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5 Questions Skunk Magazine

NECTARBALL: THE HISTORY OF CANNABIS, A BRILLIANT DOCUMENTARY

When I eMet Patty on the interwebs, we were discussing trees, specifically ancient oak trees. We started talking about the plant—not the oak tree—and the way that it heals many ills. As ironic as it may sound, the lives of creative people find themselves in the company of other creatives because of the social lubricant known as cannabis. I was immediately taken by the passion and compassion that Patty has for the plant, and I wanted to get a read on what creative things she and her husband, Mark, are working on. And how I could help them get the word out on their documentary film, Nectarball: The Story of Cannabis.

Ah… Here goes!

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? Now? What do you do?

Patty Mooney: Mark Schulze and I are originally from the Midwest but have lived in San Diego since 1970 (Mark) and 1977 (Patty). We met on Valentine’s Day in 1982 and have been sharing adventures together ever since. We own and operate San Diego’s longest-serving video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions (est. 1981 by Mark). Another company of ours is New & Unique Videos (est. 1985), a producer and distributor of educational special-interest titles.
Our latest project is a documentary called “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis.”

cannabis world news media promo poster for Necterball: The Story of Cannabis documentary
Photo credit: Mark Schulze and Patty Mooney

Warren Bobrow: You mentioned filmmaking. Documentary filmmaking. A soft spot for me with a film degree from Emerson. Please tell me about what you have been working on. What is it about documentary film that evokes such emotion?

Patty Mooney: Mark and I produced the first educational videos of their genre back in the 1980s. As video production gear was super expensive, only a few brave souls – like us – invested in themselves and their ideas. we pioneered videos like “Massage for Relaxation” (1985), “The Great Mountain Biking Video” (1987), “The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans” (2008), and several others. One of our earliest titles, “California Big Hunks” (1985), mystifyingly enough (to us) has earned cult status via appearances on Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Whose Line is it Anyway? And RedLetterMedia’s “Best of the Worst: Black Spine Edition #3,” which has now been seen by over 3.1 million viewers.

Our titles were successful because they were new and unique (thus, the name “New & Unique Videos”), and people were beginning to establish their personal VHS video libraries. In the late 1990s, as VHS sales began to wane, Mark and I returned to our earlier business model, shooting and producing video for corporate and broadcast clients.

All these decades of producing videos for Fortune 500 companies and shows like Inside Edition, Extra, Oprah, etc., have led us to now; the production of our latest documentary, “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis,” featuring 52 cannabis luminaries (out of 165 interviewees). We traveled around the world to meet and interview them over a seven-year period. We went to North and South America, Europe, and South Africa. We asked all the questions we could think of regarding cannabis as medicine, building materials, food, and more. We received some important answers from people like Tommy Chong, Steve DeAngelo, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Nurse Heather Sobel, RN, and so many more. The documentary is structured so that the interviewees tell the story of cannabis from its history, through prohibition, to now and the future, as we focus on the medicinal capabilities, usages, and effects of the plant on the human body. What is it about documentaries that evoke such emotion? People telling the truth from their perspective, reflecting the reality of the moment without embellishment.

Warren Bobrow: What is the topic? How long does it run? What is the premise?

Patty Mooney: The topic is Cannabis. “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis” is 82 minutes long. It’s jam-packed with the wisdom of many. You can imagine that the state of Cannabis legalization varies from country to country and city to city. It has been interesting to check in on places where the plant has been freed and what some of the results are. For instance, in states where cannabis has been legalized for “Adult Use,” both opioid use and alcohol use have gone DOWN. Nobody wants to be comatose from opioids. The option of a gentle plant medicine to maintain and possibly arrest diseases such as arthritis, seizures, and cancer is a welcome idea, especially for seniors like us. It’s just a bit scary for older folks to let go of the stigma that has been pounded into their heads for most, if not all, their lives since the 1930s.

While in South Africa, we visited several social clubs where cannabis is the social lubricant that attracts a “mixed salad” of people with varied skin tones. Cannabis was decriminalized there in 2018 for personal use. You must be a member to enter these social clubs. Some of the most potent weed we have ever imbibed was at The Pottery in Port Elizabeth (now renamed Gqeberha), South Africa.

It was amazing to visit the Montevideo Cannabis Museum in Uruguay. It was the first country to legalize cannabis, abortion, and gay marriage. Ergo, Uruguay is far more progressive than the USA.

Warren Bobrow: Do you have a mentor? Who? And who taught you the craft of filmmaking? What about cannabis? What does outdoor cannabis represent to you?

Patty Mooney: Mark gained his video production education at UCSD, majoring in Communications and Sociology. Both Tommy Chong and Rich “Cheech” Marin were mentors to him during the 1970s when the comedy duo frequently appeared at The Comedy Club in La Jolla. Mark would hang out with them at the age of 20, bringing them “offerings” of Nectarball (what he named the sativa cultivar he grew back then). One time Mark shared a photo of a tall, girthy bud. Cheech quipped, “The plant that ate Chicago!” The cannabis plants appearing in Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie were modeled after Mark’s Nectarball plants.

When Mark and I first met at La Paloma Theater on Valentine’s Day 1982, I was about to appear as a singer in the chorus in a play entitled “Pandora or If Transformation is Supposed to be So Much Fun, Why Am I Gritting My Teeth?” There was only one performance to benefit The Hunger Project. Mark was setting up a video camera to videotape the show from the balcony. I was curious about his camera and walked over to meet him. I’d only seen one other VHS camera before. But with a mother who filmed every milestone moment of our family of eight on a Hi8 camera my dad had won from his sales prowess as a Chrysler Midwest district sales manager, I already knew I loved the medium. And what an entrée to “the business.” Beginning there and then, Mark began mentoring me in the video realm. And when I look back on that moment, I realize that our desire to perform philanthropic deeds throughout our life together began to bud then.

Several beloved and wise people have mentored us. Gina Powell has been a mother to us for decades. Her husband was Robert Powell (also a mentor), author of inspirational philosophical books including “The Blissful Life.” Recently, Keiko Beatie and John Salley, both of whom appear in the video sharing their wisdom, have been mentoring us.

