It’s difficult to talk about the evolution of bullying without the word “technology” falling from your lips. These days, they go hand in hand. Cyberbullying and trolling, two terms that garnered increased public awareness in the 2010s, come to mind.

As technology advances so too does cyber-bullying, which is arguably the most treacherous appendage of the bullying beast, as it is often performed anonymously. The victim’s ability to “escape” the claws of the troll(s) requires more than walking off the playground, so to speak, or removing oneself from a social media platform or website. Technology has enabled trolls to anonymously target victims and ultimately render a victim’s voice into silence, or worse, cause victims to flee their homes and jobs for fear of being physically attacked, raped, killed or, more recently, being “swatted”—having a SWAT team sent to your house, called in by trolls reporting a fake crime. Reminders of these internet atrocities can be found in many technology sectors, including the video game industry. GamerGate is perhaps the most recent (and appalling) example.

Chris Suellentrop has written about video games and penned reviews for numerous outlets including the New York Times, NPR, Rolling Stone and Kotaku. He has likened video games to the most promising form of entertainment since the arrival of the interactive age. In 2014, in a piece he wrote for the New York Times entitled “Can Video Games Survive?”, Suellentrop questions the role that GamerGate and similar movements will play in the future of gaming. GamerGate, an online movement, targeted those who, according to Suellentrop, were trying to “cram liberal politics into video games” and crescendoed into a loud cacophony of violent threats, online shaming, hate campaigns and harassment against women and people of color in the field. Men were targeted as well, but women and people of color have undeniably taken the majority of the blows from trolls.

In response to GamerGate, Leigh Alexander wrote a piece for Gamasutra wherein she iterates that “video games themselves were discovered by strange, bright outcast pioneers…” So what happened to these pioneers? Alexander posits that there was a consumerism-derived turning point where these so-called pioneers got swept into an undercurrent of believing they were in fact “the world’s most special-est consumer demographic.” And on the surface, invisible to the “chosen ones,” games and their creators were changing, broadening the scope of what the industry and outsiders alike considered good games. The industry was becoming more inclusive, resulting in unrest from those who felt that the industry was theirs to create, own and ultimately decide who was welcome.

Those responsible for the GamerGate movement desire the removal of intellectual criticism from games altogether. As Suellentrop notes, these “anti-intellectual players” are up in arms about political and social criticism. They have even gone so far as to request the termination of those who openly critique games which portray women in an unsatisfactory or stereotypical light. Carolyn Petit, a GameSpot critic, complained—rightfully so—about the portrayal of female characters in Grand Theft Auto V. Soon after, GamerGate began a petition to have Petit fired. Unsurprisingly, male critics with similar views to Petit weren’t put on the chopping block.

The three names most often dropped in connection with GamerGate harassment are Zoë Quinn, Leigh Alexander and Anita Sarkeesian. Quinn, a game designer, was targeted for her design of Depression Quest—a game that made mental illness the focus of the story and was generally well-received. Posited as a “social justice warrior,” Quinn and others like her were targeted for what bullies in the gaming world saw as a threat. Heaven forbid non-traditional gamers desire a more inclusive industry that plugs realistic character portrayals of women and minorities into games.

Sarkeesian, interested in exploring tropes in video games throughout history, launched a Kickstarter campaign entitled “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games” with the goal of exploring “five common and recurring stereotypes of female characters in video games” in a video series dubbed Feminist Frequency. Sarkeesian’s initial goal of six thousand dollars was exceeded by roughly 153 thousand bucks. The series saw an outpouring of supporters matched by an equal number of haters. No surprise there. The initial series included five videos which explore the Damsel in Distress trope, among others. What ensued was an onslaught of “digital stoning,” a term penned by Cliff Bleszinski in his article, “If Video Games Are Going to Grow Up, Then the Bullying Needs to Stop.” Post-release of her series, a flash game was created by an internet bully in which you can digitally beat Sarkeesian’s face into a bruised and bloody pulp. While there are numerous “Punch (famous person’s name) in The Face” creations, these flash games are a testament to the bullying atmosphere that has permeated gaming culture.

We all have a responsibility when it comes to online abuse. What we do—or rather, what we don’t do—billows the flames of hate in cyberspace. It’s easy to spew hostility behind a screen of anonymity, easy to remain faceless while typing words of detest behind the barrier of your keyboard. The phrase, “Ay, there’s the rub,” made famous by Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is appropriate here. This bullying behavior undoubtedly impedes the forward, inclusive momentum of the gaming industry, an industry with the ability to enhance creative expression. Gaming, in some ways, remains captive in the hands of a group determined to bully diversity, cross-culturalism and inclusiveness out of the gaming industry—at any cost.

The post Beyond GamerGate: Will Bullying Destroy The Gaming Industry? appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

The State of Medicine

 Things are rarely one size fits all, particularly when it comes to our health. What works for some may not work for others, and doctors often prescribe pills as a cure-all without looking at a patient’s individual needs. As the opioid epidemic continues to ravage the country, could the future of healthcare be at the intersection of cannabis and personalized medicine?

I recently chatted with Marshall Rutman of Resolve Digital Health, a Canadian company that has worked with medical professionals and advisory boards to create the Breeze Smart Inhaler. The device contains Smart Pods, single-use pods with an exact dosage of cannabis—sort of like a Keurig for medicine. What separates this product from other inhalers is the built-in app, and you don’t need a smartphone to operate it—perfect for older folks who may not want to purchase a phone solely to utilize a medical device.

The Power of Data  

Rutman says Resolve has two main goals with the Breeze Smart Inhaler: “How do we prove the experience of medical cannabis patients, and how do we get patients off opioids.” Data can provide numbers for what is typically a subjective experience, and patients today are prescribed some fairly scary drugs post-surgery. For Rutman, the “most exciting possibility” for Resolve is to help stop the opioid crisis, and to “tear down obstacles people have surrounding cannabis.”

The device features the team is most excited about are the personalization options and the ability to share user data. If a user’s pain level varies from, say, a level two to a level eight, the device will alert users to exactly how often they should dose (as well as the dosage, the strain, etc.) The app learns about you, your very specific needs and symptoms, and adjusts accordingly. It asks your pain level before dosing, and begins to understand your patterns and behavior. If the patient so chooses, they can share that data with their doctor or caregiver, optimizing the healthcare process.

Rutman emphasized that your personal information will never be shared—“Whatever we do, we’re stripping out personal info,” he told me. That said, sharing your data findings can help the medical and cannabis community at large. “Once we have the info,” Rutman explains, “people with similar conditions and variables—we can share that with the medical community, as well as growers and processers: ‘Hey, we noticed this.’” That data can help patients suffering from the same symptoms key in on certain strains, or allow growers to better isolate certain cannabinoids and grow more of a strain patients found helpful.

The Future of Resolve

The product hasn’t launched yet, but will be available in the United States and Canada soon. Resolve worked with a California test group of about 50 patients from a wide variety of ages, backgrounds and ailments during beta testing. This data isn’t a miracle cure, however. As predicted, even patients with similar symptoms reacted differently to various strains and dosages. No two people could ever have an identical reaction to the same dosage and strain; depending on body fat percentage, how much sleep you’ve gotten and even how hydrated you are, your cannabis consumption (and how your body responds) is entirely unique.

