PUBLISHER’SLETTER

COVER IMAGE: CLIFF MAYNARD | CHRONIC-ART.COM

So May is here and spring has sprung! We at NUG
have been super busy and just got back from the
THC Expose in Los Angeles. There is a great layout
MAY 2010 VOL. 2 ISSUE #5 in this issue for those of you who missed the event.
Look for a huge product review in the June issue for
NUG Magazine Staff: all of the cool products I found at the Expose!
Publisher: Ben G. Rowin
Of course, we had to honor the Hemporer, Jack
Associate Publisher: Brandon Lee Herer, in this issue. As most of you know we lost a
true warrior for the hemp and cannabis movement.
Editor: Dion Markgraaff Jack’s book “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” is an
inspiration to all who have read it! It is with a heavy
Associate Editor: M.J. Smith
heart that we must keep up with everything we are
Administrative Assistant: Gio Blitz doing because that is what Jack would have wanted
us all to do. His tireless efforts for the movement will
Copy Editor: Hashley not likely ever be matched, and his shoes are much
too big for any one person to fill! But together we can
Proofreader: Joan Douglass, J.D. continue pushing on and make him proud! Rest in
Peace JACK!!!
Events Editor: Cletus “KRON” Greathouse

Music Editor: Ras Mike Our cover image is from Cliff Maynard, an artist that
we covered in the very first issue of NUG maga-
Photographers: William West, Courtney zine for his amazing work using only roach papers.
Pakalolo, Gio Blitz Cliff was gracious enough to give us permission to
use his magnificent Jack Herer piece as our cover.
Calendar Editor: Courtney Pakalolo
Please check out more of his outstanding art and or-
Videographer: Chris Gabriel der some prints for yourself at www.chronic-art.com.

Contributors: “The Guru”, Dion Markgraaff, Kim
Twolan, Darcy Stoddard, Terrie Best, Eugene
Davidovich, James Dean Stacy, Colby Benham,
Ava Madison, Scott Whytsell, Amelia Amore,
Marc Emmelmann, Gerald Singleton,
Dannabis Ruderalis, Hal Slater, Pamela Jayne,
Deborah Malka MD, J.D. Smith, Lance Rogers,
Erica Marie Santana, Goldi Schiffner, Melissa
Balin, Brenda Kershenbaum
Green Reefer Comic by. Joshua Boulet
May is also Mother’s Day, so we could not forget to address the women in our lives. Our editor has written a great
piece on Women in the Movement and one of our patient profiles this month is on Wendy Christakes, who has been
fighting it out on the front lines in San Diego for years.
On a personal note, since it is Mother’s Day this month, I wanted to take some space to thank my own mother for
all of her support over the years, putting up with the clouds of smoke coming from my room while growing up and
being an inspiration to go after anything I aspired to be! I love you mama bear! Also, to my beautiful wife, thank you
for being the mom that you are to our little one and for being the rock that keeps me grounded. Let’s all remember
this month to acknowledge the amazing women we are blessed to have in our lives.

Sales Director: Ben G. Rowin Stay up to date by logging on to www.nugmag.com and see all the additional photos and videos from the past
month.
Advertising Sales Reps: Dion Markgraaff,
Cletus Greathouse, Eugene Davidovich, Brom
Richey, James Dean Stacy, Myles Liddle -Ben G. Rowin
Art Director: Ian Rie

CONTENTS
Finance Manager: M.J. Smith

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info@beausdistribution.com

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8 | NUGMAG.COM

Mother Earth Fallbrook Update
By: J.D. Smith
“We did everything by the book,” said owner Bob Riedel, as he
wandered the rooms that house Mother Earth Alternative Heal-
ing Cooperative, Inc., Fallbrook’s first and only licensed medical
marijuana dispensary. The not-for-profit co-op was state registered
when it opened last summer. It had a resale license. It was even
granted membership in the city’s Chamber of Commerce and al-
lowed to take part in the community’s annual Christmas parade.
But on Feb. 5, Mother Earth was forced to close when it was served
an order “to cease and desist” after months of red tape and wran-
gling with the County’s building department. “We have not moved
and we are working with the county, but we will not break the law
or, in this case, a court order,” said Riedel.
The story of Mother Earth and its nearly 1,000 members - 80
percent of whom are between the ages of 50 and 80 - is not just
another sad chapter in the history of medical marijuana in the state.
It’s also a convoluted tale with more twists than a tightly rolled
spliff.
Ever since California voters legalized pot for medical use when
they passed Proposition 215, better known as the Compassionate
Use Act, the county of San Diego has proved far from compas-
sionate in the all-out war it appears to be waging against medical
dispensaries. Even though medical marijuana co-ops are registered
under the state’s Food and Agricultural Code and legal under Cali-
fornia law, several San Diego marijuana clinics have been raided
and shut down by federal and local law enforcement officers over
the years. As recently as last September, nine medical marijuana
dispensaries were closed down, including three in North County.
But Mother Earth, which opened last June and occupies a former
motorcycle shop at 434 Mission Avenue on the edge of downtown
Fallbrook, was not hit in that raid. Its troubles began well before
10 | NUGMAG.COM
then after Riedel applied in July 2009 for a building permit for
interior walls and a bathroom accessible to the handicapped. He
was open about his plans for the property from the start, he said,
informing officials that it was a medical marijuana dispensary.
He even went so far as to invite the local sheriff’s department to
tour the premises which includes a waiting room furnished with a
couch and chairs, art on the walls, and shelves stocked with prod-
ucts produced by the dispensary including cannabinoid lotions that
are rubbed into the skin to ease pain from illnesses such as arthritis.
Adjacent to the lobby is a small room where members can benefit
from discounted massages.
There is even an instructional classroom where free marijuana
cooking classes are held for members who want the benefits of
marijuana without having to smoke it, as well as free hydroponic
marijuana growing classes. The marijuana dispensed by the co-op
is grown by members for their own use. What they can’t use is
donated to the dispensary, Riedel explained, and the dispensary in
turn sells or donates the surplus pot to patients who can’t or don’t
want to grow their own. Nearly a third of Mother Earth’s members
are diagnosed as terminally ill. Many more suffer from illnesses
ranging from cancer and the effects of chemotherapy, AIDS,
anorexia, chronic pain, spasticity, glaucoma, arthritis, migraines,
and more.
Then in August – two weeks after Riedel first visited the build-
ing department – he was informed that the county had enacted
an emergency ban on any new medical marijuana dispensaries in
unincorporated areas, which includes Fallbrook, and his request
for a building permit could not be processed. Riedel, however, had
already proceeded with his remodel. That’s when he was told by a
building inspector that if he reduced the height of his interior walls
to six feet, he wouldn’t need a permit at all.
“But we couldn’t lower the walls,” said Riedel, who was bewil-
dered by the county’s requirement. “For one thing, the bathroom
would have no privacy and also, we were trying to create an
environment for safe access and (reducing the height) wouldn’t
have allowed that.” So, Riedel didn’t make the changes and on
September 28, he received his first letter of warning from the build-
ing department. Another arrived in the mail on October 9. Finally,
when the corrections to the walls weren’t completed by the depart-
ment’s November 9 deadline, three days later Riedel was issued a
$100 fine. Shortly after that he filed an appeal.
A hearing was held in January, when a county administrative “pro
tem” judge denied the appeal based, in part, on the emergency ordi-
nance and also that Riedel had proceeded with his remodel without
a permit. Riedel’s attorneys argued that the ban on new medical
marijuana clinics should not have been applied retroactively to
Mother Earth, since it had opened nearly two months prior to the
ban and because the moratorium did not include verbiage stating
that it is retroactive.
Gil Conaughton, the county land use and planning spokes-
man, was reported as saying after the hearing that Riedel told
code enforcement officials he was selling pot at the shop and
that is why the county then issued the cease and desist order.
Riedel maintains that he was open from the outset about the
purpose of his collective. “They knew from the moment I
applied for a permit,” he said.
Although now reopened, Mother Earth’s story may be far
from over. It was the talk of the town of Fallbrook, where the
dispensary’s closure ranked as third “most commented” on
the local Village News website. And during the time Mother
Earth was shut down, one of its patients blogged that, “As a
medicinal user, I am very saddened. Now I have to resort to
buying off the street or driving into downtown San Diego to
obtain my medicine.”
Gail Martin, Fallbrook’s Honorary Mayor and outspoken
supporter of the co-op, believes the community needs to
become “better informed” about the issues of medical mari-
juana and is attempting to organize a Town Hall meeting.
Dwayne Stein, one of Riedel’s attorneys, declined to com-
ment other than to confirm that “an appeal is pending.”
No One is Safe from Drug War Tactics:
“Murder at Trail’s End Ranch; The
Donald Scott Story”
By: Lance Rogers, Esq.
The following true story is based on the Ventura County
District Attorney’s official report concerning the death of
millionaire Donald Scott during a marijuana raid in 1992.
Donald (age 61) and Frances lived on a 200 acre ranch in
Malibu, California known as the “Trail’s End Ranch.” Both
were eccentric nature lovers. Donald carried an antique
chrome-plated six-shooter with him whenever he and Fran-
ces hiked the nearby mountains. He liked to entertain his
friends with his patented quick draw routine.
Sometime in September of 1992, members of the Los
Angeles Sheriff’s Department allege that an anonymous
informant told them Donald was growing 3,000 marijuana
plants on the property. Curiously, this “informant” has never
come forward. Some people believe there was never any
informant at all. Rather, many speculate that the real motive
for the investigation and raid of Donald Scott was the legal
process known as “Asset Forfeiture” under the state and
federal drug laws. Under that authority, the government can
take property that it believes to be associated with illegal
drug activity. Skeptics believe that the City of Los Angeles
or federal government may have had their eyes on the Trail’s
End Ranch, prime real estate situated at the base of the San
Bernardino hills.
Whatever the motive, in the early morning hours of October
2, 1992, a force of 31 state and federal officers cut the
padlock on the front gate and descended on the quiet ranch.
Officers presumably rounded up and muzzled the couple’s
Rottweiler dogs. To this day, Frances believes the agents
split open the head of one of the dogs because it was trying
to protect them. Of course, no one will ever know because
the offending Border Patrol agent is immune from further
investigation.
According to police reports, the agents banged on the door
and yelled out “Sheriff’s Department! We have a search war-
rant! Open the door!” According to Frances, she never heard
knocking at the door or anyone yell out. Instead, she woke
up to a man’s face at the front door yelling, “Let me go first.”
And then all hell broke loose.
Surprisingly, the police account of the shooting and Frances’
version are fairly consistent. Upon hearing Frances’ cries for
help, Donald entered the living room holding his six-shooter
up in the air. He called out, “Frances, are you all right?” At
that point, two officers fired at Donald from 8-10 feet away.
Donald flinched backward, dropped to his knees and fell
forward. As he fell, he said something to the effect of “You
got me” or “Oh God, you shot me.” Blood poured from his
chest.
After the shooting, law enforcement scoured the property for
evidence of marijuana cultivation. No marijuana was found
growing and no evidence was found to indicate that mari-
juana had ever been grown or cultivated on the property.
The DA’s own investigation of the shooting concluded that
“forfeiture was at least one of the motivating factors for ob-
taining and serving the search warrant.” In other words, the
possibility of taking Donald’s land from him was at least part
of the officers’ motivation for the raid. The report went on
to state “there is no question that the property here would be
a valuable addition to the National Recreation Area.” The
DA’s report is available at http://www.outpost-of-freedom.
com/scott.htm
Frances and Donald’s four children filed a $100 million
lawsuit against the county and federal government. The case
dragged on for more than 8 years before it was settled out of
court for $5 million.
Lance Rogers is a Marijuana Defense Attorney and proud
member of ASA and NORML. This information is not pro-
vided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is
not intended to constitute legal advice.
NUGMAG.COM | 11
   

Making Cents of Prisons

By: James Stacy

Making
One of the biggest problems with the war on medical marijuana is the fact that our
prison system is privately owned. Prisons are now a profit center for big business
and they need to fill them up to stay in the black. To keep costs low and profits high,
they need to find prisoners who they can keep for a long time, who do not break the
rules. Enter the state’s law abiding medical marijuana patient. With the outrageous
mandatory minimums set for drug offenders they can raid medical marijuana patients,
disregard the state law and create instant profit for their big business. To insure that

Cents
the DA and police play along, they have seizure laws. This is the best part for law
enforcement. Did you know that 30 days after they arrest you they can keep any cash
that they have seized? It does not matter that you have not been to court yet. They
can take everything that you have and sell it and they get to keep the money.
 
Here in San Diego they have found the solution around these pesky state laws by
cross swearing the NTF (Narcotics Task Force). This way they can arrest people who
are following the state laws that the NTF are hired to uphold by simply saying they
are in violation of federal law. By having the people who they arrest take plea deals,
they make even more money. If they have them sign a paper that lists them as a drug
offender or gang member, the federal government pays them bonus money. This is
money that they can spend on anything they want and do not have to tell the people
of San Diego what they spend it on.
 
So, what can we do? The first thing that we must do is demand that the prison system
be run by the state and not private corporations. The next thing we can do is support
HR 3939 the Truth in Trials Act. This will give a defense to medical marijuana patients
in federal court. We must stop our government from hiring private companies to do
Making Cents of Prohibition the things that they tax us for. The system that we are in now is only good for the
By: Ava Madison companies that they hire and hurts the rest of the country.

Cannabis has been used for thousands of years for food, medicine, fuel, fiber, “Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual
paper, and more. Cannabis is an annually renewable plant, meaning it’s self- than the use of the drug itself.” - President Jimmy Carter August 2nd, 1977
sustaining. If there was no prohibition, prices would drop dramatically! In 1916 &
1917, there were breakthroughs in hemp cultivation and harvesting technologies
that would save time, save money, be good for the environment, and increase
productivity. However, a couple of private-industry owners in timber (Hearst),
oil and coal (DuPont), believed hemp and cannabis would be DISASTROUS
to business. Furthermore, Anslinger, who headed then what is now the DEA,
and was a nephew of DuPont’s banker, spread lies based on racism, fear, and
ignorance to Congress to further self-interests, which were complimented by
Hearst’s newspaper and media coverage.*

Just as lawmakers and legislators of today try to keep the populace in the dark
on certain subjects with secret meetings, late announcements, and location
changes, so did the prohibitionists of 1937. American Medical Association (AMA)
doctors realized just two days before a 1937 hearing, that the plant Congress in-
tended to outlaw was known medically as cannabis, the benign substance used
in America with perfect safety for over one hundred years. When the Physician
at the hearing asked why the meeting was prepared in secret, Anslinger and the
committee had him curtly excused. When the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was
voted on, it was asked if the AMA was consulted. Rep Vinson replied quickly that
they were and that they are in “complete agreement.”*

*Remembering Jack Herer* Get more information about the marijuana con-
spiracy by picking up the world’s most recognized cannabis & hemp reform book
“The Emperor Wears No Clothes,” whose author Jack Herer is one of the most
celebrated marijuana activists in history. Jack passed away in April (June 18,
1939 – April 15, 2010). Honor Jack by picking up his book and aiding in ending
marijuana prohibition, like Jack would love to see.

Approximately 50% of all drug enforcement money, federal &

state, during the last 70 years has been directed toward mari-
juana!

Since 1937, marijuana prohibition has led to the arrest of over

20 million Americans.

In 2007, there were 872,720 arrests - 90% for possession alone.

Someone is arrested for a marijuana offense every 36 seconds.

Despite the dangers that come with marijuana prohibition, more

than 97 million, over half of all Americans, have admitted to us-
ing marijuana - including the President!

NUGMAG.COM | 15
The Invisible Majority
Even though the tunnel is long and filled with diver-
sions there is still a light at the end. The journey
that has shown me the true nature of the Prohibi-
tionist has also shown me many wonderful allies. In
October 2009 when I committed to being an activist I
anticipated losing 40% of my business. (56% vote ap-
proval of prop 215 = 40% disapproval= 40% job loss).
THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!
I have been open with Aerospace companies and soc-
cer moms, Corporate CEOs and city workers; all from
outside the MMJ community. People who do not even
use cannabis (I think)! The worst reaction was ab-
ject neutral apathy. “That’s nice, but can you fix my
mail server?” My mother, the lifelong Republican and
devoted “illegal drug” hater, has seen what I am do-
ing. Her response floored me and brought tears to my
eyes. She reminded me of the arguments over cannabis
we had when I was a teenager. She would say it was
against the law, I would say it is harmless and the
law is stupid...
Her response, which she needed to remind me of, “I
always told you that if you did not like the laws
then change them, and son, that looks like exactly
what you are doing.” This conversation took place
in 2010 and was the first time I mentioned my activ-
ism, let alone my arrest in 2004, to mom. As tough
as that conversation was, the anticipation and dread
were far worse.
The same was true with my non MMJ clients. Frequently
I hear that my passion, my activism, is supported by
others, if I could just not mention their name...
Right there. Did you see that? That is the fear! THAT
is the ENEMY! It’s like going to the beach when we
were kids. You see someone out in the six foot surf.
You watch as the waves crash over them, but they are
still there when the water recedes. It must be safe
to go into the 2 foot waves. That is kind of fun,
so then you try the 3 foot waves. Even better but
you still check to make sure the guy in the six foot
surf is still there. He is, so you feel safe, and you
enjoy the waves. If that guy was not there, if any-
thing happened to him, you would not go back to the
2 foot waves, you would leave the water. The reality
is that there is not just one person in the six foot
surf, there are many in San Diego alone! Some have
gone far beyond the 6 foot waves and THEY are still
there also. Even in San Diego, the MMJ community is
filled with typical representations of regular citi-
zens. What could be scarier to a prohibitionist? We
look like they look, dress like they dress, talk like
they talk. We live right next door to you. We are the
invisible majority and our discontent is growing.
For over 20 years I wore a mask, lived a dual iden-
tity, a split personality. The cannabis connoisseur
to a select few and a clean cut corporate IT geek
to everyone else. I hid my consumption from almost
NUGMAG.COM | 17

