Economic Impact by James Bridges Herbage Magazine Since 1971, the war on drugs has cost the United States an estimated $1 trillion. In 2015, the federal government spent an estimated $9.2 million every day to incarcerate people charged with drug-related offenses that’s more than $3.3 billion annually. State governments spent another $7 billion in…
by Chip Paul Efforts are happening behind the scenes which will soon be very public around a repetition of the State for medical marijuana. While we, perhaps, have the best national situation in our program now, it can still be better. We have had a pretty good run with lawmakers who have helped us defend…
by Kathy Long-Barker Looking up from the letter with furrowed brows, you sit with it in your hands trying to understand why the contents feel so familiar. As if you’d written it yourself knowing you’d be exactly where you are now. In a chair, talking to a cat…. You must have looked hilarious trying to…
Pride by Jasmine Harvey Herbage Magazine What does pride mean to me? The adversity which continues to face in the LGBTQ+ community. The love. The momentous occasions of ground breaking laws for the LGBTQ+ community and so much more! In June of 1969 events took place that were the catalyst to the LGBTQ movement. On…
by Tab Moura Over the last few years I have changed in a very deep way. Honestly, if I hadn’t lived it myself, I don’t know if I would believe such a shift was possible. I don’t usually appreciate it when people say “it’s just a season.” In my experience, it’s rarely my close friends…
Strawberry Full Moon by Dan’l Wright-Kimbler She’s rapid. She’s a rollercoaster. The current and the tidal waves, she’s the fluid movements of this physical experience. Learning to flow with her movements becomes the lessons of daily life… especially at home. Like daily devotions, she’s ebbing away at your resistance to change and teaching you the…
by Tab Moura I remember the night that I realized she wasn’t ok. The night I switched from “woe is me, my baby never sleeps,” to “why isn’t she sleeping?” It was 2017, I had a newborn, and my 2 year old was having hour long night terrors every night. She was thrashing, and…
by Sarah Lee Gossett Parrish, Cannabis Lawyer Earlier this year I provided an introduction to some of the more substantive bills filed in the Oklahoma House and Senate pertaining to Oklahoma’s Medical Marijuana Program, and this spring I wrote about highlights concerning the more important bills that were passed by the legislative body in…
By James Bridges HERBAGE MAGAZINE There’s a glare. It’s in the window in the backdrop of the room I just entered. Ocean waves crash. Slow motion. Like a Deftones song, and maybe a drop of magic. I’m swimming in a dream. I look over to my right and I notice a…
by Anna Ervin With the 9-year anniversary of my dad’s passing behind me, I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately. I often think about the legacy that he left behind for me, and I wonder if he’d be proud of the life I’ve created for myself. My dad was a self-taught auto mechanic for…
by Jasmine Harvey Without truly knowing Juneteenth as a child, I was enthralled with the love and camaraderie during my first celebration of this historic and recently declared “national holiday.” Now as an adult I wanted to know more. On September 22nd, 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves from…
“And I recollect one time,they brought in hounds. They brought them hounds in and brought three n*ggas with them hounds, runaway n*ggas, you know, caught in the woods. And they, right across, right at the creek there, they take them n*ggas and put them on a log, lay them down, and fasten them. And whup…
by James Bridges HERBAGE MAGAZINE Mankind is funny. It does things to itself for no reason other than to grow and learn from it. There’s one thing that has always been something that I strive to grow daily. Foundations. When I had the opportunity to sit and visit with another person on that…
by Veronica Castillo In 1971, the lives of black and brown people received another threat. In this threat, the government focused on changing an entire nation’s law just to keep black and brown people suppressed and oppressed. In 1971, President Nixon, with an ugly, disgusting, racist soul- officially declared a “War on drugs”, loosely translated:…
By Anna Ervin Have you ever met someone with such an incredible attitude, that the more you get to know them the more you want to know them? The first time I worked with OKC photographer Jeff Hooten II, better known as CasedGod, I knew he was going to be one of those people….