The Breeze Smart Inhaler is currently aimed at medical patients, but the sky is the limit for recreational and less-debilitating medical needs. “We’re serving medical needs currently,” reveals Rutman, “because our product is unique—it solves the problems surrounding smoking. ‘What do I take?’ ‘How much do I take?’ The machine learning understands how you deal with particular strains and adjusts.” The next step, then, is wellness. “If you had social anxiety, for example—not so much that you’d need a prescription from a doctor—but, this product could help you.”

Will Big Pharma Take Cues from Cannabis?

As more medical-focused cannabis products launch, fears about intervention or exploitation from Big Pharma are understandable. Rutman doesn’t fear Big Pharma, however—he hopes they learn from Resolve. “My hope is that the work we’re doing reaches beyond cannabis,” he states. Personalized medicine, in his opinion, is happening “too slowly,” and he feels their product could “open Big Pharma’s eyes to the value of personalizing medicine. Everyone benefits.”

The medical community can’t continue its devastating trend of unnecessary prescriptions. We’re all unique, our pain and healing is unique; we need personalized health plans, not pain meds that keep us numb and create addictions. This product (and others like it) will add a level of control and individuality to the healing experience, and we hope Big Pharma will take note of what Resolve hopes to prove: that everyone needs personalized healthcare.

Related – From Big Pharma to Cannabis Advocacy: Whistleblower Victoria Starr on Doing the Right Thing

The post Will Cannabis Change the Future of Personalized Medicine? appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Leaving the Silence

Haggis and Sven picked me up. As we walked down through the trees back to the truck, each of us smoking a joint made from my own pot, I pondered my time alone. My friends’ voices mingled with my own and seemed to intrude on the pines and the soughing breezes swirling around us. My time in the woods had been my own. Now, even though the silence still belonged to me, it belonged to my friends as well. I looked back up into the hills one last time. The boulder I had lived under was lost to sight.

Detours

Live your life. A cliché, certainly, but a good one to follow nonetheless. Also, easy to say, hard to implement. How many of us live our own lives? It’s easier to follow than be followed. Living your life takes more guts than you might think. I know I don’t always follow the path I want to follow. We all lose our way at various times of our lives. But that’s good. We take detours before we get back to where we’re supposed to be. Detours accentuate your life. My time in the woods, those three or four months, I was on a detour that made my life—my path—richer in a way it could never have been if I’d stayed my regular course. I stepped onto the road not taken, which gave me precious time to look myself squarely in the eyes without all the noise of everyday life, gave me the silence to sort things out, gave me the detour to get back to the way.

Black Bear

One morning close to the end of my stay in the woods, as I sat on my rock, the day I was to begin harvesting my pot plants, I saw a shadow out of the corner of my eyes moving upstream through the trees below me. I squinted and realized with dread that, as it came nearer, it was a large black bear, most likely forging for berries and getting ready for its long winter sleep. I just hoped it wouldn’t partake of the marijuana that was doing so well. All I needed was a stoned out-of-its-mind bear coming after me, thinking I was its dinner.

I felt the breeze in my face so I hoped I was upwind. I was guessing the bear couldn’t smell me. Yet. For the moment, I was safe. I picked up the musky odor of the beast and it gave me the shivers. I had the Tao Te Ching on my lap and Thoreau’s Walden Pond next to me on the rock. I froze and watched the bear make its way up the stream. A thicket partially hid me. There was nowhere I could run. I calmed my heartbeat. I read somewhere once that bears wouldn’t go out of their way to harm humans unless provoked, so I remained where I was, hoping what I had read was true. As much as I wanted to flee, it would do no good to get up and make a run for my boulder and climb up on top. The bear would only run me down if it was so inclined. Bears are fast, can easily outrun a puny human being. I put one hand on Mon Cul’s head. He glanced up at me, a sleepy turn in his eyes. If he could be calm, so could I. I told myself to breathe easy, easy.

The bear stopped and dipped its great head into the stream, not three hundred yards away, drinking. It looked up, snout dripping with water, raised its head higher and sniffed, then reached down and drank again. I began to fear the wind would change. Would I be up or downwind? I had to manage my rising fear, keep it in check, had to clear my mind. Keep my breathing—up and down—gentle, clear. It sniffed again, lifting its nose, turned and wandered down the hillside, was soon lost in the pines far below me.

My Fit Pot Plants

My pot plants were flowering spectacularly—the leaves had turned a deep green. I didn’t know if the buds were female or male; I didn’t have a thorough knowledge of growing marijuana. I was going by instinct, flying by the seat of my proverbial pants. Haggis had instructed me on some of the finer points, one of which was watching for the buildup of THC in the plants. He told me they’d turn greener toward the end, and that’s when I could begin to cull the buds and make them my own, pinch them away from the stems and leaves. I was excited. This was my first attempt at growing and cultivating. What better place than here in the wilds, by myself with my dog.

Silence on the Lips of Thunder

I hadn’t seen a soul in nearly three months. At this point I thought I’d miss human companionship, but I didn’t. My life had become so peaceful, so easy. I didn’t miss civilization at all. But I knew I had to return, wanted to return, wanted to take what I had learned out here and bring that silence back with me, use it in the house of noise. After all, what good would it do me to stay here? The learning can only go so far—unless you take it back and make your life better—with the lessons you learned. Quiet in the face of tumult and noise. Putting silence to the lips of thunder.

The Harvest

I lovingly harvested the plants and turned them upside down on a trellis I had built nearby. I kept them this way for a few days, thinking the THC would run down into the buds. I didn’t know what I was doing. I remembered the time when I was twelve or thirteen, helping a friend of mine and his father harvest their pot plants in his backyard. I remembered carrying whole plants from the backyard up into the attic and hanging them upside down. The concept seemed sound. Couldn’t hurt. I thought it wouldn’t harm the plants. Several days later I culled the buds, separating them from the stems, laid them out on my rock side by side, sat back and marveled at my stash. The sun was baking down on my head. September was here. It was time for a smoke. Time to try my creation. But before I did, I had to have a name for my new buds. I called them High Country Furnace Blast. I found my pipe and put a fresh bud inside the bowl, lit it, took a long drag, holding it in as long as I could, then let it go. I watched it flow over the stream. Smoke on the water.

Explosion in my Head

My head exploded as I turned and watched the sun drop behind the backend of the Flatirons, leaving a trail of streaming light behind it. I didn’t know if it was my imagination at work, having grown my own crop or being alone up there and smoking something local. I had lost a lot of weight as well. Whatever it was, I was stoned with one good, long hit—stoned out of my mind. Far out, I muttered to the shimmering Aspen leaves that were just now turning from green to silent gold. I leaned back and fell off my rock, rolled in the dirt and staggered back to my perch. I took another hit. That was all it took. I heard the songs of birds and the clouds (there were no clouds) talking to me in whispers, telling me to stay. Don’t go away. This is your place. I nodded and hugged my dog, who looked up at me in silence.

