Size Does Matter

Mike Giant’s lifestyle gives him colossal street cred

By Paul Rogers

An influential graffiti artist, tattooist, illustrator, zine-maker and skateboard designer, Mike Giant both communicates and decorates street culture. Yet he still finds time for fixed-gear riding, mindfulness meditation, Buddhism, zealous globe-trotting and unusually strategic marijuana use. Lately, the San Francisco-based Giant (who’s both color-blind and nearsighted) has been focusing on yet another creative medium—his Rebel8 clothing line.

“I’d been doing freelance graphics for lots of different companies—people were trying to buy a look and buy into a lifestyle,” recalls Giant of conceiving Rebel8 with partner Joshy D. in 2003. “It’s our lifestyle, really. I grew up skateboarding and riding BMX bikes and listening to punk rock. I saw hip-hop come out of nowhere and saw the Internet come out of nowhere. I’m 38 years old now—all these things kind of affected my way of seeing the world and that comes out in all the work . . . We don’t really look too much at what other people are doing.”

Giant and another full-time designer create Rebel8’s look, while Joshy D. handles business matters. With Giant’s existing fan base of graffiti, tattoo and skate fans, colossal street-cred and a distinctive, precise-line Sharpie style (often incorporating skulls and tattooed girls) which translates well onto clothing, sales have grown steadily. And Rebel8’s success is just one symptom of an ever-growing mainstream acceptance of the underground art.

“I feel like a lot of the changes that I’m seeing in terms of street art in the popular media happens to coincide with a change in political power,” he mulls. “I don’t know how much credit I can give the Obama administration . . . but I do know he organized a summit and they really discussed street art and its relation to the public and the fact that it’s illegal, but it hasn’t stopped at all. And in fact the rest of the world recognizes it as legitimate art and as something America should be proud of.”

“It’s gotta change and it is . . . When I was coming up as a graffiti artist, we really ran the show—there wasn’t really re-paste people or sticker people . . . Shepard [Fairey] really blazed a trail for that and I’m really thankful. I hope that people will see the streets as theirs too. Regardless of the medium you choose, I just like the interaction.”

Giant sees parallels between the legitimization of street art and the more relaxed attitude towards cannabis under the current White House administration. “I can see that the powers-that-be see the merit in de-criminalizing it . . . [but] there’s still a lot of people in this country that are of generations that really dealt with the demonization of marijuana head-on and they’re not going to be so easily switched. Frankly, I’m surprised at how quickly it’s happening.”

He began dabbling with pot while studying architecture at the University of New Mexico (on a full-ride scholarship) in the early ’90s and became a regular user a few years back.

“I lived in Amsterdam for a summer two years ago and I was able to really work with different strains of marijuana. I really got an understanding for myself of the difference between indica and sativa,” he recalls. “Because I was just working; I was just drawing all day, every day, and under that kind of controlled environment I’d feel like I was really able to see which strains were beneficial and which weren’t. I just came to find for myself that a pure indica sort of facilitated [creativity]: it kept me concentrated and relaxed, but I wasn’t super-thinking, thinking, thinking . . . and then I could smoke some sativa with friends and entertain and talk a lot and be social!”

See what else Mike’s been up to at www.mikegiant.com.

Head of the Glass

Sheldon Black’s smokeware is definitely high-end

By James Abraham

At April’s THC Exposé, shapely models strutted the L.A. Convention Center floor in barely-there micro shorts announcing “Sheldon Black: Nice Glass” across their behinds. No kidding: Sheldon Black creates high-end smokeware that’s had connoisseurs chattering since it became widely available under the umbrella of long-established German water-piper makers RooR last year.

Something of an enigma, Black has in fact been quietly designing and manufacturing premium smokeware in Los Angeles since 1988, and even holds a pair of U.S. patents (for his Combined Tobacco Smoking Pipe Bowl and Receiving Stem). Going from anonymity to industry ubiquity almost overnight once he teamed with RooR, Black’s fine, hand-blown glass is now festooned with his deeply-blasted logos (in part to curtail rampant smokeware counterfeiting) and is available in retail outlets across America—36 in California alone. His range of products is huge, with multiple sizes, shapes and numbers of diffusers/chambers offered.

SB’s stuff isn’t cheap: a basic 13-inch water pipe can run around $150; with non-removable percolator, make that $460 (or $550 with removable version). But you get what you pay for. While Black’s glassware can ostensibly resemble existing RooR products, closer inspection reveals ultra-clean quality, with flawless welds and nice attention-to-detail touches like ground glass joints with authentification marks and dates of manufacture.

Sheldon Black’s not just about impressive aesthetics, however. Users rave about the effortless flow of his tubes, which milk smoothly and clear quickly. Removable mouth-pieces (making for easier cleaning and transport) and multiple chambers are carefully designed for a pleasing balance of flow and back-pressure, resulting in an incredibly even toke.

Do we really need designer smokeware?  Maybe, maybe not, but Sheldon Black’s products offer superior performance and durability which justify their price tags.  And as water pipes are (often literally) at the center of so many social gatherings, why not make them beautiful? Once you go Black, you never look back.

For the latest smokeware, check out www.sheldonblack.com.

Happy-Go-Lucky

Mr. Scott would like to teach the world to smile

By Stacy Davies

Artist Scott Stewart believes in three things: Superman, Spider-Man—and cannabis. A self-taught illustrator, Mr. Scott (as he is professionally known) has achieved the American Dream—at least his version of it—and is on a mission to educate the people about cannabis and promote truth, justice and being damned happy to be alive.