everyone I interacted with. How
many people smoke just to hide
the smell of cannabis? A little
secret the tobacco companies do
not want you to know, but it
is one reason for them to back
prohibition. For 5 years I grew
my own cannabis, and my personal-
ity split worsened. Only a hand-
ful of people knew the real Dan,
Dannabis. Everyone else got the
mask. People may not know what
is behind the mask but they are
smart enough to see the mask.
This distance kept me from estab-
lishing relationships with anyone
that was not a cannabis user, and
even then I was paranoid (rightly
so) of whom I could really trust.
This isolation and fear is the
planned, designed, and implement-
ed strategy of the prohibition-
ist.
18 | NUGMAG.COM
But is it really working? Look at
all the people in the BIG surf...
I am still here, aren’t I? And far
better than just survival, we have
achieved victories. With Jovan
Jackson’s case the jury reported
that they couldn’t convict since
the law was unclear. To me that
suggests an inclination to convict
if the law was not so vague. But
with Eugene Davidovich’s case the
jury response was overwhelmingly
clear. “We believe in you young
man. What happened to you was ter-
rible.” No ambiguity with the law,
just a shameful abuse of it.
So come get your feet wet.
Pay attention to the sources of
Cannabis news.
San Diego Americans for Safe Access.
www.safeaccesssd.org
www.safeaccessnow.org
Meet others like you at meetings
or online - http://www.meetup.com/
safeaccesssd has many good resourc-
es and will help to keep you up to
date. If you would rather focus on
friendships than activism part-
nerships then check out:
www.meetup.com/SanDiegoCannabisFellowship
And for goodness sakes pick up
a Nug Magazine, they are every-
where, even 7-11’s.
Also, remember to do whatever is
necessary to make sure you feel
safe. Use a fake name, I do (kind
of), don’t share more than what
you are comfortable with, and let
people know what your boundaries
are. We understand. We really do.
We are neither blind nor igno-
rant to the stigmas, both real
and perceived, that many people
face. So keep an eye on those of
us that are in the BIG waves. If
the time comes to get out of the
water then you will know by what
happens to us.
How can we help you? How can we
help you help us? How can we help
you help us help you?
My mom’s son, Dannabis Ruderalis
Proactivism Computer Connections
San Diego Americans for Safe Ac-
cess
 Women of the California
Cannabis Revolution
By: Dion Markgraaff
Women have always played a huge and under-
reported role in all revolutions, with classic ex-
amples in the Paris Commune (1871), Russian
(1917), and now with revolutionary changing poli-
cies with cannabis.
NUG Magazine recognizes some of the major
women advocates fighting for everyone’s rights
here in California.
Valerie Corral
Valerie Corral is a patient who, along with her
husband Mike, founded the apex of compas-
sion in California, WAMM - Wo/Men’s Alliance
for Medical Marijuana. She is such a leader that
she was fighting for medical cannabis and win-
ning in court years before the Compassionate
Use Act became law.
In 1993, Valerie became the first person to suc-
cessfully argue a medical necessity defense for
cannabis use in California. She then helped to
pass Measure A, the Santa Cruz County pre-
cursor to the statewide Prop 215, calling for the
non-prosecution of medical marijuana patients.
What is most unique about their collective is that
they GIVE AWAY the medicine. In a July 1997
New York Times article, Valerie was referred to
as “the Florence Nightingale and Johnny Apple-
seed of medical marijuana rolled into one,” and
in Santa Cruz, California, Valerie Corral is con-
sidered a hero.
Along with the other members of WAMM, Val-
erie and Mike do research on different strains of
cannabis and supply free (or by donation) high
quality, organically grown medicine to seriously
ill patients who qualify for the collective. WAMM
serves a couple hundred members who suffer
from terminal (85%) and chronic illnesses.
In September 2002, the DEA raided the Corrals’
home. This crisis prompted the city and county
of Santa Cruz to join with WAMM in suing the
federal government over the raids. With the Ra-
ich v. Ashcroft decision having established that
the federal government does not have jurisdic-
tion to interfere with medical marijuana patients
and caregivers like the Corrals, they got a pre-
liminary injunction protecting them from any fu-
ture raids or arrests.
Through Valerie and Michael Corral and other
members of WAMM, all of the people of Califor-
nia were represented well against the efforts of
the federal government, with whom the Corrals
recently reached a settlement of their lawsuit.
Steph Sherer
Steph Sherer is the Executive Director for Amer-
icans for Safe Access, the most effective organi-
zation in the medical cannabis movement. She
20 | NUGMAG.COM
has been the leader of this vital group which
has fought for our medical cannabis rights.
Americans for Safe Access (ASA) is the larg-
est national member-based organization of
patients, medical professionals, scientists,
and concerned citizens promoting safe and
legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use
and research. ASA works to overcome po-
litical and legal barriers by creating policies
that improve access to medical cannabis for
patients and researchers through legislation,
education, litigation, grassroots actions, ad-
vocacy, and services for patients and their
caregivers. ASA has over 30,000 active mem-
bers, with chapters and affiliates in more than
40 states.
Steph Sherer being arrested at a protest.
Medical cannabis patients and Steph Sherer
founded ASA in 2002 in response to federal
raids on patients in California. Ever since
then, ASA has been instrumental in shaping
the political and legal landscape of medical
cannabis. Our successful lobbying, media,
and legal campaigns led to positive court
precedents, new sentencing standards, more
compassionate legislative and administrative
policies and procedures, and new legislation.
ASA protects the rights of cannabis patients
and is working to change federal policy for
patients.
Before ASA, Steph lived in San Diego and
was the key local organizer for the global
justice movement, for which she was nation-
ally recognized as leading local activist efforts
to challenge the biotechnology industry, the
Free Trade Agreement for the Americas ne-
gotiations, and the World Trade Organization
ministerial.
Mikki Norris
Mikki Norris is one of the world’s foremost
activists and has traveled the globe to fight
for justice. She and her husband, Chris Con-
rad, are the publishers of the West Coast Leaf
newspaper. These two are cannabis’ most dy-
namic duo.
Mikki’s bio is a book itself, filled with numer-
ous accomplishments year after year.
The number one Cannabis’ dynamic duo Mikki
Norris and partner Chris Conrad at the THC
Expo in Los Angles.
Mikki obtained a BA degree in Sociology
from the University of California, Los Angeles
in 1974; and a Master’s Degree in Special
Education along with teaching credentials in
multiple subjects including working with the
communication-handicapped from the Cali-
fornia State University, Los Angeles in 1979.
She is a former teacher with the Los Angeles
Unified School District and the Los Angeles
Community College.
Mikki Norris has been an activist for drug pol-
icy reform since 1989 when she formed the
American Hemp Council with her husband,
Chris Conrad. In 1993, the couple moved to
Amsterdam to design exhibits for and curate
the Hash Marijuana Hemp Museum, which
is where I met them. As community action
co-coordinator for Californians for Medical
Rights, Mikki helped organize petitions to
qualify the medical marijuana initiative (Prop.
215) for the 1996 California ballot.
In 1995, shortly after moving to the San Fran-
cisco Bay area, Mikki decided to take on
broader Drug War issues and felt compelled
to put a human face on its prisoners’ and
their families’ plights through the creation and
development, with her husband and Virginia
Resner, of the photo exhibit project Human
Rights and the Drug War. The exhibit debuted
on the 50th anniversary of the UN to bring at-
tention to USA human rights violations in the
name of the Drug War, and it has since been
shown in various forms at events, conferenc-
es, universities, government buildings, and
libraries throughout the USA and Europe. The
three co-authored the book, Shattered Lives:
Portraits from America’s Drug War, which is
based on their photo exhibit, Human Rights
and the Drug War (www.hr95.org).
Mikki is also the director of the Cannabis
Consumers Campaign which focuses on dis-
pelling the negative myths and stereotypes
associated with cannabis use, upgrading the
image of marijuana users, ending discrimina-
tion and advocating for equal rights by en-
couraging people “to come out of the canna-
bis closet,” and promoting “pot pride” (www.
cannabisconsumers.org).
Also, Chris Conrad would not be the best ac-
tivist in the cannabis world without the con-
stant support of Mikki.
Debbie Goldsberry, pictured here on the right, is a California and
Global Cannabis Revolutionary leader.

Debbie Goldsberry
Debbie Goldsberry is the founder of the Cannabis Action Network and
is the director of the best dispensary in the state of California - Berke-
ley Patients Group. In addition, she is the co-founder of ASA.

Debbie has been at the forefront of the medical cannabis movement,

being a steady and unifying force. From unionizing her local Berkley
dispensaries, to helping for years with the High Times Cannabis Cup
in Amsterdam, Debbie has been there for many people in the can-
nabis movement.

Since 1989, Cannabis Action Network (CAN) has educated the gen-
eral public about the beneficial uses of cannabis. They also reach out
to medical and personal cannabis users to empower them to protect
their rights and safety. Their strategies focus on grassroots education
and outreach projects, using web-based tools, literature distribution,
public events like trainings and conferences, and other forms of com-
munication. They promote a good neighbor and sensible cannabis
use campaign, and teach people about their constitutional and juror
rights.

Through Debbie, Berkeley Patients Group is the best dispensary in

the state of California and a “national model” (even their city coun-
cil said so). This is because of the high quality standards they have
placed on themselves and the leadership they provide to the entire in-
dustry in every aspect of operation. From security, top meds, and the
most relaxing medication area, this collective is constantly educating
and serving the interests of their patient members.

The BPG 8,500 member collective has been serving society for over
10 years and gives away about $300,000 a year to organizations
like the Center for Early Intervention on Deafness across the street,
summer lunches to kids at the San Pablo Park recreation center, the
downtown YMCA, homeless organizations, the school-lunch program
at Malcolm X Elementary School and others.

Debbie and the dispensary she runs are so well respected in her own
community, the Berkeley City Council unanimously voted to proclaim
October 31, 2009 “Berkeley Patients Group Day”.

NUGMAG.COM | 21
READER
SUBMISSION
Cannabis is medical care:
Erica Marie Santana shares
stories of women in need
Someone smells like Marijuana!
I’m very proud to be employed by a doctor who sup-
ports and evaluates patients for medical cannabis rec-
ommendations. As a cardholder myself, I’m well aware
of the thoughts and feelings of the opposing side. I
have received a lot of the negative feedback that my
own family and friends have held over my head. I was
raised in a household where my afterthought is to
respect cannabis as a medicine. I’ve always wanted
to share that with people but society taught me to be
ashamed of that “silly nonsense”.
It was my first day at my new job. This woman comes
in and you can just tell she was having the worst day
of her life. It hurt me to witness her story and the dis-
crimination she went through. Recalling that day with
her was emotional. . .
She just got done taking her daily relief medicine and
went for a walk on the beach. The phone startled her
with its loud ring. The number was from back home
and was a number not saved in her phone book, so
she just knew this couldn’t be good news. “Honey,
your father died this morning . . . are you there?” “I’ll
take the first flight out,” she replied.
Walking back home she felt like she went deaf, looked
around and everything was moving in slow motion.
She was only three blocks away from home but it took
her over an hour to get to the front door. Her anxiety
about flying started weighing in. Here comes the film
strip of stress that you just can’t stop. Short movies on
how everything will go wrong. Book a flight, rent a car,
pack clothes, stop at the doctor’s and get a prescrip-
tion, go to the drugstore and pick up the prescription
. . . oh, and find a ride to the airport. Somehow she
found just enough strength and made all her travel ar-
rangements.
Pointless actions, and no time to stop and think. With
a blink of an eye she was in the parking lot at the doc-
tor’s office. Before she could get out of the car, well it
hit her - “my Dad died.” Tears began to gather and her
eyes could not keep them from falling. Like an infinity
pool, they rolled right off and down her face.
Disillusioned and obviously completely overwhelmed
by the events of the day, she stumbled through the
door. She doesn’t really remember how she came
across that day while explaining her issues - emer-
gency flight, her father’s passing, and the urgency
of her time limit. And yet, the biggest worry of them
all was that she couldn’t fly with her medication and
there was no way she would be able to eat for the two
weeks she’d be gone. She smokes cannabis to help
her appetite. In place, she received a prescription for Marinol, which is a synthetic THC that relieves nausea,
vomiting, and helps with loss of appetite. It comes in a pill form.
She started to feel a little better, at least about how the day was going. The drugstore was taking forever, but
they were not busy at all. Thinking something could be wrong, she walked back up to the pharmacist and
asked him why it was taking so long. He began to tell her that the form was not on a legal prescription paper
and they cannot fill it. She was so upset with the doctor’s office, of course, she called them right away and
began to yell.
Once my manager had the pharmacist on the line, he was immediately being rude. He didn’t know how to
answer her first question, “Why wouldn’t you call the telephone number provided on the sheet, so I could just
confirm the doctor prescription and that she is our patient?” The pharmacist began to explain that the customer
smelled like she’d been smoking marijuana. We were completely disgusted with this pharmacist and felt really
bad for our patient. We knew everything she had gone through that day already. This guy was making his per-
sonal judgment on this woman and taking it to a level of withholding her medicine, a medicine she had every
right to receive. I told the pharmacist, “Either way that has nothing to do with her Marinol prescription. For your
information, she is a woman who holds a legal medical cannabis recommendation that gives her the right to
possess, grow, and smell like marijuana!” Unfortunately, at this point he was just wasting our time.
Upset, but realizing our patient comes first, we suggested she go to a different pharmacy. The woman went
down the street to the same drugstore chain and had no problems filling her prescription, and then she was
off to her father’s funeral.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but there is no reason to make a person feel ashamed for smelling
like their medicine. I just wonder if she had gone in there smelling like alcohol or cigarettes if he would have
treated her with the same disrespect.
Rose Terry
Rose Terry is a woman who has lived in a convalescent home in El Cajon for over fifteen years, existing with
stomach cancer, diabetes, and being blind in one eye. Slowly dying, alone and in so much pain, she was just
waiting for her time of suffering to pass. Rose has no family left. She had a son once but he passed away a
long time ago, we think from a car accident. Her family is the nurses, caregivers, and volunteers who offer their
happy services to enrich these sick people’s life.
My grandmother has been in the same convalescent home for the past eight years. Rose has been her room-
mate for about the last five. Just recently, within the last few months, both my grandmother and Rose have
had a decline in their health. Although they have different health problems, they are both dealing with a slow
process of death. My mother and I are the only visitors that come in and see Rose and spend time with her.
She still has some ability to speak, unlike my grandmother. We always joke with the nurses that every time
we leave we say, “see you next week Rose,” and how she always responds with, “if I’m still alive”; and about
how, when we would walk in and say good morning to her and ask her how she’s doing, she never failed to
respond with, “I’m dying.”
NUGMAG.COM | 23

CONT...
For almost four months now, about twice a week,
we have gone in and visited the facility. In the begin-
ning, we would go and spend hours at a time there
hanging out to listen to volunteers come in to sing
and dance and have the people clap their hands,
or sitting and watching all the elderly play with arts
and crafts as if they were in preschool. Now with
her health fading, it has gotten harder to watch my
grandmother not be able to feed herself or walk any-
more because she has forgotten how to; and how,
instead of using the restroom, a caregiver comes
in and changes her Depends and moves her on
each side every two hours. She has turned into a
helpless woman who will be seventy-five years old
next month. We can’t stay more than a half hour at
a time. It sucks up all our emotional, mental, and
physical strength just to walk in and out of this place.
And it only gets harder each time we open that door
and sign-in on the visitor’s sheet.
Leaving there, I always feel so sad. It’s such a differ-
ent trip to see people in their last days. The majority
of the patients there have no idea what’s happen-
ing to them. Their brain has gone backwards into a
childlike state where they forget the simple mechan-
ics of everyday living and need someone to fully
take care of every necessity just to barely survive.
This week I walked out with a different feeling, like
I felt at peace but only for a moment, as if it was
someone else’s peace.
24 | NUGMAG.COM
When we walked in on February 3, we were stopped
by the head nurse. She wanted to warn us of Rose’s
condition. She said we have been her only visitors in
years and thought we should know about her health.
After all this time, she was now in her death-bed
stage. There was a hospice nurse on 24 hour call
preparing Rose in the best way to have a soothing
departure. The nurse explained that there would be
no funeral services because Rose didn’t have any-
one or money to support one. We also learned that
if a cremation wasn’t already paid for and setup, her
body would go into a common grave which can have
3-4 bodies in one casket. Our hearts were so heavy.
Before we walked in the room, we could already
hear the painful cries of Rose suffering, screaming
“it hurts, it hurts!”
Of course we were very concerned about the pain
she was enduring. We asked the hospice nurse if
they could give her any pain medicine so she could
get some peace. We discovered that there was a
slight issue because she didn’t have family to re-
quest pain killers and she couldn’t ask for them
herself. On top of that, the bigger problem was how
many pain medications she was allergic to.
A year ago, I decided that instead of my boyfriend
getting a refill on his anxiety medication, he should
get his marijuana card. I had started to notice the
effects that his medication was having on his daily
routine and active mood swings. Also, at the time,
I was taking pain killers for the three carpal tunnel
surgeries I’d had. The medicine I was taking be-
came addictive very quickly, and I started having
eating and aggression problems that I couldn’t con-
trol. It also contributed to my depression issues. So,
I also got my medical marijuana card.
After visiting Rose and seeing her die in agony, I
started to think about the fight for medical mari-
juana. My grandfather in Mexico was a doctor. He
died about six years ago of cancer. As a doctor, he
had decided instead of going through radiation, he
would use something of a holistic treatment, like
marijuana, which he prescribed to his patients in his
working years. If someone is about to die and is in
unbearable pain, should they be able to be given a
plant that could soothe their body to help them eat
and sleep?
I thought of the fight of Rose. And during this moment
of clarity, I realized that I can make a difference by
pushing the positive, life changing, and relieving as-
pect of medical marijuana. Rose had passed away. I
didn’t get a chance to see if I could help Rose die in
peace, but my grandmother will be there very soon,
looking at the end of her life. She can’t even talk to
tell us if and when she’s in pain. As for now, it just
looks painful. She grinds her teeth down every day
and will no longer eat any solid food. It’s like she’s
slowly disappearing.
Next time you hear someone who wants to regulate
on people’s right to die in peace - think of Rose Terry
from Brooklyn, New York, who died the morning of
February 4, 2010. She was a woman who I would
have liked to have given a chance at a death with
no pain.
“They’re radicals, someone has to keep control of
the radicals, we just can’t have them doing whatever
they want.” Not everyone is a radical that wants to
smoke some pot. Some people just want to live and
die in peace.
WENDY CHRISTAKES MOTHER,PATIENT
By: Eugene Davidovich
FREEDOM FIGHTER
A dedicated mother of three, activist, and medical marijuana patient; Wendy
Christakes with a severely injured back continues to be an integral part of the
San Diego medical marijuana community, and has helped defend patients’ rights
all the way to the Supreme Court.

Born in Hawaii and raised in a military family, Wendy lived for several years in
California and Hawaii in connection with her father’s military service. Having
graduated from Valhalla High School in 1995, she decided to settle in San Diego
and found employment at Sycuan Casino.

She first started working in the food service department, but then quickly
found her passion for electronics, transferred out of food service, and worked
at Sycuan as an electronics technician repairing gaming machines as well as
investigating and correcting variances in Sycuan’s accounting systems. In addi-
tion, Wendy was able to complete her Associates Degree in electronics.

In 2002, while at work and twenty four weeks pregnant, Wendy was taking a box
of equipment down from a six foot tall shelf. Having found the box to be heavier
than she anticipated, she lost her balance for a second, and while holding the
heavy box in her hands, landed on her feet. X-rays and MRI’s taken months
later showed two herniated discs in her back and bone fragments floating
around in her spine.

