When you are up against titans of this industry you need to be different and stand out, its like you need to be from another world. I have come across some extremely interesting operations in my career in the cannabis industry, but this one takes the cake, I came across these guys from a highly secure contact, and the only way I was able to access them was via the 420CUSP membership, these guys do not offer their services just to anyone and especially delivering out of their traditional area, you needed the membership. Once I gained access, I was blown away by how cool their site was and the massive selection they offered, I tried to book an interview with them, but their identities are highly classified if you know what I mean. Space Station is one of Canada's top cannabis product and accessories providers based online, here is the message they provide to their visitors, thought it would be cool to share. "GREETINGS EARTHLINGS! WELCOME TO THE SPACE STATION!! 🛸 We travel far and wide through the galaxy selecting the best strains and products while working hard to maintain and deliver top quality cannabis straight to your door! Our mission is to provide you with the best cannabis products and to deliver you an “Out of this world experience!” They offer flower, edible, extracts and pens, to pre rolls, mushrooms, clones and accessories, all of these products are no where near low grade. The amazing thing is they offer these products at exceptionally affordable prices, they accept online payments with a 10% service fee but with the saving you receive, discount on delivery charges and anything over $200 the delivery is free even if you are in the GTA, which btw is offered as a next day service, but you need to ensure your order has been placed by 2pm the latest. I ordered their flower, it was Donny Burger, it came in a clever looking package with the Space Station brand on it. I opened the bag and it was a delight to see what I actually ordered for a change, I can't count the times on my hand that I have placed orders with legacy market companies and what shows up isn't what is in the picture. I opened up the bag and the aroma was so intoxicating my blood started to rush with excitement. As I was breaking up the bud I was practically getting a buzz just from the smell it was so strong, it left stick resin on my finger, these kinds of strains I like to do everything by hand, I know I could have used a grinder, but this batch deserved the royal connoisseur treatment. Next I tried their chatter, I didn't have a machine at the moment, but that never stops me, I placed it in the freeze to freeze, once ready I chattered it into a bunch of dust like particles, this allows me to blend it evenly through my broken bud I rolled into a joint. Its a nice mix and the taste is so clean, the buzz is so good. If you are looking for a out of this world buzz and experience check them out, I guarantee you will not be disappointed. As stated on the Membership page Space Station Deliveries: For GTA Next Day, Golden Horseshoe same day PLEASE ENSURE YOUR ORDER IS IN BEFORE 2PM FOR THE GTA NEXT DAY, & ALL ORDERS NEED TO TYPE IN BRACKETS (420CUSP) BESIDE YOUR NAME WHEN PLACING YOUR ORDER OR YOU WILL NOT RECIEVE THE DELIVERY SERVICE & DICOUNT RATE: $20 FOR THE GTA, ORDERS $200 & UP DELIVERY IS FREE https://spacestationdelivery.com/

Former UFC fighter Elias Theodorou dies at such a young age It's a shame to see such and inspiration leave us so soon, I can remember interviewing him like it was yesterday. What I found online in an article posted by ESPN News Services, was Theodorou's official twitter account announced that the former UFC fighter died in Toronto of colon cancer that metastasized. It boggles my mind that this happened, as he was using cannabis as therapy daily, and I have seen people come out of the darkest stages of cancer and make a great come back, so what happened? For the whole story you can check it out HERE For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to read the interview I did, well here it is, thought I would save you having to go back to our first issue. I feel absolutely blessed and privileged these days, I have conducted interviews with some of the most incredibly talented people on this great plane of ours. But this interview I was not expecting to have the opportunity to, as I had no fucking idea about this guy. A good friend of mine owns a tattoo shop and boxing club downtown Toronto. Through our search for people who use cannabis and want to share their story, I thought I would pay him a visit. I walked into his boxing club and started to admire all the accomplishments hanging on the walls of the club. This gentleman came up to me and we started to chat about the reason why I was at the club, and it just so happened that this was the master coach of the club, he asked me if I knew Elias Theodorou. I had taken Kung fu and Mai Thai during my personal training obsession, but I wasn’t familiar with Elias, I knew the old school like Gary Goodrich, or Tank Abbott. So, when the master coach showed me who Elias was and what he was all about, I had to learn more, so I contacted Jesse and told him the good news. But enough of story, now let us tell you about his. Meet Elias Theodorou, professional MMA fighter, he is in his 30’s and has competed professionally for 10 years of his life. As a fan, first and foremost, watching the UFC. It inspired him to start street level training at an earl age during high school years. With his undefeated reputation during his high school career, he moved on to university, and picked a fight with someone he shouldn't have. You see Elias had a little bit too much to drink, and his opponent was completely sober. with his years of experiences on the mean, streets of suburbia, he thought he was sure to kick this guy’s ass. He started with a superman punch, an ill-fated superman punch, off the top curb, he slipped and then fell. As he was down his opponent kicked him in the face, and at the same time, someone was recording the whole thing, then posted it online. It was called “Boot to Face”, it went viral. So, imagine that, basically, what ended up happening was Elias was mortified, because at that time, it was the first case of something recorded like that, and went viral. Just before this occurred and he was ending his high school career, and he tried to walk away from a fight, but this guy pulled him in, and sucker punched him. Instantly it was like a light went off, and trigged the beast within him, he went into full on hockey jersey mode, hit him, 10, 20 times and won the fight, which gave him some serious street credit, in the mean streets of suburbia and Mississauga. Let’s go back to when that video went viral, with his first loss, this is where his life literally changed. We're talking about a 10-fold regarding how many people saw it. Pretty brutal life experience if you ask me. I remember during high school, before I took martial arts, I was a bit of a street fighter myself, I can remember the time I was foolish enough to join a gang and those fights were brutal, especially when your being led to a path where your getting jumped from behind so everyone can watch you get your head smashed off the curb, that was a fair fight, but thank God there was no cell phones that could record live shit, after they were done with me I was a mess. Elias knows the true meaning of being mortified, so after that fight happened, he confided in his father, and his father said, “Well, you love that UFC shit so much, why don't you go to the gym and make sure it never happens again”. And he did, originally, he went to learn a couple more things and find the guy, then challenge him. But then he eventually centered himself and being the lost boy that he was, he developed discipline, and the right path for his journey, which he has been running with since the age of 21, by the age of 24 he ended up going from amateur to pro. When Elias entered the Ultimate Fighter, he won the Ultimate Fighter being the first Canadian to do so. Before the age of 25 was the time limit, he gave himself to make a career out of Mixed Martial Arts. He was able to do it, and at the same time he achieved a high degree in advertising. Elias ended up being with the UFC for better part of six years, and his focus was between mixed martial arts, through the UFC transferred into his advocacy, and activism for cannabis. He found he realized that there were opportunities to do something different beyond just fighting inside the cage, but fighting outside and what took place during the process of USADA (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) entering the UFC, which he was really proud of, for those that don't know your shit. You see, Elias is a big believer in clean sport because he is a clean athlete. Unfortunately, and fortunately, his medicine which is cannabis, is and was considered a prohibited substance. The big push at the beginning was, cannabis at that time was looked at no different than a steroid. There are even cases of athletes like Nick Diaz and Anderson Silva fought, Anderson Silva was flagged for steroids, actual performance enhancing drugs, were Nick Diaz flagged for was cannabis. Nick Diaz got five years regarding a sanction where Anderson only got 18 months. So again, that was the stigma that Elias was aware of, and he took on the fight. As working with USADA and the UFC, he was talking with Jeff Novitzky, which his claim to fame was that he is the guy that busted Lance Armstrong. He's now part of the athlete development, regarding being a liaison on the athlete side when it comes to dealing USADA, Jeff is a big believer in a clean sport, and his conversation with them is in many ways is very supportive in the capacity of Elias trying to get his medicine recognized and approved. That's when he applied for what's called the therapeutic use exemption. Basically, cannabis is a band sport, but Elias applied for an exemption for his therapeutic medicine. It was an uphill battle for him, unfortunately, he was with a US based company, and they partnered with the US anti doping agency, which gets funded by the US government. So, they must look at cannabis as the same way as the US government does. And it was still a schedule one drug, at the time which means it has no medical properties. When Elias developed bilateral neuropathy, which is essentially nerve damage of the upper extremities, you can imagine, daily life functions would, aggravate and sets off the pain, which compounds, Think, punching, elbowing, getting picked up, slammed, and cranked in every single way, this isn't a job or a career for the faint of heart. “Being a third-party organization, UFC allowed my to do his thing, where USADA was very much against it in the capacity of it was an uphill battle, as I mentioned, because every time and again, I went from my pediatrician, and actual family doctor, who has been my doctor my whole life. This isn't some guy that you know, in the old days before, cannabis was legalized and where a doctor, would, you telecommute with you and then you have a license. No, it's my family doctor who's known me my whole