The Advocacy Issue

JANUARY 552
CULTIVATING

THE FIGHT
CONTINUES
American States
Continue to
Advocate for
Reform in 2022
EQUITY

LEAVING A
LEGACY
Remembering
Leading
Advocates Who
Passed Away in
2021

JOURNAL
The Road to Social OF A
Equity in the SOUTH
Cannabis Industry AFRICAN
Proves to be a FARMER
Rocky One in Legal Commercial
Cities and States Cannabis
Cultivation is
Changing the
Landscape of
Lesotho

JANUARY 2022 USA $6.99 / FOR $6.99

HIGHTIMES.COM
CONTENTS January 2022 // Volume #552
CENTERFOLD:
PHOTOS BY JUSTIN CANNABIS - PG. 67-70

ON THE
COVER 26 Brand Spotlight
The War on Drugs continues to negatively affect
minority groups in the cannabis industry, but the
efforts of JUSTICE JOINTS seeks to put an end to
that—one joint at a time. All proceeds from these
products are donated to BIPOC communities, and
the brand empowers consumers to learn more
about how they can help.

30
Farming Cannabis in South Africa
Put away your predetermined opinions of South

36 Advocacy is Action
Advocacy is an important part of the cannabis
industry. We wouldn’t be here today without
the positive actions of certain individuals who
Africa with this in-depth narrative about how
cannabis is changing the landscape. Growing
cannabis for the purpose of export has its
challenges, but its presence in Lesotho is proving to
have spent much of their lives standing up and be a boon both for the industry as well as the people
making their voices heard. From veterans to who live there.
patients and everyone in between, advocates
have challenged their home cities, states and
governments to ditch the stigma and reanalyze
their opinions on cannabis—which has ultimately
led to a path toward legalization. In our annual
Advocacy Issue, we spotlight some important
people who have either contributed advocacy
efforts in the past or are currently dedicating
their time today to fight for cannabis.
38 Seeking Equity
In order for the cannabis industry to continue to
improve, justice and social equity programs must be
established in every city and state where cannabis is
legal. But is social equity advancing quickly enough
PHOTO: @POT_PORTRAITS
PURPLE KUSH | BUDDHA SEEDS
to make up for the drug war?

DEPARTMENTS 50 Reform Continues

Every election year, new legislation leads to the
promise of medical or recreational legalization in
states that are following the example of others. Where
12 EDITOR’S LETTER will reform strike next? In 2022, there are advocates in
many states with the foundation and potential to help
14 LETTERS the cannabis industry expand into new markets.

16 INTERNET
18 CANNABUSINESS
22
24
VETERAN CHRONICLES
T H MQ 58 A Lifetime of Legacy
The cannabis industry has grown mainly because
there have been advocates who have helped to
push it forward. It takes passion to make progress,
Trans-High Market Quotations
and although many well-known cannabis advocates
64 P IX O F T H E C R O P passed away in 2021, we wanted to honor their
lifetime of dedication to the herb.

8 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 it all on the line for their children.
Another important aspect of advocacy in
EDITOR’S LETTER the industry is reversing the devastating effects
that the War on Drugs has held over people Executive Chairman
Adam Levin
for decades. We’re jumping headfirst into the
state of equity in our industry by answering CEO
a few important questions: First, which states Peter Horvath

are making positive changes to ensure social President

equity in their industries? Second, which states Paul Henderson
have run into issues and are not making equity Vice President Of Content
a priority? Finally, we identify which companies Jon Cappetta
and organizations have taken the state of social
Editor-In-Chief
equity into their own hands, compensating for Jamie Solis
states that haven’t gotten it together in terms
Staff Writers
of an equitable industry. Benjamin M. Adams,
We can’t talk about cannabis advocacy with- Ashley Kern, Addison

TAKING A STAND out acknowledging those who have helped pave Herron-Wheeler
the way. The fight for a fair industry wouldn’t Consulting Publisher
have made it this far without countless advo- Mary C. McEvoy
Within the cannabis community, advocates cates who put their lives on the line to bring
Associate Publisher
from all walks of life band together in unison cannabis to the masses. Check out our profile Maxx Abramowitz
for a greater cause. on John Sinclair, a political activist, author and
Creative Director
As a community, we’re still advocating for poet who, in 1969, faced a sentence of 10 years Steven Myrdahl
medical cannabis access across the board, for in prison for cannabis possession. His story is
all patients regardless of where they live, what one that continues to motivate and inspire the Art Director
Frank Max
age they are or any other consideration that may next generations of advocates in the industry
hinder their ability to access cannabis-related who are still fighting for cannabis reform. Research Advisor
Dr. Mitch Earleywine
therapies. As advocates, we are also fighting We’re also paying our respects to cannabis
for those who have been the most negatively advocates who sadly passed away last year in Director Of Competitions
affected by the racist War on Drugs over the 2021. From Eddy Lepp to Frenchy Cannoli and Mark Kazinec
years. We’ve dedicated time, resources and even many others, the cannabis industry as we know Client Implementation
professional careers to ensuring our industry is it wouldn’t be the same without their endless Director
Anja Brankovic
one that is equitable and provides equal oppor- work and dedication. Finally, let’s keep traveling
tunities to people of color and those who have back in time to the ’60s and ’70s, when the Social Media Manager
faced incarceration from past cannabis-related original drug traffickers were doing more than Leo Rechetniak
offenses. just partying—they were introducing the world Webmaster
The fight for access to medical cannabis con- to the wonders of cannabis by smuggling the Darren Liu
tinues to march forward apace with the growing product from faraway places like Afghanistan,
Chairman Emeritus
body of evidence to support its medical value. one busload at a time. Michael Kennedy
And while the fight for access to safe cannabis This issue is a wild ride, to say the least,
Founding Publisher/Editor
has continued to gain steam in the United States, with a perfect balance of the modern advocacy Thomas King Forçade
other countries in Europe aren’t quite as ahead that is underway in the weed industry, with a (1945–1978)
of the curve. With any great struggle, you’ll often strong nod of accolades to those who helped
Contributors
find families on the frontlines, advocating for to pave the way. Tim Brinkhof, Justin
safe access. Some of the most passionate and Keep fighting, and let’s not forget that no Cannabis, Jimi Devine,
Kyle Eustice, Jack Giroux,
determined individuals are, in fact, parents who matter how far we’ve come, there is still quite Stephen Laddin, J.J. McCoy,
are fighting to save their children’s lives. High a way to go. Mark Miller, Madison Ortiz,
Times interviewed three families in Europe who Nicole Potter, Patrick
Seifert, Andrew Ward,
are committed to changing cannabis laws in Cheers!
Keegan Williams,
their respective countries, and who are putting The High Times Staff Laurie Wolf

HIGH TIMES January 2022, No. 552 (ISSN #0362-630X), published monthly by Trans-High Corporation, 2110 Narcissus Ct Venice CA 90921 • HIGH TIMES and Trans-High Corporation do not recommend, approve or endorse the
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12 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK


LETTERS
THE RIGHT DOSE
“I see these articles about athletes
benefiting from CBD when they’re
exercising or doing whatever they do
(boxing, running, etc.). When I use
CBD, I don’t really feel any benefit.
Am I doing something wrong?”
-Margaret, Massachusetts
RESPONSE: Just like with THC
products, CBD is going to affect
everyone differently. It also depends
greatly on what kind of ailment
you’re seeking to treat. Many ath-
letes use CBD to ease pain, such
as sore joints and muscles (CBD’s
LETTERS
anti-inflammatory properties are
great for this), but it rarely gener-
ates a high. It’s also useful to relieve
stress or anxiety as well. Reconsider
your dose to try to get better results,
or try a different product. It might
take some experimentation, but
eventually, you’ll find what works
best for you.
SSSSSSSSSEEKING RELIEF
“Can I give my snake CBD? My
buddy has been under the weather
recently.”
-Ethan, Florida
RESPONSE: Actually yes, accord-
ing to anecdotal reports! An albino
python named Apollo was given
CBD to help treat a tumor by Source
CBD Founder Ian Petersen, from
Arizona. After giving Apollo 100mg
of CBD orally for eight weeks,
“I SEE THESE ARTICLES ABOUT
ATHLETES BENEFITING FROM
CBD WHEN THEY’RE EXERCISING
OR DOING WHATEVER THEY
DO (BOXING, RUNNING, ETC.).
WHEN I USE CBD, I DON’T REALLY
FEEL ANY BENEFIT. AM I DOING
SOMETHING WRONG?”
14 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
Apollo’s tumor reportedly shrank
and became benign. It’s not as
commonly known that CBD can
help treat snakes, but there’s evi-
dence that it can help, just as it
does for cats, dogs, horses and
some other animals that have
been given CBD too.
POLLINATION NATION
“How does pollination work for
cannabis growers? Like, do they
rely on local bees? Wind? Fans?”
-Lance, OK
RESPONSE: Okay—now this is
a GREAT question. We’re used to
the usual pollination process with
typical garden plants, like zuc-
chini or tomatoes which rely on
pollinators, or corn which relies
on the wind to mass pollinate a
large crop. But for cannabis, if
the goal is to grow high resin or
THC buds, then we actually don’t
want the plants to be pollinated.
Usually, once a plant shows signs
of being female or male, the males
are urgently segregated from the
grow area to avoid pollination of
the female plants at all costs. That
way, the female plants can focus
their energy on producing flowers
with high resin/high THC, rather
than producing seeds.
But of course, sometimes pol-
lination is needed to get seeds
from plants in order to continue
growing a special cultivar for
future growth. So when grow-
ing outdoors, cannabis plants
can pollinate using the wind. For
indoor pollination, fans can also
simulate the wind. Often enough,
growers hand pollinate their
plants through a variety of DIY
methods, collect the pollen, and
store it in a refrigerator for future
use. Gardening is fascinating AF.
WHAT’S A VEG FOOT
“In your ‘top’ issue, one of the items
in the STASH section was described
as such: ‘veg footprint is 2.5 x 2.5
feet’. What does that mean?”
-Courtney, Oregon
RESPONSE: So the full name
for this is vegetative footprint,
and this essentially refers to
the lighting intensity of a grow
light. Lighting intensity is usu-
ally measured in light coverage,
which can be adjusted by raising
or lowering the light (the higher
the light, the larger the footprint,
and vice-versa).
WORMS ARE FRIENDS,
AND FOOD
“I thought worm castings were all
made the same. I mean, it’s just
worm poop right? Is there something
that makes some worm castings
better than others when cannabis
growing is involved?”
-Whitney, Texas
RESPONSE: Worm castings are
as excellent supplement for nutri-
ents in any plant medium. The
nutrients in the castings are highly
dependent on what the worms
have been eating. Higher quality
worm food will result in higher
quality nutrients. Since worms
will literally eat anything, it’s good
to check with the company that
makes the worm castings you
use to ensure that you’re getting
the best stuff. In 2021, our staff
chose Worm Power Liquid Extract
as one of the most worthwhile
worm casting products—check
’em out!
Send your letters
to Feedback c/o
High Times
2110 Narcissus Ct.
Venice, CA 90291
Email: hteditor@hightimes.com
 INTERNET
the United States Department of Justice
to decriminalize cannabis at the federal
level—once and for all. In the letter, Senator
Cory Booker of New Jersey and Senator
Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts called
on Garland to remove cannabis from the
nation’s list of drugs regulated under the
federal Controlled Substances Act, where
it currently sits in the most restrictive cate-
gory. Booker and Warren said that the move
would be in line with public opinion, noting
that 91 percent of American adults support
legalizing marijuana for medical or rec-
reational use, according to data from the
Pew Research Center. The senators’ letter
also notes that more than two-thirds of
states have initiated cannabis reform in one
form or another, with 36 legalizing medical
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT marijuana. Of them, 18 have also passed
Top lawmakers are sick of waiting for laws that legalize cannabis for adult use.
cannabis reform, just like the rest of us.
Two US senators recently sent a letter to Read more at HighTimes.com.
Attorney General Merrick Garland urging
ON INSTAGRAM
Never trim alone
without a cuddly com-
panion to cheer the
area up! Snapped by
@drades, during the
thick of #Croptober,
this loveable dog
named Thomas likes
to “help” around,
especially during
trim season. Thomas
the beagle likes to
hang out and lounge
around the green-
house and in other
FRESH PRINCE FACES HIS EGO areas. These raw
In an interview with GQ, Will Smith remembered a fan leaves are chock
series of psychedelic experiences in Peru, and in his full of acidic canna-
new memoir Will, which was released on November 9, binoids, which are
2021, he describes the encounters in further detail. After proving to be very
dealing with the sacrifices made to reach superstardom, useful for specific
Smith revealed that he took Denzel Washington’s advice, disorders in humans,
and tried things he never tried before, now that Smith according to anec-
is in his 50s. Smith took that newfound freedom and dotal evidence.
experimented, traveling to foreign countries without They’re great for
security guards, and he made his way to Peru to embark juicing and other
on “more than a dozen ayahuasca rituals.” Smith was applications.
highly impacted by the ayahuasca experiences, explaining
that it was his “first tiny taste of freedom,” adding that
it was the “unparalleled greatest feeling I’ve ever had.”
According to results from the Global Ayahuasca Project
survey, about 85 percent of people who take ayahuasca
go on to make a profound life change, which is appar-
ently what happened to Smith when he embarked on
the life-changing journey in Central America.
Read more at HighTimes.com.
16 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
WE WANT
TO HEAR
FROM YOU!
Tweet your best
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page! And be sure to follow us
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@SOg303 @HIGH_TIMES_Mag and
@EliseMcD420
One day everyone on Earth maybe every-
one can enjoy some #Cannabis without
fear of gov or fear of freedoms Stop the
#ReeferMadness its 2021 everyone on Earth
should have ability to partake or take a toke
#HighTimesForAll
@frostyd241 @HIGH_TIMES_Mag
As an Idaho resident I am absolutely stoked
that this dispensary is open [on the Ida-
ho-Nevada border]. The more mainstream
we can make it the sooner we silence the
old bureaucracy spewing the lies.
@sammy180flips
Shout out to @HIGH_TIMES_Mag and my
favorite dispensary. 5&Dime is the shit! Best
dispensary in Detroit! Thanks for the swag
and deal!
@Jorge420farm [Jorge Cervantes] @
FezTrombone @HIGH_TIMES_Mag and 7
others
In order to reproduce, plants need to be
pollinated, and this is the reason that they
produce pollen. Without pollination, plants will
not produce seeds or fruit, and the next gener-
ation of plants. For us humans, pollination is so
important because it is how food is produced.
@funnydan95
Since Twitter is talking about the difference
between Sativa and Indica, I figured I’d
share this handy little chart @HIGH_TIMES_
Mag created for their book “Marijuana for
Everybody.”
@TrinaHe13785113 Replying to @
summertimeklooz @HIGH_TIMES_Magand
9 others
My favorite [strain] is wedding pie. A bit
smoother than cake, but this is fantastic.
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
Happy, awake, stimulating.
@DanielleKerns6 @HIGH_TIMES_Mag It’s
far less harmful than alcohol, has medical
uses, and the money can help states, they
just don’t want it because of big pharma
 CANNABUSINESS BY J.J. MCCOY // NEW FRONTIER DATA SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

FROM TABOO
( & 3 3 & ' . 8  - & 8  3 * ; * 7  ' * * 3  2 4 7 *  5 4 5 : 1 & 7  . 3  9 - *  : 8 ƍ & 8
confirmed by polls from Gallup and the Pew Research
Center—yet, America’s patchwork approach to long-held
prohibition of marijuana has helped make legal cannabis

TO A BOOM:
one of the most complicated and convoluted industries
in the nation.
In 2021, a total of 19 states had decided to legalize
high-THC cannabis for adult use, and 38 for its medical

LEGAL CANNABIS use. With a combined 141 million Americans living across
those adult-use states, 43 percent of American adults had
access to legal cannabis. Conversely, 93 million Americans

LOBBYISTS GO
(28 percent of the US population) live in states where
possession and use of cannabis remain illegal.
Early issues which plagued cannabis advocates included
accommodating the industry’s rapid growth despite a

TO WASHINGTON
relative lack of expertise and understanding among mem-
bers of Congress and staff. More than a year since the
2020 elections ushered in the Biden administration and a
razor-thin Democratic majority in the Senate, Democratic
Support for cannabis reform at the leaders have been pledging to adopt broad US canna-
bis reforms including regulations, taxes and other laws.
federal level is stronger than ever. Several Republicans have supported affording cannabis
businesses with access to banks rather than requiring them
to continue relying solely on cash transactions.
Certainly in a post-pandemic economy, creating
jobs and producing more tax revenue represent some
persuasive win-win dynamics. During their respective
campaigns, President Joe Biden supported decriminal-
izing cannabis, and Vice President Kamala Harris touted
her introducing the Senate version of The Marijuana
Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE)
Act. But throughout their combined first year in office,
cannabis reform has not appeared among the adminis-
tration’s list of priorities.
For its part, the Democratic-controlled House passed
the MORE Act, a sweeping cannabis decriminalization
bill. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer subsequently
paired with fellow Democratic senators Cory Booker of
New Jersey and Ron Wyden of Oregon to draft a proposal
to legalize and regulate the product. As historic as it was
to mark the first time that the House voted to legalize
cannabis, the bill has remained in a Senate purgatory.
As states increasingly embrace cannabis, a growing
community and network of lobbyists have been gathering
around Capitol Hill. Given the opportunities to be had, a
record number of lobbyists are entering the fray. After all,
there’s much to be gained: New Frontier Data projects US
legal market sales to grow at a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 16 percent, to reach $43 billion by 2025.
Bullish Wall Street analysts are hoping for the US cannabis
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

market to be worth over $100 billion by the end of the

decade. Corporations from the medical, consumer, and
financial-services sectors are all competing for their own
slices of the market. * *

18 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

Over a decade of legal
cannabis lobbying
$35K $45K $30K $80K
2011 2012 2013 2014
After peaking at nearly $5.2 million in
2019 (in the lead-up to the US presidential
election), reported lobbying expenditures
among cannabis-related businesses topped
$2.8 million in 2021, according to federal
watchdog OpenSecrets.org using data
from the Senate Office of Public Records.
Companies in the marijuana industry
include cultivators, dispensaries, whole-
salers and product distributors. Interstate
trade is the backbone of efficiency for most
products Americans consume. But can-
nabis, while now allowed in many states,
remains illegal on the federal level, creating
siloed markets that can only serve local
demand and whose economics are difficult
to calibrate. As Adam Smith, director of the
Craft Cannabis Alliance (CCA), a lobbying
group to promote interstate commerce of
cannabis, has pointed out, “You can’t keep
Florida oranges out of your state. You can’t
keep Georgia peaches out of your state.”
CCA has been involved in designing an
Oregon law which would allow the state
to export cannabis as soon as the federal
government gives permission.
Meanwhile, civil-rights and crimi-
nal-justice reform advocates are urging
lawmakers to be thoughtful in their
efforts to ensure that the transition to
20 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
$2.4M
$1.62M
$295K $430K
2015 2016 2017
legal cannabis is equitable. They seek
legislation to restore and protect the
rights of those communities most hurt
by harsh sentencing laws wielded during
decades of the failed US War on Drugs.
Saphira Galoob, principal and CEO
of The Liaison Group (TLG), established
the firm as the first DC-based lobbying
firm dedicated exclusively to the canna-
bis industry. Galoob helped create and
launch the National Cannabis Roundtable,
and as the coalition’s executive director
oversees the organization’s federal policy
initiatives for leading US cannabis oper-
ators including Cresco, Pura Vida and
Trulieve. TLG’s other clients include the
California Cannabis Industry Association,
a state-based trade association count-
ing more than 500 cannabis businesses
and 670 brands among its membership
variously seeking reforms in regulations,
criminal justice, equity and community
reinvestment.
Wholesale changes to cannabis policy
might include criminal-record expunge-
ment, equal opportunities for businesses,
and reforms to financial regulations to
enable more cannabis businesses to
access banks and tax benefits as enjoyed
by any other business. Multiple legislative
$5.17M
$3.84M
$2.81M
$USD
2018 2019 2020 2021
proposals being considered include the
SAFE Banking and MORE acts, and the
comprehensive Cannabis Administration
and Opportunity Act (CAO) discussion
draft from Schumer, Booker and Wyden.
Despite an historically fractious
political scene, that polling by the Pew
Research Center shows 91 percent of US
adults supporting cannabis for medical
use, while Gallup’s numbers have 68
percent supporting cannabis for adult
use. There are few current issues that
draw such levels of support.
The consensus thinking in Washington
is that the SAFE Act could easily pass
the Senate if brought for a vote, but it
will not for however long that Schumer
keeps pushing for his own, more com-
prehensive, bill. Conversely, the odds of
passing whatever Schumer presents are
low, given that the divided Senate lacks
60 votes to support it.
If Republicans take over the Senate
in 2022, the odds for legalizing cannabis
will essentially evaporate for however long
CHART: NEW FRONTIER DATA
they hold power. Should the Democrats
maintain and grow their majority in the
halls of Congress, legal cannabis lobbyists’
progress seems much likelier within two
or three years..
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 21

