Brought to you by Smokey Okies Cannabis

By Travis Smith

Welcome back to the Cultivation Corner, where we discuss all things related to growing good ganja! Last time, we discussed the two different growing phases of cannabis (the Vegetative and Flowering stages) and how to mimic those phases indoors by switching your light cycles.

In this month’s column, I am going to discuss the first of the two stages, the Vegetative Stage. I will cover how to get started, what to do once you’re deep into veggin, and when to make the switch to flower.

Starting your vegetative cycle: Should you use seeds or clones?

When you decide to start growing weed, you will need to either plant seeds or plant a clone. But which is the better option? You may have guessed the answer: “it depends.”

The advantages and disadvantages of Seeds

Let’s start with seeds. One benefit of starting with seeds is the availability of so many good options through online seed banks. If you go this route, I recommend using a reputable seed bank that is endorsed by the breeder of the strain you want. Your seeds should come in packaging that came from the breeder and have a seal or other insignia verifying authenticity. You want to make sure that these seeds are what they purport to be, and actually came from the breeder, and are not just seeds put into random packaging by a middleman seed bank.

Now, here is the downside: unless you purchased an older strain that has been stabilized for many, many years, there is going to be a lot of variation in characteristics for each seedling that ends up sprouting. Why? Think of it this way: if your mom and dad kept having kids, each kid would share some family traits, while also being a bit different and unique. So if you plant 10 seeds, expect 10 different versions of that strain. (The way around this is to continue in-breeding, stabilizing the genetic, so that each additional “brother and sister” is more and more alike; this is a deeper topic for a future article). Conclusion: Seeds are great, but be prepared for a lot of different mixed results.

Pro tip: Plant many seeds of the same strain, knowing that only a few are going to be worth keeping. Save the best one, and start cloning it.

The Pros and Cons of Buying Clones

So if you don’t want to “pheno hunt” a bunch of seeds, you can instead buy clones.

The advantage of buying a clone is that the clone has already been hunted and selected. However, this advantage is premised on the assumption that the person selling the clone has already hunted a bunch of variations of this strain, and has selected the ideal version and is now selling it. Here, the operative term is “assumption.” When you buy a clone, you are assuming it is a good pheno. Therefore, you are relying on the credibility of the seller. As you are now starting to see, sourcing genetics is all about the credibility of the source, whether a seed bank or a clone seller. Buying clones is great as long as you know that the grower selling the clones is reputable.

Another advantage of starting with a clone is that you start 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule than if you had to wait on the seed to sprout and grow to a similar size.

Conclusion: Buy clones if you trust the seller, and the clone is free of pests.

Pro tip: ask the seller to explain how she sourced the genetics

Vegging your seedlings and Clones

Now that you have selected your genetics, let’s get them growing! As we discussed in last issue, you will want to use a light schedule of 18 hours on, six hours off for this initial stage of growth.

The choice of medium is up to you. You can grow in soil, rockwool cubes, or our preferred medium: coco coir. Whichever route you choose to go, you will adopt a cultivation style that suits your choice.

It All Starts in Veg

The Veg stage is where you conceive of your end result and then take action with weekly tasks that get you closer to that end result.

First, start with a vision. Do you want a large plant? A multi-topped bush? A tall and skinny plant? Do you want to harvest frequently, and therefore want as many runs in a year as possible? Or are you fine with less frequent harvests, you want more yield each time? Figure out what you want. It’s okay for your goals to change over time. But once you can conceive of the end result, you can put a plan into place. It all starts in veg. Veg is where you train your plant to become the end result you have in your mind. You can start topping early, or you can wait to top until it has been in veg for 3 or 4 weeks. You can use low stress training or high stress training. If you are brand new to cultivation, and you don’t know you want, that is okay too. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• When you switch to the 12/12 light cycle to begin the flowering phase, your plant will double or triple in height and size;

• Keep this in mind when vegging your plant(s)

• Veg is when you can bend branches and train a plant; you lose this ability as you get into flower, when the branches firm up and lose their elasticity

• Use the vegetative phase to shape your plant. It will be on steroids during flower, so get it under control now.

That should get you started for now. If you don’t know what any of these terms mean, check out our blog at Smokey-Okies.com and use the search bar to search any of these terms. Next month, we will continue this journey of growing your own weed!

Anytime is the best time to make heirloom tomato toast in my opinion. As a professional chef of over thirty years, I’ve learned that picking products at the peak of their ripeness really depends on where you live, but for heirloom tomatoes it almost always starts early in the summer and ends in the fall. Almost as much of a fad as the ubiquitous California avocado toast is in Southern California, the heirloom tomato toast with mayonnaise has not only been a hundred-year fad in the American south, but a seasonal staple as well. I know whole heartedly; I lived many years in the American south and became an official heirloom tomato toast aficionado and specialist. I’m also very proud to be involved in the transition in acceptance when it comes to fresh cannabis in the modern kitchen. Having licensed farm raised hemp and cannabis greens in the market for chefs, restaurants, and juice bars to utilize shouldn’t be far off with the way things are moving these days. I can’t wait for protein dense cannabis and hemp greens to be readily available in select grocery stores around the country, to satisfy all your tomato toast needs sometime in the next few years. Unless of course you are a home grower, then you will have plenty of fresh young cannabis and hemp leaves available. I like to sprinkle the thick sliced heirloom tomatoes with a generous amount of local sea salt flakes and a few fresh green coriander seeds from my garden. I then slather my favorite golden brown and delicious toasted artisan sourdough slices with the smoky bacon fat mayonnaise- in true heirloom tomato toast fashion that is. The bacon fat mayo is super simple to make and downright stupid good to try on your favorite tomato and mayo sandwich during heirloom tomato season. Remember to slather the smoky bacon fat mayo on heavy, to cut the heirloom tomatoes thick, and don’t be shy with the sea salt flakes. I hope you enjoy this cannabinoid infused heirloom tomato toast recipe no matter where you live…

Heirloom Tomato + Smoky Bacon Fat Mayo + Cannabis Leaf Toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

wait time: 20 minutes

yield: 5 toasts

total thc/cbd: depends on the potency of the products used

status: downright delicious stoner snack

from the cannabis pantry: cannabis bacon fat, cannabis hot sauce, cannabis butter

chef’s strain recommendation: blue cheese

equipment needed

medium stainless-steel mixing bowl, whisk, chef’s knife, cutting board, food processor, serrated knife, serving platter or plates

provisions needed

5 slices of your favorite artisan sourdough bread (cut ¾ inch thick)

¼ cup cannabis infused butter (made in the mb2e)

3-4 medium misc.organic heirloom tomatoes

½ – 1 cup smoky cannabis bacon fat mayo

1 cup fresh young cannabis or hemp leaves

1 tbsp jacobsen sea salt flakes

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

2 tsp fresh green coriander seeds (optional)

smoky cannabis bacon fat mayo

½ cup of cannabis infused applewood smoked bacon fat (at room temp) (made in the mb2e)

1 tbsp chipotle adobo (contents of the can pureed smooth)

1 ½ cups of mayonnaise (if you don’t use dukes mayonnaise, you are going to hellmann)

1 tsp cannabis hot sauce (made in the mb2e)

½ cup fresh cooked bacon bits (very small + crispy)

how to make it

for the mayo-

put all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and mix well. add a ¼ cup of super crispy bacon bits to the mayo. mix well, place the mayo into an airtight container, refrigerate. use liberally.

to assemble the toasts-

toast the bread slices to your liking, butter each slice with a little cannabis butter. slice the heirloom tomatoes as thick as you’d like them. slather each piece of the toasted sourdough bread with as much smoky bacon fat mayo as you’d like. then sprinkle a nice amount of hemp or cannabis greens on each toast. top the greens with three or four various sized tomato slices on each toast as well. then season each toast with salt and pepper. garnish each toast with a sprinkle of fresh green coriander seeds and a little more sea salt. serve and enjoy with udder delight.

equipment + product source

www.magicalbutter.com  (mb2e botanical extractor)

www.jacobsensaltco.com (oregon kosher sea salt)

recipe by #theshortordercannabisrevolutionary   chef sebastian carosi     @chef_sebastian_carosi on Instagram

An award-winning chef, avid forager, and wild crafter. Chef Sebastian Carosi, also known as “the short-order cannabis revolutionary”, has been cooking with full spectrum cannabis and eating the devil’s lettuce since the early 90’s. Trained at Portland, Oregon’s Western Culinary Institute, apprenticed under renowned chefs in Italy, and went on to lead the farm-to-fork movement across the United States.

By Michael Kinney  

When I met Zena Myers for the first time, things were not going well for her. In the Blanchard (Ok.) native’s own words, she was having a “bad day.” 

On that June afternoon, Myers had just visited her doctor in Oklahoma City, and she had been in pain since she woke up that morning. When she spoke, the words came out slow and deliberate, but the pain speaking caused was obvious.  

For Myers, her bad days are common. Unfortunately for her, her good days are not significantly better. 

“When you’re as young as I am, people believe that if they see me that I’m healthy and able-bodied. But then I bring my cane out of the car and they completely change their perception of me,” Myers said. “Starting off the day was not easy. I started with both of my knees, hip not fully in place and dislocated,” Myers said. “Because at my age, you’re not supposed to have disabilities. You’re not supposed to be ill. You’re supposed to be at the top of your life and be doing the best you can, and this is probably the worst time of my life.” 

Myers suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is a group of inherited disorders that affect a person’s connective tissues. People who have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome usually have overly flexible joints and stretchy, fragile skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.  

“It can cause a lot of issues within the body since it’s affected by a malformation of collagen and the collagen affects the connective tissues and the connective tissues are all throughout the body,” Myers said. “It can affect the heart, the lungs, the skin, the muscles, the eyes, the hair, the nails, everything.” 

Myers says there are 13 different types of Ehlers-Danlos, which can affect people in a variety of ways. Myers has the type called hypermobile or type 3. It’s considered the most common and the least severe form.  

However, that is very little consolation for Myers, who has to deal with its effects daily. 

“I used to do theater dance. I was in college taking 18 hours every semester. I was in productions in rehearsals. I was doing video production for my college. All of that stopped overnight pretty much because my health flared up so aggressively that I went from doing all of those things to pretty much being bed bound because it hurts too much to sit upright. I pass out daily from pain because my pain levels are just out of control. I have days where I wake up and things are dislocated, and I can’t go about my day until I relocate things.” 

Myers, who has a large tattoo on her leg that reads ‘Be Strong and Courageous,’  was officially diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome in 2021. Up until then, she had no name for what was causing her problems and neither did her doctors. 

