The cool fresh coastline air had palm trees swaying in the distance. An impactful cannabis trade show had just come to town like a yearly fair at the Ventura County fairgrounds. Hall of Flowers took over Ventura County, a completely different atmosphere from that of Santa Rosa. As you walked into the fairgrounds, you spotted a Ferris wheel with Gelato’s branding on each seat, and the memorable Hall of Flowers logo structure in the middle of it all. It was a busy first day full of retailers, buyers, and all sorts of folks, like a cannabis industry paradise. Rows and rows of booths from every cannabis consumption method you could think of. From flower companies to concentrates to ancillary brands and everything in between.
A fun part about Hall of Flowers is seeing how creative brands get with their booth displays. Bloom had a larger than life Surf disposable pen, as if “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” came out in 2024. High 90’s went for the camping vibe, camping chairs, attire and all. One of our favorite booths was Life is Not Grape because of their puppy therapy. From 12pm-2pm on the first day, the booth had a dog trainer in a small area with two daschunds, two malteses, and a five-year-old Morkie (Maltese Yorkie mix). When you’re busy networking and talking to people all day, petting a puppy definitely allows you to decompress for a bit. Another noteworthy booth was Claybourne Co. with their biker aesthetic. You were transported into a different scene with beautiful classic cars lined up next to gnarly motorcycles. Everyone at the booth sported leather vests or biker-like attire to really seal the deal. It made sense for a brand who was created by a past photographer for Harley Davidson. We even spotted a brand with a tattoo artist doing live tattoos on the spot. Legacy brand, Kushy Punch had a carnival punching game to see which stoner was the strongest, and we couldn’t forget Gelato who turned their whole section into a carnival. The entrance to their fully functioning Ferris wheel was a balloon tunnel that lead you to the ride. At the top of the Ferris wheel you could see the beautiful ocean less than one mile away, and at that moment it felt like a cannabis festival.
For some attendees staying at Airbnb’s and a couple hotels, their venture to the Fairgrounds were a hop, skip, and a light walk away. Some people even had a nice brisk seven minute stroll to the event! To say the cannabis industry took over Ventura is not an understatement.
A great addition to the event was the art gallery. All the showcased art was done by a person incarcerated for cannabis. Each piece of art had the artists name alongside their jail time for their “crime.” A stark reality as we all wandered a cannabis wonderland, freely consuming and purchasing products.
Another difference from previous events was their new method of purchasing sample products. Instead of collecting papers from each brand like trading cards, it was all digital. Before stepping foot into the show, workers were telling us to download the Hall of Flowers app, which we had done beforehand since seeing the multiple emails about it. Attendees needed to provide their banking information onto the app since it was a cashless event. Each booth had their own QR code for each sample product to scan and add to their cart to purchase. Whenever you were ready to cash out, you’d put the order in and wait by the dispensary until the app notified you that your order was ready. As with all new things, glitches and problems arise and the first day took longer than expected to receive our product. All in all, it was worth it, as it made less of a paper trail and no trading card mess.
Hall of Flowers is the time for brands to showcase their new products and to let people know what they’ve been working on. One of those items was Puffco’s newest glass edition, the ripple. Countless collaborations were announced and one we were surprised by was Chris Brown’s brand with Originals, “Bussin.” Brown also spoke on a panel one of the two days.
We love coming to Hall of Flowers to see our favorite brands, what products they’ve been working on, and getting to know new brands. The opportunity to try products from booths by purchasing their $3 samples is unimaginable. It really allows people to get the real experience of what a brand has to offer and we believe that’s what makes Hall of Flowers the best. Not only can you have meetings face to face with buyers and retailers, but you can talk to the founders themselves. It is so direct and easier for businesses to create a relationship with the brands. The cannabis industry is always growing and these events shed light on how much it has grown. It keeps on growing, and with every new season of the show, there are more and more brands waiting to be showcased.
Hall of Flowers is like a reunion for those in the cannabis space. Everyone from all corners of the industry meet up at one place for two-days to enjoy catching up, networking, doing business together and of course, smoke! It’s as harmonious as the entourage effect.
We saw a lot of new products, new strains, new devices, and all around amazing cannabis. We can’t wait to be back at the next Hall of Flowers!