Hailing from Tennessee via Florida, Mr. Scott discovered his love for comics and cannabis in his teens, later taking on a myriad projects including a line of Superman, Spider-Man and Wombat comic book illustrator jobs; but it was last year, after moving to Los Angeles, that Mr. Scott segued into what he considers his artistic goal in life: putting a happy face on cannabis.

“This is dear to my heart, my numero uno life’s work. I do what I do with the highest regard and respect. I want to promote the recreational use of cannabis, but also the product and industry end. There’s a lot more there than just the high—there’re like 50 thousand commercial uses for cannabis.”

Visually illustrating his desire to peel the criminal label from cannabis has led him to produce a wide range of work, from hip/psychedelic posters (most notably Train Wreck, which is dedicated to Jerry Garcia) to a new project that he’s staying tight-lipped about.

“Right now, I’m working on a personal work that’s solely about cannabis. It’s inspired by [activist and The Emperor Wears No Clothes author] Jack Herer, and it’s my opus.”

He’s also moved further into the commercial end of the line with a new company currently under construction.

“My partner Nick and I formed a little company called Bud Brand, and we’ve started to do logos and labels and product design, all within the cannabis industry.  I’m also working on some custom rolling papers that will be out soon.”

And where does Mr. Scott foresee the Bud Brand taking him and the rest of us?

“The truth is bubbling to the surface—there’s a lot of info coming to light, and as we learn more, there’ll be change. In the New World, we’re going to get out from under this oil dependency and I can do a lot through my art in cooperation with other people who have the same focus. Once people can see that it’s not a threatening situation that we’re dealing with, then it’s done, we can claim success—and can all go sit in a hot tub!”

The list of invitees to the hot tub party is all-inclusive—Mr. Scott doesn’t like fighting and wants everyone, whether cannabis is part of their life or not, to come along. He also notes that he’s a living example that cannabis does not hinder success.

“If anybody had any question about cannabis impeding progress, well, I’ve accomplished my wildest childhood dreams of becoming a published illustrator of my favorite characters—and I was smoking the entire time.”

With such a promotional spin on his career, it begs the question if Mr. Scott should be the poster boy for the positive effects of cannabis use—but he prefers to let others take the glory.

“Tommy Chong is the poster boy!” he laughs. “I’ll draw the poster boy—I don’t want TMZ in my front yard!”

Mr. Scott can be reached at happysunshine-420@msn.com.

Boy in the Hood

Estevan Oriol tells an L.A. story—from the streets

By Paul Rogers

Estevan Oriol has parlayed a great eye, access to L.A.’s grittier neighborhoods and rare business savvy into a multimedia empire. He began taking on-the-road photos while tour managing Cypress Hill and House of Pain in the early 1990s and progressed to capturing street life back home. Now one of the most recognized urban and hip-hop photographers (and directors), his work has graced GQ, Details and Rolling Stone, and he’s directed music videos for everyone from Blink-182 to Linkin Park.  His Joker Brand Clothing, established with L.A. artist Mister Cartoon in 1995, has a become a stalwart global label, while SA Studios Agency—a design/art “culture factory” and another Oriol/Cartoon collaboration—boasts corporate clients including Nike, Toyota and T-Mobile.

“My style hasn’t changed, but just my technique is better . . . and my hustle has gotten better,” says Oriol in his matter-of-fact tone. “My style is rough, ready and raw . . . I was in a low rider club in East L.A. and was documenting the low riding scene. That’s what I became known for—music and L.A. street life.”

Oriol offers a window into the coveted Hispanic urban market for corporations because, with the respect he commands in the hoods, he can shoot in places where most photographers can’t and offers his own version of L.A.’s story. For example, his 2009 portrait book, L.A. Woman, shuns the “enhanced” blondes so often associated with the city in favor of girls-next door, store clerks and single moms.

Oriol started smoking pot at age 10 but, unsurprisingly, it was while hanging with Cypress Hill that his usage went “full blast”—with some resultant artistic inspiration. However, despite the fact that Oriol says he’s been cannabis- (and alcohol-) free, he admits it does get the creative juices going.

“People don’t take you serious when you are going to a business meeting and you smell like you just came out of a Cheech & Chong van, y’know?” he laughs. “[But] I think that [cannabis], period, makes you more creative. I don’t know, it just makes some shit loose in your head—you think of crazy and wild shit . . . that’s pretty f*#king creative to me.”

And he’s totally pro-legalization.

“I think it’s cool, cuz everyone can make money at it; it opens up opportunities for people to work. And I don’t think weed is the problem.”

Keep it real and check out www.estevanoriol.com for more info.

Scratch the Surface

Post-punk legend David Yow explores his inner Lizard

By Matt Tapia

David Yow definitely knows something about being on the fringe. As the frontman for the reunited The Jesus Lizard (and the vocalist for pioneering noise-rock/post-punk band Scratch Acid), Yow’s bread-and-butter was exploring the edges of texture, acoustic terrorism and feedback-drenched mind expansion. All the while, his burgeoning artistic talents helped him create album covers for his bands. Yow recently designed a poster for an August 2010 Queens of the Stone Age/Eagles of Death Metal fundraiser concert. Now, he’s a one-man show. Through Sept. 11, Yow has a one-man exhibition of paintings, collages and digital drawings called “SOLO” running at the DIY Gallery in L.A. With mediums ranging from acrylic, pencil, tar on wood and charcoal (among others), the artist has been successfully exploring his inner psychological textures to reveal his uncommon perspective.