Live your Silence, Live your Life

In the coming days, which were winding down toward the inevitable—my departure—I decided to bring my bedding out to the rock and sleep under the stars, smoke the weed and relish the experience. Maybe have the last of my grain alcohol. There wasn’t much time left (there never is). I would try to live my life and my silence to the fullest. I would try to stay on the path, the way, even though I knew there would be detours—which are, after all, the same.

Next Up: Hog Riding Fool

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Release Date: March 29, 2018 | Directed by: Steven Spielberg | Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller | Rating: PG-13 | Run Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Ready Player One (2018)

There is no director in Hollywood that could have taken on the daunting task of bringing Ernest Cline’s 2011 best seller to the silver screen better than Spielberg. However, as with any iconic pop-culture piece of work, there will be critics of the adaptation holding tight to the story lines and details that will inevitably be left out of the 140 minute transformation. Look on any YouTube trailer for Ready Player One and you will see the trolls out in masses already dismissing the movie before its release.

What the trolls are missing is that there is no other driver you want piloting this film than Spielberg who essentially is the Halliday (stand by for explanation) of our world. Bringing to life more pop-culture icons (think Jaws, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Forest Gump) than any director in history and making them an integral part of our daily lives. Ready Player One dives into the inevitable future of man with the accelerated rate of technology intersecting with our daily lives and creating an escape from the inevitable dystopian future that lie ahead in the virtual-limitless world of the Oasis (I will get to that too.)

The story is set in Columbus, Ohio (changed from the Oklahoma City of the book) 27 years from now in 2045, in an area called the Stack which is essentially mobile homes stacked on top of each other to maximize the people that can be housed in a small area due to a probable nod to overpopulation. There isn’t much backstory on how the world got this way, but one could imagine such a scenario happening in the not-to-distant future.

We are quickly introduced to Wade Watts (Sheridan) who is a resident of the Stacks, and like everyone else in society, is an avid frequenter of the Oasis, a virtual world created 20 years prior by a man named James Halliday (Rylance) who has taken on a God-like persona amongst the people who believe their time in the Oasis is more meaningful to their lives than time spent in the real world. Everyone is able to create an avatar of themselves in the Oasis that can be anything from SpongeBob to Batman. Wade chooses a character known as Parzival to represent him. The catch while in the Oasis is that; why you may not be able to die, you can lose all of the “coins” (virtual money) you collect while playing in the virtual world. This has serious consequences, as the currency is useable in the real world as well.

When word goes out about Halliday’s imminent death on the horizon, it’s learned that a competition will be had that all citizens can compete in to essentially win Halliday’s fortune and control of the Oasis. Watts’ obsession with Halliday, video games and the Oasis leads him to keep playing the seemingly impossible game Halliday has created after years passing by where nobody has completed a single task to acquire one of the three keys needed to find Halliday’s hidden “Easter Egg” which is ultimately the prize of winning his fortune and control of the Oasis.

Watts is determined to find the keys by studying Halliday’s virtual life story that hides clues to finding them. His autobiography is seamlessly captured through computers recreating scenes of his life that can be watched like a movie. But with the seeking of unprecedented wealth and power comes a rival to Watts, and others looking to win the competition, from the software company Innovative Online Industries (IOI), who employs a vast squad of players to find the keys for the nefarious CEO, Nolan Sorrento (Mendelsohn). The constant threat of having IOI at Watts’ heels as he navigates his way through Halliday’s challenges, leads to various confrontations between the two and ultimately the good (the people) versus the evil (greedy corporations) that propels the story forward.

The heart of the story is showcased through the relationships Wade Watts has with the “clan” he forms with a few others in the Oasis who are also competing to win Halliday’s prize. One of which being the bad-ass Art3mis (Cooke), known as Samantha in the real world. These relationships ground the movie and give pause to real human connection, even when people’s outward appearance doesn’t match their avatar in the Oasis.

The real movie-magic happens when Spielberg puts his pop-culture prowess on display through scene-after-scene of dizzying references to both past and present pop-culture icons. Don’t blink as you watch the race scene that has hundreds of notable cars going for the win that include the DeLorean from Back to the Future or the car from the 1983 horror film Christine. There is so much layered into these moments that you could literally watch the movie a dozen times and see things you may have missed…wait was that the Princess driving a Mario Cart I just saw zoom by?

Spielberg does a brilliant job showing us what the future could hold in store for us and how tech idols (think Steve Jobs) can be more worshipped figures than previous deities. He takes our hand and introduces us to a world that we could all only imagine would be the ultimate utopia, but simultaneously warns us about leaving our reality behind in search of this.

On a scale of 1 to 10—1 being oregano, and 10 being top-shelf kush—we give Ready Player One  a solid 9.

The post Ready Player One: Spielberg Plays Villain and Fanboy in The Highly Anticipated Release appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

C4 Laboratories

Ryan Treacy, founder and CEO of C4 Laboratories, knows there’s a problem in the cannabis industry when it comes to bridging cultivation, cannabis product production and science. He also knows there are solutions. But before fixes and compromises can be made between companies like his and the cannabis manufacturers and producers in the world, he believes a trusting partnership must be formed. Without that, Treacy argues, the industry may stumble and, instead of landing in a ditch, may fall off a cliff. “We don’t intend to create undo concern,” he notes. “But we do want to protect our consumers and our industry.”

Treacy’s Arizona-based company, founded in 2014, is a research and testing facility working to ensure the safety and potency of cannabis. “We want to be the guiding hand,” he asserts. “The guiding light of science.” Treacy, who worked in corporate America for 15 years, hopes his organizational and management skills can translate to the burgeoning cannabis industry. “Cannabis changed my life,” he declares. “After a bad car accident left me with a severely injured left leg, cannabis allowed me to holistically take care of my pain.”

While Treacy has no problem with recreational cannabis, in founding C4 he hopes to mend the gap between the manufacturing and scientific sides of the industry so that the plant can be grown, honed and protected specifically for medicinal purposes. “It gives me goose bumps to know we can play a role in that,” he reveals. But there’s been opposition, he tells me, which may come as no surprise, stating, “We’re going to have growing pains.” As legal cannabis is still in its infancy, producers are receiving mixed results from labs—some of whom, Treacy says, may not be as above board as C4.

And other issues exist. For example, if Farmer A takes over Farm B and grows plants via proper measures, they still may, when tested, encounter problems; prior growers on that site may not have been compliant with their pesticides or growing methods, allowing for residual contamination from previous cultivators. As a result, the new farmer may lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. Given this possibility, Treacy says, it makes sense why producers wouldn’t want testing to be done on their crop without reasonable considerations as to what may be causing the issues. Who would want to face such losses? But, he adds, if the industry doesn’t take a hard looks at itself, problems may pile up and the whole shebang could be at risk.