One of the herniated discs was surgically removed in a procedure covered by

her insurance company. Now, she is in need
of a spinal fusion; where herniated discs are
removed and replaced with titanium rods. Her
insurance company unfortunately, won’t cover
the procedure, and Wendy continues to suffer
daily.
Although she successfully delivered her baby,
she was forced to leave her job and get on dis-
ability, and the eighteen pills per day regiment
prescribed to her by her doctors was, as Wendy
put it, “sedating me into unconsciousness”.
Wendy was no stranger to the benefits of medi-
cal marijuana. In 1996, when her sister was
dying of cancer, medical marijuana was the
only thing that helped her eat and live her last
months in more comfort and less pain.
In an effort to reduce the harm the opiates and
muscle relaxers were causing, and after having
seen the relief herself that cannabis provided to
her sister, Wendy decided to incorporate medi-
cal marijuana into her own treatment. Within
two years, she was able to reduce eighteen pills
daily down to zero and get off disability.
When asked how exactly cannabis helped her,
Wendy explained, “without cannabis my mobil-
ity would be impaired, I would be in bed a lot
with back pain. With the use of medical canna-
bis, I can do yoga. The medicine alleviates pain
enough for me to be able to actually comb my
hair, something I could never do before while on
the prescriptions.
I have more energy and ability to do more with
my kids. I can clean and take care of the house
and not be too sedated or in too much agoniz-
ing and incapacitating pain.”
Wendy was also no stranger to the fight for the
right to use this medicine. She saw patients
constantly being harassed and arrested for
medical marijuana in San Diego and access to
the medicine quickly being eradicated.
In 2004, Wendy joined Americans for Safe
Access and began attending the local San
Diego Chapter meetings. Her activism and
dedication to the chapter catapulted her to the
forefront of the fight, and until 2007, Wendy
actively helped coordinate the local chapter
and was responsible for fundraising.
Wendy was planning local actions, helping
dispensaries prepare for raids, providing peer
counseling and actively conducting research
on how much money was being spent on the
eradication effort.
In early 2006, when San Diego County filed a
law suit against the state challenging Senate
Bill 420 and the state requirement to imple-
ment county issued ID Cards for medical
marijuana patients, Wendy found herself
named in the actual lawsuit. The case went all
the way to the Supreme Court, which refused
to hear San Diego’s arguments. San Diego
County today as a result is issuing ID cards,
and patients have access to over 100 dispens-
ing collectives in the county.
In 2007, Wendy helped start the Patients
Advocacy Network (PAN), a nonprofit orga-
nization that helps educate the public about
medical marijuana and has been gathering
affidavits from patients raided by the Drug
Enforcement Agency (DEA) to be presented
to the House Judiciary Committee to hope-
fully open an investigational oversight com-
mittee to look into the DEA actions against
legal state collectives and patients.
Recently, Wendy has become Director
of Integrity Workers Collective, a San
Diego nonprofit that focuses on alternative
medicine patient care and strives to be one
of the most compassionate collectives in
San Diego.
NUG Magazine caught up with Wendy at
Integrity Workers Collective and we asked
her where she sees the medical cannabis
issue five years from now.
She explained, “In five years, I hope we
have sensible regulations and I hope that
medical marijuana dispensing collectives
can actually be accepted as any other
business; law abiding, taxpaying, people
giving back to the community, to schools.
I see collectives as being an asset to the
community. Contributing locally is the only
way we will get support on the regulation
issue. Dispensing collectives should take
ownership and take care of their com-
munity.
Wendy went on to say, “I don’t think that
marijuana is a harmful drug and I don’t
think it should be a controlled substance,
it’s a plant that should be regulated
through the FDA or the agricultural depart-
ment. Until cannabis is removed from the
controlled substance act I will keep work-
ing on this issue.”

26 | NUGMAG.COM
William Britt: Expert Witness
By: Eugene Davidovich

Polio, a viral disease which can attack the nervous system

leaving its victims paralyzed, has wreaked havoc on humanity
for thousands of years. “Polio epidemics have crippled thou-
sands of people, mostly young children… by 1910, much of
the world experienced a dramatic increase in polio cases and
frequent epidemics became regular events, primarily in cities
during the summer months. These epidemics, which left thou-
sands of children and adults paralyzed—provided the impetus
for a “Great Race” towards the development of a vaccine.”
(Wiki, 2010)

The vaccine was finally developed in the 1950’s by Jonas Salk

and announced to the world in 1955, and the licensing and
distribution of it to the masses began in 1962.

Three years earlier, William Britt was born in Long Beach,

California, and was affected by this debilitating disease. Al-
though having overcome the infection in childhood, Mr. Britt for

decades has suffered from post-
polio syndrome (PPS), symptoms
of which include muscle weakness,
extreme fatigue, and sometimes
paralysis. Polio caused damage
to his nerves in the brain and leg,
and as a result he also developed
epilepsy.
In a recent interview with NUG
Magazine, Mr. Britt explained “it
wasn’t easy growing up with polio,
I had to wear a cast for over two
years, kids would tease me and
there wasn’t much I could do. This
caused anger problems, depres-
sion, and eventually this anger
would turn inward and make life
even more difficult.”
He had to learn to live with a handi-
cap, face daily prejudice from an
early age, and constantly rely on
prescription medication.
After graduating from Long Beach
High School in 1977, Mr. Britt
decided to follow his passion, which
was construction, and focused
on hard physical labor for as long
as he could. In his mid twenties,
however, the symptoms became too
overwhelming and he was forced to
anchor himself to an office and take
up accounting, office administration
and other non-physical tasks. For
over ten years, Mr. Britt worked as
an accountant clerk.
Unfortunately, sitting down for long
periods of time caused severe pain
as well, and eventually he was
forced to leave this job also. Since
disability insurance was not some-
thing he was receiving, Mr. Britt was
desperate to earn a living and ended
up doing part-time jobs around the
neighborhood to stay afloat. Four
years he struggled on his own, until
finally he decided to move back in
with his mom in 1997.
Medical Cannabis became legal
in California for medical purposes
in 1996. However, for years prior,
Mr. Britt was familiar with its me-
dicinal efficacy and used it to treat
his symptoms. Mr. Britt explained,
“When I first discovered cannabis, I
didn’t need to drink, I wasn’t as angry,
I was in less pain, and the depression
went away, it has truly changed my
life.”
In the late nineties, Mr. Britt obtained
his first recommendation from a
physician to use medical cannabis.
He met this doctor at a conference
and eventually helped educate the
doctor and open his eyes to the fact
that many people in need can use this
medicine, as well as how effective it is
in reducing the harm caused by many
prescription medicines out there.
Around the same period of time, Mr.
Britt’s very close friend was dying of
lung cancer and wanted to try medi-
cal cannabis. He brought his friend
to one of the local medical marijuana
activism meetings and introduced him
to Marvin Chaves, who at the time
was providing medical marijuana to
qualified patients in Orange County.
Marvin helped his friend with obtain-
ing medicine, and in his last days Mr.
Britt’s friend found relief from the pain
and discomfort. For the first time in

28 | NUGMAG.COM

months, Mr. Britt saw his friend eat
and keep down a full meal.
While his friend was dying of cancer,
he saw Marvin be raided, arrested,
and prosecuted for dispensing
medical cannabis to other qualified
patients. The local District Attorney
charged Marvin in state court, collab-
orated with the Judge to deny Marvin
the medical cannabis defense, and
the Jury was not properly instructed
on the law in his case. Seeing what
the justice system did to Marvin, and
how much the scales are tilted to the
right pushed Mr. Britt into action. “I
said, you know, I don’t care if it’s a
ticket for a gram, as long as I hear
about patients being arrested and
prosecuted for this, I will be sitting
in court for them. The court process
is devastating for someone with a
physical disability.”
He began attending all of the court
cases related to medical marijuana
that he could find. “By showing up
and being there, I made a difference.
I used to think one person can’t make
a difference, but just by being there,
having someone sitting next many legal battles, what he thought
to the defendant letting them would bring clarity to the law and
know they are not alone reduce the number of these types of
helped tremendously.” cases across the state. He explained,
“Even with the new Attorney General
Mr. Britt explained that he guidelines, we still don’t have rules,
began to advise defense they are just suggestions. The only
attorneys on the recent court things we have to go by are court
rulings and the law, as well decisions. What we need is a unified
as refer them to the Ameri- state guideline for the operation of
cans for Safe Access (ASA) dispensing collectives and coopera-
website which contains a tives. If the state won’t set up a safe
large brief bank of cases and and affordable distribution, then they
other useful legal information. must recognize that people them-
selves are going do it.”
Attorneys were reacting posi-
tively to his advice, and saw We went on to ask Mr. Britt how he
that they could actually begin thought the November legalization
winning these cases instead initiative would affect medical mari-
of just getting defendants the juana. He said “I think it will remove a
best plea bargains. lot of pressure from medical patients.
If the initiative passes, it will put more
Mr. Britt had unknowingly pressure on collectives to operate
become an expert on medical as non-profits and lower the cost of
marijuana law and a patient advo- medicine. It will only help our commu-
cate. For over thirteen years he lis- nity! The ideal goal is to have safe,
tened to testimonies from thousands affordable access.”
of patients about how and why they
use medical marijuana, examined the Mr. Britt ended the interview on the
operations of numerous collectives following note, “I used to think one
and cooperatives across the state, person can’t make a difference. Now
received specific training from Chris I know one person can make all the
Conrad (a world renowned cannabis difference in the world. I made a dif-
expert), and attended ASA confer- ference in hundreds of people’s lives.
ences. I know you can make a difference. I
made a career out of helping people.
In total, he has attended over 500 The joy of helping people, the people
court cases and advised attorneys I have met, the difference I have
in several hundred. He reads police made, are well worth the work and
reports, reviews evidence, and in time I have put into it. I urge every
one case where a medical marijuana one of you reading this to go out, get
patient was charged with possessing involved, and make a difference.”
one hundred pounds of cannabis,
was able to help prove that in fact
it was only 1.5lb of usable medi-
cine. “After the stalks, stems, soil,
and everything else unusable were
removed, it weighed in as 1.5lb as
opposed to 100lb.”
One of Mr. Britt’s most famous cases
was People v. Kha, where he served
a key role as a defense expert.
We asked Mr. Britt, having seen so
NUGMAG.COM | 29
 Benjamin Gasper:
Victim of Continued
Bias Against
Collective
Cultivation in
San Diego
By: Eugene Davidovich

Benjamin Gasper, a medical marijuana patient,

rented a warehouse in the Sports Arena area
of San Diego, a heavily commercial district far
from residences and any other “sensitive uses”.
Benjamin and two other medical marijuana
patients came together at the warehouse loca-
tion to cultivate medical marijuana for their own
personal needs. Their effort was abruptly ended
by the San Diego County Narcotics Task Force in
November 2009.
 
Benjamin, having attended and successfully
completed classes at Oaksterdam University,
learned how to properly cultivate the medication
himself and began doing so at the warehouse. In
order to minimize the cost of cultivation as well
as to help provide medication to other patients in
the community that need it, Benjamin invited two
other patients to join the effort.
 
They all came together with materials, equip-
ment, and money, and built an indoor medical
cultivation room inside the warehouse designed
to supply them with the medication needed.
 
One night in November 2009, Benjamin and
several of his close friends went to a concert at
the Sports Arena. Having had a couple of drinks
at the concert, he decided not to drive home and
encouraged his friends not to drive either. They
all walked to Benjamin’s warehouse and spent
the night on air mattresses and couches Benja-
min had in the public portion of the warehouse
space. The cultivation room was completely
hidden and the friends did not even know of its
existence.
After entering and rummaging through the room, to hire an attorney, and she asked San Diego
 
they eventually called Benjamin and told him ASA and NUG to do whatever we could to help
Everyone stayed overnight at the warehouse,
they had found his “grow-op” and that he needed her son.
and in the morning Benjamin left to run errands,
to come back to the warehouse.
leaving two of his friends at the warehouse and
  That night we sent an email to Benjamin in jail
the warehouse door slightly open.
Benjamin immediately returned to the ware- and let him know that his mother had contacted
 
house, only to be interrogated, arrested, and us and that he had support from the community
Shortly after he left, a police car drove up to the
jailed. The arresting detective did not give when he got out. According to Benjamin, that
warehouse and the officer noticed that the rollup
Benjamin the opportunity to present the collective email provided him both support and encourage-
door of the warehouse was not rolled down all
cultivation agreement or the patients’ recommen- ment to fight through this ordeal and stand up for
the way. Several policemen entered the premises
dations he had on premises. The law enforce- his rights.
to conduct a “safety check”; according to the
ment motto continues to be “let the courts sort  
officers, they thought a burglary might have been
it out.” On December 7, 2009, I went to the San Diego
in progress.
  Superior Court, Department 11, for Benjamin’s
On December 4, 2009, Benjamin’s mother Carole bail hearing at which he was released on his own
The officers found Benjamin’s friends inside who
contacted San Diego Americans for Safe Access recognizance after spending two weeks locked
explained that Benjamin was not there and that
and NUG Magazine asking for assistance. She up in the county jail.
they had spent the night at his place after the
wrote “I hope someone can help me find help  
concert.
for my son. He is in a San Diego jail after police That day in court, I ran into Ms. Bahar Ansari,
 
raided his place without a search warrant.  He a local criminal defense attorney whom I had
Not satisfied with their answers, the officers
has a license and prescription program for medi- previously met at the courthouse during another
would not leave. Rather, they proceeded to
cal marijuana but they went in and confiscated medical marijuana case. After explaining to
search the entire premises. After over thirty
everything.” her Benjamin’s situation and that he needed
minutes of searching, they happened on the
  an attorney, Ms. Ansari said she had room to
entrance to the cultivation room which was com-
Carole explained on the telephone later that take on a case pro-bono and that she would be
pletely isolated and sealed off from the main part
evening that Benjamin did not have the money happy to help Benjamin, explaining that she was
of the warehouse.

NUGMAG.COM | 31
concerned with how patients are treated in San
Diego for attempting to simply follow the law.  business records and helping establish the medi-
 
Since then, Ms. Ansari has joined the San Diego
Americans for Safe Access Advisory Board and
has been key in helping us organize and remain
affective in the struggle for patients’ rights.
Aside from taking on Benjamin’s case, Ms. Ansari
represented me as co-counsel with Michael J.
McCabe and was instrumental in obtaining the
“not guilty on all counts” verdict returned by the
jury in less than four hours of deliberation.
 
On March 30, 2010, Ms. Ansari went to court to
represent Benjamin at his preliminary hearing.
Benjamin was charged from the November raid
with cultivation of marijuana and possession of
what the police allege to be brass knuckles.
 
The preliminary hearing was assigned to Depart-
ment 57 in front of Judge Roger W. Krauel, and
began with the prosecution presenting testimony
from two narcotics detectives.
One of the detectives claimed that Benjamin
told him he was a primary caregiver, which in
the detectives mind gave him the authority to
shut everything down. The detective who found
the “brass knuckles” agreed that they had been
found in a box packed away in the warehouse
and that they were not brass but likely aluminum.
 
Ms. Ansari called to the stand both of the other
collective members whose medical marijuana
recommendations she had subpoenaed ahead of
32 | NUGMAG.COM
time, allowing her to enter them into evidence as  
The defense called to the stand medical
cal marijuana defense for the collective. marijuana expert, author, and patient advocate
  William Britt to testify about what a collective is
Both members testified that they all got together and whether the number of plants seized from
in October 2009 and signed a collective agree- Benjamin’s warehouse was a reasonable amount
ment which stated, “As qualified medical mari- for the patients to have.
juana patients under California law, we choose to
associate collectively or cooperatively to cultivate Based on his examination of pictures of the
marijuana for medical purposes. All members of indoor cultivation effort, Mr. Britt determined that
our medical marijuana collective will contribute it was a reasonable amount. He further explained
labor, funds, that most of the plants seized appeared to be
or materi- seedlings which “most of the time don’t survive.”
als, and all  
will receive The prosecution challenged the credibility of one
medicine.” of the collective members and urged the judge to
  bind the case over for trial.
Both mem-
bers testified The judge said that there was clearly enough
they had evidence of a medical marijuana defense and a
signed the legal cultivation effort. He warned the prosecu-
agreement tion that they would have a hard time succeeding
last year and at trial.
all actively  
contributed The case was bound over for trial and the next
to the effort hearing in the case is on May 11, 2010 at 8:30 in
up until the Department 31 – San Diego Superior Court, 220
day of the W. Broadway San Diego, CA 92101.
raid.  
  Please come out and support Benjamin and his
During a court recess, in a surprising move, the attorney, Bahar Ansari, as they fight for patients’
prosecution offered to drop all medical marijuana rights to collectively cultivate medical cannabis.
charges against Benjamin if he agreed to plead
guilty to possession of the “brass knuckles”,
which is a felony. Benjamin refused the offer and
Ms. Ansari proceeded to present the case.
 My Long Strange Trip
with Jack Herer
By: Melissa “white chocolate” Balin
photos by: becky sapp. courtesy of wireimage

“It’s ‘Herer’ like ‘Terror’ is how it’s I was in the south of France for the Cannes Film Festival
pronounced.” when I received word of Eddy’s excessive ten-year sentenc-
ing, and came back to the States so we could begin filming
Eddy Lepp introduced me to the infamous Jack Herer. before Eddy was due to turn himself in to Lompoc Prison.
“4/22/2008” is the date scrawled in pink crayon on the copy
he signed for me, in our definitive meeting to discuss mak- Not sure who would show up and exactly what we were
ing Herer’s best selling hemp book, The Emperor Wears No filming, Eddy and Jack drove down to LA to film on a
Clothes, into a feature length documentary. I barely had a Sunday, when I would have some fancy movie equip-
chance to get to know the man, the myth and legend that was ment that didn’t have to be returned until Monday.
Jack Herer, but what a long strange trip it’s been… The soundstage that was going to donate space to
us was rented, so my mother, Rochelle Balin, gen-
“I can’t usually stand Hollywood people,” Jack offered, “but you erously allowed her yoga studio to be turned into
seem okay.” Days later in his home, Jack, his wife Jeannie, an impromptu green screen stage, and she even
and his longtime assistant Chuck Jacobs sat down with Eddy and me to did breathe breaks with Jack and the cast while
discuss the real issues facing legalization and his life’s work. “Do you think waiting for their turn to film. We didn’t have a
you can help us raise a million dollars? That’s what we need to have a seri- lot of time to prepare and Jack sat with me as I
ous chance to pass the California Hemp Initiative.” The only way that I knew edited chunks of his book into the teleprompt-
how to raise a million dollars was to make a movie… Jack and Eddy liked my er and wrote an introduction for us to use as a
enthusiasm and ideas, and it was agreed that Jack would consider the idea trailer. As Pauley Perrette of NCIS fame (with
once I had read his book 3 times all the way through, and if I could pass his whom I had the pleasure of working with on
pop quiz… the Vote For Change video postcard cam-
paign I co-directed with Shepard Fairey) read
pieces of The Emperor Wears No Clothes