THE VETERAN CHRONICLES
BY HIGH TIMES STAFF
STANDING
FOR VETERANS
Veterans Initiative 22 Founder Eryck Stamper
talks about his nonprofit advocacy and support
he’d like to see for veterans going forward.
V E T E R A N S I N I T I AT I V E 2 2 ( V I 2 2 ) , A N O N P R O F I T B A S E D I N M A R Y L A N D ,
was founded by military veteran Eryck Stamper. His career in the
Navy began in 1990. He served his country for over 20 years, which
included numerous tours of duty. However, once retiring, Stamper
found a new calling in support of veterans’ access to medical can-
nabis, which began when he worked at two Maryland dispensaries.
This eventually led to the creation of his company, The Maryland
Hemp Exchange.
Named after the average number of veterans who die by suicide
every day, VI22 is dedicated to bring awareness to the fact, and also
help prevent future veterans from losing their lives to conditions
that medical cannabis can help treat. High Times connected with
Stamper in this exclusive interview, in which he talks about his
history as a veteran, the goals of his organization and so much more.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your history as a veteran.
I am a resident of Baltimore, Maryland and graduated from Southern
High School just behind the Inner Harbors Federal Hill District, USS
Constellation and Fort McHenry areas with a heavy military family
background. I enlisted in the US Navy in July 1990. After completing
various deployments in support of Desert Shield/Storm, Operation
Iraqi/Enduring Freedom (OEF/OIF), relief efforts, overseas tours of
duty and Department of the Navy agendas, I retired in October 2013
after 23 years of faithful and zealous Naval service.
When did you first discover medical cannabis as a form of
treatment?
I was familiar with cannabis early on in life and started exper-
imenting from a recreational level around the age of 14 and
enjoyed the high that it made me feel. It helped put me at ease
living here in Baltimore City (which still is a tough place to live
today). After completing my military career and going through
a very long time of intensive drinking problems, while also
22 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
suffering from various medical conditions, I decided to look
for a more holistic approach: Cannabis. It works!
How did the Veterans Initiative 22 originate?
Post-retirement, I began to work in cannabis advocacy after some
work I did in the park service and government contracting industry.
I had the amazing opportunity to educate myself and, ultimately,
work in the cannabis industry in Maryland. I really enjoyed engaging
and taking care of patients—being a veteran, our healthcare was,
and is, very important to my heart. I took on positions like Patient
Recruitment, Budtender and even a Lead Dispensary Agent in my
early cannabis days with various cannabis organizations.
I was asked by my first dispensary owner how we could directly
show support to the veteran community, as his father was a veteran
and knew many veterans directly. I was familiar with the Veteran
Healthcare System and non-profit organizations like Jose Belen’s,
Mission Zero Actual and Ron Millward (now) Balanced Veterans
Network, watching their hard work and efforts in their respective
states for veterans, cannabis and health and seeing them grow and
share in that true nature of veterans camaraderie. I was also aware
of other veterans groups, like 22 To Zero and Mission 22. All efforts
to reduce suicide with the added concept of cannabis.
I presented my thoughts and since that day started a whole
new life. Soon after finding the true nature of medical cannabis,
my desire was sparked to engage in a new battle. Fighting for safe
and affordable access, rights and employment opportunities for
veterans, family and first responders to critical lifesaving medicine.
Can you tell us more about the inspiration around the name of
Veterans Initiative 22?
This is the most important reason why we came to, and are still in
existence fighting strong every day! Though, the inspiration is an
unfortunate and tragic one. We continue to still lose an estimated 22
veterans daily due to suicide. Veterans continue to fight a myriad of
problems with increased percentages of addiction, homelessness,
depression, physical and mental health conditions.
Cannabis without a doubt is a lifesaver. It is our firm belief that
there is so much more that needs to be done at individual state and
federal levels to help end the stigma in regards to cannabis and its
positive health benefits. We are just beginning important growth and
research in the United States with the likes of Dr. Sue Sisley and her
efforts in Arizona, and now with direct support and help by combat
veteran groups like Helmand Valley Growers Company under the
direct support of Bryan Buckley. These are levels of inspiration
that keep us motivated!
What kind of work does the Veterans Initiative 22 do? Is there
anything you’ve accomplished that you are particularly proud of?
This past 4/20 we successfully completed our first phase by partnering
with over 68 medical cannabis dispensaries in Maryland and a few
PHOTOS: COURTESY ERYCK STAMPER
outside the state. Each now offers a 22 percent incentive or greater
to honor our fallen warriors and to ensure safe, affordable access
to medical cannabis. Thanks to the help of some great sponsors
we hosted Maryland’s first 4/20 Veterans, Cannabis & Comedy
Show at Southwest American Legion Post 332 where we are now
joint ventured with and raised enough funds to start our Veterans
Compassion Care Fund (VCCF). The fund will pay any expenses
for veteran medical cannabis evaluations,
reevaluations and/or recommendations. In
the future, the fund will help offset medical
cannabis expenses for those that would finan-
cially qualify for emergency funds. To date,
we’ve raised enough to pay for 127 medical
cannabis evaluations for veterans.
On June 27, 2021 we engaged with
Cherissa Jackson and AMVETS with their
HEAL Program and spoke on the Veterans
Alternative Healthcare Summit. There was free
admission to veterans and topics discussed
were options for holistic health and economic
empowerment. She had an amazing lineup
that included Montel Williams, former UFC
Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir, cannabis
industry leaders, and a number of members
of Congress.
In September, we attended the Cannabis
Science Conference by supporting the
Veterans Panel discussing; “Integrating the
Veteran Community into Mainstream Medical
Cannabis Research.” Research, education and
awareness are key ways we can all make a
difference to better change lives and by helping
reduce the daily suicides and other medical
ailments our veterans continue to suffer.
Most recently [in October 2021], we had
the pleasure to engage with the University
of Maryland Medical Cannabis Student
Association (MCSA) and have an open dis-
cussion on Veterans and Cannabis, Access
& Advocacy. We provided a history and
up-to-date current events of our military,
both active and retired on cannabis.
We continue to highlight the amazing
work of the Veterans Action Council as we
engage with them on the federal and even
international level with the Green Paper, sup-
porting Veteran access to cannabis through
the Veterans Health Administration.
We believe education is one of the keys
to success and after attending Maryland’s first
ever cannabis business education course led
by Professor Shad Ewart, Entrepreneurial
Opportunities in Emerging Markets: Cannabis
Legalization at Anne Arundel Community
College, we were even more determined to
make an impact to veterans in Maryland
which helped streamline our progress. We
continue to lecture in his course. Stay tuned
as Spring Semester is preparing for February
[2022]. Post 9/11 G.I. Bill approved!
Finally, we just confirmed with our
local Southwest American Legion Post 332
a joint venture which supports year-round
cannabis education and programming at their
“Our common
goal is to raise
awareness about
the epidemic
of Veteran
suicides and
how cannabis
can play a role
in improving the
lives of veterans.”
brick-and-mortar facility in Baltimore. Those
levels of outreach continue throughout the
state of Maryland and beyond.
Is there anyone in particular who
inspires you?
Without a doubt one of the easiest questions
to answer: Cherissa Jackson, Chief Medical
Executive of AMVETS (American Veterans).
After meeting and learning of her non-stop
dedication to all veterans nationally through
their HEAL program and her various engage-
ments with their National Legislative Agenda,
Cherissa is one of the Top 4 Veteran Service
Organizations Leaders, a warrior on the front-
lines at the Tip of the Spear, and a Black
Female Air Force Combat Veteran Healthcare
Provider. She has all the hallmarks of a true
leader and inspirer.
Lastly, my mother, Brenda, who in her
own rights is a cannabis advocate and my
daughter, Aiyanna, who is beginning to show
early signs of advocacy in her generation;
both continue to support all my work and
allow me the flexibility to continue the fight.
Also, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to my
close friends and fellow advocates who are
blazing the path for me.
Can you tell us more about your strain
Wounded Warrior, which is releasing in
Maryland in partnership with Holistic
Industries? Are there any other specials
for veterans?
Our partner, Holistic Industries, [relaunched]
its Wounded Warrior strain in Maryland,
and a portion from each package sold on
Veterans Day will be donated to VI 22. In all of
Holistic’s other markets (including California,
Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and
Missouri), they [offered] a 22 percent discount
for veterans on Veterans Day.
What do you hope your organization will
accomplish in 2022?
As we wrap up 2021 and head into a new
dawn, 2022 presents some engaging and
exciting opportunities and challenges. We
want to continue our community and public
engagement here at home in Maryland by
finalizing our concerted efforts by triple
checking our 100 percent touch point with
our cannabis license holders working to
increase our education, awareness, employ-
ment opportunities, discount and incentive
programs and partnerships—like with Holistic
Industries.
Maryland is the first state to mandate
a cannabis patient Compassion Care Fund
and we are engaging directly with our poli-
cymakers in efforts to ensure a system is in
place to better support veterans and those
on Medicaid.
What can our readers do to support our
veterans and your organization?
We ask that the cannabis industry and
your readers always keep our veterans in
mind during hiring and business practices.
Our federal government has prepared and
trained us not only to be warriors and fighters
but doctors, lawyers and every profession
in between. We are valuable assets to any
organization that provides employment to us.
We cherish, believe and support teamwork,
vision and mission.
Is there anything else you’d like to share
with our readers and/or veterans?
PTSD, mental health and other physical health
conditions do not discriminate—and even
worse, are not just a military matter at higher
percentages. Anyone can be impacted and
to add specific groups, classes, origins and
colors continue to be directly targeted and
impacted in relation to cannabis usage and
access. This includes veterans. If anyone out
there is suffering or considering suicide, please
seek help by dialing the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline, (800) 273-8255 (Veterans
Press 1). We all have a place to help and just
need to Ask Care Treat (ACT).
veteransinitiative22.com
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 23
 MARKET THMQ
HIGHEST 10 STATES
ALABAMA

MARKET ANALYSIS
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Arena Pharmaceuticals NAS: ARNA $62.17 (+1.77) WASHINGTON
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24 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
 BRAND SPOTLIGHT

“Last Prisoner Project is proud to

partner with CANNDESCENT at the
launch of JUSTICE JOINTS so we can
raise awareness around the need for
criminal justice reform,”
-Erik Murray, Board Member of Last Prisoner Project

26 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

JUSTICE
JOINTS
A cause worthy of support,
JUSTICE JOINTS gives
back 100 percent to those
disproportionately affected by
the War on Drugs.
by Jacob Cannon
I T ’ S N O S E C R E T T H AT C A N N A B I S L E G A L I Z A Ƌ
tion hasn’t magically reversed the War on
Drugs. While we have people still sitting
in jail for nonviolent cannabis offenses,
as well as those who are struggling for
reentry into society from jail time, it’s clear
that there is still much more work to be
done as advocates. Although it’s largely
up to lawmakers and the powers that be
to legislate necessary changes on local
and federal levels, many companies and
organizations have stepped up to help sup-
plement and support the community. One
of these altruistic companies is JUSTICE
JOINTS, which has earned the spot as
High Times’ Brand Spotlight this month.
JUSTICE JOINTS has a strong backing,
as it was launched by the California-based
luxury cannabis brand, CANNDESCENT
back in October 2020. The brand was
launched with the pure intention of cre-
ating an avenue to give back funds that
aid those most affected by cannabis pro-
hibition. What sets this brand apart from
others, is that 100 percent of profits from
JUSTICE JOINTS are donated to aid BIPOC
communities in ownership and participa-
tion in the cannabis community. The funds
also go toward supporting programs that
release prisoners, expunge records and
help facilitate successful reentry for those
who have nonviolent cannabis offenses.
JUSTICE JOINTS is unique in that it
puts the power of change into the hands
of both consumers and retailers alike. All
in all, this brand empowers everyone in
our community to band together for a
greater good.
“JUSTICE JOINTS provides an oppor-
tunity for the entire cannabis community
to rally and to change the world we have
into the one we want,” CANNDESCENT
CEO Adrian Sedlin stated in a press release.
“As industry participants, we feel a mas-
sive imperative to help the thousands of
people still jailed for selling the same plant
we do, and to increasing participation
opportunities for those communities
disproportionately impacted by the war
on drugs.”
JUSTICE JOINTS offers one-gram
pre-rolls for under $10 each in various
strain varieties. Some of the popular strains
available in pre-roll form include Grease
Monkey, GMO, Green Crack, Iced Cherry
Cookies, Lemon OG, Jack Herer and Rolex
OG, among others. With a wide variety
of cultivars to choose from, it’s not only
the fire product that will get consumers
engaged. The striking black and white
packaging is more than meets the eye. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 27
 BRAND SPOTLIGHT Since its iconic launch, JUSTICE JOINTS
has remained committed to its mission and
partnering with like-minded organizations.
JUSTICE JOINTS takes its advocacy to This past September, the brand partnered
an educational level, allowing consumers with Cannabis for Black Lives (CfBL). CfBL
to learn more about its mission just by is “a coalition of cannabis companies gal- “As industry
feasting their eyes on the packaging. This vanizing the broader industry to support
means that consumers who may not be Black led organizations and communities participants, we
familiar with the brand before visiting through a commitment to corporate hiring feel a massive
a dispensary or an online purchasing and company culture, amplification of Black
platform can quickly learn the benefits voices, and financial support with ongoing imperative to help
of their purchase. The boxes that house accountability measures,” according to the the thousands of
JUSTICE JOINTS’ pre-rolls are chock-full of organization’s website.
information and facts that tell consumers In September, JUSTICE JOINTS announced people still jailed
about the War on Drugs. For example, its commitment to becoming a long-term for selling the
it explains the disproportionate number partner to CfBL, committing 50 percent of
of people of color who own cannabis its profits to the cause. same plant we do,
companies in comparison to white folks. This altruistic brand differentiates itself and to increasing
Additionally, the packaging reveals that by bringing a level of education to consum-
there are currently more than 40,000 ers through its products and social media. participation
individuals who are behind bars due to Beyond the packaging, following JUSTICE opportunities
cannabis-related charges. Another upset- JOINTS on platforms such as Instagram gives
ting fact listed is that every 48 seconds followers a quick glimpse into facts around for those
someone is arrested for cannabis offenses the drug war, as well as progress that is being communities
in the United States. made. For example, the brand has recently
Consuming cannabis recreationally or shared how “17.5 million cannabis arrests disproportionately
medically is the main commonality that were made between 1997-2019.” The brand impacted by the
ensures the cannabis industry’s finan- doubled-down on its mission to “continue our
cial success. Through JUSTICE JOINTS’ mission until every last cannabis prisoner is war on drugs.”
branded products, consuming cannabis set free.” Follow the hashtag #SPARKCHANGE -Adrian Sedlin, CEO of
can become more intentional, as it helps to stay informed. CANNDESCENT
remind consumers and retailers of the
issues that still plague our industry. justicejoints.co
During its launch in October 2020,
JUSTICE JOINTS announced its partnership
with Last Prisoner Project. This nonprofit
was a perfect fit, as their missions are
perfectly aligned. “Last Prisoner Project
is proud to partner with CANNDESCENT
at the launch of JUSTICE JOINTS so we
can raise awareness around the need for
criminal justice reform,” Erik Murray, Last
Prisoner Project Board Member stated.
“Last Prisoner Project can’t express enough
gratitude to the consumers who purchase
this great product, and for their contri-
butions to our collective efforts to bring
these cannabis prisoners home.”
This partnership has proven to be
successful, as in just the first six months
of its launch, JUSTICE JOINTS raised more
than $60,000 for Last Prisoner Project.
The funds went toward programs to help
expunge records, release inmates and allow
for their reentry.

28 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

OUT OF
AFRICA
In the South African country
of Lesotho, the continent’s
first EU GMP-compliant grow
facility is thriving.
by Marguerite Arnold

30 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 WORKERS ATTEND
TO PLANTS.
allowed to be prescribed (as well as reim-
bursed by insurers) in Germany. Both
Canadian and Dutch varieties must be
irradiated due to repeated contamination
problems, although that was originally
not the case.
Founded in 2017, which was the
same year that the German govern-
IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES LIKE LESOTHO, THE ment decided not only to cover cannabis
acceptance of cannabis is a potential under German public health insurance
game-changer. but also to create a domestic cannabis
MG Health is the first cannabis com- cultivation industry, MG Health has over-
pany both in the country and on the come multiple challenges, iterations and
continent of Africa to embrace medical strategies (not to mention that it also
cannabis. It is a company driven and par- survived COVID-19).
tially financed by Andre Bothma, a man At MG Health’s heart is the desire to
whose family has owned businesses in create a high-value export crop, along
Lesotho since they arrived from Holland with increasing the number of jobs for
six generations ago. He’s also acquainted a country with a troubled but proud
with the King of Lesotho (which sounds history, and in the present a net gross
grand but is a rather common occurrence domestic product (GDP) per person of
given the small business community) and just over $100 per month. * *
his main enterprise, LSP Construction, has
been involved with large infrastructure
projects such as building the majority
of the power lines in the country, and FRESHLY TRIMMED
PLANTS LINE THE
constructing dam projects. AISLES.
The cannabis company could not
have existed without Bothma, much
less have gotten to this point. However,
the real achievement for MG Health is
becoming the first EU GMP-compliant
cannabis cultivation company in Africa,
and further one with a German offtake
agreement. In the process, it has also
become an important discussion in the
German cannabis market as well as the
broader European and global one.
For starters, MG Health produces only
the second unirradiated strain currently

PHOTOS: MARGUERITE ARNOLD HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 31


THE MEDICAL
CANNABIS MIRACLE
DAGGA, THE LOCAL TERM FOR CANNABIS, IS NO STRANGER TO THE
southern tip of Africa.
From an American perspective, Lesotho is a country with a
population similar to that of New Mexico (approximately two
million people). In the mountainous regions, the Mokhoro homes
built with stone and mud with thatched roofs are commonly found.
This is also a world without electricity and modern tele-
communications infrastructure including Wi-Fi, although in
Maseru, the capital and largest city, residents have access to cell
phones, along with the commodities that most people reading
this would accept as the necessities of life in the 21st century.
Here is the thing that makes the success of cannabis an
almost sure-fire hit. This is a country with widespread unem-
ployment, one of the world’s highest rates of HIV and AIDS and
whose major sources of outside income are derived from the
sale of water, wool and diamonds.
Cannabis, at least of the pharmaceutical grade, is poten-
tially a way to create a renewable resource in Lesotho that
also raises the standards of living for those who can qualify
for a job in a facility.
That said, the path so far has been far from easy.
Traveling through the winding and steep roads that hug the
32 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
TRIMMERS
MANICURE BUDS TO
sides of the mountains that make up
most of Lesotho, with the exception
PERFECTION.
of the power lines that stretch across
them, it is easy to understand that things have not really changed
all that much since the founding of Lesotho several centuries
ago. This was accomplished when a regional African king man-
aged to unite the warring clans into a force strong enough to
keep from being subsumed under South African rule, although
it was a British protectorate until 1966.
This is still a mostly natural, remote country. Perfect, in other
words, for a plant which has a history here—and challenging
too, for the same reasons.
A RENEWABLE
RESOURCE FOR
LESOTHO
LANDING IN MASERU FROM JOHANNESBURG IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE
mountains rise much like the Rockies do in Denver. Twenty
minutes by car from the airport, and the view changes, dra-
matically, from flat African plain to dramatic peaks that, in
summertime, are covered by lush, low-lying vegetation and
in winter, deep snow. * *
 A VILLAGE
IN LESOTHO.

WORKERS MAKE THEIR WAY DOWN
ROWS OF PLANTS.
MG Health is about an hour-and-a-half drive from the capital,
reached only by air or by driving along mountain hugging roads
with jaw-dropping views and steep drop-offs. Goats, sheep,
cows and humans, wrapped in the traditional tribal Basotho
blankets, which denote the clans much like Scottish kilts, plus
the occasional truck or car, dot the roads. This makes driving
them both highly colorful, as well as dangerous.
Other wildlife famous in South Africa, the so-called “Big
Five” (the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and buffalo) where
they might have existed, have been hunted to extinction. The
only other wild animals, jackals and rock hyraxes, are rare.
The bird life is however broad and uniquely suited to the
harsh environment.
Life is difficult here for all inhabitants, although the positive
is that this extends to pests and insects that would ordinarily
disrupt the cannabis plant.
However, if Bothma has anything to say about the matter,
the high-tech cannabis farm he and his team have created will
begin to help change all that.
THE PRODUCTION
FACILITY
Currently MG Health is growing both cannabis flower and bio-
mass for export. The facility is a smartly designed series of
sealed “pads” or domed greenhouses. In the first structure, the
adult mother plants are cloned on a regular basis now that the
company has achieved stability in its first strain.
34 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
The grow houses make up the other part of the facility and
are harvested on a rolling and regular basis now. After being
harvested, the crops are taken to the GMP drying and processing
facility right next door. This is a series of sealed and interconnected
rooms and processes that is highly biometrically, and process
controlled—and further that looks familiar to anyone who is
used to commercial cannabis production in a pharmaceutical
environment. Beyond this, the company is setting up its extraction
facilities to prepare for shipping not only flower biomass but crude
oil, to companies and countries from Europe to Asia.
A CANNABIS
FARM IN AFRICA
There are many things that seem to presage the long-term
success of the facility. Part of this is the determination of the
founders, who are natives or at least long-term residents of the
country. Many Canadian firms flocked here after the bid began
to go off track in Germany to see if they could build cannabis
farms in Lesotho specifically for export. So far, all other efforts
except MG Health have not succeeded in achieving GMP yet.
And even though Canadian money initially financed the culti-
vation, it was bought out by the current owners.
However, the rigours of growing GMP cannabis—a task that
even the biggest public Canadian companies have struggled
with and not just here—is just one challenge.
On that front, at least, the company has succeeded, and
with distinction.
MG Health is a professional, commercial, GMP grade site. From
the smaller container areas where clones are nurtured into plants
to the larger, sealed and compliant grow “pads,” it is clear to see
that this is an efficient, well-run, no-nonsense operation.
This dedication and attention to detail has also created a process
that has resulted in a stable first strain that recently passed German
side testing in August of last year with a shelf life of nine months.
Bafokeng’s Choice is now available, when patients ask for it, or
doctors write prescriptions for it, from Drapalin Pharmaceuticals,
the German import partner based in Munich.
The company is currently producing 250kg of cannabis flower
a month on a production footprint of 5,000 square meters. This is
currently going to Germany and Israel, but there are other countries on
the roadmap, along with expansion plans for the overall operations.
It is hard not to believe that everything will go as planned, from
the enthusiasm of not only Bothma but his management team. On
the ground, the locals who are doing the manual labor as well as
increasingly the more technically challenging jobs, also seem happy
with their work. One of the most striking things about the facility is
also the extent to which working conditions have been deliberately
constructed to create a decent place to be employed.
 This starts with the actual ability to have such
employment, especially in such a remote part of the
world. This is high tech, not subsistence farming, which
is what most of the local residents are used to. As a result
of this, however, there have been some tensions as the
company and the locals have engaged in a dialogue
about how to integrate local customs if not realities
into a professional, pharma grade cultivation facility.
On the non-controversial side? The company
provides fruit during work breaks and free lunch
onsite that is also sourced locally. It may not be
up to the “Google canteen” standards but is rather
more sustainable.
Beyond this, MG Health has also leased the land
around the site to protect the valley’s groundwater,
rather than just buying it. Farmers are paid not to
grow. This is another point in the company’s favor
and is considered a far more humane and sustainable
development practice than merely buying such land
out. This way, the entire community has a vested
interest in the success of the company and in several
different ways, starting with sustainable farming
practices.
At Marakabei, one of the two villages within
walking distance of the facility, the impact of both
jobs and leasing the land has been felt in many
ways. This includes the ability to begin to upgrade
lives—like the ability to buy new clothes or even cars.
Some of the villagers are using the money to live in
retirement—something that most of the population
does not frequently get to do.
UPPER PHOTO: LOCALS GET
Bothma has also clearly had a long-standing are mandatory in the world of BY WITH VERY LITTLE.
interest in this part of the world. He helped to build international medical cannabis. LOWER PHOTO: THE
MARAKABEI HEALTH CENTRE
a local clinic here in 2013 as part of an internationally It is also shocking when one IN CENTRAL LESOTHO.

funded effort (in part with American relief dollars), well
before he had any plans to grow dagga. MG Health
also implemented the addition of a banking branch
in Marakabei—again a rare commodity for this part
of the world. It is also an economic development
“best practice” as it ensures that the money earned in
the community has a better chance of staying there.
But this is, after all, Africa, and Lesotho beyond
that. Not all has been smooth sailing.
Here was one of the most traumatic challenges.
Getting local employees, many of whom had not been
formally employed before, to understand that the
procedures necessary for working in the facility—
including a morning shower and company washed
clothes—are a requirement for GMP production. This
scale of cultural adjustment proved to be significant,
and resulted in some terminations, due to a number
of employees not being able to comply with the strict
levels of ongoing hygiene required by EU GMP. That
is quite a shock of recognition of how different things
are here when you realize how (at least to Western
and German American eyes) “normal” things are
at the site. Not to mention that such requirements
realizes how much of an obvious
effort has been put in by manage-
ment to make accommodations
that are possible—such as the
working shift arrangements.
Bothma and his team do not
seem like they would be easy to
work for—but it is also obvious
that everyone works hard at MG
Health. This is just a way of life. The
small team of expats is also put to
the test—starting with the fact that
this is a 24/7 operation. For them,
the remoteness of the site presents
another challenge. The long-term
vision of MG Health is to include
as few expats as possible in the
operations, and a core responsibility
of current expats in management
positions is the transfer of skills and
knowledge to roll out this sustain-
able succession plan.
Luckily, the team also seems
to work well together. There is a
feeling of family that is hard to
shake. It may not always be fun
and games, but particularly at
lunch, there is also a sense that
everyone ends up at least eating
together. That may not sound like
much, but it is, particularly in this
part of the world.
A great deal of that credit
goes to the CEO and the culture
he seems to encourage. Bothma
himself is a quiet man, but it is
obvious that he expects people to
work hard and get things done. He
delegates to people he trusts and
moves on. In the process, he has
created a thriving GMP cannabis
production site, the first of its kind,
in Africa.

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 35

 Passion
is
Power
PG. 38 PG. 72
Equitable Endeavors The Tale of the Hippie Trail
The state of social equity for people Dive into these first-hand accounts of
of color and women in the cannabis smuggling hash across Europe and Asia,
industry has a long way to go. a nod to an era long since passed.

PG. 50 PG. 84
The Big State Push Ten Years for Two Joints
Advocacy Groups in Florida, Nebraska Sinclair’s advocacy for cannabis and
and Oklahoma speak out on the road will to free political prisoners is one
ahead. of the highlights of a turbulent time in
American history.
PG. 58
Grand Recognition PG. 94
Honoring some of the cannabis Families on the Frontlines
advocates who passed away in 2021. Three European parents advocate for
medical cannabis for their kids by any
means necessary.