A glance at my phone. That’s all it took to find some sort of divine intervention on a random Tuesday night in the hub of Hermosa Beach. We all want to believe in some sort of higher frequency, a bigger meaning to life, a higher consciousness, and that’s all it takes, believing, trusting the process, growing pains and all. That’s what makes us human.
There I was, in the middle of the dance floor, high as a kite, writing notes on my phone to capture the essence of the night. Graduating from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, I was surrounded by my old classmates. From the cute guys I saw down the hall, to the guy who had a locker right next to me, from the girls who I didn’t “click” with, it felt like a high school reunion. That didn’t stop me from having a good time. I was there for a reason. People from my hometown have made impacts in the dance music world. From one high school classmate turned Dj/producer touring worldwide and releasing multiple tracks on Deadmau5’s label, to a middle school classmate who became a Dj/producer with his own record label, and plays all over the world, tonight was created by a former class mate.
John Summit, Me, Alex Norocea
Alex Norocea started throwing House Tuesdays, dance music curated events in the epicenter of bar mania, Tower 12 Hermosa Beach in the Summer of 2019. Every Tuesday night acts like Kill Frenzy, Gene Farris and even John Summit would tear the place apart! This time they had local DJ legend, Doc Martin. When I saw a name like that, in my hometown, where there are no real dance music nightclubs, I had to check it out.
The environment consisted of partiers, drinkers, old frat bros, just fucking around. I thought to myself, were they really listening to the music? Were they there for the actual music? Were they there to support the homie throwing the event? Did they know who Doc Martin was or about Chicago house? Did they know where this all came from? Most likely not, but that’s the beauty of music, we all gather as one. The music brings us together, from privileged white students who have lived all their lives in the bubble of Manhattan Beach, to the ones who dedicate their lives to the sound. When dance music has such a special place in ones heart, it guides one through life. The connection of souls through a higher vibration of sound is music medicine. There’s reasons dopamine is released into the brain when we listen to music.
I felt like a techno snob, while others would just coin this another night out drinking, it was by far more extraordinary than ordinary.
That night was crazy, in a metaphysical way. I wasn’t on any psychedelic, but there was something about the last full moon that set something off. Energies and frequencies aligned. I knew I needed to be there that night, not only because I love house music and Doc Martin, but because I had an intuition that good things would happen. I didn’t know what would happen, but it manifested itself, unfolding right in front of my eyes, almost like a dream.
Our energies must have found each other. Although he could’ve been the age of my dad, something clicked. I was there to listen, to open my mind, in ways I didn’t think was possible. I knew he knew Doc Martin. I knew he was there for a reason too. Maybe to restore faith in my writing, to send a story out into the world, open to interpretation, yet grounding and dear to the heart.
Ryan was his name and his business trip in the South Bay happened to occur when Doc Martin was playing in Hermosa. A vulnerability vail was brought down. Anything and everything was up for discussion. I listened as if this was all a dream teaching me a life lesson, or many lessons in that case. I asked if you were a Burner and you explained you were there for the first 3 burns. I hadn’t experienced Burning Man yet but yearned to go.
Although it seemed odd from a strangers point of view, a young 26 year old surrounded by the same aged folks, talking to a man twice her age. But I didn’t care, because I knew I was living in the moment, and connections like this are rare. To bounce off each other’s frequency is something so powerful, you don’t know it until you feel it. When he told me he used to promote for Mark Farina and Derrick May, I knew I needed to know more about this man.
He told me his life as if it was a movie. A book really, stories so beyond me, they enlightened me. I wanted to know more as if I had an open book in front of me that I needed to take notes to teach people, and myself, about life. This is what people can say was a spiritual connection. Real recognizing real.
Thoughts would easily roll off the tongue. Our minds in sync. You would say things about life that just made sense in that time. You told stories you’d never tell anyone. There was something that showed our true souls to each other, and that was magical.
“It all started with two guys in college having a radio show, no phones, no iPads, no podcasts. Old school. One thing led to another and a club opened up called Crobar in Chicago, all thanks to Ryan’s discover card!” We spoke about his involvement in the dance music scene back in the days, and I cherished the knowledge he fed me.
