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Hall of Flowers Palm Springs Part One: The Chic SoCal Show Returns

Rachelle Gordon

https://beardbrospharms.com/2022/05/hall-of-flowers-palm-springs-part-one-the-chic-socal-show-returns/

This is part one of a two-part recap

Ah, Palm Springs. A desert oasis filled with snowbirds, golf fanatics, and weekend warriors alike all yearning to enjoy the abundant sunshine and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. 

It’s also the home of Hall of Flowers’ Southern California trade show, a two-day cannabis extravaganza featuring a bevy of brands, ancillary providers, and a plethora of product samples meant to intrigue and impress the retail buyers, journalists, and influencers in attendance. While considered by some to be aggressively boujee (standard industry tickets will set you back close to a bill), the B2B expo still attracts a good blend of old-school fam interspersed with the typical corporate Chads often seen flexing.

I stepped off the plane at the Palm Springs International Airport and was immediately struck by the not-quite-oppressive heat, the airline gate opening to a courtyard filled with lush fountains and swaying palm trees.

It wasn’t long before another familiar heat entered my nostrils.

The irresistible aroma of cannabis wafted past almost immediately upon arrival, refreshing and light like the desert breeze that provides occasional respite from the sun’s power.

I knew then and there that it was going to be a great week.

Summer Camp at the Saguaro

I rode to the Saguaro Hotel, the chic and eclectic boutique property known for its retro vibes and lassez-faire attitude. Stepping into the foyer, I was immediately greeted by David Tran, co-founder of Farechild Events, and unofficial host of the week’s after-hours festivities.

David was overseeing the transformation of the Saguaro for the following evening’s High on Life soiree, a Hall of Flowers after-party that would see the entire property taken over by the cannabis industry elite. He ran over, offering a giant hug and a warm welcome as we approached the check-in counter.

“It’s awesome to see everyone arriving,” he beamed. “This is like cannabis summer camp!” 

Related reading: Hall of Flowers 2021 Shows the West Coast Weed Scene Still Reigns Supreme

We soon parted ways, as I needed to change into more weather-appropriate attire and he had plenty of work to do preparing for the event. I also needed to connect with Warren Bobrow, master mixologist, former cannabis writer at Forbes and the creator of the tasty Klaus cannabis-infused beverage. 

Warren and I had been communicating via social media and wanted to be sure to meet up for a sesh at Hall of Flowers, having missed each other at the previous show in December. I also wanted an introduction to his companion and brand namesake Klaus, a fantastically friendly gnome with a penchant for good pot.

Right from the jump, Warren and Klaus offered humble and gracious energy, presenting two Talking Trees pre-rolls. The serendipity was almost unreal, as I just happened to be wearing the brand’s hat that day. My mind was blown by the coincidence, and we were quickly chatting and smoking as if we all had been friends for decades. 

Compound Genetics Shows Up Big

After a delicious dinner of tacos in the hotel’s on-site restaurant, I stepped outside for another joint. Soon after, a man in a Team Elite Genetics shirt walked by. 

It turned out to be award-winning brand’s founder, Steve Castillo. I excitedly told him the brand’s Pearadise sativa-dominant flower was among my favorites from the last HOF. He reached into his bag and gifted me with his demo jar, a truly high honor (no pun intended).

Still riding high (again, no pun intended) from Steve’s kindness, I rolled over to Curator’s Connect, a gathering presented by Compound Genetics, We Grow, and Cltvd Genetics. As speakers debated in the main room, guests were treated to tours of Compound’s finest flowers.

In the backroom, the results of the company’s recent pheno hunt were on full display. A group of certified Ganjiers (think sommeliers for weed) walked captivated spectators through the unique terpene profiles of each cultivar, encouraging us to smell the jars and truly absorb the rich aromas of the bud. 

Nearly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of amazing pot in front of me, I decided to pick up the jar of Pineapple Faanta. I took a whiff, instantly taken aback by the fragrant, tropical essence. 

As I stuck my nose deeper, one of the Ganjiers instructed me to open my mouth. He said by doing so, I would get a more accurate representation of the terps, mimicking a dry hit off a freshly rolled joint. The difference in experience was indeed noticeable, and I shared my newfound knowledge with anyone who would listen over the course of the next couple of days.

It was almost impossible to choose a favorite from Compound’s pheno hunt, but I ended up grabbing a few nugs of the Pineapple Faanta, as well as Rainbow Cheddar (I have always been a huge Cheese fan), and Red Bullz —  a White Runtz x Grape Gas cross that Compound was particularly thrilled about.

All three strains were remarkable in their own right, but the Rainbow Cheddar truly stood out. Funky yet sweet, the bud offered a heady yet balanced high perfect for any occasion.

Back at the Saguaro, I bumped into Boveda Norcal sales rep Ryan Harner, who had brought with him some of his homegrown Canna Country #26. The iconic ocimene-heavy strain is one for the ages, and after sharing a joint with Ryan and some vacationers from New Zealand, it was time to rest up for the main event.

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5 Questions Articles Reviews Skunk Magazine

GAL SHAPIRA, PRODUCT MANAGER AT LEAFREPORT. A DEEP DIVE INTO CBD TESTING

This was the pitch. I’ve included it here because it offers the framework for a topic that I used to write about but stopped. Why? And what was it? It was CBD derived from hemp.

Photo Credit: Leafreport

The reason is pretty simple. Most CBD sold around the globe is no more than snake oil; quack medicine sold in gas stations as a cure-all. This topic is really not worthy of my time. Thus, I stopped writing about health products and got rich, quick CBD multi-level marketing scam products that may or may not do anything.

I turned down pitch after pitch because there really are no rules in CBD.

Why are rules important?