36 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

I
In the cannabis industry, an indelible

JANAURY 2022
dedication for advocacy runs deep
and can be found in many places. Look
around, and you’ll find individuals
taking a stand at capitol buildings,
cold-calling politicians, writing
letters, volunteering to collect
signatures and defending diverse,

THE advocacy ISSUE

equitable representation in an industry
that’s growing rapidly. Others are
spreading awareness about cannabis’
usefulness as a medicine. It can be
anyone from parents trying to provide
legal and safe access for their children
to people spending their free time to
petition for legalization in their home
state. These advocates are driven by one
thing in common—an unending passion—
to sacrifice their time fighting for
everyone’s right to use cannabis.
The industry has only grown and
evolved because of advocates who
continually push for these rights. Dating
back to cannabis culture’s origin,
there have always been people willing
to protest, make their voices heard,
sacrifice their own time and in some
cases, their livelihood, to stand up
for what they believe. In High Times’
Advocacy Issue, we put the spotlight on
activists who are dedicated to improving
the industry.

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 37

Equitable
Endeavors
THE STATE OF SOCIAL EQUITY FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR AND
WOMEN IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.
by Mark Miller
It’s so easy for a cannabis enthusiast to be taken in by all
the flashy numbers that tell of the stratospheric economic
growth of the legal (“adult-use”) cannabis industry in
America; such as the unprecedented 275 percent job
growth every year since 2017, easily outdistancing every
other industry nationwide. Or perhaps it’s the fact that
Americans purchased $18.3 billion dollars of cannabis
products in 2020, a 71 percent increase in one year.
However, there is a less well-known, though
equally eye-opening statistic, and that is the dispro-
portion between white-owned and people of color/
women-owned cannabis businesses. According to an
eye-opening, recent report issued by MJBizDaily, the
number of executive-level females and minorities working
in legal weed actually fell from 2019 to 2021, despite
the massive increases in legal weed profits.
The sheer number of executive positions held by
females in the cannabis industry fell from nearly 37
percent as recently as 2019 down to 22 percent in 2021.
And these disturbing trends become more magnified
when contrasted with the acceleration of women
holding executive titles in the overall economy—up to
almost 30 percent this past year, compared to merely
21 percent as recently as 2018. In other words, what
was once very recently a point of equity-superiority
for the cannabis industry has now been reduced to a
declining point of concern.
A similar sad story is being told among minority
owners/executives in the cannabis industry, which has
drastically decreased from 28 percent in 2019 down
to a meager 13 percent this past year. As delineated
by a section in the Leafly 2021 Jobs Report entitled
“A Major Challenge: Black Ownership in the Cannabis
Industry,” African-Americans only represent less than
two percent of all cannabis business owners, despite
having a nationwide population over six times that
percentage (Black Americans amount for 13 percent
of the US population).
The fact that Black Americans are missing out on this
21st century ganja gold rush serves as a harsh reminder
that the racial-based injustices of the War on Drugs have
persisted even now in this era of capitalist cannabis.
However, there are measures being taken by state
and local governments to correct these imbalances, chief
among them being Social Equity Programs (SEP). But
is it enough?
White male ownership has consolidated its grip on
the ganja industry, due to their generally having stronger
access to the necessary capital to expand their com-
panies’ market-share that increases their profits while
simultaneously diminishing the value of their compet-
itors—which are all too often smaller, “mom and pop”
cannabis companies—who have less access to assets.
According to an analysis issued in Summer
2021 by Business Insider, white males comprise 70
percent of the 14 largest US cannabis companies’
“C-suite”—executive-level management. Of the 75
SOCIAL EQUITY
executives polled by the Insider, only seven were Black.
N
Necessity For Equity 
Social equity in the fledgling cannabis industry is necessary
in order to produce a more harmonious balance between
THE advocacy ISSUE
companies as well as provide an equal opportunity for any
legitimate cannabis business to prosper, and not only those
entitled fewcompanieswho generallyhave the odds in theirfavor.
It is here where the crucial distinction between
“equity” and “equality” must be made. Not equality in
terms of race or gender, but in an economic sense. In
this context, equality is providing and dividing the same
exact resources and opportunities equally to everyone.
While that sounds good in theory, when it’s actually
applied to reality, it’s usually the case of the elite main-
taining the status quo, so that only the rich get richer.
Equity, on the other hand, is the deliberate pro-
portioning of resources to those from disadvantaged
backgrounds, which includes people of color or those
from poor communities. Equity also redistributes
resources to those who experience institutional bias,
such as women, as well as those with special needs,
which can include people with disabilities and those
who have been incarcerated for drug-related crimes.
S
SEP as an Intended Solution
Social Equity Programs (SEP) have generally been part
of the legalization measures passed by voters in various
states, although there has been legislative SEP as well.
While SEP specifics differ from state-to-state, the gen-
eral concept is that it exists to grant cannabis business
licenses to potential applicants whose lives have been
adversely affected by the 50-year War on Drugs mainly
in urban neighborhoods that were negatively impacted
for decades by both gang violence, excessive police
enforcement and underfunding. In some instances, the
residency requirement of having lived in a particular
area is an advantage for a given applicant rather than
an outright necessity to be approved. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 39
 Mike Lumoto, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
with the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA)
SOCIAL EQUITY
disclosed that SEPs likely originated in Northern California,
one of the most progressive areas in America, along with
being the home for the finest flower in the country.
In an interview with High Times, Lumoto shared his
experiences during the rise of SEPs. “I got to participate in
several meetings at City Hall in San Francisco, where I’m
from,” he said. “This was before Social Equity became an
official part of cannabis there, and while it was in its early
and disastrous stages in Oakland. We were trying to make the
transition from legacy to regulated adult use, and it became
obvious to many of us that this whole ‘social equity’ thing was
not likely to roll out smoothly, in SF or anywhere that would
follow. It’s a big part of why I eventually ended up at NCIA.”
Lumoto further elaborated on the origins of SEP.
THE advocacy ISSUE
“Illinois was the first state to legalize cannabis by way
of legislation, and was also the first state to do so with
social equity included in that legislation. My former busi-
ness partners are from Chicago, so we participated in
the working groups at city hall there, and again, it was
clear early on that the rollout was going to be flawed.”
Lumoto’s words certainly ring true as we look a little
closer at legal states’ SEP programs.
LEGAL
STATES SEP:
UPS & DOWNS
ILLINOIS
The Land of Lincoln brought full-scale legalization to the
heart of the Midwest in 2020, and the state runs its SEP
through the Department of Commerce and Economic
Opportunity (DCEO). The DCEO has created a network
of relevant professionals charged with assisting social
equity applicants obtain a cannabis business license.
Equally, if not more critical, the DCEO developed the
Social Equality Cannabis Loan Program to provide
financial assistance to SEP applicants, such as paying
reduced license and applications fees, as well as opening
a channel for applicants to obtain low-interest loans.
Yet despite those efforts, not a single minority-owned
business was a finalist for the 75 pot shop licenses expected
to be issued in Illinois during 2021.
MASSACHUSETTS
Among the benefits in the Mass SEP is receiving free tech
assistance and certified vendor training along with an expe-
dited license application review for anyone qualified who
owns at least 10 percent of the business. SEP beneficiaries
also enjoy waiving of application fees and monthly costs
40 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
of the state’s third-party, mandatory seed-to-sale tracking
system, Metrc. SEP beneficiaries are also to gain exclusive
access to Social Consumption and Delivery-Only license
types for up to three years.
The Massachusetts system extends to four tracks of
training, with each level offering various classes to expand
SEP entrants’ knowledge-base and opportunities. The
Entrepreneur Track, designed for those seeking Marijuana
Establishment (ME) licensing, provides every-step-of-the-
way guidance and training to prepare SEP participants to
apply for, own and support a cannabis establishment. Core
Track assists those in SEP who want to be ME upper man-
agement and executives. Entry Track is for those seeking
entry-level with little-to-no-experience employment in the
cannabis industry following incarceration. The Ancillary
Track is used by individuals who don’t want to work directly
in the cannabis industry, but can still find employment in
related industries, such as advertising.
However, sadly and similar to Illinois, in Massachusetts,
a meager three of the 260-plus cannabis retail outlets are
Black-owned.
Mike Lumoto of the
Diversity, Equity,
Inclusion Committee
of the NCIA
When asked for his take on states’ cannabis social
equity initiatives, Mike Lumoto of NCIA surmised: “I
would say that just about every single state is lagging
behind in establishing SEP. It’s not to say that there
aren’t some that appear to be trying harder than others,
or that have made more progress than others, but the
reality is that the impact is still missing.”
S
San Francisco Doing Its Part 
In putting this article together, we were extremely grateful
to receive comments and info from San Francisco
Office of Cannabis Acting Director John Pierce, who lauded
his department’s accomplishments regarding SEP: * *
 “The San Francisco Office of Cannabis permit Pierce detailed the progress of Fog City’s SEP: “This
process has prioritized equity applicants since its system of support has facilitated the issuance of 20
SOCIAL EQUITY

inception. Our Equity Program has evolved into a force
multiplier for social good, delivering on its goals of
creating opportunities for individuals and communities
harmed by the War on Drugs,” he said. “To date, the
Office of Cannabis has issued 20 cannabis business
permits across 17 equity-owned cannabis businesses.
For context, the number of permits for equity-owned
cannabis businesses was two in late 2019, and four
in May 2020.”
The San Francisco Office of Cannabis continues to
put a priority on getting more equity-owned cannabis
businesses licensed. “There are roughly 25 equity-owned
cannabis businesses currently under construction, the
final phase of the permitting process. By comparison,
THE advocacy ISSUE
equity permits, with 25 additional equity businesses
under construction.
“Opening a business anywhere, but especially in San
Francisco because of costs associated with owning or
leasing land, is expensive. This, combined with federal
drug laws that disrupt traditional lending mechanisms,
makes financing expensive cannabis entrepreneur-
ships an ongoing challenge. Through San Francisco’s
Equity Program, we try to lower the barriers equity
applicants describe facing.
“At 7x7 miles, San Francisco is smaller than other large
cities, and we take tremendous pride in our successful
equity businesses and our active equity community.
The growth of equity businesses throughout the City

this figure was 15 in May 2020,” Pierce told High Times. over such a short period is a testament to the resiliency
“Approximately 75 existing supply-side and delivery of both equity owners and the equity community.”
cannabis businesses operate with temporary permits. While individual cities and states are making
An additional 38 medical cannabis dispensaries are an attempt at SEPs and creating equity for cannabis
also operational. The 17 equity-owned cannabis busi- businesses and entrepreneurs, many believe federal
nesses, which did not exist as of late 2019, range from intervention is key to making equity a successful reality.
storefront retail to distribution to manufacturing to
delivery businesses.
“These equity businesses have created their own
ecosystems, expanding equity and social good in
our City by creating local job opportunities and
generating sales tax revenue to fund other social
services and programs. During the pandemic, as
of May 2021, cannabis businesses in San Francisco
hired 73 local residents through the First Source
Hiring Program.”
Despite major setbacks and challenges caused by
COVID-19, Pierce shared that most of the equity-owned
businesses in San Francisco opened during the pandemic.
They can be found in neighborhoods around the entire
city. “They span the entire City, from Fisherman’s Wharf
through Pacific Heights, Nob Hill, Union Square, the
Tenderloin, Hayes Valley, the Castro, SOMA, Haight,
Potrero Hill, the Dogpatch to the Bayview and Park
Merced,” he shared.
Qualified social equity applicants in San Francisco are
offered numerous benefits, as Pierce detailed: “Waived
application fees, and priority review, meaning, equity
FEDS WHO
applications are the first to be processed for permits.
They also receive legal protections in our code support- ARE TRYING
ing control and ownership rights. And there is access
to free legal and other technical services facilitated
by our office.”
TO PLAY FAIR
Perhaps most critically of all is the financial
services that SEP applicants receive including, as
WITH SEP
Pierce described, “...direct access to grant funding.
Our office has provided direct assistance to verified Despite cannabis remaining illegal at the federal level,
equity applicants for permitting-related expenses. $3 there have been efforts by pro-pot progressive lawmakers
million has been disbursed to eligible equity grant- to balance the legal weed playing field by sponsoring
ees and an additional $2 million will be awarded to legislation with social equity in mind. Here are two
eligible recipients before the end of the year.” recent examples: * *

42 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 43
 “WE NEED OTHER LARGE ESTABLISHED
FIRMS WITH STRONG CONNECTIONS
AND A HISTORY OF SUCCESS TO START
FUNDING OUR BUSINESSES.”
-ANTHONY JENKINS JR.
M
Marijuana Opportunity,
Reinvestment and Expungement Act
On September 30, the US House Judiciary Committee voted
26-15 to pass H.R. 3617, the MORE Act of 2021, which was
previously approved-but did not pass—in 2019. The bill’s name
is an acronym for Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and
Expungement. As noted by primary sponsor Jerrold Nadler (D-NY),
the MORE Act it is a sweeping bill that removes marijuana from
federal prohibition legislation the Controlled Substances Act,
as well as utilizing funds generated by a federal tax on weed to
assist communities adversely affected by pot prohibition and
the drug war in general and actively increasing the number of
communities of color involved in the legal cannabis industry.
Finally, this revolutionary legislation would expunge federal
cannabis convictions and arrests from individuals’ records.
C
Cannabis Administration
and Opportunity Act
There is also the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity
Act (CAOA) promoted by US Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ),
Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY), which will
also end federal prohibition on cannabis. CAOA likewise
expunges all nonviolent federal cannabis convictions and
permits those currently serving federal time for pot crimes
to petition the courts for sentencing rescheduling.
Regarding social equity, CAOA creates an “Opportunity
Trust Fund,” also paid for by proposed federal THC taxes,
that will both reinvest in those communities damaged by
the drug war, as well as installing social equity measures to
benefit cannabis entrepreneurs of color.
Specifically, CAOAwill institute a Cannabis Opportunity Program
to fund local cannabis licensing programs that offer small business
loans to economically and socially disadvantaged individuals.
44 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
SEP OBSTACLES
SEP is far, far from perfect, and Lumoto’s expert-in-equity
position at NCIA gives him a unique overarching perspective
that he shared: “The obstacles have proven to be numerous
and just keep coming. Some examples are a lack of funding
or regulations that may make sense on paper, but are con-
tradictory when played out in real life scenarios.”
“In too many jurisdictions, Social Equity programs have
either stalled out in the issuing of licenses, or have found that
the programs have so many restraints that make it difficult
for licensees to properly fund and launch their businesses. I
would say that while the Bay Area has experienced numerous
problems with its programs, it’s good to see that there are
several operators currently functioning. In Massachusetts,
we’re also seeing some operators get rolling with delivery.”
L
Next Level
Co-founders
Anthony and
Cartier Jenkins
Lack of Corporate Commitment
For social equity programs to truly become successful, there
has to be active participation at every end—including by the
medical and retail storefronts that directly sell products to
the public.
We had the good fortune to speak with Anthony Jenkins Jr.,
CEO and co-founder of Next Level, an Oakland-based cannabis
company that manufacturers edibles with an emphasis on
self-infusion, such as by using their proprietary Coconut Oil
and Brown Sugar to add to existing food and drinks.
Jenkins Jr. expressed his frustration with the lack of cor-
porate commitment to Black-owned brands and supporting
equity. “Most dispensaries talk a great social equity game, but
fail on following through. You will hear and see them touting
equity when their owners speak publicly, on social media,
and in interviews, but when you contact them...(you
get no substantial response). And when you visit their
facilities, the only Black-owned brands they carry were
started by multi-millionaire entertainers and athletes.
And while many of these brands are great, there are
other brands with much smaller pockets and quality
products that could really use the support.”
L
Lack of Capital
As noted previously, much of the funding for cannabis
business start-ups consists of rich white men providing
startup capital to other rich white men. Breaking that
cycle is no small feat, but it can be done with over-
riding unity.
Once again, Next Level’s Jenkins Jr. had much to
say on this subject: “The only one that comes to mind
that is really making an effort, is The Parent Company.
They’ve done a great job of seeking out and funding
future successful cannabis businesses such as Josephine &
Billie’s. We need other large established firms, with strong
connections, and a history of success to start funding
our businesses. We need companies like Andreessen
Horowitz, Sequoia Capital, and Benchmark to take a look
at cannabis and start targeting minority entrepreneurs
and businesses in our industry.”
L
Legal Threats to SEP Progress 
Unfortunately, those looking to skirt the rules or who
live by the creed that “greed-is-good” do not believe
in equity, be it social or financial, and they have cal-
lously challenged SEP in the courts, primarily on the
aforementioned residency requirements to obtain the
golden ticket of a cannabis business license.
In Michigan, the “Detroit Legacy” SEP policy of giving
licensing preference to long-time Motor City residents
is being challenged in court by Crystal Lowe, who has
only lived in Detroit for 11 of the past 30 years, not even
close to half the time.
Complex legal proceedings took place in Maine in
the squabble over residency requirements.
Corporate chain NPG, LLC already operates four
dispensaries in the Pine Tree state and United Patients
and Caregivers of Maine are challenging NPG in the
SOCIAL EQUITY
First Circuit Court of Appeals after a federal court previ-
ously issued an injunction against the state’s residency
requirement. The Appeals court decision could have
a huge influence on cannabis SEP moving forward.
As noted by GrowIn, that previous ruling has already
had a direct effect on other residency cases; in early
October a federal judge ruled against Missouri’s res-
idency requirement. Unfortunately, Show-Me-State
officials will not stand up for social equity and will
instead cower before the court’s ruling and accept it.
As reported by Chicago Tribune, Illinois’ social equity
program is facing numerous challenges, part of the
problem stemming from so many cannabis business
THE advocacy ISSUE
licenses being granted to well-connected white men
as opposed to those hailing from poverty-stricken and
drug, crime-ridden areas.
Lawsuits are also seeking to break SEP in the state,
including the state giving extra “score points” to license
applicants who are military veterans, along with resi-
dency social equity points being erroneously granted
to dispensary employees instead of the owners.
In late October, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered
all of the legal SEP challenges be consolidated, which
could well determine the fate of the state’s 185 new
recreational licenses.
It would require a tremendous amount of childlike
naivete to think that these anti-SEP lawsuits are based
on anything but a profit motive.
Lumoto remains optimistic in the face of poten-
tial adversity. “The beautiful thing about ‘problems’
is that people are innovative, and they will create and
pursue solutions. I think NCIA has done a great job
of recognizing it’s up to all of us to do more. There’s
plenty of examples of other organizations, like MCBA,
doing the work as well. Or educational organizations
like Our Dream Academy and the Cleveland School of
Cannabis stepping up to fill needs.” * *
“IN TOO MANY JURISDICTIONS,
SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAMS HAVE
EITHER STALLED OUT IN THE
ISSUING OF LICENSES, OR HAVE
FOUND THAT THE PROGRAMS HAVE
SO MANY RESTRAINTS THAT MAKE
IT DIFFICULT FOR LICENSEES TO
PROPERLY FUND AND LAUNCH
THEIR BUSINESSES.”
-MIKE LUMOTO
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 45
 ORGANIZATIONS
SOCIAL EQUITY
AIM TO
LEVEL THE
PLAYING FIELD
C
THE advocacy ISSUE
Cannabis Equity Success
Jenkins Jr. elaborated on his sojourn to discovering
SEP; after he was informed by an attorney that it would
cost some $750,000 to launch a cannabis business,
which was completely out of his financial capabili-
ties. However, the closing of one door led Jenkins Jr.
to do more research, and there he discovered the city
of Oakland’s Cannabis Equity Program.
He filled in the rest of the details: “Soon after discov-
ering Oakland’s program, I thought to myself, there are
probably other people who are like me and want to start
a cannabis business, and think it’s way too expensive
and difficult. I wanted to let those people know that
there are ways for them to achieve their goal. And so I
started CES—Cannabis Equity Success—on Facebook
to help disseminate information about different social
equity programs to future cannabis entrepreneurs to
aid them in starting a cannabis business.”
When asked as to how CES functions as a vital
resource, Jenkins explained: “The mission of CES is
to really spread the word about all the free programs
that are out there to help social equity cannabis entre-
preneurs succeed. All social equity programs have
their issues and members of CES have provided feed-
back on some of the ‘misses’ of their local programs.
And this is a good thing, because social equity is so
new, many states are still forming their programs.
This way, policy makers can join CES to learn about
social equity pitfalls and some of these best practices
of other programs.”
In conclusion, Jenkins eloquently got to the bot-
tom-line: “Cannabis businesses will not succeed without
capital, and there are simply not enough venture capital-
ists and angel investors supporting minority businesses.
And this is where a shift needs to occur if we want to
see our communities lifted to the next level.”
46 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
N
NCIA
The aforementioned NCIA has played a huge role in pro-
gressing social equity in the cannabis industry. As Mike
Lumoto detailed, “Facilitating SEP is a role we take seri-
ously. NCIA stands on three pillars; Advocacy, Education
and Networking. We work hard to create structures in all
three areas that support successful SEP. This ranges from
ensuring our Social Equity members and our DEI Committee
have input into our lobbying messages in Washington,
DC, to designing educational programming specific to
our Social Equity members, and connecting them with
resources and opportunities.”
When asked about the NCIA Diversity Equity and
Inclusion (DEI) Program, Lumoto expounded, “First and
foremost, our program is being implemented in a very
methodical and intentional manner, with the mission of
true impact at the core. Sponsoring companies can know
that they are involved in a movement, rather than a flash
in the pan. The way I like to put it is that we’re building an
industry together, and if you value the underlying prin-
ciples of DEI being integral to the industry, then being a
DEI program sponsor is one important way to create the
industry you want to see in the world.”
Regarding the NCIA Social Equity Scholarship Program,
NCIA’s Social Equity Workshop Held in Detroit During the Midwest Cannabis Business Conference in September 2021
Lumoto explained what it entails, “Social Equity Applicants
and Operators are eligible for a complimentary first year of
NCIA membership, and all the benefits that come along with
that membership, such as eligibility for speaking engage-
ments or participating in our industry sector committees.
“However, we go much deeper than that, as we pro-
vide unique benefits to our Social Equity members, which
were determined by asking them what they needed. The
most significant of these is our Mentorship Program. It’s
powered by the members of our highly-engaged trade
association, and it’s designed to be a robust and scalable
program. It includes weekly group coaching and net-
working calls, in-person workshops at our conferences,
evergreen videos, and more. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 47