C4, Treacy posits, is a means to better ends. “Cultivators have to know how they can continue to refine their craft while still meeting all the different compliance requirements of each state. Until we mend that gap, I think we’re stunting our ability to meet our full potential as an industry.” Another reason these problems exist, Treacy maintains, is because there are no universal (read: federal) standards for cannabis production, no universal limits for microbial elements, pesticides or potency levels in the plants. And, in his home state of Arizona, Treacy says, there are so few regulations for cannabis license holders that cultivators and producers are left to the “honor system.”

Given that the cannabis industry is still in its infancy, producers are loath to add new hurdles to their workload. “There are pitfalls galore that cultivators and product producers face that quite often have significant financial impact,” Treacy acknowledges. “So, obviously, it’s not going to be very popular with them. So far the reaction has been pretty poor.” But, he wonders, “Should we not test? Of course we should!” If, say, a well-intentioned farm encounters problems due to, say, a former tenant and the new producers can “show and prove and provide data that poor cultivation practices are no longer being used, we do need to take that into consideration and allow people to have plans in place as opposed to cut their Achilles’ Heal. That’s being collaborative and flexible, which is what’s realistic.”

Despite the myriad hang-ups, C4 Laboratories has begun to make headway. “After really holding on by a chin hair,” Treacy recalls, “reputable operators are coming around and are now our clients because they trust us. They can rely on our data and start making changes, optimizing their process and allowing the data and science to guide them. We’ve developed consumer confidence, and that happened because we stayed true to understanding our role.”

Many in the cannabis industry maintain resistance to C4’s science-based tests for toxins or contaminants that could, the CEO recognizes, hurt those whose immune systems are weakest. While most of the cannabis products on the market are safe, Treacy notes, the industry shouldn’t ignore the real risks contamination poses to consumers. About 95 out of 100 (more like 99 out of 100) people that consume cannabis, he explains, have a strong enough immune system that normal and moderate microbial activity in their cannabis would not affect them—microbes exist everywhere in our day-to-day life, from our cell phones to the food we eat and just about everything we touch. But there are immune-compromised folks (like chemotherapy and HIV patients) who may suffer without mandated testing across the board. “There’s a rush to the trough of innovation,” Treacy says. “People want the newest product, the most innovative, most popular, best flavoring—and that’s well and good. But if we don’t consider everything about the plant and the means of production, we’re potentially providing unsafe products.”

And if even one unsafe product is consumed, it could submarine the whole industry, Treacy warns. “Every state has some type of challenge when it comes to testing regulations and its methodology,” he affirms. “But we’re here to help. We want to ensure the best products hit the market for years and years to come.”

The post Cannabis Testing Regulations: C4 Laboratories Aims to Set the Standard appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Test Results: THC 19.7% | CBD 0.46% | Tested By: Steep Hill 

Seattle Sadist by Georgetown Cannabis Co.

Despite its name, Georgetown Cannabis Co.’s Seattle Sadist provides a fun, cerebral high that left me barely functional—in the best way possible. The high started light, then developed into an all-encompassing haze, helping me live in the moment without life’s heaviness getting in the way.

The combo of Purple Kush, Northern Lights #4 and Big Bud makes for gorgeous nugs. The deep green leaves are tightly packed, tons of red hairs filling every available crevice, making the bud look more orange than green at certain angles. Upon grinding the nugs, Seattle Sadist exuded a sweet, citrusy odor, and a slightly spicy (yet surprisingly smooth) taste upon exhale.

Instagram: @legion_of_plume | Twitter: @georgetowncanna | Website: georgetowncannabisco.com

Available At…

1. Cannabis City: 2733 4^th Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134
2. Cannabis Provisions Inc: 938 N 200^th St C, Shoreline, WA 98133

The post Georgetown Cannabis Co.’s Seattle Sadist: Feel the Plume! appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Michael Thacker

Cannabis advocacy and Christianity aren’t often thought of as sharing compatible viewpoints. But one speaker at The October 2017 Dallas Marijuana March stood out for his medicinal use of cannabis, experience as a motocross racer, Christian faith and vast knowledge of The Bible’s interpretation of cannabis. Seeking a religious voice to round out their speakers, including Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston and Dallas City Policeman Nick Novello, Dallas Fort Worth NORML Executive Director Shaun McAlister found Christian author and former motocross rider Michael Thacker via Facebook.

Coming from a background in motocross that resulted in several subsequent injuries, Michael Thacker prefers to relieve his pain through natural means rather than utilizing prescription or over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. He consumes a variety of herbal teas and a healthy balance of THC and CBD, psychoactive and non-psychoactive cannabis compounds, respectively. “I don’t even take Advil,” he admits. “If I’m having a headache, I usually drink mint tea or vape a couple of hits. God has already given us our medicine to use.”

The negative view of marijuana many religious government officials hold may stem from Biblical concerns of sorcery and poisoning, or pharmakeia. Primarily referenced in the verse of Galatians 5:19-21, the passage states that one will not “inherit the Kingdom of God” if they engage in immoral acts like drunkenness, impurity or sorcery. Thacker argues that a modern version of pharmakeia would more accurately refer to “these horrible drugs that the doctors are prescribing,” meaning pharmaceuticals, rather than cannabis. With nearly half of every pharmaceutical television advertisement dedicated to listing potential side effects, I certainly agree with Thacker’s interpretation.

Along with medical advocacy, Thacker shares the same beliefs as the many millions of Americans who think cannabis should be legal, including freeing non-violent drug offenders and utilizing the very apparent tax revenue gleaned from dispensaries in legalized states. Thacker, along with anyone who identifies as both religious and supportive of cannabis, comprises an important sector of the changing face of cannabis users, advocates who will help us destroy the stigma once and for all.

The Good (Good) Book

Although it may surprise some, cannabis and hemp are mentioned throughout The Bible. Here’s just a sampling of passages from the King James Bible that mention the good herb.

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (KJV Genesis 1.29).

“Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” (KJV Genesis 9.3).

“On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” (KJV Revelation 22.2).

Website: onemansjourney.blog/blog | YouTube: Clarity Outreach

The post Christianity and Cannabis: Advocate Michael Thacker Believes the Two Can Coexist appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Test Results: 30.2% THC | Hybrid | Tested By: Green Grower Labs

White Fang by Kudu Pharms

I usually don’t support outlandish testing percentages, but after smoking Kudu Pharms’ White Fang from their Exotics line, I’m a believer: this is a truly high-testing strain, coming in at 30.2 percent THC! With parent strains White Fire OG and Chemdawg, this interstellar hybrid sends you past the moon and into the great wild beyond.

The subtle label, with its leopard print and clean lines, speaks to the quiet (yet impressive) power hiding inside the jar. The trichome-encased flower is dark green, featuring lovely hues of purple undertones. Milky white smoke filled my bong as I pulled the bowl with one larger-than-life hit, my fuel to blast off into orbit! I was pleasantly couch-locked for a blissed-out Chopped marathon. This is one Kudu Pharms Exotic I would search high and low for!