And, yes, sometimes cannabis helps the creative juices flow a bit more easily. But let Yow explain: “I’m not really a pot smoker, but I did a drawing the other night stoned off my woo-hoo,” he tells CULTURE.

Get more details on Yow’s show at www.facebook.com/diygallery.

She’s Got Issues

Talk about reader response. When the Riverside artist that goes by the name Panda Anderson received a stack of CULTURE issues, she decided to take them to a whole new level. Suddenly, Southern California’s best medical cannabis lifestyle publication became the 24-year-old’s medium of expression as she turned the magazines into decorative bowls and planters. “A friend of mine told me that she had heard of bowls from old magazines,” Anderson says. “Intrigued, I did a little research and sort of created my own version.” And medical marijuana sometimes plays a role in the creative process. “When I medicate, I find it easier for me to see the way I want a project to turn out and the most effective way to get there. I also find myself much more focused and attentive to the smaller details of my work.” Hey, we’re bowled over!

By Paul Rogers

Most of us are already aware that America’s marijuana prohibition is expensive to enforce—but we would struggle to quantify this. It’s clear that all those pot busts incur vast police, judicial and correctional costs, and that prohibition also blocks a potential cannabis tax bonanza, but just what are the financial realities? Dr. Jeffrey A. Miron, Visiting Professor of Economics at Harvard University, aimed to find out with his 2005 paper The Budgetary Implications of Marijuana Prohibition (commissioned by the Marijuana Policy Project) and forthcoming Cato Institute report The Budgetary Implications of Legalizing Drugs (co-authored with NYU’s Katherine Waldock).

Miron’s findings include state-by-state breakdowns of marijuana prohibition arrests and related costs; federal expenditure on prohibition; and potential marijuana tax revenues. His more recent report indicates that legalizing pot would save $8.7 billion per year in government expenditure (state and federal) and yield tax revenue of $8.7 billion annually (assuming marijuana was taxed at rates comparable to those of alcohol and tobacco).

In short, America could be over $17 billion better off each year if the herb was legal.

And these are just the fiscal downsides of prohibition, according to Miron, an outspoken libertarian who regularly appears on TV news and discussion shows. “[There’s] a whole set of ancillary costs from prohibition that include corruption, violence (because disputes in underground markets get resolved with violence) and a sort of changing attitude towards medicinal use because federal authorities are very concerned that medicinal use might lead to casual use . . . So people who use marijuana for medicinal purposes do not have the same access and we don’t have the same quality of research that we’d have if marijuana was legal.”

Miron’s reports point out that the budgetary implications of legalization exceed those of decriminalization, because legalization eliminates arrests for trafficking (which result in the bulk of prosecutorial/judicial/incarceration expenses) rather than just those for possession, and further it allows for the taxation of pot production and sale. So he welcomes California-style marijuana medicalization (which many view as de facto decriminalization), but only as a step on the road to full legalization.

“[Medicalizing] certainly allows some of the market to come above ground; it allows some of the people who want to use marijuana to do so with reduced or little fear of being arrested . . . but it’s a somewhat murky thing; it’s kind of a partial message.

In effect, there’s a tacit truce between governments that decriminalize pot and the many different opinions amongst the voters they aim to appease. “From a political perspective . . . decrim[inalization] as practiced in places like the Netherlands and Portugal might be the sensible compromise, because it allows people to believe it’s still illegal, even though in practice it’s pretty close to being legal,” says Miron.

“I think what happens when places decriminalize, de facto, they actually also move in the direction of fully legalizing. They don’t impose the penalties for production and distribution with the same vigor; they kind of engage in some benign neglect —and so decrim is kind of a kinder, gentler word for de facto legalization. If you say ‘legalization’ a lot of people get really upset.”

Miron acknowledges that revenue from pot prohibition fines and seizures would disappear with legalization (though he estimates this to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars and, therefore, far from offsetting the costs), but he dismisses the idea that lifting prohibition could result in Americans becoming less productive and thus negatively impacting the economy.

“If those views were accurate, we would have seen that sort of thing happen in the Netherlands, we’d have seen it in Portugal. We basically would have seen it happen in California, where certainly almost anyone who has any desire to sit around and smoke pot all day can usually get access to it . . . I just don’t think there’s any evidence to support that and also common sense doesn’t support that. If the species was that easily deviated from being productive, human beings would have died out long ago, because the stuff has been available for millennia!”

For more on Miron’s findings, go to www.prohibitioncosts.org/mironreport.html.

By Anna Lambias

Back in 2007, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, along with Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), introduced a bill to increase the federal criminal penalties for selling candy-flavored drugs to children. The legislation was a response to reports that our nation’s playgrounds were under siege by drug dealers peddling methamphetamine in irresistible flavors like “Strawberry Quick.” But when these rumors largely proved false, Feinstein needed a new sweet drug to sweat if she didn’t want her bill to wither and die.

Enter edibles.

Reintroduced in January 2009, the current incarnation of Feinstein’s bill, S. 258 or “The Saving Kids from Dangerous Drugs Act,” would double the federal penalties (fines and jail time) for any adult who manufactures, creates, distributes or dispenses a Schedule I or II controlled substance combined with a candy product, marketed or packaged to appear similar to a candy product, or modified by flavoring or coloring designed to make it more appealing to people under the age of 18. After the Senate unanimously passed the bill on July 29, Feinstein’s office announced that the legislation was meant to include any drug masquerading as a treat, but specifically named and targeted Rasta Reese’s, 3 Rastateers and Munchy Way, all products made with cannabis—not much of a surprise considering the Senator is a vocal opponent of Prop. 19.