N
SOCIAL EQUITY
Good Examples
Jenkins Jr. heaped praise upon dispensaries that do sup-
port SEP-aided bud businesses like his own Next Level.
“We have been fortunate that there have been some
dispensary and delivery services who have been willing
to sit down with us to discuss our products and partner
in selling them,” he said. “7 Star Holistic in Richmond
and Lemonade Antioch have been amazing partners
and have been patient as we work through the red tape
THE advocacy ISSUE
of getting fully licensed.”
Jenkins Jr. also glowed about Next Level’s partnerships
with similar companies. “There are a lot of amazing,
minority-owned businesses. And, as a minority business
owner, it is necessary for us to utilize and support other
businesses like ours. Because of this we’ve formed part-
nerships with top-tier companies such as Changemaker
Creative, The Galley, Local Equity Distribution, Supernova
Women and Breeze. When we first entered into each
of these partnerships, I was expecting a quid pro quo
situation, but owners of each of these businesses have
provided us with mentorship in their field.”
Lumoto agreed. He added, “A year ago, I would have
said that one of the biggest obstacles within the Social
Equity and DEI community was that too many of us
were working independently or in ‘silos’ to solve similar
problems. But over the past year, I’ve seen collaboration
escalate tremendously, and it’s very encouraging for
what lies ahead.”
FUTURE OF
SOCIAL EQUITY
With all the lawsuits and ineffectiveness of much of SEP,
it is only logical to foresee that the nature of cannabis
business social equity will be more fluid than stable, and
Mike Lumoto concurred, saying, “The SEP landscape
is continually changing in every state. Because each
state has taken a different approach and has different
needs, it’s hard to make any blanket prediction. What
I will say is that I hope that states listen to the social
equity businesses themselves. One development that
I’ve been very encouraged by, and that I hope continues
to evolve, is the ‘collective model.’ In this model, several
licensees can basically incubate or operate within a
collective. They are all their own license holders, but
they also share resources. Chief among those resources
48 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
“THE SAN FRANCISCO OFFICE OF
CANNABIS PERMIT PROCESS HAS
PRIORITIZED EQUITY APPLICANTS
SINCE ITS INCEPTION. OUR EQUITY
PROGRAM HAS EVOLVED INTO A
FORCE MULTIPLIER FOR SOCIAL
GOOD, DELIVERING ON ITS GOALS
OF CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR
INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES
HARMED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS.”
-JOHN PIERCE
is a team of experienced advisors. This is the model
that Canna Koala in Michigan is pushing forth, and
that Oakland Equity Kitchen and My Green Network
in California have launched. In some cases, this is a
partnership with a local municipality. In others, it’s fully
private. I think both are viable and important models.”
N
Federal Legalization
As to the possibility that with federal legalization could
come federally-legislated social equity, Lumoto sur-
mised: “As we saw with CAOA, there does appear to
be an interest in doing so at the federal level. What
that will look like by the time cannabis is federally
legalized is difficult to say. NCIA’s DEI Committee has
put forth some recommendations, including how to
tie Social Equity together with Interstate Commerce
in a responsible manner. I also think it’s important to
note that SEP on a federal level, or really at any level,
should be inclusive of non-plant touching businesses.
The creation of an ecosystem of Social Equity busi-
nesses is vital to the success of the programs. The
[federal government] Small Business Administration,
or something similar, providing funding and educa-
tion to plant-touching as well as non-plant-touching
businesses is important to pursue.”
With the combined efforts of cannabis companies like
Next Level, government programs as in San Francisco, and
proactive organizations like NCIA, cannabis social equity
could become closer to everyday reality instead of utopian
fantasy in America’s massive marijuana market.
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 49
 The
THE BIG STATE PUSH

Big
State
THE advocacy ISSUE

Push
ADVOCACY GROUPS IN
“IN OUR STATE,
FLORIDA, NEBRASKA AND
PATIENTS ARE
OKLAHOMA SPEAK OUT ON THE
TURNED INTO
ROAD AHEAD CRIMINALS IF
THEY WANT
TO ACCESS
by Keegan Williams
[MEDICINAL
CANNABIS], AND
Last year was huge for cannabis legalization in states
across the country. New York, New Mexico, Virginia and
I THINK THAT IS
Connecticut moved forward with adult-use initiatives, AN ABSOLUTE
on top of states like Arizona, Montana and New Jersey, TRAVESTY. IT
passing legislation to legalize recreational cannabis
during Election Day 2020. SHOULD NOT
It’s easy to look at headlines, the ever-evolving BE HOW THE
cannabis boom, and continue on with assurance over
the progress. However, it’s essential to recognize that
CITIZENS OF
these sweeping changes don’t happen by accident; they NEBRASKA ARE
follow years of storied history and tireless work, with TREATED. THEY
countless activists on the ground in counties across
their respective states, pushing forward, sometimes SHOULD HAVE
even starting over from square one, to reach the light THIS OPTION,
at the end of the tunnel.
Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Arkansas and Pennsylvania
OR SOMETHING
are just a few of the many states that could legalize ELSE.”
adult-use cannabis in 2022, but we caught up with three -CRISTA EGGERS,
groups in another three states—Florida, Nebraska and STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN
Oklahoma—pushing toward adult- and medical-use COORDINATOR FOR
legalization, to hear from the advocates on the story NEBRASKANS FOR MEDICAL
so far and the road ahead. * * MARIJUANA

50 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

PHOTO: JUSTIN CANNABIS | GELATO | GROW CO

THE BIG STATE PUSH
THE advocacy ISSUE
Regulate Florida
Florida’s medical program first launched after the
passing of Amendment 2 in November 2016, with 71.3
percent of the vote. The foundation was set, and advo-
cates have since moved forward in the trek toward
adult-use cannabis.
The Florida Supreme Court killed two cannabis legal-
ization proposals in the first part of 2021 that would
have worked to establish a regulated cannabis market
in the state, calling both misleading.
“...BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT IS THE CORRECT
THING TO DO: TO STOP ARRESTING ADULTS
FOR A PLANT. IT’S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.”
-REGULATE FLORIDA CHAIRMAN MICHAEL MINARDI
Now, Regulate Florida is leading the move in what
they and other advocates hope is the final push to legalize
adult-use cannabis in the state, with the mission to create
a practical, enforceable framework for adult-use of can-
nabis. As of this writing, they are currently moving through
the signature-gathering process of their newly proposed
constitutional amendment, which legalizes cannabis and
permits adults 21 and over to cultivate, use and possess it.
As the third move in a single year to add adult-use
legalization to the ballot, Regulate Florida Chairman
Michael Minardi says the state’s economic climate has
evolved to embrace its medical program and feels con-
fident that the progressive change will indeed end in
legalization of adult-use cannabis.
“The businesses here in the state of Florida, for
medical, are in a different position than they were when
52 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
we first started, in regard to their businesses and their
operations,” Minardi said. “There’s a lot of them that
are actually making a profit now, as opposed to still
investing and putting a ton of money into it before they
start to see that revenue increase.”
He explained that in Florida, and the country as a
whole, individuals are changing their tune, too, a cru-
cial element for that shift in Florida being the medical
program. He said that many people who were not open
to cannabis before are seeing the benefits of medical
legalization and the lack of negative consequences or,
“chaos not erupting in the state,” as Minardi phrases it.
Regulate Florida collaborates with dispensaries, like
Trulieve (boasting more than 100 stores throughout the
state), to carry their petitions alongside a mailer campaign
to start spreading the word and let advocates know they
are here with a new petition that must be re-signed.
“We are taking a multifaceted approach at this to
be able to get the signatures that we need to in the
time allotted. We do know it is short, but we know it
is possible as well,” Minardi said.
In Regulate Florida’s efforts to promote the new
petition and actively recruit volunteers for this final
push, Minardi says social media is an essential tool. He
points to Florida as unique in its huge geographic area
they must cover and its more than 20 million residents;
using social media to connect to volunteers, coordinate
events, work with existing and potential new business
partners to get the word out and more has helped them
keep their network broad and consistently connected.
The most important thing anybody needs to know
before getting involved in this work, according to Minardi, is
that it is a commitment. At any given turn, groups deal with
a lack of resources, a lack of time and sometimes a lack
of caring from folks who feel their voice may not matter.
“Every vote is counted. Every signature is counted.
It’s not an electoral college like it is at the federal level,”
he said.
Ultimately, Minardi says it’s imperative to do the
work, “...simply to get it done, because we believe it
is the correct thing to do: to stop arresting adults for
a plant. It’s absolutely ridiculous.” * *
regulateflorida.com

THE BIG STATE PUSH
Nebraskans For
THE advocacy ISSUE
Medical Marijuana
Medical cannabis has been a conversation in Nebraska
for nearly a decade, and while a multitude of bills
have been brought forward to the legislature over
that period, none have been successful.
The most recent let down was the 2020 campaign,
led by Nebraskans For Medical Marijuana (NMM),
to get a single constitutional initiative for medical
cannabis on the November ballot. That August, a
lawsuit brought about by a sheriff out of Lancaster
County made its way to the Supreme Court, where a
5-2 decision invalidated the initiative and its 196,000
signatures collected.
The Court decision deemed the initiative invalid
because it violated the single-subject rule, which is
in place to avoid confusing voters by limiting just
one subject to one initiative.
Now, NMM has introduced the Medical Cannabis
Patient Protection Act, which protects patients with
serious health conditions and their caregivers from
arrest for the consumption of medicinal cannabis,
so long as they have a healthcare provider rec-
ommendation. The second, the Medical Cannabis
Regulation Act, establishes the Nebraska Medical
Cannabis Commission, which will regulate private
businesses and provide medical cannabis to those
patients who have a physician recommendation.
Crista Eggers, statewide campaign coordinator
for NMM, called the new effort following the 2020
campaign “quite the task” but says they feel confident
entering the petitioning process once more.
“We did this last time; we gathered, again, the
needed signatures and then some, and we did that
in the midst of a pandemic during a few months,”
Eggers said. “We didn’t have events; we couldn’t go
out into groups of individuals and collect signatures.
It was, truly—people had to come to us... That doesn’t
54 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
mean that it’s going to be easy, but I do feel like we
have the organization and the infrastructure, this
core around, to really get this done.”
Nebraska sets itself apart from many states working
toward reform because it is still adamantly working
to launch its medical program; NMM, as the name
implies, is solely aimed toward medical cannabis
legislation, and Eggers notes as time presses for-
ward, so many Nebraskans increasingly look to other,
neighboring states in dismay.
Solely because of where individuals have chosen
to make their home, they do not have the same access
to medicine that contributes to a better quality of
life, brings people relief and saves lives, Eggers said.
“In our state, patients are turned into criminals if
they want to access [medicinal cannabis], and I think
that is an absolute travesty. It should not be how the
citizens of Nebraska are treated. They should have
this option, or something else.”
Eggers herself has a six-year-old son with intrac-
table epilepsy, which initially brought her to NMM as
a volunteer four years ago. She talked to doctors in
other states, time and time again learning that viable
options for her son were not available where she lived.
“It has become so much greater than just, ‘This is
something that my child needs,’ right? The individuals
that I talk to in this state on a daily basis, the stories
are heartbreaking,” Eggers said. “They’re definitely
stories of strength and resilience, but at the end of the
day, we’re talking about patients who are suffering.”
Eggers notes the lack of action on medical can-
nabis legalization is causing Nebraskans to leave
the state, which she says leaders and the residents
in the state do not like to see. Relocating is also not
something many Nebraskans have the ability to do.
Especially following last year’s campaign and
the profound disappointment from so many, Eggers
says NMM is currently riding the “perfect storm” as a
campaign, with individuals across the state stepping
up to lead campaigns in their counties and be the
much-needed voices for medical cannabis in their
own communities.
“Those individuals, they’re what’s going to carry
us to the finish line. This is not something that one
group of people—or just Nebraskans For Medical
Marijuana—is going to get done. This is truly going
to be an effort of the people.”
Eggers ultimately says those people, their stories
and this collective push is the reason it is the most
heart-wrenching experience she’s been involved with.
“I’ve never had a greater honor than to know that I’m
one of these individuals fighting this good fight, because
it’s there’s been no greater fight that I’ve ever been a part
of, and I don’t know if there ever will be.” * *
nebraskamarijuana.org

THE BIG STATE PUSH
THE advocacy ISSUE
Oklahomans for
Responsible Cannabis
Action
State Question 788 introduced medical cannabis to
Oklahoma in 2018, though after passing, advocates
still had to fight legislators who challenged elements of
the initiative and pushed to ban smokable flower and
require a licensed pharmacist at dispensaries.
State advocates ultimately won that fight, and now they
have a new one.
Oklahoma has been unique in its approach, becoming
the quickest in the nation to fully implement its medical
program, resulting in polarized responses. Some say
the process was implemented too quickly, with too
few rules in place, while others, like Oklahomans for
Responsible Cannabis Action (ORCA) Director Jed Green,
feel it could set a precedent for other states to come,
especially as they look forward to adult-use legalization.
“We’re doing this in a manner that we really will
be a lot less likely to have the issues that you’ve seen
with recreational emphasis and implementation, after
medical implementation, in other states,” Green said.
“If we pass recreational, there’s no additional license
process; there’s no additional license fees. If you can sell
weed, you can sell weed. We believe that the difference
between medical and recreational is simply intent of use.”
Green is aware of how some perceive the approach:
“Right now, for most states, it’s, ‘Oh, God. Don’t do what
Oklahoma is doing.’” he said.
Though he asserts that the structure will work to
drive production costs down, which in turn will allow
them to funnel their cannabis dollars into their hemp
infrastructure. (Note that ORCA also works toward
regulating cannabis and hemp in the same way. “The
difference is a legal definition, not a scientific one. It’s
the same plant,” Green said.)
The organization is pressing forward with a new
56 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
initiative that would introduce legal, adult-use cannabis to
Oklahomans, along with a separate initiative that would
modify the state’s current medical cannabis program.
Green said ORCA is “as much an idea as anything,”
essentially acting as a vehicle to support the financing
of these efforts, petition efforts and finally the general
election. He calls Oklahoma unique in its “one degree
of separation” from one person to another and, often,
accessibility to legislators.
“We have got a hyper-competitive community
around here. It’s obvious—I mean, just look at the sheer
numbers… The effort here is to wrap it up in a positive
direction, as opposed to allowing inaction or haterism
to lock down the whole thing. This is ‘defend the fort.’”
The road ahead will present its challenges, but Green
says he and the organization are cautiously optimistic
as they move forward.
“We’ll get there,” Green assured. “We’ve got 375,000
cardholders, much less everyone else. I need 178,000
signatures. We’ve got dispensaries; we’re going to get
our signatures. Then, we’ll get into the true campaign
mode. Whenever we have that election date, what it’s
going to come down to is—be it the proponents or the
opponents—who is going to do the best job of getting
“WHENEVER WE HAVE THAT
ELECTION DATE, WHAT IT’S GOING
TO COME DOWN TO IS—BE IT THE
PROPONENTS OR THE OPPONENTS—
WHO IS GOING TO DO THE BEST JOB
OF GETTING THEIR PEOPLE TO SHOW
UP TO THE POLLS. I THINK WE’VE GOT
ENTHUSIASM ON OUR SIDE.”
- OKLAHOMANS FOR RESPONSIBLE
CANNABIS ACTION (ORCA)
DIRECTOR JED GREEN
their people to show up to the polls. I think we’ve got
enthusiasm on our side.”
Recounting the past several years, Green beams with
pride. “From ourworldview, we’re the national champions
of medical marijuana programs,” he said. It’s especially
profound, given just how heavily the state used to criminalize
growing and possessing cannabis, even small amounts.
Green tries to make the point to volunteers that pushing
legislators to do their bidding is not the ultimate aim; rather,
it’s working with leaders and harnessing the ability as
citizens to use the petition process to create laws.
“We the people empower our officials to govern and you
know, with that power, we never really give it away.”
orcaok.com
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 57
 Grand
Recognition
HONORING SOME OF THE
CANNABIS ADVOCATES WHO
PASSED AWAY IN 2021.
by Addison Herron-Wheeler

58 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 In many ways, 2021 has been

I PHOTO: COURTESY TALIESIN GILKES-BOWER

much better than 2020. As the

HONORING ADVOCATES
world has (somewhat) opened
back up and we get used to
the “new” normal, cannabis is
continuing to gain acceptance
and legal status across
the board. But despite this
happy upward trajectory, we
still lost a lot of cherished
advocates this past year.
FRENCHY CANNOLI
Our Advocacy Issue wouldn’t Hash makers will know this individual well, as many
be complete without identifying endlessly thank Frenchy Cannoli for his techniques when
it comes to crafting extracts. He passed last July due to

THE advocacy ISSUE

some of the industry’s most
influential advocates who passed complications with surgery. “As a hashishin, I am very
much like a winemaker, totally dependent on the terroir
away in 2021. This by no means for quality,” he told High Times in 2019. “It is the land,
covers all the advocates who the climate, the genetics and the farmers’ dedication and
were lost last year, but just practices that create the quality. When I was traveling in
a few who have left their marks producing countries, nobody cared much that I made
hash; what they all wanted to know is where I went to
on the face of cannabis history. make it—at 700 feet in the valley or at 9,000. It has never
Although we and the industry been about who but where. Location, location, location.”
will always mourn their loss, Cannoli also dedicated his life to showing the struggles
it’s the perfect time to honor hash makers and cannabis growers face while trying to
provide medicine, and even made a documentary film
their efforts and remind us why on the subject. His contributions to the world of hash
they deserve grand recognition. and beyond will be more than missed.
PHOTO: COURTESY CANNABIS CULTURE

PHOTO: COURTESY SANDRA LEPP

GREG WILLIAMS EDDY LEPP

In February 2021, we lost Greg Williams, aka Marijuana
Man, after a battle with cancer. Involved with every-
thing from distributing genetics and activism to being
a part of legal cannabis pushes, if you’re a Canadian
smoker, chances are, he touched your life somehow.
Williams lived and breathed legal cannabis, from
working at a seed bank to pushing for legal weed
and participating in events. He operated Cannabis
Culture’s dispensary on Broadway in Vancouver,
British Columbia. Though he liked to have a good
time, show up and get stoned, he never veered
from his mission—to destigmatize marijuana and
make it available for everyone. The now-flourishing
legal cannabis industry in Canada definitely owes
Williams a debt.
Last August, we lost legendary cannabis advocate Eddy
Lepp to his battle with cancer. Lepp spent his life grow-
ing cannabis for patients in need, even when it put him
in trouble with the federal government. In 2004, DEA
agents raided Eddy’s Medicinal Gardens and Multi-
Denominational Chapel of Cannabis and Rastafari in
California. “I’m not doing anything illegal. If the federal
government has a problem with California law, then
they should be having the state of California in court,
not me. I’m facing life in prison for obeying the law,”
he told High Times in 2004. He was given a mandatory
10-year sentence in 2009, but ended up getting released
in 2016. Lepp also received a Lifetime Achievement
Award from High Times for consistently fighting for
advocates and growing cannabis for those in need. * *

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 59

HONORING ADVOCATES
PHOTO: COURTESY TARA CAINE
PHOTO: KIM SIDWELL AND
CANNABIS CAMERA
RANDY CAINE
Cannabis advocate and businessman Randy Caine passed
away in July, to the sorrow of the industry and community.
Caine ran a cannabis-themed store called Hempyz, and
also fought for decriminalization and access to medical
cannabis. “He loved and was loved by many,” said the
THE advocacy ISSUE
Facebook post that announced his passing. Caine was a
master of walking the line between being an outspoken,
Canadian cannabis advocate fighting the good fight and
a local contributor to the community, the line between
feel-good hippie and serious activist. He ran a fun cannabis
supply shop and embraced a hippie, stoner look into old
age, but he also fought for cannabis access and other
important issues like homelessness in the community.
“This is such an honour for those of us close to him, as he
always loved High Times and if he only knew this would
happen one day,” Tara Caine told High Times.
PHOTO: TWZ PHANTOMAS.CZ
PHOTO: KIM SIDWELL AND
CANNABIS CAMERA
TOMÁŠ ZÁBRANSKÝ
Tomáš Zábranský, one of the leaders in Czech
Republic cannabis reform, passed away in July. His
cause of death was not disclosed. In addition to the
work Zábranský did to fight for legal cannabis in his
home country, he was also pivotal worldwide when
it came to his cannabis research. He was responsible
for drug epidemiology and research that helped rev-
olutionize how cannabis can be used. He served on
the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug
Addiction (EMCDDA) Management Board, representing
the European Parliament. Zábranský authored over
100 publications in peer-reviewed journals. He was
also a leading advocate in terms of medical cannabis
in the Czech Republic—so much so that he helped
enforce the Medical Cannabis Act in Parliament. He
also worked as an advisor to the Health Minister—a
position he used to further advocate for the plant.
60 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
STEVE FOX
We lost cannabis advocate and activist Steven Fox
in April; the cause of his death was not immediately
available. Fox tirelessly worked fighting for canna-
bis policy and strategy in the Washington, DC area.
“Steve was one of the first political professionals to
enter the marijuana advocacy space,” VS Strategies,
for whom he worked, said in an official statement.
“At a time when cannabis policy was just a blip on
the political radar and most savvy up-and-comers
were unwilling to dip a toe into the space, Fox dove
in headfirst. While many viewed it as a losing cause
that wasn’t worth the fight, he saw it as a cause worth
fighting until it was won.” Fox’s work with organiza-
tions such as VS Strategies, Marijuana Policy Project
and the National Cannabis Industry Association left
a lasting impact on legal cannabis today.
WILLIAM “WAYWARD BILL” CHENGELIS
William Chengelis, better known as “Wayward Bill,”
left us this past August. He passed away after a stint
in the hospital, but the official cause of death was
not made public. Chengelis worked as chairman of
the US Marijuana Party and was active in canna-
bis reform throughout his life. “I am saddened to
announce the death of Wayward Bill this afternoon,”
Sheree Krider, organizer of the US Marijuana Party,
posted on Facebook following his death. “Updates will
be posted as arrangements are made. We have lost
our longest lasting and best cannabis leader in our
20-year history.” In addition to his work with the US
Marijuana Party, he was also active with helping to
legalize adult-use cannabis in Colorado and advocating
for cannabis through the ACLU, the Democratic Party,
S.A.F.E.R., Sensible Colorado, NORML and Coloradans
4 Cannabis Patient Rights.
 PIX OF THE CROP
SHOW US WHAT YOU GOT
E-MAIL YOUR HI-RES DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHS
TO MAILBAG@HIGHTIMES.COM

FLOWER OF THE MONTH

THE BEST PART OF

WAKING UP
This Blue Haze is a
delightful hybrid of a
Blueberry indica and the OG
original back-in-the-day strain
Haze. It’s great for a slight
sativa-dominant head buzz,
which is the best part of waking
up on a Sunday morning with a
cup of joe.
- Elena S.

64 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 65
 GROW OF THE MONTH

IT’S AUTOMATIC
I’m not exactly an expert, so I opted
to go with Skunk Automatic for my
indoor grow. It’s an 80 percent indica-
dominant autoflowering cannabis strain.
Some people grow it outdoors, because
you can yield two harvests, but I’m not
ready for that.
- Douglas K.

COLA OF THE MONTH

TOP TIER TOKE

If only you could
smell this J-1, with
an unmistakable aroma—
loaded with terpinolene,
which is very fruity but hard
to place. It’s the result of the
combination of two famous
sativas—Skunk #1 and
NUG OF THE MONTH Jack Herer, and it is utterly
exquisite. This is the type
of strain you write home to
HIGH your mother (or your favorite
AND DRY weed magazine) about...
I was told this - Mr. Wiz
Swazi Gold is
a “pure sativa,” but
who knows if that’s
true. I’ve been lied
to before. This little
lady took forever to
flower—clear into
November, but I’m
finally in the drying
stage in the process. I
sampled a bit of it and
it’s to die for.
- Aspen Love Child

66 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

EVERMORE GENETICS
NAMELESS GENETICS
THE SECOND ACT // B-SIDE
January 2022 // Volume #552

ON THE BACK
COVER

84
Challenging the Agenda
John Sinclair was sentenced to 10 years in prison
in 1969 for a cannabis charge, which prompted
advocates across the country to rise up against
former president Richard Nixon and his War on
Drugs. After an intense rally, Sinclair was freed,
and ever since then he’s spent his life advocating
for justice.

94 The Power of Parents

In the United States, medical cannabis has
become a common method of treatment
for children who suffer from rare epileptic
conditions. In the UK, this isn’t the case.
Mothers from Scotland, England and Ireland
describe the challenges of obtaining medical
cannabis access for their children, and what
needs to change.

72
The Hash Stash Journey
In the late 1960s, hash smuggling through
Europe and Asia was beginning to increase in
popularity. Experience the birth of this journey
through the first-hand account of a westerner
who traveled the “Hippie Trail” in a motorhome
fitted to stash hash as it drove from the
Netherlands to Afghanistan and back again.

102
A Victorious Partnership

DEPARTMENTS Viola Brands Founder Al Harrington has

partnered with NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson
to release a strain they call ’96. Unsurprisingly,
this strain not only reflects the continuing
quality that comes from Viola products, but is
1 12 HIGHWITNESS NEWS both full of flavor and potent as well.
Israel to Expand Medical Cannabis
and High Five

124 GEAR
126 ASK DR. MITCH 108 Healthy and Delicious
Ditch the struggle of eating healthy, which
usually isn’t a pleasing experience when it
comes to flavor. Start the year off right with
1 28 DOP E RID ER a citrusy homemade ramen, flavor-loaded
cauliflower steak or Ceylon cinnamon muffin
13 0 C O LORIN G PAGE that are bound to both taste good and be
good for you.