life”. Elias started seeing them when he was 10 years old, now being 33, his family doctor has been there through out his entire career. And through his doctor’s diagnosis, and help, they realized that cannabis was a superior option compared to the than the first line medicines that, out of all of them that was out there. Especially with his own experience part of his medical claim was for a therapeutic use exemption. In a previous life, he used to jump off tall buildings before he realized he was terrified of heights as a semi pro skateboarder. He broke his hand, two breaks, four fractures, and they took bone out of his hip and made him a new wrist, for what's called a bone graft. And that was medical basis of his therapeutic use exemption. Elias stated it's almost not enough to say that he had arthritis with chronic pain, or he had this that and the other. They need actual medical proof, so building off that, the USADA never got to the point where it was never a no, it was always denied, but you can resubmit. So, he ended up submitting five times, to the point where they finally agreed he had this medical condition, and agreed he had bilateral neuropathy. His family doctor, and six other doctors, he ended up having towards the end of this journey, we're talking about, pain specialists, pain management specialists, sports doctors, they had different researchers on the team, compiling 40 Page write ups, based on Elias trying every other option, and he kept on coming to the point where they just kept on saying, You need to try more opioids, you need to try more, you need to try more painkillers, even to the point where, by the end of it, they said” You have to try antidepressants, where basically, you are not depressed in any way, shape, or form.” But what they wanted to do essentially, was to numb the whole body, to the point where it doesn’t hurt anymore. There would be points where his family doctor was almost laughing, or he would say, “I would be laughing if it wasn't really messed up, because we haven't really suggested this since like the 80s and 90s” So at that point, Elias left the UFC to focus on his advocacy, and it was then he was able to go back to Canada, and apply for a therapeutic use exemption through the province of British Columbia. The BC commission approved it in the first of its kind, and then he was able to set up events, where he was a fighter and the promoter. He was able to make history as the first sanctioned cannabis athlete in Canada, more broadly speaking the world, which set precedent not only for Elias, but for other athletes. And from there he was able to leverage that precedent because all the Commission's work with each other, both for the negative and the positive. For instance, let's say if cannabis is considered a steroid, and let say Elias got flagged in New York, for steroid use. The Californian Commission wouldn't want to license Elias, until his suspension was up. So, the same kind of thing in a positive sense, happened with the fact that British Columbia approved Elias’s therapeutic use exemption. And then he was able to apply for a license, then the therapeutic use exemption in Colorado, which he recently, was the fighter and promoter for the event, and was able to make history as the first sanction cannabis athlete in the US winning both fights in 2020, again, setting precedent not only for himself, but other athletes. This guy is a legend! At this point, I was in absolute aw listening to these accomplishments during our interview. Elias thinks the real caveat to why he is looking at the long-term approach to what he achieved, was even more important than what he did with USADA, as it is a third-party testing company. It's an organization that you can hire, where permissions are overseen and run by the state and provincial government. So, his actual approvals are the first of its kind approved by state and provincial government, meaning it's the natural fundamental foundation of medical cannabis rights, both in Canada and the US. Again LEGEND!!!!! I asked asked Elias if these approvals would roll over into legislation, for both countries, and here is what he said. “Legislation and more in the capacity of actual medical cannabis rights, it's the first time that cannabis is considered a medicine in professional sports that is overseen by the state and provincial government, so it's another foundation of medical cannabis rights, more broadly speaking.” Ultimately it sets a precedent, that now can be cited in court cases, court cases and other people's own therapeutic use exemption application. Elias and his counsel, Eric McCracken, who's out in BC, they're going to be helping other athletes use his precedent to actually what's about to get their own therapeutic use exemptions, and it comes parallel to mixed martial arts and cannabis, more broadly speaking, where they can now start attacking different prohibitions in different states that have bans on cannabis, so they can start applying for therapeutic use exemptions, and then once other athletes start doing so they can pollinate the rest of the country. In sports It's very easy to go get a prescription of opioids and painkillers or use alcoholism as an option for pain relief. Elias is not saying that cannabis is the end all be all. It's not for everyone, because everybody and everybody is different. And what is really needed is the ability to look at all options, and cannabis should be one of those options. Elias started using cannabis when he was in high school recreationally, because it was easier to get cannabis than it was alcohol. He pointed out the backwards results of prohibition, and if you don't regulate said product, then it becomes an illicit product. Then what ends up happening is, it becomes easier to get access to it, including people that might not necessarily be of the right age group. Elias dabbled a little bit in high school with friends and stuff like that, especially when he started into mixed martial arts, and jumping into sports around the age of 20, he very much thought cannabis and sports did not mix well. At the time he had that stigma on his own right in the capacity of, he didn’t want to be lazy with cannabis, and he didn’t want to do it, then ruin his training, focus or anything else he felt was important. it was one of his coaches, and good friend. Unfortunately, he's no longer a coach, but he's still very much a friend. Elias was with his friend through out his cannabis experience and medical journey, not only was cannabis the right medicine for him, but it also helped him get off the opioids. When they traveled around the world, it would be for a couple of weeks, especially anywhere that doesn't have any cannabis at all, after a couple of weeks, with his friend being on opioids, Elias would witness what it did to his did to his friend’s body, both mentally and physically, and not being able to enjoy the fighter’s journey that they were both doing together. Elias’s friend was a couple years older; they were living the crazy dream of a Coach and fighter; you know that UFC thing. Then after being out on the road for a couple weeks, his friend’s body just started falling apart because of the opioids, so he had to make the switch. So when Elias eventually developed his own medical issues, he already knew the damages of opioids, painkillers, SSRIs and every other type of first traditional medicine that would be prescribed to high performance athletes and that's kind the mindset, plus the learning lessons Elias brought to his family doctor, to be able to have the conversation, and they were able to figure out that cannabis works best for Elias, and he was able to start his journey from there. It’s incredible to see the similarities with the professionals we speak with, Andrew Freedman the one and only Canadian Sommelier said the same thing, he started his career to enable people to have that conversation about cannabis at the dinner table. Elias believes firstly, medicines like painkillers and opioids are still the go to, but cannabis and MMA, especially through the jujitsu route, has a long going history. There is that awareness to it, especially on the West Coast, both in British Columbia, and Vegas, even more specifically California. He thinks there's a big call, for a cannabis influence regarding the jiu jitsu and MMA area, Elias thinks one of the interesting things with cannabis is it's obviously a medicine, but it's also there is some many other benefits to using it. For examples not only does Elias use it for pain treatment, but he also uses it to help with being more in tune with one's body, especially when your stretching, the anti-inflammatory properties really help. Elias says we're all different bags of chemicals, and everyone tries to find what works best for them. Some are more negative regarding their detriments to your body and mind, and it's always important, whether it's cannabis or any other type of medicine to speak to a professional. That's what I always suggest to anyone, but at the same time, there's some people that, self medicate with cannabis or self medicate with even alcohol in some capacity, what they're trying to do is take that edge off in some capacity. But if we're looking at it as a natural medicine, we can go back to our original question, Elias think’s that the go to is still first line medications. With his medical condition, is neuropathic pain, he has different flare ups, and different stingers, he experiences these inflammations just from the wear and tear daily on the body during training, never mind the extreme abuse he has experiences during his fights. So that is what he mainly uses cannabis for, and the UFC was kind of very progressive in the stance. So, think about it, he needs this for his pain, while maintaining his cannabis levels within the authorized limit. As a fighter there is a process you need to follow to prepare before your fight, they call it “In competition”, and what “In competition” is, the first or the last two weeks, that standard drug testing is to be completed, it was very hard, and they would use the same test for 115-pound woman that they do for 260 pounds, man. As you know THC stores in your fat cells, and again, anyone that's a little heavier, it stays in your system a little bit longer. He knew a friend who, he was on a big side, “big Terry” was a champion in a in a local promotion, and had the eyes of the UFC on him, basically a fighter can have a threshold of 100 to 150 nanograms for cannabis in their system. Terry had more than that, point being Canada flag is at 150 nanograms. So, Terry was stripped of his title, half of his pay was deducted, a fine, plus he was suspended, which ended up being six months, it could have been 9 to 12 months if he didn't take responsibility for it. It totally derailed his career Before this devastation they did independent tests on their own right with readings staying within the limits, but it takes 81 days with heavier dudes for the cannabis to be out of their systems without the risk of it being detected. One joint 81 days out, versus you can literally crush a handful of perks and it's not an issue. Tis a