by Tab Moura When I first began using plant medicine, the high was indescribable… I didn’t know how to adequately convey how relieving it felt. It was a wonder drug apparently, and I wanted to get it into every nook and cranny of my Elastagirl-body. I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, traditionally this…
by Tab Moura In March, during the ice storm, my husband and I made a decision to sell our home in Tulsa. We knew the market would be tough, but we really needed change. Between my health issues and the systems we use to support our kids’ developmental needs, moving further out of Tulsa was…
By Chet Tucker So, we’ve made it through the months of growing and fighting off all of the pesky challenges that can ruin a crop and we’re entering the final stages of harvesting. As the plants begin to produce resin trichomes, the attention to detail can’t dwindle, in fact, it’s magnified. Combing through the…
Flamingo by Anna Ervin It’s 2013. I’m at the gymnasium at my local university surrounded by cowboy hats and red solo cups. One of my friends is eager for me to hear a new artist he’s been listening to. Despite the number of steel-toed boots on the gym floor, I’m surprised to hear a handful…
by Anna Ervin & Dondi Cobb You know those dishes that just taste like summer? Like one bite instantly takes you back to camping trips at the lake, or BBQ’s with your family? If you’ve been following my recipes for a while, you’ve probably noticed that I begin the majority of my recipes with a…
by Kathy Long-Barker Jaw tight and tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth, you notice your hands are shaking. Your brow is tinged with sweat and though no particular words can be deciphered from your intense and abrupt exclamation, the air around you seems to be swirling with the anxious notes of a strange…
by James Bridges All of us have been affected. “Doesn’t affect me directly.” That’s what my go to thought is when I get angry at those that have so many followers when they speak untruths or talk in ways that make their followers feel blindfolded and act as if they are their savior. Guess what…
by Anna Ervin When I met local artist Sonya Spears at the Surf Bar in Shawnee, she was thrilled to have found another hangout spot with healthy options in her new community. Sonya had moved from OKC just before the pandemic and was only just now seeming to surface from the initial culture shock…
by James Bridges Herbage Magazine The amount of hate I’ve received over the last 10-15 years is near comical. Not too large of a collection, but just enough to call it a “collection” of sorts. The topics vary and can be time mapped to show the cultural differences of change. The complaints are sometimes so…
When they told us we could “have” their horse… we had no idea what to expect. My husband and I are novice farmers, I can confidently say that owning a farm is a whole new ballgame. When it comes to the farm animals, my Father In Law is the authority, and I’m the second in…
by Tab Moura We are a neurodivergent household. My husband and 2 of my daughters are autistic, we have— shall I say, significant differences in our food preferences. To be clear, I genuinely respect the differences between my husband and I, but this is an area we have had strong differences in. We were married…
by Anna Ervin Ignorance, Stubbornness, Self-Induced Confusion If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself if you might be refusing to see the situation for what it truly is. You might be feeling the weight of a major decision this month. Pay close attention to your environment, influences, and the direction your energy is heading in. Try…
by Anna Ervin In the heart of OKC lies one of Oklahoma’s best kept secrets, that even in farmer’s country you can find a deep-seeded love for plant-based food. Guests often stumble upon The Loaded Bowl, located across the street from OKC’s Farmers & Antique Markets, expecting the type of establishment that most of our…
by James Bridges Herbage Magazine I walked into my local shop. What do we call them now? Not watering holes. Something more… You get my drift. I was having a bit of a day. I needed the right medicine for the tasks at hand. I felt really nothing that morning. No motivation. Not tired. Not…
by Tab Moura The sweat, the adrenaline, the nightmares, the shame spirals and paranoia. Panic is an old friend of mine. My first panic inducing nightmare was when I was 5. I dreamt that I was being chased down a dark alley by a man in a trench coat who was holding a gun. It’s…
by Anna Ervin When I first started learning about Tarot, cards like Death and the Ten of Swords scared me the most. Today, they are two of my favorite cards in the deck, but only after a little soul searching allowed me to realize their true definitions. The purpose of these cards is not to…
By Tab Moura My memories that come to mind, when I reflect on my rougher chronic illness years, are often bitter sweet. Early in my marriage my husband and I endured incredibly painful seasons of debt, unemployment, the push-and-pull of checking out, and angry words shared… but these were years that truly taught us to…
By Tab Moura I’m taking it all in. I’m laying on the floor in my living room, boxes to my right, bong to my left… I just need a minute. I have been in the middle of a huge transition for the last 2 months: two months of repairs, boxes, and making every corner of…