Well, look at the alcohol industry for an example. There are no rules in rum, for instance. You can do almost anything to it, from adding a hundred grams of sugar to caramel coloring that fools the drinker into thinking that dark rum is old rum. It’s not old, only colored and sweetened.

When was the last time that you saw an ingredient label on a bottle of rum or any spirits for that matter?

Wait, that sounds like the CBD business! No transparency.

Where was it grown, and what kind of nutrients were used? Is it toxic when smoked? All unknowns.

Here’s to transparency in CBD testing. Cheers!

Photo Credit: Leafreport

Hi Warren,

After reading a few of your CBD-related articles, I think you’ll find this research interesting. Could you believe that 1 out of 4 CBD products was NOT tested for microbial content, pesticides, or heavy metals?

Leafreport.com reviewed 2946 CBD products from 136 CBD brands in terms of purity and potency testing. It turns out that what is advertised and what CBD products actually contain are completely different.

Here is the full research.

Some interesting findings:

Only 13% of brands tested almost all of their products for purity testing, checking for microbial content, pesticides, or heavy metals

25% of brands reviewed didn’t carry out any purity testing at all.

84% of potency-tested products didn’t measure within the acceptable variance of up to 10%.

Only 42% of brands test almost all of their products for potency (90%-100%) and share their third-party lab results with consumers.

Spokesperson Gal Shapira, Product Manager at Leafreport, says, “Lack of transparency in CBD industry is a real issue for consumers. They are being fooled on a daily basis by brands and advertisers. This is the reason we invested $25,000 in this market research to bring more clarity to the CBD industry and protect consumers from false CBD products.”

Is this something you would be interested in covering?

If you need more information, feel free to get in touch.

How could I say no? Knowledge in CBD? Good luck with that until recently.

Photo Credit: Leafreport

Please tell me about yourself? Where are you from? What brought you to the cannabis (CBD) space? Curiosity? Health?

I was born in Russia and moved to Vancouver, Canada, when I was 12. I’ve always been interested in writing and started doing small online freelance writing gigs in 2010. I have an Associate of Arts degree in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Geography.

After finishing university in 2015, I decided to go into freelance writing full-time. I got an ongoing gig writing articles about dietary supplements based on published research studies. It was a good fit because I’ve always been interested in health and have tried many supplements.

That’s how I discovered CBD in 2017. It was a new supplement that had a lot of hype around it but not a lot of good information. I tried it out and was impressed by its anxiety, sleep, workout recovery, and overall health effects.

I started reading studies about CBD, writing articles, trying products and decided to specialize in writing about CBD. I’ve written dozens of evidence-based CBD articles for Leafreport.

Please tell me about your philosophy on clarity and transparency in the CBD industry. What are the best practices? Why is CBD sold in gas stations?

Although the FDA has sent warning letters to CBD companies that make unsubstantiated health claims or sell substandard products, by and large, the CBD industry is unregulated.

Photo Credit: Leafreport

That’s why third-party testing done by independent, accredited laboratories is so important in the CBD industry. It’s essentially a form of self-regulation that assures consumers that CBD products actually contain what’s advertised and are free of potential contaminants.

The first thing I always check when reviewing CBD products and brands is third-party testing. Are the tests publicly available? Are they up to date? Are they done by a reputable lab? Are both potency (levels of cannabinoids) and contaminant (pesticides, residual solvents, etc.) test results present?

This gives you a pretty good idea of whether the CBD brand is reputable and trustworthy. Of course, there are many other best practices as well. For example, it’s always best when brands are vertically integrated, meaning they grow the hemp, extract it, and make the finished CBD products themselves.

CBD is sold in gas stations because it’s a popular health and wellness product. But these products tend to be of low quality because they’re often made by shady companies that don’t provide third-party test results or even have a website.

Who is responsible for policing the labeling of CBD products in the United States? What is permitted on the labeling?

The FDA is responsible for regulating the labeling and packaging of cannabis products. But technically speaking, the FDA doesn’t currently consider CBD products as dietary supplements and doesn’t allow them to be sold as such. That’s because CBD is used as an ingredient in a pharmaceutical drug approved by the FDA (Epidiolex). So, this creates a strange situation where CBD products are obviously being sold as dietary supplements even though the FDA is technically against that.

As far as I’m aware, the FDA has not released any specific labeling requirements for CBD products. Instead, CBD product manufacturers are following the established labeling rules for dietary supplements, which include showing the amount of the active ingredient, ingredients list, name and location of the manufacturer, supplement facts panel, and so on. Another rule is that they cannot make any health claims that their product can treat any disease or related symptom.

I hear it all the time that CBD is a cure-all, yet there is very little in the way of regulation on what can and cannot be stated on the label; who is the governing body?

CBD is not a cure-all. But the reason it gets that reputation is that over 9,000 studies of CBD have been published to date, suggesting a myriad of potential benefits for everything from inflammation and pain to neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. But most of CBD’s potential benefits need higher-quality evidence (placebo-controlled clinical trials) before we know for certain.

In terms of health claims, those are regulated by the FDA and FTC. The FDA mostly regulates claims on product labels, while the FTC regulates claims in advertising. Dietary supplement manufacturers are not allowed to make claims that their products can help with any health condition or disease (with the exception of approved health claims, which require high-quality research and official authorization from the FDA).

Even though the FDA does not currently consider CBD products to be dietary supplements, it still treats them as such in terms of health claims. That’s why the FDA regularly sends out warning letters to CBD companies that sell misleading products or make unauthorized claims that their products can treat symptoms of related conditions, like saying that their CBD oil can help with cancer or treat insomnia.

What is your passion?

I’m passionate about improving my health and helping others do the same through safe, natural, time-tested methods. That’s why I was immediately drawn to CBD — it’s natural, non-intoxicating, has little to no side effects even with daily use, and has been used for its health benefits for thousands of years as a component of cannabis.

