1. No category

April spotlight:
spotlight::
cannabis legend John Sinclair
Peruses The Green Room
2
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
3
A P R I L
2 0 1 5
CONTENTS
Departments:
5 - Notes
7 - Bud Report
10 - Michigan News
12 - Nation & World
58 - Jokes
59 - Horoscope
63 - The Wall
66 - Grow Tip
67 - Bud of The Month
Sinclair @ The Green Room - 26
76 - Directory
The C.A.R.E.R.S. Act - 14
Starting New Genetics - 36
V.G.I.P. - 18
B.C. Bud - 50
Cannabis Law - 19
Double-Edged Sword - 68
Rachel Bunting
Drew Dorr
Ben Horner
Marijuana Jones
Daniel L. Price, Esq.
Citizen Jay Daily
Free The Weed - 30
The Macpodz - 72
John Sinclair
Hemptress Jolene
©Copyright 2015, MMMR Publications. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part by any means is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Manuscripts,
artwork, and photography are welcomed, but are submitted at owner’s risk. The publisher reserves the right to edit all material submitted. The publisher and editor do not accept the responsibility for false statements made by advertisers herein or for the opinions expressed by the authors in by-lined articles. No article herein shall constitute an endorsement of a product or service
by the publisher. Acceptance of all advertising is subject to review and approval by the management. Publisher has the right to reject any advertisement. The publisher’s liability for damages
resulting from errors in advertising that it publishes or for failure to publish any advertisement it is agreed to publish shall be limited to the amount that is actually received in consideration
for its agreements to publish the advertisement in question. The publisher is not responsible for any special, incidental, or consequential damages suffered by any part resulting from its errors
and/or omissions. The advertiser accepts all liability for the content of all advertising supplied by it and agrees to defend indemnity and hold harmless the publisher from any and all claims.
4
April 2015
MMM Publications
Notes
MMM Report is:
Ben Horner
Director of Operations
[email protected]
High everyone!
April is here already... time to come out of hibernation, and start enjoying this invigorating time of year in
Michigan! Spring is the season of rebirth and new growth.
Migratory birds are returning (I saw a robin this morning)
and the days are getting longer. Despite the frost, I’m hearing frogs in the backyard. I always feel so hopeful (and
impatient) at this time of year.
Joe Dauphinais
Production & Graphics
[email protected]
Rachel Bunting
Copy Editor, Customer Service
[email protected]
April is a significant month in the marijuana world,
especially in Michigan. The annual Hash Bash in Ann Arbor
marks its 44th anniversary this year. This one is lining up
to be a good one, as always, and regardless of the weather,
thousands are expected to show up for high noon at the
diag, where by tradition, everyone is gonna pause for the
cause.
This edition of MMM Report follows Hash Bash veteran John Sinclair to Detroit dispensary The Green Room,
whose associates were proud to host the beatnik legend,
and happy to give the man a taste of the best that Michigan has to offer. Also in this issue, Rachel Bunting dissects
the C.A.R.E.S. Act which is currently being considered by
congress. If passed, this act could be the single most significant step toward repealing cannabis prohibition in decades. Citizen Jay, our man in the mile high state, contributes his valued insight on the subject.
Daniel Price gives valuable information regarding your
right to self-determination on our legal page, and Ben explains how to cultivate sinsemilla on the grow tip page.
Drew Dorr drops knowledge on the genetics front, and
Marijuana Jones takes us on a quest for the B.C. bud. All of
this and more can be found in the pages of the magazine
you are holding in your hands right now.
I gotta give a shout out to our advertisers, not just
for being the backbone of our industry, but also because
without them, this free publication would not be possible.
Check these pages every month for exclusive savings, valuable coupons, reader discounts and more! Be sure to let
these friendly people know that you saw their ad in the
Michigan Medical Marijuana Report!
John Sinclair
Staff Writer
Drew Dorr
Staff Writer
Citizen Jay
Staff Writer
HEMPTRESS JOLENE
Staff Writer
BILLING & Sales:
Michigan (810) 820-8953
Fax (810) 422-5677
Jerry Haynz
[email protected]
Joe Bates
[email protected]
Brenda Davis
[email protected]
With so much going on in the wide world of weed as of
late, it can be overwhelming to try and keep up. Here at the
MMM Report, we vow to help you make sense of it all. So
sit back and relax in whatever way that you see fit. Enjoy
this special April edition of MMMR. Happy 420!
-Joe D.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
5
6
April 2015
MMM Publications
The Bud Report
Sponsored by
2015 MYSTIC CUP WINNERS
The White
EastsideLeafDoctor1
O.G.
IDK Farms
r9thc 24.42%
r8thc 0.00%
CBC 0.22% cbd 0.00%
cbg 1.71% cbn 0.10%
total 26.44%
e
first plaac
indic
Girl ScoutLeafDoctor1
Cookie
CBC 0.19% cbd 0.00%
cbg 1.11% cbn 0.09%
total 24.09%
r9thc 17.23%
r8thc 0.00%
ace
first pld
hybri
CBC 0.42% cbd 0.00%
cbg 0.91% cbn 0.09%
total 18.66%
Gorilla
Glue
The Green Room
Canna
Cube
(Blue Raspberry)
CBC 0.23% cbd 0.13%
CBG 0.86% cbn 0.00%
total 20.16%
thcA 0.00 r9thc 2.01
CBD 0.00 cbG 0.00
cbN 0.00% Total 2.01%
decarb 99.99%
r9thc 18.93%
r8thc 0.00%
e
first plaac
sativ
Strawberry
Poison
New World Seeds
r9thc 21.04%
r8thc 0.00%
CBC 0.39% cbd 0.08%
cbg 1.33% cbn 0.08%
total 22.84%
r9thc 22.70%
r8thc 0.00%
ace
l
p
d
n
o
c
e
s
sativa
Black Dog Labs
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
7
8
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
9
Michigan News
by MMM Report Staff
Michigan May Vote to Legalize Marijuana Next Year
The Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative is preparing to collect signatures to get marijuana
legalization on the state ballot for 2016. Jeffrey Hank, the
chairman for the initiative, told FOX 17 that the proposal will
aim to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana growth and use.
The proposal would also preserve existing policies on medical marijuana use and keep medical cannabis tax free. The
goal is to end criminal punishment for any sort of marijuana
possession or use, except for distributing to minors.
Michael Tufflemire, who was the director for DeCriminalizeGR in 2012, believes legalization would free up law
enforcement resources as they wouldn’t need to deal with
petty marijuana crimes. Evidence for this can be seen in the
marijuana arrest numbers from Grand Rapids between 2011
and 2014. Before decriminalization in 2013, Grand Rapids
had 747 arrests in 2011 for marijuana related crimes. While
in 2014 there were only 98 with all 98 cases involving criminal activity beyond the realm of decriminalization.
The proposal is similar to Colorado’s marijuana laws and
treat cannabis like alcohol for adults 21 and older. The committee estimates the law would create 25,000 jobs as well
as $200 million in annual tax revenue which could be used
for repairing roads and funding education. They also believe
the proposal would save nearly $300 million annually as law
enforcement agencies would no longer need to enforce pot
bans. Looking at the $50 million Colorado collected in revenue from taxes and licensing fees, Hank believes the money
is just too big to ignore. If passed Michigan would be the 5th
state to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
According to Hank, “The time is now. Our polling shows
that the majority of people support this already.” They are
currently fine-tuning the language of the proposal and the
group plans to begin collecting the 250,000 signatures
needed this summer. There is a second group known as the
Michigan Responsibility Council that is also working on a
legalization proposal but the specifics have yet to be announced. Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, however,
is still adamant about keeping drugs out of the hands of kids
and has consistently been against decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana for recreational use.
Recent polling suggests that Michigan may be ready for major cannabis reform.
Some analysis indicate that a little more than half of voters are in support of legal marijuana in general,
with an even higher percentage of voters favoring the idea of marijuana taxation
when presented as an alternative to an increased sales tax:
10
April 2015
MMM Publications
Grand Rapids
Lansing
A bill that has passed in the Senate and is heading to
the House this week would allow landlords to ban smoking and growing marijuana in their rental units. The bill
doesn’t include marijuana edibles, which may or may not
be legal under the fuzzy, current marijuana laws anyway.
President of the Port Huron Area Landlords Association,
Mike Bodeis, agrees with the bill stating, “If you’re allowed
to have a smoke-free building, you should be allowed to
have a marijuana-free building.”
The legislation was proposed by Sen. Rick Jones, RGrand Ledge, after receiving complaints from his district
about rental houses being damaged from grow operations.
He says “I’m simply clarifying the medical marijuana law.
This will make sure it is very clear for everyone – from a
judge to police to the property owner to the renter.” Careless grows have led to mold, water damage, or fires started
by grow lights, costing property owners money. Laura Rigby,
director of the Coalition for a Safer Port Huron, believes the
bill is unnecessary as it relates to smoking marijuana; landlords already have the right and power to ban smoking, in
all forms, in their building. She does, however, understand
the need to control growing in rentals stating, “There are
some bad growers…They [landlords] already have issues
with bad tenants, let alone bad growers.” If passed, caregivers and patients in rental houses may need to find other
options for their grow operations.
Samer Hamed, 44, was sentenced to five months of jail
in 2013 for his business failing to comply with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. Hamed was arrested again in
May of last year when police found 20 ounces of pot under his bathroom sink as well as another 33 grams and
$2,702 in his garage. His attorney claimed that his client
was following the law to the best of his ability, but the current interpretation of the laws makes it difficult to follow.
However, the officers involved in the case testified that the
amount of marijuana found in the home was far beyond
what anyone could claim for personal use with a retail value of over $6,000. On top of the $2,700 the police seized,
Judge Donald Johnston ordered Hamed pay a $10,000 fine
and be placed on probation for three years during which
time he may not drink, go to bars, or use drugs. Surprisingly
the judge did not order any more jail time for Hamed, stating “I don’t know if there is much reason to impose further
incarceration.”
Benzie County
Two local zoning boards in Benzie County are considering creating an ordinance that would ban medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in the area in the future.
The current medical marijuana laws in Michigan remain
unclear on patient to patient transfers, what is considered usable marijuana, and exactly how marijuana can be
sold. According to 9&10 news, law enforcement says most
dispensaries are technically illegal. The sheriff of Benzie
County, Ted Schendel, says, “A medical marijuana dispensary can only dispense to five individuals. To have a store
front is meaningless.” Though marijuana advocates argue
dispensaries provide a service, Schendel maintains the
problem comes in when there is an overage and greed
takes over common sense, in some cases the overage is
sold to others which is a violation of the law. Many simply
see the provisioning centers as a way to distribute medicine to those that need it, but for now the debate continues
in Benzie County.