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 71

Ray riding a camel.
 The
Tale
of the
Hippie
Trail
DIVE INTO THESE FIRST-HAND
ACCOUNTS OF SMUGGLING
HASH ACROSS EUROPE AND
ASIA, A NOD TO AN ERA LONG
SINCE PASSED.
by Jimi Devine
This past summer, as the US military exited Afghani-
stan, and the country has fallen back into a transition-
al phase. Afghanistan first became a nation just over
100 years ago in 1919, but one thing that has always
transcended the country’s rocky political history is
its legendary hash scene. Despite the Mujahideen,
Taliban or communists, Afghanistan’s hash industry
has transcended the people and policies that have
made life for Afghan hash producers difficult over the
past 50 years. The flood of hash that once hit Europe
and America following the first major hash haul in
1967 has long since been forced out of practice, but
the stories of this prime time of hauling hash across
multiple country’s borders remain fascinating tales
of a different time. High Times obtained an exclusive
interview with Ray, who recounted his trips through
“IT WAS
LIKE THE
THE HIPPIE TRAIL
COOLEST
RIDE I EVER
TOOK.”
THE advocacy ISSUE
Europe and Asia and the challenges he and his com-
panions encountered on their journey.
The first hash haul is said to have occurred one
year before things really hit the gas on the “Hippie
Trail,” where thousands of westerners traveled east
through Afghanistan on their way to find enlighten-
ment in India. But for many, their trek would make
a stop in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. There
they would start their quest to stock up on as much
hash as possible before heading back west to wher-
ever they called home; be it Germany, Amsterdam or
southern California.
Much of what we know about the smuggling as-
pects of the trail come directly from one of the first
groups to make it happen—The Brotherhood of Eter-
nal Love, which included members from southern
California. Brotherhood member Ron Bevan is con-
sidered to be the first to run an operation out of Kabul
in 1967, although there were many groups doing it at
the time.
Among these other groups, there was a young
man named Ray. High Times sat down with Ray to
talk about his past hash smuggling experiences, as we
discussed the fallout from the US exit from Afghani-
stan, wondering what it could mean for a hash scene
that has already been devastated for decades. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 73
 H
THE HIPPIE TRAIL
Hop In—We’re Going Smuggling
The days before Ray’s first trip to Afghanistan were
filled with proper hippie business. “We went to south-
ern Oregon in the late ’60s and for whatever reason out
of pure synchronicity a bunch of us from northern Cal-
ifornia and southern California all ended up in this one
house in southern Oregon,” Ray told High Times.
The group decided to take things to the next level
and looked to start a commune. They spent some time
THE advocacy ISSUE
hunting for a property, but after some hiccups with the
search, they regrouped in California in 1968. A lot of
the people that originally tossed that idea around re-
main friends to this day after originally finding each
other all those years ago.
Part of that group included some friends who had
already been smuggling hash from Afghanistan a year or
two before that, and they had just brought back a load. In
those days, Ray and his friends were staying in the High
Sierras—the perfect place to unload some hash.
Most people associate the “Hippie Trail” with the
image of a classic Volkswagen bus and a Hanomag
Camper that rolled up to their spot in the same hills that
was also very popular with other hash smugglers, such
as Darrell. “He came, we unloaded it there, and it took
a while. And after he got what he thought was the load
amount he goes, ‘Okay, you guys can have the rest.’ And
so we picked away at it because it was in the frame-
work,” Ray said, “We had to use all kinds of tools we
implement to dig it all. out but I think eventually we got
like another 10 pounds.”
This would be the first time Ray mentioned the man
that he eventually partnered with to make the trav-
el east. “So you know we are quite thrilled to make a
connection with him. This is Long Beach, brother, I can
give you his name because he’s no longer with us. Well,
he had many names, but we knew him as Darrell,” Ray
noted with a laugh.
Before connecting with Ray, Darrell had already made
two or three trips. He was always a driver, and for good
reason. In this critical role, he was the main person who
drove from Holland to Kabul and back, through every bor-
der. He didn’t even need a map when he was on his runs.
Eventually Darrell shared his next plan with Ray:
“Here’s what I want to do next time because I’m gonna
have another Honomag, but also I’m going to buy a re-
ally nice motorhome,” Darrell told Ray at the time.
The motorhome was called a Revcon. It was the
top-of-the-line in 1968 when it was designed. It had an
aerodynamic aluminum body, and the 26 rails that ran
the length of its frame were a hash smuggler’s dream.
74 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
“Very cool, very modern, front wheel drive. And he
goes ‘I’m gonna buy this and we’re gonna, this is the ve-
hicle we’re gonna make special rails that go inside the
rails and we’ll have little hooks to pull it out,’” Ray said
of Darrell’s original plan.
Ray and Darrell had some friends that were engi-
neers who helped them with building the rails. Even-
tually they would drive the Revcon across the country
from California to New York, shipping it on to Rotter-
dam, Netherlands.
Darrell asked Ray to tag along for the full run to Af-
ghanistan. “I go, ‘Sure, I’ll go slide and sit shotgun,’” Ray
replied. “It was like the coolest ride I ever took. But we
were vegetarian at the time, so we were doing a lot of
soups, avocados and carrot juice. We had it all decked
out with the Norwalk Press, which is a real good juicing
machine. We totally kept our eating habits intact.” Their
eating habits would eventually earn them the nickname
“The Carrot Juice Boys.”
The group prepped for their journey from Rotter-
dam after picking up the Revcon. They would make
their way through Germany and Austria, then travel
through Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran before
finally reaching the Afghan Border.
That first trip would end up taking a few months,
after Ray and Darrell got caught up in eastern Turkey.
The Revcon’s front wheel drive engine featured torsion
bars in the front, which didn’t pair well with the traf-
fic or potholes they encountered on their journey. They
lost control of the Revcon for a second, but were able to
come to a stop in the center median. “Eastern Turkey
is definitely the sticks, very isolated and very desolate,”
Ray said of the breakdown.
When you break down out there, it’s common to
surround your vehicle with rocks. They did so before
hitchhiking to the closest town. They brought mechan-
ics back to the Revcon, knowing they wouldn’t be able
to replace the bar, but could rig something to get the
Revcon back to civilization.
They hobbled into Tehran, Iran and messaged
home for the part they needed. It wasn’t a fast process.
“So we were in Tehran for about a good month, repair-
ing the vehicle, but everything got straightened down,”
Ray said, “So we rolled into Afghanistan, probably in
late summer of 1970.” * *
Very few means of transportation:
Revcon and camels.
“WE WENT TO A LIQUOR STORE IN AMSTERDAM
AND BOUGHT KAHLÚA. THEN WE’D MELT THE
LITTLE SEAL AND STRETCH IT AND PULL IT OVER
THE BOTTLE, UNDO THE CAP AND POUR OUT ALL
THE KAHLÚA AND THEN POURED IN THE HASH
OIL. THEN WE HEATED THE SEAL BACK UP AND
YOU KNOW BACK THE CAP AND SO IT LOOKED
SEALED, AND WE’D TAKE TWO BOTTLES.”

THE HIPPIE TRAIL
THE advocacy ISSUE
From the streets of
Afghanistan
O
Of Science and Borders
The mission was to obtain a couple hundred pounds
of hash and five gallons of hash oil. While other groups
had brought hash loads back for about three years
before this trip, to the best of The Carrot Juice Boys’
knowledge, they were the first people ever to bring a
flash evaporator to Afghanistan. Much of the Revcon
was loaded with Everclear for their grand chemistry
project.
If the idea of driving across the middle east with
a chemistry set seemed weird, the opulence of the
Revcon stole everyone’s attention at each border cross-
ing, simplifying getting its contents across various bor-
ders in both directions. “I mean, they’ve seen the ‘Hip-
pie Trail’ in the VW Vans, the Honomags, but they’ve
never seen anything of this magnitude in this amazing
really cool motorhome,” Ray noted on the border cross-
ings. “And of course once we got into Persia we decked
it out with Persian carpets and runners and it was look-
ing really cool.”
They were very much playing the part of rich Cali-
fornians, but they would still be pulled from the line at
every border. “The head custom guy would come out
and just wanted to go inside and look at it and say ‘oh
very nice,’” Ray said, “It’s just amazing.”
One time, a border agent pulled out their chemistry
76 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
set and pulled out a beaker. He asked Darrell and the
pair what it was. “Glass,” they replied. The border guard
looked at it again, nodded in agreement with their take,
and put it back in the box.
Iran had some of the toughest border restrictions,
but once you entered the country, the group found that
it was amongst the most welcoming as they attempted
to Westernize before the Shah fell in 1979. Ray empha-
sized that it was one of the nicest places he’s ever been
to, as they spent the month waiting for car parts. “They
just want to make sure you’re [not] smuggling weapons
or anything, doing nefarious stuff, but all the people
there were so nice,” Ray noted of Tehran. “They just
were so hospitable and helped us [with] whatever. If
we’d go looking for the embassy, [residents] would take
us in their car, take us to their home, feed us and then
take us to the embassy.”
But with a repaired Revcon, things got a bit rougher
as they approached the Afghanistan border. Every ho-
tel featured signs that warned a prison sentence of 10
years in prison for a gram of hash, and life in prison for
a kilo. “They try and put the fear in you, but we got some
good hash in Turkey,” Ray said with a laugh.
After getting into Afghanistan, the group headed
straight for Kabul. They stayed in a fancy neighborhood
fitting of rich Californians. From there, they would head
to The Solan Hotel, a hotspot for hash enthusiasts and
general tourists heading in both directions on the trail.
One of Ray’s favorite things about The Solan Hotel
was a space attached to the courtyard where you could
park your van and camp near a little park attached to
the hotel. There was always an ongoing rotation of Eu-
ropeans and a few Americans, and it was always a good
time.
The locals did their best to keep the hippies and
smugglers happy, too. “Afghanis just loved us because
we had money and we were very careful about reli-
gion,” Ray said. “We were very aware of how they are
and how not to trespass or do anything [that] goes
counter to them. There’s just some things so you don’t
mess with. You don’t eat during the day during Rama-
dan and walk around chewing food.”
But Ray argued that besides that kind of thing, the
religion of Islam was based in hospitality. Over the
course of three trips that, in total, took about a year to
complete, Ray picked up some language skills. One of
the things he noticed immediately was how caring and
personal everything was. He noted that a lot of the con-
versation focused on how the other person was feeling.
Back in their Kabul neighborhood, they rented out a
two-story mansion and set up the hash lab. They would
do a lot of the extraction work offsite and then bring
the crude material back to the flash evaporator in the
bathroom to get all the alcohol out. It would take them a
couple of months to get the five gallons of hash oil they
were shooting for. * *
“They just were
so hospitable
and helped us
[with] whatever.
If we’d go looking
for the embassy,
[residents] would
take us in their
car, take us to
their home, feed
us and then
take us to the
embassy.”
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 77
 u
THE HIPPIE TRAIL
Unloading the Goods
High Times asked Ray how much hash
they needed to make the five gallons.
Ray estimated that about 200 kilos
were concentrated into the oil. He also
noted the unpressed hash made for
much better oil, then they hid the rest
to stuff in the specialized frames of the
Revcon. “The rest we had pressed up
THE advocacy ISSUE
and put into the containers, the square
tubes, it actually ended up making the
hash look like a Hershey bar. We sold
most of that in Amsterdam and I’m
sure to this day, there are a lot of people
there who call it ‘screw hole hash,’” Ray
said.
The hash received this name when
they put five to seven of the bars to-
gether and put a screw through the
stack, just to tighten it up before they
tossed it down the tube designed to fit
into the Revcon’s internal storage sys-
tem. “It was a precise measurement
that we had all the patties pressed,” Ray
noted on the precision used to fill each
tube with as much product as possible.
As for the oil, that came out pretty
great, too. The flash evaporator kept
the oil at a reasonable temperature as it
sweat off the Everclear used in produc-
tion. “I mean, it was a black oil. But be-
cause of the flash evaporator we didn’t
have to heat it in a high temperature,
it was in a vacuum, so you got the real
essence of really, really good hash,” Ray
said. “I don’t know if you’ve had really,
really good hash but it’s very floral and
very sweet.”
Just like today, in order to make the
best oil possible, they had to get their
hands on the best material possible.
Ray described the process that took
them around the country from their
upscale Kabul hash lab and base camp.
The first connection they ever made
was in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
“We used to go to Kandahar, but
that was a tough place to be,” Ray not-
ed on the trip. “Kandahar was like go-
ing back 1,000 years. I was like ‘Oh my
78 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
God. That was an ancient town.’ And
you couldn’t help but get dysentery
just hanging out there for any amount
of time. But Kabul was more modern.”
In addition to the more modern vibe in
Kabul, you could basically get whatev-
er you needed. And in reality, it wasn’t
that competitive with other smugglers
in town because there was just so much
hash to go around.
When it was time to return, the
Revcon would leave Afghanistan with-
out Ray. They hired a German woman
to play the role of a fancy lady with a
fancy motorhome. “We paid her like
$10,000 or something. And she was
great! She had like a fur coat. I mean,
she’d look the part of being wealthy,”
Ray said. She was the perfect accessory
for a driver who had already completed
this trip five times before. The key was
the balance of looking like a regular
person. Not being an asshole, but also
not being too nice, in the hopes of get-
ting waved through borders smoothly.
Ray and Darrell made it to Holland
with no problems. The Revcon worked
like a charm before being unloaded on
a small farm outside Amsterdam. Most
of the load would be sold locally.
“But here’s a luggage story for you,”
Ray laughed. While the hash moved in
Europe, they decided to bring a bunch
of the oil back to America. At the time,
Ray estimated that the oil was selling
for about $10 a milliliter, so a whole liter
was worth roughly $10,000 bucks. “We
went to a liquor store in Amsterdam
and bought Kahlúa. Then we’d melt
the little seal and stretch it and pull it
over the bottle, undo the cap and pour
out all the Kahlúa and then poured in
the hash oil. Then we heated the seal
back up and you know back the cap
and so it looked sealed, and we’d take
two bottles,” Ray said. “So, we go to the
airport and we’d go to the duty free
and buy another bottle of Kahlúa and
we traded out the bottle we bought at
duty-free. So, we just carried it right
across check-in.”
Ray emphasized not to forget the
exchange rate. That $10,000 bottle in
1970 would be worth over $70,000 to-
day. He can’t recall how many bottles
made it back, the whole five gallons
The notorious
would be worth $1.2 million today. * * Revcon
 “I MEAN, THEY’VE SEEN THE ‘HIPPIE
TRAIL’ IN THE VW VANS, THE
HONOMAGS, BUT THEY’VE NEVER SEEN
ANYTHING OF THIS MAGNITUDE IN THIS
AMAZING REALLY COOL MOTORHOME.”

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 79

 A
THE HIPPIE TRAIL
Adapting the
Experience
On Ray’s two trips to Afghani-
stan, he already had the lay of
the land. He flew into Kabul
and would buy the hash ahead
of time to limit the time spent
in the country compared to the
THE advocacy ISSUE
marathon road trip and hash oil
production of his inaugural ad-
venture.
Ray’s first trip lasted so long
he actually overstayed his visa.
When he returned for the second
run the customs people at the
airport noticed it on his passport
and gave him a shorter amount of
time. After learning his lesson, he
got a new passport for the third
run. It did the trick, and it was
clear sailing at customs. “So, I’d
go ahead of time and get there
and order up and make sure ev-
erything’s ready,” Ray said, “So
when the vehicle came through
Street scene in
Afghanistan
80 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
it wasn’t just there, it was like it
was going across. It wasn’t there
longer than a week or two, which
is about the average tourist time
somebody might spend there.”
The later runs wouldn’t fea-
ture the Revcon. The team moved
on to four-wheel drive Suburbans
with special compartments in the
gas tank that could hold over 100
pounds of gas. The only problem
with it was you had to stop a lot
more to fuel up, but the trucks
did a lot better on the roads than
a motorhome.
Riders on a rickshaw in
Afghanistan
“But it was pretty safe because
to get to it you’d have to take out
the whole gas tank and cut into
it,” Ray said, “And that was the last
time that we did it. We actually
hired a professional race driver,
who was a dear friend, and he did
a good job.”
The gang had a mission of wid-
er psychedelic enlightenment be-
tween trips. As they made the runs
through the early 1970s, a lot of the
resources went into furthering that
mission. The freedom Ray and his
peers were in search of came with
the smuggling and they wanted to
make sure to pay it forward. What
would start as personal projects for
the group would eventually end up
in the hands of nonprofits down
the line in the form of an unfin-
ished boat. “So the majority of the
money that we ever made went
on that boat, eventually when the
Russians started coming in and
put in the puppet government and
everything we said, ‘okay, that’s
done. We’re not going back there
again,’” Ray said. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 81
THE HIPPIE TRAIL
THE advocacy ISSUE
E
Expanding Lore
of the First Smuggler
Three years prior to Ray’s first run, Ronnie Bevan of the
Brotherhood of Eternal Love would make the first ma-
jor smuggling run out of Afghanistan. He released the
first autobiography of a hash smuggler entitled Broth-
erhood Hashish: The Story of Ronnie Bevan in 2018.
Many people speak of the “Hippie Trail” as inter-
twined tales of the many tourists that passed through
and a handful of preeminent smugglers like him. High
Times asked Bevan to weigh in on that idea. “One thing
was there was more than just the two,” Bevan quickly
rebutted. “You could get on a bus in London and end
up in Kathmandu and there are photos of those people
going in 1967 or 1968. The girls have bouffant hairdos
and they’re in tight skirts. And then you see him a year
later in Kathmandu, and we’re in the hippie clothes
and their hair is all down.”
Bevan found that was really the basic motiva-
tion of the of the European travelers. Thousands of
Europeans made that trip, but very few Americans
did, because of the overseas aspect. “We didn’t have
the buses. There just weren’t that many. I know, all
of the guys that were in Afghanistan smuggling be-
cause I was there through several years, and there just
weren’t that many,” Bevan said.
Bevan explained that a lot of people in London, or
wherever they went from, by the time they got to Nepal
all of a sudden they were into the metaphysical side of
everything and taking psychedelics. But not everyone.
Some people were there for the opposite of self-help.
“There also was another large group of people that just
82 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
did drugs,” Bevan explained, “You could buy heroin,
cocaine, you could buy either from the pharmacy in
Afghanistan. And consequently, we saw a lot of druggie
type people just hanging out. So that’s just another di-
mension to what you’re talking about.”
Technically, many date the “Hippie Trail” to be-
ginning in 1968, one year after Bevan’s first run. Bevan
went on to explain how those increased crowds im-
pacted business. “In the early days nobody got busted
for anything, it wasn’t until 1971 that somebody busted
[in] one of the vans,” Bevan said.
By 1973, Bevan and his friends had a warrant post-
er, and he was on the run. That same year Afghanistan’s
King Zahir Shah made hash illegal following a $47 mil-
lion dollar payment from the US government. “Our
people had to move into Pakistan to do their work, and
it was pretty much destroyed after that. And then it fal-
tered and then a lot of people got busted and especially
in those Volkswagens. I think about eight of them, and
from that point on, none of them made it they got every
one of them but when the Russians came [in] 1979 it
was over for sure. That it’s, been over since then.”
A recent article in the South China Morning Post
spoke with a cannabis farmer and hash producer
outside of Kandahar named Ghulam Ali. Ali noted he
hasn’t had any problems since the most recent transi-
tion of power, despite concerns that the Taliban would
crack down a lot more than the coalition-backed gov-
ernment that fell last summer. “We don’t hear a lot over
there. But I think the Taliban is pretty much leaving ev-
erything alone,” Bevan replied after reading Ali’s story.
“I think what they’re doing is they’re trying to get in
there economically.”
It’s also important to remember that hash and Af-
ghanistan have a much longer history than the Taliban
does with the nation. “And I think the Taliban proba-
bly see that and realize that the people are going to be
much happier and much easier to deal with if they let
them have their culture,” Bevan argued.
Young boy in
Afghanistan
 John Sinclair 1968

84 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 Ten

JOHN SINCLAIR
Years

THE advocacy ISSUE

for Two
Joints
SINCLAIR’S ADVOCACY FOR CANNABIS AND WILL TO FREE
POLITICAL PRISONERS IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF A
TURBULENT TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY.

by Benjamin M. Adams

While most people talked about rev-

olution—John Sinclair put words into
action. As co-founder of the White
Panther Party and his association with
the Yippies (Youth International Party),
Sinclair’s efforts in legalizing pot, fighting
capitalism and defending the freedom
of press are unparalleled.
December 10, 2021, marked the 50th
John and Leni
Sinclair 1964 anniversary of John Sinclair Freedom
Rally, an event that’s commemorated
yearly at Michigan’s Hash Bash. April 1,
1972, was the first Hash Bash, one of the
oldest cannabis events in the US. The event
also marked a milestone when pop stars
and pot smokers mobilized to defeat the
government—for one brief moment. * *