Instagram: @kudupharms

Available At…

1. Cinder – Downtown: 927 W 2^nd Ave Ste A, Spokane, WA 99201
2. Satori South: 2804 E 30^th Ave, Spokane, WA 99223
3. Primo Cannabis: 21630 E Gilbert Rd, Otis Orchards, WA 99027

The post Kudu Pharms’ White Fang: Howl at the Moon-From Space! appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Verde Natural – Boulder, CO

The People:

Verde Natural was one of the first dispensaries I ever visited in Denver, and I’m thrilled to see their company expand. I tend to prefer dispensaries that have the environment in mind above all else, and Verde Natural never fails to impress me with their sustainable practices! They’re one of the only dispensaries to encourage customers to recycle their plastic flower containers, and recently came out with reusable jars so customers can avoid using plastic completely! Their new jars come in three different sizes and are 100 percent compliant with Colorado’s cannabis container regulations. They’re also made out of glass, so they keep your herb smelling (and tasting) even better.

The Place:

Nestled in the heart of Boulder, the new store looks like a quaint cottage from a fairytale, somehow transported to its suburban neighborhood location. Inside, Verde has one of the most beautiful, open spaces I’ve ever seen in a dispensary! Tons of warm, natural lighting, and succulents alongside wooden interior accents make for an inviting, relaxing environment. I always feel uncomfortable in a cramped dispensary with harsh or fluorescent lighting, and that’s definitely not an issue here. Conveniently located just minutes from the Pearl Street Mall, it’s the perfect spot to stop in and stock up on any of your cannabis needs.

The Product:

At Verde Natural, flower is the star of the show. Their small-batch cannabis is cultivated in recycled soil, another point for sustainability, and fed an all-organic diet of naturally occurring nutrients. Verde strives to mimic each plant’s ecosystem in order to maximize its natural flavor and potency profile. Everyone uses cannabis for different purposes, so Verde created a system to help each customer find exactly what they’re looking for. Simply choose a category between Relaxation, Meditation, Creativity, Focus, Energy or Recovery, and a Verde Natural budtender will take care of the rest. A few strains that stuck out to me were their Key Lime Pie, Papaya, Hazelnut Cream and Hell Monkey. Besides amazing flower, you can also find a great selection of edibles and concentrates, including Dablogic, Verde’s solventless, in-house concentrate line!

Instagram: @verdenaturalcolorado | Website: verdenatural.com | Address: 302 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302

The post Verde Natural: Boulder’s Brand-New Cannabis Oasis appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Test Results: 50mg THC per package | Tested By: C4 Laboratories

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Ganja Guppies Bacon Cheddar Crackers by Infusion Edibles

I couldn’t help feeling like a kid again as I reached for my Ganja Guppies Bacon Cheddar Crackers from Infusion Edibles. The nostalgia brought on by the cheesy goldfish and salty oyster crackers was just as strong as the savory aroma pouring from the open bag of perfectly baked biscuits.

I pop a few of the crunchy, bite-sized morsels into my mouth. The well-seasoned, puffy pillows fill my taste buds with familiar flavors of smoky bacon and savory cheddar cheese, notes of paprika and ganja lingering on my palate. Before I know it, I’ve eaten the entire bag of these airy treats! Fifteen minutes pass. My perception starts to shift and my body begins to relax. Stress releases from my muscles; my mood mellows and a subtle euphoria builds in my mind. I don’t feel “too baked,” however—just a perfect sensation to get me through my active day. An absolutely ideal savory edible option for any lifestyle!

Facebook: @infusionmmj | Instagram: @infusionmmj | Twitter: @infusionmmj | Website: infusionmmj.com 

Available At…

1. Emerald Dispensary Phoenix: 4244 W Dunlap Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051
2. SWC Tempe: 2009 E 5^TH ST #11, Tempe, AZ 85281
3. Greenhouse of Flagstaff: 460 N Switzer Canyon Dr #100, Flagstaff, AZ 86001

The post Ganja Guppies Crackers: The Snack That Really Smiles Back appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

“You can sleep when you die, you can sleep when you die!” Tity Boi, Tauheed Epps, 2 Chainz—regardless of how you know him, you know him. 2 Chainz has erupted over the past decade: air time on the hottest radio stations, collaborations with VICE and GQ, guest appearances on The View. He even put up with Nancy Grace. This trap king has made a name for himself on just about every level, from the streets to the screen. Epps has an appeal, a way of connecting with people. He’s likeable. Not to mention, he loves good weed. What most don’t realize is his commitment to the hustle. We flew down to Atlanta and got to experience it firsthand.

“In a community like ATL, you gotta be someone that can show people it’s attainable. You gotta be that person. Do things in front of the youth, inspire. That’s the culture in Atlanta.”

Luckily for us, 2 Chainz doesn’t do 6 a.m. mornings—or does he only do 6 a.m. mornings? His “sleep when you die” sentiment is for real. While traveling back and forth between NYC, LA and ATL, he quite literally doesn’t sleep several days a week. As the father of three children, owner of a record label and multiple recording studios, TV show host and devoted philanthropist, there just isn’t time for it. We didn’t meet with 2 Chainz until the middle of the night, while he was in between work days; he was ending one day, with meetings at 2 a.m. the next. So we crept into the studio to meet with him at 12 a.m., like you do. He was juggling projects, recording and planning his newest album drop, tour and GASS cannabis line. Totally normal. But for 2 Chainz, it’s just that. Normal.

The Early Days

Atlanta—the birthplace of some of the most famous musicians to date, including OutKast, Lil Wayne and T.I., just to name a few—is where 2 Chainz calls home. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, an immediate suburb of Atlanta, 2 Chainz is the only son of a single mother. His previous moniker, Tity Boi, is derived from being just that. Calling someone a “titty boy” just means they were breast fed, or a spoiled child who was never told “no”; it’s not meant to be an obscene or misogynistic term. To broaden his mass appeal, however, he became 2 Chainz. Since the name change, Chainz has risen to a level of success few people will ever see, especially coming from the bottom. So how did he get there?

“I’m gonna get a Grammy next year . . . I’m gonna shoot a movie next year . . . I’m trying to be legendary status when I leave.”

Remember waaay back in 2007, when Weezy and Ludacris were running the Southern rap game? That’s when we saw Tity first jump off—and a big jump, at that. “Duffle Bag Boy,” a single off Supply & Demand, was his first intro to the big leagues as half of the Playaz Circle. With Lil Wayne on the track, it easily went viral; today, it has more than 16 million views. Unfortunately, the album never saw the single’s same commercial success, and while some have attributed it to his Tity Boi moniker, others have blamed it on being part of a duo rather than working as a solo artist. Personally, I think it just wasn’t his time—and I only say that because his time is clearly now. He’s had a plethora of chart-topping songs every year since 2012, hosted two incredibly popular shows, and done hundreds of interviews about everything from the effects of cannabis legalization to why his dog fell asleep on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Chainz proved himself as one of the most devoted artists in the game when, despite a broken leg, he carried out an entire album tour in a tricked-out wheelchair. If that doesn’t explain how he got here, I don’t know what will.