He spoke about the ocean and how we relax by absorbing our minds in a place that is peaceful. I had been getting this sign so frequently, this time I literally ran into it. I had been struggling to cope with my Mother getting older, health being a main factor, but everyone told her to just breathe. I told my mom, “just pretend you’re at the beach, the waves crashing back and forth on your feet, birds in the sky, dolphins jumping.” Ryan said this word for word.
We have our own struggles. Sometimes we must hit hard times, to teach us how grateful we should be. These moments remind us to get our life back in order, when we feel like we can’t try anymore. These instances happen for a reason. When you think your world is literally falling apart, it’s just creating a new foundation for your new life, and a new you.
2023
Reading this excerpt from myself from 4 years ago feels so serendipitous. I ended up going to Tower 12 very often, even working as the ticket check-in for a couple of events. John Summit even played one night! 2 months after the Doc Martin show, I met my future husband who had worked at the bar at the time. We have been married for two years now. I finally went to Burning Man this year and it was everything I could have asked for and more. The best part is that I am writing again. Although I wrote this 4 years ago, it struck a chord in me. What truly makes me happy? I used to get tired of writing. I now know it’s because I had some sort of expectation. When there are no deadlines, no expectations, you can write about anything you want, and from the heart, that’s exciting.
Always trust your intuition. If I hadn’t gone out that night, my life would have been completely different. Thanks to the past, the present now has a new article, and the future holds more motivation for written stories.
Cannabis legalization in California was just under 2 years ago, yet the market is new, thriving, and creative in every sense. Hall of Flowers brings licensed cannabis brands and companies to the forefront, to cultivate an outstanding tradesheow, a first of its kind.
The third edition of Hall of Flowers took place at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds from September 19th to the 20th, where countless companies had the opportunity to showcase their products to buyers and investors. Attendees had the chance to gain insight on any particular brand and indulge in product outside while enjoying the beautiful Northern California weather.
The atmosphere was set upon arrival. As soon as you walked in, the luscious lawns caught your eye and the bright Hall of Flowers sign meant “you’ve made it.” Three auditoriums awaited discovery, filled with brands from concentrates, flowers, vapes, to edibles, topicals, sublinguals, and more.
Each display was unique and representative to each brand. Every detail was curated for pure attraction and tastefully done. When attending a convention or trade-show, the brand wants to reel people in. Hall of Flowers had an inviting feel to it, and it was created more like a gathering rather than a trade-show.
An ongoing trend nowadays for the structure of dispensaries is an open floor-plan which allows consumers to shop around and look at products for themselves. Brands in Exhibit A used this open space idea for Canndescent, Dosist, Gen!us, Lowell, Mary’s Medicinal, and Ember Valley which almost modeled storefronts.
Open layout booths let people wander through different brands like Canndescent, Gen!us, Dosist, Ember Valley, and PLUS.
The “white market” of cannabis is growing every day. If you don’t work in the cannabis industry or are an avid cannabis smoker, it’s very hard to keep up with what’s new. From vape devices to new extraction methods, the brands and companies are as versatile as the plant itself! Hall of Flowers gives buyers and people in cannabis the ability to acknowledge which brands are putting themselves out there and which values match theirs.
“Flow Kana is the first sustainable, sungrown cannabis brand to embrace and represent California’s Emerald Triangle and its family-run, small-batch, independent farm ecosystem. The brand empowers, and gives scale to, premier craft farmers in Northern California and ‘powers’ values-aligned brands who honor righteous farming practices. Flow Kana proudly represents ‘The California Way’ as a pioneering, mission-driven, values-based lifestyle brand.”
One of the many great parts of the trade-show was the cannabis consumption! You could light up your newly purchased product and enjoy it on the lawn under the shady trees where beanbags, chairs, and tables were accommodated for maximum comfort.
Some of our favorite companies at Hall of Flowers were CRU, Raw Garden, and Canndescent. CRU surprised us with how many strains they featured! From a kushy indica like Mochi, to a sweet and euphoric sativa like Pineapple Jack, that was just two of the ones we wanted! Their setup was colorful, bright, and ecstatic, reflecting their brand. Raw Garden’s live resin is impeccable and we got to try a new strain in cartridge form. Canndescent had our favorite strains, Charge and Connect, with Connect containing a THC percentage of 29%!