Birmingham
An 18-year-old student at Seaholm High School in Birmingham is believed to have given his teacher a marijuana-laced
cookie. The teacher became ill shortly after eating the cookie and was taken to a local hospital where a sample of the
teacher’s blood was given to a toxicology lab for testing. Police in Birmingham are investigating the incident as are school
officials. Principal of the school, Rachel Guinn, sent out an e-mail reassuring the community that “our Seaholm students are
outstanding young men and women. I see evidence of that every time I walk the halls or visit a classroom. The actions of one
individual, while troubling, do not represent our wonderful school.” No one has yet verified how they’ve determined the cookie
caused the illness or was laced with marijuana.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
11
National & World News
by MMM Report Staff
FDA Cracks Down on
Crooked CBD Companies
Warning letters have been issued by the Food and Drug
Administration to seven companies specializing in CBD products. Among other allegations, these companies were given
a warning for marketing unapproved drugs in the treatment
of humans and animals.
CBD is one of the main therapeutic compounds found in
the cannabis plant, and is gaining popularity lately, due to its
reported ability to “heal without the high”
The Food and Drug Administration warned:
“It is important to note that these products are not approved by FDA for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment,
or prevention of any disease, and often they do not even contain the ingredients found on the label. Consumers should
beware purchasing and using any such products.”
Further investigation showed that many of these ‘medicines’ did not actually contain the amount of CBD that was
indicated on the packaging, and several of the samples
tested contained no cannabinoids whatsoever. The FDA has
posted a consumer warning on their website, with the company names and product test results listed.
12
right direction. With real people finding relief everyday from
medical cannabis, the concept of buying a fake or mislabeled
treatment could be devastating.
“I’m extremely encouraged that they’re taking a look at
this from the consumer point of view of safety,” said Paige
Figi, whose daughter Charlotte suffers from Dravet syndrome, a rare disease for which CBD has proven to be an
effective treatment. Affectionately named after the little girl,
Charlotte’s Web is a high in CBD and low in THC cannabis
strain that is intentionally bred and grown to reduce the
“high” associated with cannabis use. Charlotte’s family uses a
third party to test the purity and strength of the plants they
use to treat her.
Companies in this case
whose products tested for 0%
cannabinoids:
Canna-Pet, LLC
The legality of CBD in the United States is a grey area.
Some states have made specific provisions to allow for CBD
medicines. Being that cannabidiol is present in hemp, which
has been used as a food source for eons, some argue that
CBD is grand-fathered into the food supply and can be marketed as a supplement. The FDA offers no guidelines on how
to properly label these supplements “but reserves the right
to take action when appropriate to preserve and protect the
public health,” said FDA spokesman Jeff Ventura.
CBD Life Holdings LLC dba Ultra CBD
Some anti-marijuana crusaders are chalking this up as
a triumph. “Let’s hope this is a sign of more intervention to
come,” sneered Kevin Sabet, who commands the anti-marijuana legalization group Smart Approaches to Marijuana.
For a full list of the companies, complete test
results, and to read the letters they received from
the FDA go to:
Ironically enough, some members of the medical marijuana community also view this FDA interdiction as a step in the
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm435591.htm
April 2015
Hemp Oil Care
Natural Organic Solutions
(labeling claimed 21% CBD)
MMM Publications
Hounslow, Britain
Letterkenny, Ireland
A routine stop at a check point revealed €50 worth of
cannabis in a mug. The owner of the vehicle was 22 year
old Ciaran Borgan who appeared in court this month with
his parents regarding the charge. The court was informed
that this was Borgan’s first offense and asked him if they
would be seeing him again in the future on related charges. He assured them he would not, so the judge agreed to
strike the charge from Borgan’s record so long as he made
a donation of €150 to Donegal Youth Services.
Israel
The central body in Israel that regulates drug enforcement has started an advertising campaign praising the use
of cannabis for medical purposes. The ads call for legislative reform to relax restrictions and ease license requirements for marijuana. Israel already has one of the highest
per-capita rates of legal cannabis use. Even though there
are 21,000 people licensed to use the drug, the government wants to see those numbers rise and launched an initiative to increase the number of medical professionals allowed to prescribe the drug. Vice-president
of the Israel Anti-Drug Authority, Eitan
Gurney, said, “Anybody who needs cannabis for medicinal purposes should be
able to get it as soon as possible.”
British Columbia, Canada
Hundreds of medical marijuana users in British Columbia have been
informed that their medical supply has been contaminated with
bacteria. Tilray, a Nanaimo supplier, has told its clients to stop
using the Sativa House Blend, Hybrid
House Blend, and Indica House Blend as
they have been contaminated with enterobacter. Though it
is not associated with an acute health risk and there have
been no reports of adverse reactions the company will be
doing a top-to-bottom review of sanitation practices and
procedures. By Canadian law, medical cannabis must be
manufactured to the same standards as any other medicine, and must be tested for biological contaminants and
levels of THC. The company is telling patients to destroy
their current product and will give credit for replacement.
This is not the first time that Health Canada has had to
recall cannabis. A month ago, an Ontario company had to
recall some medical marijuana, as the contents were more
potent than the packaging had indicated. Health Canada
only grants the right to manufacture medical cannabis to
a few companies, who are responsible for supplying the
entire nation.
John Wright, 66, of Hounslow was jailed this month for
what is believed to be one of Britain’s biggest cannabis
smuggling operations. Wright, along with his partner Steven McDonald, is believed to have helped import enough
marijuana to make two joints for every person in Britain.
Over a seven year span Wright, McDonald, and their gang
have brought in more than 28 tonnes (UK) or 61,729lbs
(US) of cannabis into the country with a potential street
value of £80 million. Wright has been sentenced to 9 years
and 4 months while McDonald was sentenced to 8 years.
Then men were finally caught after Border Force Officers
intercepted a 300kg package of marijuana disguised as
floor tiles and shipped from the Netherlands. A third man
who is believed to have rented the garages where the
drugs were stored has yet to be found.
Jakarta, Indonesia
Police in West Jakarta accidentally got their residents
high this month when trying to destroy a haul of marijuana in front of their office. The officers wore gas masks in
anticipation of the potent smoke but didn’t think to warn
residents in the surrounding area. The fire was set to a
huge pile of ganja, tipping the scale at more than 7,200 lbs.
Many locals complained of headaches and dizziness from
the fumes, which some residents described as “too strong”
and “overwhelmingly tangy”. In addition to the marijuana,
the police were also destroying 1.8 kilograms of crystal
meth and 2,538 ecstasy pills which were blended down to
be terminated.
?
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
Welshpool, England
On March 23rd, police uncovered
more than £50,000 worth of “skunk
cannabis” in a Montgomeryshire town.
Welshpool Police Sergeant Lovatt said,
“In excess of £50,000 worth of skunk
cannabis was located and enquiries
are ongoing with regard to persons in
custody.”
13
The C.A.R.E.R.S. Act:
A Step in the Right Direction
by Rachel Bunting
Since the 1970s marijuana has been classified as a schedule
I drug, but a new bill put before the senate this month could
change that. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion
and Respect States (or CARERS) Act is meant to encourage more
research into the plant while reducing the federal government’s
ability to interfere in state-legal medical marijuana programs.
The bill was introduced by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand
Paul (R-Ky), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). According to the
Huffington Post Booker says, “This bill seeks to right decades
of wrong.”
The decades of wrong Booker is referring to are the last 4 decades where marijuana has been put in the same classification
as heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. This schedule implies that the drug
has no medical use and has a high potential for abuse. However
as more research on marijuana has been completed with positive results showing the drug’s usefulness as a medication, its
status as schedule I hasn’t changed. This classification of marijuana is part of the reason medical marijuana programs have
run into problems with the federal government. Though it does
seem that the feds are going out of their way to bother medical
marijuana businesses, the fact is they are simply following federal law and treating marijuana the way that law states which
says pot has no medical use. In order to stop the chaos and federal intrusion, the schedule of the drug must be changed to, at
the very least, concede that marijuana has medicinal properties.
While the CARERS Act would not legalize marijuana throughout the nation, nor force states to adopt marijuana policies of
their own, it would allow states to set their own medical marijuana policies without the federal government meddling. The
bill would allow patients, doctors, and businesses to participate
in their state’s medical program without fear of being incriminated by the federal government. The bill would protect the
state laws regarding medical marijuana and anyone who is in
compliance with those laws. This bill would also be the first acknowledgement from the government that the drug has medical benefits and could ease some of the current restrictions on
research.
Marijuana research has been hindered since 1999 when the
federal government established a process requiring all marijuana research to go through a Public Health Service review. This
process was put into place after a 1998 Institute of Medicine
report called for more scientific research into the medical value
of the plant, it is also a process that no other schedule I drug is
subject to. The bill would remove this process. It would also end
the bias of federally funded research on marijuana by calling
for no less than three other licensed sources for research-grade
cannabis. Federally sanctioned studies of the drug use only one
marijuana garden for all research, which is run by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse. It also seems that the only marijuana
research funded by the government is meant to focus on the
potentially negative effects of the drug. There would be more
opportunities to discover all the medical promise of the plant if
more than one source was preforming the research.
As an added benefit the bill would remove marijuana with
less than 0.3 percent THC from the schedule altogether. THC is
the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that causes the
“More than 20 high-profile organizations have shown
support for the CARERS Act, including the American Civil Liberties Union,
Americans for Safe Access, Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance,
and Law Enforcement against Prohibition and the Multidisciplinary
Association for Psychedelic Studies.”
14
April 2015
MMM Publications
“high” sensation. However there are many strains of marijuana/hemp that contain little to no THC but are high in
cannabidiol, or CBD, a compound that shows high medical
value especially for patients suffering from seizures. Due
to the current narrow legalization of these strains, many
patients have been forced to seek their medication from
other sources, including traveling to more relaxed states
and transporting marijuana over state lines, which is illegal, turning patients into criminals. The removal of these
strains from the schedule would allow states to import
low-THC/high-CBD strains for those patients that need it.
Marijuana, both medical and recreational, is the fastest growing industry in the U.S. bringing in more than $1
billion in annual revenue from state-legal programs. The
current laws, however, make banks fear being implicated
as money launderers and as a result they remain cautious
about working with any marijuana related businesses.
These businesses are then forced into cash-only transactions which creates problems with employee payroll and
put retailers’ safety at risk. The CARERS Act would expand
banking for medical marijuana and enable them to function as traditional businesses.
Last, but most certainly not least, the bill would allow
veterans easier access to the help they need. Currently
veterans that seek medical marijuana cannot use the
Department of Veterans Affairs’ doctors for the medical
treatment they need as these doctors are forbidden from
aiding these patients. Under this new bill the VA doctors
would be able to recommend marijuana to their patients,
as long as it is legal under their practicing state laws.
Marijuana has been shown to help with pain, both physical and emotional, as well as depression and PTSD and
needs to be recognized by the government so we can protect and help the men and women that have protected
and helped this country.