34 | NUGMAG.COM
from the teleprompter, I knew that we had the makings of an
engaging short documentary that would help raise awareness
and the necessary funds for the feature length version.
Jack told me that the year I was born, he was my current age
of 34, and that he and Captain Ed were sure that it would be
just a couple of years of dedication to get hemp re-legalized
when they first made their pledge. It was an inspiring and
bittersweet day, as we realized that it may be the last time
we would all be together with Eddy surrendering himself in a
matter of days.
Jack would always chuckle when I said that I was going to sit
between him and Jeannie at the Academy Awards, but the
feedback was starting to impress even Jack, and he agreed
to come down to LA to film one more day in order to cram in
a few more celebrity friends and present a short documen-
tary before the deadline for Academy Award consideration.
Our Co-Producer, John Deiker, took out a loan so that we
could meet the dates, and we filmed at Big Vision Studios.
Co-Producer Rob “420” Griffin brought Money Mark, the
infamous keyboard player for the Beastie Boys, and come-
dian Ralphie May who amused the crowd of celebs waiting
patiently for their turn to pay homage to the Hemperor and his
life’s work.
My brother and editor, Brandon Balin, donated his time
spending countless hours in the editing room to have the edit
ready. Mike Tucker e-mailed us artist renderings from a few
time zones away, Green House ftp’d footage from Amster-
dam, and DJ Dre Ghost of The Hemp Chronicles brought
original music with Jack’s voice for us to choose from.
Advanced Nutrients & Green House Seed Co. wired us
sponsorship money from overseas in order for us to rent the
theatres and ads required to qualify. Wonderful delights were
placed into gift bags that guests received as they took photos
on a hemp carpet provided by Substance Coterie Inc. “To be
honest, I’m surprised that you were able to pull it off!” With
a rough tousle of my hair, and a sloppy kiss to my forehead,
Jack promised me that he would see the movie all the way
through with me to the end, and I promised him the same.
Jack’s last words to me were from the road, two days before
his heart attack in Portland. I was in Amsterdam at dinner
with “The King of Cannabis,” Arjan Roskam. We put Jack on
the speaker phone so we could discuss preparations for our
much anticipated European premiere at the High Times’ Can-
nabis Cup. “When we both get back,” Jack emphasized, “we
have to do everything we can to get Eddy Lepp out of prison.”
Jack had asked me to come film his much anticipated meet-
ing with Rick Simpson in the Czech Republic on their Hemp
is Medicine Tour with Dr. Lumir Hanus, so when Bayer and

Romsey asked myself and Chuck
Jacobs to still attend in tribute to Jack
Herer, it was hard to say no. So, with
only days notice and tears still in our
eyes with concerns for Jack’s survival,
we packed our bags and headed to
the Czech.
It has been down the rabbit hole ever
since, like Alice in Wonderland…
smoke this… drink this… eat this…
36 | NUGMAG.COM
Around the globe I have Hemp Can Save the Planet benefit
had the honor to get to and in LA at the Medical Marijuana
know Jack through Educational Expo & Symposium. All
the memories and the while, I am missing him though he
anecdotes of is ever present. I plow forward know-
some of his old- ing that he has dedicated so many
est friends and years and sacrificed so much to keep
colleagues, like his message alive.
Mattias Bruck-
ers, Steve April 15, 2010- The Hemperor Is
Hagar, Kathrin Dead. Long Live Jack Herer.
Gebhardt, Ben
Dronkers, Mila Even though we all know that Jack is
Jansen, Arjan now in a better place, freed from the
Roskam, Bret prison of his physical body, I am still
Bogue, and in a state of total shock to hear of his
Soma. They death. As I packed for the Interna-
have let me into tional Cannabis Hemp Expo in San
their hearts and Francisco the weekend before 4/20
their homes and where a tribute to Jack was already
shared so much scheduled, I could not help but think
with me, as I stumble that Jack Herer’s passing, just hours
along trying to piece before tax filing deadlines, is his final
together the story Jack emphatic reminder to us that there
wanted me to tell, without should be NO TAXATION WITHOUT
him around to whisper to me REPRESENTATION!
who’s who and what’s what…
We began filming the feature length
As he fought for his very life, I have documentary that Jack and I had
been constantly touched to see how planned together during the THC
many people are taking up the torch Expose. Condolences and RSVP’s
he has passed so that his voice will poured in from around the world. We
still be heard. We premiered in Europe were joined by the former Governor of
at the High Times Cannabis Cup, New Mexico, Gary Johnson, B-Real
showed in Vienna with a Global Call of Cypress Hill, pro-wrestler Rob Van
to Action panel at Cultiva, held private Dam, and LouDog of Kottonmouth
industry screenings at Sundance, pre- Kings. A moving service was held
miered in Berlin at the Hanf (Hemp) at the Expose concurrent to Jack’s
Museum, and played with Spanish funeral for anyone unable to leave
subtitles at Spannabis in Barcelona. the Convention Center, with tribute
We an- speeches shared by myself, Bret
nounced Bogue of Apothecary Genetics, Ed
winners of Rosenthal, Dion Markgraaff of NUG
the Inter- Magazine, Franco of Green House
national Seed Co., Ken Estes of GrandDaddy
Jack Herer Purp Collective, and Rob Kampia of
soundtrack the Marijuana Policy Project. Jack
contest at Herer will be greatly missed and re-
the High membered forever and ever and ever.
Times Doo-
bie Awards Rest in Peace, Jack Herer. Although,
in Austin, anyone who knew Jack Herer knows
Texas, that he will not likely rest, even in
and raised death, until marijuana is legal and all
money pot prisoners are out of jail.
for Jack’s
Recovery To find out how you can help sup-
Fund in port Jack Herer’s family, the Jack
Spokane, Herer Museum & Hemporium, and
Washington to continue Jack Herer’s message of
at the first the truth about hemp and its history,
please visit http://www.JackHerer.com.
 By: Gerald Singleton, Esq.
This month I will try and respond to some of the most
commonly asked legal questions pertaining to col-
lectives and sales of marijuana. This is only general
information. If you have questions regarding how the
laws apply to you, the only way to obtain an accurate
answer is to consult a knowledgeable attorney.
Are sales of marijuana legal? If so, when?
 This is easily the most controversial aspect of medi-
cal marijuana law. California law states that qualified
patients who collectively or cooperatively associ-
ate to cultivate marijuana for their personal medical
needs shall not, on that basis, be liable for violat-
ing laws prohibiting the sale of marijuana. (Health &
Safety Code (“H&S”) §11362.775.) The law further
states that the seller may not make a “profit” on the
transaction. (H&S §11362.765(a).)
Like so many laws, this is “clear as mud” and, un-
fortunately, neither the Legislature nor the California
courts have clearly defined what is permissible re-
garding sales.
Webster’s Dictionary defines “profit” as “the sum
remaining after all costs, direct and indirect, are
deducted from the income of a business, the sell-
ing price, etc.” H&S §11362.765(c) states that while
profit is forbidden, caregivers are entitled to recover
compensation for actual expenses, “…including
reasonable compensation incurred for services pro-
vided to an eligible qualified patient…” Finally, in People
v. Hochanadel (2009) 176 Cal.App.4th 997, 1017-18, the
California Court of Appeal affirmed the California Attorney
General’s 2008 Guidelines which permitted storefront dis-
pensaries provided that the dispensaries operate accord-
ing to the dictates of the Medical Marijuana Program Act.
Accordingly, the following basic rules emerge. First, it is
crucial that any qualified patients who exchange medi-
cal marijuana for money have a pre-existing relationship.
Anyone who sells medical marijuana to a qualified pa-
tient without such a pre-existing relationship is asking for
trouble. (Remember, police officers can, and do, obtain
valid recommendations for their sting operations.) The
law permits qualified patients to collectively associate to
produce medical marijuana. At minimum, this requires an
agreement between the producer and the purchaser be-
fore the time of the sale. An example would be a dispen-
sary where a qualified patient fills out an application form
to become a member and then has a waiting period prior
to being permitted to purchase medical marijuana. An-
other example would be where several qualified patients
agree that patient A will produce marijuana for the person-
al medical needs of patients B, C, D, E, and F. Patients
B-F agree to compensate Patient A for the out-of-pocket
expenses he incurs (and the time he spends) producing
their medical marijuana. Once such an agreement is in
place, these qualified patients are collectively associating
to produce medical marijuana and the law permits Patient
A to be compensated for his time and expenses.
NUGMAG.COM | 39
However, even agreements like those contained in the prior para-
graph are illegal if the seller makes a “profit”. In this context, a
“profit” would be any amount of money in excess of the seller’s
out-of-pocket expenses (seeds, soil, electricity, water, etc.) and
the time he or she spends cultivating the marijuana. Time should
be kept using a daily (or at most, weekly) time sheet. The hourly
rate must be reasonable, so most attorneys recommend that it
not exceed $50-$75 per hour.
If I grow more marijuana than is necessary for my
personal medical needs,
may I sell the remainder to my local dispensary?
It depends. If you are a member of a dispensary, you may pro-
vide marijuana to that dispensary for the personal medical use
of other members. However, you cannot make a “profit”, so the
amount of the sale must be limited to compensating you for the
time and out-of-pocket expenses incurred in growing that por-
tion of the marijuana. Also, remember that the Attorney General’s
2008 Guidelines specifically state that all marijuana distributed by
a dispensary must be produced by the members, so this means
that qualified patients may not provide medical marijuana to dis-
pensaries of which they are not members. While many lawyers
disagree with this interpretation by the Attorney General, as a
40 | NUGMAG.COM
practical matter, dispensaries which distribute medical mari-
juana that is not produced by their members are asking for
trouble.
What’s the best way to prove you are a part of a
“collective grow”?
A “collective grow” occurs when two or more qualified patients
associate collectively or cooperatively to produce marijuana
for their personal medical needs. (H&S §11362.775.) There
are no specific guidelines regarding what qualified patients
must do to prove they are part of this grow. At minimum,
however, I recommend that (1) the grow be limited to one
location and copies of each qualified patient’s recommenda-
tion be kept on-site, and (2) each qualified patient who is a
part of the collective grow sign a document stating that fact.
All paperwork should be kept in plain view at the grow site. I
also recommend that the participants in the collective grow
keep at least one copy of this paperwork in a safe location at
a separate site. If the grow site is raided, it is very helpful to
have immediate access to all necessary paperwork.
 
NOTE: The possession, use, and/or sale of marijuana, even for medicinal
purposes, remains illegal under federal law. This column provides information
only with respect to the laws of the state of California.
O
ne of the proudest moments of my life was taking NUG
Magazine to Amsterdam. As a five year resident of this
city in Holland and a full-time cannabis activist, I have
had many experiences on this island of semi-sanity in
this crazy sea of the contemporary cannabis world. was able to resist joining in on the global crusade against cannabis.
Going back was literally and figuratively a “trip”, bringing Little did I know that I would be living there during the height of the
NUG Magazine - San Diego’s reflection of the cannabis revolution golden-green period of the Dutch cannabis renaissance.
in California - to Amsterdam, where some things had since gotten The golden-green period of the Dutch cannabis renaissance
better but a lot have gotten worse. At the same time, this short stay has gone
in Amsterdam more than 10 years after leaving gave me a chance Not only were coffeeshops and the growing of cannabis at
to reflect on the work the apex during the years I lived there, so were certain freedoms.
I had done while liv- Over the years since I left, rules that would never have been accepted
ing there. Some of the before have become normal. From rules for the many bicycles to ran-
seeds planted many dom police searches of patrons entering festivals, the free/lawless
years ago continue to city I used to know has been invaded by a different culture of accept-
be harvested every ing rules for the sake of obeying. Even the owner of a Dutch vapor-
year. I thought I would izer company was arrested for 30 grams of pot at the HighLife Cup,
share my impressions a decades old annual cannabis cup party. Since I left at the end of
of my visit for a few 1996, more than half (750) of the 1450 coffeeshops have closed and
days in March. cultivating cannabis has become more dangerous.
In 1992, right af- The town of Amsterdam has thrived from trading since 1350
ter graduating from and is very crowded, so even slight changes to the city are meaning-
San Diego State Uni- ful. After living there for 5 years and being very socially active, I knew
versity and writing my Amsterdam very well. So, my quest on this trip was to catch up with
senior thesis in Politi- old and new cannabis comrades and re-tap into the city that draws so
cal Science and His- many people together.
tory using cannabis The revolution inside the revolution
as the subject, I went During my years in Amsterdam, I planted a lot of “social
to Amsterdam to see seeds” all around the town and a few of them are still growing and
and figure out how being harvested every year. As a full-time activist, I became a zealot
and why that country crusader in the cannabis revolution, bringing the plant’s other uses
NUG hits Amsterdam at The Dutch Passion
Seed Company besides smoking the flowers to Holland. I spent the whole time sow-

NUGMAG.COM | 43

NUG at the Cannabis College making our
contribution
ing many seeds, a few of the more infamous
ones are opening the first modern hemp
store in Europe – the CIA Cannabis In Am-
sterdam, starting the High Times Cannabis
Cup, starting the Cannabis College, helping
to get the BCD (Dutch coffeeshop union) go-
ing, and bringing vaporization to Europe.
This time period is specifically ref-
erenced in the great and soon to be classic
book The Botany of Desire by Michael Pol-
lan. In the book, Pollan documents Homo
sapiens’ co-evolution with the cannabis spe-
cies. The basic premise is that people inter-
act with cannabis like bees do with flowers.
The implosion of cannabis cultivation around
the world was at its apex during the period
that I lived in Amsterdam. At the same time,
emanating from Holland was an explosion
of the cannabis seed market. The United
Nations and global powers were actively
trying to wipe cannabis off the planet, and
worldwide cannabis cultivation was almost
eradicated. In that same short period of time,
many of the world’s cannabis strains were
sent to Holland for preservation and were re-
grown and sent back out all over the world.
I met Mr. Pollan in Amsterdam when
he came for the High Times Cannabis Cup in
1994, the year after the Cannabis Cup event
was held in my shop, which was one years
old at the time. His article on the front cover
of the New York Times Magazine described
my shop as, “The community’s epicenter
-- its La Coupole -- is the C.I.A.: Cannabis
in Amsterdam, a combination shop, gather-
ing place and hemp store located in a large
second-story loft a short walk from Central
Station.”
So with history revisited and re-
played in my mind, I knew the clock was tick-
ing on my short stay and that I had better
44 | NUGMAG.COM
get busy spreading NUG around town and
meeting with old cannabis colleagues.
Sensi Seeds - Hash Museum - Cannabis
Gallery - Cannabis College
The “cannabis block” in Amster-
dam, made up of the headquarters and
shops of Sensi Seeds along with the Hash
Museum, Cannabis Gallery, and the Canna-
bis College, is located in the heart of Amster-
dam and its infamous Red Light district (in
a city full of “green lights”) and was my first
destination after visiting a few coffeshops to
get some much needed cannabinoid refill.
So, after getting “top of the moun-
tain” high, I raced my bike down to the epi- The permanent vaporization education booth at
the Hash Marijuana Museum
center, for me, of Amsterdam – the Cannabis
College. Being a cannabis scholar, nothing I
have done gives me more pride than help-
ing found this awesome institution. It was
strange for me, in that, it felt like I had never
left.
Today, the “caregiver” of the Can-
nabis College Foundation is Sensi Seeds
which owns two seed shops, the Hash Mari-
juana Museum, and the Cannabis Gallery,
and also runs the College, all on the same
block.
As I arrived at the College, the
staff was busy explaining to the many tour- A hemp BMW door panel grown by Hemp/Flax, at
ists what the place was all about - cannabis the Cannabis Gallery
education. I browsed around the “campus”,
which is comprised of one large room filled
with examples of cannabis’ various uses and grows all over the country, everyday. These
a basement with a show grow. regressive policies are the direct cause of the
Eventually, when the influx of peo- relatively high cannabis prices ($15 -$25 per
ple slowed down, I introduced myself as the gram) for the product in a semi-legal environ-
founder of the place and the editor of NUG ment. Cannabis is not legal in Holland, and
Magazine. I started showing them NUG and only the small scale (5 grams per customer)
explaining how things are back in San Diego, are allowed.
California, and the USA in general. They re- They had so many bad horror sto-
sponded with tales of tribulations in Holland. ries, I could not believe we were talking about
The school staff explained the Amsterdam, the same place I had ridden my
growing problem in the Netherlands with bike around the streets with a 6 foot tall can-
growing cannabis. Not only has the Dutch nabis plant in my hands for the Ed Rosenthal
government come up with the BS limit of documentary, Cannabis Rising, a movie we
3 plants per person and 5 total per house- made together back in 1995; nor the same
hold, they also started a big terror campaign place that we, the Green Prisoners Release
where privatized “policing” companies drive (a political rights group I started to help peo-
the streets and randomly search homes with ple in prison for cannabis), brought hundreds
heat radar before sending in bio-hazard clad of clone sized plants to all the actions we did
cleanup crews that do nothing but takedown for a couple on the run from Arkansas, Les
and Cheryl Moorings. We brought the plants
to the Dutch Parliament and to all the Moor-
ings’ court hearings, including those at the
Supreme Court of Holland.
The people at the school also told
me an interesting story about a terrible fire
that happen at the Cannabis College in 2002.
In a real world example of the power and su-
periority of cannabis building products, the
fire destroyed everything in the College ex-
cept its hemp wall and the cool picture of the
Green Prisoners Release group members
with the High Times Cannabis Cup we won
for our efforts.
NUG at Sensi Seed
 The Cannabis Gallery – like nowhere on
the planet
The most marvelous cannabis
place I have ever seen was the Cannabis
Gallery. It was amazing to see the high qual-
ity exhibits, which are like nowhere else on
the planet. It does not have pictures of his-
torical paintings, it has the original paintings
themselves. With huge hemp walls and dis-
plays that include hemp BMW car parts and
more, this place is truly the pinnacle spot at
the moment for cannabis anthology.
This photo survived the fire at Cannabis College. Top of the picture shows Dion Markgraff, Eagle Bill, Mikki Norris, Chris Conrad and the rest of
the activist group - Green Prisoners Release. Winners of the High Times “Cannabis Cup” for their efforts in 1996
I was given a personal tour from
the PR guy for Sensi Seeds Company, Youri
Boerlage. He explained the displays of can-
nabis uses, both present and past, as we
walked around the space. I was excited to
find out some of the biggest industrial hap-
penings with hemp were being grown in Hol-
land, like BMW car parts are getting their
cannabis from the Sensi Seeds partner
Hemp/Flax Company.
The Hash Museum was the same
but different. My first official, 100% legal
cannabis job in Holland was at Sensi Seeds
Hash Museum. Most of the exhibits were the
same, but the biggest difference was the new
staff working there, especially the changing
of the guard at the permanent vaporization
booth.
This vaporization education desti-
nation was started by Eagle Bill, one of the
many reefer refugees from around the world.
He was a regular at my shop, the CIA, when I
brought the idea of vaporizing to Amsterdam
from a National NORML conference I
attended in Washington DC, where the late
great Dr. Tod Mikuriya spoke about the pro-
cess.
So, of course, we made one with
a heat gun. Eagle Bill was inspired, and be-
came the world champion ambassador for
spreading the word about this new/old way
of ingesting cannabinoids. Sometime soon
after discovering his life’s mission of spread-
ing vaporization, he ended up starting a per-
manent vaporization education booth at the
Hash Marijuana Museum. He went around
Europe to festivals vaping thousands of peo-
ple, but all the while maintaining the vape
booth back at the museum.
Eagle Bill died in 2005 and other
people have taken over ever since his pass-
ing. Sensi plans to produce a memorial seed
variety in his honor.
Mila, the Hemp Hotel, and the
Pollinator
The first lady of Holland, Mila
Jansen, is the world famous inventor of the
Pollinator. Mila came up with the machine
that separates the medical trichromes from
the flowers and leaves of the plant, allowing
them to be collected in kief form. The loose
trichromes or “kief” can then be pressed
into hash. Her Pollinator machine opened a
whole new way of processing cannabis that
produces more useable THC by extracting
the trichromes from parts of the plant that
had often been thrown away.
Mila described how she came up
with this concept, “One day I stood in front
of the clothes dryer and realized these cloths
were tumbling the same way I tumbled my
NUGMAG.COM | 45