CRU had us covered from countless strains in eighths and joints!Fresh Connected California buds.Sol Distro knows that variety is the spice of life, therefore providing a vast amount of different cannabis products, making them a significant distribution company.Aesthetically pleasing is an understatement. Each company knew exactly how to catch the eyes of their consumers.
Attendees on the second day could purchase a ticket to have a fine dining experience hosted by PANTRY, a cannabis-infused food brand developed by award-winning chefs. The cafeteria seated over 30 people and served an exquisite meal. Inside you had the opportunity to purchase their cannabis-infused desert delicacies, made with the finest cannabis oil.
Xicama beverages were served alongside the fresh meals by Pantry chefs.
Hall of Flowers is the best place for networking, business moves, and knowledge. Speakers from growers, to chefs, to avid cannabis enthusiasts spoke all weekend long. The cannabis community must merge with the cannabis industry to be successful. This is the event that makes that happen.
Dompen introduced new strain specific 510 thread vape cartridges.
We are changing the way people think of cannabis. Whether you’re a cannabis business person, budtender, distribution company, investor, enthusiast, buyer, or journalist, Hall of Flowers caters to every person attending.
See you all in Palm Springs April 2020 for Season 4! Find out more here.
The Old Pal bus was a must-see spot when entering the fairgrounds. The brand has a popular half ounce of cannabis that’s been ground up, and contains rolling papers!Enjoyed the outdoors with CRESCO dabs, Kiva Confections, and Absolute Extracts.
Step aside Amsterdam, West Hollywood is the new competition in the world of cannabis cafes! Medical marijuana, recreational consumption, a damn restaurant where you can openly smoke weed, good job California! We did it.
As a native of Los Angeles, I don’t realize how lucky we are to have such a plethora of cannabis. You drive down Melrose and see three big brand named dispensaries. Drive down La Cienaga and you’ll be overwhelmed by enormous billboards advertising edibles, dispensaries, and delivery services. Don’t even get us started on Venice and Santa Monica. You might as well have a big pot leaf on the map.
When news broke out that a handful of licenses would allow cannabis consumption, people pondered at which brands would shed a light on this new environment and addition to the cannabis culture of California.
“Everything was made possible by the City of West Hollywood and their vision for creating experiences and destinations that are welcoming for cannabis consumers. We’re grateful for the city and their continued support with developing the cafe. West Hollywood created eight cannabis consumption licenses and is working with the county and state of California on all legal logistics. We applied and were granted a license first out of over 300+ applicants, making Cannabis Cafe the first business in the U.S. granted a fully legal cannabis consumption license.” -Cannabis Cafe
Lowell has become a household name at this point. Back in the medical days, I remember working at my first dispensary and selling the cool branded pack of joints in a fancy cigarette box. Since then, they’ve perfected their packaging, marketing, and genetics, which has led them into being one of the biggest brands in cannabis. They’ve got cannabis consumerism down to a tee!
West Hollywood works great for the cafe’s location, a busy, fun, and exhilarating area. When it first opened on October 1st, 2019, it was named Lowell Cafe. In the few months open, through word of mouth and social media, people had started calling it the Cannabis Cafe. It rolls off the tongue easier, therefore officially changing Lowell Cafe to The Original Cannabis Cafe.
“This important social and historical establishment should belong to the cannabis community and industry, not any single cannabis corporation. By no longer being branded with a single company, our Cannabis Cafe will focus on its goal of presenting our diners with as diverse a range as possible of cannabis from small independent growers and entrepreneurs.” – Executive Chef and Partner, Andrea Drummer
The design of the cafe is modern, unique, and visually appealing to the eye. An outdoor patio serves those who like being outside and catching some sun rays during the day, or a more brisk night on the town. Plants follow you inside, as the architecture portrays a retro look that’s inspired by the 1930’s era which, unfortunately, had a bad influence on cannabis. The environment exudes the prohibition America has gone through with cannabis, and how triumphant we are now. It’s a very expressive and visually stimulating place, photos of celebrity stoners on the wall, street lights indoors, a dandy bar, and endless smoke in the air.