The Interview

While plenty of the interviews I’ve done have been in the middle of the night, after a performance or something similar, I’ve never scheduled a start time at 11 p.m. Pulling up to a nondescript building in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar town to meet with a superstar, I was just hopeful he’d have enough juice to get through the interview. It was here where I learned Chainz really believes what he says: you can sleep when you die. We walked into a fully hopping business. From producers working the tables to people charging up his Maybach (a really fancy Mercedes-Benz most of us have never seen, and never will), this was a fully operational, 24/7 show.

“What I’m trying to put out to consumers is a level of luxury when it comes to the flower . . . I’ve been saying ‘smoking on gas’ since my first singles in the game . . . and it basically means strong or premium.”

As I walked the long corridor of the facility, I could see 2 Chainz standing with his manager—actually, standing over him might be more accurate. At 6’5” in his distinctive red Gucci jacket, his star power was felt from across the room. Immediately receptive to our presence, he greeted us, then went right back to what he was doing: work. As the photographer and videographer set up, I slipped past the Maybach and into the studio with Chainz and his crew. To say he smokes tough would be an understatement; there was not a time in the two-plus hours we were there that he wasn’t smoking. That’s even after I passed around two hand-rolled cannagars packed full of oil, kief and, of course, some GASS flower from his new cannabis line. When it came time to get busy, he hopped right into the photoshoot, never missing a beat. I’ve honestly never seen someone multitask so aggressively—and so flawlessly. Executing his poses, he was more comfortable in front of the camera than Tyra Banks, yet conversations with his team never left his focus. He discussed everything from new features on songs, collabs with other artists, his upcoming tour, and the opening of his LA GASS line.

As soon as we finished shooting, it was straight over to the interview—but not without a new joint, of course. With his Gucci fanny pack and glistening chains, his quiet confidence can be felt in his direct stare. “What I’m trying to put out to consumers is a level of luxury when it comes to the flower,” Chainz shares. “I’ve been saying ‘smoking on gas’ since my first singles in the game . . . and it basically means strong or premium.” His jump into the cannabis space isn’t because he wants to make a quick buck; cannabis is an intimate part of his everyday lifestyle. If a new weed line wasn’t enough for fans, we can already expect another album to drop. “The name of my new album is called Rap Or Go To The League,” he explains, “and when I say that, I’m basically speaking about African American culture, as far as that being something that was often heard or said in our community that I felt was a stereotype.” Chainz is referring to the perceived idea that the only way for POC to be successful is to get into hip-hop or “go to the league,” i.e., become a professional athlete.

2 Chainz is an example of bottom-up success, and many don’t understand how meaningful that can be to one’s hometown. As Chainz puts it, “In a community like ATL, you gotta be someone that can show people it’s attainable. You gotta be that person. Do things in front of the youth, inspire. That’s the culture in Atlanta.” You can feel that ideology in every project he executes. He’s already achieved greatness—so what else is out there for Tauheed? “I’m gonna get a Grammy next year,” he asserts. I’m gonna shoot a movie next year . . . I’m trying to be legendary status when I leave.”

Website: 2chainz.com  |  Instagram: @hairweavekiller  |  Twitter: @2chainz  |  Facebook: @2Chainz

The post 2 Chainz: Smoking on Premium Gass appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Test Results: 71.13% THC | .35% CBD | 70/30 Indica-Dominant | Tested By: CW Analytical

Strawberry Banana Shatter by NUG Concentrates

There are strains named after lineage, cosmetics, breeders—even flavor. Strawberry Banana’s name not only tells us where it came from (Banana Kush x Strawberry Bubblegum), but how it smells and tastes. NUG concentrates are products of perfected strains and an extraction process called “de-waxing,” which better preserves terpene and flavonoid profiles and produces higher-than-average test results. For those concerned about their health, NUG keeps their products free of additives, with 0 PMM (parts per million) residual solvents.

Clear and yellow-gold, it smells and looks like tropical candy. Either on a nail, pen or pipe, it’s full of strawberry-dominant flavor and a hint of banana crème. It tastes just like a smoothie in vapor form. Strawberry Banana immediately hit me with a slight buzz as it lifted me off with an intense heady effect, followed by full body relaxation that led to peace, clarity and focus.

Instagram: @nug | Website: nug.com 

Available At…

1. Abatin Wellness Center: 2100 29th St, Sacramento, CA 95817
2. Airfield Supply Co.: 1190 Coleman Avenue, San Jose, CA 95110
3. Dutchman’s Flat Medical Cannabis Dispensary: 2544 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107

The post Vapor Smoothie, Anyone? Refresh Your Palate with NUG Concentrates appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

It was a brisk Tuesday evening in Downtown Las Vegas on February 20, and we had just arrived at an unassuming building in the heart of the Arts District. Melodic sounds and irie vibes swirled out of the front door and invited us in. Immediately to my right there sat a cobalt blue, five-foot tall Jerome Baker bong. In front of me, a giant, translucent yellow bong with a neck as long as a giraffe’s. To my left, a bong taller than me, comprised of the most beautiful violet glass I had ever seen. Was I dreaming? It sure felt like it…

Each room was a new adventure in itself, filled with glass art of all shapes, sizes and heritage; pieces I know I’d seen before and pieces I never could have imagined. In one of these rooms we found Jason Harris, Jerome Baker Designs Founder, hugging Bob Snodgrass in the midst of a thick cloud of smoke, flanked by more giant, colorful bongs. Dang, ok, this was definitely a dream! I asked my photographer to pinch me. Nope! I WAS awake, and this was what my candy-colored, smoke-filled, stoner dreams were made of.

This was “Bongzilla,” the gallery opening of Jerome Baker Designs’ Las Vegas Studio. It was a night dedicated to the unveiling of “The Mega Bong Series,” an artistic collaboration between Jerome Baker Designs, Dale Chihuly and Martin Blank Studios in Seattle. This all-star team set out to create a collection of larger-than-life pieces, the likes of which had never been seen.

Leafly.tv filmed the entire crazy process of making the Mega Bongs, and we got to see the premier screening alongside the artists themselves as they cheered one another on. The film captured all the highs, lows, breaks and blows of the Olympic-sized glassmaking process.

15 Mega Bongs were created; 11 made it to Las Vegas and 10 survived the opening night. When a bowl from one of the Mega Bongs hit the floor during a photo op, my instinct was to cry—I looked over at Jason Harris, however, and he was smiling. Just another reminder that bends and breaks are all a part of the journey!

Related – “Humanity The Plague”: Rone Glass’ Intricate Encalmo Piece

The post Glass Legends Go Larger Than Life: Jerome Baker Designs, Dale Chihuly and More Team Up for a Celebration of Huge Bongs appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Stylista and creative goddess Karleen Ilagan, owner of Seattle’s Moksha boutique in the International District and yogini at Modo Yoga—how does she stay so DOPE? Well, this girl literally finds a balance in busy Emerald City.