PHOTOS: LENI SINCLAIR HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 85

JOHN SINCLAIR Who is
John Sinclair?
As one of the definitive poets of jazz poetry, Sinclair
shared views with his mentor Allen Ginsberg and other
Beatniks, such as pot smoking. He began advocating to
legalize cannabis seriously in 1965 after graduating from
the University of Michigan in Flint. In 1967, Sinclair and
his then-wife Leni founded the underground newspaper
Ann Arbor Sun with artist Gary Grimshaw. It was one
of several underground print projects he worked on,
including the anarchist paper Fifth Estate and radical
THE advocacy ISSUE
paper The Argus.
At this time, Sinclair also managed the band MC5
(Motor City Five)—a personification of the militant
counterculture movement, who with Iggy Pop defined
proto-punk. Many anti-Vietnam War protests Sinclair
attended devolved into riots. Every day American soldiers
were dying. Meanwhile, Leni was conducting psychedelic
light shows, and capturing some of the most stunning
photos of the era—including shots of Jimi Hendrix, John
Lennon, Aretha Franklin and John Coltrane.
A riot ensued after the assassination of Martin Luther
King Jr., and the Sinclairs were forced to move their
Trans-Love Energies Unlimited artist collective, made
up of artists and musicians, from Detroit to Ann Arbor.
On September 29, 1968, Sinclair and Pun Plamondon
were indicted in connection to the destruction of a Central
Intelligence Agency office in Ann Arbor. In November
1968, Sinclair founded the White Panther Party—a
white faction of the Black Panther Party—allied in their
views, with Leni Sinclair and Plamondon. Their goals
were simple: save the earth from capitalism and free
political prisoners.
Sinclair offered a female undercover officer two
joints, was arrested on a cannabis charge, once again,
and sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1969 by Judge
Robert Colombo. The charges placed on Sinclair didn’t
fit the crime—and hippies were outraged. It was clear
to almost everyone that the pot charges were being
used for a different agenda.
At Woodstock, in the middle of The Who’s set on
August 16,1969, Yippie Abbie Hoffman yanked the mic,
“high on acid” Sinclair says, and yelled “Free John Sinclair
and all other political prisoners!” to nearly half a mil-
lion spectators. The Who’s Pete Townsend handled it
and gently pushed Hoffman off stage. The stunt was
unexpected, but made Sinclair’s name known to just
about every hippie. (Hoffman was portrayed by Sacha
Baron Cohen in the 2020 film The Trial of the Chicago
Seven, a groundbreaking Yippie victory.)
President Richard Nixon launched a racist war against
pot smokers when he gave his June 17, 1971, original War
on Drugs speech. Even Nixon’s domestic policy chief
86 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
John Ehrlichman admitted in 2016 that Nixon specif-
ically targeted Black people and leftist activists, using
marijuana enforcement as a tool. “Nixon made Trump
look like Mahatma Gandhi!” Sinclair said.
Top pop stars and advocates eventually took notice
of the injustice of Sinclair’s 10-year sentence—including
John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Bob Seger, David
Peel, Allen Ginsberg and Ed Sanders, who all performed
at the December 10,1971 original rally. They mobilized
fast. Both Lennon and Wonder paid their own expenses
to attend the rally. Lennon penned the bluesy banger
“John Sinclair,” explicitly calling out Judge Colombo in
the original unedited version, prior to its release. Blind
Melon also recorded the song decades later. Grimshaw
ended up designing a psychedelic poster for Sinclair’s
freedom rally, reminiscent of fellow psychedelic poster
artists such as Rick Griffin.
Sinclair was freed from his 10-year sentence—three
days after the freedom rally.
Sinclair was also able to wiggle out of his charges from
the CIA incident. In 1972’s United States v. U.S. District
Court, Sinclair, Plamondon and John Forrest successfully
defeated prosecutors against serious charges of “con-
spiracy to destroy government property” on appeal to the
United States Supreme Court. The team proved the US
government conducted illegal surveillance (wiretapping
and worse) without obtaining a warrant. Not even the
feds are above the law. Sinclair’s poetry and prison
writings can be found in his 1972 book Guitar Army.
Since the ’80s, Sinclair has written the column “Free
the Weed.” In 2004, Sinclair launched the The John
Sinclair Foundation in Amsterdam. On December 1,
2019, the first day of recreational sales in Michigan,
Sinclair bought about $150 worth of legal pot. Listen
to his show The John Sinclair Radio Show on his own
radio station, Radio Free Amsterdam. Sinclair chatted
with High Times about the fight to legalize pot and
prevent censorship. * *
John Sinclair in
Ann Arbor in 1968.
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 87
 John Sinclair,
smoking in 1969.
There was a roughly 50-year timespan
between your July 1969 sentence of 10
years for two joints and 2019, when you
bought some pot legally in Michigan.
Is pot legalization in the US happening
faster or slower than you expected when
you first started fighting for legalization
in the mid-’60s?
Slower. I thought it would be legalized
in 1977.
When did it all start?
I started advocating for the legalization
of marijuana in Michigan in January 1965
[...]. Only Allen Ginsberg and Ed Sanders
were active proponents of legalization
then, as well as the lawyer in San Francisco
who created the legal brief in support of
legalization that I used in my court battle.
It intrigues me who the feds deem a
“radical,” including yourself and the
White Panthers. We now know that the
government considered Martin Luther
King Jr. and his followers radicals.
They were radicals. They were trying to
change the world drastically. Radically.
We were radicals to the bone. I was a
radical to the bone. I wanted to overturn
the government and institute a Democratic-
Socialist government. Sort of like Bernie
Sanders—only 60 years earlier.
Do you when the feds started surveil-
lance of you?
Oh, I don’t know. You’d have to do an FOIA
[Freedom of Information Act] for that. I can
tell you when I found out, but I can’t tell you
when they started, you see. Totally nuts.
John
Sinclair,
1966
Tell us about the John Lennon song
protesting your 10-year sentence for
two joints, “John Sinclair.”
It almost fits under the blues. I’m a blues
man. It was sure a big difference from
“Love Me Do.” [laughing] What a great
person he was. He was busted for mar-
ijuana. They gave him an opportunity.
He wanted to be hip. What was hip was
politics and Left-wing hippies. Jerry Rubin
and Abbie Hoffman and Ed Sanders. Paul
Kransner. That was hipper than rock ‘n’
roll. They gave him an opportunity to
do something really hip. He leaped at
it. They paid their own expenses. It was
amazing. Then Stevie Wonder called
them and came down. He paid his own
expenses as well, and for his band. It
was a beautiful thing, man. If we did one
of those every week, we would have a
different country. That’s when the gov-
ernment really got on his ass.
How did he catch wind about your
10-year sentence case in the first place?
From Jerry Rubin and Ed Sanders.
The FBI was already conducting surveil-
lance of Lennon at the 1971 Ann Arbor
performance.
Which was 50 years ago! December 10.
Apparently Lennon and other pop stars
had the power to free prisoners. Was
the surveillance per Nixon’s orders?
Of Course. Nixon wanted to form a future
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court—
William Reinquist, [Attorney General] John
Mitchell’s right-hand man in surveillance
and wiretapping without warrants.
Did the Michigan Supreme Court fold
to pressure generated from the ’71 free-
dom rally?
No, because we carried on five years of
propaganda before that. Two-and-a-half
years before I went to prison, and two-
and-a-half years while I was in prison.
We tried to get him to adjudicate my case
before the trial. And they said I had to go
to trial. And I had to bring a conviction, so
I got convicted. And then I was trying to
overturn the law. So then, they wouldn’t
give me an appeal bond. That was the
radical part. No appeal bond for two joints
of marijuana given away! Usually they
can only do that with people of people
who are convicted of murder, treason, arson, kidnap-
ping. Not no guy with two joints! So that was the really
sick part of the whole thing. Everything after that, they
did within the shadow of the law. But that was totally
out of the picture.
No one or I ever anticipated going to prison. I
anticipated a legal fight in court, which was going on
for five years at that point. See what I’m sayin.’ We
never anticipated anything like that. Then they said my
organization was the most dangerous organization in
America! We were a bunch of hippies and anarchists
smoking weed and taking acid. Puttin on free concerts.
You know what I mean? People are sick. Nixon made
Trump look like Mahatma Gandhi! And you know, as
much as I hate Ronald Reagan, Richard M. Nixon was
much filthier. He was so filthy it was unbelievable.
His vice president got thrown out for being a crook!
“I was a radical to the
bone. I wanted to over-
turn the government and
institute a Democratic-
Socialist government. Sort
of like Bernie Sanders— only
60 years earlier.”
There’s a man in Louisiana, Bernard Noble, who
was originally sentenced to 13 years for about two
joints’ worth of pot, under Louisiana’s “at hard labor”
law. And this was in 2011—just 10 years ago. Is it
troubling that people still face cruel sentences for
a little bit of pot?
Of course. What kind of question is that? [laughing]
Who do you think you’re talking to? Louisianans live
by the Napoleonic Code down there. I lived there for 12
years. I didn’t have any marijuana when I lived there.
Nor did I want one. I was married to a Black woman
and I was a radical. That was enough for me. I was
there on the radio, a very popular disc jockey on [New
Orleans’] WWOZ. If someone did come to me and offer
marijuana [then], I’d say yes. Nowadays in Michigan, my
name is sort of coterminous with marijuana. When you
start talking about legalizing marijuana in Michigan,
you gotta start with me, beginning in 1965. Nobody
JOHN SINCLAIR
thought about it before then, and if they did, they never
said anything.
High Times was launched in 1974, and we don’t think
it could have existed were it not for the underground
press movement that flourished in the sixties lead-
ing up to that time. What publications in that time
period were taking the biggest legal risks to fight
censorship?
No question. All of them. The Underground Press
Syndicate and every paper was challenging the
government. High Times came directly out of the
underground press movement because Tom Forcade
THE advocacy ISSUE
was the second director of the Underground Press
Syndicate.
Fifth Estate is the longest-running anarchist publica-
tion in North America. What’s its secret to longevity?
Well, they have a couple of real mental patients who
run it, Peter Warby. He just published his first novel.
We’re still very good friends. I see him all the time. He
kept it going after the movement died as an anarchist
journal. But it’s nothing like it was. It was an underground
paper based in Michigan Detroit. Then the movement
died and the papers had the big advertisements. They
were destroyed, basically. Warby was an impassioned
anarchist and he had a small group of people who felt
the same. They felt they should be a publication and
they had one. They made it work. For 50 more years.
Pretty impressive. It was an anarchist magazine, and
I always thought you could fit all of anarchism in one
paragraph. A very simple concept. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 91
JOHN SINCLAIR “I STARTED ADVOCATING FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF
MARIJUANA IN MICHIGAN IN JANUARY 1965 [...].
ONLY ALLEN GINSBERG AND ED SANDERS WERE ACTIVE
PROPONENTS OF LEGALIZATION THEN, AS WELL AS THE
LAWYER IN SAN FRANCISCO WHO CREATED THE LEGAL
BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF LEGALIZATION THAT I USED IN
MY COURT BATTLE.”

How do you feel about all these white suits getting station. I don’t charge anything for it—it’s just an
rich off of corporate pot? obsession that I do.
I think they should go straight to prison. I think they’re
THE advocacy ISSUE

criminals. I don’t think they should get into our busi- So the John Sinclair Foundation is still going?
ness. It cost $60,000 to apply for a license in [Detroit, We’re just getting started. I’m moving all of my intel-
Michigan]! That’s just the first charge. Then the local lectual property to the John Sinclair Foundation. I’m
charge of $6,000. That’s $66,000 before you can organizing all of my friends and supporters into it,
even roll a joint. They set it up like that to keep the legally. So, they can take my ideas and history and
[earnings] in the hands of rich people. Who was in the keep them going after I croak!
state legislature and who owns these companies?? I own a lot of artistic properties that they can turn
They’re all in the same class of people—rich. Our into cash.
enemies. Rich white people, if you don’t mind me
saying it right out.
radiofreeamsterdam.org
Four US presidents sent American soldiers to thejohnsinclairfoundation.org
Afghanistan. The fiscal cost associated with Iraq
and Afghanistan is in the trillions. Isn’t the US
just repeating the same mistakes it made during
Vietnam, given the cost of life and resources asso- TOP LEFT: John Lennon and Yoko Ono perform at John
Sinclair Freedom Rally in Ann Arbor Dec.10, 1971.
ciated with war? TOP RIGHT: John Sinclair and Allen Ginsberg 1965.
They’re basically there to protect the drug trade. BOTTOM: John Sinclair with his granddaughter Beyonce,
photographed in 2007.
The heroin trade has been operated by the CIA since
Vietnam. That’s where they get all of their money for
black operations that they can’t tell Congress about.
Allen Ginsberg is the one who proved that the CIA was
running heroin out of southeast Asia. He’s my mentor,
colleague and good friend. He was my hero. My idol.

Speaking of rock ‘n’ roll, your name was uttered in

the middle of The Who’s performance at Woodstock
when Abbie Hoffman seized the mic.
He was high on acid from what I’ve been told. Peter
Townsend drove him off the stage, like I would’ve
done. Because they were in the middle of a set. It was
supposed to go before it started, but they didn’t get
there. They were hippies.

What announcements do you have regarding Radio

Free Amsterdam or the John Sinclair Foundation
or any other projects?
Oh yeah. On October 22, 2021, I celebrated my 17th
anniversary. I started in 2004 before podcasting. I’m
a pioneer for podcasting, which I don’t get any credit
for. I put up two hours of fresh music everyday and
I have 12 disc jockeys. It’s a 24/7 stream like a radio

92 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

John Sinclair in
Stanley Mouse
sweater.
“THE GOVERNMENT HAVE
CHANGED THE LAW. THEY’VE
PUT THE PROBLEM SQUARELY
AT DOCTOR’S DOORS NOW AND
THEY’RE SAYING IT’S UP TO
THEM TO PRESCRIBE IF THEY
WANT TO.”
-HANNAH DEACON

94 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

Families
on the
Frontlines
THREE EUROPEAN PARENTS
ADVOCATE FOR MEDICAL CANNABIS
FOR THEIR KIDS BY ANY MEANS
NECESSARY.
by Nicole Potter
Few people are more deserving of
recognition than parents who advo-
cate for medical cannabis use for
their children. To do so requires a
strong resolve, an iron will, and they
must be driven by a fierce, unwav-
ering desire to help their children
through any means necessary. These
aren’t people advocating for recre-
ational use, small business support
or better banking access—which are
all worthy causes to fight for—but
instead, their fight is rooted in the
challenge of expanding medical
cannabis access.
In the US, many states have
enacted laws to support medical
cannabis access in schools and for
children who suffer a variety of med-
ical conditions (depending on the
state, of course). Children such as
Charlotte Figi, who sadly passed
away in 2020, became a prime rep-
resentation of the effectiveness of
medical cannabis, having appeared
in a CNN documentary WEED in
2013 that turned medical cannabis
into a national topic. Now countless
parents look to Charlotte’s example,
and have even been dubbed “mar-
ijuana refugees” as some of them
moved from other states to canna-
bis-friendly regions, like Charlotte’s
home state of Colorado, toward the
promise of improved quality of life
for their kids.
FAMILIES ON THE FRONTLINES
THE advocacy ISSUE
Much of this is prevalent
in the US. However, across the
pond, the situation is still evolv-
ing. Medical cannabis programs
in many European countries are a
work in progress, with continuing
issues with access, both for children
and adults. High Times spoke with
three European parents who have
first-hand experience with advo-
cating for cannabis access for their
kids, and the many challenges they
have overcome in order to obtain
medicine: Karen Gray and her son
Murray from Scotland, Hannah
Deacon and her son Alfie Dingley
from England and Vera Twomey
and her daughter Ava from Ireland.
All three of these mothers have
faced difficult choices, sacrificed
much to help their children—and
it was far from easy. From govern-
ments slow to adapt and embrace
cannabis to forcing parents to
relocate to the Netherlands, their
actions have paved the way for other
parents in similar situations. These
are the journeys of three parents
who, through impressive commit-
ment and love for their children,
continue to advocate to change their
home country’s medical cannabis
programs in very meaningful ways.
We’ve seen the impact that parents
in the US have made on the medical
cannabis landscape—here’s an inside
look at the obstacles that European
parents face today. * *
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 95
FAMILIES ON THE FRONTLINES
THE advocacy ISSUE
An enormous BEFORE CANNABIS
difference before
and after Murray
Gray started on
cannabis oil.
S
Scottish Resolve
Karen Gray’s son, Murray, was diagnosed with Doose
syndrome—a rare intractable form of epilepsy. His
seizures began when he was only two years old, and
the severity of his seizures increased over the next three
years. In 2018, Murray was experiencing tonic-clonic
seizures, which ended in non-convulsive status epi-
lepticus (which means he was unable to move around,
speak or eat).
As a mother, Gray witnessed her son decline into
a vegetative state, and she began to look into alterna-
tive treatment options. “I started researching cannabis
after reading an article about a little boy called Alfie in
England. His parents temporarily moved to Holland to
source cannabis oils, and they helped him. His mum
campaigned to be able to access his oils in the UK
and after a long battle finally got these through the
[United Kingdom National Health Service] (NHS),” Gray
shared with High Times. “I decided to start a petition
to access medical cannabis through the NHS. Over
170,000 signatures were added to the petition, then I
hand-delivered it to Downing Street. The law changed
in November 2018 to allow clinicians to prescribe can-
nabis oils; however, no NHS clinicians (on the specialist
register) are willing to do so.”
96 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
AFTER CANNABIS
Murray was given Epidiolex, which is a CBD isolate
approved by the NHS, in August 2018—but it wasn’t
the perfect fix. Murray’s seizures were reduced, but
it caused other side effects, and eventually stopped
working by December 2018. By March 2019, Murray’s
health was declining. His doctors refused to adminis-
ter a Dutch cannabis oil called Bedrolite, which was
already being prescribed to two children in the UK. A
choice had to be made, and Gray took her family out
of the country. “I decided to go to Holland and found
a Dutch doctor who was willing to prescribe the oil,”
Gray shared. “Over the course of a very stressful three
months, Murray started to get better. I was smuggling
the oils into the UK and giving them to him in hospital
with the curtain shut around his bed. It was incredible
watching his transformation from a very sick little boy
at death’s door to a little boy with an almost hidden
disability. The cannabis oil worked.”
Since then, Murray has been thriving. Using both
“I HAVE WRITTEN MANY LETTERS TO
OUR DOCTORS, TRUST, SCOTTISH AND
UK GOVERNMENTS. I’VE LOBBIED,
CAMPAIGNED, TRAVELLED, SPOKEN OUT, YET
BOTH THE GOVERNMENTS AND NHS WILL
NOT HELP MURRAY, OR THE OTHER CHILDREN
IN THE UK, THAT NEED CANNABIS OILS. IT’S
TRAGIC AND DISGUSTING.”
-KAREN GRAY
Bedrolite and Bedica, he hasn’t experienced a seizure since
June 2019, attends school without his wheelchair—and best
of all, he experiences no side effects that affect his quality
of life. While this is great news, and Murray is healthier than
ever, it comes at a price—£1,300 per month, to be precise.
Gray has to pay out-of-pocket in order to keep Murray on
his successful cannabis regimen. “I have spent the last three
years campaigning for cannabis. The NHS doctors will not
prescribe the oils, as no UK trials have been carried out,” Gray
said. “The British Paediatric Neurology Association (UK char-
ity) wrongly state that THC is damaging to a growing brain.
This is absolutely incorrect and almost corrupt. They have no
evidence of this. It is infuriating that they seem to control the
whole of the paediatric NHS. I have written many letters to
our doctors, trust, Scottish and UK governments. I’ve lobbied,
campaigned, travelled, spoken out, yet both the governments
and NHS will not help Murray, or the other children in the UK,
that need cannabis oils. It’s tragic and disgusting.”
This situation works for Gray and her family for now, but
Alfie and his mom,
the financial hardship is just one issue with the UK’s approach Hannah Deacon
to medical cannabis access. “The UK government needs to

change the policy to allow all our GPs to prescribe. Murray
has been stable for over two years. We need our GP to take
over the writing of his prescriptions. [Murray’s] private pae-
diatric neurologist has just retired and we are now having to
go through a cannabis clinic, costing us even more money.”
Prior to retirement, Murray’s neurologist wrote to the govern-
ment in August 2021 with an opinion on how general practitioners
should be able to write children’s prescriptions—but no response
was given as of this writing. “The governments have consistently
stated that it must be a specialist clinician’s decision to prescribe.
We have a letter from a specialist clinician to the government
stating in her expert opinion our GPs should take over prescribing.
Yet still no changes made to help our children.”
Alfie’s mom looked far and
wide for a way to control
his rare condition.
E
English Determination
Over in England, Hannah Deacon has also run into issues
with access. Her son, Alfie, was diagnosed with PCDH19—an
extremely rare condition that usually only affects young girls,
but Alfie is one of nine boys in the world who have been
diagnosed with that condition. His seizures began when he
was only eight months old, but his condition began to dete-
riorate rapidly after he turned five. That was in 2016, and
during the course of that year, Alfie had to go to the hospital
48 times—nearly once a week.
Deacon shared that they found that Alfie responded best
to high-dose steroids, in addition to anti-epileptic medication
when he experiences severe clusters. “When his seizures got
really, really bad, he was having up to 25 doses of intravenous
steroids a month that was causing very severe side effects in
him,” she described. “When his seizures did stop, after three
or four days of clustering, we’d come home, he’d be very
seriously ill because of the seizures, but also because of the
medication. He just had no quality of life.” Alfie’s behavior
became violent and aggressive, and it was putting a tremen-
dous strain on Hannah and her family. * *

“SO MANY DOCTORS ARE JUST VERY FRIGHTENED

OF PRESCRIBING OR EVEN TRYING TO
PRESCRIBE.”
-HANNAH DEACON

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 97

 Eventually, Deacon researched alternative options, and
medical cannabis seemed to have potential. At the time,
FAMILIES ON THE FRONTLINES
medical cannabis was not legal in the UK. “We couldn’t
access it obviously in the UK because at the time, I did
all this research 2016/2017, it was a schedule one drug.
We tried to get on the Epidiolex trial, which we couldn’t
because Alfie didn’t fit their criteria.” This prompted Deacon
to move to the Netherlands where her family found doctors
who prescribed medical cannabis and viewed the results
of varying amounts of Bedrolite. Once they hit the thresh-
old of 150mg, they began to notice a positive difference.
“Once he got up to 150 milligrams he went 17 days with
no seizures, which for us was a miracle because it really,
really improved his quality of life. And as he’s continued to
use it, his quality of life is improved ever more. Currently
we’re enjoying 531 days with no seizures.”
Deacon shared that it was frightening to have to move
away from her home, but it was obviously much more ter-
THE advocacy ISSUE
rifying to watch her son suffer. “And I knew if he did die, I
needed to know in my heart that I’d done everything I could
to save his life as his parent,” she admitted. But Deacon’s
strength to relocate, and her desire to seek out medical
cannabis for Alfie, was in part because of the advocacy
efforts of another mother who was making waves in Ireland.
“I actually followed Vera Twomey, who’s an advocate in
Ireland. She went to the Netherlands in July 2017. I thought
if she can do it, so can I, and I was truly inspired by her. So
I’m very, very grateful to her and she continues to be a very
good friend of mine. She’s an amazing woman.”
Deacon and her family returned from the Netherlands in
February 2018, which prompted the beginning of her advo-
cacy efforts to get Alfie access to medical cannabis. With the
End Our Pain lobby group, Professor Mike Barnes and her
general practitioner, theywere able to apply for a license and
got Alfie a prescription in June 2018. “We were very happy
that we’ve been part of something so amazing that we hoped
would help many other people, not just Alfie. And actually,
reality three years later, there’s only three prescriptions on
the NHS that are funded by the NHS forwhole plant cannabis
products that doesn’t include Epidiolex and Sativex. But for
this sort of medication that Alfie takes, the Bedrolite, there’s
only three products, three patients benefiting.”
Medical cannabis access is still very limited. “I ran
a campaign in 2018 that helped lead to the law change
that obviously helped my son get his prescription. So I’ve
done—tried to do—a lot to help access. But it’s very, very
difficult. The government have changed the law. They’ve
put the problem squarely at doctor’s doors now and they’re
saying it’s up to them to prescribe if they want to.”
Deacon added that part of the reason doctors are hesi-
tant to prescribe cannabis is because of organizations such
as the British Paediatric Neurology Association (BPMA) and
Royal College of Physicians (a society dedicated to pediatric
neurology doctors), which have expressed very anti-canna-
bis statements. “So many doctors are just very frightened of
prescribing or even trying to prescribe. Even NICE, which is
the National Institute of Clinical Excellence, have recently
98 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
changed their guidance to say the doctors can look at people
or children with epilepsy holistically. And if they’re benefiting
from a private prescription, then they don’t advise against
prescribing. So even the NICE guidance is more moderate
than the BPMA or the Royal College of Physicians who just
basically say, without more trials, this medicine should not
be funded by the NHS. So, it’s a real problem.”
Toward the end of 2019, Deacon partnered with Professor
Mike Barnes to further help similar families get the help
they need. “We provide education, we provide consultancy
for companies wishing to import into the UK, we provide
support in developing companies networks, there’s a ream
of things that we do...”
She’s also the founding director of Med Can Support,
which is an organization that helps families receive help in
medical cannabis. “Yeah, so I would definitely ask parents to
go to medcansupport.co.uk. We also have a private Facebook
group. There’s reams of information about cannabis and about
what’s available, how to get it privately, obviously support as
well, which is very important for families going through this.
They need other families to talk to about their experiences
and helping to learn, and they need to understand how to
advocate for their children with their doctors as well, which
is always a bit frightening and difficult for many people.”
S
Strength of the Irish
Our final parent is an Irish mother named Vera Twomey.
No matter what obstacles came at her, Twomey took her
advocacy to the next level every time. She challenged her
government every step of the way, and never took no for an
answer. Honestly, it would take a book to detail Twomey’s
path in navigating access for her daughter, Ava—and she
wrote one, too. Vera is the author of For Ava, a book that
describes her journey with medical cannabis for Ava in
detail. The book isn’t a chronicle that she wrote for Ava,
but a testament to the lengths to which she would go to
ensure that her child got the medicine she needed.
Twomey’s daughter Ava suffers from Dravet syndrome,
which would leave Ava to experience many seizures every
day—sometimes up to 200 per day. Being in and out of
the hospital was a strain on the entire family; Twomey
estimated that between 2010 and 2016, they were spending
up to five months each year in the hospital. “She suffered,
we despaired and one by one the pharma meds failed till
no option remained. That was the consultant’s opinion,
however. I was looking toward Colorado and Paige Figi’s
little girl, Charlotte, who was a mainstay for inspiration
for me as a mother and a woman to continue to fight for
my child,” Vera told High Times. * *
 Medical cannabis was a viable treatment for Ava’s con-
dition, since Charlotte Figi suffered from Dravet syndrome
FAMILIES ON THE FRONTLINES