by Anna Ervin When I was younger, I used to think Oklahoma’s landscapes were so bland. My family traveled a lot through the years, and I remember visiting states with clear blue ocean waters, or mountains blanketed in aspens and evergreens. I would think, why can’t I live somewhere like this. Somewhere that flaunts such…
1921 – 2021; Remembering by Veronica Castillo May 31, 2021 marks 100 years since a black teenage boy was lied on, over a possible incident with a white woman, in an elevator in Tulsa Oklahoma. It marks 100 years since his arrest, which wasn’t enough for many white Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma. May 31, 2021…
by Chet Tucker For those just picking up Herbage and reading for the first time, we’re glad you’re here. The monthly editorial, “Sowing the Seed”, is a journey from seed to market and we hope you find it as a simple guide along the way. So, we’ve covered genetics, soil and mediums, “food”, water,…
By Veronica Castillo Painted Pistols Cannabis Co. Providing an avenue for the community of Chickasha to experience clean, organic medicinal cannabis. In a city about 35 miles away from Oklahoma City, exists a cannabis cultivation company owned and operated by life-long Chickasha residents- Painted Pistols Cannabis Co. Painted Pistols is located in a stand-alone…
By Tab Moura I’m sitting here at the table listening to an Oklahoma thunderstorm, thinking about the meaning of life and the ice cream in my freezer. As you know, I have three amazing little girls who just so happen to use our favorite plant medicine, cannabis. Cannabis has been incredibly powerful in helping…
By Tab Moura Yarrow’s genus name is Achillea Milleforium, after Achilles (Greek mythology) who used Yarrow to treat his soldiers’ wounds. If you have collected Yarrow and would like to know how to ingest it, I have a few tips. I am by no means an expert, but I rely on natural methods like…
by Anna Ervin & Dondi Cobb Growing up I always believed my mom made the best creamy potato soup… Until I made this recipe (sorry mom). We won’t talk about which ingredients I had to ditch in order to adapt this recipe to fit my vegan diet but let’s just say it was a large…
by Michael Kinney Technically, the residents in the Clara Luper Corridor have only been in a food desert for two years. When Smart Saver closed unexpectedly in August 2019, that left thousands of households without a grocery store for miles in any direction. However, in actuality the east side of Oklahoma City has…
By Taylor Brophy My daughter begged me to sign her up for Cub Scouts. There were girls on the flyer, and it honestly looked like something she would be into so I said, “Why not? Let’s go!” She was over the moon excited, and because she was so happy my momma heart was smiling….
By Tab Moura There’s been a lot of buzz around Cannabis lately, and I’m not just talking about legalization. So we know that Cannabis is beneficial, it’s been known to treat numerous health conditions, head to toe, from Glaucoma to Plantar Fasciitis… but what if our beloved Devil’s Lettuce is also capable of saving the…
By James Bridges | Herbage Magazine It started raining. I looked at the clock. After cursing myself for working entirely too late and long into the next day I decided to stop. I recalled stopping another time that week and my fresh hunt was waiting on me in the other room and I nearly forgot….
by Tab Moura I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2019. I was 29, married, a mother, and I dabbled in MLMs and influencing. I’ve always loved writing, but those days I felt like I was slipping into oblivion and It felt so comfortable that I didn’t even think to stop it anymore. I was hosting…
by James Bridges | Herbage Magazine A situation arises in a person’s life when they first venture out into the unknown. I was a young Okie. I was born in some other, most likely gawd awful, state, but I was raised an Okie. In my personal journey, I had never, truly, experienced culture other than…
by Tab Moura The house is quiet, babies are sleeping, and the sun is down for the day… it’s time to get to work. I am staring at a stack of moving boxes, child-art in crayon cover the sides. We’re moving. The time has come to graduate from this season into another. Unlike what we…
Herbage Magazine Presents “the cast of the pod variety” Ep 9 A weekly obscure podcast covering a variety of cannabis related content within the community. We speak with others that are living with this plant, industry leaders, Herbage happenings, music, film, and more. Show contributors: James Bridges @eyefounditrighthere Anna Ervin @cannabanana_ Alex Ritter @hermeticflowercompany Professor…
by James Bridges | Herbage Magazine “So we decided to grow the real big buds.” When I was a kid I had a vision of what it would look like to be a wild man. I imagined I would of course own a helicopter, many unnecessary firearms, a pet grizzly or some sort of bizarre…
by James Bridges Herbage Magazine I can’t breath. There’s something in my throat and I’m not sure what has happened. On the verge. I could try and swallow but I feel as if that may not be the right choice. Panic. The mirror only shows me more bizarre unanswered questions. What the hell is in…