shame to see the regulatory and support systems out there, that have a closed mind to natural options for treatment, and you must really appreciate Elias Theodorou, for what he has accomplished is not just athletes, but for everyone who wishes to use cannabis as treatment when an authority figure doesn’t allow you to use it. Essentially this legend has paved a green path for us all to use cannabis in so many incredible ways, and even if there are roadblocks, Elias has shown us all we can win the fight for cannabis, and that is another freedom of choice we need grow and keep locked. I had the opportunity to share his closing remarks, and this is what he said. “I'm fighting my fight inside the cage and out, I'm very thankful for again, you know, five plus years of hard work regarding that said fight outside of the cage. It' has come to a full circle, with the UFC to get through that process. it eventually happened outside, and then I was able to come almost full circle, back to the US within months from it. It made me just as determined, and just as motivated for all the hard work that I took to get here, all the hard work that I still have plans, later on this year, again will come to a full circle, with the ability to take it to the powers that be that told me no. I'm very excited to continue this fight and I’m also humbled in the capacity of what it means for others, so they don't have to go through the same fight. So, they don't have to, you know, try and exhaust every other medical option under the sun just to come back to what medicine already works for them. And if that's what I'm fighting for, and just more broadly speaking, just to allow athletes to compete at a playing level field, but you know, aa a big believer of a clean sport. Cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug, It is a medicine and should be seen as such. I'm no different than anyone else, and my fight is in the cage and out for medical equality. And I'm really excited to keep fighting for the cannabis side of history.” Well said and we will join the fight, please take the time to show support and follow Elias Theodorou with his journey, his battle, his life fight! Keep er Lit! Its too bad he lost this fight RIP

If you are serious and are interested in pursuing retail operations you might want to check this out first before you do. I use to dream about opening my own dispensary till I attended the academy, the amount of work and investment required is exhausting, so my hats off to those to did it legally, its hard work. I am going to share with you a brief summary what is involved in the process to become a retail operations in Ontario Canada, Cannabis Retail Regulations, Licensing and Application Requirements, if you are interested I do offer training documents to get you prepared for the academy, so reach out to me and we can go over the details, here is the outline: • The Cannabis Act • Cannabis Retail Landscape • Application Process Cannabis Retail Regulations • Determine the similarities and differences between medical and recreational cannabis. • Understand which companies can sell medical or recreational cannabis. • Highlight the responsibilities of the Federal Government in overseeing the rollout of recreational cannabis Cannabis Retail Landscape Applications for a Cannabis Retail License is primarily being handled by the liquor and gaming control boards of each province. With provincial regulations varying from full privatization to government-run cannabis stores, retailers must tailor their strategies to geographic-specific legislation and opportunities to create your own private retail cannabis business is limited by the province you plan to operate in. Although you are still able to work at a cannabis retail store in provinces that have a crown corporation model (government), you will not be able to start your own cannabis retail business in these provinces. Because of the fragmented retail system in Canada, hopeful cannabis retail owners must tailor their business strategies to reflect the various operational differences of each province. This is especially true if you plan on being a multi-provincial operator. The biggest challenge for operators in multiple provinces will be delivering a consistent customer experience across vast distances while adhering to the different regulations established in each jurisdiction. Establishing a national brand is not easy. The legalization of cannabis is a process, and cannabis retail is no different. Drastic changes to regulations happen from one day to the next requiring companies to be flexible and possess the ability to think and pivot quickly. This includes changes in the current legislation/regulations, new product category introductions (edibles, concentrates, topicals), specialization, new taxation laws and constantly shifting customer preferences. It is important to familiarize yourself with the specific provincial and municipal laws that govern the jurisdiction you plan to operate in. Failure to comply could result in severe penalties and the revocation of your retail license. Application Process in Ontario The AGCO requires all applicants to provide detailed information, including copies of any agreements with another party, regarding the following matters with respect to another party’s interests in the applicant or the operations or proposed operations of the applicant, including: • Advice • Expertise • Management services • Operation • Revenue-sharing • Franchising • Construction • Store Location • Financing • Supply • Control • Fixtures • Marketing • Lease • Sale Did You Know? Although the information required in relation to third-party agreements has been updated, it is still largely the same and any agreements entered into with any other entity, needs to be disclosed immediately. Did you also know? Outside of opening the application process and ending the lottery system, the AGCO also decided to phase in limits on the number of authorized stores a license holder can have (10 in the first year), to ensure fair access for retailers while creating medium and long-term market certainty. They also have enabled retailers to sell additional cannabis-related items such as cannabis-related magazines and cookbooks. They also now allow click-and-collect sales This is just a brief amount of information involved, there is still... • Licensing Requirements • Municipal Bylaws and Zoning Restrictions • Store Requirements • Security Requirements it can be extremely exhausting, but if you go the go, drive, and desire, you'll do great, I know a lot of professionals who went the distance and its paid off, well it paid off till the pop up shops came a long and cut into the legal business, but that train won't last either for that group, read more about it in this story....What ever happened to HC cracking down on illegal shops?

looking back at the article "Pot shop owner wants City of Toronto to crack down on illegal dispensary next door" from CBC.. Michael Smee · of CBC News · Posted: Oct 15, 2021 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: October 19, 2021 Pot shop owner wants City of Toronto to crack down on illegal dispensary next door 'I'm losing money every day,' says Levon Kostanyan, owner of Lagoo Levon Kostanyan, the owner of Lagoo, a licensed cannabis shop on Harbord Street in Toronto, wants the city to do more to crack down on illegal operations. (Mike Smee/CBC)40 comments A licensed cannabis dispenser wants the city to do more to weed out illegal pot shops like the one that's operating openly just two doors down from his place. "The City of Toronto needs to take some action," said a frustrated Levon Kostanyan Thursday while standing in front of Lagoo, his newly-minted cannabis store on Harbord Street west of the city's downtown core. "There is a legal store that has all the licences that has all the products that are meeting Health Canada regulations. And there is a store next door that doesn't have any licence .. .and it's operating fully. It's affecting my daily sales." But Carleton Grant, executive director of the city's municipal licensing and standards division, insists city hall is doing everything it can to crack down on the controversial CAFE chain of pot shops, one of which neighbours Lagoo. "We're aware of CAFE and their operations," Grant said. "We've been working to close them down for the last number of years." CAFE, which stands for Cannabis and Fine Edibles, is facing several charges under the province's Cannabis Control Act. The city won't discuss the charges while the issue is still before the courts. (Mike Smee/CBC) City staff told CBC Toronto CAFE, which stands for Cannabis and Fine Edibles, is facing multiple charges under the Ontario Cannabis Control Act laid by bylaw enforcement officers in 2018, 2019 and 2020. All of the charges (the city wouldn't say exactly how many have been laid) are still before the courts. "We're waiting for that court process to take place to deal with them accordingly," Grant said. Kostanyan says it took a year and tens of thousands of dollars to get his shop renovated and the operation licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. He finally opened about three weeks ago. But he said he's "frustrated" watching potential customers walk by his shop and buy weed from the neighbouring, illegally operated CAFE outlet. The head of the city's municipal licensing and standards division, Carelton Grant, disputes the idea that the city hasn't done anything to rein in illegal pot shops. (Greg Bruce/CBC) And he wonders why the city could so quickly shut down the Adamson Barbecue restaurant in Etobicoke last year for defying COVID-19 protocols, but seems powerless to control CAFE. Grant said the two situations aren't comparable, because restaurants need to be licensed by the city, but pot shops are not. They operate under licences issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Although police technically can shut down an operation, Kostanyan said he was told by the city that the decision has been made to enforce the Cannabis Control Act by using the city's bylaw enforcement officers — not police. So what ever happened!, since then, there hasn't been any updates in the media or the news regarding this situation. I travel all over the GTA, I see there is even more of these types operations all over the place, I have access to see the new registered operations, and some of them I have come across are not on the list, and they are selling shit at shittier prices, saturating and killing the legal and legacy market. People have no idea the impact it has on the entire cannabis industry. The people who are legal can't compete, and the same goes for the legacy operations that offer specialty services like a house calls from your doctor back in the old days. Seems to me based off this article it trickles into the regulatory system where some one is either not doing their job and passing the buck, or some ones hands are being greased to not see wtf is going on. Either way the GTA market is a tad bit challenging right now for anyone, and it doesn't seem to be going away. This is why I am happy for the 420 CUSP membership!

