From Red to Pink - Part III: THE STARTUP
Written By Lindsey Gunter
Getting hired at “Red” was a surreal blur, and the company itself was more the latter definition of startup. By the time I got my red jacket, I was already elbow-deep in the supply chain and hooked on the nitro cold brew available on tap, as well as absolutely loving the company culture. I never personally found it to be as hostile and bro-like as some might suggest, just the usual pronounced levels of ego from upper-management, slowing down decision-making from time to time due to petty, pseudo-professionalism. Nothing anyone hasn’t seen before.
Remember that part in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, when Jack Skellington discovers Christmas Town? Yeah, that was me. Something new and exciting was happening to me! What I used to think was boring business information after watching my parents grow a small business into a multi-million-dollar corporation my entire life, revealed itself to be an enterprising acumen paired with passion-fueled intuition. But there was also another aspect that came with this new job that I wasn't expecting.
How to Combat Stoner Stigma
Written By Benjamin Gold
Today, more Americans support cannabis legalization than at any point since its prohibition, with 78% believing it holds medical value. While more Americans are consuming cannabis for different reasons, we remain beholden to the idea that stoners are lazy, forgetful, and use it only for recreational purposes.
From Red to Pink - Part II: The Backstory
Written By Lindsey Gunter
THE BACKSTORY: Have you ever seen that movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street”? You know the part where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character is dragging himself for dear life to his car on quaaludes? Yeah, some of us watch that and can’t laugh nor stare in disbelief; we only remember seeing our loved one(s) like that in real life. Watching that scene immediately transported me to the parking lot of my middle school in Houston.
My dad, who was having a major back spasm and seizing inside the open trunk, was asking me to not tell mom I had to drive us home (again). I was waving the rich girls of the local neighborhood off with a smile, dismissing the situation as handled, just so they could walk the short distance home to their own lovely, messed up lives where they threw themselves down flights of stairs to frame new stepmothers.
How Government Regulation of Cannabis and Tobacco Helps Synthetic Drug Makers
Written By Mike Robinson
Almost all of the reefer madness pioneers smoked cigarettes while demonizing cannabis, claiming that tobacco smoking was medicinal. For centuries, tobacco was thought to have medicinal properties and was used to treat various ailments. In the 16th century, doctors even prescribed it for conditions such as colds, headaches, and toothaches.
From Red to Pink - Part I: The Beginning
Written By Lindsey Gunter
THE BEGINNING: I’ll never forget a co-worker asking to meet for a break that day. This was strange, since he hadn’t for quite some time. We had both been promoted to managing different states on different teams, and were effectively on almost different schedules entirely as a result. I came in two hours sooner because Arizona wakes up at least two hours before us Californians do. But, on this day of days, there was an impending “All Hands” meeting vaguely and suspiciously defined to start at what appeared to be changing times.
Encyclopedia Brownweed & The Case of the Missing Stash
Written By Dan Isenstein
Bueno Verde is the stoniest little town in all of California. And nobody was stonier, or smarter for that matter, than Raefer Bogart. But nobody ever called him Raefer (except his lady) and you better not call him “Bogart,” because nobody was more generous with his reefer than Raefer.
Everyone in town called him Encyclopedia Brownweed. An encyclopedia is a book or books filled with facts. Nobody in town knew more about weed than Raefer. Encyclopedia was not just a smoker, but a grower and award winning breeder.
May the Microforce Be With You
Written By Jon Cory
Unlike the well-known Grateful Dead song, lately, it occurs to me…what a short, commonplace jaunt this has been.
I just started microdosing psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in “magic” mushrooms. I researched two different dosing schedules, the Paul Stamets and Fadiman protocols, and decided on the Fadiman Protocol. Every three days I consume a .1g dose of locally grown Psilocybe cubensis (a.k.a. “Penis Envy”).
Having never tripped, I can affirm that microdosing has been entirely underwhelming. When compared to having an alcoholic drink or hitting a joint, I simply don’t feel any different. Then again, microdosing isn’t about short-term pursuits with short-term results. This is a long game, with lasting effects on one’s well-being.
Rare, Ancient Axe Handle Tree Used By Aboriginal Peoples is a Relative of Cannabis
Written By Mike Robinson
Aphananthe is a small genus of five species, one of which was discovered by the legendary French botanist Jules Émile Planchon (1823-1888), a man who named countless growing vines, twigs, and trees. He studied pharmacy and medicine in Montpellier and returned to this university as a professor of botany in 1853.
Before this, he taught and worked at the Royal Botanic Gardens, better known as Kew Gardens, located in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Cannabis, a member of the family Cannabaceae, is grown at Kew Gardens. "How to eat to save the world," an article by their staff featuring the health benefits of hemp seeds, was just published on the Kew Website in July.
Burnout: When Burning One Down Just wasn’t Enough
Written By Wilfred Maina
I am burnt out.
I hate typing out those words, but it’s true. I am burnt out, and I have to play the cards I’ve been dealt.
So, let’s talk about burnout.
KushCon Cannabis Convention Provides “Cures” for Many Ills
Written By Natalie Goldberg
In April, the cannabis magnate, KushCon, approached me on social media with hopes that I could spread marketing throughout Tampa. As a Tampa native, I was overjoyed to complete this mission. Then, in June, the stars aligned as my beloved Fat Nugs Magazine invited me to contribute. Ultimately this led to sharing a booth with Vee, The Traveling Cannabis Writer, at the KushCon convention. My cannabis future seemed to be taking shape. I hadn’t stepped foot in the Tampa convention center since being a kid, so I knew I was in for a surprise.