“We’ve known that this has been something in our family for at least four generations,” Myers said. “It’s something that I’ve seen symptoms within myself from the age of 14. It takes on average about 10 to 20 years to get diagnosed. It’s taken my mom her entire lifetime. I’ve been the first one in our family to know what’s going on. I knew before my mom, I knew before my grandmother who has passed on. It runs on both sides of her family. We just thought that we had bad joints. Now we know there’s a name for this.” 

According to the Mayo Clinic, those who have hypermobility Ehlers-Danos Syndrome have  a 50 percent of passing the gene down to each of their children. Myers said her grandmother died from complications due to the disease, but she was never diagnosed. 

What upsets Myers is that many times when she or her mother would tell doctors about the pain they were in, they were often told it was just in their heads.  

“Knowing that I could have been diagnosed and gotten help eight years sooner is so frustrating. And I want to save someone else that heartache because it’s so hard knowing there’s something wrong with you and not being believed,” Myers said. “That’s one of the hardest parts of our condition is that we’re not believed when we say we hurt so badly. We’re not believed when we say my bones are moving around and I can feel it in my body and I can feel my ribs moving. And I’m told that’s impossible, but I feel it in my body. And I know I’m not crazy because I can feel that same feeling multiple times and I can pinpoint where it is and how it’s moving. And I don’t think that’s just in my head, right? It’s a real condition. It’s been hard because so often you deal with medical gas lighting.” 

Despite having a name attached to her condition, there is not a lot the medical profession can do to alleviate her symptoms.  

“I’ve tried 10 different medications. I’ve tried steroidal, spinal injections, and none of them have helped,” Myers said. “None of them have made my pain any better. None of them have taken away any of the inflammation. None of them have controlled the aggressive spasms that I have throughout my body. They don’t know what to do with me. I’m a medical mystery.” 

While resuming her dance career is not an option, Myers is hoping she will be able to enroll back in college and complete her degree. She dropped out one year shy of graduating.  

“My school was only 30 minutes away from my house and I couldn’t sit upright long enough to get myself to my classes much less, sit upright and attend them and retain the information,” Myers said. “I had to take my summer classes from my bed because I hurt too bad to sit upright and to do my schooling. My joint instability was so bad in my legs that I couldn’t even think about doing dance or theater because walking was so unstable. I can’t walk 20 feet without stability. If five, 10 years down the road, I have that stability back, I would feel so blessed.” 

Myers created a GoFundMe page (gofund.me/9534b8d5) and a Facebook page (Zena EDS Warrior) to raise money to purchase a service dog to help her move around and resume parts of her life, including returning to school to get her degree.  

“I would love to have a service dog. My goal is under two years, but that’s a $20 to $30,000 investment,” Myers said. “But they’d be able to help me with mobility-aid. I faint because of my pain.  

They would be able to brace me when I walk and when my knees give out for me, they could catch me and press against me and provide that stability that my legs don’t always have. And a service dog would be able to be trained to help with that. And they would be able to call family or emergency services if need be.” 

Currently, there is no cure for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 

The only relief Myers finds is through the use of medical cannabis. She got her card more than a year ago to help deal with her PTSD and found it can help minimize some of the pain she endures daily.  

“Medical cannabis has been the only thing I’ve found that has helped. It’s been an absolute game changer for me,” Myers said. “It’s been the only thing that’s helped.” 

Myers researched terpenes and other oils and found they have helped her the most. That includes CBG and CBC.  

“I’ve found that through topicals, edibles, smoking, it’s made it to where I can actually live my life somewhat,” Myers said. “I can tell when I’m not medicated enough. I can feel it in my body. I can feel when my body’s using the cannabis in my system, I can feel when I’ve used up all of the cannabis that I had in my system.” 

Ehlers-Danlos has completely transformed Myer’s life. The former theatre arts major once had dreams of dancing on Broadway. Now she wants to just raise awareness about the disease and help people understand its effects.  

Cannabis is the only thing that makes that possible.  

“I’d love to see more research with cannabis because I know personally that it has been life-changing. It’s been what has kept me able to do things,” Myers said. “It’s been the difference between friends, between staying home and being in pain and not being able to do things that I love and being able to go out and meet people, make connections, have a social life and do the things that normal people take for granted every day.”

There is a new cannabis company in Oklahoma City and it’s turning medical marijuana on its head! Bono-Ape is a multi-state operator opening a brand new, state of the art extraction facility. The extraction facility is modeled after Bono-Ape’s state of the art indoor grow. It is clear that they are serious about bringing professionalism to the cannabis industry. The new facility is sure to be a game changer in the Oklahoma medical marijuana market, and patients have been benefiting from the high quality products that they are able to produce. Bono-Ape has been a part of Oklahoma’s cannabis scene for the last year and has been in the cannabis space outside of Oklahoma for the last 7 years. There is a lot of experience behind the brand and it shows in their world class cannabis. The new lab will be a much-welcomed addition to the medical marijuana community in Oklahoma, and Bono-Ape is proud to be able to offer quality extracts to their patients. With their commitment to quality and affordability, they are sure to make a positive impact on the lives of many and be a valuable resource for the community and take the cannabis industry by storm.

Despite its rapid growth, Bono-Ape prides itself on bringing a high level of professionalism to the cannabis industry. Every part of their grow and lab have been carefully thought out and planned way before construction began, evey machine and tool was hand selected to cultivate the best cannabis, and every step in the process has been planned and engineered to the same expectation of perfection. Visiting the Bono-Ape grow is reminiscent of watching a Porsche engine rev. Though the location of the farm and extraction lab is a carefully guarded secret and you may not be able to visit the lab or farm in person, you can get your hands on what it’s all about at your favorite dispensary and give it the pepsi challenge and see for yourself what a difference it makes when you know every single thing that went into that smoke expected the same quality you know you can rely on from Bono-Ape.

Bono-Ape is led by Sean Suh. Meeting Sean is an experience all in itself. Sean is tattooed head to toe with a strong demeanor. Despite his outward appearance, there are few people as willing as Sean to share what they know and as willing to go above and beyond for his employees and the people around him. After the first few minutes spent talking with Sean, it’s obvious that Sean is incredibly passionate about Bono-Ape’s product, patients and people. Sean’s personal life experience is a real underdog story. He went from sleeping in a bus stop to being fully financially prepared to open and operate multiple businesses by 25, all through hard work and determination. Sean’s understanding of the needs of medical marijuana patients and his unique background led to the creation of Bono-Ape and ultimately the grand opening of the new Bono-Ape extraction lab.

Bono-Ape comes from a background and base in serving adults with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities as a lifelong passion. Tragically, Sean’s grandmother was killed in an assisted living home. Sean made it his personal goal to change and affect the world in a positive way so as to never let something like that happen to anyone. Over the years, care home after care home opened up led by Sean based on founding principles that value the client over everything. These same principles have applied throughout the medical marijuana farm, Bono-Ape’s new extraction lab, and for serving patients for all medical marijuana needs – growing and crafting the most fire weed and extract on the planet!

Bono-Ape is proud to open its new extraction lab and give the best quality extracts at the most affordable prices for all of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana patients.  If you or someone you know is in need of medical marijuana, be sure to check out Bono-Ape and their new extracts. Bono-Ape is a reliable company that puts their patients first. This Oklahoma-based company has built a reputation for being a top-notch operator in the cannabis industry, thanks to its commitment to quality and affordability. The company’s newest extract laboratory blends professionalism, follow-through and consistency in a refreshing way that appeals to patients. This company’s commitment to quality has encouraged new ventures, contributed to a customer base that is rapidly growing, and solidified its position as a leading operator in the cannabis industry. That’s why If you’re looking for remarkable cannabis products and services, look no further than Bono-Ape! The company’s dedication to its patients and its attentiveness to excellence are unmatched. Ask your favorite dispensary if they carry Bono-Ape today to get your hands on quality and excellence distilled into flower or concentrates. 

By Kathleen Baker

Cognitive Dissidence 

It’s a matter of perspective 

This game we play called life

Our attitude will dictate

What is joy and what is strife.

We complicate life‘s issues

With doubt, mistrust, and fear

And lose in the confusion

Our ability to steer.

We get caught on crazy tangents

Vectors trapped in time and space

Believing the illusion

We are competing in a race!

We find grooves that we fit into

Roles played in society

Limiting by definition

All our flexibility.

Inside us rage the tempests

Which we fight so desperately 

suppressing all the knowledge

Which we search to set us free.

Interesting paradox

The walls we feel confine

Are built and reinforced

So carefully within our minds.

written by Kathleen Long 

This poem was found in a drawer roughly  years after its author, my Aunt, shifted dimensional area codes. (Crossed over)

Being her niece and name sake I was blown away at the content of the poem. It was everything I’d been talking about. Everything I had been sharing for years.

But while she was still among the living I was too young to comprehend any of it. We didn’t have conversations like that. Instead she taught me of prisms and rainbows, hidden smiles amidst the darkness and how not to lose hope when the world of a child of divorce was crumbling. 

I realized now with a smile of awe, that my name sake was simply an overlap of myself. 

True, all are one. We are all different versions of each other. However this instance is special to me due to the fact she is in my perspective’s bloodline. Her story line is intermingled with mine. Both of us ‘Kathleen’s’ and both of us were able to exchange experiences on the same coil of years. It’s not necessarily uncommon, but what is uncommon is the fact that I caught onto the phenomenon. It would be downright rare if she and I were aware at the time and more over simultaneously.

Have any of you had such an experience? 

The more common occurrences of self overlap come in the form of ‘the kind stranger’ who shows up with just what you need at the very moment you need it. But it’s a miracle if you see them for who/what they are. 

It’s often a ‘happy accident’ or that word that I find hilarious. A ‘coincidence’.

Poppycock. There’s no such thing, and deep down you know it. 

To me it gives a little more incentive to trust the universe. I mean, not only does it have the purest unconditional love for us, but We’ve got ourselves popping up in disguise to lend a hand too? Man we. Are. Golden.

Another thing about being aware of this phenomenon…it kind of makes you aware of your own behavior. Are you being a dick to your neighbor? Or are you being a dick to yourself? 

Vice versa, are you being a gold star citizen to your local grocer? Or are you being kind to yourself? 

Fairfarren until we read again. 