The cafe is open from 10am to 10pm and it’s best to make a reservation ahead of time, this place is popular for obvious reasons! When you’re seated, a waiter welcomes you, followed by a budtender who serves you the cannabis. You’re handed a food menu, a weed menu, and your imagination can run wild, so the possibilities are quite endless. Whether you like to smoke some heavy indica and munch out on a burger, or hit a sativa and pick a healthy salad, they’ve got you covered. Vegan or vegetarian? They’ve got you too.
Lowell Smokes, aka their staple joints, are their most popular product. Since we were in public, we decided to go with a single sativa “Chem Dawg” joint to share. The fun part was the variety of choices. Not only did they serve Lowell but other brands as well like, LA Kush, Maven, 710 Labs, and Caliva for cannabis brands, and Kikoko tea for edibles as just one of many examples. The menu was divided by product per page: vape, pre-rolls, pre-roll packs, flower, edibles, concentrates, and accessories to rent like a gravity bong! Reminds me of the good old days when you would get a free dab at the dispensary with a purchase. Hopefully they’re following in their footsteps by properly cleaning each piece after use…
The environment that is built each visit, is incomparable. Every person that’s in the cafe, sets the vibe. When we were seated, we didn’t have an ashtray, and I noticed our neighbors were smoking an LA Kush Blue Box joint. They kindly gave us their extra ashtray and we spoke shortly as they were just visiting from out of state. The music was versatile and interesting, After we ate our vegan mushroom burger and non-vegan turkey wrap, the people to our left were tearing into a Baked Alaska. If they weren’t from Alaska, they were definitely baked.
Lowell Cafe is for tourists, locals, and anyone looking to enjoy smoking cannabis in public without being judged. Whether it’s a birthday, catching up with a friend, a date, or even just a solo lunch, I highly recommend going at least once to Lowell. Even for those stoners who like to sit home and chill, it’s quite the experience doing it legally in public. Our waiter said it best, “Weed brings people together. People can come here and be themselves.” The stigma against cannabis is leaving, and normalization is already here.
Read more about Lowell and the Cannabis Cafe on their website and make a reservation or host a private event here!
Cannabis, music, and yoga, the perfect combination for bliss. This trifecta has been perfected by Yoga teacher Andrea Restivo and DJ Cole Knight as The Yoga Nectar, “elevated movement adventures to create mindfulness within the body.” When we say they know what they are doing, we mean that. Imagine a room full of friendly people, a sensational atmosphere, mother earth’s cannabis, and moving music. That is the space they have created.
The last event was sensory overload, in the best way possible. Located at Creatington, an aesthetically fun warehouse in Downtown LA, Andrea and Cole took everyone on a journey within themselves. Yoga is already a collective of consciousness, yet with cannabis added, the consciousness is brought closer, a community as one. The music is also a key factor at this event as Cole mixes an ambient yet exilirating set that compliments every movement that Andrea guides us through. Joints were passed in a huge circle as we all inhaled greatness and exhaled relaxation. When using cannabis in yoga, the mind becomes so in tune with the body, it gives us the chance to reflect, give us insight, and believe that anything is possible.
Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)
The cannabis didn’t stop there! Before the yoga session, cannabis brand NUG, had a booth where you could try their new medicated popsicles, “NUG Pops” that were 1:1 ratio containing 10mg of THC and 10mg of CBD! These pops are nano emulsified distillate which allows it to be activated in 10 minutes or less! That definitely got people in the mood, and for those not ready to have an edible, non-medicated were served as well to get a feel for the taste!
Kaylafineart.com / @kaylafineart
The space made was inclusive, eye-opening, and magical. Two artists displayed their work, including Kayla Fine Art who had augmented reality pieces, where you would download an app, put your camera over her artwork, and it would move. It was absolutely incredible. Another artist, Alyssa Morang-Pavlock had her artwork on display as she finished up a new piece live. Everyone had the chance to discover new art, jewelry, herb medicine and cannabis.
Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)
We can’t forget the dance party! Before and after yoga, Phat Jordan played the dance music we all needed to hear to set the mood. The whole session had our bodies moving but there was a point in the night where everyone just danced their problems away. Nothing mattered except for the energy in that room.