Breaking out of the 4/4, bridging the gap with fungus, THC, visuals, and music production Recently I have come across music and compositions, that aren’t typically played on the radio, and there is a whole different mindset regarding some of the styles of music and sounds, like hyperglitch, and these new binaural beat infused songs. And as you know, everything sounds better after consuming cannabis, so I used some of them to expand my cannabis experience and meditate with. On my journeys I came across an artist that not only uses cannabis as part of the process, but the use of psychedelics is the main foundation for music production and visual creation, extremely stimulating works both visually, audibly, and spiritually. Let me introduce Girl No. III, a visual artist, music producer and record label owner from Toronto, ON. Girl No. III makes psychedelic art as well as a combination of progressive electro-psy-jazz-fusion, IDM and neoclassical. Girl No. III has been playing music since eight, taking piano lessons which continued till the age 16. Girl No. III played the bagpipes from age 12 till 16. Took trombone in school from grade seven to grade 12, and casually played drums. Girl No. III even did a little bit of jazz band practices a few times at the school. But that conflicted too much with sports. So, Girl No. III was never able to play an actual concert with them. Girl No. III still played with them, and other bands and musicians at every available opportunity, it was a lot of fun. Girl No. III is a self-taught bass guitar player started around the age 16. And since then, Girl No. III started dabbling a little bit in music production around the age of 19, just for fun, and didn't really think of doing it any further. Girl III said, “I wasn't great at it, honestly, at first, and after I moved to Toronto two or three years ago, I started doing session music, I was a session musician for live bands, did a lot of jamming there just improv sort of floating between like jazz, Neo Soul, that sort of stuff”. After a finger injury, Girl No. III kept going at it, and still wanted to keep doing music. But with the limited hand mobility, it forced Girl No. III to go deeper into music production, and just kept chipping away at learning to use a DAW program (Digital Audio Workstation), and eventually got better at it, to the point where Girl III was doing Album releases confidently, Girl No. I asked Girl III, “who are your major influences?” “Frank Zappa is easily far and away my biggest inspiration the person I'm trying to emulate hands down. Just his, his style of music, his philosophy of music, his approach everything there, apart from his attitude towards psychedelics, I'm trying to mirror. One of the biggest things that I took away from Frank Zappa is just let the song turn out how it's going to be. Don't try and put any kind of constraints on it. Don't try and force it to be something just let it be. So, Frank Zappa is a huge, huge, huge influence. Koji Kondo is as well, he's the composer for a lot of the Mario and Zelda soundtracks. And Junichi Masuda. On that note, he did the Pokémon soundtracks. So, there's a lot of video game influence in my stuff, as well as bands like Weather Report, who did a kind of combination of progressive jazz and psychedelic rock. Really like their stuff. Clown core is huge for me. A cool experimental jazz band. Shrek is Love is just off the wall. They're incredible. Another interesting jazz fusion group. I mean, I can go on there is so many!” Even though Frank Zappa was an inspiration to Girl No. III, implementing stimulants to the creative process or even doing a performance was the total opposite. Frank Zappa had a no-nonsense approach to psychedelics. For Girl No. III, psychedelics play a huge part of the inspiration process, and only writes on them. And then uses cannabis to arrange and sort the sounds of the song after completing the creative process. Girl No. III - 5/8 Album Girl No. III is planning new projects as we speak right now, and there is a huge amount of creation in multiple directions. We are talking 9 new albums over this and next year, releasing 4 albums last year. And not only will Girl No. III be producing the music, and doing all the Album cover art, but working on collaborations with other artists and remixing song from selected albums. A vocal mix album of all Girl No. III instrumental tracks and a 24-hour live stream which is going to be converted into an album. It typically takes Girl III three to seven days to write enough compositions to fill an album but accepts the challenge. Man, I have done 8-hour DJ/Performance sets, but recording an album live and streaming it for 24 hours, better stay away from any indica! I had the privilege to be blessed with Girl No. III visual talents that I have used for one of my music videos, and time shift with some of his tunes. Above is a teaser of Girl No. III visuals with my track "Inner Voice". Here is where you can find Girl No. III https://ffm.bio/jm4qpmr girlno.iii.music@gmail.com https://www.instagram.com/girlno.iii/ https://soundcloud.com/girl-no-iii https://audius.co/girlnoiii https://open.spotify.com/artist/4zDyb3ISFRjFnxbVv6UKIa?si=z0MHF6YtSJmEv9mSnGoUFQ Closing remarks from Girl No. III: “I would just kind of go off basically, the notes of my last album, the last track “Obama's Nations Abominations”. It's basically an open letter to the US and world at large. And my last album was called “No More Four/Four”. I'm encouraging as many people as I can, to stop listening to stuff in 4/4, start creating and listening to stuff outside of 4/4. It might seem a little bit of a reach, but I'm pretty sure that's a big part of where the powers that be, are keeping us in the sort of uncreative box. Because they're keeping us in this place where, like, if you think about it, five, four, is a rhythmic ratio of 1.25, and four over four is a rhythmic ratio of one. And, I mean, it's cute and all the adding in 1,2,3. But it's a little bit harder to be going 1.25, 2.5, 3.75. Like, and your brain must work a little harder. Sure, it's easier to count in ratios of one, but that's not going to get us anywhere. And it's going to keep us further down if we keep being content in simplicity, not engaging your brain. That's sort of what's keeping us in a place, a reality of illusions and distractions, and we don’t even realize the elites are taking advantage of us, we are being locked in an unnuanced box, keeping us complicit. And I think the root of it starts at all the record labels in the 60s, and on not accepting anything outside of 4/4. I want to push back very much against that. Hopefully, that will be the start of the revolution we need but requires the efforts of more than one. So that would be the message I'm trying to get out right now!” I need to take a huge haul after that one, because I know and totally understand what Girl No. III is saying, I am awake, hope you are too. Keep er lit!