Karleen and I go back from some of our first days of college at the University of Washington. She saw the Led Zeppelin and Bob Marley posters in my dorm room—plus the Sublime t-shirt I was rocking—and we became instant friends and longtime roommates. I owe her for inspiring me to express my personal fashion choices—just step inside of Moksha and you’ll know what I mean. Thanks to her, I’m no longer wearing those band tees that were a staple my freshman year!

What are you up to tonight?

Ding! A text message pops up on my phone from Karleen on a Friday evening.

Darling! I start typing my response. No plans, should we make some?

I’m closing Moksha in an hour, got membership at the Y, could work out then grab a bite or drink?

That sounds amazing!

Lol I was semi-joking

Um, I’m so down.

I swing by her spot early to show off my new ride and vape pen. We smoked a bowl from her sacred, ancient glass piece.

We got to the Y early to warm up before a class—my hip had been bothering me. Karleen suggested I kick the tightness out. For a while we stood there, kicking it out, snickering at our silly selves.

The hunger set in before class was over, so we jetted to a different room. Karleen did some crunches while I sprawled out on my back on the floor. The week prior was a sativa-induced stupor of insomnia for me, and I needed to chill.

Wow, I thought, admiring my friend. She is one smooth, beautiful ballerina.

Next we made it to a happening Ethiopian restaurant, Cafe Selam on Cherry Street. Amy our favorite gal’s name. When you go there, you’ll know who I’m talking about. She’s a boss without being bossy, the DJ pumping dance and reggae tunes, and the hands bringing us some bomb, gluten-free injera with stewed lamb and an array of veggies.

It was the perfect grub and the perfect setting with the right people—so therapeutic. This thing called self-care? We need more of it.

If you’re looking for more opportunities to find a balance with my creative, cutting-edge, captivating kin Karleen, stay tuned. Whether it be yoga, sound baths, dancing or art curations, Karleen’s vibe will soothe your soul, adorn your body and relax your mind. Come be fly and soar in Seattle!

The post Kelly Guava Jelly’s Jam: Finding Self-Care and Creativity in Seattle appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Dabbing CBD concentrates is quickly gaining popularity with those who want to experience the calming, healing effects normally associated with cannabis—without the high.

Many CBD dabbers report an elevated body sensation, and even enhanced focus. One thing is for sure: vaping or dabbing CBD will certainly make you feel better, and will not alter your mental clarity—perfect for day or night use. You can enjoy CBD and can legally vape anywhere smoking or vaping is allowed. You can conveniently vape CBD using a small, handheld rig, making access easier than ever!

The calming effects of dabbing CBD are immediate. This Skywalker OG sauce boasts a sweet taste that is earthy, pungent and extremely smooth. We use whole-plant cannabis terpenes for maximum flavor and aromatherapy.

What is the trick to great flavor?

First, the key to maintaining great flavor is dabbing or vaping your product at a low temperature. You don’t want to scorch your terpenes! Adjust your timer or nail temp so you’re just barely vaporizing all the cannabinoids you want. CBD dab constituents vaporize at different temps. For optimum results, vape between 350°F and 400°F.

Optimal vaporization temps:

• CBD: 347°F (175°C)
• Beta-myrcene: 330°F (166°C)
• D-limonene: 350°F (177°C)
• Linalool: 388°F (198°C)

Second, keep your rig clean. Nothing tastes better than a fresh, clean dab of top-shelf product! If you’re using a handheld vape-style rig, change the coils every two weeks or so. Keep it fresh! If you’re using a quartz banger, clean after every dab! A clean, low-temp dab is a beautiful thing!

Third, acquire some Skywalker OG CBD Terp Sauce or other top-shelf product from CBDconcentrates.com. Stay away from low-quality products from overseas. Always demand a COA (Certificate of Analysis) for every product you purchase, which will ensure your dabs are free of mycotoxins, residual solvents, heavy metals and pesticides. If your provider cannot give you a clean, current and verifiable COA, do not purchase! We stand behind all our products, and whether you use our cartridges, extracts or tinctures, you can rest assured knowing you’re consuming a clean, certified top-shelf product!

Happy dabbing!

The post Dabbing CBD Concentrates for Wellness: The Top 3 Ways to Get Delicious, Medicinal Terps! appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

About Loopr

Millions of people travel to Denver each year and get a long list of “no’s” about where they can enjoy all of these intriguing cannabis products. When you ascend the stairs to the Loopr, you are taken to another world where smoking weed is just as natural as the day you were born and you’re told “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Loopr provides cannabis advocates from all walk of life the opportunity to lightt up a pre-roll without hesitation. On Loopr Tours and Social Lounge, you can feel comfortable asking questions and getting to know your fellow smokers in a one-of-a-kind cannabis-centric social experience. Learn the art of dabbing or how to dose edibles safely on this 420-friendly luxury vehicle that is the first of its kind to be insured and approved by the city of Denver. Amidst all the haze and excitement of where to consume in Colorado, the founders saw a need that wasn’t being met. Where could you go to partake of all these new products without worrying about breaking the law, even in a legal state? And suddenly, the idea for Denver’s first legal cannabis lounge was born.

Loopr offers an impressive escape into the cannabis experience that is hard to come by without a local connection or a lot of dough. It also provides cannabis consuming tourists a fun, responsible and legal environment for partaking. The bus itself is decked out with flat screens, a bumping sound system and comes equipped with power outlets along the seats to keep you charged up as you record snapchat videos at your new favorite hangout. It compares more closely to a moving speakeasy as it traipses through the bustle of downtown Denver in its own cannabis-friendly cloud.

Finding the bus is incredibly easy with the @RideLoopr mobile app. You can track the bus icon along the day’s particular route, and buy a pass easily with their secure mobile application. Think of it almost like Uber meets public transit for weed as the bus makes its way around the city on a big loop. The bus pauses at an array of stops, from dispensaries and popular tourist attractions and there’s tons of restaurants and bars along the route. You can hop on and off as the Loopr makes its way down the line. Enjoy refreshments on board, or get something to-go at one of the awesome food spots like Biker Jim’s. You can even do a lap aboard the bus to sesh and partake of your infused goodies, and then jump off at one of the downtown stops for a show or a movie. It’s like the Lyft driver you always wanted! The Loopr takes pride in being an educational outlet for curious cannatourists, and there’s always something exciting happening. You can enjoy food, film, music, sports and Colorado culture along the Loopr line. Most importantly, it’s a laidback, fun place to enjoy your cannabis and share the experience with other 420 enthusiasts.

The post Riding in High Style: Loopr Brings You to the Best Weed in Denver appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Release date: April 6, 2018 | Directed by: John Krasinski | Starring: John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe | Rating: PG-13 | Run time: 1h 35 min

Nothing makes you realize just how loud other people are than when you’re watching a movie with large swaths of nearly-silent scenes. For the first ten minutes of A Quiet Place, people in the theater were shuffling around the aisles, zipping and unzipping their jackets, unwrapping candy wrappers—you name it. If they’d been in the world of the film, populated by terrifying creatures that look like Predator crossed with a burned-up, lava-encrusted Gollum with wings and a hypersensitivity to noise, they would’ve been dead within seconds.