I exercise and practice meditation and intermittent fasting daily, in addition to taking herbal supplements like CBD and ashwagandha. I’ve read thousands of studies about CBD and other supplements and enjoy breaking down what I learn into simple language that helps others improve their health naturally.

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/gal-shapira-product-manager-at-leafreport-a-deep-dive-into-cbd-testing/?v=f24485ae434a
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5 Questions Articles Interviews Skunk Magazine

DIGGING DEEPER INTO LOW THC CANNABIS WITH JOSHUA STEENSLAND/OHIO FIRE FACTORY

As a New Jersey medical cannabis program patient, I can tell you that low THC cannabis is what my particular affliction requires. But good luck going into a dispensary and asking for strains that test lower than 10 or 12 percent THC. The consensus is pretty clear. The chasing of (high) THC levels is something that is not going away. You’re going to get blank stares, or worse, should you ask the budtender for anything that actually alleviates your ills. With the marketing behind cannabis driving up THC levels, it’s truly refreshing to find people like Joshua Steensland, who studies low THC level cannabis

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me where you’re from and where you live now? What do you do? Please tell me about your company.

Joshua Steensland: I was born in Northern California and grew up in SE Washington state. After serving in the Marines and going through

Photo Credit: Steve Raisner

my roaming gypsy phase, I set roots back in the area I grew up to raise my family. I currently work with our family business, Regenerative Ecoworks LLC, to help cannabis cultivators develop living soil cultivation systems around the world. I also own and operate a premium living soil, low THC, flower facility with two of my Marine veteran brothers, Ohio Fire Factory. The barrier to entry in the high THC space in Ohio is steep and nearly impenetrable in its current state. We decided to leverage the emerging low THC flower market and build out an indoor facility to the same spec one would build a high THC facility with the intention of switching to high THC as soon as the state will allow or recreational gets voted in. Our flower is cold cured, hand-trimmed, and grown in living soil beds under LED lights. Our attention to detail and commitment to treating the flower with the same care and consideration one would with high-value THC flower produces a quality not seen very often in the smokeable hemp flower game. We actually don’t really like calling it hemp because of the negative associations of hemp flower being low quality. Our product is indistinguishable from top shelf, high THC flower. We prefer to call it what it is; ultra-premium, low THC, cannabis.

WB: What obstacles do you face? How do you anticipate removing them? What are your six and twelve-month goals?

JS: These are great questions! I’ve really found over the years, nearly all of the obstacles to my success have been self-imposed in some way. What I mean by that is in the past, I wasn’t open to the deep self-analysis that is necessary to make course corrections on the fly and be a more effective communicator.

Balancing being self-critical with giving myself grace and allowing for forgiveness when I’ve been a less than an effective communicator. Yes, it still happens. This has been a critical thought exercise that helps me retain my sanity when the juggle starts to feel chaotic or if things start to feel unstable. It gives me the time to analyze objectively and not make important decisions based on emotions only which tend to be a very temporary and limiting headspace.

Photo Credit: Joshua Steensland

In 6 months, I would like to see Ohio Fire Factory’s three-phase build-out complete, and in a years’ time, I would like to see our product changing the low THC flower game nationwide while inspiring veterans and cultivators alike to cultivate with living soil systems.

WB: Who is your mentor? Who taught you your craft?

JS: I have several mentors, and they are, either directly or indirectly, my teachers also.

Firstly, Masanobu Fukuoka. He is the author of “The one-straw revolution .”His book really opened my eyes to the possibility of simplifying farming and cultivation by paying attention to the forces of nature and learning to work with mother nature’s design as opposed to against it and hammering it to our will. It’s a very easy and inspiring read. His story of how he transformed his property is nothing short of amazing.

I need to include Dr. Elaine Ingham in this list. Her decades of work studying the important role biology plays in plant growth, and nutrient cycling deserves more attention than it receives. Her body of work, “Foundation Course” classes and microscopy training were fundamental in helping me connect the dots as to what I was observing in my living soil cultivation journey and strengthened my resolve when it comes to my Fukuoka style of minimal input, hands-off cultivation.

I think some honorable mentions would be Rudolf Steiner, John Kempf, Dr. Tom Dykstra, and Dr. Arden Andersen. I highly suggest checking out the body of work these gentlemen have produced regarding regenerative cultivation practices and finding ways to incorporate them into your systems.

WB: What is your favorite food? Restaurant? Why?

JS: Favorite food!!! That’s a tough one. We love food in our house. My daughter and I actually have spent hours watching street food videos

Photo Credit: Joshua Steensland

and already have our dream Japanese street food vacation planned! We don’t eat at many restaurants because we like to cook and prepare food at home as much as possible. We try to eat healthy, vibrant, and nutritionally dense foods but recognize the need for flexibility and balance and enjoy a slice of cake or cookies from time to time, probably a little more than we should, but what’s life if you aren’t living it right?! My absolute favorite foods are any authentic Mexican food or a pan-seared rib eye, bloody rare, with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Pretty simple guy to please here.

WB: What is your passion?

JS: My passions are pretty simple. Family. Cannabis and simple living. The real joy has been finding a way to put all of those things together and create revenue streams that put a roof over our head, food on the table, and explore and deepen my relationship with cultivation in general. This also affords my wife the ability to explore her passions and set the example to our children that one can quite literally forage their own path in this world if you lead with integrity and courage.

