Downtown Seattlewww.irishclub.org/parade.htm

WSU Performing Arts Presents: Latin Jazz with the Bobby Torres Ensemble, March 22Be sure to grab your passport—seven skilled musicians join Bobby Torres to bring you jazz that breathes so much spice and liveliness, it’ll cause you to wonder if you’ve traveled to Latin America.Jones Theater at Washington State University, Pullmanwsu.edu

7th Annual Spitting Image Self-Portrait Competition, March 29Watch as artists contemplate whether they’re admiring their piece of art or looking in the mirror. At this self portrait competition you’ll get to see varying stylistic pieces that demonstrate the power behind perception. Gage Academy of Art, Capitol Hillwww.gageacademy.org

Washington Cask Beer Festival, March 30Enjoy locally brewed beers aged to perfection, paired with delec-table treats including Dante’s Inferno Dogs, Brave Horse Tavern’s hand-made pretzels and Mt. Townsend Creamery artisan cheeses. What else could you ask for?Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Seattlewww.seattlecenter.com


Every medical cannabis patient is appre-hensive at hearing that their dispensary has been raided by the Drug Enforce-ment Administration—unfortunately, it’s not an uncommon sight. Once the feds show up, arrests and confiscations usually follow and people suffering from chronic pain, diseases or other ailments are left stuck in a lurch. Here are a few things to keep in mind, according to several MMJ and cannabis advocates:

If you are at a dispensary during a raid, be polite to officers, carry

your paperwork and ID on you and tell the authorities you wish to remain silent and speak to an attorney.

For the most part, the feds are going after dispensaries/access

points and operators—not patients.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

protects your MMJ information.


NEWS of the

WEIRDChuck Shepherd

LEAD STORy—ONE FOR THE ROAD; Cliche Come to Life: The Kerry, Ireland, county council voted in January to let some people drive drunk. The councillors reasoned that in the county’s isolated regions, some seniors live alone and need the camaraderie of the pub, but fear a DUI arrest on the way home. The councillors thus empowered police to issue DUI permits to those targeted drivers. Besides, reasoned the councillors, the area is so sparsely populated that such drivers never encounter anyone else on the road at night.

(The councillors’ beneficence might also have been influenced, reported BBC News, by the fact that “several” of the five voting “yea” own pubs.)

CAN’T POSSIBLy BE TRUE; Spare the Waterboard, Spoil the Child: William Province, 42, was arrested in Jefferson County, Mont., in December and charged with waterboarding four boys, two of whom were his own sons, at his home in December. (Also in January, Kirill Bartashevitch, 52, was charged with making “ter-roristic” threats to his high-school-

age daughter after he allegedly pointed his new AK-47 at her because her report card showed 2 B’s instead of all A’s. He said he had recently purchased the gun because he feared that President Obama intended to ban them.)

; Emma Whittington, of Hutchin-son, Kan., rushed her daughter to the ER in December when the girl, 7 months old, developed a golf-ball-sized lump on her neck. Two days later, at a hospital in Wichita, a doc-tor gently pulled a feather out of the lump and hypothesized that it had been in the midst of emerging from her throat. Doctors said the girl probably swallowed the feather accidentally, that it got stuck in throat tissue, and that her body was trying to eject it through the skin.

; As if 9/11 and the resultant air travel restrictions had never hap-pened, travelers for some reason continue to keep Transportation Security Administration agents busy at passengers’ carry-on bag searches. From a TSA weekly summary of con-fiscations in January: 33 handguns, eight stun guns and a serrated wire

garrote. Among highlights from 2012: a live 40mm grenade, a live blasting cap, “seal bombs” and six pounds of black power (with deto-nation cords and a timing fuse).

; A man with admittedly limited English skills went to a courthouse in Springfield, Mass., in December to address a traffic ticket, but somehow wound up on a jury trying Donald Campbell on two counts of assault. Officials said the man simply got in the wrong line and followed jurors into a room while the real sixth juror had mistakenly gone to another room. The jury, including the accidental juror, found Campbell guilty, but he was awarded a new trial when the mistake was discovered.

THE REDNECK CHRONICLES (TEN-NESSEE EDITION); (1) Timothy Crabtree, 45, of Rogersville, was arrested in Octo-ber and charged with stabbing his son, Brandon, 21, in an argument over who would get the last beer in the house. (2) Tricia Moody, 26, was charged with DUI in Knoxville


in January after a 10-minute police chase. The officer’s report noted that Moody was still holding a cup of beer and apparently had not spilled any during the chase. (3) Jerry Poe, 62, was charged in a road-rage incident in Clinton on Black Friday after firing his handgun at a driver in front of him “to scare her into moving” faster, he said. (Poe said he had started at midnight at one Wal-Mart, waited in line unsuccessfully for five hours for a sale-priced stereo, and was on his way to another Wal-Mart.

SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE; Twin brothers Aric Hale and Sean Hale, 28, were both arrested on New Year’s Eve in Manchester, Conn., after fighting each other at a hotel and later at a residence. Police said a 27-year-old woman was openly dating the two men, and that Sean thought it was his turn and asked Aric for privacy. Aric begged to differ about whose turn it was.

UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT; Voted in December as vice presidents of the U.N. Human

Rights Council for 2013 were the nations of Mauritania and the Maldives, both of which permit the death penalty for renouncing Islam. In Mauritania, a person so charged has three days to repent for a lesser sentence. (An August 2012 dispatch in London’s The Guardian reported widespread acceptance of slavery conditions in Mauritania, affecting as many as 800,000 of the 3.5 million population. Said one abolitionist leader, “Today we have the slavery (that) American plantation owners dreamed of (in that the slaves) be-lieve their condition is necessary to get to paradise.”)