After I indulge in cannabis, which is a major part of my morning ritual, I take the time to connect with my(higher)self, and thank the cannabis gods! Not everyone has a morning ritual or takes the time to connect with your creator the way I do, but cannabis is a major component to my faith, the 420 faith, I was born on 4/20, so I am 420, seriously. I always consumer some form of cannabis before I meditate, and it automatically connects me, no matter where I am of what I am doing, the connection is always made. I would do little experiments to see if I could actually do it in a crazy ass busy place, people often think the more you focus the more engaged you'll be, but that's not it at all, you have to release, and cannabis would show me the way to do that big time. I felt the air, listened to all the sounds, then, I focused deep inside of me and it drowned everything out, it was incredible that I was able to achieve my connection without forcing it. I use to work with a fake wellness guru who had me write all of her content, she never succeeded due to her fakeness, but let me share a 10 minute meditation I created for her with you, this can be performed after you consume cannabis, which will help you on so many different levels, spiritually, physically and mentally. There are more than a few ways you can do it if you don't have your own method, and oh yeah....don't for get the cannabis! Mindfulness & Meditation Meditation has many different interpretations and definitions; there is one where people think meditation is purely for relaxation, it is not about concentration, it’s actually about de-concentration. It’s not about focusing one’s thoughts on one thing, but instead on becoming thoughtless, which can be true depending on the purpose, meditation is a practice where an individual or group uses techniques such as mindfulness, guided sessions or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity, to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. It’s amazing to see the many different types of meditation people practice all across the world, in fact there are 23 different types recorded online that help your mind, body and soul in so many ways, but here are the 7 most common ones, which range from beginner to advances styles and techniques. Types of meditation Loving-kindness meditation. Loving Kindness Practice: To begin, take a comfortable seated position. Find phrases you'd like to use to offer good wishes. Bring someone to mind that’s been kind to you. Bring a neutral person to mind. If it feels workable, bring to mind someone with whom you experience difficulty. Calling someone to mind with whom there’s difficulty, repeat the phrases towards them. Expand your awareness to all beings, everywhere so the universe receives your vibes and energy. Progressive relaxation. Progressive relaxation or body scan Practice, you can do this independently or guided: Sit in a comfortable position, with eyes closed. Take a few deep breaths, expanding your belly as you breathe air in and contracting it as you exhale. Begin at the top of your body, and go down. Start with your head, tensing your facial muscles, squeezing your eyes shut, puckering your mouth and clenching your jaw. Hold, then release and breathe. Tense as you lift your shoulders to your ears, hold, then release and breathe. Make a fist with your right hand; tighten the muscles in your lower and upper arm, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left hand. Concentrate on your back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Hold, then release. Breathe in and out. Suck in your stomach, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Clench your buttocks, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Tighten your right hamstring, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left hamstring. Flex your right calf, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left calf. Tighten toes on your right foot, hold, and then release. Breathe in and out. Repeat with left foot. Breathe awareness meditation. Breathe Practice: Repeat for 10 minutes or how ever long you feel you need to do it. Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. For a slower, more relaxing meditation, try the 4-7-8 exercise. Exhale, then close your mouth and inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for 7 seven seconds Exhale over the course of 8 seconds. Repeat Kundalini Yoga. Breathe is usual practiced in a class, but you can still perform this meditation independently: Here Are 5 Things to Expect in First Kundalini Yoga Class: Key Kundalini Mantras. A mantra is a sound vibration that is said to alter your brain chemistry and consciousness. Kriya most commonly refers to a "completed action", technique or practice within a yoga discipline meant to achieve a specific result. Another meaning of Kriya is an outward physical manifestation of awakened kundalini, such as a spontaneous body movement related to Kundalini energy flow. Pranayama. is a Sanskrit word alternatively translated as "extension of the prāṇa" or "breath control." The word is composed from two Sanskrit words: prana meaning life force, and either ayama or the negative form ayāma, meaning to extend or draw out. It is a yogic discipline with origins in ancient India, kind of like Ying and Yang in the Asian persuasion. Everyone Wearing White. Meditation. Zen Meditation. Zen is a meditative discipline that is typically the primary practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition. The precise meaning and method of zazen varies from school to school, but in general it can be regarded as a means of insight into the nature of existence. Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Practice: Choose a mantra to use. Or use “OM. Find somewhere peaceful. Sit with good posture. Relax Mindfully observe your breath flowing through your body. Bring your mantra to mind. Visualize the mantra. Let the mantra go where it wants. Don’t control the mind. Begin to recite your mantra while meditating on the sound. Feel the mantra resonating within you. Repeat your mantra 108 times while meditating on it. Finish meaningfully. Express gratitude for the meditation session. Now finally on the method we are focusing on in this module... Mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness Practice: Take a seat. Find a place to sit that feels calm and quiet to you. Set a time limit. If you're just beginning, it can help to choose a short time, such as 5 or 10 minutes. Notice your body. Feel your breath. Notice when your mind has wandered. Be kind to your wandering mind. Stay here for a few minutes Check in before you check out. Mindfulness is gaining a growing popularity as a practice in daily life, apart from religious insight, meditation and its application in clinical psychology is defined as moment by moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterized mainly by acceptance attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong. Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, mindfulness may be seen as a mode of being, and can be practiced outside a formal setting. Affirmations are messages that you repeated over and over, and eventually they begin to weave their way into your mind, slowly changing both your thinking and your reality. Positive affirmations might begin as wishful thinking, but they end up manifesting in your reality. In new thought and new age lingo refer mainly to the practice of positive thinking and self empowerment development as a belief that a positive mental attitude supported by affirmations will achieve success in anything. Particularly, an affirmation is a specifically formatted statement that should be repeated to one's self and written down frequently. For affirmations to be effective, it is said that they need to be present tense, positive, personal and specific. For example “I am success, I am abundance”, these days if you can’t create your own, you can find an endless supply online and even find special videos on Youtube.com that focus on anything you desire. If you practice them and they don’t work, the reason is that they target the conscious level of your mind, but not the subconscious. If what you are trying to affirm is incongruent with a deeply held negative belief, then all that results is an inner struggle and you will not achieve success, so deprogram your old belief system if it’s not working, and start to program your mind the with the correct information. Applying cannabis to any of these methods will elevate your experience to such a satisfying level, you will notice your life start changing for the better, mine did! Please don't forget to give thanks to cannabis!

The only professional studio in Toronto ON, that promotes cannabis use while working. Studio Thirteen32 featuring Star Dat Prince, see how cannabis impacts their creative process, and how you can be a star too! If you look online, you can see a balance of case studies and experiments that prove cannabis either improves your musical experience or dampens it. Through my own experience consuming cannabis and participating with music in any way, either listening, performing or producing can impact my mind, body, spirit, and soul. Having two powerful stimulants hit you at once is going to totally effect you. Once you mix music with cannabis, all those areas receive a stimulation overload on every plane. It’s one thing to listen to the music and embrace the vibe that the composer is pumping out while your buzzing. But to be the composer and using cannabis as part of your creative process and stage performance, that’s where the magic happens. So, with this series of articles, I will showcase talented people who love cannabis with their craft. To start we are coming in with a BANG! Meet Studio Thirteen 32 crew featuring Star Dat Prince I first met Star when I use be a runner back in the day for Legacy Market delivery service. Every time I would drop off, this fly brother would have some mad beats playing and he would always look styling with his own branded gear BMG (Business Minded Gentlemen). In the past I had worked with artists signed to Time Warner Music like, Harpoon Missile, who sang “Melbosha” and “I try”, so I knew a thing or two about the entertainment industry, and I have a few connections. I asked Star to send me his EPK (Electronic Press Kit like a digital resume for musicians), but he was in progress of having it updated because he had a whole bunch of new content and merchandise being prepared for a new launch. He sent me links to his videos, podcasts, song, you name it I got it all, and everything was tight, I even got the privilege to go to one of the studios he was working at, and listen in on a fresh track he just laid while blasting a big ass fatty, to think about that now as I am writing this, that was at Studio Thirteen 32, beautiful place. Ok, now let me introduce you to the crew. Star Dat Prince, a Hip Hop Artists based out of Toronto ON. He has been in working at his craft since he was 15 years old, and basically started using cannabis around the same time. He started off in his mom’s basement, the typical Rapper story, and uses his craft not only to tell his side of the story, but to also paint another picture of Toronto. "It's not all guns, butter and all that shit, its a different type of lifestyle here you know!" He hit the streets for