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/digging-deeper-into-low-thc-cannabis-with-joshua-steensland-ohio-fire-factory/?v=f24485ae434a
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Warren Bobrow, Cannabis Writer and Cocktail Whisperer, on the Rise of Canna Beverages

On leaving the liquor business for new adventures with Klaus the gnome

https://musebycl.io/higher-calling/warren-bobrow-cannabis-writer-and-cocktail-whisperer-rise-canna-beverages

Warren Bobrow | Photo illustration by Ashley Epping

Warren Bobrow | Photo illustration by Ashley Epping

Warren Bobrow, known as the Cocktail Whisperer, is an Emerson grad who became a TV engineer in New York City, worked at Danceteria—a famous NYC nightclub—in their video lounge, a dishwasher in York Harbor, Maine, and a certified chef/saucier. After the loss of his fresh pasta business in Hurricane Hugo, he worked in banking for 20 years before reinventing himself—becoming a six-time author, bar back to bartender and master mixologist. He is also a former rum judge for both the Ministry of Rum and the Rum XP.

Warren now works in the cannabis industry full-time as a journalist for Skunk Magazine, Different Leaf Magazine and Cannabis Cactus Magazine. He is the co-founder and master mixologist for Klaus, a Terpene-Forward/THC infused craft cocktail for the California regulated market. No liquor! Warren has enjoyed the bemusing qualities of cannabis since 1972.

We spoke with Warren for our Higher Calling series, where we chat with leaders in the cannabis space.

Warren, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up on my family’s biodynamic/organic horse farm in Morris Township, New Jersey. After college and working as a cook around the country, owning and losing my first business during Hurricane Hugo and an ill-fated trip to Arizona to cook at the Scottsdale Princess Hotel, I found myself back in Morristown in 1992. I embarked on an inappropriate but necessary career in banking. Fortunately, I lost that job after almost two decades of pain. I didn’t belong there even for one day! Morristown is where I live today.

Your current role in the cannabis industry, and where you’re based.

I wear many hats in the cannabis industry. I’m a deep-dive canna-journalist for Skunk Magazine, Cannabis Cactus Magazine and Different Leaf Magazine, drawing deeply from my own experiences of smoking cannabis for the first time at age 12 at a Grateful Dead concert in New Jersey in 1972. I co-founded my second company, Klaus, named for my 1800s German drinking gnome that I’ve traveled much of the world with during my former career working in on/off premise liquor. Klaus is a good little guy, liked by most and he loves cannabis drinks, certainly more than getting drunk. No hangovers now!

A story about the positive impact cannabis has had on your life.

I am the poster child for medical cannabis. The only thing that I inherited from my late father was his glaucoma. Before I discovered medical cannabis, my eye pressure was so high that I literally was eating 50 Advil per month to lessen the headaches that centered behind my eyes. Since I got into the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana Program, my eye pressure has reduced to below normal, without drugs! Medical cannabis restored my vision! My ophthalmologist uses my success with cannabis in his discussions regarding the viability of medical cannabis in treating glaucoma. Win/win!

A favorite flower, edible, product, or brand.

Favorite flowers are always sun-grown, biodynamic/organic and dry farmed. This is not always available to me on the East Coast with our shorter growing season, but the outdoor grown cannabis that I’ve enjoyed from Oregon, Maine, Northern California and Massachusetts certainly has opened my mind to the concept of terroir. Why should viticulturists have all the fun? Genetics and strains, most exciting!

My favorite indoor grown flowers are probably from Green Bodhi in Oregon. Consistently charming and intellectual, these mindfully grown herbs have opened my mind and allowed me to write what flows. Of course I’d be remiss not to mention Wonderbrett, Swami Select, the former Brotherly Love (dammit, I loved their flower), Sunrise Mountain Farms, Aster Farms and Hopper.

I’m really a hash head, but good luck finding Middle Eastern style temple ball hash in the U.S. The market is expanding in this regard. Unfortunately, the untimely death of Frenchy Cannoli has left a void in this regard, but the quality hash from Sitka has filled the need that I have for craft hash over science lab hash. Writing about cannabis for my pleasure has opened many doors in the genre of cannabis. It’s really exciting!

The biggest challenge cannabis marketers face today.

There are many challenges in marketing for any vice level product. We have the stigmas. I have myself to thank for knowing this one, inside and out. Growing up in New Jersey, surrounded by ultra affluence and heavy drinking, I took a job at a local wine store in my teens, which opened my eyes to the concept of appellation. Of course my upbringing, traveling all over Europe, the Ivory Coast, and Brazil for my cultural education made me into the well-rounded person I am today. Cannabis, although important to me, was still a forbidden topic and still is today, no matter what the law says in New Jersey. Several of my peers in prep school were expelled for smoking weed. Ruined their young lives, no matter how wealthy and influential their parents were at the time in the ’70s.

Stigmas exist through the grassroots support of liquor companies that are none too happy about the proliferation of “legal” cannabis, taking away their right (since prohibition) to print money and deeply profit from selling watered-down spirits to the masses. Your favorite vodka? 80 proof, 40 percent alcohol. The remainder? Water. Expensive water.

Several years ago, I attended a seminar at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America Convention called “What About Cannabis?” It was standing room only. I had just written my fourth book, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics. I was working for a Russian liquor company, Marussia Beverages. Mention cannabis to the Russians—or to any professional drinker—and there is a certain curiosity that melts into outright disgust. In 2018, I quit the liquor business completely and haven’t suffered an occupational hazard.

One thing you’re excited about right now in cannabis branding, partnerships or marketing.

Cannabis-fueled beverages. It stands to reason that I would choose a career based on my passion for the plant and my deep understanding of cannabis as more than just a metaphor. That authenticity is what drives me. When you do what you love and obviously are passionate about it, you’re driven. As a trained restaurant and bar professional, I’m in a unique position to do what I love. After all, I’m certainly only one of the few individuals in the world who started as a bar back on my climb towards authenticity.