By Pamela Jayne

“You can’t buy our buckle.” This simple statement speaks volumes about the community’s skepticism of cannabis competitions. If patients can’t trust that the winners are actually providing the best products, everybody loses. When the Cowboy Cup Cannabis Championship and Arts Festival entered the scene four years ago, they quickly became known for being an honest and fair competition that featured Oklahoma’s best cannabis. This year they have added another level of integrity to the competition by partnering with Ganjier. Herbage wanted to know more about this elite group of cannabis professionals and their involvement in Oklahoma’s most respected “cup”, so we called up the Managing Director of Ganjier, Derek Gilman, who gave us some insight into what a Ganjier is, what their Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program is all about, and their recent partnership with the Cowboy Cup. 

“A Ganjier is a cannabis professional whose job it is to assess the quality of cannabis flower and concentrates, as well as guide consumers in their choices”, Derek Gilman, Managing Director of Ganjier, told Herbage. “There are trained professionals in every gustatory based industry- wine, chocolate, cheese, coffee, cigars. Each of these industries that are based off of the interaction with the senses- the appearance, the aroma, the flavor. Each of these industries has trained professionals that assess the quality and guide consumers in making their choices. Effectively, we didn’t have this in cannabis until we developed Ganjier.” Unlike in other epicurean trades, the effect of cannabis is crucial to the overall experience. It’s the whole point, really. This is why a Certified Ganjier is also trained in how to use specific criteria to communicate what the patient will experience physically and cerebrally when consuming cannabis. Being able to effectively convey this information to novice patients and folks who are simply curious about this beloved plant is crucial to successful career in cannabis, and is also an important part of moving the industry even further into the mainstream. 

To become a Certified Ganjier, students must complete three steps. The first step is taking ten rigorous, multidisciplinary online courses featuring instruction by all eighteen members of the Ganjier Council. The ten courses include 31 lessons that cover everything from cultivation and genetics to managing inventory and curating menus to developing a cannabis palate, and everything in between. (See ganjier.com for curriculum information.) These courses, a complete education in and of themselves, prepare the student for their trip into the heart of the Emerald Triangle for step two where students attend a two day live training session located on 250 acres of wilderness in legendary Humboldt County, California. As Gilman passionately explained, “Part of the magic, part of the special sauce is bringing students here to experience Humboldt for the two day live training portion of the curriculum. There is no place like it and people really need to come here to experience it.” Whereas the first portion of training focuses on knowledge, the second portion teaches the skills necessary to be successful in the cannabis industry. The in person training emphasizes two things- service and assessment. Service is taught via the Customer Interaction Protocol (CIP) and assessment is taught via the Systematic Assessment Protocol (SAP), which will be implemented at the Cowboy Cup. The SAP was developed by the 18 members of the Ganjier Council. The SAP is made up of four categories that align with the four senses that interact with cannabis- appearance, aroma, flavor, and the experience of the sample. There is also individual criteria within each of those main categories. The familiar hundred point scoring system the SAP uses to grade cannabis samples was adapted from a similar system used in the wine industry. The final step of the process is to pass a 100 question written exam with a score of 90% or higher, a service exam, and an assessment exam. The service exam is 20 minute role play scenario where the student will apply the Customer Interaction Protocol (CIP) to make a product recommendation to a “customer” played by an exam administrator. The assessment exam has the student utilize the Systematic Assessment Protocol (SAP) to assess an unidentified and blindly selected flower sample that has been pre-assessed by Ganjier instructors. Just like the Cowboy Cup cannot be bought, neither can a Ganjier certification. The program and testing are tough, and it takes significant time and financial resources to complete, but that is by design. A student enters the program filled with enthusiasm and passion for cannabis, and leaves with the knowledge and skill set to match. Of the 143 certified Ganjiers around the world, 42 applied to judge the Cowboy Cup and twelve were selected for the panel based on their application responses. Those twelve will employ the Systematic Assessment Protocol to choose the top three entries in the indoor, outdoor, and light assist categories from the top fifteen that were previously selected by Cowboy Cup judges. The December event will be the first time the Ganjier SAP will be officially used to judge a cannabis competition, although it has been unofficially used by some Ganjier Councilmembers in their judging duties around the country, including the Emerald Cup.

The origins of the Ganjier/Cowboy Cup partnership came about quite organically. Patrick King aka the Soil King, who is a member of the Ganjier Council, has been attending the Cowboy Cup since the beginning, and told its creator and THCeo Daniel Lewis about the Ganjier program. The rest is canna-history. Lewis enrolled in the program and became a Certified Ganjier in June. “What I love about Daniel is that he took the partnership and the relationship seriously enough to go through our program”, said Gilman. “It demonstrates a true commitment to quality, in my eyes, because the program itself is a commitment of time and resources.” The feeling of respect is mutual. Lewis told Herbage, “We are honored to have the wonderful folks at Ganjier jump on board with us this year. To have certified Ganjiers select the top 3 winners from our judges top 15 not only adds to our promise of a fair and honest competition but it also puts the hard task of judging the best of the best cannabis in the state on some of the most qualified judges in the world.” 

The 4^th Annual Cowboy Cup Cannabis Championship and Arts Festival is a two day event featuring live music, vendors, giveaways, an artist colony, seminars, and much more. It will be held at the legendary Tumbleweed Dancehall in Stillwater, OK  December 2^nd and 3^rd. Follow them @thecowboycup for updates and information, and go to ganjier.com for all the details about the Ganjier Cannabis Sommelier Certification Program. 

By: Pamela Jayne (@pamelajayne)

By Charles “Uncle Chuck” Duncan

The marijuana cigarette, spliff, Jay, doobie, joint, stick and blunt are just some of the names that refer to a few pinches of herb rolled up in a small thin sheet of wood, rice or hemp paper or even tobacco. 

I sometimes get strange looks from people when I tell them that I smoke every day. I believe this stems from the “all cannabis is party cannabis” crowd. I base this opinion on the knowledge that for many centuries before cannabis became illegal, people consumed it both by eating it and smoking it on a daily basis. It was not seen as something odd until we made it illegal and stigmatized it. Through tv and movies, we molded what a “stoner” should look like and act like. Through racist laws and greedy politics, we received false narratives and taught our children the same. None of which existed before the period of cannabis prohibition and the war on drugs. And don’t forget cannabis history goes back to a time before man could even write a single word.

Some of the people I have met over my thirty-five year cannabis journey are not so optimistic about the glares and stereotypes. This brings me to the subject of this article. The cannabis family is a very diverse group. I would argue that as a whole, the cannabis community is the most diverse group on the planet. While I already covered the topic of people from different backgrounds and social classes having a common love for cannabis in my article “Judging a Cover by its Book”, this time I want to talk about something a little different. Namely, cannabis smokers’ love for the “joint”.     

The “joint” originated by some accounts when Mexican workers mixed cannabis with their traditional tobacco cigarettes. Joints typically contain between ¼ to 1 gram of cannabis. It is also worth noting that some research suggests that up to 90% of the THC content in a joint goes up in smoke. Literally. Never passing through the user’s lungs. That information has little to no effect on the very large percent of cannabis users that prefer to smoke their cannabis rolled up in a doobie. It is nostalgic for some. It is easier to control for others. 

The joint became the peace pipe at events and gatherings. Friends openly participating in the famed ritual of puff, puff, pass. Sparking a doobie is an experience executed by a group of people wanting to relax and have fun. Alcohol sometimes has the opposite result. I find it painfully ironic that major sporting events will take sponsorship of beer as a wholesome weekend but if you tried to hold the same events using cannabis companies as sponsors, there would be some government hurdle stopping it. I guarantee crowd control would be much easier if cannabis was as available as beer.

Cannabis in joint form has done more to bring about world peace than any other single item known to man. In my humble opinion. It deserves a little more respect than being seen as just something a dazed and confused high school kid enjoys. Not only the cannabis plant itself but more specifically the widely enjoyed joint. So grind  your herb, select your favorite paper and roll a traditional fatty, a cone or even an origami level turkey leg. Let us smoke together in honor of the mighty, mighty joint.       

www.unclechuck420.com

By Jessi Lane, Patient Advocate

Heavenly ratios do not just fall from the sky like hail, or do they? Amy and Chad Bates of Edmond own and operate CBE Farms, a boutique cannabis grow buried deep in Logan County, Oklahoma. CBE specializes in cultivating the frostiest cannabis colas and produces niche medicinal ratios for patients seeking refuge in a cannabinoid profile. “We strive to eliminate opioid addiction, battle mental health and relieve everyday aches and pains,” says Amy Bates. The Bates do not have Flynt Lockwood’s FLDSMDFR from the Sony Pictures Animation movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The churning out of sticky, stinky terpene-rich nugs does not just happen on its own. Lots of lemons have had to be squeezed for this delicious, Oklahoma heat-quenching lemonade. 

The year was 2018. That June, Oklahoma had just legalized cannabis as medicine. Amy and Chad were running Green Country’s renowned Bulldog Roofing and Restoration, serving Oklahomans since 1996. “We service the Oklahoma City Metro and surrounding areas as well as the Tulsa Metro,” says Amy. “We do residential roofing as well as smoke, fire, and mold restoration and remediation.” Chad’s meticulous attention to detail, cleanliness, and order and his deep understanding of the importance of the checks, balances, and interpretation of data proves to serve him well in future endeavors.

 A family member had just received a cancer diagnosis and Amy’s brother, Brad, was struggling with PTSD. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website states “about 12 million adults in the U.S. have PTSD during a given year” (2022). “When I started dating Amy, Brad was nine years old,” Chad relays, wistfully recollecting his dear brother-in-law, as if lost in time – “He knows me well.” Brad Harkins, a devoted husband, father, and friend loved to play baseball, wakeboard, and snowboard, and competed in mixed martial arts. Stationed with the first armored division in Germany upon enlistment, Brad – a heavily decorated Tanker/Driver – proudly served his country in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

“With Oklahoma passing medical marijuana, we knew we had to start growing,” Amy says. Once the license was paid for and filed, the Bates still had to figure out how to fund their humble new venture. The lemons seemingly piled up as the PTSD medication Brad relied upon caused seizures, and in the Spring of 2019 the last seizure took Brad’s life. “On the very day we laid my brother to rest, we had a hailstorm,” recalls Amy. With all the sudden work laid out for Bulldog Roofing and Restoration, “This was how we would fund the grow.” 

As is customary for the Oklahoma cannabis industry the first harvest was, if nothing else, a learning opportunity – and undiscovered magic waiting to happen – as they were hit with a hard blow. “Late in flower we found a male plant had seeded the entire crop,” says Amy. What is that Dr. Ian Malcolm quote from Michael Chrichton’s Jurassic Park (1990)? “Life finds a way.” The Bates were beyond devasted and angry, however steadfast, they persisted and continued to grow their operation. 