However, despite the fact that S. 258, now up for debate in the House Energy and Commerce committee, might appear to be a setback for the medical cannabis community, the San Bernardino-based Marijuana Anti Prohibition Project chalks it up to little more than “absurd political posturing.”

“I don’t think there’s cause for great concern because it’s not like anything significant is changing,” MAPP says. “It’s already illegal to sell marijuana in any form to anyone, according to federal law.”

Nevertheless, MAPP agrees with other activists that say there’s a chance that anti-cannabis crusaders could try to twist the wording of the bill to get more aggressive about going after medical marijuana patients and the providers of their edibles. For example, parents of young children who have cancer and keep edibles in the home to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy, says Kathie Zamajahromi, 60, a former nurse who volunteers at the Inland Empire Health and Wellness Center Medical Marijuana Collective in Riverside. Or a parent who provides consent for their terminally ill child to medicate with a cannabis lozenge, adds Caren Woodson, the Washington D.C.-based director of government affairs for Americans for Safe Access (ASA).

“The intent of the bill is good—no one wants to advocate selling recreational drugs to kids,” says Woodson. “But right now we don’t have a lot of faith that we can take the U.S. prosecutors at their word.”

If indeed federal law enforcement uses the bill to reinvigorate its anti-cannabis campaign, it could limit availability of edibles. The resulting shortage would be a hardship for patients who are uncomfortable smoking or need to take their medicine in public, says Zamajahromi, as well as those who suffer from particular ailments for which edibles have proven especially effective, such as spastic diseases like multiple sclerosis. According to Dr. William Eidelman, who runs a Hollywood-based medical cannabis clinic, edibles can also be more effective in the treatment of severe physical pain, and are often preferred by patients with serious lung problems.

By Albert Ching

A lot of artists claim to value their music over their image, but few are quite as zealous about it as upstate New York-based reggae collective 10 Ft. Ganja Plant.

Try to find a publicity photo on their official website or MySpace—you can’t. Even live performance videos are scarce. For the most part, the liner notes of their records—up to six as of 2010’s 10 Deadly Shots, Vol. 1, released by New York City-based label ROIR—omit personnel credits.

“It wasn’t contrived, it just happened to be that way,” says 10 Ft. Ganja Plant bandleader Kevin Kinsella via telephone. “It was purely for the love of the music.”

It’s also a way for Kinsella and the group to pay tribute to the historical roots of Jamaican reggae and dub music that has inspired them since forming a decade ago.

“We had all these great records, like The Revolutionaries, and nobody was credited,” he says. “It just said, ‘music by The Revolutionaries, recorded at Channel One.’ I love that. It is so punk. Then it doesn’t become a vanity gig—this is the music; shut up and listen.”

10 Ft. Ganja Plant’s reverence towards reggae fundamentals was also a motivating factor behind 10 Deadly Shots, Vol. 1, 10 tracks of cheekily titled instrumentals including “Bonny & Clyde” and “Machine Gun.”

“Really, at the heart of it, we’re huge Upsetters fans,” Kinsella says, referring to the house band of legendary reggae producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, a band that was responsible for many of Perry’s dub permutations.

The entire album was recorded live in one take onto analog tape, and released not-so-coincidentally on 4/20 this year. But the band doesn’t overload on the marijuana references—well, other than in their name.

“The image of the band is a Cessna plane,” Kinsella says. “That, to me, is more central to me and to the band. Our symbol isn’t a marijuana plant. Obviously, the name kind of says enough.”

In Southern California, white dudes—from Sublime to The Dirty Heads— becoming successful playing reggae-fied music is not all that unusual. But a couple of decades ago in upstate New York, in the formative days of Kinsella’s music career, the onus was definitely on him to prove he took the music seriously.

“We wanted to play militant reggae,” he says. “We would go down to New York City and be opening up for Dennis Brown or Jimmy Cliff or somebody. There’d be all West Indians there, and they’re not pushovers about their music. We were a young white band, so they were just like, ‘What the f*#k is this?’ But at the end they were usually like, ‘This is good.’ We went through the fire.”

Before 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, Kinsella played in the still-extant reggae outfit John Brown’s Body, and its precursor, The Tribulations.

“We’ve just been playing reggae now for like 20 years,” he says. “It’s been a part of a lot of our lives, inexplicably.”

Kinsella considers himself lucky that he happened to live in an area that was surprisingly hip to the genre.

“We used to go to shows, like the People of the World tour by Burning Spear, also seeing the Gladiators, that changed my life,” he says. “We also were blessed that in our town there was a promoter at this club that just loved reggae.”

He also doesn’t have any disillusions about 10 Ft. Ganja Plant’s place in the pantheon of reggae—he says the genuine article, from Jamaica, will always be his favorite. But there’s room on the table for everybody.

“Jamaican reggae’s the best, I think, personally,” Kinsella says. “That’s a fact. That doesn’t make everything else bad or discounted.”

For more Ganja, go to www.10ftganjaplant.com.

This Dub’s For You

If vintage dub’s your thing but you dig electronica, the newest release by French dub constructor Kanka, Inside (under the name Alek6), should satisfy drum-and-bass heads from here to Channel One. Imagine King Tubby’s spring reverb getting a digital upgrade. Murder!