Having written six books didn’t hurt either. Nor did a rum-fueled experience that took me around the globe seeking authentic craft spirits. Why would I want to do anything else? I have a natural affinity for that tangle of flavors that pour down your gullet and make you happy. That’s called hospitality and it’s something that I do well in life.

A cannabis trade/social justice organization that you support.

Last Prisoner Project. No one should be in prison for cannabis. Period.

A recent project you’re proud of.

It’s an ongoing project. The conception in 2015 that I would write my fourth book—Cannabis Cocktails—then develop the scientific technology to allow for the commercialization of a craft cannabis beverage. Not just another sparkling water with fruit flavors added, but a craft mocktail that is based on real ingredients. My drink has only three ingredients plus the Terpene-Forward THC emulsion. What makes my drink better than my competition is the simple fact that Klaus tastes like and smells like the strain from which it emanates.

Please name a cannabis beverage on the market today that tastes like cannabis. That’s why Klaus is unlike anything that has ever been manufactured prior. This is gastro-molecular canna-mixology that’s light years ahead of the cannabis beverage industry.

Someone else’s project you admired recently.

I love what Luke Anderson has done with the microdosed beverage, CANN. I admire him as a fellow craftsman in beverages, for his education in Boston (me too!) and as a deeply placed visionary in his field. What he has accomplished in a short time is pretty fantastic, especially in a deeply regulated market.

Someone you admire in cannabis who’s doing great things.

I admire the work being done with Intentional Horticulture from my friend and spiritual mentor, John Bayes from Green Bodhi in Oregon. His work in mindful and the deeply spiritual propagation of cannabis has influenced my work at the core level. Smoke some of his cannabis and your mind will be opened. Some of the best writing I’ve done in years was influenced by his carefully tended cultivars.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in the cannabis industry.

That’s a good question. I’ve failed at least eight times in my life—careers, marriage, bankruptcy, being disowned and ostracized by my own family. They have no idea of my successes or what brought me here to be able to work with the plant. It’s taken me some real time to get here. Much anguish, difficulty and disappointment before finding myself able to follow my dreams and passion. I will say there is no other job or life that I would rather want. It’s taken me 60 years to get here to occupy a small role within the cannabis business. I get to be me. In cannabis! What a dream come true story!

Higher Calling is a weekly series, publishing on Thursdays, where we chat with folks in the cannabis industry about their personal history and taste in cannabis and the future of cannabis marketing. For more about Higher Calling, and our Clio Cannabis program, please get in touch.

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FOOD + FLOWER MAGAZINE

WARREN BOBROW – CHIEF MIXOLOGIST, FOOD + FLOWER MAGAZINE

WARREN BOBROW – CHIEF MIXOLOGIST, FOOD + FLOWER MAGAZINE

Warren Bobrow has been a dishwasher, the owner of the first company to make fresh pasta in South Carolina, a television engineer and has even worked at Danceteria in NYC. Bobrow became a trained chef, leading to a twenty-year career in private banking. Bobrow is cannabis, wine and travel aficionado, Bobrow is a former rum judge and craft spirits national brand ambassador. He works full time in the cannabis business as an alchemist/journalist.

Truly leaving no leaf unturned.

Warren Bobrow, dubbed The Cocktail Whisperer, has 6 published books including Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations

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Food and Flower magazine

https://www.foodandflowermag.com/?s=warren+bobrow

Cannabis NewsProduct News

THE COCKTAIL WHISPERER LAUNCHES FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND RANGE OF CRAFT CANNABIS-INFUSED RTD MOCKTAILS

From the mind of the Cocktail Whisperer, Warren Bobrow, comes KLAUS™ Cannabis-Infused Beverages, made with the highest quality ingredients and the finest fruit extracts from France.

KLAUS™ – a delicious new cannabis-infused beverage made with the best ingredients for a healthier and euphoric buzz, has set its sights on the growing ‘ California-sober’ market and is ready to take the cannabis beverage culture to a whole new level.

Co-founded by “The Cocktail Whisperer,” Warren Bobrow, the first-of-its-kind premium product in the cannabis space, is here to quench your thirst and transform the way you think about and drink cannabis-infused beverages. Bobrow, a cannabis alchemist and cocktail aficionado, industry journalist and author of six books in the craft cocktail space, including his most recent Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics. It’s no wonder he and KLAUS’ team of industry leaders and creatives have created the most unique cannabis-infused craft mocktail in the ready-to-drink space to date.

Named after Bobrow’s 1800s German drinking gnome that he’s traveled much of the world with during his former career working in on/off premise liquor, KLAUS in’t like any other cannabis-infused beverage. First up is the KLAUS Mezzrole™, named after Louis Armstrong’s friend and fellow hep-cat, Mezz Mezzrow. A Mezzrole was slang for a finely crafted cannabis cigarette during the jazz era.

Robust and tangy with bursts of piquant Picketts™ ginger root syrup, gently giving way to palate soothing rice vinegar notes and the finest French lime puree, the refreshing beverage features a terpene-forward 10 mg THC infusion per can, only 16 calories, and less than 1g of sugar per serving.

At first sips, KLAUS fills the nose and mouth with the bold aromatics from the terpene-forward cannabis infusion. Dollops of zesty and zippy, caramelized, spicy ginger cane syrup come into view. Each sniff is framed by the exotic French Lime puree. Rice vinegar carries each sip into a multi-minute finish, ebullient with bursts of heady sea salt splashing over crushed minerals. The high comes on in minutes, leading into a talkative nature, relaxation, and confidence ensues.
KLAUS has partnered with Sands Lane Ventures and creative agency MAMUS, with a mutual mission to create the highest quality and best tasting cannabis-infused mocktails. KLAUS aims to make it simple for newcomers to the cannabis space to have an enjoyable and delicious experience. KLAUS’ flavors bring a gentle rise in euphoria followed by a subtle smile, candid appreciation, and bemusement.