Hopeful that something good would come from their situation of unfortunate events, a few months later CBE Farms germinated some of the seeds from that hapless harvest and Brad’s Gas, previously known as Okie Blaze, was born! She is a rich, bright orange cinna-pine flavor profile. Generously bathed in Limonene, b-Pinene, and Caryophyllene, with a touch of cis-Nerolidol and Linalool, she is uplifting, balanced, and an ideal digestif. Many people have found this 2:1 CBD-rich cultivar to be a life-changing blessing, according to CBE Farms. “We would love to have Brad‘s Gas available nationwide,” Amy says. “Our goal is to help as many people as we possibly can and help them live a better quality of life.” Chad has remained ever aware of the celestial encouragements he receives as CBE encounters their own Oklahoma industry ebb and flow. He says, “I think [Brad] knew if I had the right signs along the way, I would never stop trying to get his flower to patients hopefully across the country someday.” 

A year ago, this past month Chad found himself having to contemplate closing the doors of CBE Farms. Chad recalls, “we just were not making enough money. I was in front of our farm just sitting there thinking, [and the] next thing I know plain as day I hear ‘DONT QUIT CHAD.’” Chad knew it was Brad giving him the push he needed in that moment. He continues, “every day I go in my farm I think about Brad and the responsibility he’s given me.”  It is a big one, no doubt. CBE Farms boast many of their patients have even been able to discontinue prescription pain medication using Brad’s Gas. What a beautiful gift! That lemonade sure is beginning to taste sweet! In addition to Brad’s Gas, today CBE Farms proudly offers Oklahoma patients eight boutique cultivars- Wedding Cake, Red Hot Cookies, SFV OG, Runtz of Eden, Strawberry Blaze, Straw-nanna, Sunset Sherbet, and Tokyo Snow. What a line-up! However, upon cure this craft grow sells out quickly – within days. The only retailer lucky enough to regularly stock the full CBE Farms offerings is Yukon’s Okie Medicine Flower, located at 1701 S. Mustang Road.

With the goal being to provide Brad’s Gas to as many patients as possible, Chad finds his little grow stifled with the recent changes to the OMMA enforced lab requirements. As it is, Chad understands that each batch, each day it is prepped for retail sale, must have an isolated lab test associated with that date – regardless of how many hours in that day were used for actual work. With the fees charged for this many required tests, and only twenty four hours in a day, is this new fee structure sustainable for craft Oklahoma grows? Is the whole point to flush them out of the running to make way for the Whole Foods and Budweiser of cannabis who have friends in high places? Chad and Amy remain open-hearted and connected to their celestial guide in Brad. They understand that timing is everything. While they currently may not have a board room of shareholders and the humble wooden kitchen table by which they hand-trim, shed tears, and strategize merely seats four, what CBE Farms provides to Oklahoma is a heavenly ratio worth repeatedly going to the mattresses for. “This is truly the definition of lemons to lemonade,” Amy says. “We are continually amazed at how Brad’s Gas has and continues to help so many. I know my brother had his hand it.”

Jessi Lane, Patient Advocate is an independent writer and Oklahoma cannabis industry professional since 2018. She is a Certified Cannacian III and Trichome Institute Certified Cannabis Consultant with a “full spectrum” Postpartum Wellness background.

By Charles “Uncle Chuck” Duncan

Ask a hundred people to name their hero and you will probably hear answers reflecting one or more athletes, parents, singers, actors and first responders. I will agree with the first and last of those choices. Not so much the middle two. But we all look up to people for different reasons, so I do not discount that certain singers and actors are heroes to some. There absolutely are many famous people who also act or sing for a living and are very kind and inspiring. The word “hero” is relative to you and your aspirations. 

Since seventh  grade, one of my personal aspirations has always been to have cannabis recognized and treated as a beneficial plant and not the poisonous, “gateway drug” it was wrongfully portrayed. It deserved more respect than that. Cannabis is too often looked at like a fart in church. Everyone giggles a little bit when it’s mentioned and conversations of munchies and stoners arise. An endless supply of pot movies, novels, cartoons and music are filling the market. Serious conversations regarding the physical and emotional benefits of cannabis get lost in the hazy noise. 

One of my heroes took steps to change the perception of cannabis and did so at great risk to himself and his freedom. During a time when people went to prison for a long, long time for even the tiniest amount of cannabis. To me, that is worthy of being called a hero. Not just because he was championing a plant that I dearly loved and wanted for others to understand. But because he wanted to show the truth, no matter the cost to him personally. The hero I am talking about is Raphael Mechoulam. An organic chemist from Bulgaria who changed our understanding of cannabis and is still doing so today.

Rapheals’ first present to the cannabis community was isolating and identifying delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC. He just happens to also be responsible for the isolation and identification of the endocannabinoid Anandamide. My jeep “ana” is named after this most important molecule. For more information on Endocannabinoids and THC, visit my online cannabis education portal Uncle Chuck’s Cannabis Camp at theuccc.com.

When I say that these discoveries came at great risk to Raphael, I am not exaggerating at all.  He is the father of cannabis for a reason. His research and many, many scientific articles has led to amazing advancements in how we understand cannabis. He is long overdue for a Nobel Prize, in my personal opinion. Remember, he started his research in the early 60’s. Not really a cannabis friendly time unless you were attending a rock festival or playing Jazz in the deep south. Raphael was in the middle east. Parts of the middle east carried the death penalty for possessing cannabis. Some places still do today.

But Raphael had a friend. A friend in law enforcement. Long story short. Raphaels friend secured a small amount of hash for him to use in his research. This sample, having been carried back to the lab in a small container in Raphaels coat pocket. Over many bus trips and one would assume, past many officers of the law. The story goes that once Raphael got back to the lab, his friend back at the police station called him and told him he had to return the hash. Apparently his friend didn’t have permission to release it and now they were both in hot water. Raphael returned and explained that he only wanted to research it in the lab and had no intention of selling any of it. It worked. 

Now decades later, discoveries regarding cannabis in general and phyto and endo cannabinoids in specific are for the most part due to Rapheals original research. He has brought scientific facts and integrity to the cannabis world. Both of which are instrumental in advancing cannabis understanding and acceptance. But more importantly the removal of misinformation and stereotypes. As a cannabis advocate, I can think of no other person I respect more than Raphael Mechoulsm. For his risk and research, I consider him a true hero.                              

www.unclechuck420.com        Photo Credit: PHYTECS

By James Bridges

I was finally able to make a trip over to witness the portrayal of supertalent and smell the flowers cultivated by Rams Head Cannabis. 

Rams Head Cannabis is the brainchild of Richard Yarber and veteran musicians, who are part of the Nu-metal group, Hollywood Undead, Jorel Decker and George Ragan. Rams Head prides itself on cultivating “unique and hard hitting strains that are difficult to find”.

I made my way to one of the facilities. I was finally going to witness the creation of something that has kicked my ass once or twice, as any ram should. I was excited to say the least.

As we entered the building we were greeted by Richard. Richard instantly came across as someone that was well organized and goal oriented. This was not a game for him and his people. This was a truly fantastic facility that was designed and built from the ground up by the people that were utilizing it to create the magic which is Rams Head.

“My partner and I just hit it off instantly.” Richard was describing his relationship. “He’s very clean and OCD like me. We pick up each other’s slack and it’s like, perfect. He has more growing knowledge and education in his background than I do. I come from the construction world. I’ve had a concrete business for 20 years of my life. So I’m the building and he’s the brains on the growing. So us two put together is just, you know, we have it all right there. So it helps out.”

I couldn’t help but notice the cleanliness of the place as we walked down the first hallway. My face must have spilled the beans.

“Anna actually is our general manager here.” Richard spoke quietly, yet with certainty in his eyes and voice. “She creates cleaning schedules too. She makes everything for everybody. So when you walk in this building, something gets done every day. The floors are mopped or swept to pick up as much as possible with as many flowers moving around. But yeah. It has become an everyday activity.”

“Me, myself, I’m pretty OCD. So, I always like everything to be perfect on the spot.”

I compared my reaction to the organization to driving by someones house with an open garage. You kind of get a feel for what kind of person they are just by peaking in. “Just like a garage, you go to my house, it’s the same way.” Richard understood my train of thought. “I want you to walk in and respect the grow. I want you to respect the people who work here, the team. They keep it clean. I believe that if you walk into a clean facility, you’re gonna respect it more.”

“You respect everything about the plant. I understand this too. It’s not just people getting high. This is medicine. Our main focus is medical and that requires a clean facility. So we try to keep it as clean as possible. But it’s hard.

Over the last several months we have all either participated or witnessed, and some have properly navigated through, somewhat of a slow moving market. This has essentially affected everyone in the cannabis industry.

“We see it still moving slowly. It’s moving up a little, I think now with metric in place hopefully by winter, the market will boost back up. It’s still plateauing. A lot of licenses are being taken away. A lot of growers are being sold. So I think I’ll give it four to six months. It’ll be back to normal. We hope it will be.” Richard turned a corner onto the next room.

As we walked Richard talked about things that exposed his high integrity and good intentions. He spoke about Ramshead being extremely conscious of what occurs inside of that building. They know exactly what is going in and out of the doors. He said they use zero “plant growth regulators” or PGR’s.  He would even go as far as sacrificing some of the yield in order to stay true to the cleanliness of the plant. 

Richard was very happy and proud to talk about their limited use of strains. They are not in this industry to become the “weedmart” of Oklahoma. They are, as they should be, very proud of the hard work and dedication by offering a select few strains and working with only some of the best growers in the world. 

One of their most sought after strains, and award winning, is Tokyo Snow. Ramshead has been working on perfecting this strain, which is unique to Ramhead, utilizing 3 years of research and development. Ramshead’s cultivation process of this strain is unique and rare. 

The group have decided to ride the positive pathway of which the Tokyo Snow strain has taken them and are currently developing a new and improved, if that were possible, strain called Tokyo Mints. This is a cross between Kush Mints and Tokyo Snow. The team should have this in full rotation sometime in 2023.

“We’re trying to focus on the brand now.” Richard shifted gears. “We wanted to wait until now. You’re seeing good flower. We wanted to wait until we had the right strains, the right setup, then we’ll push the brand. So that’s what we are doing now. So far, that’s a long haul, but it was worth it. It’s smart because there’s so many people that think they need to get the weed out fast. Sometimes it’s necessary because of finances, but if you wait and build slowly there is a good foundation to grow from.”

“It took a while, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of failures, but it made it to what it is today. So it’s perfect. OK. That’s what we want out of it. Yeah.”

Overall I was extremely pleased with my visit. The design of the space was laid out perfectly for good flow from start to finish. I could sense the symbiotic trust flowing from the plant to the cultivation team. It was a well oiled and smooth running machine which savored the integrity of the plant. I was happy.