By Christopher Glew

Historical events that occurred on August 18:
1289—Pope Nicolaus IV publishes decree Supra Montem, 1873—First ascent of Mount Whitney (14,494 feet), 1964—South Africa banned from Olympic Games because of apartheid policies, 1982—New York Stock Exchange sets a trading record of 132,690,000 shares traded, 1987—Houston Oiler Earl Campbell retires from NFL and 2010—The Anaheim Pot ruling??

Yes, many important historical events occurred on Aug. 18 and the Qualified Patients Association v. City of Anaheim was billed as another historical event in this lineage. The Fourth District Court of Appeals was set to determine the legality of Anaheim Ordinance No. 6067, which made it illegal to operate a dispensary in the city. It also made it a crime to work or volunteer in a dispensary. Legal pundits, medical marijuana advocates, city officials, judges, lawyers and reporters all waited in anticipation of an appellate court ruling that would finally provide a broad holding with a bright line rule. The decision was postponed many times but finally released on Aug. 18.

Unfortunately, the Court did not leave a footprint in history with a clear final holding on all issues raised by this case. The unanimous decision, authored by Judge Richard Aronson, reversed the trial court’s ruling that federal law preempts state law, (great for our side), but failed to rule on whether the city’s ordinance is preempted by state medical marijuana laws embodied in the Compassionate Use Act(CUA) and the Medical Marijuana Program Act (MMPA). The decision has been touted by both sides as a quasi victory. The court did discuss and provide some noteworthy and valuable information on a few key areas. This case has many interesting and lengthy areas to be discussed and evaluated but I will address some of the key points below.
First, the court evaluated the MMPA and discussed some of the impact it has had since its inception. The court again references a previous discussion from the Urziceanu case that provides “this new law represents a dramatic change in the prohibitions on the use, distribution and cultivation of marijuana for persons who are qualified patients . . . Its specific itemization of the marijuana sales law indicates it contemplates the formation and operation of medical marijuana cooperatives that would receive reimbursement for marijuana and the services provided in conjunction with the provision of that marijuana.” This language is cited by the court in their discussion and is indicative of the higher courts position that some types of transactions regarding medical marijuana and the exchange of money are not per se illegal. The court still went to great lengths to reinforce the position that the MMPA does not authorize anyone to distribute marijuana for profit. This issue is still in need of further clarification and a bright line ruling, but at least the court is not foreshadowing a position that would be consistent with most opponents of medical marijuana.

The court held that federal law does not preempt the CUA or the MMPA. This ruling has major significance for advocates of medical marijuana collectives. The lower courts have often relied on this argument in denying our requests for injunctions to prevent cities from closing marijuana collectives.  This ruling is binding on lower courts and will be the most significant outcome of the Anaheim case. The court evaluated the potential for federal preemption under all four types of preemption: express, conflict, field and obstacle. The court found no issue regarding field or express preemption and spent time evaluating claims of conflict and obstacle preemption. The court held that the city failed to demonstrate how the CUA or the MMPA create a conflict with federal law that makes it impossible to comply with both federal and state laws. Essentially, the court reasoned that because the CUA and MMPA do not require citizens to commit an act in violation of federal law, but instead merely decriminalize acts under state law, there is no positive conflict. No longer will cities be able to preach how they are sympathetic to patients’ rights to access medicine, but they just cannot allow for acts in violation of federal law. This holding will serve to narrow the argument down to the state preemption issue.

The court chose not to reach a decision on the issue of state preemption. The court basically stated that the issue is not yet “ripe’ for review. This means that an opportunity for a very significant ruling was lost. While not quite the historical and monumental decision it could have been, the Anaheim case has still left a significant impact on the landscape of medical marijuana in California. It has removed federal preemption as a viable argument against the collective distribution of marijuana in cities. It also clearly set the stage for future litigation on the issue of state preemption. I will discuss some potential directions for this litigation on my blog at www.themarijuanalawyer.com in the upcoming weeks.

Christopher Glew is a Southern California attorney who specializes in medical marijuana law and is a partner with the Law Offices of Glew & Kim. You can reach him at (714) 648-0004 or through his website, www.themarijuanalawyer.com.

AIDS and Access

Although I never believed the use of cannabis was detrimental to health, the idea that its use was beneficial for health did not enter my consciousness until 1995 when I became a caregiver for a close friend who had contracted AIDS.

A roly-poly guy, my friend had wasted away to next to nothing due to ravages of this disease. Helping to provide him with the necessities of life, I discovered that his use of cannabis restored his appetite so he would eat, keep his weight on and stay alive. Many of the medications he took had severe, debilitating side effects and the cannabis would mitigate the side effects so he would stay compliant with his medications. And in 1995, AIDS was considered a terminal disease—you got AIDS, you died—so it was very depressing as well. Cannabis helped lift his spirits so he wasn’t so damned depressed about everything.

To obtain this medicine that made him feel life was worth living, helped him stay compliant with his medications and restored his appetite so he would eat and stay alive, we had to deal with criminals to get it.

Although in countries with functioning health care systems, AIDS is no longer considered a terminal disease, it is still very debilitating with many patients experiencing nausea, peripheral neuropathy, depression and a host of other debilitating symptoms. It is not surprising then to find that almost one out of three AIDS patients utilize marijuana to help them lead a normal life.

Due to the vociferous opposition of federal law enforcement agencies, almost all AIDS organizations steer clear of marijuana fearing the loss of their federal funding. Even with the more enlightened Obama administration, which has allowed funding for needle exchange programs to reduce the spread of AIDS amongst injection drug users, most AIDS organizations do not feel safe in even discussing marijuana with their clients, let alone helping them obtain it.