KLAUS is available at leading dispensaries in California including, The Vault in Palm Springs and SOLFUL in Sebastopol at the end of February. KLAUS is currently available as single-serve and soon to be in convenient 4-packs. To learn more, head to www.drinkklaus.com

About Klaus

KLAUS™ is a cannabis-infused beverage co-founded by “The Cocktail Whisperer” Warren Bobrow. KLAUS™ is named after Warren’s soused gnome “Klaus” who was born in 1851 in Germany. The KLAUS™ team brings together powerhouses in the field of cocktails, cannabis, branding and marketing. KLAUS™ mission is to create the most delicious, highest quality and best tasting cannabis-infused mocktails in the world and to make it simple for newcomers to the cannabis space to have an enjoyable and delicious experience.

About Sands Lane Ventures

Sands Lane Ventures is a purpose-driven venture studio building brands and enabling the better future we envision today. We believe that purpose-driven storytelling has the power to not only educate, inspire action and ignite change, but to also drive significant value. Sands Lane Ventures is part of the Sands Lane ecosystem, delivering strategic advisory services and value-added brand operations, supply chain management and investment support. We are focused on incubating and accelerating early stage consumer brands, taking a hands-on approach to activating opportunities through a unique and comprehensive lens, de-risking their business models and adding long term value through our ecosystem. Visit sandslane.com/ventures for more details.

About creative agency MAMUS

MAMUS is a creative agency with a Madison Ave. pedigree and deep brand experience including Mercedes-Benz, jetBlue Airways, BMW, Whole Foods and many more. MAMUS specializes in brand development for lifestyle, deep technology, cannabis, and luxury. Visit mamuscreative.com for more information.

For general inquiries: info@drinkklaus.com

For retail inquiries: retail@drinklaus.com

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5 Questions Articles Interviews Skunk Magazine

FIVE GRATIFYING QUESTIONS WITH MARIANNE CURSETJEE, MBA, CEO AND COFOUNDER OF ALIBI CANNABIS

BYWARREN BOBROW 04/20/2022

Here was my pitch. I included it here because the framework for this intriguing piece is in the pitch, a beautifully written one, I must add. Thank you, my friend, for sending this my way, appreciated deeply.

Hi Warren – Alibi Cannabis is about to announce its first line of premium pre-rolls curated for Oregon’s discerning cannabis consumer.

Made with 100% handcrafted flower, Alibi’s new Mariposa pre-rolls celebrate empowered, fierce females with the sexy NFT, Mariposa Takes Flight, on the packaging. (She is on their homepage!)

Alibi Cannabis is a woman-owned craft cannabis farm founded in 2017 by Marianne Cursetjee.

With an MBA and a high-powered tech career, Marianne did not expect to become a cannabis entrepreneur. Then she got cancer. Her career changed when a cannabis product eliminated the need for over ten drugs to combat side effects from chemo prescriptions. Marianne bought property in Oregon, started a cannabis farm, and became a cannabis expert. Alibi has earned recognition for growing some of the best flower in Oregon.

Can I interest you in speaking with Marianne about Alibi, the new pre-rolls, and her journey?

*YES*

Photo courtesy of Marianne Cursetjee

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about your inspiration for the brand? Where did the name come from? Is this your first cannabis venture?

Marianne Cursetjee, MBA, CEO and Cofounder of Alibi Cannabis: At Alibi, we imagine a beautiful place where you can be the best version of you. The joy that comes from cannabis enhances our relationships, our bodies, and our spirits. The word “Alibi” is simple, but the idea can be whatever you dream. We hope people take a moment, enjoy the smoke, and look for the beauty around them.

We bought the land for our cannabis farm when I was just finishing up treatment for breast cancer. I had a vision of building a fabulous weed farm. Now, here we are seven years later, thriving in a tough market and looking forward to continued growth. The business has grown from an idea to a commercial-scale craft farm with a compelling story and beautiful imagery.

WB: Who is your mentor? When did you discover cannabis? How old were you? What are your six and twelve-month goals?

MC: I was raised in a very conservative Christian environment, so cannabis was not part of the culture. I was 45 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Going through chemotherapy and radiation, managing side effects is a whole cascade of pharmaceuticals. A friend gave me some cannabis and said that it might help with nausea and pain. It was amazing! I was able to eliminate a whole host of pharmaceuticals and replace them with just cannabis. My dad is currently battling brain cancer, and I’m giving him cannabis to help with that. He tells me his head is all whirly, and some nice 1:1 chocolates make him feel better. Love that the industry is now better able to support those in medical need and also those who just love how cannabis makes them feel.

Our goals for the business are continued growth, more unique cultivars, and delivering amazing quality cannabis products. Having grown in Oregon since 2017, we’ve learned that Oregonians are weed connoisseurs constantly looking for new and unique products and flavors.

Our signature branding, “Mariposa Takes Flight,” is based

Photo courtesy of Marianne Cursetjee

on an NFT we purchased. Figuring out how to utilize blockchain, NFT’s and the metaverse in cannabis is an exciting new frontier.

We just launched Mariposa pre-rolls to celebrate empowered, edgy females with the sexy NFT on the packaging. Made with 100% handcrafted indoor flower, the pre-rolls have received rave reviews. We are in discussions to launch this brand into other states and plan to introduce a line of gummies soon in Oregon. I’m pleased that we have found some fabulous companies to collaborate with. Also, this year, we are launching a merch shop featuring Mariposa. Look for amazing merchandise over the coming few months at Alibi.shop

WB: What kind of obstacles do you face? How do you anticipate removing these obstacles?