I asked Richard if he felt the same. “Yeah”. Richard smiled.  “This has definitely been a long struggle, a lot of stress, but we’ve stuck in there trying to grow the brand. So everything we’ve got, like, we try to work out every day, but for the long haul, it’ll be worth it in the end. So yeah, definitely. I’m happy.

Tucked away on a quiet road in Tecumseh, the buzz surrounding R3m3dy Gard3ns is growing louder every day. A strong start in early 2021 came to an abrupt halt later that year when lead grower Hopper had a near fatal encounter with a mosquito that put him on life support after contracting West Nile Virus. A six month recovery physically sidelined him, and although he still has some lingering issues from the WNV, he’s powering through and hasn’t lost any of the passion he’s had since 1989 when he first started growing. 

Modest in size when compared to some of the behemoth commercial grows that have erupted in the last few years, R3m3dy Gard3ns refuses to choose between quantity and quality. Impressive indoor, outdoor, and light deprivation cultivation operations are all in full swing, keeping them busy from sunup, pulling tarps on the dep, until late into the night tending to the indoor while the lights are on. Keeping up with this intense schedule seven days a week, is a labor of love that is about so much more than just growing plants. It’s about growing as individuals and as a community. It’s about growing their brand in a responsible manner that will allow it to outlast trends and hype. For Hopper, it’s about one day passing it down to his daughter. It’s also important for him to continually learn as a grower. Even with 30 years of experience, he wisely admits that there will always be something he doesn’t know and he strives to keep learning. From using HID lighting and homemade brains back in the day, to present day crop steering and tissue cultures, he’s seen firsthand just how much the industry has evolved. Lately there are a few too many 20-somethings calling themselves “master growers” and the funny thing is that some of them weren’t even alive yet when he first started growing. Even so, he refuses to use the term, saying, “I’m a legacy grower, but I will never call myself a master grower.” Something else he’ll never claim to be is a cannabis influencer. He recalls being a ‘weed tech’ for Cannabis Culture Magazine 15 years ago, providing props for photoshoots (cannabis, hash, bongs, etc..) “Now it’s called a cannabis stylist”, he says with a chuckle and roll of his eyes. “I mean, all you do is show up at a shoot with products. It’s not that serious.” He does concede however, that it’s nice to see people here in Oklahoma be so excited about being a part of the industry, as opposed to California, where everyone seems to be jaded. Ron shares Hopper’s excitement for and love of cannabis. “I met Hopper through KMK a few years ago. I’ve always had love for cannabis and its healing benefits. So to not only meet KMK and Hopper, but to be able to work with these guys has been one hell of a ride, and the wheels are still rolling.”

There is solid history and a lot of common ground between the R3m3dy team. Hopper and Ron ran in the same circles on the music side of the cannabis industry years before they teamed up to grow. Hopper was Kottonmouth Kings tour manager for ten years and later in the bands run, Ron ran the KMK online store and toured with them selling merch. The future partners didn’t actually meet until the SRH Fest in Huntington Beach in 2019. Fast forward to the ‘Twas The Night B4/20 show in Norman last year where they linked up with Johnny Richter, who was performing with King Klick, and R3m3dy Gard3ns/RX3 was born. RX3 refers to their three names- Richter, Ron, Rich. (“My name is Rich, but everyone calls me Hopper” he says during introductions.) 

All work and no play is no way to live, so even with the crazy long days they put in at the garden, they somehow find time to put on shows for the cannabis community. Updates on upcoming events will be posted on their socials, so be sure to follow. Hint: Thanksgiving may be a little… danker this year. 

So, when they’re not running the indoor grow, the outdoor grow, the light dep, overseeing the making of their edible line, or putting on events, they raise money for charity. Painting cannabis in a positive light and disproving the lazy stoner stereotype is very important to them, and these self-proclaimed “stoners that care” have already held one fundraiser where they raffled off a Sour bong and a Jerome Baker bong. The money is being held in a fund until they find the right organization to partner with. Right now they’re leaning towards Legacy Parenting Center in Shawnee, but are open to suggestions. Hopper has a long history of giving back to the local communities he’s lived in, having received a federal certificate of appreciation from the USMC for his work with Toys for Tots. What really makes R3m3dy Gard3ns stand out among the rest, is their authenticity. It’s not just who they are, it’s who they have been for decades, and they have the receipts to prove it. 

Follow the whole R3m3dy crew on Instagram to watch them grow, and enjoy the fruits of their labo

r by letting your favoritedispo know that you want to see RX3 products on their shelves. They currently offer gummies, prerolls, and RHO. RHO is a highly potent, strain specific, solventless rosin hash oil created by Hopper while he was living in legendary Humboldt County, California. All of RX3’s edibles are made from their RHO, there are absolutely no solvents in any of their products. Providing clean medicine to patients and stoners is a paramount priority at R3m3dy Gard3ns and RX3. 

@r3m3dygard3ns

@the_rx3

@reznron

@hopper448

@85jrichter

Written by: Pamela Jayne

by Jessi Lane, Patient Advocate

Marissa Benson is a girl from the Plains with big time dreams and the relentless hustle to facilitate her goals. She specializes in terpene aromatherapy with her brand Maribliss Essentials, offering “scents you love, affects you feel.” 

Maribliss can be purchased in over one hundred and forty retail locations across four states, each of those relationships forged and nurtured by Marissa herself. Additionally, her reputable all-natural product line is sold through the Maribliss Essentials website as well as in Marissa’s fresh new Broken Arrow retail location. “They’ll never be able to say I didn’t give it my all,” she says. In 2020 Marissa, a dutiful mom and wife – a Medical Assistant with Phlebotomy & EKG Tech certifications – found herself a budtender gig at Hamilton’s Buds and Bloom in Broken Arrow. It was there she began her entrepreneurial journey with the launch of Maribliss Essentials.

All Maribliss products are handmade in Broken Arrow. “We are all about natural healing with natural products,” she says. Her all-natural 1,000mg THC free cannabis derived terpene roll-ons are made using a hemp and almond oil base. Clients with nut allergies may reach out to Maribliss and Marissa will customize a personalized blend. Maribliss bath bombs are made with water soluble colorant. Unlike her big box competitors like Target, she tells social media followers no sensitivity issues have been reported with her boutique bath bombs. With a forty-five minute burn time, Maribliss incense sticks are handmade and free of chemicals, toxicants, and soot. Comprised of only highly concentrated terpenes and Di Propylene Glycol oil – the nontoxic industry standard – Maribliss incense sticks are surely the healthiest alternative to mass-produced incense. According to PerfumersWorld.com, “DPG oil is virtually odorless. [It is] Interesting as a versatile solvent as it mixes with most essential oils but is also water soluble. [It] Acts as stabilizer for compounds. (2021)” 

Maribliss Essentials cannabis derived terpenes are Full Spectrum. What does that mean to Marissa? “Full Spectrum to me means that we use the full terpene profile from that strain into our products. No terpenes are left out! Our clients can rely on getting the benefits that they are looking for and depend on without the psychoactive effects.” Marissa reminds followers, “Many terpenes are bioactive. This means they may affect the body. Inhaling the scents from some plants and essential oils may affect a person’s mood or stress levels. The effect will vary based on the concentration of the terpene itself and how a person uses it.” Of the historical use of terpenes in aromatherapy, HighFallsHemp.com relays, “[Mono]Terpenes can be traced to the introduction of Camphor in Eastern Europe by the Arab [people] in the 11th century as a treatment for illness and pain – even as a fumigant during the Black Death era. (2022)” The layering of complex cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes does play an integral role in one’s personal wellness maintenance, as does one’s method of consumption. “If [cannabis consumers] are needing to add more to their medicine, using our product will enhance the entourage effects. This is because you are getting double benefits of the terpenes from Maribliss products and your medicine, leaving you with a full body homeostasis,” says Marissa. 

Because she understands the importance of varying consumption methods, the lavish product line of Maribliss Essentials includes bath bombs, shower steamers, and fizzing bath – or foot – soaks for decompression and rejuvenation. When it comes to soaking as a method by which to consume terpenes, scientists with BasicMedicalKey.com tell us, “Rectal and vaginal dosage forms aimed to obtain a local effect are, from a biopharmaceutical viewpoint, comparable with dermal preparations. However, it should be known that after rectal and vaginal application a greater part of the active substance may reach the general circulation than after cutaneous [dermal] application. (2017)” Marissa offers terpene dermal roll-ons for immediate relief from stressors. She also formulates incense sticks, 100% soy wax candles, wax melts, and terpene diffuser oil to set the tone and ambiance for one’s surroundings. One client wrote of the bath soak, “I was recently given some of the Grandaddy Purp bath soak and I cannot be happier. My tired, teething baby slept all night after his bath. Even my husband commented on how quickly it calmed him down!” With many of Marissa’s raving online reviews covering the positive effects clients received from the Grand Daddy Purp formula used in Maribliss’ various products, it’s sure to be one of her best sellers. 

Maribliss Essentials is on a direct course for boutique aromatherapy domination, however true to herself, Marissa remains ever kind and humble. “My goal in the future is to be able to grow Maribliss as big as I can and be able to provide security and freedom for me and my family.” She goes on to say, “I also want to be able to provide help to people who need it one day!” An Oprah Winfrey quote resounds with her. “Be thankful for what you have, and you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have you will never, ever have enough.” The next time you are in Broken Arrow, stop in Maribliss at 1433 E. Kenosha St, for a personal reset. Or when next shopping your local dispo, peruse the nonTHC inventory and look for the Maribliss Essentials terpene profile wheel. Grab a Maribliss bath soak or roll-on and layer your way to bliss.

Jessi Lane, Patient Advocate is a writer and Oklahoma cannabis industry professional since 2018. She is a Certified Cannacian III and Trichome Institute Certified Cannabis Consultant with a “full spectrum” Postpartum Wellness background.

Brought to you by Smokey Okies Cannabis

Welcome back to the Cultivation Corner, where we discuss all things related to growing good ganja! Last time, we discussed the two different growing phases of cannabis (the Vegetative and Flowering stages) and how to mimic those phases indoors by switching your light cycles. In this month’s column, I am going to discuss the first of the two stages, the Vegetative Stage. I will cover how to get started, what to do once you’re deep into veggin, and when to make the switch to flower.

Starting your vegetative cycle: Should you use seeds or clones?

When you decide to start growing weed, you will need to either plant seeds or plant a clone. But which is the better option? You may have guessed the answer: “it depends.”