I helped staff the exhibit booth sponsored by Americans for Safe Access at the 2007 United States Conference on AIDS held in Palm Springs. Patient after patient after patient thanked ASA for all the work they were doing and told us on how critical marijuana was for their health and without it, they would be “zombies”—the most common phrase used to describe their life without marijuana. Yet, due to the fear of losing funding, AIDS organizations turn their backs on the very people they are supposed to help.

This is most unfortunate as many AIDS patients find the high price of this life-affirming medication makes it impossible to obtain sufficient quantities to provide all the therapeutic relief they need. Even worse, many patients cannot afford any when the choice is between obtaining medicinal marijuana and food and housing.

Every Monday in Riverside, the Inland Empire AIDS Medical Marijuana Patient Group meets seeking to solve this vexing health problem. Sponsored by the THCF Medical Clinic, the group provides AIDS patients with information on the health benefits, methods of ingestion and means to obtain cannabis along with the knowledge needed to navigate the tortuous briar patch of laws, regulations and licensing requirements.

The major thrust of the group will be helping patients obtain medicinal marijuana. To accomplish this feat, they are turning to the medical marijuana community and the collectives that provide them with their medicine. The group is asking collectives to commit to providing regular donations of free and low-cost marijuana to be distributed to qualified AIDS patients.

All collectives that provide regular donations are awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to be proudly displayed on their premises for their members to see. If your collective is not displaying this certificate, give them a copy of this article and tell them to get with the program.

One of the first collectives to join in the effort is Riverside’s Inland Empire Patients Health and Wellness Center. They provide cannabis for a tincture specifically developed for AIDS patients by group leader Tom Place. As more collectives join the program, the group expects to be able to supply more AIDS patients with either free or low-cost medicinal marijuana.

As an R.N., I am the group’s facilitator, and although the group is limited only to AIDS/HIV patients and their caregivers, I would like to invite collective operators and other members of the medical marijuana community who have the resources to help provide medicinal marijuana to attend one of the group meetings.

Lanny Swerdlow, R.N., is heard on Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense every Monday at 6 p.m. on Inland Empire radio station KCAA 1050 AM. He can be contacted at (760) 799-2055 or lanny@marijuananews.org.

By David Jenison

Few travelers know there’s a Russian Riviera or that ex-Commies love jazz, but who wouldn’t want to know about these elements converging on the largest nude beach of the Soviet Empire? It’s enough to make Vladimir Lenin roll over in his grave. From Sept. 9-12, tourists will descend upon the resort town of Koktebel for Black Sea waves, sweet local wines and jazz-lovin‘ sunbathers who are more than just barefoot on the beach.

Launched seven years ago, the Koktebel Jazz Festival attracts over 15,000 people each September for one of the best beach bashes that side of the old Iron Curtain. This 2,500-person beach town has special allure as the prime naturalist destination for those other “red states.” Nearly 200 international jazz artists participate in the official event and hundreds more do impromptu jams around town. This writer attended last year’s fest, and highlights included a main stage performer rockin‘ Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” on the accordion and a hippie boardwalk band jazzin‘ up Zeppelin classics. The “NU Jazzz” stage is certainly the most fun since it’s set up right on the clothing-optional beach. In other words, it’s the one stage where you really can rock out with your cock out.

Camping is allowed on the beach, though more comfortable options include the Galeon Hotel at the foot of the Kara Dag volcano and countless residential guest rooms. Certainly don’t miss out on the local specialties, from the region’s popular champagnes and sparkling white wines to delicious Tatar specialties that reflect their Turkic roots. Beach bathers will encounter too many trinket hawkers, but do shell out for the ridiculous baklava and homemade cakes, especially if your appetite or need to snack come calling. Vodka lovers will find that liquid courage comes cheaply with the national Ukrainian brand running $2 a bottle—and not the airline size either.

Koktebel itself is located on the Russian Riviera, which ironically is not in Russia. It’s part of Ukraine’s autonomous Crimean Peninsula, a pendant-shaped land mass that dips into the Black Sea like a large island. Joseph Stalin so loved Crimea that he relocated the native Tatars to Uzbekistan to make room for rich Russians and their vacation homes (socialism is about redistribution, after all). Yalta is the most popular destination despite being touristy and expensive with rocky beaches. An amusing highlight is a giant Mickey D’s monstrosity built in front of a Lenin monument that gazes directly at the Golden Arches. Lenin, meet Ronald.

Among the better Crimean spots, there’s the Vorontsov Palace (same architect as Buckingham Palace) in Alupka, the cave city of Bakhchisaray and, for all the Lord Tenny’ fans out there, the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade site in Balaclava. The best attractions, however, are on the shoreline headed east toward Russia, and they include the ancient Genoan fortress in Sudak, the incredible beaches and winery of Novy Svet an of course, Koktebel, which means Land of the Blue Hills in the Tatar language.

Koktebel is known historically for its literary associations, notably poet Maximilian Voloshin, while its iconic image is the bridge-shaped Golden Gate rock located several hundred feet offshore from the Reserve Kara-Dag national park. The beach itself—covered with small, brightly colored pebbles—features typical summer activities like diving, windsurfing and water-skiing. Koktebel also draws big crowds in August for Neptune Day, when world-class body artists depict the birth of Venus on a host of naked “canvases.”