You’re Invited
Written By Kaitlin Coghill
Hello sweet portal,
we meet once more.
It took only two puffs
to open the door.
The Token Chosen: Jews, Joints, and Cannabis’ Continuing Role in Jewish History
Written By Benjamin Gold
The Jewish relationship with cannabis stretches through time immemorial - from the ancient Israelite priests to the modern-day activists who fight for restorative justice. As doctors reassess their understanding of cannabis, which has been tinged by decades of racist government propaganda, it’s important to look back and see how our people have historically approached cannabi as well as its role in shaping society and criminal justice. For curious stoners, the new exhibit at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Am Yisrael High: The Story of Jews and Cannabis, enlightens members of the tribe as to its forgotten history with cannabis.
Green Future Dreams
Written By Jon Cory
Here’s a scenario with which I’m sure you’re familiar: You pull up to your favorite fast food drive-thru. Even though you picked the restaurant and knew what you wanted, it’s nice to have options. Maybe try something new? Maybe not.
“Yeah, lemme get uhhhhhh…”
Similarly, I’d wager this scenario is familiar: You enter your favorite grocery store. Aisle upon aisle of easily recognizable and categorized items. Especially when you get to the Health Care aisle, where you find multiple options for pain relief, indigestion, allergies, straps and braces - not to mention varieties of supplements aimed at specific conditions.
Tolerance Breaks Crack Me Open
Written By Scarlet Weaver
In all reality, life can be an uphill battle at times for those of us who struggle with our mental health. There is no easy fix and sometimes no end in sight. Four years ago, I started using cannabis as an aid in my mental health “journey.” I hate to use that word, but I don’t have a better one. The difficulties never went away, but they became so much easier to manage. At this point in my life, my patterns are almost becoming second nature to me. I know my own patterns and know when I need to use a healthy coping mechanism.
Knobs and Bongs
Written By Natalie Goldberg
Recently, I decided to have a mystical experience with a bong I have not used before. I have kept it on a shelf because it was a gift and I felt it was too beautiful to use. It was discovered in the faraway lands of Oklahoma. This particular psychedelic moment seemed to call to this particular bong. I filled the bowl, and upon lighting it I knew I was going to feel the universe a little louder. Once I lit the bowl and watched all the cannabis fibers rise up in flames, I began speaking to the bong only because I felt that it was speaking to me first.
How My Cannabis Compassion Journey Turned Me Into the Ultimate Researcher
Written By Mike Robinson
"You have cancer." These words dig deep into the core of one's soul and change a person forever. You either learn to be a warrior or prepare for your end times. Determined to beat the disease without resorting to conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, I turned to cannabis oils, as they were the only route I thought I could take against three different cancers running concurrently - and still have a fighting chance of surviving.
Cannabis Carrie Bradshaw
Written By Natalie Goldberg
I was watching the classic Sex and The City series the other night and wondered, what would it be like if Carrie Bradshaw was a full-time marijuana user? Carrie Bradshaw, who is played by Sarah Jessica Parker on the popular HBO series Sex and The City, has captured many women’s attention over the years, including mine. I named my Barbies Janey Glenn and Lynn Stone from the characters in Girls Just Want to Have Fun, where SJP played the character of a forlorn-Catholic school girl who is suppressed by her strict father, yet sneaks out of her house to dance on live TV. This and other tantrums of Sarah’s, as displayed on my television over the decades, had a direct influence on my own mannerisms, so much so that we now have many more similarities.
Keeping Cool
Written by Jon Cory
One of my favorite scenes of Marvel’s The Avengers is the alien attack on New York City. Bad guys and giant flying worm/bugs are pouring endlessly out of a wormhole, destroying everything and everyone in their path. For the first time, the Avengers are facing a foe together, and yet one of their key members has yet to prepare for the imminent battle. In fact, he’s quite calm.
For the Culture Networking Event Bridges Gap Between Legacy Growers and Industry Pros
Written by Frank Drebin
This past Friday, Cannabis Management Solutions CEO, Mike Fantasia, a Boston-based cannabis consultant, event host and self-proclaimed “Cannabis Entrepreneur," held his first For the Culture B2B Legacy and Industry Networking Party. These networking events are perfect for building bridges within the cannabis industry, which is why Fat Nugs Magazine embraced the opportunity to sponsor the event.
How the Hemp Family Cannabaceae Creates Your Beer
Written by Mike Robinson
For the last century, cannabis has gained a bad rap. Reefer madness and more have beat up this plant, a member of the Order Rosales, which is known for producing some of the most popular ornamental flowers and edible fruits. Apart from a wide variety of roses, other products of Rosales include apples, cherries, peaches, plums, pears, raspberries, strawberries and figs. But wait - there are a few others, including Cannabaceae, which itself has over 170 plants as members. Hops are one of them, which we all know is famous for bringing us beer.
Using essential thinking, it would seem that if one loves roses one should also love cannabis. But this issue gets very cloudy for the individual holding onto their favorite cold beer while also putting down our beautiful beloved nuggets of weed, potheads, ganja growers, reefer lovers, stoners, medical patients and anyone else who might find pleasure and relief from a plant in the same family that created their frosty beverage.