Don’t miss the next Yoga Nectar that’s taking place on November 9th! This will be the fifth installment and the last of 2019! Grab tickets here and bring your best self!
P.S. You get a sweet goodie bag with your purchase of a ticket!
Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)Photo by Ben Lin (@lifeafterdusk)
Comedy and cannabis go hand in hand and Emmy nominated comedian and podcast host for Weed and Grub, Mike Glazer is changing the comedy show game by knowing this fact.
I was at Hall of Flowers in Santa Rosa last month and decided to go up to Mike in his social environment, to ask him why he looked so familiar. He gave me his card and I looked him up, happily surprised that he had an upcoming comedy show at The Hollywood Improv. I decided to buy a ticket, not knowing what the hell I was in for!
When I walked up to the venue, I knew this would be a totally different kind of comedy show. A man was walking a tight rope in a funky rainbow one piece, as people took pictures and waited in line. As we got closer to the door we had to put our phones in secure bags that were locked, to keep the show a secret from social media!
Inside, a live band was playing groovy beats, insanely beautiful art portraits of Nipsey Hussle by artist Jason Lee, were displayed on stage, and the crowd was eager. The whole night, Jason drew cartoon sketches of each performer, giving the audience members a fun thing to look at. The first surprise was Mike introducing the voice actors of Pinky and the Brain, a childhood dream come true. It didn’t even stop there, he even brought out the creator of the show, Tom Ruegger, who had a live sketch for the voice actors, Rob Paulsen who is Pinky, and Maurice LaMarche who is The Brain. That in and of itself was fantastic and nostalgia driven.
The next comedian to enter the night was Mike’s good friend and comedian, and full blown proud lesbian, Rachel Scanlon. Her act was that of which we related to her lifestyle in the funniest way possible. I laughed until my stomach hurt because it was mainly about boobs, and women can relate to boobs.
The next performer to enter the stage was James Mastraieni who explained that he was too fucking high. He was hitting a vape pen the whole act and all I could wonder was what brand and strain he was smoking! His act reminded me of that website, highdeas.com where people would talk about random things they thought about when they are high. His highdeas made you really think, and laugh of course, whether it was out loud, or internally.
Chris Wonder from the show “Baskets,” got on stage with all his wacky props including signs that said “FUCK.” He was a drunk magician clown that blew confetti out of his ass, drank a beer every chance he got, and had a raunchy hysterical act. You don’t see a drunk clown magician with a real Hen everyday.
Brandon Brickz came in hot on stage comparing the gathering to a Bar Mitzvah, very similar with the confetti, clown performer, artist and Jews. He was one of the High Guys from Buzzfeed and he kept it real by joking about himself and his life.
Another woman came on stage by the name of Avital, a nice jewish girl who talked about bisexuality, being Jewish, being awkward, and every funny and sexual thing in between. Let’s just say I resonated a lot with her.
Last but definitely not least was Barron Vaughn, a comedian and actor that really set the tone of the night with his comedy. The most important topic of his act was about mattresses. The debate about mattresses is a bigger issue than you’d think and he explained his time reading about it on reddit. A catastrophic issue.
Harry Mack, a Jewish freestyle rapper ended the night on a high note, get it, HIGH note. His freestyle was all off the top of his head, describing the whole audience, words just flowing off his tongue. He will be touring with J.Cole, and I can see why, he’s a very talented fella.
Thank you to Mike Glazer and all the comedians that made the show amazing, and a special thanks to Cut & Dry cannabis who handed out joints at the end of the night and raffled off a goodie bag that, who better than, Abdul Saeed of Bong Appetit won! We also can’t forget Dunkin Donuts for helping us get Glazed as well.
Don’t miss Mike Glazer’s next GLAZED comedy shows at The Hollywood Improv! Show dates and tickets HERE!
Imagine yourself surrounded by thousands of redwood trees, music playing from a distance, and the fresh smell of cannabis in the air. This is Northern Nights Music Festival. Located in Northern California, in the serene Mendocino/ Humboldt area, Northern Nights takes place at Cook’s Valley during July 19th-July 21st, a serene 3-day destination for those who love music, yoga, camping, and cannabis!