MC: We face the challenges common to all cannabis companies, such as restrictions on marketing and advertising, limited tax deductions, and the high cost of regulatory compliance. The challenges specific to us are a flourishing unregulated market and an oversupply of product in the regulated market. It has been said that if you can survive Oregon, you can survive anywhere!

We are known for our top-shelf handcrafted flower. We will continue with new genetics and improved quality while also looking at more products and new states. There are so many opportunities available across the US; finding the right partners is key to long-term success.

WB: What is your favorite food to savor when you have smoked Alibi minis? Do you have a favorite restaurant? What is the name? Where? Indoor or outdoor-grown cannabis? Why?

MC: Portland is such a food haven! So many good things to eat! If I’m trolling for munchies at home, I love Bordeaux Cherry Balsamic vinegar on vanilla ice cream. Sweet and sour, oh my! Seriously, it’s totally the bomb! Our Lava Cake cultivar is really a heavy munchie strain, so stock up before you toke. For restaurants, I love Thai and Indian, but my favorite restaurant in Portland is a Lebanese restaurant called Nicholas. Their baba ghanoush, cauliflower, caramelized onions, yum! Spicy food really goes well with our GMO Glue cultivar — it’s a totally old-school hitter with garlic notes.

For cannabis, I like the consistency and freshness of indoor flower. I’m a little bit spoiled since we grow such amazing weed at our farm. I like knowing that what I’m smoking is fresh and clean. When you buy your bud at dispensaries, look at the harvest date. I’m surprised how much old stuff is on the shelf. Look for something harvested within the last 2 or 3 months. Older than that, and it just isn’t quite as nice. Get to know the farms and their growing practices and ethics.

Photos courtesy of Marianne Cursetjee

WB: What is your passion?

MC: So many things! I love training Krav Maga. I started training when I was going through chemotherapy. It’s great physical exercise, and the “never give up” mentality is huge. Feeling and being strong physically is wonderful. Of course, Covid took a toll on my training, but I’m back in the gym now and kicking ass! I also love scuba diving. Diving is an activity my daughter and I do together. We just got back from diving in Mexico. The world under the sea is so amazing! We have seen strange creatures in the water, but my favorite is the mantis shrimp. It’s a bizarre creature with some freaky traits. You can read more about this underwater nightmare at https://theoatmeal.com/comics/mantis_shrimp.

What brings me real joy is knowing that my efforts at work and in the community are improving lives. Alibi is founded on the philosophy of doing the right thing. We treat our customers, vendors, and employees right.

The last couple of years have been really rough, and it’s important to find the little things that can change the day from gloomy to bright. This is the essence of Alibi’s Mariposa line — find the beauty, take a moment, appreciate life. What’s your Alibi?

WB: I love your flowers, as they are smiles in every pull. The GMO Glue is true to the name with aromatics of freshly raked loam, orange oil, dried morel mushrooms, and shavings of bitter chocolate. The high comes into view, right in front of my forehead, offering pain relief and optimism; a talkative conversation ensues into deeply relaxing metaphors for sleep and renewal. Lucky is the person who will enjoy such evocative experiences. Oregon offers that in their wines and their cannabis. The taste of the place, the terroir- it sets Oregon into a realm of conscious cannabis.

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/five-gratifying-questions-with-marianne-cursetjee-mba-ceo-and-cofounder-of-alibi-cannabis/?v=f24485ae434a
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Events Klaus Klaus Apothicaire

Renewal Summit 2022

https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/

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Klaus Klaus Apothicaire

The Design Milk Twenty for 420 Roundup

The Design Milk Twenty for 420 Roundup

Klaus Mezzrole
Many cannabis-infused beverages taste like they were concocted by someone who has never tasted a proper cocktail in their life. Thankfully Klaus tapped the skills of acclaimed mixologist Warren Bobrow, aka the Cocktail Whisperer, to infuse a piquant punch of ginger with zesty lime with rice vinegar, resulting in an adult-quality drink with 10mg THC and < 1mg CBD THC per can.

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Articles Klaus Klaus Apothicaire

The Key to Combining Cannabis and Mixology? Remove the Booze.

Led by longtime drinks professionals, brands like MXXN and Klaus think THC can thrive in cocktail culture, sans the alcohol

The Kentucky Kickback is built from a THC-infused, no-booze spirit called MXXN. It's just one of the THC drinks coming from the mixology world.

The Kentucky Kickback is built from a THC-infused, no-booze, bourbon-like spirit called MXXN.MXXN

  • https://www.insidehook.com/article/booze/mixology-cannabis-thc-spirits-klaus-mxxn

BY KIRK MILLER

The worlds of THC and alcohol haven’t really crossed over, and to be honest, that’s probably for the best. Not all potentially buzzy experiences need to or should be intertwined.

But if you take away booze from that crossover while keeping the idea of mixology in place, suddenly the small but growing industry of bartender-friendly, cannabinoid-infused “spirits” and mixers makes more sense.

We’ve covered this meeting-of-minds before, although not specifically related to THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis. First there’s Flyers, a line of alcohol-free sparkling cannabis cocktails with full-spectrum CBD distillates that are crafted, in part, by award-winning mixologist Ivy Mix. Then there’s The Pathfinder Hemp & Root, a non-alcoholic “spirit” fermented and distilled from hemp; two of the three founders have extensive liquor brand experience, and the mixer works nicely in both boozy and non-boozy drinks. 

When I spoke with the founders of those drinks brands, they all suggested that THC-infused variations were on the way.

The first three bottles from MXXN, a THC-infused no-booze spirit
The first three bottles from MXXN.MXXN

One that’s already here? MXXN (pronounced “moon”). The BIPOC-founded brand claims to be the spirit industry’s first 1:1 non-alcoholic and THC-infused replacement for gin, tequila and bourbon. The company is led by Darnell Smith, a booze industry vet with over 15 years of experience at Diageo, Pernod Ricard and Bacardi. 