as well, but Twomey faced more adversity than she ever

thought possible. “The consultants that we faced in the
public system in Ireland. They looked at me first when
I started talking about medical cannabis spray, but they
called social workers, because they thought that I was
having a nervous breakdown because I was talking about
cannabis,” she explained. “[The government] stonewalled
me, they ignored me, they tried to break us down. But,
you know, somebody’s got to stand up to them haven’t
they? It just happened that the somebody to stand up to
them here in this country was me.”
Unfortunately, the Irish government was far from sup-
portive of medical cannabis as a viable treatment, despite
Twomey’s stark advocacy on the issue. Nonetheless she
persisted, and over the course of multiple years, has not
only improved access in Ireland for Ava and others, but
THE advocacy ISSUE

has shown that it takes an exhausting amount of work,
and an astounding drive, to push progress forward.
Twomey contacted social media channels, newspa-
per outlets, radio stations and even television stations to
garner attention on the topic with the goal of discussing
the matter with government officials. She even walked
200 miles, starting from her hometown of Cork to Dublin,
Ireland’s capital city, to challenge her government to take
action. It took a total of nine days to complete the journey,
and an estimated 10,000 people joined in to support the
cause. Even as the story of her trek across Ireland was
covered across the UK, as well as the US, Canada and
Australia, the Irish government did not budge. According
to Twomey, after all the press and awareness her journey
created, the Health Minister at the time didn’t even bother
to meet her outside Leinster House in Dublin.
Due to the Irish government’s inaction, Twomey had
no other choice but to take her family from their home
country in search of better access in the Netherlands in
June 2017. Twomey and her family drove to Dublin, took
a ferry to England and traveled across England to get to
another ferry that would take them to the Netherlands,
because flying wasn’t an option for Ava. By September
2017, the rest of her kids returned to Ireland for school,
and she remained in the Netherlands with Ava until the
Irish government relented. “I fought and fought and in
December of 2017, the government relented and allowed
me the necessary paperwork to return to Ireland with
Ava’s meds. We were home.”
But as is the case in this journey, things were far from
finished. The Irish government told her that it would be
Twomey’s job, not the government’s responsibility, to
pick up Ava’s medicine. So between 2018 to March 2020,
Vera flew to the Netherlands every 12 weeks to pick up
Ava’s prescribed CBD/THC oil. After years of constant
advocacy and contact with government officials, Vera
accepted the burden of traveling as the final result. It
was a grueling, 18-hour trip there and back home. Once
COVID-19 began to ramp up in March 2020, she returned
Ava has a better quality of
life with cannabis oil.
to push the government to set up delivery so she wouldn’t
be forced to travel for the medicine any longer.
Despite the numerous hardships that Twomey endured,
it was all worth it in the end. “I’d do every bit of it again. Every
bit of pain and embarrassment and humiliation that they
try to heap on me. I’d do it all again because it was worth it,
every bit of it was worth it. And you know what? They didn’t
win, and they didn’t beat me. They didn’t beat us,” she said
proudly. “Ava got her medicine, Ava’s life was saved, and Ava’s
suffering won’t have to be somebody else’s suffering into the
future. You can change the pain that we went through. But
at least if something changes, because of the suffering that
we went through, it makes it somehow, not worthwhile, but
more tolerable. You could tolerate what you went through
easier if you knew that somebody else wasn’t having to go
through what you’ve gone through, again.”
Now she believes that she could reach even more
people with her story, to not only share what she and
her family have endured, but to spread the word about
medical cannabis in documentary form in the future—
proof of what the future could hold. She shared that she’s
currently seeking out someone who could create such a
film project and tell her story.
“I’D DO EVERY BIT OF IT AGAIN. EVERY
BIT OF PAIN AND EMBARRASSMENT AND
HUMILIATION THAT THEY TRY TO HEAP ON ME.
I’D DO IT ALL AGAIN BECAUSE IT WAS WORTH
IT, EVERY BIT OF IT WAS WORTH IT. AND YOU
KNOW WHAT? THEY DIDN’T WIN, AND THEY
DIDN’T BEAT ME. THEY DIDN’T BEAT US.”
-VERA TWOMEY

100 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 101
REVIEW: VIOLA X IVERSON ‘96
The Value
of Viola
Al Harrington discusses his company’s partnership with
Allen Iverson ahead of the new strain release.
by Jon Cappetta

THERE’S A LOT OF REASONS TO LOVE VIOLA. BESIDES

attracting consumers with their high-profile
founder, the heart-warming story of the com-
pany’s origins or their extensive equity work
with Viola Cares—these guys just make great
products. Now in their 10th year of operation,
today Viola is easily one of the most talked
about brands in the cannabis industry, and one
of the most popular in terms of sales too. With
operations in six states and a licensing deal
that will bring the brand into Canada, Viola
has long been a shining example of cultural
relevance driving sales in this burgeoning space.
Founded by former NBA first-round pick, Al
Harrington, who was drafted at 18 (as the 25th
pick overall in the 1998 draft), Harrington isn’t
your typical cannabis executive—even though he
did play for most of the teams with names stoners
would choose, like the Nuggets, the Magic and
the Wizards. After suffering numerous injuries
while playing professionally and having been
prescribed countless pharmaceuticals to quell
his pain, it wasn’t until after his career was over
that he began to fully comprehend all the heal-
ing properties cannabis offered. The NBA didn’t
look too kindly on the plant back then, after this isn’t just some celebrity cash grab. On top
all. But after medicating himself, it was actually of making quality products, Viola’s mission is
his grandmother’s relief that motivated him to to “increase minority participation and owner-
build the company. She had been suffering from ship in the cannabis industry while positively
glaucoma for years, and cannabis was the first impacting and reinvesting into communities
medication that brought her lasting comfort. He most affected by the war on drugs,” which is
immediately realized the potential. best illustrated through their expansive work
While the goal is of course to grow the with Viola Cares.
business and provide as much access to the The brand’s latest release brings another
plant as possible, it’s important to note that NBA icon into the cannabis spotlight. * *

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 103

 REVIEW: VIOLA X IVERSON ‘96 “The Answer” Has
Joined the Team
Viola’s newest line was created
in conjunction with NBA Hall-of-
Famer, Allen Iverson. The frequent
NBA All-Star (not to mention
two-time All-Star Game MVP, a
league-wide MVP and a Rookie
of the Year award), on the other
hand, is no stranger to the plant.
Having gotten arrested for posses-
sion in 1997 while playing for the
Philadelphia 76ers, just one year
after joining the league, Iverson’s
time in the limelight was often
viewed through a critical lens.
Although undoubtedly a monster
on the court, with over 24,000
career points and being widely
regarded as one of the best ball
handlers ever, it was his antics
off the floor that unfortunately
made the biggest headlines. With a
career that often had him consid-
ered the “bad boy” of the league
back in the days of prohibition,
it seems uniquely appropriate
104 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
for this All Star to lend his star
power to championing the plant
now that the tides are changing.
“I couldn’t be happier to team up
with my brother, Al, on this. I love
what he’s doing and am excited
to help share his mission in the
cannabis space for our commu-
nity,” Iverson said.
For Harrington and Viola
though, as with their entire
business, this is bigger than
just a celebrity play. “The
partnership with Chuck [Allen
Iverson’s nickname] is the first
of its kind in the industry. For
us it’s more than just throwing
his name on a bag or merch.”
Harrington told High Times.
“We really wanted to create a
product he was proud of.”
And it looks like they’ve
succeeded. Since its launch—
whether it was at one of the
several launch parties or from
shares on social media, few hype
launches get this kind of atten-
tion. But how’s it smoke? * *
 The Weed REVIEW: VIOLA X IVERSON ‘96

Dubbed ‘96, after Iverson’s rookie

year in the league, the pilot culti-
var is an indica-dominant cross
between Grape Stomper and Secret
Kush Mints, and it’s one that will
put even the most experienced
smoker down. With a vibrant
sweet and piney aroma punch-
ing out of the bag, the buds look
just as attractive as they smell.
The dense, dark purple—almost
black—buds are absolutely cov-
ered in light trichomes, providing a
gorgeous juxtaposition, especially
paired with the bright orange hairs
sprouting out from the seams.
These nugs are so sticky that
you’ll be left with a residue after
breaking up only your first nug,
so you’ll want to use a grinder,
and prepare for an even more
impressive aroma once you start
crushing buds up. The mint nose
really presents itself once it’s
been torn to shreds. In terms of
the smoke, it’s hard to complain
with this one. You’ll get the candy
flavor you hope for on the pull, and
the ash burns clean, but beware of
the high. Unlike many imitators on
the market, when these guys say
something is an indica, you should
take note. Don’t smoke the ‘96 too
early, this one is a sleeper—like,
Nate Robinson sleep.

violabrands.com

106 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 107
 GANJA GOURMET
by Laurie Wolf your cooking horizons. A ramen infused
with a potent citrus ingredient called yuzu
IT’S JANUARY. EATING HEALTHIER IS ONE OF THE MOST will tantalize your taste buds. Or maybe

EDIBLES popular New Year’s resolutions, but if
you’re looking for a way to improve your
food lifestyle without sacrificing flavor,
MARIJUANA MUNCHIES MADE EASY!
we’ve got you covered. Perhaps a more
Mediterranean-style diet, where vegeta-
WINTER bles and grains take charge of the plate
with animal products doing the sideshow,
cauliflower steaks loaded with turmeric
and other spices are more to your liking?
Finally, muffins using the delicate but unique
Ceylon cinnamon will surely mix things up.
These recipes were infused with can-
nabis-infused oil, at 5mg per teaspoon.
To figure out the potency of your edi-

WELLNESS is the way to go. This approach to nour-

ishing your body is better for everyone,
Eating healthy doesn’t
including the planet.
mean sacrificing flavor— The following recipes call out a few
especially when cannabis is popular ingredients, all with impressive
involved. health benefits, and it’s fun to expand
bles, visit recipes.laurieandmaryjane.
com/getting-started/calculating-potency.
As long as you know the potency of
your cannabis product, you can figure out
how to get the desired dose. It’s important:
too much cannabis is not pleasant, and
less is usually more.

CEYLON CINNAMON
OATMEAL MUFFINS
(Makes 12 muffins)

Ceylon cinnamon supports your immune system—it’s full of antioxi-

dants and has a lighter more subtle flavor profile—a little sweet, a little
floral and a little bitter. Referred to as “true cinnamon,” with notes of
clove, vanilla and citrus, you can feel good about adding it to your diet.

INGREDIENTS
————
2 1/4 cups quick cook oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup raisins, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate chips
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. Ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk (your choice)
1/2 cup honey
4 tbsp. cannabis-infused oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

INSTRUCTIONS
————
1. Heat oven to 340દ. In a large bowl combine the oatmeal, apple-
sauce, almonds and fruit.
2. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir to
combine.
3. Add the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.
4. Divide the batter between well-greased muffin pans. Bake until a
toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 25-27 minutes. Allow
to cool fully before removing from the pan. They freeze beautifully.

108 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 PHOTOS: BRUCE WOLF

RAMEN WITH YUZU DRIZZLE
(Serves 2)

Yuzu is a citrus fruit of East Asian origin. It’s super

fragrant with extreme, delightful notes of sour and
tart. A little goes a long way, and the flavor will remain
even after cooking, which is typically not the case with
other citrus flavors. It’s quite a lovely fruit, which is
reminiscent of a cross between a grapefruit and an
orange.

INGREDIENTS
————
Yuzu Drizzle
3 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 tbsp. yuzu essence or juice
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. cannabis-infused oil
2 slices fresh ginger
1 tbsp. chopped scallion

Ramen
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. coconut or avocado oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. grated ginger
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 cups fresh spinach
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. rice vinegar
2 packs ramen noodles, flavor packets discarded
2 hardboiled eggs, halved
Optional toppings scallion, jalapeño slices,
sesame seeds, ginger

INSTRUCTIONS
————
1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredi-
ents for the drizzle. Set aside.
2. In a soup pot gently heat the oils. Add the
garlic, ginger, scallions and spinach and saute
over low heat for a couple of minutes. Add the
broth, soy sauce and vinegar and stir for 2-3
minutes.
3. Add the noodles and cook until tender, 3 to 4
minutes.
4. Place the bowls on your work surface and divide
the toppings. There are no wrong additions here,
go with your flow.

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 109

TURMERIC ROASTED
CAULIFLOWER
STEAKS
(Serves 4)

We love the flavor and dazzling color of

turmeric. A spice related to the ginger
family, turmeric has impressive health
benefits, including supporting heart
health and as a chronic pain and inflam-
mation reliever. And again, the color!
It’s gorgeous.

INGREDIENTS
————
1 large head cauliflower, stem and
leaves removed
3 tbsp. coconut oil
2 tbsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp. turmeric
2 tsp. cannabis-infused oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
A pinch or two of cayenne

INSTRUCTIONS
————
1. Heat oven to 425દ. Place the
cauliflower on your work surface.
Using a sharp knife, slice into 4-6
steaks. If they fall apart, it’s okay,
don’t stress. Place on an oiled sheet
pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine the
coconut oil, turmeric, cumin, smoked
paprika, salt and pepper. Generously
brush the mixture on the slices, top
and bottom.
3. Bake until the cauliflower is fork
tender, about 35 to 40 minutes.
4. While the cauliflower is roasting,
prepare the sauce. You can prepare
the sauce the day before, just keep
it in the fridge.
5. When the cauliflower is ready,
serve with sauce on the side.

110 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

HIGHWITNESS NEWS

HEALING IN
The bill passed by a vote of 54-42, with the sup-
port of Ra’am (United Arab List), three months after
a broader cannabis bill was embarrassingly defeated.

THE HOLY LAND Likud (center-right party) opposition leader Benjamin

Netanyahu skipped the vote, but he only did so because
he didn’t realize the New Hope (right-wing party) was
able to get the backing of Ra’am—an extraordinary feat.
Medical cannabis reform is At the time of writing, it advanced on to the Knesset
advancing in Israel’s unicameral Health Committee for a first reading. Once that is
parliament, boosted by a done, it will also need approval by the Ministerial
coalition of political parties. Committee for Legislation, which approved decrim-
inalization two years ago.
NEWS

by Benjamin M. Adams
ISRAEL IS A WORLD LEADER OF MEDICAL CANNABIS RESEARCH,
ever since the seminal discoveries of Dr. Raphael
PUFFING Mechoulam in the ‘60s. On April 20, 2018, Israeli
PRANK
pharmacies launched under a pilot program. On April
That one time
Twins co-star 1, 2019, Israel decriminalized the use of cannabis
Danny Devito for adults 18 and older, and recently, legalization of
got Arnold
cannabis is one of the key platforms of a coalition
Schwarzenegger
high. of political parties when they agreed to establish a
p.116 new Israeli government on June 2, 2021.
Currently, however, medical cannabis patients
in Israel struggle to refill prescriptions because of
NEWS
Under the bill, people who are granted a license
from the Health Ministry will be legally allowed to
grow, distribute and possess cannabis for medical
purposes, fixing the continual shortage in medical
cannabis available to those with a prescription. Delays
are mostly due to strict regulations laid upon can-
nabis producers.
IM Cannabis (International Medical Cannabis) is
a leading global cannabis company, headquartered
in Israel, providing premium products to medical
patients and adult-use recreational consumers. It is
the only cannabis company with operations in Israel,
Germany and Canada—the three largest federally

unrealistic licensing hurdles. The patients are fed up
with the flux of cannabis exports, all throughout the
world, while they struggle themselves to have access.
New legislation was designed to increase cultivation,
BREAST distribution and ease of access to medical cannabis
CANCER
AWARENESS for Israeli citizens.
Women with On October 13, 2021, a bill passed its first reading
legal markets with EU-GMP certification.
“What happened in the Knesset constitutes a sig-
nificant evolution in the cannabis market and one
that, I think, will change the market significantly,” IM
Cannabis CEO Oren Shuster told High Times. “If the
bill were to pass as is, it would grow the number of
potential patients dramatically. Access will be much
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

breast cancer in the Knesset plenum, potentially advancing medical easier as well because growers will be able to ship
are turning
to medical cannabis access, and also providing a boost to the directly to patients. So, the process would be much
cannabis. coalition led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. (The faster, with higher margins for the industry and lower
p.120 Knesset is Israel’s unicameral parliament.) prices for customers.” * *

112 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 HIGHWITNESS NEWS
HIGH FIVE
Shuster and Rafael Gabay founded IM cannabis in Glil Yam,
Tel Aviv, Israel in 2010, and the company grows in Israel. Big
FIVE WAYS TO BE A POT ADVOCATE
changes in the supply chain means that the savings are passed on Less talk and more action is how cannabis
to the patients, but Shuster isn’t convinced that it’s case-closed.
freedoms are written into law.
“However, I don’t believe that the bill will pass as it is, and
there will likely be changes made to it. It’s still too early to guess By Benjamin M. Adams
at its true impact right now. But the good news for Israel is that
1
this law came from the coalition and the largest opposition
party, the Likud, supports full legalization. So, I think the fact SIGN A PETITION
There are numerous petitions
that there is wide support for cannabis today across Parliament
to legalize or decriminalize
is what is so important.” Shuster has good reason to be cautious. cannabis in various jurisdictions.
In August, members of the Israeli parliament narrowly A great place to start is change.
org, where there are many active
defeated broader legislation that sought to de-penalize activ-
petitions including one to pass the
ities involving the possession and cultivation of cannabis by Marijuana Justice Act—removing
adults. It would have eliminated criminal and civil penalties cannabis from the Controlled
Substances Act. Marijuana Policy
involving the possession of up to 50 grams of cannabis and/or
Project recommends Americans
home cultivation. It was an embarrassing defeat of a broader sign petitions on whitehouse.gov;
bill put forth by New Hope leader Sharren Haskel. however, the petitioning system
“At this point, I think we will still have to wait and see the was recently disabled ahead of the
Biden administration due to bogus
final shape and size of this bill, but it will definitely push the petitions like a 2012 push for the
market forward,” he continued. “Israel is set to be the third federal government to create a
largest market after the US and Canada.” Death Star as an economy-driving
enterprise. Brits can sign petitions
at petition.parliament.uk.
“What happened in the Knesset 2 reform on the frontlines today.
constitutes a significant evolution in the DROP CANNABIS SCIENCE
cannabis market and one that, I think, ON A NONBELIEVER
You can’t immediately change
will change the market significantly.” the world, but maybe you
- Oren Shuster can change your neighbor’s
mind about pot. Every little bit
helps. As an example, if your
neighbor says cannabis causes
Given the massive size of Israel’s medical cannabis market amotivational syndrome, explain
and Europe’s dependency on it, all eyes are on Israel. Health that indeterminate studies for
and against this theory abound.
Minister Nitzan Horowitz, who recently took power, became the Remind him or her that Michael
first health minister to come out in favor of all-out legalization. Phelps—the most decorated
male Olympian of all time—is
“I think that Israel will remain a very large medical market,” Shuster
an occasional pot smoker.
said. “And when I say medical, I mean medical and ‘semi-medical.’ He was reprimanded in 2009
Still, Israel will be under the medical market for quite some time. after a photo of his weed pipe
I think that legalization will eventually come as a solution for the made headlines. If Phelps isn’t
motivated—we don’t know who
large quantity of patients that we will have in Israel, but I don’t is. The “world’s fastest person”
think that we will see this happen very quickly. That said, full Olympian Usain Bolt and Bruce
legalization is likely to come through the backdoor at some point.” Lee, who holds seven titles in the
Guinness Book of World Records,
There is one huge difference between cannabis as we know were also pot fans.
it in the US, and cannabis in Israel. Indoor black market cul-
tivators aren’t an issue in Israel, but there are many in the US.
3 likely to hear your message. It’s
“Again, something very important to understand about the
ATTEND A CANNABIS
Israeli market is that the black market for cannabis remains more
RALLY
expensive than the medical market,” Shuster said. “That means
Now that COVID-19 appears to be
everybody that uses cannabis has an incentive to get a prescription, on a downward trend, attend an
rather than obtain their cannabis via the black market. Once the in-person rally to legalize cannabis.
method of getting a prescription becomes easier, the number of Find one of the many cannabis
rallies planned for the new year.
patients in Israel will grow significantly again.” The bill would be There are 2022 Global Cannabis
a boon to stronger legal sales of medical cannabis.
114 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
March and 420 events planned
all over the world in March and
April. The Boston Freedom Rally
will take place in September
2022, but exact dates are yet to
be determined. In addition, you
can also expect things to heat
up before April 20, as people
are more than eager to jump
start in-person events. In history,
large rallies have pressured local
governments to make change,
including cannabis-related issues.
4
VOLUNTEER FOR A NORML
CHAPTER
The National Organization
for the Reform of Marijuana
Laws (NORML) was founded
in 1970 by lawyer Keith Stroup
and continues to push pot
NORML relies on donations
and volunteer work for the
great majority of its work. The
organization calls it a network
of citizen-advocates around
the world. Look up where your
nearest NORML chapter is, and
if there isn’t one, start it yourself.
Visit norml.org/start-a-chapter
and fill out the application. It’s
also a great way to meet other
cannabis enthusiasts.
5
CONTACT A
REPRESENTATIVE
Tell your representative to take
action on current cannabis bills.
With some effort, you can usually
look up emails for your local
representatives in Congress,
however, emails rarely get read,
and it will most likely end up buried
in a pile of unread messages.
Instead, call a representative, and
communication directors are more
recommended to write down what
you plan on saying in a formal
business tone. Go to house.gov/
representatives for a list of House
member phone numbers. A US
Capitol Switchboard operator with
a Washington DC number also
has a specific code to contact US
senators.
 HIGHWITNESS NEWS

HASTA LA VISTA!

Bodybuilder, actor and former California Governor Arnold

Schwarzenegger releases a monthly newsletter detailing a
variety of topics. In one of his fall newsletters, he answered
the question “What’s your favorite on-set story?” His reply
told the story of filming the movie Twins (1988), with co-star
Danny Devito, who shared a cannabis-packed cigar with him,
without mentioning that it contained cannabis. “I’m a fanatic
about memorizing my lines so I never touch the script once I
arrive on a set, but when we got back after lunch, Danny said
his line and I just stood there. ‘Duh.’ Before lunch, we had
filmed this exact scene for the master shot, and we both
had nailed our lines. Now, after lunch when we came back
to cover our closeups, in front of hundreds of people, I was
speechless,” he described. “Ivan Reitman reminded me of my
line and asked the script supervisor to show me the script,
and it was like I was seeing something for the first time. My
brain had completely forgotten the scene I had no trouble
with before lunch. Danny was laughing up a storm, and Ivan
flipped the cameras to film Danny’s close-up so I could read
my lines off the page and we wouldn’t waste any time.” After
a time, he felt back to normal, and ended by saying Producer
and Director Reitman was a tolerable person, but if it had
been a James Cameron film, he “would have
been in real trouble.”
BOD
SLAMMY-
IN
WEED G
STERE
OTYPE
S

WRESTLING THE LAND

Former wrestling commentator Jim Ross, famous for his

play-by-play dialogue for World Wrestling Entertainment
(WWE) among many other wrestling organizations over
the years, announced on October 28 that he’s moving
into the cannabis business. On Episode 132 of his pod-
cast, “Grilling JR,” Ross shared that he has purchased
land that he intends to use as a cannabis farm. “My
youngest daughter, her husband and I, and another guy,
a lawyer, are getting ready to start a cannabis farm,” he
said on his podcast. “We’re looking at the working title
of Black Hat Farms. I bought some land in Oklahoma
recently for the grow houses and all the things.” This
news follows Ross’ announcement just two days prior,
announcing that he received a recent skin cancer
diagnosis. He was initially diagnosed with skin cancer in
2016 and went through numerous surgeries in order to
have it removed successfully. Ross has invested in other
personal brands in the past, such as his line of sauces
(including barbecue sauce, ketchup and mustard) and
beef jerky. Moving into cannabis is one way he wants
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

to invest in that his kids can later take over for him. “I
figured out it was probably smarter to leave them things
while I was alive and sort through all the heartbreak and
the minutiae and the legal stuff, the probate courts and
all these things after I was gone.”