The advantages and disadvantages of Seeds

Let’s start with seeds. One benefit of starting with seeds is the availability of so many good options through online seed banks. If you go this route, I recommend using a reputable seed bank that is endorsed by the breeder of the strain you want.

Your seeds should come in packaging that came from the breeder and have a seal or other insignia verifying authenticity. You want to make sure that these seeds are what they purport to be, and actually came from the breeder, and are not just seeds put into random packaging by a middleman seed bank.

Now, here is the downside: unless you purchased an older strain that has been stabilized for many, many years, there is going to be a lot of variation in characteristics for each seedling that ends up sprouting. Why?

Think of it this way: if your mom and dad kept having kids, each kid would share some family traits, while also being a bit different and unique. So if you plant 10 seeds, expect 10 different versions of that strain. (The way around this is to continue in-breeding, stabilizing the genetic, so that each additional “brother and sister” is more and more alike; this is a deeper topic for a future article).

Conclusion: Seeds are great, but be prepared for a lot of different mixed results. Pro tip: Plant many seeds of the same strain, knowing that only a few are going to be worth keeping. Save the best one, and start cloning it.

The Pros and Cons of Buying Clones

So if you don’t want to “pheno hunt” a bunch of seeds, you can instead buy clones. The advantage of buying a clone is that the clone has already been hunted and selected. However, this advantage is premised on the assumption that the person selling the clone has already hunted a bunch of variations of this strain, and has selected the ideal version and is now selling it.

Here, the operative term is “assumption.” When you buy a clone, you are assuming it is a good pheno. Therefore, you are relying on the credibility of the seller.

As you are now starting to see, sourcing genetics is all about the credibility of the source, whether a seed bank or a clone seller. Buying clones is great as long as you know that the grower selling the clones is reputable.

Another advantage of starting with a clone is that you start 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule than if you had to wait on the seed to sprout and grow to a similar size.

Conclusion: Buy clones if you trust the seller, and the clone is free of pests. Pro tip: ask the seller to explain how she sourced the genetics

Vegging your seedlings and Clones

Now that you have selected your genetics, let’s get them growing! As we discussed in last issue, you will want to use a light schedule of 18 hours on, six hours off for this initial stage of growth. The choice of medium is up to you. You can grow in soil, rockwool cubes, or our preferred medium: coco coir. Whichever route you choose to go, you will adopt a cultivation style that suits your choice.

It All Starts in Veg

The Veg stage is where you conceive of your end result and then take action with weekly tasks that get you closer to that end result.

First, start with a vision. Do you want a large plant? A multi-topped bush? A tall and skinny plant? Do you want to harvest frequently, and therefore want as many runs in a year as possible? Or are you fine with less frequent harvests, you want more yield each time?

Figure out what you want. It’s okay for your goals to change over time. But once you can conceive of the end result, you can put a plan into place. It all starts in veg.

Veg is where you train your plant to become the end result you have in your mind. You can start topping early, or you can wait to top until it has been in veg for 3 or 4 weeks. You can use low stress training or high stress training.

If you are brand new to cultivation, and you don’t know you want, that is okay too. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:

• When you switch to the 12/12 light cycle to begin the flowering phase, your plant will double or triple in height and size;
• Keep this in mind when vegging your plant(s)
• Veg is when you can bend branches and train a plant; you lose this ability as you get into flower, when the branches firm up and lose their elasticity
• Use the vegetative phase to shape your plant. It will be on steroids during flower, so get it under control now.

That should get you started for now. If you don’t know what any of these terms mean, check out our blog at Smokey-Okies.com and use the search bar to search any of these terms. Next month, we will continue this journey of growing your own weed!

By Chet Tucker

We are taking a slight turn into the celebration side of the Freedom Flower. As we continue to document the breaking through of stigmas and controlled regulatory “law” ceilings, I think it’s important to take pause and celebrate the victories. To me, one of the single grandest victories has been the fact that we have a legitimate and honed in cannabis competition that brings the best of the best to the yard. To boot, it keeps challenging quality improvement here in the central heartbeat of American cannabis, all while creating a gathering of a cannabis community that shows up in supportive droves to support the right to choose plant-based medicinals.

I met Daniel Lewis in the spring of 2019 at a Braum’s (I mean that’s as Oklahoman as it gets right?) and within moments I understood his vision and passion for creating an “Emerald Cup” in the heart of Oklahoma. Loaded with a well-prepared binder of sponsorship opportunities and band line up, he shared that his Cowboy Cup would be held at the iconic Tumbleweed Dancehall in Stillwater. A quick brain check and I was like, great venue, well located between Tulsa and OKC, and this guy has had experience working at the biggest cannabis events in the nation. I was in and he accepted me as an ongoing collaborator and friend. 

Fast forward to 2022 and the Cowboy Cup has established itself as the revered competition in the state. With entries and vendors nearly doubling year over year, it’s clear that the well ran event is the gold standard of cannabis events in Oklahoma and beyond. Complete with music, VIP lounges, eating and smoking lounges, and an overall freedom vibe that moves with anyone that flows into the venue, “The Cup” is an all inclusive family of flower and freedom. 

For the plethora of cannabis products and vendors, the Cowboy Cup offers competition categories that include indoor flower, solvent and solventless hash, pre-rolls, tinctures, edibles, and topicals as well as sun-grown and sun-grown assist flower categories. Layer in the fact that this year’s competition will include Ganjier judging and you’ve found yourself mixed into one of the most comprehensive and experienced set of judging that any cannabis competition could showcase. And the icing on the cake is this isn’t a corporate bought championship. This is as blind of a competition that state regulations could allow and certainly one that can’t be bought. It’s the cowboy way. 

All entries are submitted via Metrc compliant means via drop off at The Lettuce Bar (and their processing arm, Lettuce Depot). Submissions are processed into compliant judge packs that will be available through The Lettuce Bar 7-10 days or so after submissions are entered. Each set of entry dates will include all 2021 first place winners and their showcase of award-winning products. Those participating winners will have a booth and products available at The Lettuce Bar on each final day Saturday of submissions (9/24, 10/1, and 11/12). Check www.cowboycup.com for entry details for submission to Lettuce Depot (PAAA) but the submission dates are as follows:

Location for competition entry drop off: 

Lettuce Smoke Canna Co. 

12007 NE 23rd St

Choctaw, OK 73020

@the_lettuce_bar

Indoor Flower: Sept 22nd- Saturday Sept. 24th (10AM-6PM)

All other products: Sept. 29th-Oct 1st (10AM-6PM)

Sun-Grown & Sun-Grown Assist: Nov. 10th-12th (10AM-6PM)

*Judge dates for pick-ups will be communicated via email 

Cowboy Cup Championship and Celebration Festival 

@Tumbleweed Dancehall – Stillwater, OK

Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2nd and 3rd, 2022

By James Bridges

Some friends told me that I should go check out Sugar Cannabis in Shawnee, OK. I thought I would give the new place a shot.

As I walked into Sugar Cannabis I was greeted by a few people behind the counter. I was very pleased to see the happy faces. I was curious about the products they were currently offering. I started asking about the flower. 

A man with a large smile stood up from a chair. He hadn’t said much as I walked through, but once he knew I was there to look deeply, it seemed to catch his interest. As he firmly shook my hand, I noticed that the smile never left his face. He seemed authentically happy that he was where he was.

I quickly discovered that the man shaking my hand was the owner, Tony. He introduced me to his team as if they were family. It turns out they were actually family.

Sugar Cannabis is a family owned and operated dispensary in Shawnee, OK. They have a fun, clean, and vibrant atmosphere inside of the shop as well as portrayed consistently by the “family” oriented employees. Sugar Cannabis has long term ambitions to offer clean and affordable products to their patrons.

Come experience their Grand Opening celebration on September 10th with plenty of Cuban influenced food, entertainment, and deals that are meant to clear off the shelfs to make room for more!

“Happy Birthday T! I love you my son.”

Sugar Cannabis – 1528 N Harrison St – Shawnee, OK 74804

By Michael Kinney 

Steve Miller has tried to live a peaceful life. Despite numerous medical battles, he does his best to stay stress-free. 

However, in early July, Miller was at his breaking point. It was a place he had been just a few times in his 69 years of life. But this time it was worse. 

Miller suffers from a disease called Essential Tremors. It causes his body to violently shake, especially when his anxiety rises. As Miller cared for his sister, who was going through her own issues, he had what he called a psychotic break that affected him mentally, emotionally and physically.  

“When she was trying to get off alcohol and stuff we both kind of started feeding off each other’s anxiety she ended up in the hospital and going to the emergency room because she didn’t know how to handle it,” Miller said of his sister. “I didn’t know how to help her. She actually had seizures that morning. So, I called an ambulance and got her. And then she got back home. And I, I can’t tell you how many days it was, but about 3, 4, 5 days later, I had to call 911 for me and take me to the emergency room, full chest pains.” 

Miller said the pains felt like he was having a heart attack and he couldn’t breathe 

“I had been shaking so much for so long and so hard that my intestines were just tied in a knot,” Miller said. “. Once you get anxious, you kind of get a little bit psychotic when it gets real bad.” 

Essential tremor is a hereditary affliction that has been passed down through Miller’s family and landed on both him and his sister. However, he wasn’t diagnosed with it until he was 46 years old.  

Up until then, no one knew what caused Miller’s violent shaking or any of the other host of issues associated with the disease.  

“Growing up didn’t have a clue what it was,” Miller said. “My dad shook. He’s who I got it from was from his side of the family. I remember my grandmother shaking a lot.” 

Miller said his grandmother sounded like the late movie star Katherine Hepburn, who was also diagnosed with essential tremors in the later stages of her career.  

According to the Harvard Medical School, essential tremor affects about five percent of people over age 50. The intensity of the shaking from essential tremors can be mild to very significant. Also, the tremor can vary in location, being most prominent in the hands, head or voice. 

For Miller, the symptoms began when he was a kid growing up in Guthrie.  

“I want to say it was around six, seven years old,” Miller said. “I’d go to play with other kids and they’d noticed me shaking. I didn’t notice it was supposed to be anything different. They laughed at me about it and stuff.” 

To Miller the shaking was normal. He was still able to function and do all the things kids his age could do. But that didn’t mean it didn’t affect him in different ways.  

“I was put back in first grade because I couldn’t write. I start to write and I couldn’t, it wasn’t legible to them,” Miller said. “So, I got put back in first grade because of it, they don’t didn’t have a clue what this was back then. And not very many people, especially schools don’t know what it is. I’d actually run people off from being friends. It scared them.  I couldn’t tell him what it was because you didn’t know.” 