Filmmaking was in its infancy when we first began producing, shooting, and editing video. There were a few manuals we consumed, including The Television Production Handbook by Herbert Zettl (now in its 12th edition). The first edition was printed in 1976, and that’s the one we used. Many we learned by doing. I am a proud graduate of the “Get Thrown to the Wolves” school of video production. On my very first gig as an audio mixer at the San Diego Comic Con, I bopped Lucy Liu on the top of her head with the boom pole. My life flashed in front of my eyes; my career ended before it began! “Oh, I am so sorry, Ms. Liu!” “Don’t worry about it!” she said. What a sweetie. Outdoor cannabis represents many things. Back in the 1970s, when Mark grew cannabis in various locations, there was always a chance that he could get busted by police, taken away in cuffs, and possibly losing home and livelihood. It was bad. Our Green Closet confinement continued into the 1980s. A thief with designs to steal Mark’s Nectarball Collection of buds he had collected since 1972 held us at gunpoint. (He did not get away with the collection.) I was once arrested by two roving cops on bicycles at the beach while I was sitting on the beach wall having a puff. They rifled through my butt pouch and found – gasp!!! – a bud in a film can. For that horrific crime, I was fined $100 (a lot of money back then.) Now, outdoor cannabis represents the freedom to grow a plant in your own backyard and use it for medicine AND as a social lubricant. Why not both? The scent of lolling, crystal-embedded buds near harvest time is so amazing. It’s all about the terpenes, man!

cannabis world news media image of Mark Schulze and Patty with Tommy ChongMooney
Photo credit: Mark Schulze and Patty Mooney

Warren Bobrow: What is your passion?

Patty Mooney: It’s nice that we share various passions since they aid in the enjoyment of life. Of course, cannabis is a big one. It’s the cornerstone of good health for us. Next comes mountain biking. We have been mountain biking together since 1986. Less than a year later, we got married with our mountain bikes in the local mountains of San Diego and even began racing for a while. We still ride together. Patty won first place in the Sagebrush Safari 20-mile race this past year in the women’s category at the age of 68. Mark came in second in his category. It’s a sport that takes us out deep into nature, where we can reach places of beauty. As often as possible, we ride to the “Wedding Spot,” lay out a blanket next to a spring-fed stream, share a bottle of wine and have a puff, watch the dragonflies and the butterflies, and enjoy the shade of an ancient old oak and a 120-foot pine tree. Travel adventures are so much fun. We don’t have children or pets, so we can fly away at a moment’s notice.

We have a passion for video production, aka filmmaking. A filmmaker can create a movie that touches, educates, and moves people you may never meet. And that is exactly what we hope to do with our film, “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis.” We want people to understand the kinds of tools for the improvement of their health that are available to them. We want to eradicate the stigma about the plant. We want to help the world be a better place for all of us to live a “high-quality life.”

The film will enjoy its live virtual World Premiere on October 20, 2023, beginning at 6:30 PM (PT), when people can gather, enjoy a beverage, and smoke a bowl in the comfort of their homes. The 82-minute show begins at 7:30 PM, and then we’ll have a Q&A with special guests, including John Salley, Nurse Heather, and Keiko Beatie. Tickets for this exclusive showing are limited to the first 500 people who sign up and are going fast. So, purchase your tickets before it’s too late!

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WARREN BOBROW 

Warren Bobrow has been a dishwasher, the owner of the first company to make fresh pasta in South Carolina , a television engineer and he even worked at Danceteria in NYC, then a trained chef which led to a twenty year career in private banking. A cannabis, wine and travel aficionado, Warren is a former rum judge and craft spirits national brand ambassador. He works full time in the cannabis business as an alchemist/journalist. Cocktailwhisperer.com Drinkklaus.com Instagram: warrenbobrow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Bobrow

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5 Questions Articles Interviews Reviews Skunk Magazine Tasting Notes

ONLY BRILLIANCE FROM BIG ED: TASTING NOTES AND FIVE QUESTIONS

Mutual friends, (Down to Fade) introduced me to Big Ed by laying a “mylar” of his magical flowers on me over the fourth of July weekend. I opened the packet up and the terpenes burst into my workroom, filling the air with spices and smiles. This wasn’t your typical NYC/Washington Square Street weed; it was something much more sophisticated and exhilarating. Something that caught me unaware and therefore tasting notes were certainly in order. Some really fine smoke here which immediately took me down a rabbit-hole. Similar to Big Ed, my tolerance levels deserve a tolerance break, maybe someday down the line… But the sample of GottiGirl is definitely calling my name.

cannabis world news product reviews promos closeup of crystal laden bud

Tasting Notes for GottiGirl, by: Warren Bobrow

Appearance: Sitting in front of me, I have a little nug of the GottiGirl. The curing is gorgeous. Moist and compact, colorful, and tinged with fluorescent green splashes and orange threads. Crystalline in nature, the oils from the flower ooze to the surface in tightly wound rivulets of black to bright green. Diamonds of resin capture my imagination and bring me a knowing smile. Sure, I have a really high tolerance, but GottiGirl smashed that one out of the park. This is definitely cannabis for the well “seasoned” smoker. Something that you can smell all over the backyard, even on a windy day. Wow. Impressive.

Nose: Spicy notes of cardamom bitters, brown butter-soaked hoecakes, caramelized quince and snippets of tarragon scattered over the top.

Palate: This is perfectly geared to my wine conscious palate with richly textured smoke that fills my mouth with droplets of Barrell Bourbon, a quality, not quantity-like alacrity.

Finish/Stone: Because of the masterful curing, I’m not compelled to cough, not even a tiny bit, nice work. Part of this is the pipe that I selected for the tasting. A 503 Liberty glass piece that has special meaning for me because the former owner is now gone and it gives off beautiful, healing energy of times past. I think it is important to resonate with glass smoking implements. Especially ones with so much craftsmanship, just like the craft cannabis held within.

GottiGirl works her magic through the implementation of vitality and passion.

cannabis world news product reviews promos closeup of silver green bud

Tasting Notes for GaryPayton x FishScale

Nose: David Austin old garden roses, dew-drop,peach scented with beads of sweet cream and Jersey “late-summer” corn pudding. Crushed peppercorn, Incendiary Thai chilies, orange zest and brown butter come into view. Snipped field grass in the back of my throat. Good stuff!

Palate: Texture of freshly turned loam, sod grass, husked corn and droplets of kerosene and hot, synthetic motor oil. (In a good way). Each hit is met, not with resistance- but with calm acceptance of your fate. And that would be the desire to take another, and then another. Similar to the art of drinking a Ti Punch. A vexing amalgamation of Rum, Demerara sugar, and lime. It’s all in there. I taste it still. And I haven’t had a drink in five years.

Finish/Stone: There I go again, down the rabbit hole. With Instagram next to me on my phone, it’s only the pang of hunger that says get back to work and finish these tasting notes. The finish is gassy on the nose, and it jumps like a gazelle across my whatever is left of my mind like your expensive fishpond koi attempting an escape from that errant, hungry racoon. Cannabis like this is the good stuff and great fun for my mind. It stimulates intellectualism and makes me want to reinvent the lightbulb. Ok, maybe not the lightbulb, but it’s been a long time (ok, about a week) since I’ve had so much fun writing!