Mila with her new copies of NUG and her
world famous invention, the Bubbleator
small manicuring leaves. I couldn’t wait.
Within 12 hours we’d pulled an old
clothes dryer apart and refashioned the
drum to our liking and there it was, the
first electric machine to produce hash.”
I sold the first one in my shop,
the CIA. As the Pollinator website says,
“In 1995, the first Pollinator for public sale
was made and unveiled by Robert Clarke
at C.I.A., during the annual High Times
Cannabis Cup, where it was marveled at
by many connoisseurs of hashish.”
Mila’s next major break-
through was the creation of the “Ice-O-
Lator” method of making hashish. Her
new method was based on years of
observation and employs special bags
with screens at the bottom to catch the
trichromes. The use of ice cold water,
agitation, and readymade screens to
detach the trichromes was the next step
in the evolution of separating the plant
material from its THC. Her company has
also developed the Bubbleator Machine
that does the agitation work for you.
A funny story from long ago
was when I made hash using the Polli-
nator machine at the request of a Dutch
children’s television show. The TV show
filmed us going through the whole pro-
cess of turning cannabis trash to hash.
Today, Mila has a very cool shop
which is where I saw her and showed her
NUG Magazine. Not only is her place an
epicenter for information about cannabis
but also for other magical plants. On the
walls are all kinds of informational stuff,
including a Hall of Fame of hash. You can
also check out the “Fine samples from
all over the world” on her website http://
www.pollinator.nl/.
Mila was impressed with NUG
Magazine and happy to hear about the
progress being made in California but
was still skeptical of real change happen-
ing in many states because of America’s
long and evil history of warring against
the cannabis plant. I informed her of my
46 | NUGMAG.COM
own recent problems in San Diego and ex-
plained that, despite all the progress, people
like James Stacy, Joe Nunes, Jovan Jackson,
and Eugene Davidovich were being prosecut-
ed by the government.
Mila and her family also own and run
the Hemp Hotel in Amsterdam. I visited briefly
one evening and talked shop with her son Ti-
jmen. He was really cool, telling me about life
at the hotel while he maintained the bar and
cooked sandwiches and snacks. The hotel has
a reception bar that stays open until 3am ev-
ery night serving all kinds of beer and alcohol
made with hemp and, of course, it is smoke
friendly.
Wernard - the coolest guy in Holland
Next, I met up with my favorite per-
son in the Netherlands, Wernard Bruining.
Many NUG Magazine readers will remember
the medical cannabis oil article he wrote for
our January issue. The grandfather of can-
nabis in Holland, Wernard opened the first
“coffeeshop”, Mellow Yellow, in 1973. He is
so original, that Mellow Yellow pre-dated the
term “coffeeshop”, and was instead called a
“tea shop”. He also started Holland’s first seed
bank, the Lowland Seed Company, in 1980;
started Europe’s first grow shop, Positronics,
in 1985, and was one of the first people to
campaign to help people who needed medical
cannabis get their medicine cheaper.
The Dutch based newspaper Soft
Secrets wrote about how Wernard started
a surreptitious cannabis retail model that
the government, over time, began to toler-
ate. “Mellow Yellow was a way of organizing
things in a polite and civilized manner. The ‘tea
house’ only allowed one ‘house-dealer’ who
had a variety of cannabis products prebagged
in 10 or 25 guilder deals, so there was never
any mistake about the price or quantity of hash
or grass on offer. This system of just one dealer,
who was protected by the coffeeshop, became
known as the ‘Golden Coffeeshop Formula’. The
visitors of the coffeeshop were protected, as was
the shop owner, since the police could only arrest
the house-dealer. The Golden Coffeeshop For-
mula Wernard created in turn allowed hundreds
of other coffeeshops to open its doors to the pub-
lic of Amsterdam.”
When I lived in Amsterdam, Wernard
had the ever changing Positronics grow shop that
sold all kinds of clones. At one point, he opened a
restaurant in his place that the government would
not license. So Wernard said, fine – it is not a res-
taurant – it is a free meal you can pay whatever
you want for.
I met with Wernard at Coffeeshop Any
Day, a place so small, as he said, you are forced
to meet other people. Almost hidden upstairs is a
beautiful little area with three built-in Verdampers
vaporizers. Not just any kind, but the “Rolls-
Royce” of vaporizers, as Wernard called them.
One of the best changes in the Neth-
erlands is the availability of vaporizers in all the
coffeeshops. Along with other standard cannabis
ingestion tools like the bong and the newly devel-
oped grinders, vaporizers are in every establish-
ment.
As Wernard loaded a few grams of
some homemade hash into the ready positioned
vaporizer, we exchanged stories of the cannabis
movement in Holland, Europe, California, Amer-
ica, and around the world. He even took notes
when I told him there were over 2,000 medical
cannabis dispensaries in California.
Wernard spoke about his continuing ef-
forts to help patients who need medical canna-
bis and how the oil he had written about in NUG
Magazine continues to impress him. He said he
was getting a lot of feedback on how effective this
form of medicine is for people. He also confirmed
what others had said about the decline of the
Dutch political scene. He spoke about how the
government there was bad and getting worse.
However, Wernard told me the excit-
ing news that our mutual friend, Nol van Schaik
was organizing the first coffeeshop strike on their
Election Day. On June 6, all the coffeeshops in
the Netherlands are going to be closed to encour-
age patrons to vote for cannabis friendly political
parties. The owners want to show everyone what
life would be like without coffeeshop services.
To think, the remaining 700 coffeeshops
in Holland pay over $600 million a year in direct
taxes to the government. The Dutch education,
transportation, and health systems are some of
the best in the whole world and would be unsus-
tainable without the tax money from the huge
cannabis industry. This is without counting the
billions of dollars made off the millions of tour-
ists who make the pilgrimage to this Disneyland
of adult pleasures. Yet, my cannabis colleagues
in Holland are still treated worse by their fellow
Dutch citizens than the prostitutes and street drug
addicts.
 After Wernard left, it
still took me over 20 minutes to
finish off all the fine hashish in
the vaporizer bowl.
Too much to see and do in
this town
As I was running out
of time, I was glad I stopped at
HempShoppers. Owned by two
Dutch guys who seemed to think
like me, they opened their hemp
store in 1999 and have all kinds of
hemp stuff for sale. Seeing peo-
At Coffeshop Anyday, one of three
built-in Verdampers vaporzers, the
“RollsRoyce” of vaporization.
ple from the Netherlands selling
the cannabis revolution through
non-THC goods was happiness
to me. These guys are getting
their message out through their
two store locations and Radio
Free Amsterdam, their weekly
radio show with the famous can-
nabis activist and poet John Sin-
clair (the person who inspired
John Lennon’s song about pot).
Cannabis comrades - going
global
For me, seeing Dr. Bron-
ner’s Magic Soap in Amsterdam
supermarkets and hemp stores
was one of the best moments on
my visit back to the Netherlands.
Not only is this one of the coolest
companies, Dr. Bronner’s is also
a huge supporter of the cannabis
movement (on all fronts – i.e.,
ASA, HIA, NORML, MPP, HIA,
VoteHemp, and more). The Es-
condido based business has the
best selling natural soap in the
USA and is entering back into the
European market where the family
owned company started in Germa-
ny in 1858.
Dutch companies, espe-
cially those in the cannabis seed
business, are now expanding
around the world, exporting the de-
cades of experience gained in their
well-developed cannabis industry.
The country’s history of trading
and their money oriented ap-
proach to life has been at the root
of their “toleration” of everything
from prostitution, Jews, drug use,
and cannabis. The best lesson the
world can learn from this country is
how the Dutch double their savings
by not wasting money and energy
on trying to prevent human nature
while making money at the same
time. For centuries, Holland has
been dealing with overcrowding
and environmental disasters while
trying to solve many of the world’s
contemporary problems. I think, in
a very profound way – this country
has been through history first.
On reflection of my trip
back to Amsterdam, I am mostly
happy with the legacy of the social
seeds I planted many years ago.
Ironically, after so many years of
experience with a semi-legal can-
nabis industry, the people of the
Netherlands seem to be more and
more buying into the dying global ji-
had against this plant. Many things
have gotten worse for the Dutch
people in dealing with cannabis,
but the bottom line for the rest of
the world is, you can still go to this
magical city and buy and smoke in
almost total freedom. END
Dr. Bronner’s, a local Escondido
company, is now selling again in
Europe where they started in 1858.
NUGMAG.COM | 47

Cannabis Edibles As Medicine
By Deborah Malka MD, PhD
History of ingested cannabis
Cannabis has been used as an ingested medicine
since 2500 BC in China when the plant was dis-
covered to produce a mild euphoria in those who
ingested it, and to be an effective general pain re-
liever. Its use as a medicine continued through 200
BC, when it was noted to be used by the Essenes
in the holy land. Its therapeutic value by physi-
cians can be traced back to Dioscorides and Galen
around 1000 AD. By 1300 AD, the Inquisition out-
lawed cannabis ingestion in Spain, yet it continued
to be used as a medicine throughout Europe.  Re-
ports by W. B. O’Shaughnessy in 1839 recom-
mended its medical use for a variety of ailments.
Marijuana continued to be used as a medicine in
the US, especially in tincture form, until 1937 when
its use was stopped by the Marijuana Tax Act. Now
the only form of federally legalized edible marijuana
is THC in prescription form as Marinol.
Effects of ingestion
Eating marijuana-infused preparations usually
leads to a longer, stronger, and much more physi-
cal effect than smoking. For some conditions, such
as muscle spasms and intestinal disorders, eating
cannabis can be more effective than smoking.
Also because ingestion provides a longer, slower
release of cannabinoids, it may be a better choice
for insomnia, lasting through the night. For patients
concerned with the effects of smoked marijuana,
or for those who require a maximum dose of me-
dicinal compounds, oral ingestion of marijuana is a
good treatment method.
Although eating is a good way of absorbing
marijuana into the bloodstream, higher amounts
must be used in a preparation in order to provide
a medicinal dose. It takes considerably longer to
experience the effects. The effects of ingested
cannabis may be felt within 30 minutes to 2 hours. 
If the stomach is full the effects may take longer.  Cannabis capsules
These effects may last for 6 – 8 hours. It is gener-
ally considered that up to three times as much
cannabis is required when taken orally compared
to smoking.
THC is only one of the active cannabinoids in
cannabis. For example, it is known that
Cannabidiol (CBD) has seda-
tive effects that offset the
simulative effects
of pure THC.
Occasionally a patient may feel uneasy, groggy,
or disoriented with ingested cannabis. It is wise
to allow time to rest in order to assess how you
will respond. Always start with a small amount,
wait an hour or two and, if needed, gradually
increase the dose.
Especially for those with tender digestion, all
marijuana must be ground to a fine consistency
before cooking. One of the drawbacks of eat-
ing marijuana leaf is the common complaint
of stomach irritation. The top side of cannabis
leaves are coated with thousands of microscop-
ic thorns, and these sometimes cause minor
intestinal irritation, even after grinding. As a
general rule, the smaller leaves growing closest
to the flower tops are closest to the plant’s resin
glands, and therefore have the greatest amount
of medicinal compounds, and are higher in THC
content.
Cannabis edibles
Cannabinoids are barely soluble in water.
Fortunately they are fat-soluble, meaning that
they bind to fat cells and can dissolve best into
organic solvents. As a result, solvents like but-
ter, oil or alcohol are ideal to extract and deliver
cannabinoids to the body. Cannabis tinctures
are an example of an edible prepared by ex-
tracting cannabis with alcohol.
Cannabis can be cooked directly into edibles
or can be made into butter or oil that is used to
prepare foods, or can be packaged into cap-
sules. Use cannabis oil or butter in your favorite
brownie or cookie recipe. You can even use
a brownie or cake mix. Other edibles include
candies, honey, teas, tinctures, or you can just
spread your butter on a cracker. Cannabis as
food can be your medicine.
Cannabis capsules are prepared
from powdered marijuana
treated in oil and are avail-
able at dispensaries.
The process is described on the link below. Com-
mon doses are in the range of 2 to 5 pills.
www.cannabismd.org/reports/mjcapsules
Cannabis oil or butter preparation
Recipe 1
Place 4 oz of leaf marijuana in a large pot of water
with 1.25 cups of olive oil (for cooking purposes
use 1 pound of butter instead of olive oil), bring to
a boil and simmer at a low boil for 3-4 hours. Cool
the mixture and strain through cheesecloth (wring
well). Save the liquid and discard the leaf. Refriger-
ate until the olive oil solidifies at the top. Peel away
olive oil or butter (this has the cannabinoids in it)
and discard the water.  After straining, cooling and
peeling, use the “puna butter” in place of oil in your
favorite recipes. www.onlinepot.org/medical/topical
Recipe 2 – Canna-oil
Use 2.5oz+ high quality bud-shake, 2 cups Crisco
shortening, 2T cooking oil, 5 gallon paint sifter, 8
cups water, 5 quart sauce pan, 2 transparent half
gallon pitchers
Preparation:
In the five quart sauce pan mix water, oil, Crisco,
and bud shake ground up fairly well. Bring to boil
on high, when it starts to boil immediately turn
down heat to a very low simmer and cover for 18-
24 hours. Cool for about 3-4 hours. Use the paint
sifter to strain the liquid out of the pan and into
the pitchers. Squeeze out as much of the liquid as
possible because the canna-oil is now in that plant
material and needs to be squished out. Set the
pitchers in the fridge for an hour and the canna-oil
will separate and solidify on the top of the water.
Put the oil in a cup or bag or container of your
choice. Canna-oil should be green. This Canna-oil
will work in any recipe that calls for shortening or
cooking-oil if you melt it down before use. (boards.
cannabis.com/recipes/8076-best-canna-oil-recipe)
There are several cookbooks, websites and recipes
available for use of marijuana in foods. Some good
resources are listed below.
Grandma’s Green Cookbooks – www.greencook-
book.com
The Marijuana Food Handbook: A Guide for the
Sensuous Connoisseur by Bill Drake, Ronin Pub-
lishing 2002
There seems to be a bit of misunderstanding
in the world of edibles, so, we are going to
try and clear it up for patients and caregivers
regarding the effects and dosing of medical
edible cannabis. This increases the impor-
tance of educated medical co-ops and dis-
pensaries to assist patients in their selections,
and to know where and with what their edibles
are made. It is imperative that preparation
of the cannabis or its extract be heated or
dehydrated properly to cause decarboxylation
of its most abundant cannabinoid, tetrahy-
drocannabinolic acid, into psychoactive THC.
However, trial and error is usually required to
obtain the appropriate strain and effect of the
proper dose level, until you know the provider.
The advancement of delivery methods that do
not involve smoking was one of the recom-
mendations in the Institute of Medicine report
on marijuana which the White House commis-
sioned in 1999. Despite the fact that extensive
and long term studies of chronic marijuana
users have repeatedly shown that there is
no associated threat of lung cancer or other
diseases, many patients remain concerned
about smoking cannabis, or find oral ingestion
to be easier or more effective.
Consuming medical cannabis edibles can
consequently result in a similar psychoactive
effect or “high” as smoking medical marijuana.
However, most patients experience the effects
differently than smoking. The biggest differ-
ence is the slower absorption of THC from the
digestive tract compared to the instantaneous
absorption achieved from smoking cannabis.
Edibles taken on an empty stomach will work
significantly faster than those taken immedi-
ately following a meal. A patient’s metabolism
also plays a significant role on the effect of
the edible, as well as the patient’s own unique
medical requirements, among other factors. It
is difficult to know how strong an edible medi-
52 | NUGMAG.COM
cine will be. It is easy to over medicate, and,
strangely, the same dosage size that one pa-
tient may find overwhelming, another patient
may try and have hardly any noticeable effect.
Usually, edibles can take up to two hours to
reach full strength after ingesting, creating
difficulty in titration dosages. The effects can
last from 6 to 8 hours which is very convenient
for those patients who want to sleep or have
longer control of pain.
Most tinctures are prepared to be used sub-
lingually, meaning, under the tongue through
absorption by the arterial blood supply which
is completed in minutes. The secret is to not
swallow the dose because, if swallowed,
absorption will take place in the GI tract.
Therefore, it is best to swish the tincture in
your mouth for as long as possible before
swallowing. Many patients prefer to add the
tincture to a cup of hot herbal tea, hot choco-
late or juice for easy delivery. When tincture is
used in a beverage, absorption will be slower
than if absorbed under the tongue.
The key to edibles is knowing how much to
consume in order to get the best medicinal
effect without going overboard.  The general
rule of thumb is to cut the edible product into 4
pieces (or smaller if you are new to cannabis)
and only consume one piece to start.  Wait
for at least one hour.  If you experience the
effects of the medication, stop.  If you do not
feel the effects of the medication, try having
another piece. It is always good to journal the
medications you are trying so you will have
the knowledge of what works best for you or
your patient.  There have been patients who
unknowingly have ingested too much and
have had the unfortunate side effects of feel-
ing “too high”, nausea, vomiting, and groggi-
ness.  If you follow the instructions above, you
should not have any problems with these side
effects. If this does happen to you or some-
one you know, have them relax and drink
a large glass of warm milk, and encourage
them to stay calm or go to sleep, and remind
them that no one has ever died from cannabis
consumption.
With all that said….it’s May, so, we had to
include a few Cinco de Mayo remedies with,
of course, our medicinal twist!
The following recipes are taken from Mother
Earth Co-op’s “Special Medicinal Recipes – A
Medical Cannabis Cookbook.” Kim Twolan ©
2008 Cookbook available at finer co-ops and
collectives, physicians’ offices, and online at
www.motherearthcoop.com/products
AVOCADO GREEN
(Appetizers)
3 medium avocado (ripe)
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 large red onion
4 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 cup cannabis (finely chopped)
Mix the vinegar, cannabis, chili powder,
paprika and garlic together and let the mixture
stand for one hour. Then add avocados,
onions, cilantro and mash all together.
Note: Serve this therapeutic sauce with mini
tacos or as a dip with crispy tortilla chips.
 MEXICALI POLLO SPECIAL
(Casseroles)

1 lb. chicken (cooked) 3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

1 can cream of chicken soup 1 tsp. Chili powder
1 can cream mushroom soup 1 can Mexican tomatoes w/chilies
1 small onion (chopped) 1 pkg. tortilla corn chips
1 small bell pepper (chopped) 1 cup Cheddar cheese (grated)
3 tbsp cannabis (finely chopped)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl.
Grease a 9” x 12” pan and line bottom of pan with crumbled corn chips
like Doritos. Pour mixture on top of corn chips and top with grated cheese.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve with Black Beans &
Acapulco Gold Rice.
SPICY THOR’S SUPREME NACHOS
(Appetizers) Wishing you a hempy journey to a
1 (8-oz.) jar tomato salsa 2 cups Cheddar cheese (shredded) healthier you!
1 (4-oz.) can green chilies 1/2 lb. grilled Sirloin strips (sliced)
1 medium green onion 1 medium avocado (cubed)
1/2 tsp. kief 1 tsp. lemon juice Peace & Love
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce 1/2 cup sour cream
1 (15-oz.) bag tortilla chips 1 (4-oz.) jar Jalapeno pepper (chopped)

Kim
Combine tomato salsa, chilies, green onion, kief and hot pepper sauce
in bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Place tortilla chips in shallow 8 x 10 inch
baking dish. Pour sauce over chips; sprinkle grated cheese over all.
Grill sirloin cubes and spread over chips and cheese mixture. Broil
nachos for 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Just before serving,
seed, peel and mash avocado. Stir in lemon juice. Spoon avocado
mixture and sour cream on hot nachos and top with jalapeno slices.
Serve immediately.