116 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 HIGHWITNESS NEWS MORE THAN THE MUNCHIES

Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp announced

on October 14 that it would be acquiring Boulder, Colorado-based
Wana Brands. This wasn’t your average deal, though—the entire
purchase is stipulated on if/when the United States federally legal-
izes cannabis. According to Wana Brands CEO and Co-founder
Nancy Whiteman, this deal is the proof of many years of hard
work. “We have long considered what the next phase of our
growth might look like, and this deal is not only a great testament
to our focus on bottom line growth and fiscal diligence, but also to
the value we believe Wana can bring to Canopy and its sharehold-
ers now and in the future,” Whiteman said in a press release. “We
have met many partners along the way over the past 11 years, but
none have felt like the best and right fit until today. We are incred-
ibly humbled and honored to be part of what Canopy Growth is
building in terms of the future of this industry.” Canopy Growth
paid an upfront cash payment of $297.5 million, as well as 15 per-
cent of the company’s market value at the time of the purchase.
Canopy Growth may also make deferred payments at the two-and-
a-half year and five-year anniversaries of the acquisition.

THE HEROES WE NEED

The Austin, Texas-based cannabis company Hometown

Hero is a cannabis business that sells a variety of
products, but a portion of each purchase goes toward a
veterans charity organization. On October 12, Hometown
Hero also announced that it would be donating $25,000
to Operation Finally Home, a nonprofit that provides
mortgage-free homes to military members and their
families who became ill or were wounded during their
service. Hometown Hero’s CEO Lukas Gilkey is a former
US Coast Guard veteran, who met with the founder of
Operation Finally Home, Dan Wallrath, and former army
veteran Jorge De Leon, to give the donation. “I was
overwhelmed with the impact and service this nonprofit
provides to our disabled veterans,” Gilkey said in a press
release. “What a blessing for Mr. Wallrath to follow his
heart as the founder of Operation Finally Home; we
will definitely be giving more to this organization in the
future. It was an honor to meet Jorge, an amazing vet-
eran who received a house from the nonprofit. Jorge’s
energy is contagious, and I can’t think of anyone more
deserving than a veteran with his drive and passion.”
SPEEDY DECISIONS
If only most cannabis-based decisions were this quick—
preferably the more positive ones. It took Federal Judge
Nanette Laughrey of the Missouri Wester District only
seven minutes to make a decision that could very well
reshape the Missouri medical cannabis program as
it’s currently known. Voters were in favor of a medical
cannabis program three years ago when they approved
Amendment 2 (with a whopping 65.59 percent), and
one of the program’s rules includes an amendment that
requires 51 percent of cannabis business owners to be
residents. However, in a digital hearing on October 7,
Judge Laughrey ordered a permanent injunction regard-
ing the residency rule. “I grant the permanent injunction.
There will be a written order to follow, given the reasons,
having heard no difference of the facts,” she said at 10
a.m.—just seven minutes after the hearing began. Now
that the residency rule is no longer required, this will open
up the state to larger, out-of-state cannabis companies
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

looking to capitalize on the budding new industry. There

is a possibility that the topic might be appealed in federal
courts. Missouri’s medical cannabis program currently
allows 62 cultivation licenses, 87 manufacturing licenses
and 192 dispensary licenses.

118 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 HIGHWITNESS NEWS
NEW IN NEPAL
The landlocked Asian country of Nepal,
which sits just north of India, was once
a common destination for hippies back
in the 1960s and early 1970s—but that
was put to an end when the Nepalese
government canceled all cannabis shops,
dealers and farming licenses in 1973.
Decades later, local advocates in Nepal
are campaigning to get the government
to reconsider allowing cannabis farming,
consumption and exportation now that
many other countries in the world are
embracing the plant. A bill was recently
introduced to the Federal Parliament
of Nepal in October by advocate
SAVE THE TA-TAS
It’s no secret that medical cannabis has
some amazing properties and benefits
to those who suffer from a variety of
medical conditions—and in the realm of
breast cancer, one study has discovered
that quite a few of those who suffer from
breast cancer have used cannabis to treat
their symptoms. A recent study, entitled “A
Coala-T-Cannabis Survey Study of breast
cancer patients’ use of cannabis before,
120 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
campaign leader Rajiv Kafle, who lives in
Kathmandu, with the help and support of
Health Minister Birod Khatiwada. “I am
trying to make it a campaign and issue
in Parliament because many countries
including the most powerful and devel-
oped countries have allowed the use of
marijuana,” Khatiwada said, according
to Associated Press. “The new law would
ensure that the benefit is not going to
go to one industrialist or small group of
businesspeople but rather it will benefit
the poor farmers who would use their
small plots of land to grow it.” Under
current Nepalese law, cannabis posses-
sion can lead to up to one month in jail.
Distribution or sales though, could lead to
up to 10 years imprisonment.
during, and after treatment” found that
42 percent of participants were using
cannabis. Of the percentage, 78 percent
were using it to treat pain, 70 percent for
insomnia, 57 percent for anxiety, 51 percent
for stress and 46 percent for nausea or
vomiting. While 79 percent of participants
said that they had used cannabis during
treatment, only 39 percent have ever
talked to their physicians about it. “Among
those using cannabis for these purposes,
the majority reported that it provided relief
and that they had no other effective way of
treating their symptoms,” the study states.
“Additionally, many participants used can-
nabis during cancer treatment and believed
that cannabis may have anticancer ben-
efits, although few had discussed it with
their physicians. Lastly, the cannabis-using
participants reported using a wide range
of different products, which are known
to vary in quality and purity. Most felt that
cannabis products were natural and safe
and were unaware of the potential risks of
contaminants, drug-drug interactions, or the
prevalence of mislabeled merchandise.”
WEARIN’ THAT HEMP
Levi Strauss & Co.
announced the release of its
first report aimed at efforts
to commit to sustainability—
which proudly embraces
hemp among one of its solu-
tions. The “Levi Strauss & Co.
2020 Sustainability Report”
is based on three primary
pillars of “climate, consump-
tion and community,” and
the company aims to make
meaningful decisions with
progress in mind. Thankfully,
the company’s goals list
hemp in the report numer-
ous times. “Several Levi’s®
WellThread® collections now
feature ‘cottonized hemp’—
hemp that’s been altered to
feel just like cotton. Hemp
requires less water and
fewer pesticides to grow, but
it feels coarse. The rain-fed
hemp that the Levi’s® brand
is using goes through a
unique softening process
that gives it a look and feel
almost indistinguishable
from cotton. This advance-
ment marks an important
step toward sustainability
and circularity, and the use
of cottonized hemp is one
piece of our multifaceted
approach toward a circular
economy.” The report cites
hemp as less water-inten-
sive in comparison to other
cotton production, and that
the plant requires fewer
chemicals and less land for
cultivation. The report also
shares that Levi’s® initially
only made 12,000 units for
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
its first cottonized hemp pro-
duction, but since then the
company has delivered more
than one million units in less
than two years.
 SPONSORED CONTENT
CHOOSE WISELY,
GRASSHOPPER
Grasshopper co-founders
on the tool you need to
streamline bulk cannabis
packing processes.
by Benjamin M. Adams
Often the best inventions and innovations are
born out of necessity—which is exactly what
sparked the creation and development of the
Grasshopper. Grasshopper Co-founders Luke
Daly and Jesse Bloomfield shared why they
had to build the tool they needed—because
it didn’t exist yet.
The Grasshopper is an all-in-one tool that
sets a higher standard for the bulk packing
process, designed for maximum efficiency.
The Grasshopper saves time and protects the
quality and integrity of product—i.e. canna-
bis—during the crucial bulk packing stage,
preventing spills and cutting labor costs.
This allows you to perfect the process and
create a stronger finish for your product—an
asset in any cultivating, processing, and/or
provisioning facility small or large.
The Grasshopper came from humble
beginnings and has been a few years in the
making. Working in the cannabis industry
is a constant learning process with unique
challenges due to the patchwork of state laws.
A lot of the weight falls upon the shoulders of
processors, cultivators and dispensaryworkers.
“[It] was a problem many in the industry
didn’t even realize they had—the weighing,
managing and packing process,” said Daly.
“With over a decade of cultivating experience,
one thing that was seen as a constant was
that every grower had their own makeshift
ways of weighing, managing and packaging
final product. [They often are also] balanc-
ing mixing bowls, Tupperware, buckets and
anything else on top of a scale that was too
small, finding ways to see the digital reading
on the scale getting covered by these bowls
and buckets, then awkwardly filling bags
and often spilling product on the ground.”
As you can imagine, cannabis industry
122 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
workers are great engineers when it comes
to nearly every type of handyman problem
that comes along during production, but
they needed a more permanent solution,
especially when dealing in bulk flower.
So the two began to engineer their own
device. Initially, Daly, Bloomfield and their
team constructed a stationary hopper made
from wood, screws, ductwork and tape. It was
heavy, large, cumbersome and with sharp
edges. “It was not pretty but it made all the
difference in the world when it came time
to getting product into the bag,” Daly said.
“It saved us an enormous amount of time,
and kept product from being spilled on the
ground. For the longest time we viewed our
makeshift hopper as just another random
tool to make our job easier and was not
something we envisioned manufacturing.”
Embrace the adage, “work smarter, not
harder.” This leads to the other proverb that
you need the right tool for the right job.
Bagging product with the wrong tool can
cost a business a fortune, especially when
bulk amounts are involved.
But the hopper generated a strong
response from people who witnessed it
in action, and Daly eventually had the real-
ization that this is something that every
grower could benefit from. He decided
to seek out a product development team
to refine the design and work towards a
product that his team could manufacture
“I have helped in
many successful
cultivation facilities
before starting my
own. It is reward-
ing being able to
provide patients
with the quality
medicinal cannabis
they need.”
- Jesse Bloomfield
and make available to help everyone.
“We spent the first few months expanding
on this idea and how to potentially turn this
into a product line,” the co-founders shared.
“We broke down the process and looked
at everything we could design to make
life easier. We looked at different styles of
buckets, scales, scale stands, scoops, bags,
etc., anything and everything. After thinking
on this for a while, a new thought came to
mind. Instead of creating a line of products
separate from one another, how could we
consolidate these different ideas into one
unique product?”
This led to four major adjustments: Make
the bucket large enough to comfortably hold
one pound of finished product—as most
cultivation facilities have their own custom
bags for shipping product to dispensaries
and processors in one-pound increments;
Design an attachable funnel lid that fits most
every type of packaging; Make the funnel
lid capable of flipping over to use as a scale
stand to prop the bucket up and easily see
the readout; and finally, Keep it lightweight,
portable, easy to keep clean, comfortable
and fun to use.
“At this point, we started the product
development process over from scratch to
refine this new concept,” the duo said. “We
spent time looking at every detail: how the
lid attaches, how the bucket rests on top of
the funnel, measurements/angles, handles,

thumb caps, colors, logos, etc. After a few
3D printed prototypes and working through
all the details, the Grasshopper was ready
to move into manufacturing.”
The name appears to be self-explanatory.
A hopper is a pyramidal or cone-shaped
container used in industrial processes. Add
the bulk flower material, and voilà—we
present to you the Grasshopper.
The Grasshopper is designed to be
versatile, allowing the user to find how
to best incorporate the product into their
operation. The largest inherent benefits are
time savings, preventing spills and cutting
operational labor costs. Specifically, it can
benefit the following three types of workers:
CULTIVATORS – Weigh and package product
faster and without spills. This way, they can
standard operating procedures to employ-
ees and/or packaging managers tasked with
packaging final product for distribution.
PROCESSORS - Weigh and manage flower
and biomass. It’s useful for filling 6” and 8”
extraction columns.
DISPENSARIES –When breaking down large
quantities of flower into smaller prepackaged
amounts, it is helpful to transfer bulk product
from bag into the Grasshopper to work out of.
Easily keep track of weight, and transfer any
remaining product backinto bagwhen finished.
GRASSHOPPER CO-FOUNDERS LUKE
DALY AND JESSE BLOOMFIELD
HOLD THEIR FLAGSHIP PRODUCT.
SMALL SCALE GROWERS – Weigh, manage
and determine where a dry process is, or deter-
mine how much a yield is. The Grasshopper
is handy for any amount of cannabis.
The Grasshopper is compatible with bags,
extraction columns and scales. This includes
vacuum seal (11” and 15”), Ziploc (1 gallon
and over) and turkey bags, to name a few.
It’s also compatible with 6” and 8” extraction
columns. Use it also with most scales, as
long as they can handle the weight of the
Grasshopper (roughly 800 grams).
The Grasshopperis made using FDAfood-
grade High Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE).
Its ergonomic thumb-cap provides comfort
with a textured finish for a reliable grip.
“When we launched the Grasshopper, our
vision was to help others in the industry by
offering a simple solution to standardize
the bulk packing process—a lasting product
in an ever-evolving industry making easy
work out of a task that was once awkward,
time consuming, and messy.”
Daly is Michigan-based with over 10
years of experience working with canna-
bis under his belt Cultivating started as a
hobby and quickly turned into a passion.
“Consistently producing quality product
poses many unique challenges and I’ve
dealt with a lot of them firsthand, gaining
comfortability and expanding to larger
gardens while maintaining the same
high standard of quality,” Daly said. “I
love helping others who share the same
passion of growing that I have. I have
helped design and set up a number of
indoor gardens, equipment installation,
drip systems, nutrient regiments, pest and
mold preventatives, etc. I am grateful for
the years of being able to work with such
a beautiful plant and am excited to con-
tinue learning, networking, and growing
with the industry as it evolves over the
coming years.”
Before Daly’s entrance into the can-
nabis industry, he optimized workflows in
a large-scale factory setting. Later on, he
launched his first grow operation, producing
humble yields as a caregiver.
Bloomfield is a Michigan local with
around five years of experience work-
ing with cannabis as a caregiver. “I have
helped in many successful cultivation facil-
ities before starting my own,” Bloomfield
said. “It is rewarding being able to provide
patients with the quality medicinal cannabis
they need.” Bloomfield’s diverse, hands-on
background prepared him to provide cul-
tivators with the tools they need.
Before starting his own ventures,
Bloomfield served in various roles and
helped develop several successful oper-
ations. He helps both new and veteran
businesses to identify opportunities that
would otherwise go unnoticed.
The two hope to transform the world
of cultivation, processing and sales with
the boosted efficiency in production pro-
cesses, made possible by the Grasshopper.
Find the Grasshopper online on the
company’s website, or call your local
hydroponic shop to see if they carry the
Grasshopper. Help spread the word by
telling others how they can streamline
the processing and packing process of
bulk flower material.
The company plans on rolling out a
full product line of products. Until then, the
Grasshopper makes a great gift idea.
grasshopper.supply
@grasshoppersupply on Instagram
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 123
 GEAR // WHAT’S NEW FOR CANNABIS CULTIVATORS AND CONNOISSEURS

HOT
PRODUCTS
WICKED LIPS
higherstandards.com

That’s enough lip service out of you!

Introducing the retro-inspired Jonathan Adler
X Higher Standards Smolder Catchall. At
4” diameter and 1.25” height, this smolder
catchall is handmade and durable. It’s better
than an ashtray, with a deeper bowl for joints
that are still lit. Interior design icon, Jonathan
Adler, collaborated with Higher Standards to
bring you the design. Its high-fired porcelain
makes this catchall both durable and heat
resistant. It has a retro, almost Art Deco vibe
to it—which is great for artistic misfits, which
would look great next to a Marilyn Monroe
poster or a fedora.

$60 or four payments of $15.

WHOLE FLOWER VAPE

omuracbd.com

The Omura Series X is a first-of-its-kind whole

flower vaporizer with a dual heat source oven inside.
The oven uses Heat-Not-Burn technology to gently
heat the whole flower through a patented heat curve.
These components are housed in a slim design by
award winning industrial designer Michael Young,
offering one of the smallest and technically sophis-
ticated heat-not-burn devices in the market. Omura
offers a new approach to Heat-Not-Burn technology
to create an elevated social experience that leaves
minimal vapor and no lingering odor. Customers
can choose to enjoy their flower via fill your own
sustainable flower sticks, included in the bundle, or
pre-filled, dosed options available for purchase.

$99.99

124 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

GANJA ON THE GO
prismaticplants.com

Find your inner hippie and elevate

yourself to another level with a splash
of tie-dye in your life. The limited-edi-
tion Prismatic Plants Travel Pouch is
designed for taking tinctures with you
to go. Stash it in a purse or a backpack
to keep your bottles or other discrete
items safe. It pairs nicely with Prismatic
Plants potent plant elixirs, such as
Good Day (with CBD and CBDa) for
calm energy and focus, or Good Night
(with CBD and CBN) to rest and restore.
Prismatic Plants worked with a female
artisan to do the custom dying on each
bag. Each one is hand-dyed using
natural plant-based dyes—meaning
no two pouches are the same. The bag
measures 6.5” x 4.5” and is handmade
from cotton canvas.

$12.50
THE ERIG EXPERIENCE
drdabber.com

Dr. Dabber recently released its

new line of TDE (Traditional Dab
Experience) glass attachments during
this week’s MJBiz Conference in Las
Vegas, which became a big hit—no
pun intended. The TDE Ball Rig
converts the popular Boost EVO into
an eRig—adding the ability to hot load
your concentrates and provide direc-
tional airflow with the carb cap, which
is included. The TDE conversion kit
works directly with a Boost EVO
Quick Connect Adapter. Easily swap
between different glass attachments
to suit your mood or session size. It
also features a large water reservoir
with a showerhead percolator, allow-
ing for a higher resistance pull. White
and black silicone seals and carb cap
seals included.

$ 119.95 or four interest-free

payments of $ 29.99

HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 125

 ASK DR. MITCH BY DR. MITCH EARLEYWINE

BURNING
QUESTION
Taxes, Cocaine and the Drug War
I am stunned by legal weed’s
tax rate. Is this sustainable?
-Red Glands
Hi Red,
Economists emphasize that
the plants still move from the
shelves at current rates with
the bulk of the expense falling
on the consumer. Apparently,
we are willing to pay extra to
experience the delights of the
dispensary, and states continue
to relish raking in the cash. The
grey market seems to remain
and enforcement on home
growers will ebb and flow
depending on the priorities of
local law enforcement.
Does CBD help people kick
cocaine?
-Candy Blow
Hi Candy,
Cannabidiol has lowered

126 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

self-administration of cocaine
in rodents, but that’s a far-cry
from helping humans struggling
with cocaine dependence. I
would guess that large, daily
doses added to an intensive
outpatient program would help
people battle some of the anx-
iety and frustration associated
with withdrawal, but a few
drops of tincture are not going
to do the trick. The national
drug hotline is (844) 289-0879.
My male friends and my female
friends have completely dif-
ferent reactions to my favorite
strain. What gives?
-Jen Derbender
Hi Jen,
THC can make anybody anxious
if the dose is high enough. For
women, the anxiety-producing
dose might be lower for multiple
Got a question for Dr. Mitch? Email him at 420research@gmail.com
reasons. Animal literature
suggests that this “anxiogenic”
effect is less likely for high CBD
strains. Bottom line—less is
more. There’s no need for any of
us to get higher than we enjoy.
I’m fighting with acquain-
tances about the racist
origins of the Drug War. Can
you help me out?
-Nat Tubman
Hi Nat,
A professor at Stanford Law
School has a new book out that
claims that initial prohibitions
were more about “protecting
whites” than “imprisoning
people of color.” Anyone who
reads Michelle Alexander’s “The
New Jim Crow” will know that
the outcome is definitely racist
regardless of the alleged origins.
Keep up the good fight!
HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022 127
128 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022
 ILLUSTRATOR: GUSTAVO PEROGLI

130 HIGH TIMES // JANUARY 2022

 LEGAL DIRECTORY PENNSYLVAN
NIA
A
CICCARELLI LAW OFFICES
304 N High St.
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 692-8700
LEADING RODMAN GROUP LLC POLLICELLA, PLLC
ciccarelli.com
600 S. Cherry St., Suite 835 Howell Location
NATIONAL Denver, CO 80246 4312 E. Grand River Ave.
CANNABIS LAW (720) 663-0558 Howell, MI 48843
PRACTICES therodmanlawgroup.com (517) 456-1181 RHODE ISLAN
ND
cannabisattorneysofmichi-
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BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & STEFANIE MURPHY, LLC
ROONEY PC
CONNEC
CTICU
UT CANNABIS COUNSEL/ 6 Wanton Shippee Rd.
bipc.com MATTHEW ABEL East Greenwich, RI 02818
NICHOLAS PAINDIRIS (401) 316-9423
2930 E Jefferson Ave.
2252 Main St Detroit, MI 48207 samurphylaw.com
CULTIVA LAW PC
Glastonbury, CT 06033 (313) 446-2235
cultivalaw.com
(860) 659-0700
bpslawyers.com cannabiscounsel.com
DUANE MORRIS LLP SOUTH CARO
OLIN
NA
duanemorris.com
FLORIDA
A MISSOUR
RI PRUETT & COOK LAW FIRM, PC
FOX ROTHSCHILD LLP
202 North Petty St.
foxrothschild.com
DODSON & WATERS LAW Gaffney, SC 29340
THE LAW OFFICES OF ROGER OFFICES (864) 488-0120
HARRIS BRICKEN P. FOLEY, PA
212 Lafayette St. pruettcooklaw.com
harrisbricken.com 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Jefferson City, MO 65101
Blvd., #1555 (573) 636-9200
JD SUPRA LLC West Palm Beach, FL 33401 dodsonwaters.com
jdsupra.com (561) 746-7076 TEXAS
rpfoley.com
POT BROTHERS AT LAW® NEW JER
RSEY RICHARD Y. CHENG/WEAVER
potbrothersatlaw.com JOHNSTON NELSON
KANSAS 10440 N Central Express-
FRANK T. LUCIANO, PC way, Suite 1400
VICENTE SEDERBERG LLP THE LAW OFFICES OF 147 Main St., Suite 5 Dallas, TX 75231
vicentesederberg.com CHRISTOPHER A. ROHR, PA Lodi, New Jersey 07644 (214) 705-3515
195 N Franklin Ave. (973) 471-0004 weaverjohnston.com
Colby, KS 67701 ftluciano.com
LOCAL (785) 460-0555
rohr-law.com
REPRESENTATION WASHING
GTON
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MARYLA
AND KINNER & MCGOWAN PLLC
ARIZONA
A HILLER, PC 434 1/2 6th St. NE
641 Lexington Ave. Washington, D.C. 20002
THE LAW OFFICE OF (202) 838-7033
TOM DEAN ATTORNEY FOR New York, NY 10022
MICHAEL ROTHMAN kinnermcgowan.com
CANNABIS (212) 319-4000
226 North Adams St.
14040 N. Cave Creek Rd., Rockville, MD 20850 hillerpc.com
Office Suite 307 (301) 251-9660
Phoenix, AZ 85022 mikerothman.com WISCONSIN
(602) 635-4990
attorneyforcannabis.com
OHIO
KAEHNE & BARRETTE
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TS ICKES HOLT CRIMINAL DEFENSE FIRM
CALIFOR
RNIA 4301 Darrow Rd., Suite 1100 2808 Kohler Memorial Dr.,
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MANZURI LAW/LAW OFFICES GOLDBERG-GIULIANO (920) 694-4150
OF MEITAL MANZURI
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West Hollywood, CA 90069 Boston, MA 02129
(310) 912-2960 (617) 858-1529 OKLAHO
OMA
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CANADA
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SLFP LAW/SARAH LEE
GOSSETT PARRISH PLLC TORKIN MANES LLP
COLORA
ADO MICHIGA
AN 526 NW 30th St. 151 Yonge St., Suite 1500
Oklahoma City, OK 73118 Toronto, ON M5C2W7
(405) 815-3434 (416) 863-1188
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