That left Miller to figure out how to navigate through life while dealing with a disease seemingly no one knew anything about.  

“I just found ways of getting around it. Of course, I’d shake, but I was able to do things and play,” Miller said. “But if it was something real tedious I couldn’t do it.  It was hard to make friends and keep friends when I was young. This is an anxiety-driven disease. I mean you get out and you just know somebody’s going to bring it up and you don’t want to talk about it. A lot of people with essential tremors stay hidden, especially when they get older and they’re as bad as I am shaking. That’s one reason I get out. To get people to understand that there is a disease out here causing this.” 

While essential tremor is often mistaken for Parkinson’s disease due to the shaking, Miller says the two are different in several ways.  

An essential tremor is an action tremor, meaning that the involuntary shaking increases when you move and try to use your hands. In Parkinson’s disease, tremors occur mainly at rest, and activity reduces the symptoms. Some people with essential tremors develop head nodding or shaking; few people with Parkinson’s do, according to Harvard Medical School.  

“It’s totally the opposite of Parkinson’s. With Parkinson’s most of their tremors happen when they’re at rest,” said Miller. “No muscle movement or anything. That’s when their tremors start, they’re shaking. With essential tremors. It’s when you do something, anytime you engage a muscle.” 

One of the hallmarks of essential tremors, useful in diagnosing the disorder, is that alcohol can temporarily ease symptoms. Miller discovered this remedy early on and used it for most of his life to help him cope.  

“From the time I was a teenager until about five years ago, I’ve kept it under control with alcohol,” Miller said. “Drinking alcohol calms not only the shaking outside, it calms the inner trimmer I have. And it helps with anxiety. So, it affects it all. It helps with all three of them. It will keep it hidden so I wasn’t having a lot of trouble with it as long as I was drinking.” 

Unfortunately for Miller, prostate issues related to too much alcohol made it impossible for him to keep drinking alcohol.  

“I quit about six, seven years ago,” Miller said. “I’d have a drink every once in a while, just to see if my prostate could handle it. I decided it was not working, so I had to completely quit two years ago.” 

Miller knew drinking that much alcohol was not good for him. Despite seeing how it affected other members of his family who also had essential tremors, he said the positives outweighed the negatives.  

“My big older sister had it and she was this bad in her thirties,” Miller said. “It affected her real bad and she ended up committing suicide with alcohol because of it. And her son did the same thing.” 

Without the use of alcohol, his symptoms became worse and more uncontrollable.  

Since there is no known cure for essential tremors, that led Miller to look for any other possible remedies. He said there are medications for other diseases that he can take, but nothing specifically for essential tremors.  

“There are two surgeries that they’ll do. The first one is DBS surgery and it’s where you basically have a pacemaker for your brain. But it doesn’t help the cognitive or the inner tremor,” Miller said. “So I elected not to do it because the outer shaking doesn’t bother me anymore. I get out and be around people and it helps me get the word out. I just kind of decided that no if I’m going to get the word out, people need to see what I’m doing. See how I react when I get out in crowds and stuff like that.” 

The decision to become an advocate for essential tremor education and awareness was an easy one for Miller. He was spurred on not just by the memories of his own childhood, but also from watching two marriages end due to his disease.  

“You can’t think so you keep overthinking everything and it just feeds it and feeds it and feeds it. And that’s what happened the two times before. One of them ended up getting divorced because of it, I just couldn’t handle anything going on anymore. I had to get away from everything, But I was married the first time for 15 years and had two kids. And the second time I was married for 25 years. I was trying to escape from the tremors, right. The anxiety is what I was trying to get away from. I just couldn’t handle it anymore both times.” 

Miller now uses medical cannabis to help him deal with his disease. A variety of products have helped him deal with the disease.  

“I started using about two years. I found some pre-rolls that helped me pretty good,” Miller said. “And then somebody suggested I try an RSO. So, I started taking RSO at night at about 8:30 and by midnight I’m asleep. I’ve never slept a full night’s sleep. Very seldom ever did I get to the rim sleep. the real good sleep. So, RSO helped me get to where I could sleep at night.  I’ve been using RSO every night since, cause I can rest and stuff.” 

Just being able to get a full night’s sleep for the first time in his life has enabled Miller to have a little better control of his anxiety and lets him do what he loves, which is meeting new people.  

“I love talking to people and everything, but the anxiety, just leaving the house to go to the grocery store to go do anything will start this out,” Miller said. “And it gets pretty intense. I love to go to events and talk to people. I love people. I love talking to them right. It’s one of my favorite things to do and being around the crowd, but it’s kind of a catch-22 because it causes this to happen.” 

Almost as important as the physical effect cannabis has on Miller is what the cannabis community has done for him emotionally and mentally. For the first time, he says he knows what it is like to have friends.  

“The people caring, never had that in my life. Really. That’s the biggest thing is people showing me love and I can feel it is from their hearts that they really do care about me and trying to help me get the word out about this disease,” said Miller. “I’ve actually got friends now and they understand the disease and they accept it with me. And that’s been the biggest thing in my life. The cannabis family has helped me so much just being there.” 

It was during Miller’s latest breakdown that the cannabis community showed up in force after he made a simple post on his Facebook page that he needed help.  

“I was at the end of my rope with it. I just posted on Facebook that I need help,” Miller said. “But I had probably 15 different people reaching out and one was on his way over to the house. He helped me get to the hospital and then helped me get my sister back home and everything. And that was just amazing. Another person came and spent the night and stayed to help me get through that night and most of the next day and everything I’ve never asked for help, but I knew I needed it. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t think of anybody to call. I couldn’t think of anything else to do, but to that, just put it out there. And, and they jumped in there. I don’t know of any other group that would do that. No other group has done that before. I mean, nobody that I’ve ever been around,” 

Miller knows as he gets older, his symptoms will only get worse. The things he has grown to enjoy over the past few years with the help of medical cannabis will no longer be available for him to do. 

But while he still can, Miller wants to get the word out about essential tremors. He says there are 10 million nationwide who suffer from the disease, but very little research is being done. He wants to change that.  

“The biggest thing that I want to do is get research started to make specific meds for this disease, but they can’t come up with a specific me until they start talking to us and listening to us. I want to get the word out and hopefully write a book on my life,” Miller said. “That’s something I’ve been working on. I’ve got 22 pages written. It’s kind of scattered because my brain’s kind of scattered. Sure. But that’s something I really want to do is get the book and explain how this affects you in each part of your life and everything. Old age is bad, you know. But old age and essential tremors are even more.” 

Miller’s favorite saying comes from Mahatma Gandhi. It states, ‘In a gentle way, you can shake the world.’  

“That’s always been my thing is that I’ve followed that through my life because I am a gentle soul,” Miller said. “Going through this I’ve learned that I am a kind person, I’m a good person. I’ve always felt like I was bad.” 

By James Bridges

As a cannabis enthusiast (aka: stoner) and professional chef or over 20 years I have infused cannabinoids into a tremendous number of things, from high octane alcohols, to MCT oil, grapeseed oil, hemp seed oil, creamery butter, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. But the most exciting of all the fats I have use to help bind to all of the readily available cannabinoids in cannabis has got to be bacon fat, yup you hear me. Preferably rendered from heritage bread pork belly smoked over applewood, or what other folks call BACON. I realize that 99% of the previously mentioned fats and oils are plant derived but according to an article I read in the June 1st, 2016, issue of High Times Magazine, bacon fat is one of the top three fats to use when extracting those readily available cannabinoids and terpenes found in cannabis. First off- I couldn’t be happier when I heard the results of the study on bacon fat and cannabinoids.

Second off- I had no frickin’ idea that there was such a study. As I mentioned earlier, being that professio

nal chef of over 25 years, I’ve been proudly cooking with cannabis since the early 90’s, cannabis bacon fat only made sense. So, over the years I have transformed this super simple, traditional peanut butter cookie recipe that has floated around the family cookie archives for decades to include a couple of full spectrum cannabis products that will help mellow situations and liven up the conversation at any event. (cannabis tends to do that) Do not skip the light sprinkle of sea salt flakes, it’s a palette pleasing addition. *And just to help clear up any future questions that may appear in my Instagram in-box @chef_sebastian_carosi, duck fat works just as well.

recipe by #theshortordercannabisrevolutionary  Chef Sebastian Carosi    

Cannabis Bacon Fat Peanut Butter Cookies

prep time: 15 minutes 

cook time: 10-12 minutes 

yield:  about 24 cookies 

total thc/cbd: depends on the potency of the products used 

status: pugnacious peanut butter cookies 

from the cannabis pantry: cannabis bacon fat, cannabis vanilla extract

chef’s strain recommendation: LA Confidentiel 

equipment needed

stand mixer or handheld mixer, 2 stainless mixing bowls, measuring cups and spoons, rubber spatula, parchment lined baking sheet, spatula, wire rack

provisions needed 

½ cup cannabis infused bacon fat (made in the magical butter mb2e)

½ cup crunchy organic peanut butter

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cannabis infused vanilla (made in the magical butter mb2e)

1 large pasture raised farm egg

1½ cups organic AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp Jacobsen sea salt flakes

½ cup salted peanuts (rough chopped)

how to make it 

-preheat an oven to 350°.

-in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a stainless bowl with an electric mixer, beat the bacon fat, peanut butter, peanuts, and sugar until the mixture lightens in color and the mixture becomes creamy. (about 3 to 4 minutes)

-add the egg and keep beating until completely incorporated.

-in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and the kosher salt.

-slowly add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture, mixing until all the ingredients are combined well.

-roll the dough into balls about 1 inch around. place the cookie dough about 1 inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet and gently press the top of each cookie dough ball with a fork dipped in granulated sugar to make a crisscross pattern.

-sprinkle the cookie tops with the sea salt flakes.

-bake the cookies for 9 to 10 minutes (this is the perfect time to smoke another joint), or until they are barely browned around the edges. (do not overbake the cookies. the cookies may appear slightly puffed, it’s all good, they are all okay.)

-let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

-then carefully transfer the dank ‘n delicate cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before devouring.

equipment + product source 

www.magicalbutter.com  (mb2e botanical extractor)

www.jacobsensaltco.com (oregon kosher sea salt) 

recipe by #theshortordercannabisrevolutionary   chef sebastian carosi     @chef_sebastian_carosi on Instagram

An award-winning chef, avid forager, and wild crafter. Chef Sebastian Carosi, also known as “the short-order cannabis revolutionary”, has been cooking with full spectrum cannabis and eating the devil’s lettuce since the early 90’s. Trained at Portland, Oregon’s Western Culinary Institute, apprenticed under renowned chefs in Italy, and went on to lead the farm-to-fork movement across the United States.