Koktebel is one of the more green-friendly spots in the otherwise less-tolerant Ukraine, but if stopped by the police, ask if paying a “fine” would suffice since many law enforcement officers can be bribed faster than a BP regulator. Also make sure to check the product first, though quality has improved in recent years. Crimea Blue, a Ukrainian hash-and-blueberry hybrid, placed second in the Indica category at the High Times Cannabis Cup three years ago.

Simferopol, the Crimean capital, is the main air and train hub for the peninsula. It even features the world’s longest trolleybus line, 54 grueling miles to Yalta, that makes a South American chicken bus seem like the Orient Express. Mini-buses and privately hired cars can take travelers to Koktebel and all other Crimean destinations.

Visit  www.travel2crimea.com or www.koktebel.info for additional info.

Believe it or not, Purple Gorilla is truly purple. Within this mild and subtle smelling strain are beautifully reflected, purple-colored trichomes nestled cozily inside the purple, green and orange bud. The potency of this indica-dominant hybrid comes off as mild, with its effects coming on gradually (read: creeper). Some of my friends say that the taste is reminiscent of the Diesel strain, and yet soft and mild as well.

A slow-paced, deliberate taste test is what this strain deserves, and Purple Gorilla is one that would be perfect for the novice. The medicinal properties of this strain (courtesy of the knowledgeable people at Chronic Pain Relief in Long Beach) come on nice and slow with a gentle body high and some cerebral lift. Purple Gorilla can help treat migraines, insomnia, nausea, muscle spasms, arthritis and it is especially effective for chronic pain.

Michael Phelps Choice O.G.

Well balanced in flavor, Michael Phelps Choice O.G. will give you a smooth cerebral high. This hybrid strain is 80 percent indica and 20 percent sativa and sports a fruity smell and taste that reminds me of a delicious Granny Smith apple pie. What a tasty and great way to treat the many ailments that this unique bud—its parent strains include O.G.—is admirably cultivated to handle.

Michael Phelps Choice O.G., which you can find at the Santa Ana Patient Group in Santa Ana, can tackle aches and pains and a whole host of other conditions and ailments, such as multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, cancer, anorexia, muscle spasms, glaucoma and nausea.

Strawberry Kush

You’re in for a delight for the senses. Strawberry Kush looks just like a frosty gumdrop and smells and tastes like strawberry. This 100 percent indica strain is crazy with crystals. Upon closer inspection you’ll discover a rainbow, with hues of minty green, orange and purple—plus those perfectly formed crystals.

Its amazing smell and taste make this the kind of strain (available at Canna Health Caregivers in Los Angeles) that you won’t be able to wait to share and enjoy with friends. The wholly noteworthy Strawberry Kush will do wonders in helping to treat patients suffering from chronic pain, muscle spasms and arthritis—but then again, this should come as no surprise for those who know that cannabis has been used to treat diseases and relieve pain for centuries.

Tangerine Haze

Tangerine Haze delivers a responsive hit with the unmistakable taste of (surprise, surprise) a ripe tangerine. This hybrid is 70 percent indica and 30 percent sativa, and available at Compassionate Wellness Center in Riverside. If AIDS/HIV, chronic pain, nausea and insomnia are the things that are affecting your quality of life, Tangerine Haze is likely the treatment you’ve been waiting for.

Reminiscent of fruity ChapStick and warm ocean breezes, this strain has a smooth taste with a citrus-y essence that gives way to a clear and light aftertaste. You will experience a great tingly rush from this dense and frosty-white bud. Yummy.

Kiss Goodnight Brownie

We’re certainly no strangers to medicated brownies that (duh) taste like medicated brownies—particularly if we’re dealing with atomic-strength baked goods. So when Kiss Goodnight Brownie arrived at CULTURE’s offices sporting a 90+ potency rating, we were expecting more of the same: a weed-flavored chocolate brick. We were wrong. While the cannabis flavor of this indica-dominant treat is definitely there, the moist sweetness and cake-like texture of the brownie basically overwhelmed the “green” taste and nearly made us forget that this was an edible (currently available at Beach Quality Caregivers in Midway City) capable of delivering a profound body high in addition to the titillation it will bring to the palate.

And that 90+—yeah, they’re not kidding. We were warned (“Just take a little bite”) and the advisory was definitely warranted. Expect a heavy body high that can make any ache and pain evaporate like a bad dream. Remember: start with a few nibbles . . . and then, good night, sweetheart.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

How delicious do these pretzels taste? So good, I’d eat them even if they weren’t medicated. They’re that tasty. These treats, available at Empire Patient Group in Mira Loma, showcase hefty index finger-thick pretzels liberally drizzled with rich, delicious chocolate (the vehicle for the medication). Did I say “drizzled”? I meant coated with chocolate and then given a decorative flourish with what appears to be white chocolate (or icing).

Flavor-wise, expect the yin of the sweet chocolate to dovetail superbly with the yang of the pretzels’ salty, nuttiness—a hybrid taste mélange that makes you wish you had five or six on hand to munch on rather than the two that come to a package. Without a doubt, one of the finest edibles we’ve had the pleasure of sampling.

THE STATE

Anticipated Anaheim case goes back to a lower court

In a highly scrutinized lawsuit involving Anaheim’s ban on medical marijuana dispensaries, a three-judge panel for California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal tossed the case back to a lesser court for further review. The ruling had been much anticipated because it was believed it could have established a clear precedent regarding whether cities in California have the right to ban dispensaries. More than 130 cities have already established dispensary bans of one type or another. About 36 cities (10 from Orange County) supported Anaheim’s ban, according to the Orange County Register.