More than 20 high-profile organizations have shown
support for the CARERS Act, including American Civil
Liberties Union, Americans for Safe Access, Marijuana
Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, and Law Enforcement
against Prohibition and the Multidisciplinary Association
for Psychedelic Studies. According to the International
Business Times, President Obama did not profess a personal opinion on the legislation simply stating, “We may
be able to make some progress on the decriminalization
side…At a certain point, if enough states end up decriminalizing, then Congress may reschedule marijuana.” The
President also pointed out, “Our criminal justice system is
so heavily skewed toward cracking down on non-violent
drug offenders that it has not just had a terrible effect on
many communities…it costs a huge amount of money to
the states and a lot of states are starting to figure that
out.” Rescheduling marijuana would save the states money, while allowing for more extensive research as well as
protecting doctors, patients, caregivers, and businesses
from federal prosecution.
Drug Schedules as Defined by the DEA
Drugs, substances, and certain chemicals used to make drugs
have been classified into five categories based on accepted
medical use, and potential for abuse:
Schedule 1:
Classified as the most dangerous drugs with potentially severe
psychological or physical dependence.
No current accepted medical use with a high potential for
abuse.
Examples: Heroin, LSD, Marijuana, Ecstasy
Schedule 2:
Also considered dangerous, use of these drugs could potentially
lead to severe physical or psychological dependence.
Some accepted medical use but still with a high potential for
abuse, though less than schedule 1.
Examples: Vicodin, Cocaine, Meth, Adderall, OxyContin
Schedule 3:
Drugs with moderate to low potential for physical or
psychological dependence.
Accepted medical use with less potential for abuse than
schedule 1 or 2.
Examples: Tylenol with Codeine, Ketamine, Anabolic Steroids
Schedule 4:
Accepted medical use with low potential for abuse
or dependence.
Examples: Xanax, Soma, Valium, Ambien, and Tramadol
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
15
16
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
17
VGIP UPDATE
by Ben Horner
This year has seen a particular shift in cannabis law reform
here in Michigan. In previous years, most of our state’s lawmaker were very uncomfortable about both medical marijuana and
the decriminalization of cannabis for adult use. The paradigm
is shifting as more states legalize marijuana. No longer is the
question, will we tax and regulate marijuana in Michigan, but
how.
After we released the polling data
that indicated that Michiganders
would prefer to tax and regulate
marijuana verses in creasing the
Michigan sales tax, two groups announced their intent to introduce
a ballot petition to legalize cannabis in Michigan for adults. Recently
Tim Beck, the godfather of modern cannabis law reform, declared
his acceptance of a consulting position a conservative group
of capital investors of republican insiders called the Michigan
Responsibility Council (MRC). The Michigan Comprehensive
Cannabis Law Reform Initiative (MCCLR) has also declared their
intent to legalize, but their approach is grassroots.
forcement to get the final concerns out on the table. We have
a meeting tomorrow and hopefully an opportunity to view the
sub bill. From what I’ve been told so far there will be separate
licenses for small scale production, manufacturing and retail.
Also its said caregivers will be able to participate with overages.
We will have our house Judiciary Hearing in April and full house
vote to follow. There are 8 lobbyists working on our issue now.
Two representing database companies, three for large scale restrictive growing, an industry group, the NPRA, CPU and another
who I’m not clear on agenda but will be meeting with tomorrow.
There’s so much action in the Capitol on our issue I think it foolish to assume the legislature won’t act.”
The Vote Green Initiative Project is committed to see cannabis legalized for all. We have concluded that we must wait and
observe what these various interests do. Only after we see what
others are planning can we take action. Till then, we urge all activists in the state to reach out to their respective state senator
and house representative regarding and speak your mind about
cannabis law reform, medical marijuana and personal rights to
cultivate marijuana.
So far neither group has released any language for their
petition. There are three forms of statewide petitions to change
laws in Michigan; Referendum on legislation, amendment to
the state constitution or a statutory petition to amend or create
new legislation. Constitutional amendments require the most
signatures (315,654) and have the most binding effect. Initiative to statutory law (252,523 signatures required) is less binding, easier to pass and requires fewer signatures.
If two petitions are on the ballot, and both pass, the one with
more votes sets the precedent. The MRC boasts an initial budget
of 10 million, were as the MCCLR has not indicated any significant budget, yet hopes to raise money from the cannabis related
activists and merchants around the state, or from whoever will
support their cause.
Robin Schneider, the legislative liaison for the National Patients Rights Association (NPRA) informed the MMM Report that
there is an increase of activity in the legislature. “The new mantra from law enforcement and conservatives is let’s address the
medical concerns so we can say it’s been resolved before it’s
used as an excuse to legalize across the board. The Governors
admin has met individually with state departments and law en-
18
April 2015
MMM Publications
Cannabis Law
Who is the King of Your Castle?
by Daniel L. Price
Government actors constantly attempt to violate your right
to self-determination. I hear almost daily about caregivers who
experience a knock at their door and open it to find their house
surrounded by police. Often, the police do not have a warrant.
Maybe they got their name and address from the back of one of
their patient’s LARA cards. Their ultimate purpose is to arrest
the caregiver, and seize as much property and money so police
can continue to fund further attempts to violate your right to
self-determination.
Say you are a caregiver at home minding your business, and
tending your buds. You hear a knock on the door, and open it
to find several police officers. One officer sticks his foot in the
door so you cannot prevent entry. He pushes his way into your
home and says he knows you grow marijuana. He then tells you
he wants to see your plants. So what’s the problem? I mean,
you are a registered caregiver, so why not let the police in?
There are several reasons. First, you have a right to privacy.
This means the police must obtain a search warrant before they
can legally search your home. And, if you are not willing to assert your rights, don’t expect those who wish to arrest you to
assert them for you!!!
Second, in the police report generated after you are charged
with one or more crimes and have had your property and money
taken from you, the officers will swear you invited them into
your home, and willingly showed them your grow. This, after all,
is an exception to the warrant requirement.
Third, the law is unclear just exactly what is a, “medical marijuana plant”. Well…that is…the police, prosecutor, and perhaps
also the judge, will interpret a plant as meaning anything that
did, is, can, or might grow. If you have 5 patients and yourself,
and 12 plants for each (72 plants), and you have 72 plants drying, and another 72 clones, the police are going to arrest you
and seize everything of value. You can bet your life, literally, that
police report will say you had 216 plants. This will put you outside the protections of the MMMA, because having 216 plants is
not growing “in accordance with the provisions of the Michigan
Medical Marihuana Act” (“MMMA”), MCL §333.26427(a).
Let’s say you hire an intelligent attorney who believes in
the right to self-determination and he wins your case. Great!
Well, perhaps, but even if you eventually win, ask yourself these
questions: Do I have $20,000.00 to $50,000.00 laying around
to pay an attorney to fight for my rights? Do I have the emotional strength and will to fight it out in court and try to get my
property and money back from seizure? Do I have the stomach
to look on as my children are forcibly taken from me? Finally,
why not prevent all that by asserting my rights when it really
counts?
You have a right to self-determination, which includes the
right to privacy. As hard as it might be, you must assert that
right. If you do not, you can pay tens of thousands of dollars, and
suffer great pain, on the hope that you will get your life back.
So why not read the following tips and commit to asserting
your rights as a human being:
1. NEVER open your door without knowing who is on the other
side;
2. DO NOT open your door to the police;
3. You do not have to open the door, if you feel compelled to
speak; you ask the questions through the door or a window. Ask
them why they are there, and if they have a warrant;
4. If the police do not have a warrant, then tell them to leave,
you are not willing to ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS without a lawyer present;
5. ALWAYS record the whole conversation on your phone, I-pad,
or whatever, and have it feed to the internet so they cannot destroy that evidence in the event they violate your rights;
6. CALL 911 and let them know you have trespassers on your
property and you wish for the police to remove them, this will
provide documentary evidence that you did not want the police
to remain on your property;
7. STICK TO YOUR RIGHTS, do not back down, politely and repeatedly tell them you do not wish to speak with them; and
8. SHOW them YOU ARE THE KING OF YOUR CASTLE, not the
government.
As always, you must FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS against those
who lust to control you and violate your right to be free.
Next month I’ll address another legal issue of growing medical
marihuana. Until then, keep rolling on.
Disclaimer: This is an informational article only. It is not to
provide individual legal advice. If you need legal services, feel
free to contact me at liberty13legaldefense.com, or any attorney
of your choosing.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
19
20
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
21
22
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
23
24
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
25
“The purveyors of the Green
Room believe in quality, and
it is nice to be able to show
John a shop that rivals
the Dutch masters.”
26
April 2015
MMM Publications
Shopping at The Green Room
with John Sinclair
by Ben Horner
Spending an afternoon in Detroit with my good friend John
Sinclair is always a treat. No GPS required with Mr. Sinclair when
traveling in the “D”. He always directs us down one backstreet
after another, reminiscing about the old days before medical
marijuana, when all marijuana consumers were just common
criminals. After running a few errands, John and I found our cannabis supply low and decided to take a stop at one of my favorite provisioning centers, the Green Room on Mack Avenue.
The purveyors of the Green Room believe in quality and it
is nice to be able to show John a shop that rivals the Dutch
masters. Feeling in the spirit, we decided to enjoy the smoke
we scored, then ate some delicious sushi with his granddaughter Beyoncé. We finished the evening with an espresso nightcap
and our star beatnik recanted many more great stories. I love
April. John always comes back to my hometown, it’s spring, and
Hash Bash is here. John deserves the tributes that The Green
Room served him up. If it weren’t for his work the Green Room
would not exist and thank the gods that it does.
As you may remember from our November issue, The Green
Room is owned by Dan Van Lacken, who sees the benefits of
medical marijuana and how it can help his patients. Sadly, Dan
lost his wife to cancer, but witnessed firsthand the easing of
suffering his wife got out of hash oil capsules. As a result, The
Green Room is equipped with a knowledgeable staff that truly
cares about patients and their needs. They carry an impressive
selection of medication to meet the unique requirements of the
various patients they help each day.
Spencer Faycurry and Jessica, AKA Ms. BerryKush were working the counter in the Green Room that afternoon. After going
over our credentials, I made the introductions. Although Ms.
BerryKush and Spencer are fairly young, they are both aware of
who the legendary John Sinclair is. Talk turned to the upcoming Hash Bash festival. It was gratifying for me to watch this
special moment as the translove bridged generations. Spencer
explained he had attended the last three Hash Bashes, whereas
John was at the original back in 1972, and for Jessica, this year
will be her first. Everyone was excited and a very good energy
filled the Green Room while sipping on rich coffee and discussing the upcoming event, which will be attended by Mr. Sinclair
as well as Tommy Chong and the MMM Report.
As John and I smelled the sweet aroma from the apothecary jars brimming full of Michigan’s finest nugs, the young
budtenders described the different strains of cannabis with robust knowledge. Sinclair chose some very impressive White Fire
OG, comparing it to some of his favorite brands in Amsterdam.
Having been High Priest of High Times, and smoking the best
of the best for generations, John takes his official status as a
connoisseur seriously.