By James Bridges

“You can make higher yields and higher quality products, but also you want to make that product people are gonna come back and reorder. It is all about the Patient.” – Ray Tinsley, owner, The Gas Farm.

I looked up at him. Me. I’m not the tallest in the room, but I’m not too short either. I’m 6ft 2’ and I was looking up at Ray as his overwhelming smile paused slightly in order for the mouth to function as he spoke. He was happy. I could tell why as he opened the first flower room to show off his ladies.

“We have about 95 plants that are harvested every 3-4 days with our continuous harvest system.” Ray continued to smile as we walked inside. “We average about 4.2 pounds per light. I love my plants. I love what I do. I understand the business. But the patients are the ones that really matter.” I could sense the sincerity in his voice. “If we make something and we sell it to dispensaries and dispensaries don’t turn it, then it does no good for the patients. There’s no reason to keep it in production. Right?”

My thoughts immediately raced to someone putting all of their eggs into one basket, or one product, then it not moving at all. How does one prevent this extremely long failure process from occurring?

“Ideally when you entertain coming to the market and bringing the funds to build this, it’s all about the process, consistency, reducing risk and the ability for it to actually go to a recreational market.” Ray was directly to the point.

“I worked for large fortune 500 companies in the past. That is a little different than the cannabis business. When I left the corporate world, I told myself I was never going to work for anybody else again, and I would take the good from the corporate world – and leave behind the bad.  We wanted to build a culture that folks wanted to be a part of.”  Two quotes we use often at the Farm – “What is good for the Grow” this is a lens that helps drive many of our decisions.  The second is, “We know it is Medicine.”  This level of pride, our whole Team reflects on, they know our products could be used by one of their Family members.

He hasn’t since. Neither have some of Ray’s own family members. Two of his brothers Kevin and TJ are partners, but so are other family and long-time family friends like Renee, Eddy, and Michelle that are the bedrock to their success. They have formed a family unit of business minded people. I was absolutely impressed by their ability to recognize and utilize each one of their own special talents and skills to create this sustaining business.

“Our father had a stroke.” The tone of the room dampened for a few seconds. “His own doctor came in and said he’s a prime candidate for medical marijuana. The doctor talked about it helping his appetite and other ailments.” This was in the State of Delaware, and although, they were one of the first to approve medical cannabis, it took almost five years before the first grow license was awarded.

Ray and the group continued to research this industry further to find the most efficient ways to make this business a reality. Ray talked about the importance of having a strong foundation. He came across as being very comfortable in the position that they have carved out for themselves in this industry. 

“I think that when you sit back and look at it, then yes, you can do it.” Ray was speaking about himself.  “You know, there’s other businesses coming behind us. They have business plans and structures that could definitely be able to sustain in the market, however they seemed to only be concentrating on one sector. Our plan continues to focus on being a completely vertical business.”

Inspired and eager to see more we moved onto more rooms as I had hoped. The long stretching hallways and extremely tall sidewalls of each room were enormous. I felt as if I had walked into an underground fortress of solitude. Hell, even Ray’s brother TJ looked somewhat like a fictional superman, without the cape of course.

TJ is the CFO for The Gas Farm. “Ray leads the Relationship Managers, and the income aspects or our organization, my role is to take care of it from there.” 

TJ seemed to be a bit more of a “behind the scenes” player on The Gas Farm team. His smile was contagious as it played itself off as something that doesn’t come out much. However, after getting to speak with TJ, I tend to think there’s a major soft side. 

It brought a big smile to TJ’s face when I asked him about the employees working for them. “When we started we had 1 employee. Now we have 30. Plus we bring in temps.”

How many other small businesses do you know have the ability to take something that was non-existent, as a legal industry, in as little as 4 years, and employ over 30 people from our local community? It’s happening. It’s happening in Oklahoma and it is providing families with more than financial relief. The medicinal fall-out that is blanketing this land is becoming more and more pleasant to witness each and every day.

“I mean, it’s outstanding. We brought a lot of jobs to the market. We brought a lot considering all the work that we had to do to build it right. It totally impacts the community. We see it here and the people that we work with are like Family. We help each other, we help our neighbors and we all help serve the community.”  “We can never can say it enough, but I would like to publicly say thank you to all of our Teammates, and everyone who has supported us on this journey – ‘THANK YOU ALL!’”

I knew the soft heart would come out eventually. It was fun to watch the brothers make eye contact as they spoke about their recent co-adventure. I imagine what it must be like to work with a close sibling. The fights would most assuredly proceed, however the overall close bond that it must form would, in my imagination, be something that cannot be described by words. Oh the joy and overwhelming pleasant hell of it all…

TJ continued speaking about the business as if I had unraveled a puzzle that he wanted to describe. I was glued to his speech. “It’s farm to table. So, our prices are less. This helps patients take advantage of the medicine. Okay. And we’re gonna do everything by volume. So if we have enough customers, everybody will be great.” TJ smiled, nodded, then drifted back into the background as if he said his peace. 

We walked toward the next room. I was able to pick Ray’s brain a little more on the business structure and his obvious ability to form a very sustainable model.

“We pop seeds from time to time, but we work with other growers and acquire other genetics. I think it’s, you know, it’s all about if we all win as a team, you know, that’s how we really do it. It’s about teamwork.”

I wanted an example. Ray had several, but one stuck out to me.

“ I was talking to a farmer from Chandler. He was having a challenge. And even though it’s a simple solution, we got connected from mutual colleague we both know in Colorado.  End result, his issue is resolved, and we have a new relationship to work with towards our goals. Helping each other is the way to do it. Right? We’re all stuck with challenges like banking, regulations, and even Metrc and all other learning curves in the industry. But you know, you have to work inside of a system and his farm and our farm run very parallel in our systems. So that similarity between our companies gives us the platform to form a relationship. To work together, make genetics work, and we know often an outdoor farmer would not engage an indoor farmer for help – yet it was what was needed.” 

Ray continued. “From time-to-time, you have to make compromises. You have to step back and navigate instead of making the waves. I always like to introduce everybody to these.” Ray opened the door. “These are my handicapped ADA bathrooms that cost me $1/2 million a year. The reason being is the city asked us to put them in, but it took out our 19th Flower room. Okay? But you have to make a compromise. We wanted to do everything right. We’ve completely integrated with the city of Oklahoma city from day one. We’ve had over 160 inspections.”

“We had a longer start period, but we knew it would take us a longer period of time to get to where we needed to go. But when we did it we did everything the way they liked it. That’s the focus for us. The city likes it. The state likes it. Same with OMMA. OMMA has trained over 75 of their grow inspectors here at this facility. They trained all of their 40 processing inspectors here at this facility and a large portion of their dispensary inspectors here at this facility, as well as their auditors.”

I then realized the enormity of the place which I was standing inside. It caught me off guard a bit. Everything from the cleanliness of the place down to the friendliness of each worker I encountered was spectacular. One couldn’t ask for a more informative and near perfect tour of a fully vertical grow operation. The business minded “gentle giant” that walked next to me was impressive. His ability to see past obstacles that could potentially damage his pathway to success was incredible. I was, let’s say, intrigued.

“You know, you have to work with these organizations or these departments.” Ray simply couldn’t stop giving me quality lessons to ponder. You can’t work against them. So we came here to work with the city, with the state, with the departments too. It gave us a few hiccups in the beginning. But, the end result is you got a fully manufacturing facility that harvests 95 plants every three days.” There would be nothing that would have taken the smile off of Ray’s face at that very moment.

“Yeah.” Ray comfortably explained, “So that’s what we’re really doing. There you go. We do it for the patients. It seems more seamless that way. That’s it? I mean, if you look at us compared to other growers, we sell the product to our dispensaries below the market price. We give them more, for less money so they can make it more affordable for the patients..”

I still couldn’t get over the enormity of the space.

TJ let me know that they use enough electricity in here to run a 63 bedroom complex with two bath houses. “Literally that much electricity.” TJ snickered and sighed. “There’s almost 14 miles of wire running inside here. There’s four miles of piping in here. We use about 5,000 gallons of water a day.” 

“In business you’re always having setbacks – failing means growth.  You have to constantly be learning from your challenges to grow.’ Ray mentioned, “You’re always having things come up. You’re not growing if you’re not embracing challenges and turning them into solutions. It is always a challenge. I always talk about growing. One part about growing is that every day, even though the tasks are set on the calendar, something will come up that needs attention. You know then that it’s gonna be more challenging for you that particular day. It always is. That’s what farming’s all about.”

“I think if you surround yourself with the right support system and you give them the right tools and you reward them correctly, then you will gain loyalty as well as give it. Then you help one another be the best that you can be.” Ray smiled once more.

Ray was headed into another room as he spoke. “We’re gonna expand on our existing facility, open up another large amount of rooms. So we’re planning to add another 17 million to the economy to Oklahoma City and we’ll end up harvesting 95-100 plants every day.”  

I was curious about his work force. I wanted to know more about his vendors as well. Were they looking to work with Oklahoma residents? How are they going to fill these positions in the future?

“I interviewed someone today, for example. The only reason he wants to get in this business is because he got out of football and he was so beat up and he was on so many prescriptions and whatnot. Cannabis literally helped save him. You know, we hear that story. We read about stories like that. But when somebody sits across from you five feet away, and they share that personalized story, it makes an impact, and you know you are in the right business – We know it is medicine.”

I noticed an even softer spot by the look on Ray’s face as he explained.

“Yeah. That is a huge difference, a big difference, it inspires me, and motivates me to get up and come to work every day. That’s why we do it. That’s how we have to do it. We know it is medicine, otherwise we’re just going to work. What’s the point in that?”

“We just reached a goal of being in over 450 dispensaries.” Ray mentioned. Our future plan is to expand our dispensary business and expand the processing product line. We are planning to have our own branded dispensaries and involve other brands inside. Future announcements to come.”

I looked across the room full of flowers. I wanted to lay down and live in them. I was in heaven for one brief moment. I was able to witness what it feels like to be amongst 3,537 plants that would one day help thousands and thousands of people live a better life. 

I’ll have to admit. I was intimidated by venturing into what I thought was possibly the belly of a beast. I imagined walking into a very nice clean medical vibe atmosphere that only cared about pushing products and making profits. I was pleasantly surprised to find a group of like-minded individuals that cared so much about the people that supported their efforts, yet also the people who that live in this world. 

For folks interested in learning more about the Gas Farm OKC, you can contact them on Instagram, facebook, Leaf Link, or the web – their office number is 405-594-3375.