a period of time, after starting his musical journey and then got involved with a pilot program called the “PACT PROGRAM” with documentary on YouTube. Of his journey with his life coach and mentor who passed , that helped him out a bit. He started working with the studio called the Loft Studios near Ossington Station was picked up by two labels “vigilante music” and “Certified Cash” and did a couple of shows with Raw Dog Entertainment, Jay Don and Mon3y Tree Entertainment before starting BMG (Business Minded Gentlemen) had his group FCF ( Family Comes First) , they use to do a show every Friday at the lambandina lounge and shut it down.. When he is in the studio and working on tracks, he smokes cannabis through out the entire process, which makes him hear everything differently, its where he is totally one with the vide, creating lyrics he wouldn't typically if he wasn't under the influence. As for stage presence, he doesn’t step on till he is blazing a bat back, it clears away any anxiety, and allows the lyrics to flow off his tongue like the smoke off his canon. There isn't a time he doesn't have a nice beautifully roll bat in his hand, I know this I have seen it many times and I wish I could roll it like that! Here is where you can find Star Dat Prince: IG: https://www.instagram.com/stardatprince_/ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Stardatprince What he has learned in the music industry is, how important it is to have a team, and how to start a team, because without a strong team, you can't really make certain moves, sure you could do this on your own, and it might take a little longer. But if you have the right team with the right mindset, and you are all on the same page, you will truly be successful, and cannabis is a big member of that team. Now let’s look at Star's other team members, first.... Mr. Mint, love his name and brand, his personality matches his brand perfectly ladies, I'll leave it up your imagination. Mr. Mint has been DJing for 30 years, droppin’ mad wax even to this day, with his Hip Hop styles, he started on college radio, and branched off into downtown clubs and jams all over Toronto. Using cannabis is his religion, for Mr. Mint, especially with DJing, it was always there. He would be doubling up and have a spliff in his mouth like it was just part of his performance. " I mean, people would be surprised, I would do that, and not ash on the records or equipment, it was part of the party and the vibe altogether" Using cannabis to him was just second nature and a better vibe. He could hear the music better, because it would make all his senses go on high alert and give him the ability to concentrate with crystal clear focus. It was a regular thing, if he would be getting ready for the radio show, he would spark one up. or in the middle of a jam back in the days when you could smoke in clubs, he said Yeah, yeah, we'd be smoking right on the set. You can find Mr. Mint on: Mixtape website (free streaming) https://www.mixcloud.com/alec-samuel/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/mistermint77/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alec.samuel/ or https://www.facebook.com/Mistermint7 Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mister_Mint From there, life happened, he had a family and moved toward another career in the studio biz. He has a real passion for music, and when it comes to using cannabis, he manages one of the only studios I know that promotes the use of cannabis while recording and producing onsite. Which leads us to! John & Kerchel co owners of Studio Thirteen32, They were making music prior to opening the studio in 2017. But they ran into the problems that they were paying a lot of money, just to not get as many hours that they needed to push out the songs that we were trying to do as a song writing company. So, with them forking out so much money and not getting the desired results they decided to make the leap and build their own studio. They looked at 16 different locations, and it only took them a year to build and complete the whole process. And since then, it's been good, Kerchel stated, as any company it has its ups and downs. They have a lot of artists that comes through daily, they find a lot of different types of talent come through the studio as well. So, it's a good investment. "If you enjoy cannabis, you enjoy doing music, and you want to be an artist. There's no other place to be than Studio Thirteen 32. You could hit us up on Instagram, and if you really interested come see us and take the tour!" You can find Studio Thirteen 32 here: IG: https://www.instagram.com/studiothirteen32/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studio1332 This is the studio you want to connect with, not only do they provide professional recording, mixing, and editing services, but they also provide Artist development services, complete with image consulting, artist management or A&R service, plus they can get you ready for market, EPK and all. But it doesn't stop there, it gets even better, you can smoke cannabis during the whole process...I'M SOLD!!!! So yes, there is an undeniable impact on you when consuming cannabis and participating in music in some way shape or form, and it safe to say, "it just makes it better". Well, that was it, and until the next article, where I show cause more talented, and tuned people. keep er lit!

When you Chauffeur someone from the States to Canada, and they try to smuggle in herb, WTF! Let me tell you of a time, one of my good friends asked me to do a road trip and pick of a fellow disc jockey from Detroit. At the time I was pretty active Djing and performing with my band The Beatfarbikators all over the world, we had just got from our tour in Japan, so this was around 2009. My friend who had previously owner a wicked underground spot called The Mushroom Gallery in Mississauga, had expanded to this sick placed called 369 going on in Toronto. He had a big event coming up and one of the DJ's that was headlining needed a ride to Toronto, I was use to travelling so I was up for a road trip. I just needed to make sure I was fully Cannacated before I cross that boarder, a buzz strong enough to last me from the US boarder all the way back to Toronto FFS. So just before we got there, I pulled out the last of my bit of herb and rolled a fatty, then puffed it back like there was no tomorrow, my buddy at the time was not into cannabis of any sort, the hardcore was his vice, needless to say, by the time I was done, I was RED. When we pulled up, the American Boarder Guard was totally cool, he asked us the typical questions, where you going, what's the purpose of the trip, you know. Then he asked me to open the hatch, he inspected my car in, out and all around, plus under the car. We cleared without a question. I was buzzing and feeling great and we are actually getting through this without any stress. Now it was to deal with the Detroit streets in the middle of the night, two white boys from Canada, let me tell you, there was light stop I just kept driving through without even second guessing if there was a cop there of not. When we arrived to the stop, buddy was there puffing on a smoke, it looked like he had taken a few and tossed it, he got in and we made our way back to Toronto. Upon arriving at the Canadian boarder, there was a team of guards at each station, nothing like the US (one guy). They looked at us, two white guys with one black guy, I looked RED, and we had just crossed the board 40 minutes ago, needless to say, it looked like a drug smuggle operation. They slapped a BIG ASS yellow sticker on my window, then he yelled at me "Pull IT OVER THERE!" I looked at my buddy and said WTF, and we both asked him what is going on? He again yelled "PULL IT OVER THERE!" and pointed very aggressively to the direction of a team of guards waiting to violate all of us and my car. The one guard asked us the questions, while the other guards went medieval on my car, opening all the doors, and making threats if we don't give up the drugs, they'll put my car up on blocks and rip it apart till they find it. Because they couldn't find anything in the car, they planted a used pack of zig zags in the back hatch area of my car, acted like they just found it " OH LOOKY!!!! LOOKY WHAT WE FOUND HERE!!!!. The funny thing was the pack had the insert ripped to make filters, and at the time I smoked joints and would eat the roach, so I wouldn't ever put a filter in, mean while the American guy didn't find shit, so I knew they planted those papers. I tried to dispute, but that made them push us harder on the interrogating. My buddy who arrange this whole trip was freaking out large because he didn't even smoke herb, and felt this was unnecessary harassment, which made these guard go even harder. They forced us to enter the building, and registered us in the computer system, then documented the occurrence, yes this occurrence has been entered into our records, which just happened to be the Canadian boarder enforcement system (good bye to my travel plans FFS). Then one by one they pulled us into a little room with no windows and strip search us, I was first, and I remember the thoughts of how the fuck I ended up getting myself into this brutal situation. Then they grabbed my buddy, and he kicked, yelled and screamed till they threatened to charge him. Once they pulled the guy we were bring to Canada in, he immediately pulled out a fucking roach out of his sock, and didn't even make him take anything off, I was like WTF MAN. We got out and were back on our way, violated and exhausted. I turn to buddy from Detroit and said " Are you totally fucked man, bring herb to Canada, is like brining sand to the fucking beach!" I bet after this experience he will think twice about doing anything like that ever again, especially when I refused to take him back. The moral of this story boys and girls....I don't even have to say. If you have a great story like this and want to share it, let me know, I'm sure people would love to hear yours like they just did mine.

We all know 420, but what the heck is 710 you ask? 420 is cannabis culture lingo for anyone who supports herb or for the time to consume anything cannabis, especially smoking around the time 4:20 p.m., and also refers to cannabis celebrations and the parade that take place annually on April 20 In locations all over the world, but for some reason I have watch Canada do it on another date, like as if Canada is too stoned to remember the real date LMFAO. It is said, but I haven't even experienced this, cannabis retailers will often offer discounts on their products on April 20, let me know if you come across any this year. But 420 is a whole other story which we will focus on in April. The origins of 710 Stated as a mystery, 710 comes from the use of old oil caps on cars. Around 2011, the association of 710 with cannabis concentrates, extracts and oils arose, starting specifically in reference to hash oil. Did you know that, July 10th became a niche holiday dedicated to the celebration of cannabis oils and dabbing. With increased online connection, 710 has become a cultural symbol within the cannabis and concentrates community. sourced from: https://theprimeleaf.com/whatis710/#:~:text=While%20%E2%80%9C420%20Friendly%E2%80%9D%20generally%20means,concentrate%20community%20within%20cannabis%20culture.