Thank you, Big Ed, for the inspiration.

cannabis world news product reviews promos Big Smoked logo with bulldog smoking blunt

Warren: Please tell me about your relationship with the plant? When did you discover it? Who were you with? What strain?

Big Ed: I first tried cannabis in 1991 I was 11years old at the time. Cannabis being smoke around me was normal. My older cousin who was 21 at the time let me hit his joint. Back then most of the cannabis around was Mexican brick weed.

Warren: When you smoke, what is your favorite strain? Why?

Big Ed: Right now, my favorite strain is GottiGirl. I like it because I hunted through about 60 seeds to find it, and from the first time I smoked it until now it still tastes the same and have the same effects. My tolerance levels are sky high, so I usually know by the second pull if it’s a keeper. It’s a cross of BlueGotti (by Backpack Boys) x SHORTiER by FrostyMcNosty & Miracop. I believe SHORTiER is a LemonTree and Gelato cross he said. It also tested at 29% THC and 5% terpenes. Any tips I can give is if you have the space, and you want to find the best of the best you’ll have to run the whole pack of seeds. Also, patience I have discarded more plants than I have kept looking for a unicorn.

Warren: What makes your product different, therefore better? Do you admire the work of others? Who?

Big Ed: I believe my love for the plant makes my product better. A lot of people get into cannabis for money. I actually love this plant and want to share my love of it with the world. The best way to do that is produce high quality flower. I also realized that fresh cannabis is the best cannabis. I had a grower tell me cannabis is not like wine it doesn’t get better with age, and then he gave me some flower that he just finished curing and that was my first time smoking fresh cannabis. It was a game changer I was like damn so this what I’ve been missing. So, my goal is to give people the freshest cannabis possible. I admire Frosty McNosty he’s a real down to earth guy, and he really looked out for me when he asked me to test some seeds for him. That how I found GottiGirl. I also want to give credit to Dave the head grower at LOWD in Portland Oregon. He was the one who told me about Cannabis not being like wine and most people smoke old cannabis. He also really lit the spark for me to grow. He told me to go for it if it was something I was serious about.

Warren: What are your six and twelve-month goals?

Big Ed: My 6-month goal is to finish up this pheno hunt I’m doing it’s another 60 seed hunt I’m doing for MiraCrop. I also have some crosses I made I’m growing out now. Hopefully I can find something nice for the 2024. Over the next 12 months I hope to expand my grow and network more with like-minded individuals who care about quality and care giving, over quantity and profit.

Warren: What is your passion?

Big Ed: Growing and sharing cannabis is my passion. The look on a person face when you give them some top-quality cannabis and their reaction is priceless. This plant been a part of my life for over 30 years. Cannabis was used to bring people together, and to this day it still does. I have met people I would probably have never talked to over a joint or bong rip. When I think of cannabis, I think of the hippies in the 60’s & 70’s and how they were preaching peace, love, & happiness. That’s what I want to bring back to the cannabis industry. I just recently left the teaching field after 15 years to concentrate on building my brand and growing cannabis. It was a tough decision, but I felt if I didn’t try, I would regret it. I also know when I lock in on something I’m focused and with my 30 years of smoking, selling, & just being around cannabis I could do it. I read my first High Times magazine when I was 12 my uncle had a subscription. I was enamored by the photos and the articles about cannabis. When I was in college that was when my taste buds and standards changed for the cannabis, I smoked. It was a lot more indoor flower available and Purple Haze, Sour Diesel, and Blueberry was heavy on the east coast early 2000’s it was costly but worth it. I started growing during the pandemic. I was working from home, and felt I had the time to do it. My state also was about to come online with decriminalizing marijuana. It was like the stars were getting aligned for me to grow. Once I started, I was hooked (on growing). I started off with one tent and now 8 tents later I still want more!!!

Photo with 503 Liberty Pipe: Warren Bobrow
All other photos: Courtesy Big Ed

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5 Questions Articles Skunk Magazine

GETTING GRANULAR IN FIVE QUESTIONS: TIMELESS FOUNDER ROCKY HUANG


I love to see great marketing in action. But the product at hand cannot be just a pretty picture and nothing behind it. The inside is just as important as the outside!
The fine extractions utilized by cannabis superstar; Rocky Huang are just that. Gourmet extractions and augmented pre-rolls, all fabricated with passion.

It’s important, actually vital, for any “gourmet” cannabis company to set itself apart from its peers in the industry of the plant. I love creativity, and I’ve been known to enjoy a vape cart from time to time. They certainly make the art and science of cannabis easier to enjoy because they don’t shout- I’m smoking a joint. This is especially important around people who eschew the scent of cannabis in a public place. The creative side of the equation is the artistic slant of the product. I dig it. Maybe someday I can taste their infused flower? They have to be good to stand out in the marketplace.

Let me be the first to tell you that Timeless is classic old-school piquancy enrobed in a richly modern ethos.

cannabis world news interviews Rocky Huang sitting in chair
Photo Credit: Timeless

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? When did you discover cannabis? Why cannabis?

Rocky Huang: I was born in San Francisco and grew up in Arizona and was introduced to cannabis in 1994 through smoking recreationally with friends. From there, I consumed frequently throughout high school and college. When I went to college at the University of Arizona, I met friends with family in Humboldt, CA, and Portland, OR. I was fortunate to be introduced to the deep legacy of cannabis culture. With the relationships I cultivated, I was taught how to extract cannabis oil and fill vape cartridges in 2011.

cannabis world news interviews three packages of Tumble Cannabis
Photo Credit: Timeless

WB: Please tell me about your business. What’s the inspiration behind your company name?

RH: The Timeless brand was started in 2011 initially as a streetwear clothing company. While clothing & accessories were the primary focus, we learned that the most important part of the business was the culture surrounding the industry. Cannabis was an intricate part of the culture, so naturally, it became part of the brand, so when Arizona legalized in 2012, we transitioned the core business to cannabis. When we first transitioned, we believed that consumers would eventually want to be associated with a brand that they could resonate with. In the beginning, the industry had challenges just keeping products on the shelf, so we had to strategically balance brand-building and consistently supply our dispensary partners. Today, Timeless provides leading cannabis packaged goods to licensed dispensaries in AZ, CA, OH, MO, and OK. We stay focused on providing quality products and cultivating strong relationships with our partners and customers, so we believe we are positioned well in a constantly evolving industry.

WB: What kind of products do you produce? What sets you apart from your peers?