John Sinclair Fast Facts:
• Managed the anti-establishment rock band MC5
from 1966-1969
• A founding member of the
White Panther Party – an antiracist socialist group and counterpart of the Black Panthers
• Sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1969 for giving
two joints to an undercover police officer
• Prison term cut short following a tribute concert
featuring famous Beatle John Lennon, who co-wrote
a song titled “John Sinclair” to raise awareness about
his unfair sentencing
• The controversy over his arrest led to decriminalizing marijuana in Ann Arbor in 1972.
• Helped form the Detroit Artists Workshop Press
• Performs jazz poetry
• Hosts a regular broadcast and podcast, The John
Sinclair Radio Show
• Writes a monthly column for the Michigan Medical
Marijuana Report
• Huge advocate for marijuana - both medical and
recreational
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
27
28
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
29
y
A Column b
ir
a
l
c
n
i
S
n
h
o
J
For the past several months in this column I’ve been presenting excerpts
from my book called It’s All Good: A John Sinclair Reader, soon to be issued by
the publishers of this magazine. In fact, I’m in New Orleans right now working
with my daughter Celia on designing and producing the book for publication
this spring. This month’s offering—in honor of his birthday on March 12—is
an edited version of my assessment of the great American poet and writer from
Lowell, Massachusetts who started it all.
THE PROPHESY OF
JACK KEROUAC
America after World War II was well on its way to becoming the kind of ugly, spiritually desolate world it is today. The dehumanization of American civilization began in
earnest when they dropped Fat Man and Little Boy on the people of Japan and flew
smugly away, back to the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.
The mental and moral landscape of America was flattened and irradiated like Hiroshima and Nagasaki when the Americans dropped their atomic bombs on human
beings in Japan, and the fabric of American life would remain terminally warped
forever after.
After the bomb began the homogenization and commodification of our culture and
the establishment of the endless networks of suburban modules to house the white
people outside the limits of our nation’s cities.
Here too began the rigid economic stratification of our society into the tripartite reality of modern America—the rich get richer, the people
who are allowed to work for them prosper in suburban bliss, and the uneducated, racially segregated underclass is left to wage a bitter
struggle for simple survival in the vast urban ghettos that remain as the ruins of our great industrial centers.
But after the war small pockets of resistance gathered and stood bravely against the raging tide of conformism and conspicuous consumption that swept over post-war America—tiny clumps of intellectuals both street-level and academic, including a handful of inspired writers determined to chronicle the joys of modern life as well as measure the relentless disintegration of the nation’s human and emotional
resources during this ghastly period of decline.
30
April 2015
MMM Publications
The greatest of these writers was Jack
Kerouac, a literary prophet who illuminated
post-war America with his epic tales of ecstatic and complicated life outside the narrowing cultural mainstream. Jack Kerouac
left our humble planet for places unknown
on October 21, 1969 at the age of 47.
That day also marked the 52nd birthday of
John Birks “Dizzy” Gillespie, genius of modern jazz, born in 1917. Kerouac’s birthdate,
March 12 (1922), coincides with the death of
the great Charlie Parker, one of Jack’s idols
and prime artistic influences, on March 12,
1955 at the age of 34.
It is not at all strange that these three contemporaries, born within a five-year period,
should be linked by their vital dates on the
great wheel of karma. Together they forged a
complete revolution in the sound of modern
music and prosody.
Kerouac was an habitue of the after-hours
sessions at Minton’s Playhouse and Clark
Monroe’s Uptown House in Harlem, where
he heard Monk, Bird, Dizzy, Max Roach and
other young jazzmen wrestle nightly with
moving the music to a higher level of complexity, intellection and rhythmic thrust.
Kerouac spent the rest of the ’40s trying to
infuse his own writing with the wild methodology of bebop, finally succeeding in 1951-52
with Visions of Cody, On The Road and Dr.
Sax.
He attacked narrative writing as an exercise in epic poetic composition driven by the
imperatives of an inspired bebop saxophonist—to make it happen, say something and
make it swing.
Bird and Dizzy and Monk are playing inside Kerouac’s ears as he writes: Sometimes
he’s a tenor saxophone, other times he’s the
singer, then again he might be the drummer
whacking and boomping away beneath the
horns.
But the music is always there, in the writing, and all around it, defining it, all ways,
always there.
“You guys call yourselves poets, write little
short lines, I’m a poet but I write lines paragraphs and pages and many pages long,” the
bard insisted in a letter to Allen Ginsberg,
Gary Snyder and Philip Whalen in the mid’50s.
Or, to Donald Allen in 1959: “Let there be
no equivocation about statement, and if you
think this is not hard to do, try it.”
Let there be no equivocation about statement. Say something, brother man, and make
it swing. If you think this is not hard to do,
try it. Bird made it sound so easy, but you can
hear hundreds of players every night, 60 years
later, all over the world, still trying to get inside of Bird’s sound.
“There’s no doubt
that we’re living
in a freer America
as a result of the
Beat literary
movement.”
-W. Burroughs
Kerouac’s brilliant series of novels—On
The Road, Dharma Bums, The Subterraneans,
Visions of Cody—detailed the exploits of “the
mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad
to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never
yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn,
burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars….”
Blasted on marijuana, benzedrine or cheap
wine, Kerouac sat at his typewriter and captured the spirit and frenzy of the “mad ones”
he encountered between the early years of
the war and the end of the 1950s, the “mad
ones” and the improbable lives they devised
for themselves in a sort of jazz and dope and
poetry underworld of their own fabrication—an underworld that maintained a precarious existence on the cutting edge of urban civilization, living outside the law in the
rotted underbelly of the beast, feeding on the
excess produce of the hostile world of com-
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
merce around them and transforming this
purloined energy into magnificent works of
personal expression in music, dance, painting, poetry and prose.
On The Road, Kerouac’s best-known work,
written in one continuous burst of creative
energy in 1952 but not published until 1957,
chronicled the beginnings of what’s come to
be known as the Beat Generation during its
formative years just after the war.
“Once started,” William Burroughs pointed
out, “the Beat movement had a momentum
of its own and a world-wide impact. In fact,
the intelligent conservatives in America saw
this as a serious threat to their position long
before the Beat writers saw it themselves. A
much more serious threat, say, than the Communist Party.
“The Beat literary movement came at exactly the right time and said something that
millions of people of all nationalities all over
the world were waiting to hear.....There’s no
doubt that we’re living in a freer America as a
result of the Beat literary movement.”
The great Kerouac persona has relentlessly been reduced over the years to the wellknown caricature of the graceless drunken
beatnik lout. Bullshit! Kerouac, my friends,
was full of grace, and a “great creator of forms
that ultimately find expression in mores and
what have you.”
This was what Charlie Parker said when he
played:
‘All Is Well.’ You had the feeling
of early in the morning,
like a hermit’s joy, or like the perfect cry
of some wild gang
at a jam session—
Wail! Wop!
Yes, All is Well. Or like the end of the Blues
and Haikus session, when producer Bob
Thiele asks Kerouac if he can get home okay.
“Yeah,” Jack says. “We got a car.”
“Oh, good.”
—New Orleans
March 15, 2015
© 2015 John Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
31
32
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
33
34
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
35
pheno selection:
Starting New Genetics
by Drew Dorr of Pure Michigan Genetics
T
here are a few things that are truly
crucial in the first few weeks of life for a
new plant. Seeds and clones both require
consistent temperatures and closely regulated environments to grow well. The better
life a plant has the first few weeks when it is
really establishing itself as a plant, the better the outcome will be in the end.
One thing many people do not realize is
that until a seed or clone has feeder roots,
it cannot absorb nutrients. I always start
my plants off in a Ph neutral medium that
has no nutrients. There are many different
products out that provide a healthy medium.
Coco fiber is one of these products. Made entirely of coconut shells, it provides a porous
medium that will hold water and provide
for a sturdy plant. I have also noticed that
starting plants in coco fiber is also a great
way to start hydro. Primarily in ebb and flow
type systems, the risk of your hydro plants
drying up is always a worry, but by using
coco fiber you can be assured that the plant
has enough water for a few hours in case of
power outage or pump failure.
Once a plant has feeder roots you can
start pumping her full of nutrients! Just be
careful not to over-do it. A lot of plants will
burn very easily from nutrients in the first
few weeks of life. I typically use a high nitrogen nutrient as a nice base. I try to give
my plant just enough to survive for the first
few weeks. This allows the plant to start telling you what it wants. For example if you
start a plant off on a full nutrient regiment
you might actually be over feeding the plant
because it can only use so much nutrients.
When a plan starts yellowing you know it is
time to add more nitrogen. If you are already
over feeding the plant it will never start yellowing and you will never know it needs Nitrogen.
36
April 2015
Sanitation is also key, and it is imperative that you provide 100% sterility in your
growing medium. H2O2 can be an effective
tool to kill bacteria in certain cases. Another
step I use is to make sure I keep it nice and
warm, around 80-degrees Fahrenheit to be
exact. This is a good soil temp for first day,
and I usually keep the room temperature at
around 70-75-degrees Fahrenheit. Remember, huge temperature-variations can stunt a
plant’s growth!
Different strains/plants need different nutrients and consistencies. It is always a good
idea to test the waters of a plant. What this
means is try over feeding the plant, maybe
try under feeding a second clone of the same
strain to see how it compares. Maybe try just
water on a third or a different medium on
the fourth. You would be surprised at the difference in outcome you will notice just by
changing one little step along the way.
One thing to keep in mind in the early stages of a plants life is abnormalities.
Sometimes a plant will just grow weird or in
certain environments it will grow different.
These can be good indicators that something
is about to go wrong in the plant’s world.
Noticing a strange shaped leaf or an asymmetrical error on the plants growth pattern
can indicate any number of deficiencies.
Remember, plants are like people! Just
because you like carrots does not mean I
do! Something that you are used to doing
to every plant might be a death sentence to
that new strain you want to try out. Experimenting with each strain until you find what
works best is always a smart idea. I generally grow a test plant with just H20 so I can
see how the plant does with nothing. This
provides you with a nice control for future
tests. Make sure to keep track of changes you
make to feeding charts and things like that.
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
37
38
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
39
40
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
41
Pimp Spray
1/2 Page
42
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
43
44
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
45
46
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
47
48
April 2015
MMM Publications
What’s up with that…
debt dependency at Mott Community College?
Editorial by Justin Zachary
Lately there seems to be what can only be termed as a
“culture of debt dependency” taking root with the students and
staff of Mott Community College. The dynamic has become as
follows, MCC claims that due to (what could only be the less
than scrutinous manner in which eligibility for student loans
was determined and disbursed initially) “too many students cutting and running when funds are dispersed” (MCC phone conversation) Mott will now be holding financial aid in the form of
loans for 60 percent of the semester, and an additional 14 days
to verify attendance and ensure that students are fulfilling their
academic responsibilities with regard to said funds.
This type of policy is flawed to the core and represents a stark
image of everything dysfunctional in the student loan system.