Note: A spicy southwestern inspired twisted on a classic dish.

BLACK BEANS & ACAPULCO GOLD RICE

(Vegetarian)

1 (10-oz.) pkg. yellow rice 1 tsp. Cajun seasonings

2 tbsp cannabutter 1 tsp. cumin
1 medium onion (chopped) 2 tbsp cannabis (finely chopped)
2 tbsp garlic (fresh, chopped) 2 tbsp cilantro (fresh, chopped)
1 (15-oz.) can black beans

Prepare rice per directions on package. In a small sauce pan over

medium low heat put cannabutter, onions and garlic and sauté until
onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix black beans, season-
ings, cumin and cannabis together and heat over low flame for 5 to 8
minutes. When rice is done combine rice and beans and garnish with
chopped cilantro.

Note: Yellow rice brand Mahatma is usually vegan.

CALIFORNIA SPECIAL SALSA

(Salsa)

2 plum tomatoes (diced) 1 tbsp basil (fresh, chopped)

1 cucumber (diced) 2 tbsp cannabis (finely chopped)
1/2 green pepper (chopped) 1/8 tsp. Greek seasoning
1/2 purple onion (chopped) 1 tbsp thyme (fresh, chopped)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tbsp oregano (fresh, chopped)
3 tbsp cannaoil 2 tbsp cilantro (fresh, chopped)
4 cloves garlic (chopped) 1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. black pepper 1 tsp. sugar

In medium bowl, mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to
serve. This recipe is great served with tortilla chips or warm pita bread.

NUGMAG.COM | 53
If you read last month’s article and the
prospect of a 15-25% return on investment
has you thinking that you might want a
solar energy system for your home or busi-
ness, you probably want to know how much
solar power you will need. That is the pur-
pose of this article, but this information
comes with the warning that you should have
an experienced professional evaluate the
site prior to installation.
The first step in designing a solar sys-
tem is determining how much energy
you need. Although we are ac-
customed to thinking about
our electric use in terms of
cost, California’s “tiered”
rate structure makes it
difficult to convert cost
to actual energy consumed.
You buy electricity in
kilowatt-hours (kWh); your
previous month’s kWh usage
appears on your bill along
with the cost. However, the
cost of each kWh increases
as your usage increases. It is
just the opposite of “bulk pric-
ing.” The lowest level of use is
called the baseline, and it varies through-
out the county depending upon season and
climate region. Above baseline, the cost
per kWh nearly triples. That is why it is
important to know what you are using and to
take advantage of any opportunity to reduce
it.
To get your historic yearly total or
monthly average, you can use SDG&E’s En-
ergy Waves feature on their web site, www.
sdge.com. You will need your account num-
ber, electric meter number, and billing zip
code.
To predict your additional energy require-
ments for growing cannabis, you need to
know the total wattage of your lights and,
if you are using a “closed” system, the
total tonnage of your air conditioners.
As you may already know, a 1,000 Watt (W)
lamp running for one hour uses 1 kWh. At
12 hours per day, that lamp uses 360 kWh
per month. Air conditioners use about 1 kWh
per ton per hour; a ton is 12,000 BTU per
hour, which will offset the load of three
1,000W lamps. Thus, one 1,000W lamp running
12 hours per day with air conditioning uses
about 450 kWh per month and requires about
3.3 kW of PV to fully offset its load.
Once you know your yearly use, here
are some simple rules of thumb to
make a quick estimate of your
needs. The easy formula is:
1 Watt DC (system size) = 1.7
kWh per year (electric pro-
duction). To convert that
number to a solar system,
you will need to know how
many kWh of electricity you
use in a year or average
month. Remember, yearly net-
metering allows you to “bank”
electricity in some months to
use in another month.
Another quick rule of thumb for today’s
high-power panels that are 200W or more is
30 kWh per month per panel. For a grower
using 1500 kWh per month, that would be 50
panels. This gives a rough estimate and can
help select the area needed. Most panels
are about 3’x5’ in size, so, 1500 kWh per
month requires about 50 panels that produce
a total of 10 kW (200 Watt x 50 panels =
10,000W or 10 kilowatts) and require 750
square feet of area (3’x5’x 50 panels).
That’s equivalent to a roof that is about
15’ wide and 50’ long.
Once you have sized your system by deter-
mining what your energy needs are and the
amount of space required to produce it, you
will have a better understanding of the
benefits you can receive from a solar energy
system.
NUGMAG.COM | 55

GROW
Spring is here and things are
getting warmer, the frost is gone, and
flowers are blooming all over. Spring
is the perfect time of year to get seeds
started, and to get our outdoor gar-
den ready to go. Many of us might not
have the space or money to start an
indoor garden. Well, it’s the perfect
time to try your first outdoor garden if
you’re up for it! There are a few things
you should know before you start that
will greatly help your garden.
Whether you’re starting a
produce garden to feed your family,
just growing tomatoes and peppers
to make salsa, or growing your own
herb garden, the same rules apply for
preparing all of these gardens out-
side. You can plant in raised beds,
individual containers, or straight into
the ground. Either way, you should
start with a good organic potting soil
filled with good organic amendments.
One of the most common and biggest
problems people make is starting off
with the wrong soil, full of chemical
fertilizers or time released fertilizers.
These soils do not sustain an ac-
tive colony of microorganisms. Fox
Farm Ocean Forest, Canna Bio and
SPRINGTIME GROWING
by. The Guru
Canna Terra Professional, Aurora Roots
Organic, and Vermi Crop Organics, just
to name a few, are all top quality organic
potting soils and ready to use. They all
have organic amendments in them al-
ready and also some microorganisms as
beneficial inoculants.
Even when a soil says it has mi-
croorganisms and organic amendments
in it already, this does not mean it will
be enough for the entire life of the plant.
You will have to add things to the plant
throughout the life of the plant too. Try
to stay away from anything with time re-
leased nutrients in it, and anything that
has been radiated to make it sterile from
pathogens and bugs. It is true that radiat-
ing the soil eliminates all pathogens and
bugs, but it also kills off all the beneficial
microbes, killing off the micro ecosystem
in the soil, which then leaves behind a
dead, non-living soil. The whole idea of
organic growing is having a microbial
ecosystem that is alive and active, cre-
ating a healthy immune system for the
plant. The healthier the plant’s immune
system, the more resistant and able it is
to fight off bugs, diseases, molds and all
sorts of harmful pathogens it wil be. Ben-
eficial microbial inoculants are some of
the best ways to build up a plant’s im-
mune system.
Products such as Mycos 30
from RTI, a highly potent mycorrhizal
inoculant, will get you a very healthy
and well structured root mass and
makes for a very healthy plant. Rhizo-
tonic, Voodoo Juice, and Great White
Shark are some other great beneficial
microbes that will enhance the plant
in many different ways. High quality
sea kelps, earth worm castings and
teas are also very active in microbes
and support and build a healthy im-
mune system. Microorganisms are
like laborers - constantly working on
a wide range of symbiotic jobs. There
are many different microbes and
each has its own job. Some consume
and break down nutrients, and oth-
ers consume other microbes. Each
microbe exudes proteins, enzymes,
acids, and other essential elements
necessary to break down trace miner-
als, salts, and nutrients. When plants
have a well rounded colony of micro-
organisms, it allows nutrients to be
absorbed readily and more efficiently
by the plant. Besides helping the plant
stay healthier via nutrient uptake, mi-
NUGMAG.COM | 57
crobes also defend against un-bene-
ficial microbes, pathogens, and bac-
terium. The beneficial microbes keep
the plants natural defense system at
its peak performance. Some of these
products, like Vermi Crop Organic Tea
(beware of cheap imitations), contain
over 35,000 beneficial organisms.
These organisms expand root mass,
build healthy immune systems, help
naturally defend against pests, and
allow the plant to produce a heavy,
bountiful, and sticky harvest.
Starting with good potting
soils, inoculating with beneficial mi-
croorganisms, and using good qual-
ity organic nutrients, enhancers and
supplements are the keys to start-
ing a good healthy organic garden. A
healthy organic garden is much more
resistant to pests and diseases. It also
creates a very healthy, sweet and nu-
tritious end product whether it is fruits
or vegetables, citrus trees, herbs or
greens, or almost anything else you
grow for human consumption. By us-
ing organic products outside when in
soil, it helps prevent salt build up and
waste from entering into the ground
water, which creates problems and
ends up in our lakes and reservoirs
polluting everything. Nitrates and pes-
ticides create all sorts of problems
in the environment when leaked into
our ground water. Staying all organic
when outside in the ground or in soil
is always a better choice and creates
healthier plants naturally. Mother Na-
ture has its own remedies for every
problem that can hit a plant. With a well
balanced soil, well rounded colony of
microorganisms and a good organic
nutrient feeding program, you will cre-
ate a healthy beautiful plant and fight
off any pests or diseases naturally.
So you picked your planting
site and got your quality organic pot-
ting soil ready to go. Fill in the raised
beds, pots or containers, or the hole
you dug in the ground with a good pot-
ting soil. Add any inoculants or benefi-
cials you’re using into the soil before
planting. It’s usually better to have
your seeds or clones already started
58 | NUGMAG.COM
or propagated in a small container
such as a 5” square cord nursery pot
to get it root bound and established
before transplanting it into the ground
or outside. The area should be south
facing and get at least 6-8 hours of
direct sunlight per day for optimal
growth. The less light the plants get,
the smaller they will be and the less
they will produce. Choose a spot with
as much direct sunlight as you can to
get the biggest yields possible.
Another tip is to remember
that, especially during the flowering
stage, light pollution is a big issue
as well. When choosing your plant-
ing site, be sure to pick somewhere a
bit away from the house or any lights
that might hit the plants at night. Even
the slightest bit of light pollution can
interrupt and confuse certain photo
sensitive plants, messing up the flow-
ering process. Make sure to pick a
spot in the yard that is not right under
a neighbor’s spotlight or anything like
that, and that there is total uninter-
rupted darkness at night.
Many people try to put their
plants out of sight, which often ends
up being an area which does not re-
ceive that much light. Try planting
near other plants to camouflage and
blend in with other bushes or plants
that are located in more direct sun-
light. You will also need to protect your
crops from animals such as rabbits,
squirrels, gophers, rats and mice, and
any other animals running around at
night. These animals can destroy your
whole garden in just one single night,
and it’s devastating! There are a few
steps you can take to protect your
garden from these animals and other
pests as well.
Especially here in Southern
CA where it is so dry, any green plant
that is luscious with juice or moisture
is a perfect snack for many animals.
Rats will eat right thru the base stem
of the plant, just to get some moisture
or water out of the stem, often knock-
ing down a whole bush or plant and
killing it! Caterpillars will lay eggs and
get right into your nice flowers, caus-
ing nasty flower rot from the inside out.
Many times this is not noticed until it’s
too late and it has destroyed most,
if not all of your crop. A few ways to
avoid this is to use preventative mea-
sures for your plants. Wrapping the
plants and the area around the plants
top to bottom completely sealed with
chicken wire will stop most of your big
pests like rats, mice, and anything
else from chewing the stocks and
knocking them over. It’s a pain but it
is necessary, especially in the more
rural areas and where the dryer veg-
etation is.
Pests such as caterpillars,
worms and many other crawling in-
sects are big time problems here in
dryer areas. Basically, we have built
urban developments on their land,
and they don’t have many choices
for healthy plants to attack, so any
green healthy plant outside in a rural
area is sure to see caterpillars and
other crawling insects and pests try-
ing to get onto and into the plant. Us-
ing Tree Tangle Foot is a great pre-
ventative measure for fighting these
crawling pests. Tree Tangle Foot is a
sticky organic goo that, when put as
a ring around the base stem of the
plant, will stop and trap any insects
trying to crawl from the ground up the
stem of the plant. By stopping them
from crawling up the plant, you have
a greater chance of fighting them off.
Always keep your plant trimmed and
pruned, removing crowded leaves,
and damaged leaves which can lead
to many problems. Keeping a clean
healthy looking plant is always the
best prevention in fighting off bugs,
pests, pathogens, funguses and dis-
eases. And don’t overcrowd your
plants by trying to put too many too
close together. Give them room and
they will grow huge and produce huge
harvests!
 When using organics to grow
outside, things are simpler than in an
indoor garden. Mother Nature is doing
most everything for you. You do not
have to duplicate the environment like
an indoor grower has to. The perfect
environment is what a plant needs to
grow well, and then everything else
will follow. Mother Nature creates
the perfect environment for plants to
grow, which is why plants grow so well
outside in their natural environment.
The springtime and most of
summer are the vegetative growth cy-
cle of the plant. You want to use veg-
etative nutrients high in Nitrogen for
the growth cycle. Once the days start
getting shorter, the nutrient require-
ments change along with the shorter
photo periods. The plant requires
more phosphorus and potassium dur-
ing the flowering cycle to support and
produce large healthy flowers or fruits.
Use a quality flowering nutrient that is
high in phosphorus and potassium for
best results. Keep it organic and all
will be good and green in the end.
Don’t just plant your herb gar-
den though. Try planting other things
as well like tomatoes, peppers, onions,
and anything else you personally like
to eat. Growing your own herbs, fruits
and vegetables is one of the most
rewarding things a person can do
for themselves. Knowing where your
foods come from and how they were
grown and handled is very important.
You can produce enough fresh pro-
duce to feed your whole family, or just
grow a few things here and there to
supplement your normal grocery list.
Either way, it is much healthier and
nutritious to grow your own food and it
tastes so much better than food trans-
ported all the way across the country
to get to your local store.
One of my favorite things to
plant and grow starting in the spring
is a variety of tomatoes, peppers,
onions, cilantro, cucumbers, lettuce,
and basil. Out of this I get fresh salsa,
tomatoes for the hamburgers on the
barbeque, and lots of healthy deli-
cious salads. There are many different
things you can grow yourself at home,
saving money and being healthier at
the same time. I also find it to be a
form of meditation, working in the
garden under the hot sun, working
the soil and taking care of my plants.
It’s also a great project and lesson for
kids to learn and understand where
their food comes from and how to
grow it properly. It’s pretty sad to see
kids who have never gardened before
or grown their own plants. One who
knows how to grow plants success-
fully will always be able to feed his or
her family in times of need or hunger,
and will not be reliant on others to pro-
vide for them. Knowing that your food
is healthy, safe and organic is a great
peace of mind to have!
Spring is here! Grow your
own and be rewarded with your own
fruits and vegetables, and of course,
keep it GREEN!
60 | NUGMAG.COM
Here’s the deal. Each month we
provide our resident Chronisseur
with three different strains from
various collectives in and around
San Diego. He is not told where
they came from, or who the grower
is. This is the honest, off-the-cuff
opinion of Hopper: The Chronis-
seur.
Before we could sit down to sample
this month’s variety of Pure Kush,
J-1, and Chem Dog, he insisted on
a thorough cleaning of his favorite
Sour bong. A casual chat while the
rubbing alcohol and kosher salt
worked its way through the resin
left from yesterday’s session re-
minded me of something Brad X
recently said about Hopper. “If they
gave out PhDs or black belts for
cannabis expertise, Rich (Hopper)
would be a renowned and HIGHLY
acclaimed master of his trade…
I mean, he has a tattooed green
thumb! What else can I say?” On
that note, we stopped chattin’ and
got to snappin’. Here is what Hop-
per had to say about this month’s
selections.
Pure Kush:
“This was grown well and flushed
correctly, obviously with a lot of
care put into the curing process.
Because of its sour, petroleum
flavor I think it might actually be
an 818 Kush or a Valley Kush.
But hey, a bomb bud is a bomb
bud!”
J-1:
“Sativa dominant, almost pure. Very nice earthy, piney
smell. Whoever did this one definitely knows what he’s
doing. Or maybe she…
some of the best grow-
ers I know are females.
The ladies are a hugely
overlooked part of the
medical marijuana com-
munity. But back to the
bud. Floaty high, flavor-
ful, and smooth on the
exhale. All around excellent experience. I’ve always been
a fan of the Jack Herer and Skunk #1. I was so bummed to
hear he’d passed, he was a personal hero.”
NUGMAG.COM | 61
 Chem Dog:
“Damn! Trichromes are shining like diamonds on this
one! I gotta say though, it’s just a little bit too wispy
and harsh. An overall good head-high though. Not
that there is anything really bad about it, but…I don’t
know, guess I’m just spoiled. Hard not to be living
here in SD. I swear we have some of the best weed
in the world, hands down.”