Putting lube infused with cannabis on all your erogenous zones is a sure way to enjoy yourself all night long. Whether you are a man or woman, cannabis lubricants are a great alternative to chemical-laden drugstore lubricants. Canna-lubes (cannabis lubricants) are more often oil-based and will get your nerves very excited for stimulation. Canna-lube is a great alternative for those who don’t regularly if at all, inhale or digest cannabis. You get some of the benefits of the sexual enhancing qualities cannabis possesses without ingestion or inhalation. Canna-lube does not get you high. It only affects the local area applied. There are tons of cannabis lubricants on the market, available to purchase online from various vendors. Reading reviews may help, and always check the label. knowing which one to choose can be daunting. So, Opt for trying to make your own first! DIY canna-lube is easy to make, cost-effective and gives your orgasm the intensity it deserves. You control the ingredients, controlling the concentration of cannabis going into the lube! But please, don’t overdo it, as over-sensitization could occur (like a hard-on for way too long!) Making Canna-lube Now on to the best part. The lube! Gather your ingredients and let’s get started. Canna-lube Recipe - What you will need: • 10 grams of high-quality bud • Large mason jar with metal lid (heatproof) • 200 milliliters of fractionated coconut oil (MCT oil) or sunflower seed or Olive Oil • Food scale • A grinder • A large pot and a stainless steel bowl ( or smaller pot) to create a Double boiler • An extra bowl to strain oil into • Cheesecloth or fine strainer Start by decarbing (decarboxylate) your cannabis. Why? Because you want to release all that goodness inside. Both THC and CBD lubes moisturize the area, are anti-inflammatory agents and relax muscles by increasing pleasure and sensation. THC is a known powerhouse vasodilator, meaning it allows oxygenated blood to flow to whichever area it’s applied. Make sure to use a strain rich in cannabinoids especially high in THC, this will increase the effectiveness of the lube. It is best to use strains with THC content at around 15% - 20%. Decarb – Instructions • Grind your cannabis • Place ground cannabis in a mason jar with a metal lid on it • Heat the cannabis for 30 minutes at 130ºC. (THC evaporates at 155 ºC, so make sure temperature does not exceed 150 ºC) • When done, let cool Canna-lube Instructions 1. Create a double boiler by placing a dry and empty pot or metal bowl into a larger pot filled with water on medium heat 2. Place Fractionated Coconut oil (aka MCT oil) into the small pot to heat. Olive oil or sunflower seed oil works great but has fewer antimicrobial properties 3. Once the oil is hot, turn the heat to the lowest heat 4. Add in the decarbed cannabis flower 5. Blend in the cannabis stirring continuously for 5 minutes 6. Allow the hot oil to infuse for another 3 hours, stirring occasionally on the lowest heat 7. Take off the stove and let it cool 8. Using a filter/sieve/ cheesecloth or even old stocking, strain the oil, catching all the bud material in a separate bowl. 9. Place in clean pump bottles (A pump bottle is ideal as you can avoid contaminants and bacteria as well as air oxidization) 10. Refrigerate after each use Remember you must always refrigerate your lube to stop any bacterial growth and to preserve the cannabinoids and oil from oxidization. Place the bottle in hot water for a few minutes to warm up. Applying canna-lube cold is a sure way to kill the sexy vibe. You can use cannabis oils if you have them instead of buds. Never use mineral oils or vaseline/petroleum bases for canna-lubes or internal applications. Don’t be shy to try it on all your sensitive parts. Go ahead, get your freak on! Cautions All latex-based contraceptives can degrade with oil-based products, especially oil-based lubes. Condoms, dental dams, contraceptive diaphragms and gloves that are made from latex should not be used with any oil-based lubes as they can break. They can, however, be used with silicone-based and water-based lubes. When using an oil-based lube with condoms or other contraceptive barriers, choose polyurethane or nitrile barriers. SOURCES: Franciosi, Anthony. “Spice up the Bedroom With Cannabis Lube.”Honestmarijuana.Com, honestmarijuana.com/cannabis-lube. Accessed 13 Feb. 2022. Hinchliffe, Sandra. CBD Every Day: How to Make Cannabis-Infused Massage Oils, Bath Bombs, Salves, Herbal Remedies, and Edibles. 1st ed., Skyhorse, 2019. Kushka. “How to Make Your Own Cannabis Lube.” Dinafem.Org, www.dinafem.org/en/blog/how-to-make-cannabis-lube. Accessed 14 Feb. 2022.

Caribbean's have a long history with cannabis; When one thinks of cannabis, I am sure Jamaica is the first country that pops into mind. Jamaica has a cultural attachment to the normalized medicinal use of cannabis. A carefree spirit along with, locs, reggae and, Bob Marley are the most notable mainstream images of Jamaica’s cultural ties to the use of cannabis, a.k.a Ganja, which have travelled the globe. Within my family, who is of Jamaican descent, cannabis has always been acknowledged as a form of medicine. Only until my teenage years in high school, did the conversations of cannabis as an illicit drug or gateway drug ever touch my ears. I was confused, to say the least as the only things I ever heard were positive and healing. As a teenager, I knew so many cannabis smokers and consumers, I never heard of people with an addiction to it. Neither did I feel it was addictive as my teenage years had been filled with amazing days with fun and friends, hotboxing in cars and basements. Brief History of Cannabis Sativa in North America: “The relevance of Cannabis as a versatile crop for oilseed, fiber, medicinal, and recreational drug production spans millennia. Between 1000 and 2000 BCE, Cannabis was introduced to Western Asia, Europe, and Egypt [and many parts of Africa] as a fiber crop for producing cloth, ship ropes, and paper. After 500 CE, the cultivation of Cannabis was widespread across Europe; however, it was not until 1545 and 1606 that it was introduced to South and North America, respectively. Despite its centuries-long cultivation, the beginning of the 20th century saw its recreational use outlawed and medicinal use strongly curtailed by an addendum to the League of Nations’ 1912 Opium Convention. This act pushed countries around the globe to restrict and criminalize Cannabis.”(Monthony, Page, Hesami and Jones, 2021) Present Day Cultural Norms To acknowledge cannabis as deeply rooted in culture, makes me reflect on the overreach of governments. Government overreach can be disastrous and affects the everyday lives of people who choose to use cannabis (or other natural medicines) to treat a wide range of ailments and illnesses. For example, My Jamaican aunt is 60 years old. She smokes daily. She grows her cannabis in the comfort of her backyard. She recently had her hip replaced after a dangerous fall down a flight of stairs. She owns a business. Cannabis helps her function by decreasing her pain and anxiety associated with pain, without any of the dangerous side effects opioids and other painkillers can cause. Another example is of my aunt’s mother, my great aunt. She regularly consumed a strong brew of cannabis tea, aka Ganja tea, made from the mature leaves of the plant. Her method had no psychoactive effects but, the medicinal properties diminished the pain in her arthritic hands! She also lived to the ripe old age of 96. Traditional (non-psychoactive) Ganja Tea is made from the mature plant leaves after the buds have been harvested. Benefits include alleviation of morning sickness in pregnant women; reduction of chronic pain; relief from autoimmune symptoms (ex. Rheumatoid Arthritis); reduction of inflammation; anxiety reduction. Recipe: • 3 cups of water (preferably filtered or spring) • 1/2 cup of mature leaves (or more for a stronger brew) • Honey (to taste) Instructions: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once water is boiling reduce heat to low and add in 1/2 cup of mature cannabis leaves. Simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Strain. Add honey to taste. Enjoy! Ganja Tea (psychoactive) is made from the flowers/buds of the cannabis plant. All the above benefits of cannabis are the same, except pregnant women shouldn't consume this form of cannabis tea. Effects can occur 30 – 90 minutes after ingestion and may last for 4 – 8 hours. THC is fat-soluble, therefore a carrier oil must be used. Some people use butter or extra virgin coconut oil but I prefer to use MCT coconut oil (medium-chain triglycerides). MCTs are easily absorbed into the body’s cells more readily, digested easily and sent directly to your liver, where they positively alter your metabolism. MCT coconut oil also doesn’t rise to the top like regular virgin coconut oil and blends up nicely. You can also infuse your cannabis tea with another choice of tea. But, before you get to make it you must decarb (decarboxylate) your cannabis: “Decarboxylation involves heating marijuana to a specific temperature for a certain length of time. This not only activates its THC (and unleashes its psychoactive effects); it also activates all the other cannabinoids inside. Cannabinoids are the active ingredients in marijuana that cause effects such as making people high, sleepy, hungry, and more. THC Decarboxylation All of the cannabinoids in raw cannabis plants start as acid forms