The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that the policy is
in conflict with the standards set forth by the Dept. of Education. Among other things, Mott, being one of four rather large
colleges in the Flint area, seems to be the only school getting
victimized by these so called “student scam artists” (MCC phone
conversation). All others ensure that funds reach students in
time for the student to utilize it for the purpose in which it
was intended, costs of living and education related expenses.
At the end of the day, this service is provided to help students,
not make them hopelessly dependent on money that they have
to pay back; money that accrues interest while the staff of MCC
quietly takes on the role of victim and stonewalls the students,
money that earns the college interest by dwelling within the
confines of an account somewhere.
Immediately this does not jive well. First of all, a scam like
that is only good for one go round. It’s not as if students could
then just enroll in another institution and scam them, it’s a federal program, so regardless of location, the funds all originate
from the same sources, which are tracked federally. Constructively, there are several other less fascist ways of handling a
problem like the one MCC is experiencing. For example, hold
only the funds of students whom have not yet acquired enough
credits, that limit being set by the Dean of Financial Aid, so as
not punish and cause undue hardship and stressors to a student body that, geographically speaking, is already struggling
enough. With the highest water rates in the nation, these guys
need their funds in the worst of ways.
spoke with “Angie”, my inside source at MCC, and she agreed that
she did not understand how this policy benefits anyone but the
college, indicating it would be interesting to see the numbers
surrounding this fiasco. Interesting indeed, one doesn’t exactly
need to be an economist or the like to determine that there is a
substantial amount of money to be speculated over in interest
alone. Drum up enrollment by handing it out like it’s free, then
constrict when all the children heed the call of the piper, did
this just happen?
I attempted to Emily Varney (Director of Student Financial
Services) to ask the following questions which I thought the
students of MCC deserved answers to, unable to reach her after several attempts; I resigned to leaving a message with the
promise of delivery that contained the following questions
1) Some say the new financial aid policy unjustly punishes
proven and credible students for the actions of a few students
that slipped by, so in light of that opinion we ask; are you under
any explicit directive from our government to hold those funds
indiscriminately and could you explain how the new refund
policy at MCC benefits the students and the community.
2) Are you opposed to implementing a new, more dynamic policy that is more accommodating and respectful to students that
are indeed good proven students here at MCC.
3) How much money accrues each year in interest gains to the
accounts where those funds are held, and what is the difference
in those numbers since the implementation of this new policy.
Unfortunately I have yet to get a response, but as the saying
goes; follow the money…
I spoke with Tony Spina, a Mott student, and asked him to
weigh in, he said “Sometimes the combined stress of school and
bills I can’t pay without my loan creates a circle of dependency
on money that I have to pay back, now I couldn’t stop going if
I wanted to, I have to in order to keep being able to off delinquent bills because Mott holds money, that really isn’t theirs,
essentially punishing the many for the actions of the few.” I later
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
49
I find it interesting that in most of the known
ancient writings which mention cannabis, the
origin of this knowledge is referenced in the past
tense - that is to say: we have yet to find a written
document on the ‘discovery’ of marijuana. What
we are left with is the likely possibility that the
medical use of marijuana is knowledge that predates the written word, making our relationship
with cannabis prehistoric in the literal sense of
the word.
We have proof that us humans have been
making cords and rope from hemp fiber for at
least ten thousand years, as evidenced in an archeological site discovered in Taiwan. Carefully
unearthed after more than one hundred centuries, the artifacts recovered from this site show
that these early settlers would decorate pottery
by pressing braided hemp fibers into the wet
clay before it was dried.
Whether or not these people were aware of
the medicinal possibilities of such a plant may
never be known, but we can conclude that hemp
has been essential for the survival and progression of mankind since the dawn of civilization.
There is reason to believe that hemp may have
been the very first plant to be domesticated
by humans, thus leading to agriculture, which
paves the way for settlements and cities. Cannabis. This remarkable plant could be the very reason we now live in a structured society, a society
which, ironically enough, would eventually outlaw the very existence of the plant that built it.
Exactly when and where humans started using cannabis for its medicinal and psychoactive
attributes is still a mystery. It is extremely rare
to find well preserved, identifiable plant parts
in the fossil record. Most of the plant matter
that endures is pollen, which in many cases is
impossible to determine exact species. In particular, the pollen of hemp and hops are nearly
identical in fossil form. Some claim that there is
evidence to support that Neanderthal man used
cannabis medicinally, but without concrete evidence this is only a theory. There is proof, however, that Neanderthal and other human species
were gathering and utilizing medicinal plants
and fungus dating back as far as fifty thousand
years ago or more.
In order to construct a coherent history of
cannabis, we must examine the ancient record.
With limited physical evidence, much of this
story has to be distilled from folklore, myths,
and legend. Separating fact from fiction can be a
daunting, if not impossible task, but in doing so
we are able to glean a higher understanding of
our past, and in the process, gain some insight
into ourselves. -MJ
50
Episode 2: B.C. Bud
{Cannabis}
υκ!
To the best of our knowledge, the earliest
writing to mention cannabis in western culture comes courtesy of the Greek historian
Herodotus, who, when describing one distant
land he saw on his many travels, wrote:
“In this country a sort of hemp grows, very like to flax; only
longer and thicker; and much more excellent than ours... ...the
Scythians put the Seeds of this kavvabis under the bags, upon
the burning stones; and immediately a more agreeable vapor is
emitted than from the incense burnt in Greece. The company,
extremely transported with the scent, howl aloud”
Rome: Hemp is for Horses
Pliny the Elder, in his massive works, collectively known as The
Natural History, mentions in book 20 some of the advantages of
cannabis as human medicine, but also recommends it as a dietary
supplement for domestic animals:
“The virtues of hemp, it is said, are so great, that an infusion of it
in water will cause it to coagulate: hence it is, that if taken in water,
it will arrest looseness in beasts of burden.”
CDXX
April 2015
MMM Publications
{dàmá}
Legendary Chinese Emperor, Shennong,
whose name translates directly into “Divine
Farmer” is said to have lived about 5,000
years ago, and is credited with the classification of 365 herbal medicines in what is
considered to be the world’s first pharmacopoeia, included Dàmá (cannabis). According to ancient texts, Shennong’s mother was
a princess and his father was a heavenly
dragon. Shennong is also credited with proliferating agriculture, and introducing tea
to the people.
Hindu legend attributes
Lord Shiva with the origin
of the cannabis plant. According to the myth, when
Lord Shiva uncorked a vial
containing the elixir of life,
some of the precious liquid
fell to the earth. Anywhere
a drop of the nectar landed, a cannabis plant sprang
forth from the ground.
Because of this, cannabis
is often associated with
immortality and rebirth in
Hindu culture.
The Hindi word for the flowers and tops of the cannabis plant is
‘ghanja’ or ‘ganja’ which means “food of the gods.” On Lord Shiva’s
holy day, Maha Shivaratri, it is common to honor Shiva by drinking ‘bhang’ a cannabis-infused beverage, and by smoking ganja, using the same method for smoking as Shiva is traditionally depicted:
through a clay pipe known as a ‘chillum’. Archeological evidence
and written histories show that Lord Shiva has been worshipped in
the region for at least seven-thousand years.
Although cannabis has been illegal in India since 1986 AD (due to
western influence) the Indian government makes exceptions during
Shivaratri. There are even government-licensed bhang vendors who
are allowed to operate on holy days.
गञ्जा
{ganja}
Cannabis is a well-known remedy among healers in India dating back to a time before the written word, and has been utilized
as an effective treatment for anxiety, fever reduction, as an appetite
stimulant, a sleep aid, an asthma remedy, as well as a host of other
practical medical applications. The strong plant fibers are utilized
in an almost infinite amount of ways. The seeds are a highly prized
source of oil and food. Revered for thousands of years, there are
more than fifty different names for cannabis in Sanskrit and Hindu.
Also used as a meditation aid, and as a way to become more
in touch with the spiritual realm, some consider the herb to be a
holy sacrament, and warn that overindulging and unnecessary use
of cannabis for recreation is frowned upon by the gods.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
51
52
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
53
54
April 2015
MMM Publications
A Few Thoughts...
by Drew Dorr
I was thinking about something that I heard on the television
when I was half-paying attention during the administration of
my Iguana, Wolfgang’s, meal in the living room. I heard a reporter say that a member of a professional sports team was “under
the influence of the performance-enhancing drug marijuana.”
I thought to myself:
“Did I really just hear him say performing enhancing drug and
then the word marijuana?”
I turned around and diverted my full attention to the television. At this point I was able to read the ticker-tape at the
bottom of the screen. “Professional athlete uses performanceenhancing drug” read the top line, “marijuana banned from professional sports” read the bottom. Is this seriously on the television right now?! I thought. Are they seriously talking about this
on the fucking news! There is no way in any way shape or form
that marijuana could be a performance-enhancing drug! Save,
I suppose, if you were discussing someone’s performance in a
race to the bottom of a bag of cheetos. I had a feeling, however,
that this particular journalist was not referring to the enhancement of an athlete’s performance in a food-consumption-race.
This much was certain.
They then went on to discuss how in the NFL, when a player
is battered and bruised after a nice long tackle filled adrenaline
rushing football game, that marijuana can help your body relax,
which will, in turn, help your body to recover faster. I said, “okay
this is plausible, but is it really newsworthy?” Not many people
know this, but I actually enrolled in and successfully completed
a broadcasting certification in Southfield Michigan at Specs
Howard School of Broadcast Arts.
We studied news, radio, and television, and everything in
between. We had classes where we picked out our own news
broadcasts so we would find things that we thought were newsworthy and write news stories about them. Sometimes my stories were a little more comic based and less news-oriented, but
they were still damned good stories! And so to me, this marijuana story just didn’t feel right.
It seemed that the media was being just a tad biased and
inflammatory in this particular case. It seemed as though the
only objective of this story was to cast marijuana in a negative and less than factual light, rather than to deliver any credible or news-worthy information. We who are in the know are
aware of and appreciative of the expansive documented proof
of Cannabis’ medicinal benefits. This article, however, proceeded
to go into detail about how certain players have come forward
after their retirement, explaining how they felt that marijuana
helped them recover faster, or talk about doctors that are from
the NFL observing that certain players they’ve treated seemed
to recover at a more rapid pace than those who didn’t smoke. I
fail to see where this constitutes ‘enhancing’ any ‘performance’,
nor does it imply that sentiment at all. Does Tylenol ‘enhance a
player’s ‘performance’ because it allows them to recover more
quickly from a headache than a player who doesn’t take Tylenol? Of course not! It’s utter bullshit, and devoid of even a single
shred of journalistic integrity.
I get emails from a vast array of people who occupy vastly
different positions within life’s sphere here in Michigan who
have read my articles and have further questions. Sometimes I
get questions that are hard to answer, but most of the time I get
questions that are quite simple and just based theoretically off
of Siam’s or data that I have researched extensively. Often times
I get people who ask me if I believe marijuana could help with
this certain element or condition, or what strain I would recommend for a person suffering a given ailment, and so on.