That’s a wrap on the first of many sessions to come.

The Sour bong is back on the shelf, cleaned and
ready for the next three strains. Check back next
month for more reviews by our very own Chronis-
seur.

Story by Pamela Jayne

Photo by Derek Plank
Nug Shots by M.K. Jack

Publisher’s note Pure Kush from Cloud9, J1 from Green

Power, & Chem Dog from Organic Experience.

62 | NUGMAG.COM

Between the Sheets by Sonya Bender
Songs about being dazed and confused by life and love in the
city of Los Angeles
Sonya Bender is a singer/songwriter and award-winning ac-
tress. She gained national exposure as a teen spokesperson
for ASCAP’s educational campaign against music piracy. This
unique program has reached out to an estimated 2.2 million
Middle School and High School Students’ and is still being
presented today. After completing this 4 part video series, she
made a number of personal appearances at schools perform-
ing the original song she wrote for the project and interacting
with the kids. Sonya has performed at the annual I Create Mu-
sic Week that ASCAP sponsors every year in Los Angeles. A
native of San Diego, Sonya grew up participating in its thriv-
ing theatrical community. Through her work at various profes-
sional theatres, she was given the opportunity to explore many
different kinds of characters, from a drug-addicted prostitute
(In Arabia We’d All Be Kings) to a suicidal and troubled young
woman (Crave) to a Lolita style con artist (PUSH).  Within a
month of moving to Los Angeles, Sonya began work on LOVE-
LACE A Rock Opera, by Charlotte Caffey (The Go-Go’s) and
Anna Waronker (That Dog). During this time, she also began
writing the material that would become her first full-length al-
bum, Between the Sheets.  Sonya has been named as one of
the young faces to watch by PBS Arts Brief and is sponsored
by Daisy Rock Guitars. You can preview or download Between
the Sheets online http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sonyabender  
Quick Mother’s Day fact: Sonya has one of the coolest San
Diego Moms we have ever met!
 Sharon Hazel Township
 Known for her multifaceted songwriting and honest lyrics about
a California kid embracing adulthood in Chicago, Sharon Hazel
enjoyed a successful solo career prior to forming Sharon Hazel
Township. Born in LA and raised in Northern California, the song-
writer was a performing musician at an early age. After attending
DePaul University in Chicago, Sharon remained in the windy city
and began playing around town as a guitarist while writing songs
at home.   Sharon started playing locally as a singer-songwriter
which soon turned into touring the country.  Sharon was nominat-
ed for two San Diego HAT (Honoring Acoustic Talent) awards, ap-
peared on the Indie Music Television show, and was featured as an
artist and owner of Crumb Records in Performer Magazine. Short-
ly after moving to San Diego she formed her band Sharon Hazel
Township (SHT).  The acoustic based band plays mostly original
music influenced by folk, rock, jazz, and funk. Known to stray from
verse and jam during a set, Sharon Hazel Township has quickly
become one of southern California’s premiere bands.  2010 brings
a return to the studio to create the debut full length album.
 
Band Members:
Laura Payne - Bass, vocals
Alyssa Desind - percussion
Sharon Hazel - guitar, vocals
Sasha Johnson - drums, percussion
 
www.myspace.com/sharonhazel
www.reverbnation.com/sharonhazeltownship
Sharon Hazel Township’s upcoming shows:
 
5/7 @ Coffeehouse Radio Live in San Diego
5/11 @ O’Connell’s in San Diego
5/28 @ Dolores Park Cafe in San Francisco
7/23 @ El Rio in San Francisco
Quick Mother’s Day facts:  #1. Laura Payne, the bassist, is a
mother of two boys.  #2. Sharon Hazel also owns Crumb Re-
cords which she named after her mother.
NUGMAG.COM | 65
 By: Ben G. Rowin

Again, NUG Magazine is bringing our readers

what we feel is the best in the San Diego music
scene. I personally have really been digging the
sounds coming from San Diego locals Stone
Senses. Stone Senses began in the summer of
2004. Originally, the band was just a few musi-
cians who got together to have a few drinks and
play some music, but by 2005, they had turned
into a group of seven musicians very serious
about taking their band to the next level and tak-
ing the rock-reggae scene by storm.

The founders and vocalists Eric Castaneda and

Mike O’Gara had become friends in their days
at Carlsbad High School, and recruited another
Carlsbad native, Garrett Grabowsky, to play guitar.
They began playing shows around San Diego
and quickly built a name for themselves with their
mix of heavy rock influences and modern reggae.
Over the next two years, the band released two
albums: “Harder Than the Rest” and “Live it Up”,
both of which have been on heavy rotation in my
car!

The band toured the southwest, from San Francis-

co to Aspen, San Diego to Tempe and everywhere
in between until unrest within forced some lineup
changes. Some of the original members were not
able to commit to the full-time grind that the found-
ers knew was needed! Mike, Eric and Garrett
were left with the task of rebuilding the band from
the ground up. Bringing on John John Laue (from
Tribal Seeds) immediately changed the sound of
Stone Senses into what it is today. Next, Charlie
Ball (formerly of Faded Chroniclez) joined the
band in 2009, gelling the new lineup. Ever since,
they have been touring the west and writing the
upcoming album they are currently recording at
Studio West in San Diego.

66 | NUGMAG.COM
NUG Magazine caught up with the band to get a little NUG: So I understand a few of you are cannabis patients….tell our readers how cannabis
insight on their future plans. has helped you?
 
NUG: Thanks for taking the time to answer some ques- SS: Medical cannabis has been a lifesaver from the typical “pill for your problems” remedy
tions for the NUG readers. to ailments. Due to accidents and injuries from the past that still require pain medication to
be bearable throughout the day, it became obvious that cannabis was the only logical long
SS: Of course! We’re stoked to be in NUG. term solution. Instead of taking hard-core pain killers and becoming useless throughout the
day or constantly taking aspirin (which kills over 2,000 people a year!), I can now take a
NUG: How is the new album coming? Tell us a little bit few puffs from a joint and the same results occur but without the nasty side effects.
about the new sound that people can expect from the  
upcoming release. NUG: What are your favorite collectives?
 
SS: The album is going great; we have been having SS: NUGGETRY, Green Tree Solutions, San Diego & North County Delivery, Great OG’s.
a blast tracking at Studio West. We’ve been working Unified Collective is home to the original HAWGSBREATH - always a favorite of ours.
with a new engineer and producer on this album, Wiley  
Miranda. He’s really taken our sound in a new direction NUG: Tell us also some of your favorite strains.
for us, and our experience in the studio with him has  
been nothing short of fantastic. It’s pretty cool when SS: Any bomb OG is at the top of the list. Jack Herer (R.I.P) and HAWGSBREATH are defi-
you can work with someone who has an understanding nitely up there for amazing taste and smell. There are so many amazing flavors coming out
and an ear for what you are trying to accomplish. As of San Diego in the medical scene, so it is pretty hard to choose!
far as the music itself is concerned, making the band
sound unified between the two singers has been a big NUG: I find that some really good mellow vibes come out of San Diego, do you feel that it
goal of ours. Having two singers, we sometimes write has something to do with the laid back lifestyle we are able to enjoy living in paradise?
songs that seem to appeal to one singer or the other
stylistically, and that isn’t what we really want. We have SS: You pretty much just answered your own question. But we’re pretty sure your maga-
been working on creating one, unique, complex sound zine is helping San Diego’s vibes mellow out even more!
that fits both singers’ styles but, at the same time, is
unmistakably Stone Senses. We have a real eclectic mix NUG: OK, I don’t want to take up much more of your time, but are there any shout outs you
of musical influences in San Diego, not simply reggae. would like to throw out there?
We have been blending these influences into the reggae
foundation that we started with to create our sound, and SS: What up to Astra and Studio West, our friends High Tide, Natural Incense, and
not all these influences are what you might typically as- Fayuca, and of course our sponsors Anarchy Eyewear and CleanFiend!
sociate with reggae music. The new sound is definitely
more driven, focused, and catchy than before. We had Stone Senses are:
a few elements of rock thrown into our earlier albums,
but this one has a bit heavier than the first two. We still
keep it mellow on some tracks, but overall, the album is Eric Castaneda - Vocals Mongos
our most upbeat and exciting yet, so keep an eye and Miklo O’Gara - Vocals/Guitar Grover Beach, California
ear out for it later this summer! Garrett Grabowsky - Guitar Jun 18 2010 8:00P
John John Laue - Drums
NUG: One of my favorite tracks on the last two albums Charlie Ball - Bass Anaheim Rumble & Rock
is “Broken Crown”, can you tell our readers a little bit Wiley Miranda - Controls/Dub FX Anaheim, California
about the inspiration for this song? Daniel Reedy - Positive Vibe Technician/ Jun 19 2010 5:00P
Management
SS: That question is best answered by Mikey, who Boar Cross’n Bar and Grill 21+
wrote the song. Carlsbad, California
Upcoming Shows for May and June: Jul 9 2010 8:00P
Mike O’Gara: The song is about a time in my life where PierView Pub/ Bub’s Whiskey Dive 21+
the first girl I had really fallen in love with left me for Oceanside, California Kilkenny’s 21+
someone else. It had gotten to me pretty bad and I was May 1 2010 8:00P Redondo Beach, California
upset over the situation, but awhile afterwards, I sat Jul 22 2010 8:00P
down and took that negative energy and used the song Leucadian Bar 21+
as an outlet. I just wrote about how I felt, and the song Encinitas, California
was created. Over the years people have told me that May 8 2010 8:00P
the song helped them get through tough spots in their
relationships, and it makes me feel good that I could Pier 23 w/ The Dirty Dub Band
take something negative in my life and flip it to have a San Francisco, California
positive effect on another’s life. May 14 2010 8:00P

NUG: What are some of your favorite venues to play at Brick By Brick 21+
in San Diego? I know you guys are local and have the San Diego, California
same love for SD that I do, so I am curious about where May 16 2010 8:00P
your favorite places to play are.
Queen Bees ALL AGES
SS: There are so many places in San Diego that we San Diego, California
have had a blast at over the years, but if we had to Jun 11 2010 8:00P
name a few, we really love the Belly Up, House of Blues,
710 Beach Club, and The Leucadian.

NUGMAG.COM | 67
STRAIN:
CHEMDOG
 Music with no stems
or seeds,
cultivated monthly
By: Goldi Schiffner
Humble, hard working and gritty lyricists em-
body the music coming from San Diego artists,
Stoned Red Addicts. The name states it all;
they are stoned red addicts. But the meaning of
their music and goals go far past simplicity into
a complicated cannabis extreme. Stoned Red
Addicts are Izic, Big Pitt and R.L. hailing from
Clairemont, a community in San Diego. In 2010
the group decided to do something different,
they put their careers on the line and promised
to release a new project each month for free on
their website americasfinestent.com.
Each of these gentlemen has his own unique
personality, but the mix balances out the sound
and creates a stage presence of supernatural
energy. As part of the crowd at the last Stoned
Red Addicts show, you could see everyone get
out of their seats and really feel the music. The
crowd was captivated with a ceremonial lighting
of a cannabis filled swisher on stage.
Stoned Red Addicts combine hip hop beats with
hard hitting lyrics, comedy and great rhythm.
The group has made notable strides since they
were established as E.R.A in 2006. “When we
were E.R.A, our sound wasn’t as developed
as it is today and we weren’t as experienced.
When we became more developed and
sounded better, we decided the only thing that
needed to change was the name, so we came
up with Stoned Red Addicts.” explains Izic.
As 2010 stands to be a landmark year for
Stoned Red Addicts, we caught up with Izic,
70 | NUGMAG.COM
R.L. and Big Pitt after their “420 friendly” main producer as far as making tracks, R.L. is the
photo shoot at a studio in Mira Mesa. second most knowledgeable when it comes to pro-
ducing. Their sounds are really distinguished. I can’t
We’re going to dive right into physically lay something down on a track, but I can
think it and go to Pitt and tell him ‘this is my vision,
the criticism you have faced as this is the way I want the sound, and he brings it to
a group in your quest to create life. I personally bring an ear for catchy hooks.
“420 friendly” party music. What
keeps you going? On 4/20, Stoned Red Addicts, the self
titled debut album was released. What
Izic: Our drive, we don’t stop. We bring
something else to the table and we have a
can people expect to hear?
lot to share with the people. We relate a lot
R.L.: People who knew us back in 2007 will notice a
to our fans and that is what keeps us going.
big change they will appreciate and hopefully like. I
don’t want to boast myself, but I feel we’re talented
R.L.: I listen to a lot of music; I am influenced
and we do our thing.
by rappers such as Ice Cube and Snoop
Dogg because they are stoner friendly. That
Izic: This is our first album as Stoned Red Addicts,
is what motivates me to go out there and let
everything is original. All our own beats and lyrics.
everyone know that I’m smoking, and I rap
It just goes to show you who we are as a group and
about it because I like to do it.
that we come from originality. The album is a good
vibe, good music - party feel, so a lot of people can
In making a new project each relate. We’re at a time where people don’t want to
month there are a lot of creative hear about the news and the recession. We try to
processes to go through, how cheer people up and share how we live every day.
Happiness, drinking, smoking, having sex and that’s
does it all start? it.
Big Pitt: I’m Big Pitt AKA the Weed King. I
am pretty much the producer of the group, Why are you tasking yourself with the
I make the beats. Once the group can hear enormous undertaking of putting out
how the sound goes, the drum or piano, then a new project each month of 2010?
they can dig it. Since we are natural about
our flows, we just come up with something
Admittedly, you are not getting paid
hard based off the music. for the upcoming projects and all the
music is free.
Izic: We each have our own unique music
creativeness. For example, Big Pitt is the
Izic: Because we strive to be original and the
best, to be bigger and better than anyone else.
So, I could be wrong, but according to what I
know, nobody has ever come out with a project
every month free for a whole year, rocker or
rapper. We want to be the first to do it, and
we’re not on a crazy budget for it! We do ev-
erything our way, and in house. And we want to
show people how we can keep making music,
and good music at that.
The energy at the last Stoned Red
Addicts show we saw was amaz-
ing. What makes you guys so
powerful live?
Izic: Energy plays a big key, and our sound. We
don’t just settle for any sound, we specifically
mix every live track and set list so it’s made
for live. We don’t rap over our tracks from our
CDs. Also, my brother is a mixing engineer so
he plays a big part when it comes to mixing
and mastering. It’s definitely a blessing to have
somebody like that involved.
Big Pitt, you have done most of the
production for the projects. Where
does your inspiration as a produc-
er come from?
Big Pitt: I have a musical background. I’ve
played drums and piano since I was 5, I’ve
even been in choir. Recently I’ve been produc-
ing using Reason and ProTools. The sound just
comes right off the top of the brain. I’ll get a
piano track and lay a little tune down, if I like it
I’ll get another track, then a bass and see how
it works. Sometimes it all flows together and I
didn’t know I was going to make what I did. A
little Mary Jane, she helps out now and then.
Izic you released your debut album
as a solo artist, Inauguration, in
March which we read was in pro-
duction for over two years. How
have your fans been reacting?
Izic: Really great. Someone was telling me that
they like our music as a group but also enjoy
my solo work because my solo stuff sounds
different than the group because I have a dark
past and I’m not mentally all there in the head.
Certain crazy thoughts the group cannot relate
to. I don’t expect them to, it’s crazy stuff. It’s for
people who like darker, problems at home kind
of music. People tend to flock to that just to re-
late. The music is definitely something that you
can feel. It’s like the best of both worlds; you’re
pissed off listen to my solo music, or be happy
and listen to the group stuff. One thing that
I have a lot of experience in is relationships.
Whether it is good or bad, a lot of people have
been through it and can relate. I look forward to
doing more solo projects.
R.L. we understand that you have
an upcoming mix tape you’re put-
ting together, can you tell us more
about that?
R.L.: It is official! I am doing a mix tape com-
ing out on my birthday, May 12, a Tuesday,
which is perfect. This is my first project and I
can’t wait to release it because everyone is
wondering ‘What is R.L. going to say; what kind
of beats will be featured?’ It’s going to be great
because after the Stoned Red Addicts album is
complete, I’ll be in the booth finishing it up. I’m
calling it The Dark Knight mix tape because I
am the dark night. Look out for R.L. May 12th!
What, as a group, are you most
looking forward to in 2010, or
would like to accomplish?
Izic: Hopefully finishing the year strong and
making these projects. Making the music every
month takes a toll on you, and it’s a drag some-
times. Just finishing as strongly as we started
and making good material. We hope to keep
winning the music festivals and doing these
shows. Naturally, we want to see where the
year takes us; we’re just waiting for it to unfold.
So I have to ask, out of the group,
who is the biggest stoner?
R.L.: He [Big Pitt] is the Michael Jordan of
marijuana smoking.
Izic: We all know not only is he the biggest
stoner in the group, but he’s the biggest stoner
you’ll ever meet. If you don’t believe me, if you
think you’re the biggest stoner, we challenge
you to a weed Olympics with Big Pitt. He is
smoking a half ounce blunt as we speak,
enough said!
Big Pitt: The only man to smoke so much weed
and walk this land of earth. If Snoop Dogg
hears this, tell him to just stop. Because I’m
here.
Is there anything else you would
like to share?
Big Pitt: Our job in the music industry is to
touch boundaries that no one has ever touched
before, and no one is going to stop us because
we are the Stoned Red Addicts.
R.L.: As I close out, I just want to let the whole
world know that we’re going to blow up and
it’s going to be such a majestic wonderful ride.
Look out world!
Izic: Seriously, we are striving to do things no
one has ever done before, we know people
have said that before. We really mean it.
Starting with one project every month for a
whole year! Most people wouldn’t attempt that
because they know it is very hard to do. We will
not quit. After this, our goal is to do a 50 state
tour, a show in at least one city in every state.
I know nobody has ever done that in one tour
before. We have a list of things.
The promise for a fresh project from the Stoned
Red Addicts each month of 2010 is set in stone.
If the cannabis culture of music is looking for a
fresh face, they have certainly met the perfect
match. After sitting with the Stoned Red Ad-
dicts, their rising fame could be compared to
the sparking of a fresh joint - pure happiness
for everyone involved.
In 2010 alone, Stoned Red Addicts have
released The Hot Box Vol. 1 and The Hot Box
Vol. 2 for January and February. In March, Izic’s
long awaited solo debut album Inauguration
was released. Finally, in April Stoned Red Ad-
dicts, the self titled album, debuted. As for the
album, a few reasons why you should check
it out, “too much cannabis,” Izic explains, R.L.
adds “fire.” And Big Pitt, a man of an apparent
few words cements the statement “something
they have never heard before.”
No matter your musical tastes, you can find a
Stoned Red Addicts song and album perfect for
the mood. My personal favorite is “California
Soul” from The Hot Box Vol. 1 because it’s ideal
for those mellow Saturday afternoons heading
to the beach.
In a city with such a rich local music scene, it’s
worth the time to learn more about the sounds
being cultivated around you. After contributing
just eight minutes of your time to local music
and downloading Stoned Red Addicts projects
free on their website, you may be exposed to a
new genre of stoner music. You’ll be pleas-
antly surprised to find a free CD you can look
forward to each month debuting on americas-
finestent.com.
Stoned Red Addicts Free Downloads/Calendar
@ americasfinestent.com
Stoned Red Addicts on FaceBook
NUGMAG.COM | 71
 NUG Magazine Editor Dion Markgraaff’s

Tribute to
Jack Herer
For decades, Jack has determinedly continued to preach his message
that cannabis is the best food, fiber, fuel, paper, and medicine on the
planet, literally until the day he died. He is right. Since I read his words
in The Emperor Wears No Clothes almost 20 years ago, I have done
nothing but do my best every day to promote the information contained
in his book – that hemp can save the world.