RH: Timeless is now the parent company of multiple high-quality cannabis brands offering options for every type of consumer, including Timeless Vapes (distillate), NOIR (live resin), Joilo pre-rolls in CA, and Tumble THCA diamond infused-pre rolls in AZ. Soon we’ll be launching live rosin vapes in AZ as well. We believe the combination of quality products, multiple product offerings, consistent community engagement specific to each market, and superior customer service from our dispensary partners sets us apart from our peers. Community is a key pillar of our company, and we recognize that marketing resonates differently in each region, so we cater our offerings accordingly, whether it be products or activations. Right now, we’re gearing up for our Timeless Summer Road Trip, where we’ll be hitting each market with special product drops and fun things to do, like our partnerships with the Venice Basketball League in LA and Terp Float in Oklahoma.

cannabis world news interviews packaging for Timeless vape pens
Photo Credit: Timeless

WB: What are your six and twelve-month goals?

RH: We plan on opening in 2 more territories in the next six months and an additional 2-3 within 12 months. In that timespan, we’ll also release more collaborations from our Artist Legacy Program, developed to support creatives and provide them with a canvas through cannabis. Recently we’ve partnered with artists including Skinner, Tatiana Suarez, John Malta, and APEXER on limited-edition vape flip cases and battery combos from the Timeless Vapes brand.

WB: What is your passion? What is your favorite place in the world to visit?

RH: I personally enjoy spending time with my family, playing basketball, and golfing with peers and friends. My favorite place to visit is Florence, Italy.

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Reviews Skunk Magazine Tasting Notes

BOMBATTA “NERVE GAS” TASTING NOTES AND COMMENTARY

Second in a series of tasting notes and effects for Bombatta Premium Cannabis Flowers… I’ll keep reviewing them as I receive them. Each one has amazing sense of place and time in the cannabis universe. The mesmerizing physical effects of each strain have blown me away.

This was named Nerve Gas, and it’s deliciously named. I’m very aware of my third eye with each toke.

Sitting in front of me is a glass container with a curious lid. Popping open the substantial magnetic top, I discovered a clever little perk. A built-in grinder. Not a cheap item- this one possesses large, extremely tactile prongs that will gently break up the perfectly cured, pungent nugs contained just within.

Cannabis of this quality offers more than just beauty and convenience; it encapsulates the emotion of cannabis as more than a passing metaphor. Cannabis can be a multitude of things to many people. I find it deeply personal. It unlocks my creative side, which is buffered by my even more creative side. Two creative sides? Well, it’s true. Is there no other one that speaks to being “Adult” …. Cannabis again? Six books, mocktail and cocktail bar programs in California means logical agility. All from cannabis?
Yes.

Say it isn’t so for those who still believe that cannabis makes you an underachiever.

It’s true. This is zealously cerebral cannabis, and it works to make me more aware of the air surrounding me. This is such a vehicle for intellectualism, at least in my brain.

Perhaps I should discuss the flower at hand. Bombatta is the brand name, and it is just marvelous stuff. A nice sample of the Nerve Gas strain is punctuating my late morning.

Piquant in the nose, melting into freshly snipped French tarragon, scraped nutmeg, zesty Greek oregano, and finishing with dollops of both European petrol and crushed minerals down my throat- this cannabis is deeply bemusing, Even cracking open the jar for a quick sniff is a marvelous thing.

cannabis world news interviews commentary big cannabis bud next to container
Photo Credit: Warren Bobrow

What morsels await my lips and lungs? Read on.

Nerve Gas- The Marijuana Retail Report offers some clues to the lineage of this bemusing strain. They say that it is Girl Scout Cookies and Chemdawg with Lemon Cherry Gelato. Usually, the effect of these strains represents sleepy time for me- but in a good way. Each represents a tangible metaphor, a feeling. When combined, they become “Nerve Gas,” which is weaving a fuzzy path through my brain right now.

What a gorgeous-looking flower as well.

Tinged with green and orange hairs, a good flash photo reveals deeper coloration of dark. What kind of dark? I’d have to crack open another nug, and I’m pretty stoned right now without the need to smoke any more—at least not this very minute— that might change in the coming moments.

Oh, cancel that. I just took a deep lung hit- no coughing ensued. This is cannabis of operatic quality. It sings to me of patience and intensity. Thank you to whoever crafted this luscious beast of a flower. If my twenty-one-year-old self could smoke cannabis of this quality- what I smoked back then was pretty good, don’t get me wrong- but this is other-level stuff entirely.

What could I have achieved with cannabis of this depth? Who knows. It’s really knowledgeable stuff. Thank you for growing it for my perusal. I’m very impressed.

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Interviews Skunk Magazine Tasting Notes

BLACK GIRL MAGIC OG- 1ST LADY OF THE WEST COAST- TASTING NOTES AND COMMENTARY

Iwant to talk to you about Oakland, the failed War on Drugs, and Black Girl Magic OG. Let’s step back in time, way back when I first tasted this unique strain developed exclusively for the 1st Lady of the West Coast.

In the beginning, I knew if I was going to write about the real OG, names were less important than the final product, and what a final product this is.

Dipping into the mylar bag, I’m greeted by a gassy, petrol-laced aroma that brings me in deeper into the terpenes. I inhale, and layers of aromatics reveal themselves amongst the perfectly cured nuggets.

The buds themselves are tightly compact and clearly show care in the trimming. No tumble to trim, cement mixers here. This is a time-consuming effort, and it is very evident in the care and quality. But what I do want to stress before I go into the tasting notes is the quality of the curing.

Curing:

So many boutique cannabis companies with the plethora of crafty scents and eye-boggling colors, but what Black Girl Magic OG offers is something deeper. It can only come from patience and time, humidity, and magic. Is this the magic in Black Girl OG? Perhaps this gourmet, craft cannabis is only part of the equation.

The Failed War on Drugs:

I grew up on a farm in New Jersey. How could I possibly understand what it means to be from Oakland, where the war on drugs and the deep stigmas are still in evidence today? I cannot, even though the stigmas against the plant certainly are similar. I empathize with the struggle of the plant having been placed into protective custody for cannabis, and I believe that it was unfairly exposed to a deeply corrupt drug court system based on fear and guilt, rather than championing the cannabis plant as healing and vital.

This experience changed me massively and led to my writing the book named Cannabis Cocktails in 2015. But getting back to Oakland, what a place. Something I’d never be able to comprehend because I grew up so sheltered from that life. Oh, don’t get me wrong for a second. I’ve been recently and seen it for myself. And although I know nothing at all about the struggle, It’s ironic and profound that the thing that connects us (the 1st Lady and me) is the plant herself. This experience is personified in each puff of Black Girl Magic OG.

Oakland:

Back in past-2010… I was a rum judge in Oakland for the Ministry of Rum. That Amtrak and freight train that runs down the middle of the street was particularly intriguing for me. But I didn’t wander around much or stray off the beaten path. People said it was probably not a good idea. I seek out authenticity and real food, real people. Never fast food. I want to eat at the source. I want to be back to experience the local food with a great guide and even better cannabis than I can ever imagine- or remember, like Black Girl Magic OG.

cannabis world news product review weed in yellow grinder
Photo: Warren Bobrow

Tasting Notes:

Nose:

Pools of dark bitter chocolate pastilles give way to European Diesel (petrol) and snipped dry-farmed herbs. This strain (Black Girl Magic OG) is curious and inquisitive about who smokes her and captures her magic. Cannabis of this level is distinctive, and it clearly smells like nothing else available. Quality speaks without saying a word.