Relaxing, eating food, taking away pain, these are a few beneficial characteristics of marijuana health-wise. Perhaps something along those lines would constitute a credible story, and I
can come up with a dozen or more references for studies that I
have done, or studies that doctors or university’s behind them
actually provide. Thirty minutes on Google and you can cross
reference everything. But instead of spending 30 minutes on
the Internet, or 30 minutes trying to call somebody, or even 30
minutes actually writing a 2 minute news-feature, all I saw the
journalist I referenced earlier do was perpetuate negative stereotypes associated with marijuana, and discuss how, due to its
prevailing illegality across our great nation, it should be avoided because of this untruth, or that untruth ... You catch my drift.
If I could in three or four sentences validate a reason why this
could be a proper news story, and in 30 minutes on Google get
hard evidence and write a story that’s only two or three minutes
worth of broadcast air time, why are they only talking about
their opinion? This is not only what is wrong with the media
and politics and our government, this is also something that
is wrong with the willingly uninformed public at large. People
think it’s okay to get drunk because alcohol is legal. How is that
any better or worse then taking prescription pills because the
doctor gave them to you? Is caffeine not just as addictive as
nicotine and are those two substances not easily and readily
available to the public? What ties these things all together is
a concept which many fail to observe, and that is moderation.
And it goes to say that if you have a moderate understanding
of what is factual and true, then you may, in moderation, experience annoyance towards the fear-mongers who parade under
the mask of journalism and attempt to misinform the public according to the controlling corporation’s majority shareholders’
respective agendas. However, this is an entirely different conversation altogether, and I have more emails to answer.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
55
56
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
57
4/20 - Unofficial national marijuana holiday! 4/21 - Unofficial surprise pee-test day :(
Q: Why did the stoner bury her cheerios?
Freaky Fast
Two dudes are
caught smoking a joint
in public. They’re both
arrested and taken
to jail. The sergeant
advises them they’re
entitled to one phone
call. Seconds later,
a guy enters the station.
The sergeant says,
“I assume you’re the lawyer.”
“Not exactly,” replies the man.
“I’m from Jimmy Johns!”
Yo mama so short...
...when she smokes weed she
doesn’t get high - she gets medium!
A: She thought they were donut seeds.
58
April 2015
MMM Publications
Horoscopes
by Olivia Armendariz
j
Capricorn
(Dec 22- Jan 19)
Your everyday life will
continue to be a failure in
everything that you try to
succeed in.
k
Aquarius
(Jan 20 – Feb 18)
You will regret everything you
do from here on out.
l
Pisces
(Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Don’t get too ahead of
yourself; you still haven’t
finished fixing the mistake
you made last week.
a
Aries
(March 21- April 19)
You are sharp-witted, but not
the sharpest tool in the shed.
April 2015
b
Taurus
(April 20-May 20)
Your OCD makes it difficult for
anyone to want to be around
you.
c
Gemini
(May 21 – June 21)
Your split personality sucks
and needs to be adjusted.
d
Cancer
(June 22 – July 22)
You over exaggerate on
everything and blow things
way out of proportion.
e
Leo
(July 23- Aug 22)
If you keep trying to fit in
you will just become more
of a loser than you actually
are.
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
f
Virgo
(Aug 23 – Sep 22)
Your anxiety about the
whole world disliking you is
true.
g
Libra
(Sep 23 – Oct 22)
You will live a very short
and sad life until the end of
time.
h
Scorpio
(Oct 23- Nov 21)
You can’t always be the center of attention in the crowd.
It’s time to look for friends
who actually like you.
i
Sagittarius
(Nov 22- Dec 21)
The choices you make to
better your life tends to
make it worse.
59
l
l
a
W
Th e
60
April 2015
MMM Publications
Send pics to: om
gmail.c
re
mmm port@
Pic”
Subject: “Wall
Cannatreat’s
Purple O.G. Kush!
From Scott
Alien White Fire O
.G.
Week 4 of Flower
~ 313 N.E.M.
is
ed Cannab
Sun-Bless iend
& Fr
e Cap’n!
h
Chong & T
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
61
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
Seed 2 Cure is a source of education about the
medical benefits of cannabis. They create “how to”
videos, radio shows, and testimonials from real
patients who have truly benefitted from cannabis
oil. Recently the group brought together different
music groups from around Michigan, Ohio, and
Indiana for a benefit concert on March 20th and
21st. The concert was meant to spread the message that cannabis can help people who are suffering. The event included bands such as Ekoostik
Hookah, That Freak Quincy, Glostik Willy, Aliver
Hall, Yosemight, and Uncle Rico’s Time Machine.
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
62
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
April 2015
MMM Publications
Photo courtesy of Roxx co. Photography
April Events
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
April
Fool’s
Day
Farmers Market
@ Think Live, Lansing
5
Detroit
Dab Wars
6
Easter
Sunday
Farmers Market
@ Think Live, Lansing
12
19
Farmers Market
@ Think Live, Lansing
26
Farmers Market
@ Think Live, Lansing
2
7
8
Operation
Cannabis
Project 420
Flint City Hall
12-6pm
14
9
4
10
11
American
Rights
Conference
Lansing
FoolMoon
Ann Arbor
15
16
Dab Allstars
Lansing
21
22
23
29
Detroit
Dab Wars
18
24
25
Bringin’ Back
the 80’s Fest
Frankenmuth
International
Astronomy Day
Dab Allstars
Lansing
28
17
Herbie Hancock
& Chick Corea
Hill Auditorium,
Ann Arbor
Lyrids Meteor Shower
Detroit
Dab Wars
27
Saturday
Dab Allstars
Lansing
Detroit
Dab Wars
20
3
Dab Allstars
Lansing
Detroit
Dab Wars
13
Friday
44th
HASH
BASH
WMU Jazz Studies
Twins v. Tigers
Dalton Center
OPENING DAY
Recital Hall
@ Comerica Park!
Kalamazoo, MI
1:08 PM
American Rights Conference
The Green Union
Sat. April 11 – Mon. April 13
1200 Marquette St., Lansing
Farmers Market
@ Think Live, Lansing
Thursday
30
Dab Allstars
Lansing
If you know of an event that should be featured
on the MMM Report calendar page,
send info to: [email protected]
Subject: “Events”
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
63
64
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
65
by Ben Horner
Spring Seed Popping
April is a good time to sprout seeds of your favorite
strains. Outdoor growers that are not using feminized seeds
need the time prior to planting to sex their plants by sprouting some potential mothers plants. Indoor growers also find
that spring-cleaning means cleaning out old genetics that
have been stressed from a long winter.
Sprouting seeds is simple and most of us learn how to
do so in kindergarten. Simply place your seeds in a plastic
bag with a damp paper towel and in a few days the seed
will crack and a small root will extent out from the seed.
Plant that seed in your preferred grow medium, or dirt, and
water. Be sure to keep sprouts in at least 18 hours of light
per day, which means you cannot just leave your sprouts on
the windowsill. A small florescent light on a timer is enough
to grow seedlings, especially if they are getting some natural
sunlight.
When your seedling grows big enough (3-5 weeks depending on strains) you can take a cutting of each of your
young plants to determine the sex of your plant. Marijuana
plants will show their sex after approximately two weeks of
growth in a 12 hour on 12 hour off light cycle. Make sure
to carefully mark each plant and cut with a unique label so
that you know which plant each cutting came from. Female
cannabis plants show small white hairs (early pistols called
calyx) in between the nodes, were as males have balls (small
un-bloomed flowers called staminate primordia) that grow
in between the nodes. These male plant balls are pollen
bearing sacks that when mature will pollinate your buds and
cause them to be loaded with seeds. Most growers destroy
all male plants, keeping the females only. That is the technique we call sinsemilla, which simply means no seeds.
If you start this process in the beginning of April, you
can be ready in May to plant your outdoor grow knowing
that those plants will be medical grade and seedless. Mother
plants can produce many clones for both indoor and outdoor
grows. One good rule of thumb: it’s ok to take clones from
your indoor plants but not your outdoor ones. Nobody wants
to bring bugs and contaminants into a freshly cleaned grow
room. Be sure to routinely disinfect your grow space with
a product like GrowClean routinely. I like to start out the
spring fresh, airing everything out, a fully cleaned room with
some new mothers started from seeds every year.
66
April 2015
MMM Publications
April 2015 MMM Report Bud of the Month
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
67
A Double-Edged Sword
in the War on People
by Citizen Jay
I suppose it’s like a double edged sword. On the one hand,
the fact that our Federal Government is actually taking cannabis research seriously is astounding. No, seriously, it’s just
inconceivable. It’s a huge step. Just the mere fact that our representatives in Congress are actually talking about cannabis in
any way other than a prohibitory fashion is beyond remarkable.
On the other hand, a rescheduling of cannabis is not exactly
what the community was hoping for…at least not the “Cannabis
Community.”
The Cannabis Community is filled with more
varied groups than ever before. Not just
for stoners anymore, cannabis has found
its way into the hearts and minds of the
general community—well, at least some
of them. It’s on the hearts and minds of
desperate parents frantically searching
for a modicum of relief for their beloved
stricken. It’s on the whispering lips of
returned soldiers, the “unfallen” who’ve
come home haunted by nightmares and
startled visions. It courses through the
veins of recovering opioid addicts, relieving their pain, mitigating their anxiety, reducing their harm.
“After more than
a decade of States
experimenting with
medical marijuana,
the representatives
in Congress are
starting to
take note.”
After more than a decade of States’ experimenting with medical marijuana, the
representatives in Congress are starting to take
note. We’ve definitely seen movement in our movement over the last several years—especially with four states
plus D.C. enacting cannabis legalization. All told almost half
of the nation’s states have addressed cannabis in one way or
another. The number of states with pro-cannabis legislation
stands at 23. By law, Congress will be obligated to address the
issue once half of the states have enacted laws addressing the
matter. By some accounts, they’re ahead of the game.
Enter the C.A.R.E.S. act. The latest piece of cannabis “friendly”
proposed legislation to make its way to the halls of our esteemed Congress. Among other things, the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act—presented to
Congress jointly by Senators Rand Paul (R) of Kentucky, Cory
Booker (D) of New Jersey, and Kristen Gillibrand (D) of New York
proposes to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule I drug to a
Schedule II drug.
68
And that’s got some people worried—on both sides of the
cannabis prohibition argument. As a Schedule I drug, cannabis
is placed on the most restrictive of the Federal Drug Administration’s watch lists. Schedule I drugs are those considered to
have the highest level of potential abuse AND no officially recognized medical uses. The Federal Government placed cannabis in this category under Nixon—even though his own National
Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse didn’t recommend
cannabis be treated that way. Instead, the commission concluded that decades of misunderstanding, coupled with outright misrepresentation
of the effects of cannabis, led to its prohibition even though there was “little proven
danger of physical or psychological harm
from the experimental or intermittent
use of the natural preparations of cannabis.” The Commission went so far as
to recommend decriminalizing simple
possession of small amounts of cannabis, stating that criminal proceedings
were overly harsh and that the constitutionality of marijuana prohibition was
suspect.