with an extra carboxyl ring attached to them. This means that THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is first THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid). THCA isn’t considered pharmacologically active until it loses its carboxyl ring – otherwise known as being decarboxylated. Once this process happens, non-psychoactive THCA turns into psychoactive THC. This is one of the main reasons to decarboxylate marijuana; without decarbing, it can’t cause a high. THC decarboxylation is necessary to unleash many of the effects most valued by marijuana users – especially those using it for recreational purposes. CBD Decarboxylation Similarly, cannabidiolic (CBDA) must be transformed into CBD (cannabidiol) in order to become pharmacologically active. For a long time, CBDA was considered a rather useless cannabinoid and was largely ignored by researchers. In recent years, however, scientists have been studying its potential in the medical world. For everyday users to make the most of it, however, CBD needs to be decarboxylated first. While CBD isn’t intoxicating even in its decarbed form, it still produces mild effects and is often used to calm anxiety, relieve pain, and help with insomnia.” (Harris, n.d.) Recipe: • 1 gram of high-quality cannabis flower • 3 cups of water (preferably filtered or spring) • 2 teaspoons MCT coconut oil • 1 – 2 tea bags of choice (chamomile, green tea, etc.) • Honey (for flavor) Instructions: Start by decarbing your cannabis by adding 1 gram to a heatproof mason jar with a metal lid on. Heat your oven to 240 degrees and place the cannabis jar in the oven for 30 minutes. Add 3 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the temperature to low heat. Add your choice of tea bags if you want. Simmer on low for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags once infused. Keep your pot at low temperature and then add 1 gram of decarbed cannabis directly to the pot along with 2 teaspoons of MCT coconut oil. Simmer on low for approx. 25 -30 minutes. Strain. Add honey to taste. Enjoy! So try brewing some tea, sit back and relax. Sources: Charles W Webb, S., 2014.Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabis: A Patient Survey. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: [Accessed 5 February 2022]. Harris, D., n.d.What Is Decarboxylation and How Is It Done? - CNBS. [online] CNBS. Available at: [Accessed 5 February 2022]. Monthony, A., Page, S., Hesami, M. and Jones, A., 2021.The Past, Present and Future of Cannabis sativa Tissue Culture.

Cannabis is touted as a near-perfect cure for those suffering from many diseases. According to one scientific journal entitled Cannabis, the Endocannabinoid System and Immunity, “The medical use of Cannabis is several thousand years old. The first historical evidence of Cannabis use in traditional medicine is documented in the ancient Chinese Pharmacopoeia, written in the first century BCE. In Chinese medicine, Cannabis was used to treat rheumatic pain, constipation, malaria, beriberi, and gynecological disorders. Evidence of Cannabis use in ancient traditional medicine was uncovered in Japan, India, Iran, and Egypt as well as in Arabic medicine. The medical use of Cannabis spread to the west only around the first century CE. Across the ancient world, the Cannabis treatment was documented to relieve a wide range of ailments including otitis, diarrhea, asthma, arthritis, and as a topical treatment of swellings and bruises” (Almogi-Hazan and Or 4448) Both ancient and modern science has proven that cannabis has disease mitigating attributes. It only seems fit that such a powerful yet delicate plant be used on the body’s system. So, why hasn’t this been picked up by high-performance athletes? According to research done in 2020, “limited high-quality studies exist for use of cannabinoids for acute pain, chronic pain, or concussion. None of the trials involving cannabinoids included the athletic population...More robust evidence exists for the treatment of chronic pain conditions through meta-analysis and systematic reviews. Cannabinoid therapy exhibits moderate efficacy as a treatment for some chronic pain conditions. Investigations included a broad spectrum of chronic pain conditions, including neuropathic, musculoskeletal, inflammatory, and central pain conditions, and revealed reduction in pain and improvement of quality of life with limited adverse effects. For concussion, evidence is based on preclinical in vitro and animal models revealing possible neuroprotective effects as well as 2 clinical studies involving the presence of cannabinoids for concussion (some sports-related), but there are no high-quality trials evaluating efficacy for treatment with cannabinoids at this time.” (Maurer et al. 544) Meaning modern science has yet to fully delve into the clinical trials and study Cannabis for high-performance athletes and their use of cannabis at least in the pre and post-training aches and pains. But, science and history already know how wonderful Cannabis is for our body. Why is that? The short answer is that cannabis is still tied to the stigma of illegality and narcotics. If cigarettes are sold to the public with a proven track record of detrimental disease-causing effects, then why shouldn’t high-performance athletes be able to use cannabis with all its anti-cancer and many other positive attributes? Science has concluded, with much scientific evidence, that our body naturally has an endocannabinoid system directly built-in to it. According to a Harvard paper by Grinspoon, “The ECS comprises a vast network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that are densely packed throughout our brains and bodies. The "cannabinoid" receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types on the brain. They act like traffic cops to control the levels and activity of most of the other neurotransmitters. This is how they regulate things: by immediate feedback, turning up or down the activity of whichever system needs to be adjusted, whether that is hunger, temperature, or alertness. To stimulate these receptors, our bodies produce molecules called endocannabinoids, which have a structural similarity to molecules in the cannabis plant. The first endocannabinoid that was discovered was named anandamide after the Sanskrit word ananda for bliss. All of us have tiny cannabis-like molecules floating around in our brains. The cannabis plant, which humans have been using for about 5,000 years, essentially works its effect by hijacking this ancient cellular machinery. The second type of cannabinoid receptor, the CB2 receptor, exists mostly in our immune tissues and is critical to helping control our immune functioning, and it plays a role in modulating intestinal inflammation, contraction, and pain in inflammatory bowel conditions.” Another research paper states, “Various biochemical explanations exist on the use of cannabinoid therapy through modulation of the endocannabinoid system for several medical issues affecting athletes; recommendations from clinicians must be extrapolated from a majority of research done in the non-athletic population. Lack of strong-quality clinical evidence, coupled with inconsistent federal and state law as well as purity issues with cannabis-based products, make it difficult for the sports medicine clinician to widely recommend cannabinoid therapeutics at present.” (Maurer and others (544) Many athletes fear losing their position and prestige as they dedicate their lives ’ work to the sport they are involved in. Although cannabis is legal in Canada, cannabis use for pre and post-training has not been normalized or legalized within the Canadian sport domain, nor has it been used in the same capacity worldwide. This argument brings to mind athletes such as Elias Theodorou, a professional MMA fighter in his thirties who has competed professionally for ten years of his life. He has bilateral neuropathy and had to submit a medical letter for cannabis use five times to the USADA (USA Drug Administration). He never got to the point where they said no, but his medical use letter was just always denied. After the fifth submission, the USADA finally acknowledged the fact he suffers from bilateral neuropathy. Or Sha’Carri Richardson, the fastest woman in America. Back in July of 2021, she was denied being able to compete after testing positive for marijuana. She was suspended for one month. She claimed that she smoked after learning of her mother’s death. Her statement to this suspension was that “I am human." Yes, she is correct! As a human, she has endocannabinoid receptors built into her body to mitigate both mental and physical stress. Hopefully, high-performance athletes can see real reform with cannabis use internationally soon. Sources: Almogi-Hazan, Osnat, and Reuven Or. “Cannabis, the Endocannabinoid System and Immunity—the Journey from the Bedside to the Bench and Back.” International Journal of Molecular Sciences, vol. 21, no. 12, 2020, p. 4448. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21124448. Grinspoon, Peter, MD. “The Endocannabinoid System: Essential and Mysterious.” Harvard Health, 11 Aug. 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-20 2108112569. Maurer, Gretchen E., et al. “Understanding Cannabis-Based Therapeutics in Sports Medicine.” Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, vol. 12, no. 6, 2020, pp. 540–46. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738120956604