Mouthfeel:

Enriching and mouth-filling, each drag on a bowl- I used my tried and true- Stonedware “purse-pipe” to achieve oneness with the universe. The experience of holding each hit in the mouth before inhaling deeper is a technique I learned in Belgium back in the 1970s. They usually rolled hashish in with strong Turkish tobacco with less quality cannabis- or no cannabis at all. But the technique of holding and tasting the fine herbs goes back millennia. Cannabis is the same way. I love to experience each hit as more than just a metaphor for getting high. What I want to experience is a Kodak snapshot of each inhalation—that specificity of the experience. Black Girl Magic OG offers this level of craft and passion in each hit. It’s truly uncanny!

Appearance:

Purple and toasty green with crystals and droplets of what is sticky to the touch. Each bud glistens like honey, and I half expected bees to come swarming by for a look-see. This is juicy cannabis that fires up cleanly without any coughing at all. Class Act!

Stone:

If you can imagine a cold and raw day- it’s been raining for weeks, and the wet seems to crawl right into you. But suddenly, out of the background, a wool blanket is draped around your head and shoulders. Wool is naturally water-repellent, and it keeps you super warm, even when wet. This warming feeling, like a temple ball hash high, really centered me into the cadence of the 1st Lady of the West Coast.

I’m truly fortunate to be able to sample cannabis of this quality because Black Girl Magic is completely unknown to the world outside of California. Perhaps if you are anywhere else in the country or the world and you’re reading this blog- you’ll be inspired to taste what magic does to the plant.
Especially from the 1st Lady of the West Coast.

Cheers! WB

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5 Questions Interviews Skunk Magazine

ZACK SQUIER: THE MAGIC OF FOOD AND MAINE CANNABIS

I used to live up in Maine for several years. It’s where I fell in love with the seacoast, fish that smacked of the ocean- freshly plucked from the sea. Oysters when I could afford them were not like the ones I’d tasted around the country. These were fresh, without being shipped fresh. Back in the 1980s when I lived in Maine it was a very different place. Sure, we all smoked weed, but it was not legal yet. And if you should get caught with some, the penalty was unkind and inappropriate at best. But as I remember, the quality was amazing. Certainly not like the gassy strains I was accustomed to smoking in New York City, or the fruit salad strains out West. These terroir-driven farms were all over and each had their own history. I can only imagine the quality today, given the legality of the plant in Maine. That’s where talented cooks like Zack Squier come into the picture. He is a classically trained chef, that is for certain. And with his love for the plant, he has unleashed the benefits of good ingredients, simply prepared with love into a format that includes solventless THC. I’d say that’s a win/win for those of us who value quality over just getting stoned.

With that said, may I please introduce Zack Squier… Cannabis Flavorist and Alchemist.

Please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? Where’s home now?  Why Maine?

I’m Zack Squier, Founder & Chef of Squier’s Specialty Edibles. I was born in York, Maine before moving to Sierra Nevada, where I grew up until entering high school. I moved back to the east coast in 2006 and have been living here since. I fell in love with Maine as a young adult, moving to Kittery at the age of 23, before making my way up to Portland where I currently live and where my company is based.

I chose to stay in Maine because I love the overall vibe here, Portland especially. It’s the perfect place for me and has what a big city offers, just fun-sized. The food is on another level, with a killer music scene and top-tier cannabis culture to boot.

Another reason I love Maine is the community. Everyone is proud to be from Maine and it’s for a good reason. From the beautiful summers on the ocean to the cozy winter season in the woods, the tranquil state offers everything I look for in a place. I’m happy to call Maine my home.

Where did you go to learn about culinary arts? Why cannabis? Who taught you?

I began working in restaurants when I was 13, washing dishes at a short-order breakfast joint on the weekends. From then on, I continued down the industry path, working in numerous restaurants under great chefs, learning as much as I could while having as much fun as possible (maybe a little too much fun). I gradually made my way up the ranks from dishwasher, to fry cook, grill cook, sous chef, to executive chef, eventually opening a restaurant, Umami, I was part owner of in Northwood, New Hampshire.

The restaurant industry is also where I was first introduced to cannabis. Smoking behind the dumpsters with the older line cooks and getting into trouble. At that time, cannabis wasn’t as accepted and mainstream as it is today. To be honest, I didn’t really start taking cooking seriously until I was around 20 years old and around that same time is when I began to realize how special and misunderstood the plant was. Whether people used cannabis for the numerous mental or physical benefits or just to let loose, it was fascinating to me. I was inspired to explore all the different ways it could be consumed and played with, creating infusions, and experimenting. I knew whatever I was going to do in life, I wanted it to involve the magic of food and cannabis.

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Photo Credit: Derek Bissonnette, DB Photography

Tell me about your company.  What do you do?

At Squier’s Specialty Edibles we specialize in cannabis-infused drink mixers and beverages. What sets us apart from other edible-focused companies is that our ingredients are our main priority. We make our products from scratch with 100% real fruit, organic blue agave, fresh squeezed citrus, and solventless hash rosin.

Being a chef, I didn’t like how I had to compromise my everyday eating habits if I wanted to consume an edible. I desired to provide people with a product that had just as much passion and integrity into the food ingredients as the cannabis used. It made zero sense to me why companies take cannabis – that growers and extractors spent months carefully producing and curating – and infuse it into terrible food ingredients, pumped with artificial flavors and food coloring. It doesn’t do the plant justice and that’s where we strived to do things differently.

Working in the restaurant industry for many years, I witnessed firsthand how bad alcohol abuse can get and how it can negatively affect people’s lives. I myself had my troubles with it. We’re offering people an alcohol-free alternative, whether they are sober from booze and want to consume an adult beverage, or if someone just doesn’t want to deal with a horrible hangover the next day. An ideal option for those following a “Cali Sober” lifestyle, our cannabis-infused mixers are made for every canna-consumer as you can customize your dose by adding a little or a lot: micro to macro.

Do you have any ideas for cocktails with your product?

We regularly release delicious recipes and always showcase unique ways to use Squire’s product. We design our elixirs to be able to easily add your preferred dose into sparkling or still water, but we encourage people to get creative with them. They can also be baked and cooked with, allowing you to enhance any dish.

Whether that be a craft canna-cocktail, an infusion into a homemade ice cream, baking into a batch of brownies, infusing a sauce for wings, or simply adding a tablespoon to your nightly tea before bed. The possibilities are endless! Use in any recipe that could use a little fruit “punch”.