April 2015
BUT, so much comes from the strict
prohibition of cannabis. It’s completely
insidious just how far the tentacles of prohibition profits reach. Even thinking about
it for a moment can overwhelm the average
reasonable citizen… And this profoundly profitable
prohibition positively predated Nixon and the FDA. Let’s
see. There’s all the plastics. Probably more than you’ve realized. Like, for example, the plastic coatings on pharmaceutical
products; or nylon, polyester or any other synthetic fibers or fabrics; not to mention every container for any product anywhere.
There’s building materials. Hempcrete is an amazing product
that actually gets stronger through time and is resistant to microbial infestations (like mold and mildew). And it’s sustainable
at a level that trees will never attain. But do you know of any
houses built of it? There’s paper, one of the first conspiratorial industries to come out against cannabis (Thanks, William
Randolph Hurst!) And again, unlike making paper from trees,
cannabis paper production is sustainable. But we don’t do it
anymore. And then there’s fuel. Hell, every war fought by the
USA in the course of my lifetime has been over the control of
fossil fuel—oil. So absurd, considering that one of the found-
MMM Publications
ers of the American auto industry
constructed one of his originally
designed mass produced-model
cars from hemp, and to be fueled
by hemp, only to have it never
see the light of day. Many call it
conspiracy. Whatever you call it,
it’s got to change.
The prohibitionists desperately want cannabis to remain
on Schedule I because as long
as they can legally prohibit it,
there is no way cannabis can address any of the industrially catastrophic issues that lie looming
dangerously above our front
doorsteps. The same issues they are creating and compounding
by their very industry.
Rescheduling cannabis to the second level would relax some
of the control exerted over it by the FDA. Schedule II drugs
are those that exhibit a high potential for abuse, have currently
accepted medical use in treatment in the US or a currently accepted medical use with severe restrictions (good examples are
morphine, and of course, cocaine), or they are substances that
have shown their use to lead to severe psychological or physical dependence. The real difference, however, is that Schedule
II drugs can be legally studied and the Federal Government recognizes their potential for research. And there’s the kicker, because if the Feds suddenly allowed positive cannabis research
and studies the population would awaken to the possibilities
of cannabis plastics, cannabis fibers and fabrics, cannabis paper
products, and most horrifically cannabis fuels. Did I mention
that it’s also a fantastic source of usable protein? We could literally feed the world. And these ideas scare the crap out of our
neoconservative/neoliberal corporatist overlords. It could ruin
everything! (Did I not use the word “conspiracy” above?)
On the other side of this argument lie those in the cannabis
community who fear that a rescheduling of cannabis—as opposed to its full de-scheduling—will only put its control into the
hands of the pharmaceutical industrial complex. And there is
merit to this concern. Right now, all of the substances found on
the FDA Schedule II are controlled by pharmaceutical companies. They patent the rights, own the products, and sell them to
the rest of us at exorbitant rates. If cannabis were to fall under
their control how would the rest of us fare? Would home grows
be allowed under law? What about dispensaries? Would you
even be able to get/use actual flowers or concentrates? Who
would control distribution? How would that all look? It’s a terrifying prospect when you think about how the pharmaceutical
companies make their profits and control supply.
Take Marinol, for example.
Marinol—the synthetic form of
THC—is a Schedule III drug, defined by the FDA as those with
a moderate to low potential for
physical and psychological dependence. What is Marinol? It’s
a form of cannabis oil. One that
is patented and owned by a corporation. One that is sanctioned
by the FDA because it is solely
owned and controlled by a pharmaceutical company. And that’s
the scare. That cannabis can be
taken away in its natural form
and presented back to the public in only a synthetic, patented,
wholly-owned derivative form. One that would be far out of the
price range for the average citizen.
These are valid concerns that need to always be in the forefront of our thoughts as a community of activists. We’ve got
to remain vigilant. The CARES Act appears to address these
concerns. In addition to compelling the Federal Government to
finally recognize that cannabis has accepted medical use, it is
the “Respect States Act” part of the proposal, in particular, that’s
important to note here. Simply put, the act allows states to set
their own medical marijuana policies, permits VA doctors to prescribe veterans medical cannabis to treat serious injuries and
chronic conditions, and most importantly it would respect the
states that have already set their own medical cannabis programs and prevents federal law enforcement from prosecuting
patients, doctors, and caregivers in already established medical
cannabis states.
These are reforms that I can get behind. Though I don’t think
this proposal has a snowball’s chance in Hell of being enacted—
or even seriously debated on the floors of today’s Congress—if
it somehow miraculously does become law it would go a long
way to confronting if not remediating the War On People, which
is the reality of our long-standing and totally failed “War On
Drugs.”
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
69
Michigan Entrepreneurs
Innovate for Cleaner & Greener Growing
by Ben Horner
Michigan has a long history of being the birthplace of new
ideas and useful inventions. Cannabis cultivation is not a new
thing per se, but indoor cultivation has only been mainstream
here in Michigan since 2009 when the medical marijuana laws
came into effect. Chris Atkinson is full of that entrepreneurial
spirit and has taken his recent experiences from disaster clean
up in Mississippi. In the vacuum of the dismal Michigan economy, bright minds turn to cannabis as the new frontier of growth.
The Grow Rite botanical solution is a perfect example of this
phenomenon.
GrowClean is a product that is made right here in the Great
Lakes state, but has its roots in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The storm was the most costly natural disaster in America’s history, leaving flood damage miles inland. The clean up
cost over one hundred billion. Mr. Atkinson owned a private
emergency restoration business at the time and was one of the
first private contractors at the scene on day one of the clean
up effort.
“Helping people was my favorite thing,” explained Chris, the
creator of GrowClean. “Contractors were ripping people off by
charging outrageous fees to remove fallen trees and to place
tarps over damaged buildings.”
It was the mold remediation that became Chris’ specialty.
The lessons of the hurricane clean up taught him how to treat
water and mold damaged homes. Bringing back to Michigan his
expert experience, Chris was able to grow his business and create a unique spray-on product that kills mold and fungus, yet is
safe for the home. Years later, as home cultivation became the
70
April 2015
new gold rush for the under employed people around Michigan,
Chris was called, on many occasions, to repair damage caused
by the humidity of home grows. The creative mind started turning again and Chris thought that if only people could treat their
grow area as a regimented maintenance of the growing. It didn’t
take long for Chris to engineer the solution and the result was
a break through product.
“GrowClean is an effective surface cleaner that both removes
traces of mold and fungus on a surface and prevents new
growth from reoccurring,” explains general manager of GrowRite LLC, Brandon Saker. “We have been field testing GrowClean
and the results are amazing. I think this (product), if used in a
grower’s maintenance routine will really help caregivers produce safer medicine.”
Although this is a new product, the initial results are impressive. Only a select few grow stores around the state carry
GrowClean. With some of Atkinson’s passion and Saker’s young
energy this new product is sure to become another Michigan
success story.
If you would like to try GrowClean for your self, stop by one
of the locations listed on the bottom of the ad on the next page,
or buy it direct at www.buygrowclean.com.
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
71
by Hemptress Jolene
The Macpodz have been Michigan’s answer to Psychedelic Jazz Jam since forming in 2006. My first Macpodz
experience was in 2008. The scene was Hoxeyville Music Festival nestled in the woods of the Manistee National Forest just outside of Cadillac. It was the first year
at a new site and the buzz was all about the headliners
the Macpodz from Ann Arbor, a groovy jam band with
high energy and a hard jazz influence. As they played
to please that Hoxeyville night, I fell in love with their
psychedelic jazzy sounds, funky drums and amazing
horn driven by trumpeter Ross Huff. What a tasty music
treat....The Macpodz, lead by bassist Brennan Ducan-Andres gave a high energy performance that can’t be beat.
Amazing jazz piano played by Jesse Clayton twinkled
through the dusk as they set the sun at Hoxeyville that
year.
We traded wares for their new CD Orchestrate, and
I was hooked like a fish on a worm. When they played
Traverse City, I was there. In Ohio, I got to see them
perform with John Sinclair and I was entranced by how
their smooth bass and jazzy piano gave wings to John’s
words. They got in at Blissfest and we danced long into
the night. It was in fact four great years of loving the
Macpodz, following them around the state to groove and
dance to the special brand of Jazz.
And so it was that on December 31 of 2012, I found
myself at the last Macpodz set in that current make up,
the group that I have loved since 2008 was evolving. It
was time for some of them to take some time to pursue
other musical endeavors. Jesse, the piano player was off
to play ‘Math Games’ and ‘Citizen’, Nick was off to worldly
pursuits and Griffin was playing with several different
bands. Brennan and Ross gigged all over and still performed intermittently as the Macpodz with a wide range
of changing characters.
I ran into Brennan this solstice and he announced to
me that the Macpodz were back with a new CD. He had
got them back together, Ross Huff, Griffin Bastian, himself with a couple of good new musicians. You can just
imagine my excitement, so I decided to sit down with
Ross and Brennan to get the scoop as they get ready for
their new CD’s Hash Bash Release Party at the Blind Pig.
72
April 2015
MMM Publications
MMMR: What have you guys been up to the
last few years?
Ross: “We haven’t been fully stopped, but
we haven’t been green light going. I have
been freelancing with various bands, putting together horn section for various recording projects and working on some of
my own projects.”
Brennan: “Me and Ross have been strategizing different ways to make the
band happen without getting
stressed over it. Plus I have
been playing with like
20 different Bands.”
MMMR: Why a new
album now, what is
the motivation?
Brennan: “We’re getting some work, but
we want to get more work, but no one has
been hiring because we don’t have a new
album out. We had a bunch of songs we
had wrote since Jesse and Nick left the
band, we figured we would record those
songs and let people know.....”
MMMR: How has working with John Sinclair
influenced your music?
Brennan: “I’d say.... he was the reason the
band started in the first place because
he needed a band to back him up back in
2005. And it was me and Nick and Jessie,
and then we just did that, and then we
really like playing music so we kept doing
it. Then we ran into Ross..... So in a way
he just inspired us to get off our asses and
do the right thing.”
better time. I don’t mean to like call anybody out or anything, but like it is just a
more excepting general vibe, you know....
not as much paranoia, while maybe about
certain things, but it is like way more excepting in general of whatever it happens
to be, you know, anything from same sex
marriages to rescuing puppies.... the community tends to be fairly expecting of a lot of things.”
Brennan: “We trying to get around the
state. . . where feasible, and we are also
trying to get our music over seas, or over
the pond like to Japan. . . “
MMMR: Who will be making up the
Macpodz this time?
MMMR: What is it that
keeps you guys coming
back to the Macpodz?
Ross: “Yeah, a young gun from Chicago
named James Cornelison . . . . . .”
