Warren Bobrow=WB: What is your interest In cannabis? What brought you to this place? Tell me please, what you are working on now?
Category: Interviews
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANDREW DEANGELO.
Cannabis industry pioneer Andrew DeAngelo, like his brother Steve, is a visionary leader. And, that’s what the world needs more than anything right now, strong leaders like Andrew and Steve to help shepherd us through these trying coronavirus times. After 37 years of working in the cannabis industry, Andrew has learned a few things about navigating crisis and was kind enough to share insight on the topic:
“People need cannabis when they are in crisis more than when they are not. I’ve always sold more weed in times of distress.”
I had the honor of meeting Tucky through a mutual friend a couple months ago- thank you. This fortuitous meeting, when times were different- only a couple months ago, led to a visit to blunt & moore in Oakland, California, back in December. I’m deeply impressed by Tucky and his family business. He speaks with deep honesty and from his heart. I know what he is successful doing, my path isn’t that far from his experience, just the names were changed to protect the guilty, or was I innocent? Probably not, but I grew up on a farm in New Jersey, really far from the inner city. My friends were only smoking the good stuff because I got it out in California, from friends in the know. Otherwise we’d have been smoking Mexican rag weed with paraquat or worse! When I tasted what Tucky was doing with his flowers, it brought me back to the time, way back into time. And without having to say a word, I knew he understood that I understood. It’s a language and a Tao of what is known and what cannabis does to the richly initiated. It opens their minds and heals the body. Great cannabis does that for me, thus my meeting with Tucky. It was just meant to be. I’m the one who can learn so much from such a interesting man.
WB: Please tell me about yourself?
John Bayes=JB: I’ll start with genetics, a bit of youth, then make a go from there. I’m a 1/2 Korean 1/2 white(Irish/Scottish/German) military brat, that moved every couple years or so. Which, was a little rough, but “it’s character building” they said. Generally teetering between being a scrappy inquisitive loner or having a really close friend or two when things were good. From an early age I was always intrigued spiritually, at the same time extremely mischievous and hard to contain. I’ve wanted to be a youth pastor, as well as wanting to go into the special forces. At around 18, I started regularly smoking herb, and soon to follow, randomly experimenting with psychedelics, then less randomly and more frequently. Getting more comfortable, bad trip here and there, ultimately helping me realize the military might not be the best future for my karma. At around the same time, think it was 97-98’ I moved back to Eugene from Georgia. Luckily my love of cannabis and Eugene seemed to go hand in hand. The culture here held good herb higher than most anything, quality genetics and entheogens were embedding in the community, almost as a way of life.
I’m a massive fan of the edible line named Satori, one of the several brands of cannabis products created by CannaCraft — all of their products are made with love in California. The business of edibles has far evolved from when I was making pot brownies in prep school in New Jersey back in the 1970s. I do remember chewing on stems, and it was not very pleasant…especially the first time I took too much in the form of a Hippie Cookie. I was floored! Fast forward to the gourmet edibles of today where the chefs in the kitchen have studied pastry in culinary school or are self-taught and “highly” inspired by fine French desserts. Whatever their inspiration, the story of great edibles are to be savored, one bite at a time. And like the finest dinner, dessert should not be an afterthought with regard to infused sweets. CannaCraft makes this job really easy to enjoy. Every bite brings a smile.
Warren Bobrow=WB: Why Cannabis? What did you want to be when you (were younger) grew up? Who is your mentor? Indoor or outdoor grown? Why?
JESSICA LEHRMAN
I had the great, good fortune to make a friendship with some dyed in the wool New York City B-Boy kids who are well on their way to making it big in life. What they do for a “living” is work in the legal cannabis industry within their alternate universe known as “Talking Terps”. Music, cannabis and Talking Terps? What do they have to do with each other? Should you be in the place and time to know what Talking Terps are, and more importantly what they represent, please read on. I was pleasantly surprised as to their maturity and their deep knowledge of the universe. Through Talking Terps, a wheel of discovery spins opposite of what we all know is going forward. You move forward and then back, expansion and retraction. To me, this represents the balance of the universe. To truly succeed in life one needs to push forward and then retract, then move forward again. Exactly what Talking Terps are all about. Confusing? Not at all. Hard work is the engine of success. Thank you friends, you did it your way. Through hard work and fortitude.
WB: Erica, please tell me about yourself? What is your inspiration to our plant? I understand your son has been helped by the healing component of cannabis? Please tell me about this?
Erica Daniels=ED:I am an activist, entrepreneur, author, healthy cook, loud music lover, community educator and mother. After my son was diagnosed in 2007, my life changed and gained new purpose. Since, I have focused on research, education and advocacy of natural health treatments for autism.
NATALIE MEADOWS
Warren Bobrow=WB: Tell me about your company? Who is your inspiration? Do you have a mentor(s)? Who are they?
TM = Troy Meadows: The Legion of Bloom is a values-driven company founded by myself and four of my long-time friends and partners in advocating for cannabis. As established cultivators in the medical market, we started the LEGION with the ethos to craft unique cannabis experiences that we would be proud to share with our friends and families.
Credit: Yobi
Warren Bobrow=WB: Where are you from? Why cannabis? What is your background in technology? What are the highlights so far?
Jeremy O’Keefe=JO: I was born in Ohio and spent almost a decade in the military, so I’ve lived in all regions of the USA. I served in the Air Force as an electronic warfare technician and after I transitioned to civilian life, I decided to use my G.I. Bill to pursue a computer science degree from UNLV. I’ve been in the desert ever since!