The case, Qualified Patients Association v. City of Anaheim, stemmed from a lawsuit that was filed after Anaheim passed a dispensary ban in 2007. Qualified Patients filed for appeal in March 2008 after an Orange County Superior Court ruled that Anaheim could prohibit dispensaries.

The recent Court of Appeal decision also concluded that the prior court ruling was wrong when it declared that federal law trumped state law that allows the use of medical cannabis—something advocates and patients have been claiming for years.

Wildomar planning officials reject pro-dispensary ordinance

An ordinance that would allow medical-marijuana dispensaries in the Riverside County community of Wildomar was rejected last month by a 3-2 Planning Commission vote.

Commissioners heard from more than two dozen speakers at their Aug. 4 meeting, ultimately siding with the majority of residents who expressed reservations about dispensaries. Nearly all 20 of the opponents claimed Wildomar residency, while only three of 12 supporters lived in the city, according to the Southwest Riverside News Network.

“It’s unfortunate that we’re trying to measure this on a moral compass,” Wildomar resident Gina Castanon said at the meeting, according to SRNN. “The law has been passed in California. These people (who are opposed) are in denial.”

Earlier this year, the City Council had voted to draft the ordinance and send it to the Planning Commission to consider the zoning and land-use issues. The Council may still approve the ordinance at a later date, despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation.

Poll shows cannabis use among California’s registered voters

A new field poll shows that 47 percent of registered voters in California have smoked marijuana at least once in their life, with the highest concentration of users among people making less than $40,000 a year.

The poll, conducted for The Sacramento Bee, showed that the highest percentage of users claimed a medical condition as their primary reason, with relaxation and sleep inducement a close second. Only 24 percent said that it helps stimulate their creativity.

With this November’s ballot measure proposing the legal non-medical use of marijuana, the Bee found that cannabis use is most prevalent in the Bay Area and Northern California, and lowest in the Central Valley.

According to the state Board of Equalization, more than 400,000 Californians smoke pot daily.

THE NATION

Cannabis less dangerous than cigarettes and alcohol, survey shows

Cigarettes and alcohol may be legal, but in a survey of 1,000 adults, they’re viewed as more dangerous than marijuana.

Only 17 percent of respondents said that marijuana was riskier than drinking alcohol, and 24 percent said smoking cannabis was worse than cigarettes. On the other hand, half of the adults surveyed said they believe alcohol use is more dangerous than recreational marijuana use and 46 percent believe cigarettes are the least desirable vice.

The survey, by Rasmussen Reports, was conducted July 21 and 22. Men held the stronger belief about marijuana being safer, and that feeling was most intense among young adults, according to the poll.

Florida woman holds on to pot plant because it’s “cute”

A Florida woman arrested on suspicion of marijuana cultivation told authorities that the only reason she kept a plant on her property was because it looked “cute.”

Jacqueline Moore, 55, said she received the plant from a neighbor several months prior, and placed it near the curb in front of her Holiday, Fla., home because it had grown too large, the St. Petersburg Times reported. A Pasco County sheriff’s deputy noticed it while driving by.

Moore told the deputy that she doesn’t smoke marijuana, but held onto the plant because she felt it was visually appealing, the newspaper reported. Her bail was set at $2,000.

Judge doesn’t recognize Hawaiian man’s medical card

Medical marijuana card or not, a Hawaii man on probation for a recent conviction will be in violation if he tests positive for pot, a judge has ruled.

Kaleo Roberson, 35, was sentenced to five years probation and 500 hours of community service following a no-contest plea to counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and promotion of a detrimental drug, according to the Maui News. Authorities said they found nearly 500 grams of marijuana in Roberson’s kitchen cabinet, and $1,030 and 12.7 grams of marijuana in the master bedroom closet.

At the sentencing hearing, Second Circuit Court Judge Shackley Raffetto ordered Roberson not to consume alcohol or drugs—or medical marijuana. “I am not going to recognize your medical marijuana card, so if you test positive for that you will be in violation,” Raffetto told Roberson, according to the News.

He added that he’d only recognize a card if Roberson’s physician signed a statement under oath stating a specific diagnosis that requires marijuana, with no other alternative.

THE WORLD

Spanish researchers cite possible new tumor treatment

A Spanish medical journal has concluded that THC can reduce tumor growth in metastatic breast cancer, and could be a new tool for treatment of the disease.

The study was published in the Journal of Molecular Cancer, and cites investigators from Complutense University in Madrid. They said that THC applied to certain breast tumors in mice reduced growth and frequency.

“These results provide a strong pre-clinical evidence for the use of cannabinoid-based therapies for the management of ErbB2-positive breast cancer,” the journal concluded.

Past studies have shown that THC can be effective in treating a wide range of cancers, including brain, lung, skin cancer and lymphoma.

Prime Minister’s neighborhood includes a grow house

Marijuana grow houses can be anywhere in Canada—even down the road from the Prime Minister.

Authorities in Calgary recently reported that they had busted one such operation—in the neighborhood that Prime Minister Stephen Harper calls home—that netted 848 plants. The resident was charged with cultivation, as well as stealing electricity and water.

Inspector Kevin Forsen of the Alberta Law Enforcement Reponse Team told The Canadian Press that it’s not uncommon to bust a pot house in the most affluent or well-kept neighborhoods.

“We’re finding illegal marijuana grow operations throughout urban and rural Alberta,” he told the newswire. “It doesn’t matter what type of residence.”