“I was working in the spirits industry in product innovation and found myself drinking more than I cared to due to the nature of the profession,” Smith tells InsideHook. “I was looking for a way to cut back on alcohol but still take part in the social aspects associated with drinking and cocktail culture. And I had been a consumer of cannabis for chronic pain after 15 years as a football player and would make my own tinctures at home, so I started bringing the tinctures out to social events, ordering a tonic and lime and putting a few drops in. My wife encouraged me to find a way to bring the tincture and tonic idea to the public in some capacity.

MXXN’s website offers variations on well-known cocktails, although the proportions are interesting, given the idea that you’re getting about 6 mg of THC per 1.5 oz pour — an Old Fashioned riff, for example, suggests a very small .75 oz measurement of MXXN’s Kentucky Oak, as opposed to a standard 2 oz pour if you were using a regular bourbon.

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We were recently able to try MXXN Jalisco Agave (the drink is available in California and direct-to-consumer in a few markets). It’s a cloudy, straw-colored liquid with grassy and floral notes. On the palate, it’s soft but also spicy and with a pronounced salinity — it’s not offensive on its own, but it feels much better suited for a cocktail. I turned my initial small pour into a very nice Paloma alternative, which lacked the usual alcohol “kick” but maintained the essence of agave and heightened the grapefruit notes (while also a touch of spice). 

I’m not alone in my thoughts on how the product mixes. “When we started MXXN, we were trying to emulate the tastes of spirits in standalone form,” explains Smith, who also notes that bartenders were consistently giving feedback during the product’s formulation. “But we found it to be extremely difficult to find a substitute for the specific flavor and profile ethanol provides in that form, so we pivoted a bit to create a product that emulates the base flavor profiles of these spirits when mixed in a cocktail with other ingredients.

The recipe wasn’t an easy process. In the brand’s early stages, the technology wasn’t there to get the THC evenly distributed throughout the base formula (“Which for dosing reasons was an obvious problem,” Smith notes). They eventually utilized nanoemulsion technology from Vertosa to solve that problem, but the company also had to finalize the flavor profile and make the product shelf-stable, which proved more difficult to do without alcohol while still utilizing natural ingredients. 

In the end, Smith thinks products like MXXN will appeal to the health-conscious (and non-boozy drinkers), but also believes they offer real potential to unite the worlds of drinks and cannabis.

“We’re not here to completely replace your booze or how you consume it,” he says. “We’re here to provide a new experience and evolve cocktail culture.”

The first release from Klaus, a THC-infused canned cocktail with no booze
The first release from Klaus, a THC-infused canned cocktail with no booze.Klaus

Klaus takes a different approach. And that involves a gnome.

Just launched, Klaus is a ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail in a can, albeit with a “10 mg terpene-forward cannabis emulsion per drink” as opposed to a boozy ABV. These were crafted by popular mixologist Warren Bobrow, who credits…well, I’ll have him explain.

“The inspiration for my product, funnily enough, was my drinking gnome named Klaus,” says Bobrow. “Klaus traveled the world with me in my prior career in liquor sales. He also came with me to competitions where I served as a rum judge for both the Ministry of Rum and the Florida-based Rum XP.” (That association explains the launch of Klaus with Mezzrole, a take on the classic Ti’ Punch.)

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As Bobrow remembers, he was signing copies of his drinks guide Bitters and Shrub Syrup Cocktails at the Pharmacy Museum when noticed an exhibit named “Cannabis in the Early Apothecary,” which led to an idea for his next book, Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails and Tonics. And the success of that book led to the idea of creating a canned, THC-infused cocktail.

(Yes, but the actual gnome influence? “To me, Klaus is much more than just a German drinking gnome. He represents goodness, kindness and the amalgamation of my life experiences. Sure, he loves to drink, but he’s recently switched over to my refreshing infused mocktails.”)

For Bobrow, it was not an issue emphasizing the cannabis aspects of his drink. “The ‘craft’ in craft cocktails isn’t always about the liquor. It’s the balance of the ingredients,” he says. “My Mezzrole cocktail — named for Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet’s friend and cannabis dealer, Mezz Mezzrow — has no alcohol, but it’s terpene-forward. It smells like a perfectly cured cannabis bud and provides consumers with a lovely, relaxing, talkative yet grounded feeling.” (It’s apparently also great for sleep. We’ll have samples soon to review.)

Unlike some of his peers, Bobrow feels THC is a versatile and somewhat enviable ingredient to work into mixed drinks.

“It can be flavored with terpenes as an adjunct to the other fine ingredients in a craft cocktail, or it can be flavorless and woven into a seltzer,” he says. “To me, the process is not challenging because cannabis possesses terroir. The plant embodies the taste of the place it was grown, like wine, except there are perhaps even more terpenes in cannabis than wine.”

As for serving suggestions, Klaus’s drinks — which will soon include a riff on the Tiki classic Zombie — only have 16 calories and 0.6 grams of sugar per can; each of those 8 oz cans features 10 mg THC, which Bobrow estimates is perfect for two drinks and a nice mental middle ground. “We’re somewhere between a microdose and the opposite end where the effects are a little too strong.”

Even if their approaches (and taste profiles) differ, Bobrow and Smith share a similar audience expectation: health-conscious, social, open to a “buzz” but wanting to feel better in the next morning.

“Many folks in my former world of liquor struggle with alcohol, and several have already reached out to tell me how much this beverage means to them,” says Bobrow. “Alcohol and cannabis provide different experiences. I feel out of control when drinking liquor, and I think a lot of people can relate. But I’m not here to preach. I’m here to make the world’s best craft cannabis libations and raise the bar.”