What is your passion? 

My passion is food – I love creating it, sharing it, and eating it. Food has been a constant for me and legitimately what my life has revolved around for almost two decades. Food is life and it ties directly into beverages. When I think about why I love working in the food and beverage industry, it’s because of the way it brings people together. No matter our differences, we all eat and drink. Every culture has different cuisines, dishes, and techniques. It’s truly fascinating and you can never stop learning!

Cannabis and food are similar in this manner. They both have a beautiful way of uniting us, whether it’s a joint being passed around in a circle of strangers or sitting down to enjoy a meal cooked with loved ones. By combining two of my passions, food, and cannabis, I’ve truly found my purpose, which is to create a product that helps others and connects the community.

Follow on social media: https://www.instagram.com/squiersedibles/  – https://www.squiersedibles.com/

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Klaus Skunk Magazine

LADRAA (EL BLUNTO) GETS BUSY IN MASSACHUSETTS: REV BRANDS PARTNERS WITH EL BLUNTO

Boston, MA (January 24, 2023) – Leading Massachusetts cannabis retailer and wholesaler Rev Brands is partnering with El Blunto, America’s top blunt producer, to bring their one-of-a-kind cannabis products to the Massachusetts market. El Blunto implements an evolution of historic cigar-making tradition that borrows age-old techniques from master cigar rollers to create products of the highest caliber with the highest level of finishing.

“National expansion and product accessibility has been a fundamental part of our growth strategy at El Blunto and an integral part of our success,” said Q. Ladraa, CEO and founder of Albert Einstone’s, El Blunto’s parent company. “We are delighted to be partnering with Rev Clinics, which is the number one distributor in Massachusetts and has a glowing reputation for being a standard-bearer in product quality and customer service.”

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Photo Caption: Q. Ladraa

El Blunto’s line of cannabis products uses top-shelf, indoor premium quality flower that is broken down by hand, never ground, to ensure maximum terpene preservation, highest potency, and longest burn time. They are then hand-rolled in a 100% tobacco-free wrap made from all-natural fibers and sealed with El Blunto’s in-house cigar glue to guarantee a clean and superior product.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with El Blunto to introduce this incredible brand to the Massachusetts market,” said Tom Schneider, Chief Marketing Officer of Rev Brands. “The uniqueness and superb quality of these glass-tipped, whole flower blunts are what has us most excited about the partnership, and we look forward to sharing it with our customers and retail partners alike.”

The partnership will launch with ‘El Blunto Gold,’ which will be available as a single 1.75g blunt for $30 at all three Revolutionary Clinics medical dispensaries in Cambridge and Somerville and at leading dispensaries throughout Massachusetts.

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Photo Credit: Q. Ladraa

Rev Brands and El Blunto plan to roll out additional products including El Blunto’s mini blunts and mini-blunt packs (El Bluntito and El Bluntito 4-packs respectively) and their ‘Rose Gold’ (infused with melty ice-water hash) and ‘Platinum’ (infused with premium THCa diamonds) line-ups in the coming months. To learn more, visit www.revbrands.org.

ABOUT REV BRANDS

Founded in 2018, Rev Brands is a leading cannabis manufacturer and wholesale operator exclusive to Massachusetts. Rev Brands is committed to delivering greater reliability from seed through service with a focus on quality and variety in its product lines. Rev Brands is guided by customer feedback to meet the demand for novel products and searches for the most unique and viable strains to deliver high-quality products throughout dispensaries in Massachusetts. Revolutionary Farms, its grow facility in Fitchburg, is the largest and most high-tech in the state with more than thirty-five grow rooms. The facility supplies over 150 retail establishments with sought-after products and flower. Rev Brands employs more than 250 employees across its manufacturing and wholesale operations and proudly supports the local industry by using local vendors and donating time and money to community causes. To learn more, visit https://revbrands.org/ or follow along on social at @rev_clinics.

marijuana-culture-industry-business-alliances-cooperatives-elblunto-logo

ABOUT EL BLUNTO 

El Blunto is a California-based cannabis brand that offers ‘The World’s Finest Cannabis Experience’. Born from a passion for craftsmanship and quality, El Blunto is an evolution of the historic cigar-making tradition. Borrowing age-old techniques from master cigar rollers, we create products of the highest caliber with the highest level of finishing. Product design and development is approached like a true science, ensuring customers get the same, phenomenal experience every single time. The El Blunto lineup includes El Blunto (cannabis cigar), El Bluntito (mini-blunts), El Jointo and El Jointito (joints and mini-joints), as well as pouches of full-flower and Roll Your Own Blunt Kits. El Blunto products are available in 1000+ dispensaries across the United States. El Blunto is a subsidiary of Albert Einstone’s. For more information, visit www.alberteinstones.com.

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5 Questions Skunk Magazine Tasting Notes

LET’S DO FIVE QUESTIONS WITH RED HOUSE/VAN BRUNT CANNABIS COMPANY

Five questions with “Red House” and the Van Brunt Cannabis Company

Warren Bobrow: I’ve been a member of the CSA for a couple of months now. Please let me share with you some of what I learned from the experience so far.

  • There is a real sense of direction in the CSA. I love the approach- similar to a vegetable CSA, it reminds me of Sonoma Hills Farm out West with their terroir driven-cannabis/vegetable CSA
  • Quality is off the charts. It’s pretty evident that the flowers are perfectly cured which in my limited experience means everything. An art form lost by mega grows and their hands-off, high-volume philosophies.
  • Craft truly means Craft! I’m looking at something gorgeous from the CSA in front of me right now, it’s Crème de la Chem x Sour Stomper x Crème de la Chem… This is the cannabis that unlocked my mind after the two-week sojourn of not writing. THANK YOU!
  • This is the model for micro-grows city-wide. I cannot wait for a cannabis tasting of what is going on, right now in New York. Interesting. I’m not here to compare apples and oranges. I’m well known to write about outdoor grown because that’s my passion. Finding micro-grows, both indoors and outdoors grown that treat their plants with love and compassion is clearly my path in life. Being able to share this experience with others? Priceless.

Tasting Notes:

The Crème de la Chem is all about pine, gas, and snipped garlic chives. I want to decarb some of this luxurious cannabis in my Ardent and whip the toasty, activated craft cannabis into my favorite cream cheese mashed potatoes- 3 cups boiled Yukon Golds, a cup of high-fat butter, ½ cup of cream cheese, and those beforementioned chives. Of course, freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Whip in the decarbed cannabis at the end and eat up. Pro-tip: always use a fork when making mashed potatoes. And get down that nice ceramic bowl from your grandmom’s house to make your mashed potatoes. Take your time, there’s no rush. Wash this down with a Belgian Kriek Ale or a glass of iced buttermilk. Deliciousness.

Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about yourself. Where are you from? How did you discover NYC? 

Red House: I moved to Brooklyn from Richmond, Va. in Dec ’08. NYC had always been on my mind.

My father is from NY, my sis went to med school here too. She was holding the door for me, and I would have come much earlier but I was always happy where I was.
My only regret in coming to NYC was not moving sooner than I did. As I outgrew RVA almost ended up in Asheville, NC, and Philly a couple of times. Working in the restaurant industry, NYC was the obvious choice.

Warren Bobrow: What are you working on right now?  What makes you different than your peers? 

Red House: Just beginning the CSA, it’s a side project to Van Brunt, and being on a monthly schedule it’s at its own pace. In addition to getting Van Brunt up and running, developing the CSA, I’m involved with some projects more focused on hospitality.

I have strong connections to the restaurant industry and the idea of high-end consumption lounges and canna-friendly restaurants in NYC is exciting. None of this 420 stoner vibe, but something Sam Sifton would write about.

What makes the CSA different though is the socialist model. It’s not even close to how the traditional cannabis market works. Cannabis has been going by capitalistic business values forever and ever.  This is operated more like a traditional CSA farm or co-op.

Warren Bobrow: What is your favorite strain right now? Who taught you the craft? 

Red House: Impossible to choose. Always loved Durban Poison, anything with some pine I’m always interested in. Citrusy/hazy sativas are a go-to also… I think Cherry Ghostenade from King Greens is a recent favorite.

I taught myself to grow cannabis through lots of reading and lurking on the net. It’s all really easy, knowledge is key. My initial interest in plant life, that credit has to go to Mom. She grew up on a farm in PA, so learning how to grow peas and carrots as a kid and take care of houseplants and all that, yeah that was the foundation.  Once you understand plants’ basic nature, cannabis is easy.

Warren Bobrow: Tell me a little more about the CSA? How do you get involved? 

Red House: The CSA (community-supported agriculture) model fits best because I don’t intend to ever be in the flower market, not even wholesale. I just enjoy growing and want the excess flower to have a home. Edibles, white label, and private label, are the main focus for Van Brunt. The garden being a cooperative keeps my time more available to work more on that. Some of the members are excited to learn about growing or just want to get involved and hands-on. That’s great, bc I just want to grow.  We attend industry events to meet people and talk memberships. Planning meetups and trim parties for members in the future too. So, there’s a community aspect to the plan which is always welcome.  No work or time given is required with membership, that’s optional and shares are offered in exchange for time spent “in the garden” …  The value is great for people who use flower on the regular and like lots of variety, supporting their local economy and cleanly grown flower.  Going to be including edibles or pantry items infused with the trim and kief of the harvests with the shares from time to time as well as including other local producers. January, we have Kings Greens joining us with some Bushwick-grown Huckleberry in addition to Orange Haze and Grapewalker Kush strains from mine.  Contact on instagram @ van.brunt.nyc or email: VanBruntCSA@gmail.com for more information.

Warren Bobrow: What is your passion? 

Red House: I’m a music lover first and have appreciation for all peoples’ creative talents. I would never do that professionally over concern music may become too much like work.  Was very lucky to work in the right spots while I was young. Was drawn to food as a profession and that’s easily 2nd or 3rd to music as my first passion. Worked in a bunch of high-end joints for years and years and I’m into the discipline, detail, and refinement but need a more relaxed space to work.   Really dig on classics done right. Not fancy high-end soignée, just done right.  Modern takes and trends are fun but dishes that have been popular for hundreds of years are popular for a reason. Doing a dish entirely in its truest traditional sense is one of the things I love most. You know how ppl are sometimes looking for the “most authentic” or “traditional” thing?    I’m kinda like that. I want the most basic bitch Al Pastor taco. but when everything about it is just right. Talking fresh tortillas, a real adobo, and all that.  That’s something I will gush all over.

***I’m proud to belong to the CSA and taste these marvelous herbs, grown with care and love in New York! WB***

Follow on Instagram: @van.brunt.nyc

Feature Photo Courtesy: Red House 

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5 Questions Interviews Skunk Magazine

THE ARTIST TREE: THOUGHTFUL CANNABIS RE-IMAGED IN FIVE QUESTIONS


Warren Bobrow: Please tell me about yourself. What are you striving for in your professional career? What differentiates your dispensary from others?

Courtney Caron: I am a co-owner of The Artist Tree – Fresno. I am also the Founder of Adamant Law Group, a cannabis centered boutique law firm focusing on the representation of cannabis retailers, which led to me meeting the founders of The Artist Tree and co-owning The Artist Tree Fresno!

Professionally, I wear many hats. Whether engaging in the practice of cannabis law in California, consulting out of state, or checking customer IDs at our Fresno location (my favorite pastime), I strive to promote the normalization of cannabis use. As a retail store co-owner my main objective is to ensure that each customer, we welcome through our doors is provided with a unique retail shopping experience that is free from pressure and stress. Our ultimate goal is to provide an environment where all of our customers feel welcomed, appreciated, and safe. Because our business model is so unique and truly a community benefit in itself, I would love to see an Artist Tree retail store in every major city across the state of California and the US, giving artists one more platform to present their creations.

Fresno Exterior. Photo Courtesy of the Artist Tree

Warren Bobrow: What kind of research did you do to establish an interior design? Did you work with an architect? What kind of materials did you utilize?

Courtney Caron: The Artist Tree’s original concept was created in 2018 for the city of West Hollywood’s retail application process. Founders Lauren Fontein, Avi Kahan, Mitch Kahan and Aviv Halimi understood that West Hollywood celebrates the arts in so many ways, and we felt that the first cannabis retail store in West Hollywood should too. Unlike the lackluster, windowless dispensaries of days past, focused solely on cannabis, The Artist Tree is as much an art gallery as it is a store. It highlights and enhances the vibrant art community by showcasing a carefully curated mix of local artwork from established and up-and-coming artists.

Our design aesthetic was created by renowned architectural firm Retail Design Collaborate (RDC). Materials incorporated in our design include glass display cases, light colored wood flooring and shelving, custom metal flower tables, custom metal art easels, bright but soft lighting and an open floor concept. Most notably, at both the Fresno location and West Hollywood location we feature a large glass cube where clones are grown and sold.

Fresno Joan Sharma Easel. Photo Courtesy of the Artist Tree.

Warren Bobrow: What are your six and twelve month goals? What kind of obstacles do you face along the way? How do you anticipate removing those obstacles?

Courtney Caron: Within the next 6 months, The Artist Tree plans to open their Oxnard location and their El Sobrante location. Additionally, we hope to bring more awareness to cannabis consumers of our West Hollywood consumption lounge.