; Non-medical employees of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center have been campaigning for union representation, suggest-ing that their current wages leave many workers dangerously close to poverty. Though raises have not materialized, UPMC (according to a November Pittsburgh City Paper report) has now shown sympathy for its employees’ sad plight. In a November UPMC newsletter, it announced that it was setting

up “UPMC Cares” food banks. Employees (presumably the better-paid ones) are urged to “donate nonperishable food items to stock employee food pantries that will established on both (UPMC cam-puse).” One astonished worker’s response: “I started to cry.”

; Post-Dispatch revealed, through a public records check, that the appointed Collector of Revenue for St. Louis County has failed since 2008 to pay personal property taxes. Stacy Bailey and her husband owe taxes on three cars and in fact filed for bankrupt-cy in 2011. Bailey’s boss, Director of Revenue Eugene Leung, told the Dispatch that he had checked Bailey’s real-estate tax status but not personal property taxes. Nonetheless, he said, “Knowing what I know now, she’s still the most qualified person for the job,” among the 155 applicants.

PERSPECTIVE; First-World Problems: Before “cellulite” appeared in popular culture around 1972, almost no one believed the condition

especially remarkable, wrote Lon-don’s The Guardian in December. Similarly, the new concern about “wobbly” arms—flesh dangling loosely when a woman’s arm is raised horizontally—seems en-tirely made-up. However, Marks & Spencer and other upscale British retailers now sell “arm corsets” to fashionably hold the skin tighter for sleeveless tops. Wrote the Guardian columnist, “I wish I didn’t know that my arms weren’t meant to wobble. I’d be happier.”

PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM US; Julie Griffiths, 43, of Newcastle-Under-Lyme, England, received her first Anti-Social Behavior Order in 1999 for too loudly berating her husband, Norman (who one neighbor told the Daily Telegraph is “the sweetest man you could ever meet”). After many complaints (from neighbors, never from Norman), Griffiths was fined the equivalent of about $700 in 2010 and vowed to be quieter. The com-plaints hardly slowed, and in July 2012, environmental-health officials installed monitoring equipment


next door and caught Griffiths venting at Norman 47 times in three months. However, the Stoke-on-Trent Magistrates Court merely issued a new, five-year ASBO.

READERS’ CHOICE; (1) Recently, a 67-year-old wom-an set out to drive to a train station in Brussels, Belgium, 38 miles from her home to pick up a friend, but her GPS was broken, and she wound up three countries away, in Zagreb, Croatia, before she sought help. Drivers older than her have been similarly lost, but not to the extent of crossing five borders and passing road signs in three languages while traveling 900 miles. (She said only that she was “distracted.”) (2) In Janu-ary, a 68-year-old Florida man got out of a van to open a garage door so that his friend could back in, but he left the van door open, and the driver’s dog leaped excitedly into the vehicle and landed on the gas pedal. The man was fatally crushed against the garage door.

CRAZy KIDS; An estimated 3.2 million kids aged 5 to 12 take mixed-martial

arts classes, training to administer beatdowns modeled after the adults’ Ultimate Fighting Cham-pionships, according to a January report in ESPN magazine, which profiled the swaggering, Mo-hawked Derek “Crazy” Rayfield, 11, and the meek, doll-clutching fight-ing machine, Regina “The Black Widow” Awana, 7. Kids under age 12 fight each other without regard to gender, and blows above the collarbone are always prohibited (along with attacks on the groin, kidneys and back). “Crazy” was described delivering merciless forearm chest smashes to a foe before the referee intervened, and the Black Widow won her match in less than a minute via arm-bar submission. Parental involvement appears to be of two types: either fear of their child’s getting hurt or encouragement to be meaner.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS; Breaking Bad (and Quickly!): Ty-rone Harris, 26, reported for his first shift at Dunkin’ Donuts in Morris-town, N.J., in January and received his name tag. Seven minutes later,

60 CULTURE • MARCH 2013 V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u re . c o m60 CULTURE • JANUARY 2012

according to police, he was on his way out the door with $2,100 from his supervisor’s desk. (Apparently, the supervisor had opened his drawer a little too far when reach-ing for the name tag, giving Harris a glimpse of the cash.)

; In a January submission to India’s Supreme Court, an associa-tion of the country’s caste councils begged for greater sympathy for men who commit “honor killings” of wayward females. The councils denied encouraging such killings, but emphasized that fathers or brothers who murder a daughter or sister are usually “law-abiding, educated and respectable people” who must protect their reputations after a female has had a “forbid-den” relationship—especially a fe-male who intends to marry within her sub-caste, which the councils believe leads to deformed babies.

; Aubrey Ireland, 21, a dean’s-list senior at the University of Cincin-nati’s prestigious college of music, went to court in December to pro-tect herself from two stalkers—her mother and father, who, she said,

had been paranoiacally meddling in her life. David and Julie Ireland put tracking devices on Aubrey’s com-puter and telephone and showed up unannounced on campus (600 miles from their home), telling of-ficials that Aubrey was promiscuous and mentally imbalanced. A Com-mon Pleas Court judge ordered the parents to keep their distance.

; Medium-Tech Warfare: (1) The mostly rag-tag army of Syrian reb-els fighting the Assad regime un-veiled its first jerry-built armored vehicle in December. The “Sham II” is an old diesel car with cameras for navigation, a machine gun mounted on a turret with a driver looking at one flat-screen TV and a gunner another, aiming the ma-chine gun via a Sony PlayStation controller. (2) Video transmissions from drone aircraft rose stiflingly to more than 300,000 hours last year (compared to 4,800 in 2001). With input expected to grow even more, Air Force officials acknowledged in December seek-ing advice from a private-sector company experienced in handling massive amounts of video: ESPN.

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