I was deeply honored when I met my hero Jack Herer in my hemp

shop, the CIA - Cannabis In Amsterdam - when we hosted the High
Times Cannabis Cup. His tireless energy is reflected in his kind words,
“11/24/93 - Amsterdam, Holland. To Dion, Keep the enthusiasm flow-
ing non-stop till total Victory. Let’s talk about the Hemp Movement.
Thanks for being here, Love Jack.”

Come join us as we celebrate

Jack Herer’s life and continue
his legacy of educating people
about this wondrous plant at
the “Hemp is Our History”
Week- San Diego Event with
me and David Bronner who is
a board member of Vote Hemp
and CEO of the Escondido
based Dr Bronner’s Soap. May
This is a copy of Jack’s book in 17 at 7pm at La Jolla Brew
German, Hanf (Hemp), which was House – 7536 Fay Ave., La
a #1 best selling non-fiction book. Jolla, California.

Dion Markgraaff’s copy of the

world changing book, The Em-
peror Wears No Clothes, from HEMP ROPE
1991.

NUGMAG.COM | 73
 )
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74 | NUGMAG.COM
NUGMAG.COM | 75
Performance
Some seriously creative and valuable strains of art are
spicing up San Diego.  Before I mention specific happen-
ings, I’d like to mention some of my favorite venues for
performance art that both just happen to be in the East
Village.  Sushi Performance & Visual Art and 10th Avenue
Theatre.
Sushi’s space is truly raw and laden with concrete. There
is nothing fishy about it - sound quality, diversity and
creative talent are never an issue at Sushi. They also just
announced their 2010 RED BALL  for June 5, with details
coming soon. I wonder what the RED BALL will be!?
76 | NUGMAG.COM
The 10th Avenue Theatre (Near E St.) used to be a church
and is now an arts space with an aged yet welcoming ambi-
ance. It seats over 100 with new bleacher style seating.  A
wide range of artists actually work in the mildly renovated top
floor. A fitness studio operates out of the second floor, but is
creatively coupled as an art gallery. Stained glass windows
shed light in the lobby and a hip rooftop space crowns this
artsy hot spot.
One very unique online happenings is Art Rocks 247. They al-
low you to get up close and personal with the innovative lives
that shape the artistic landscape of San Diego and southern
California through their weekly online radio show. Art Rocks
covers fashion, film, and all genres of arts. Catch the buzz
with spicy Alexandra and witty Lu via www.artrocks24.com
and give your ears a LIVE listen Thursdays between 8-9pm.
Belly dancing is very popular in San Diego. Local belly
dancers will be at World Belly Dance Day on May 8th at the
Mission Valley YMCA, while belly dancers from all over the
country are gathering at the 13th Annual San Diego Middle
Eastern Dance Association (SAMEDA) Faire at NTC Liberty
Station on July 18th at NTC Liberty Station in Point Loma.
You can also get a dose of belly dancing in May and June at
Portugalia Restaurant in Ocean Beach with Iza Moon Dance
Collective. Melanie Dellas of Iza Moon also teaches classes
(mdellas@hotmail.com) if you are ready to experience the
art of belly dancing first hand. I can attest that her “booty
bounces” are an intense work out!  Lastly, be sure to in-
vestigate The Shimmy Sisters shows which often include
snakes, candles, fire fingers, isis wings, glowing hula
hoops, veils and zils!
Footloose The Musical is showing at  the Welk Re-
sorts Theatre in Escondido this May and June. The
dance driven Tony Award nominated play is based
on the 1984 musical film starring Kevin Bacon
and John Lithgow.  Footloose exemplifies the
“cut loose” maxim to not be bound by the chal-
lenges and obstacles that life might present us.
I’m hopeful for a fun juxtaposition of the movie
and this stage performance. 
Families with little ones might enjoy Cinderella
at Coronado Playhouse which is showing until
May 30th or Bye Bye Birdie The Musical at Ly-
ceum Theatre presented by ACT San Diego.
ACT San Diego is an exciting new theatre
company for young people. Their mission is
to provide educational and artistic opportu-
nities to young actors to perform, act, and
learn the art of stagecraft.
Art Portal I’m very intrigued with the edgy say that we are well on our way. Get connected to the arts and
play Dog Sees God.  It’s an join this budding movement by attending performances and
“unauthorized” parody from the making the arts a part of your life. Lastly,  I’d like to invite you
comic strip Peanuts, imagining to join the Arts Tix e-news club to get privy to weekly arts hap-
the characters as teenagers.  penings.
DSG had its premiere at the 2004
New York International Fringe Email artstix@sdpal.com to sign up or visit
Festival and was well received. www.sdArtsTix.com.
You’ll be able to see it in San
Diego at Diversionary Theatre
(one of my favorite spaces for live
theatre) this June. Thank you in
advance, InnerMission Productions, for pushing the enve-
lope in San Diego.

Got a birthday or company party to plan? You might get

a kick out of Mystery Theatre Cafe’s new Night of the
Laughing Dead show. You can enjoy this highly interactive
dinner theatre performance at Imperial House Restaurant
in Banker’s Hill and half price tickets are usually available
at www.sdArtsTix.com the day of the show, which are on
Friday and Saturday nights.

Improv Comedy update - Comedy on the Crest has been

happening Wednesdays 8pm @ Cafe Libertalia in Hill-
crest. National Comedy Theatre stages weekend improv
performances every Saturday and Sunday night and has
no age or drink minimums!  Some of the choicest San
Diego improv comes from  94.9 FM’s morning show, “The
Mikey Show.”  Mikey and his entourage, Sienna, Lauren,
Woods and Jay are leading the pack in my unsolicited
opinion. 

The Old Globe -- have you heard of it? It’s kind of like the
Godfather of the arts, it continuously remains the largest
arts employer in San Diego. Over 250,000 attend produc-
tions or participate in OG outreach programs each year. 
This summer, consider the west coast premier of The
Whipping Man. This drama is set in Virginia following the
final days of the Civil War. A Jewish Confederate soldier
returns to his childhood home only to find it in ruins and
occupied by his former slaves preparing for a Passover
Seder.

I’m a huge fan of the TV show “Parks and Recreation,”

so I must mention that Aziz Ansari is heading our way
this July 24 on his  Dangerously Delicious Tour. Location
- House of Blues. I’m expecting potent stand up comedy
and will see you there.

Although San Diego may have a long way to catch up with

say... the artistic prowess of San Fransisco, I can honestly

NUGMAG.COM | 77
78 | NUGMAG.COM
TRAVEL
MMJ Destinations: Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada; AKA: VANSTERDAM!
By: Scott “Scotty B.” Whytsell

It was in the mid-to-late 1990’s when I was first

introduced to California medicinal marijuana.
It was at that time, while exploring the MMJ
culture, that I became familiar with what seemed
to be two very long-standing debates: “indoor
versus outdoor” and “Cali bud versus BC bud”.
Bring up either discussion in an MMJ forum and
get ready for some heated opinions!

One can stop by their local collective or co-op

here in San Diego and come to their own conclu-
sion on the “indoor/outdoor” issue, but for the lat-
ter debate, you must grab your passport and fly
or drive to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;
more commonly referred to as “Vansterdam”
in homage to Amsterdam, that great Dutch city
known for its extremely liberal drug law policies,
not to mention home of some of the world’s best
pot!
Background:

Vancouver is a coastal city located in the lower

mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is
named for British Captain George Vancouver
who explored the area in the 1790’s. The name
Vancouver itself originates from the Dutch “van
Coevorden”, denoting somebody from Coev-
orden, a city in the Netherlands.

The largest metropolitan area in western Cana-

da, Vancouver ranks 3rd largest in the country.
According to the 2006 census, Vancouver had a
population of 578,041. While forestry remains its
largest industry, Vancouver is well known as an
urban center surrounded by nature, making tour-
ism its second largest industry. It also is the third
largest film production centre in North America
after Los Angeles and New York City, earning it
the nickname Hollywood North.

Vancouver is one of the few major cities in North

America without a freeway leading directly
into the downtown core. As a result, develop-
ment has taken a different course than in most
other major North American cities, resulting in a
relatively high use of public transit and cycling,
a dense and walkable core, and a development
model that is studied and emulated elsewhere.

80 | NUGMAG.COM
Vancouver has ranked highly in worldwide “livable city”
rankings for more than a decade. It has hosted many in-
ternational conferences and events, including the 1976
United Nations Conference on Human Settlements
and the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and
Communication. The 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010
Winter Paralympics were held in Vancouver and nearby
Whistler, a resort community 78 miles north of the city.
Average temperatures for May and June run from the
low 50’s to the high 60’s.

Transportation:

Flights from San Diego (SAN) to Vancouver Internation-

al Airport (YVR) currently run as low as $384 for the 6 ½
hour flight. A new transit line connecting the airport to
downtown Vancouver makes travel to the world famous
“Pot Block” a mere 20 minutes. Although this is the
most direct way to get to your destination, other options
include flying to the Abbotsford International Airport
(YXX), located about 50 miles east of Vancouver, or
landing in Seattle (SEA) and driving across the border.
Driving time is approximately 2 ½ -3 hours.

Sightseeing:

If this is your first time to this exciting city, a profes-

sional tour guide may be the perfect way to enjoy a very
informative, stress-free adventure. One company in
particular, Vansterdam Tours (www.vansterdamgreen-
tours.com), offers two organized packages, the 2-hour
“Vansterdam Starter Tour” for $150 ($125 each for
groups of 2 or more) and the ½ day…I mean the 4-hour
20 minute “Get Baked in BC Tour” costing $250.

The Starter Tour, according to the website, is “a perfect

tour for anyone who has never visited Vansterdam
before, or just hasn’t experienced everything the city
has to offer.” This tour is a crash course in Vancouver
stoner-ology. The tour is a very in-depth experience of
Vansterdam’s famous “Pot Block”, including 3 different
smoking lounges and cafes, the world headquarters
of the Cannabis Culture Magazine and BC Marijuana
Party, POT TV headquarters, and the “Prince of Pot”
Marc Emery’s new 420 convenience store.

With the Get Baked in BC Tour, not only do you get to

experience and take in everything the “Pot Block” has
to offer, you also get a chance to veer off the beaten pot
tourist path by visiting a few little known, local stoner
destinations.

As stated in the website, “all tours are led by world class

marijuana smoking professionals with years of experi-
ence in the city and with the marijuana scene, giving
you everything you need to make your experience in
the city as comfortable and hassle free as possible.”
Enough said.

Remember, it’s a cool World out there…

GO EXPLORE IT! 1LOVE!
NUGMAG.COM | 81
 at the 2010
THC Expose

82 | NUGMAG.COM
Winners of the extra point 420 Football!
Players had to eye ball a gram...
Hosted by 420FL.com

NUGMAG.COM | 83
84 | NUGMAG.COM
 by. Ben G. Rowin

86 | NUGMAG.COM
LIVESTONED Bracelets The Digger One Hitter Lollipipe
Livestoned.org is a medical marijuana awareness So a friend called me up and asked if I had seen the Dig- Ok first of all I want to address the obvious…
foundation supporting advocacy, education and ger One Hitter. This friend of mine knew that I had been KZEE Novelty makes a product called Lollipipe,
safety. Much like the Live Strong bracelets made using the old school metal cigarette/wooden box combo for a pipe made out of candy that can be used
famous by Lance Armstrong, these green rubber years on trips and outside adventures. The Digger took a multiple times and then eaten. They come in a
bracelets are a real conversation starter. Every 30 year old product and really made a substantial improve- bunch of flavors, they actually work extremely
time I wear mine out in the world someone eventu- ment. By cutting the end of this one hitter and making well as a pipe and they taste great. Although
ally asks me what it says and then begins the con- serrations to the tips it makes getting your herb SO much some would immediately jump to the “they are
versation about medical cannabis. Anytime I have easier. I have always struggled with the fact that I had to marketing to kids” argument, I call bullshit on
the opportunity to educate someone on medical grind my meds before putting them in my dugout, but with that. The product is sold in 18+ locations and
cannabis or marijuana in general is a good day for The Digger, I can pack my dugout with nugs and when I you have to be 18+ to order them from their
me! So I really enjoy wearing this product and it isam ready to smoke, The Digger gets the job done! They website. Just because something is candy
also subtle enough to have on when you go to pick have many one hitters to choose from and the product was does not make it for kids! They are novelty
up your kids from soccer practice (not like a shirt really well received at their launch at this year’s Cannabis items marketed to smokers. I see them as eco
that says “I love weed!”). Plus, an added benefit Cup in Amsterdam. Also Johnny B, one of the founders, is friendly, edible pipes and I am a grown ass
is that a portion of the proceeds from all LIVE- a SUPER cool cat, we had time to chill and smoke a bowl man that loves candy! Pick one of these up for
STONED products are donated to help promote at the THC Expose in Los Angeles. He even made sure your next outing. You can eat it when you’re
the continuation of medical marijuana advocacy. that the entire NUG staff got their very own Digger One done and not have to worry about taking a dirty
You can find them at www.livestoned.org Hitter. pipe back home.
Get yours at www.thediggeronehitter.com Available at local smoke shops or online at
Look for our next issue! I will be doing a HUGE product review of all the cool products I found at the THC www.kzeenovelty.com
Expose this year! I got a bunch of really great items for the next issue!

If you would like your products reviewed contact Ben G. Rowin at info@nugmag.com

NUGMAG.COM | 87
 MAY Calendar of Events
01.
05.
Heavyweight Dub Champion
Cinco De Mayo
At Winston’s @ 8
The Devastators Present: Reggae De Mayo
At Longboard Bar and Grill @ 8
City Beat Festival of Beers
At Lafayette Hotel @ 12
FM 94.9 Presents: Mastadon
At The House of Blues @ 6:30
Biggest Beer Pong Tournament
At Cabo Cantina @ 2
Stranger
At Belly Up Tavern @ 9
Stone Senses
At Leucadian Bar @ 9
Roots Covenant, Selektah Reefah, TRC Sound
System Presents: Royal Wednesday
Katchafire, Rebel Souljahz, Stranger
At Diamond Jim’s @ 9
At Brengle Terrace Park @ 3
07.
Raiz Muzik
The Ambassador and the Chosen Few & Stick
At Hensley’s Flying Elephant @ 8:30
Figure
At 710 Beach Club @ 9
02.
The Devastators At Longboard
The Kottonmouth Kings and (Hed) p.e.
Bar and Grill @ 9 every Sunday
At The House of Blues @ 6
Tribe of Kings
B Foundation
At U-31 @ 9 every Sunday 
At Wave House @ 8
03.
Day Glow S.D.
Lady Dottie and the Diamonds @ 9
At Balboa Park @ 7:30
Swing dancing classes @ 7:30
At U-31 every Monday
Without Papers
At Dream Street @ 8
Dub Mondays with The Tribe Of
Kings
08.
At The Office @ 9 every
SoCal NORML Meeting
Monday
At The World Beat Center @ 10am
04.
Roots Covenant, TRC Sound System,
Canines and Cocktails
Ranking Joe
At Hotel Indigo @
At O’Connell’s @ 9
5:30
Too Short
At 4th and B @ 8

Social Green
At Hensley’s Flying Elephant @ 9

Shoreline Roots
At Pier View Pub @ 9

Stranger at the Beach to Brewery Fest

At Karl Strauss (P.B.) @ 2

09.
Mothers Day!!

King Sunny Ade

At The World Beat Center @ 11am

Boom Snap
At 710 Beach Club @ 9

90 | NUGMAG.COM
11. The Ambassador and the Chosen Few 27.
Ben Folds and a Piano At Torrey Pines Gliderport @ 2 91X Presents:
At The House of Blues @ 8 Angels and Airwaves & Say Anything
Steel Pulse with the Tribe of Kings At the House of Blues @ 7
San Diego ASA Meeting At The House of Blues @ 7
At 3701 Voltaire St. 92107 @ 6 28.
Bullet for my Valentine and Chiodos HI Roots
13. At Soma @ 7 At The Wavehouse @ 6
Johnny Osbourne and the Melodians
At The World Beat Center @ 8 17. The Expendables
Hemp is our History Week At Belly Up @ 8:30
14. At La Jolla Brew House @ 7
Planning Commission S.D. Meeting Mikey Avalon
At 5201 Ruffin Road Suit B @ 9am Roots Vision, Midnite At Stingaree @ 11
At Belly Up @ 9
Slower 29.
At Pure Platinum @ 8 20. Natural Incense
Heavy Glow At JJ Purty Landers @ 9
619 At Soda Bar @ 9
At Second Wind Santee @ 9 Dazed and Confused
22. At Sound Wave @ 9
Stone Senses Eek-a-Mouse
At Brick by Brick @ 8 At 4th and B @ 8 HI Roots and Tribal Theory
At Winston’s @ 8
The Optimators House of Blues 5th Anniversary Show
At Leucadian Bar @ 9 Featuring: Ok-Go and 30.
Shout Out Louds @ 1 Danny Dread and Roots Covenant
North County ASA Meeting At P.B. Bar and Grill @ 6
At 950 Vista Way 92084 suite A2 @ 7 24.
Nada Surf 31.
15. At Belly Up @ 8 The Strange Days Tour 2010:
Slower, Rebelution, Fishbone & More Tech N9NE and Brotha Lynch Hung
At The 56th Annual Over The Line At The House of Blues @ 7
Coming Out Party Mariner’s Point
Mission Bay @ 12pm

NUGMAG.COM | 91