Within the next 12 months, we hope to find additional opportunities for retail in California and start to expand beyond the CA borders. We’d love to celebrate art and cannabis across the US.

Obstacles we typically encounter include slow moving municipalities, community push back related to cannabis in general, and more recently, the recession. We tackle slow moving municipalities by being extremely organized and prepared to hit the ground running on all of our projects. We are typically the first retail store to open in most jurisdictions where we hold a license. We try to keep a wide open line of communication, and always welcome dubious municipalities and community members to visit one of our galleries across the state. Tackling a recession can be a bit trickier. The Artist Tree always offers daily deals on top quality products for our customers. This helps even the most budget conscious consumer purchase safe, tested, quality cannabis.

Fresno Joanna Chrys Art. Photo courtesy The Artist Tree.

Warren Bobrow: Do you work with local artists? Who are they? What are their mediums?

Courtney Caron: In each Artist Tree location, we showcase art created by artists from the community where the store is located. Artists may submit their art for any of our locations on our website here.

In our Fresno location, our first art installation featured paintings and photography by Joan Sharma, Nicolas Rattaire, and Lance Anderson.

Fresno Art Portrait. Photo Courtesy of the Artist Tree

Warren Bobrow: What is your passion?

Courtney Caron: I am extremely passionate about serving the local communities where we operate. Developing and implementing Community Benefit Plans in each community brings both me and my partner Lauren Fontein great joy. Whether donating funds, conducting in-kind donation drives, or volunteering our time with deserving non-profit organizations, we are passionate about improving the lives of others in a meaningful way. At the core of The Artist Tree is the celebration of the arts. Whether performing arts or fine arts, we are passionate about promoting the creativity present in each of our communities.

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/the-artist-tree-thoughtful-cannabis-re-imaged-in-five-questions/
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5 Questions Interviews Skunk Magazine

FIVE CRISP QUESTIONS FOR SARA STEWART- THE FOREMOST EXPERT ON CANNABIS CONSUMPTION LOUNGES.

For those of you who don’t know my own professional background in Food and Beverage, all you have to do is spend the better part of several decades working your way from the bottom up. In my case, that meant starting as a pots and pans “engineer” better known as a pot-scrubber, then graduating to the exalted place known as the dish sink. After languishing in front of a soapy sink full of greasy dishes for a couple of months, my path to the line… (That’s what we call the actual place where cooking is done in the professional kitchen…) And then, if that wasn’t enough education after college, I took it upon myself to become a bartender, from bar-back on up. Thank you to Chris James for seeing to my education become something actually tangible.

To really learn the food and beverage business, it’s essential to make yourself as well-trained as possible so you can do anything that needs to get done. From taking out the trash to making drinks, this is the way that you become essential to your employer. Otherwise, you’ll be washing dishes for the remainder of your restaurant career. And no… When you graduate from culinary school you are not a chef. Period.

The grunt labor thing in a restaurant was not where I wanted to be for very long. Fortunately, the dish sink was a short-lived adventure into doing really hard work. Manual labor if you will. Which framed the next forty or so years of my life into the person I am today. Working hard, doing something I love. That’s the key to life in my opinion. But that’s just my path, the one of Sara Stewart is quite succinct and I know she is going places. Read her words, Sara is a success story waiting to be discovered, yet again.

Warren Bobrow: Please tell us about your journey into cannabis and how you got into cannabis hospitality. 

Sara Stewart: My initial journey into cannabis started in 2019 at Lowell Cafe, the first true cannabis restaurant in America, serving cannabis alongside food, coffee, juice, etc. I had been in the restaurant, nightclub, and event space for almost 15 years, working for some of the most successful companies in Los Angeles, and I was ready for a change. Although I had been a cannabis consumer for most of my adult life, I was unfamiliar with the legal market. I learned METRC from a hospitality viewpoint, which was incredibly unique. I had also been documenting several of the pain points this kind of business underwent, and I wanted to help others avoid some of these headaches in the future.

Upon leaving Lowell Cafe, I started Highspitality to consult for other lounges and eventually joined Green Thumb Industries full-time as a lounge specialist. My time with GTI opened the door for me to help lobbyists and public officials create some of the regulations in new markets, such as Las Vegas. In October of 2021, I opened my second lounge in Mundelein, Ill., making it the first licensed cannabis lounge east of the Mississippi River.

Sara Stewart
Photo: Sara Stewart

Warren Bobrow: Why do you think consumption lounges are the future of cannabis?

Sara Stewart: We know Americans are consuming more cannabis than ever before, and taxes from the sales of Cannabis are surpassing alcohol in many legal states. As someone who is incredibly passionate about hospitality and customer service, I believe that what we are experiencing now is prohibition 2.0.

In my opinion, cannabis lounges will play an important role in normalizing cannabis use, just as bars did for the reintroduction of alcohol post-prohibition. They will provide a social place for safe cannabis consumption and educational opportunities for curious consumers. Although cannabis usage looks much different than alcohol, I hope onsite consumption will elevate the cannabis industry by implementing hospitality-driven operations that create a familiar environment replicating a social club or lounge.

Warren Bobrow: What concepts do you think will define cannabis hospitality and lounges?

Sara Stewart: I believe the defining concepts in lounges will be hospitality-driven first and cannabis second. Most cannabis companies buy retail buildings with additional square footage and assume they can just “build a lounge” attached to it. Imagine buying a liquor store and then trying to build a cafe or restaurant out the back — you simply wouldn’t do that.

Many lounges that aren’t open yet are grappling with how to make money, struggling to build out unique customer experiences, and aren’t working with their local governments to create and implement appropriate and necessary regulations. This is a major issue, and in my opinion, the concepts that will win won’t just focus on cannabis as their main offering.

Warren Bobrow: What do you want people to know about visiting a lounge for the first time?

Sara Stewart: Start low and go slow — you can always take more, but you can never take less.

If the rules or process seems unnatural or different, it’s most likely a regulation that the company has to comply with (for example, we don’t want to charge cannabis and food on separate checks, but we have to).

Lastly, do some research on the lounge you’re visiting. Every lounge is different; some allow you to bring your own products while others prohibit it and require reservations, so you should know what to expect upon arrival. Keep in mind these models are new and destined to change often.

Warren Bobrow: What are your top 3 favorite cannabis products and why?

Sara Stewart: I love flower, and I’m typically a Sativa diva, so I have to say Lemon Trill by Lumpy’s in California. I also can’t live without the Snoozeberries Chocolate Bar from Incredibles and my long-time love, Cereal Milk by CBX.

Feature photo credit: Sara Stewart

https://www.skunkmagazine.com/five-crisp-questions-for-sara-stewart-the-foremost-expert-on-cannabis-consumption-lounges/