Luckily, the film’s premise was so captivating that something miraculous happened: Everyone in the theater shut the fuck up and watched the film. No one climbed over my legs to take a bathroom break; no one was on their phone, talking to their neighbor or even whispering. With a tight 95-minute runtime, A Quiet Place has no filler and captivates throughout, so much so it managed a nearly impossible feat in 2018—theatergoers gave it their undivided attention.

John Krasinski, the man responsible for adding “Jim Halpert Face” to the cultural lexicon, directed, co-wrote and stars alongside real-life wife Emily Blunt. We’re dropped in medias res to their post-apocalyptic nightmare. It’s not clear exactly what’s going on, just that they’re alone at their farmhouse with their three—er, scratch that, two—children, and they have to be vewy, vewy quiet, or else giant monsters come. One of their kids gets dragged off by a Winged Lava Gollum Predator within the first ten minutes of the film, a clear indication the stakes are real, unlike the feeling of some modern horror films; characters get into tough spots that only get tougher. Not everyone gets saved at the last second.

via GIPHY

Speaking of their lives—and yes, this is nitpicky, but you’re the one reading a film review, so I assume you’re down with that—Krasinski and Blunt had three young children while setting up their post-apocalyptic farm oasis, yet they have a fully functional garden, an intricate security system, a tricked out surveillance center, sand trails leading all around their land and into the nearby town where they gather supplies (sand is quieter to walk on, you see) … I mean, when did they have time for all this? Who is putting down all this sand? Where’s this sand coming from? Why does Blunt’s wig look so good? Is it even a wig, or is her hair just that lush and beautiful naturally? These are the important questions of our time.

But I digress. I only nitpick because there aren’t larger issues to criticize—a testament to the film’s strengths. A Quiet Place masterfully provides a sense of unease, where one simple mistake can lead to death. Every action, therefore, becomes an undertaking, even something as simple as walking down the stairs. The family communicates by sign language, and their children, played by Noah Jupe and the impressive Millicent Simmonds, have learned how to get by in a world with little noise. The movie is not silent, however—there is a sometimes-jarring score, and I wonder how much more powerful the film would have been without any music at all.

A general horror movie rule is “less is more,” and I was apprehensive as to how the film would reveal its monsters to us. Fear is a reaction to the unknown, that which has not happened; when we see the object of our fear, then, dread can turn dull or even farcical. See Signs as an example of this. M. Night Shyamalan had us all scared shitless, then we see the aliens at the end of the movie and it’s like…oh, cool, someone’s flash game rendering made it into the final cut of this film. That’s nice. The creatures in this film, even when we eventually see close-ups of their terrifying forms, never lost their fear factor. Another pleasant surprise.

Despite the underlying tension throughout, there are moments of comedy in A Quiet Place. Before Krasinski and his son are about to leave for a supply gathering mission, for instance, one the son feels apprehensive about, Krasinski assures him there’s nothing to be scared of. “Of course there is!” the kid furiously signs. Later, a creature climbs the staircase in their house, helpfully holding on to the bannister rather than lurching up it like the wild animal it is. Safety first!

via GIPHY

The movie is darkly funny in a way that reminded me of a classic we all know and love: Tremors. Don’t pretend you haven’t seen it—we’ve all seen it. The Graboids in Tremors, like the monsters in A Quiet Place, respond to sound; Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward and my queen, Reba, must minimize the noise they make or get eaten up by giant sand worms. A Quiet Place could have been called Tremors 7: A Quiet Place, for all I care. (And yes, there are six other Tremors films. Fun fact: The Tremors DVD collection is called the “Attack Pack.”)

Let’s see…where was I going with this. Oh, yes. A Quiet Place.

On a scale of 1 to 10—1 being oregano, and 10 being top-shelf kush—we give A Quiet Place an 8. Genuine scares, real stakes and a tight script with no filler made for a nice little horror film with moments of late ‘80s, early ‘90s horror comedy. It also reminded me to get a tetanus shot. Even if you’re not a horror fan, I’d still recommend this film; it wasn’t so terrifying I needed to sleep with the lights on, but I did find myself walking a little quieter than usual on the way home.

The post A Quiet Place: This Tension-Laden Thriller Will Have You Squirming in Your Seat appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

Test Results: 100mg CBD per jar | 7 servings per jar | Tested By: RM3 Labs and Phytatech

CBD Infused Spices by Cured Nutrition

Do you ever hear about a new product and wonder, “Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” That’s exactly how I felt when I heard about this new line of CBD-infused spices from Cured Nutrition. Each jar contains 100mg of CBD, and each teaspoon-sized serving contains 15mg of CBD—the perfect dose for any beverage or meal.

Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet, salty, spicy or smoky, Cured Nutrition has you covered with five delicious flavors: Smokey Barbeque, Blackening Seasoning, Roasted Garlic & Lemon Pepper, Peanut Butter Chocolate and Cinnamon & Honey. Each flavor is made from 100 percent natural ingredients and infused with CBD isolate derived from organic Colorado hemp plants. I’ve been loving the PB Chocolate spice in my post-workout smoothie, and the Smokey Barbeque takes my Crock-Pot pulled pork to the next level. Whatever spice you’re in the mood for, get creative with Cured Nutrition!

Facebook: @curednutrition | Instagram: @curednutrition | Available Online: curednutrition.com

The post Cured Nutrition: Time To Spice Things Up! appeared first on Dope Magazine | Cannabis News and Reviews.

TreeHouse Club – Spokane, WA

Many don’t realize that customer service isn’t just the words exchanged at the register between customer and budtender; customer service begins the moment an idea pops into a customer’s head, or when they first step up to the building, ready to spend. Spokane’s TreeHouse Club understands these realities, which is why the exterior of their shop is cute and charming, imbuing a feeling straight out of a storybook. The exterior orange trim and lived-in vibe welcomes customers in a way a typical storefront might not. “We actually converted an old house into our store,” says Co-Owner Steve Burks. “It definitely makes people feel comfortable. That and our family behind the counter, who do an amazing job of welcoming people.”

Jenn Bordor, Store Manager for TreeHouse Club, says the business focuses on a “full service” approach with their products and customer assistance, offering medical cannabis as well as recreational. The staff are medically certified as cannabis consultants, and Bordor adds that they remain cognizant of new law changes and work to stay at the forefront of new innovations. “The more services we can provide for our customers,” she emphasizes, “the better we can be at our jobs. It involves going above and beyond.”

TreeHouse Club, which opened in December of 2014 in the Lilac City, stocks everything from flower to oils and edibles and sees typical customers buy anything from their regular grams to ounces. But, Burks adds, customers often make their decisions based on brand loyalty. Bordor notes that it feels like the store, through education and customer service, creates mini cannabis advocates in the community. “We’re trying to fill the gaps,” she maintains. “We want to provide everything we can.”

Instagram: @treehouseclubllc2014 | Website: treehouseclub.buzz | Address: 14421 E Trent Ave., Spokane Valley, WA 99216

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