Brennan: “Well, basically
when UV Hippo went on
hiatus, we realized there was no
live bands left in the tradition of
the early 2000’s jam band funk
theme. We knew we could supply
and that there would be a demand
for it. We didn’t want the opportunity to go by the wayside. . . We figure people need a band to play the party music.”
MMMR: What does the future of the
Macpodz look like? What can fans look forward to?
Brennan: “We are trying to do more free
concerts, in the spirit of like a rainbow
people party . . . trying to figure out how
to get money from rich people so poor
people can dance for free.”
Ross: “I think this album is gonna be a lot
of fun. We had a pretty good time making
it, I say we’re full into it.”
Brennan: “Well, Griffin is coming back and
we added a guitar played for the time in
like ever. . .”
As we continued to talk, my excitement grew. One of the things that I think
is great about Michigan’s music scene is
it is ever evolving. From the end of one
thing something new and amazing can be
born. Every Michigan music lover should
look forward to seeing the Macpodz this
summer around the state and hearing
their new CD at Hash Bash. As always you
can catch the Macpodz the Saturday of
Hash Bash in Ann Arbor at the Blind Pig.
I know that they will bring a high energy
performance full of love and jazz.
For more information on the Macpodz
and to book them for your live event check
out www.themacpodz.com. The Macpodz
currently are: Brennan Duncan AndresBass and Vocals, Ross Huff- Trumpet and
Vocals, Griffin Bastian- Drums, James Cornelison- Guitar, plus an ever present and
changing cast of special guests.
MMMR: You play a lot of concerts for the
cannabis community. What is it that keeps
you coming back to support our cause?
Brennan: “Mostly we just want to see the
same thing everyone wants to see which
is justice for Cannabis in the State of
Michigan. Non-criminals should no longer be prosecuted for nonviolent acts of
smoking herb. We’re from Ann Arbor, it is
the land of fucking liberal pot laws.”
Ross: “And not to like harass the Squares
here, but like people who support the
liberation of cannabis tend to like have a
The Macpods (left to right):
Steve Harris, Brennan Andes, Shawn McDonald, and Ross Huff
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
73
74
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
75
MMM Report Directory
Safe Transfer Points
223 Boutique & Compassion Center
223 E. State St, Traverse City
(231) 421-9505
809 Provisioning Center
809 S. Garfield Ave, Traverse City
(231) 421-1670
Ann Arbor Health Collective
3060 Packard, Ann Arbor
(734) 929-5645
AuSable Compassion Club
3481 Park Rd. (M-72), Luzerne
(989) 745-2759
Best Cadillac Provisions
1632 N. Mitchell, Cadillac
(231) 884-4376
Depot Town Dispensary
35 E. Cross St, Ypsilanti
(734) 340-2941
Double D Oils Company
(231) 394-1798
(231) 631-3687
Got Meds
3405 S. Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 253-7468
Great Lakes Helping Hands
4160 E. M-72, Acme
(231) 421-5098
Green Diesel
4040 Dolen Dr., Flint
(810) 785-0306
Green River Meds
24363 Grand River, Detroit
(313) 246-6912
Greenways
4566 N. M-30, Beaverton
(989) 387-9507
Hardcore Harvest
119 W. State St, Montrose
(810) 639-0051
Hardcore Harvest South
24623 Grand River, Detroit
(313) 766-6477
Helping Hands Emporium
4100 Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 993-5336
Hemphill Wellness Center
3365 Associate Drive, Burton
(810) 820-3812
Herbal Solutions
124 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti
(734) 487-8421
Higher Caliber Meds
9423 N. Dort Hwy., Mt. Morris
(810) 547-7001
Jackson County Compassion Club
1620 E. Michigan Ave, Jackson
(517) 879-2801
Michigan Organic Solutions
3549 S. Dort #106, Flint
(810) 309-0564
The Barn
3491 E. Bristol Rd., Burton
(810) 742-1500
Michigan Safe Transfer
3401 Corunna Rd, Flint
(810) 239-3755
The Green Door
410 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor
(734) 369-4247
Mt Morris Collective
G-9030 N. Saginaw, Mt Morris
(810) 686-4900
The Green Room
18495 Mack Ave, Grosse Pointe
(313) 423-6892
Natural Remedies
1349 S. Otsego Ave Ste 1, Gaylord
(989) 748-4420
TNT
1825 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
(517) 214-0389
Nature’s Compassion Center LLC
12261 Cleveland St. #F, Munica
(616) 837-2000
Western MI Alt. Med. Solutions
113 Union St., Battle Creek
(269) 339-3622
New World Seeds
502 E. Front St, Traverse City
(231) 313-2471
DELIVERY
Patient Solutions 420
6242 A-28th St, Grand Rapids
(616) 214-8141
Select ProVisions/Dank Bank
310 W. Front St., Traverse City
(231) 218-7534
The Green Bean Certifications
and Education Center
1625 W. Atherton Rd, Flint
(810) 232-4400
Dragonfly Provisions & Delivery
dragonflyprovisions.com
(810) 347-7051
Helping Hands Emporium
4100 Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 993-5336
Leelanau/Grand Traverse Delivery
facebook.com/leelanaudelivery
(231) 375-7469
Natural Relief Health Center
by Cannabis
naturalreliefhealthcenter.com
(586) 344-3914
CERTIFICATIONS
Center for Compassion LLC
733 E. 8th St., Traverse City
(231) 620-1420
Horti-Cert
21323 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores
(313) 330-5004
Michigan Wellness Center
3095 S. Dye, Flint Township
(810) 820-8555
Clio Caregiver Connection
105 N. Mill St. Clio
(810) 513-7350
Intessa
5668 N. Okemos Rd, E. Lansing
(517) 339-9900
MOS Doctor Certifications
3553 S. Dort, Flint
(810) 820-8953
Elite Health
310 Fulton St., Grand Rapids
(616) 644-1423
M2 Certification
8255 Hall Rd. #1, Utica
(586) 321-5031
1(855)POT-DOCS
Muskegon Medical Marijuana Caregivers Assc
1377 E Sherman Blvd, Norton Shores
(231) 683-1403
Grand Rapids Alternative Care
4582 W River Dr NE
Comstock Park
(616) 214-8944
Helping Hands Emporium
4100 Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 993-5336
76
Marijuanadoctors.com
1(800) 991-0473
The Doctors Inn
3060 Packard, Ann Arbor
(734) 929-2873
MMP Certifications
18706 Eureka Rd, Southgate
(734) 281-9333
TNT MMMP Resource Center
1825 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing
(517) 214-0389
April 2015
MMM Publications
To list your business in the directory, please call: 810-820-8953 or email [email protected]
GARDENING STORES
Bestes
21410 Schoenherr Rd, Warren
(586) 776-1794
Green Grow, LLC
9046 N Dort Hwy, Mt Morris
(810) 687-9500
Horizen Hydroponics
4646 W. Main St., Kalamazoo
(616) 791-1664
Michigan Grow
3549 S. Dort #104, Flint
(810) 309-0564
Clio Cultivation
12196 N. Saginaw Rd, Clio
(810) 686-4769
Green Thumb Hydro
8460 Algoma, Rockford
(616) 884-3500
HydroKare/Galactic Gardens
3626 Miller Rd., Flint
(810) 522-3741
Michigan Hydro & Gardening Center
4260 Van Dyke Rd, #107, Almont
(810) 673-3500
Cultivation Station
www.cultivationstation.com
Happy Harvesters
4410 S. Saginaw St., Burton
(810) 496-3005
Hydroponics House
391 NB Gratiot Ave., Mt. Clemens
(586) 213-1147
Organic Joe’s Grow & Brew
3496 S. Center Rd., Burton
(810) 820-2827
Happy Roots
6070 S. MLK Blvd. #C, Lansing
(517) 763-2338
Hydroponics Hwy Inc
2703 Pine Grove Ave, Port Huron
(810) 982-4769
The Flower Factory
2223 E. Highland Rd., Highland
(248) 714-9292
Helping Hands Emporium
4100 Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 993-5336
Light Green Water
3661 Highland Rd, Waterford
(248) 681-0001
The Hydro Grow
8210 Telegraph Rd, Taylor
(313) 633-0641
Hortitoad Hydroponics
21323 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores
(586)944-0650
Just Add Water
100 Midland Rd., Auburn
(989) 662-4700
Two Guys and a Grow Shop
3374 Atherton Rd., Burton
(810) 820-4275
Blue in the Face
8844 E. 34 Rd., Cadillac
(231) 468-3001
Dabs & Dildos
3549 S. Dort Hwy., Flint
Next to MI Organic Solutions
The Laughing Buddha
3208 S. MLK Jr. Blvd., Lansing
(517) 393-1159
Blue in the Face
217 S. Main St., Mt. Pleasant
(989) 317-4900
Helping Hands Emporium
4100 Cedar St., Lansing
(517) 993-5336
Lush Lighting
1964 S. 11th St., Niles
1(888) 960-4533
www.lushledlighting.com
Blue in the Face
136½ E. Front St., Traverse City
(231) 231-933-6151
Pure Michigan Genetics
[email protected]
(517) 240-6343
Downriver Hydro
1910 West Rd., Trenton
(734) 301-3745
Fenton Hydroponics & Garden Center
495 Fenway Drive, Fenton
(810) 714-1719
Forever Green Growing Supplies
340 S. Main St, Vassar
(989) 882-9177
Greens Garden Supply
9384 N. Saginaw Road, Mt. Morris
(810) 564-8700
ACCESSORIES
The Laughing Buddha
13480 Northland Dr., Big Rapids
(231) 796-8052
The Laughing Buddha
4022 Alpine Ave., N.W., Comstock Park
(231) 913-1125
The Laughing Buddha
514 E. Front St., Traverse City
(231) 943-1125
O2 Vape Pens
www.o2vapes.com
MISC.
CSG
cannabisstakeholdersgroup.com
1(888) 420-1017
Michigan’s Best Colloidal Silver
1(844) 420-7832
HowToUseColloidalSilver.com
GrowClean
www.buygrowclean.com
(844) 220-3416
Organibliss
(989) 839-2342
organibliss.com
Iron Labs
1825 E West Maple, Walled Lake
(248) 757-8378
UPGC Labs
1284 12th Rd., Bark River
(906) 723-3073
Simson Sampson’s
(989) 355-5841
keepdemhoesincheck.com
Professional Services
Attorney Bernard Jocuns
152 W. Park St., Lapeer
(810) 245-8900
Daniel L. Price
liberty13legaldefense.com
(734) 945-1535
Cannabis Tax Advisors
Howell
(517) 258-1424
Joe’s Plumbing Services
(248) 635-4263
Leaf Doctor
[email protected]
On Target Tax & Bookkeeping
3492 S. Saginaw St., Burton
(810) 743-7250
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
Tax Wizard
3139 N. M-30, Sanford
(989) 971-0115
77
78
April 2015
MMM Publications
View the mag online: mmmrmag.com
79