Weed has always been part of the music scene and the Emerald Triangle, the largest cannabis producing region in the US, made up of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties, is the best place to combine both cannabis and live music. Since 2013, Northern Nights has been pushing the envelope of cannabis normalization through their events. This year, they are the first overnight, three-day festivals in the US to legally allow recreational cannabis sales and consumption on site!“Essentially it is an onsite temporary dispensary. It has all the same rules you would have at a dispensary, it’s just inside a festival,” says compliance manager, Peter Huson.
This is 5 Reasons Why You Should Attend Northern Nights Music Festival
1. The Location
Northern Nights is right in the middle of Northern California’s Emerald triangle that consists of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties. Cooks Valley Campground is tucked along the Eel River surrounded by enormous redwood trees, thriving natural habitats and cannabis farmers! The Eel River Watershed is the third largest in California, making it an important ecosystem that we must respect and keep sacred. Other festivals that have previously taken place at this luscious location were Hightimes Reggae on the River, and Enchanted Forest, but Northern Nights will be the only festival taking place there this year.
California law does not allow recreational consumption of alcohol and cannabis in the same area. Northern Nights has taken advantage of their location that resides in two counties. Cannabis consumption will be allowed on the Humboldt County side and alcohol on the Mendocino side without cannabis.
2. The Music
This years lineup is like no other! Northern Nights has been wanting to book ZHU since his track “Faded” came out in 2014. Finally ZHU will be headlining the mainstage and many other reputable acts including Big Wild, Berner, the Desert Hearts crew including Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, MARBS, Rybo and Lubelski, as well as Sacha Robotti, Dance Spirit, VNNSA, Minnesota, Shades (EPROM and Alix Perez) and more! Listen to some of Dance Spirit’s live sets below:
3. The Cannabis
The Tree Lounge is where the party is at! In 2016, the tree lounge was introduced as an area for medical marijuana consumption on-site. Now that cannabis is legal, this year is huge for the fest.
“We are going to have a cannabis retail and consumption area that goes by the name of the Tree Lounge. It is 21 and over area and cannabis sales and consumption are restricted to that area. Essentially it is an onsite temporary dispensary. It has all the same rules you would have at a dispensary, it’s just inside a festival,” says Northern Nights co-founder and compliance manager Peter Huson. Think of it like a beer garden at festivals, but for cannabis!
The lounge will include dozens of cannabis brands including Chemistry, Absolute Extracts, Flow Kana, Jetty, and more alongside local hip-hop crews, surprise sets, dancehall, reggae and more! The area will also have workshops, CBD yoga, cannabis infused activities, classes and more!
4. The Production
Main Stage The biggest stage, the most lights, lasers, and bass! You can expect to get blown away by every act with the festivals top notch sound systems and audio. Expect diverse acts at this stage, from hip-hop to house music, the stage gets packed fast!
River Stage Located right on the Eel River, combining the natural environment with live acts is something you can’t dream up. You’ll enjoy an array of artists whether you’re on the dance floor or chilling on your floatie. Remember to wear biodegradable glitter, and sunscreen that’s coral safe to help sustain the river!
Bunker Stage This will be the third year of all night amplified Funktion1 sound. This is heaven for those who live and breath dance music, from techno to house, you’ll be here dancing all day and night!
Grove Stage The grove is guaranteed to stimulate your senses! With a mixture of music, art, dance and yoga, this will be the epicenter of creation and imagination under nature’s canopies.
Silent Disco The party doesn’t stop at the stages! The silent disco is there for those who want to keep dancing into the night. Put on some pajamas or onesies and grab your night crew!
photo by: Kristina Baky via instagram
5. The Vibes
Nothing beats the vibes at Northern Nights. This is a safe place to be yourself, make friends, and live in the moment, taking every opportunity at hand. Choose from different activities like riding down a Slip n Slide, or enter the veggie and fruit bong competition from Flow Kana, there’s an adventure awaiting for everyone. Remember to respect the river by packing out what you packed in, clean up, embrace nature, and help with MOOP! Remember to respect the land as well as others, stay hydrated, and stay high!
See you under the redwoods! Get tickets here and enter code: SATIVADIVA for $20 off your ticket! Www.Northernnights.org
Our dreams have come true in California, it’s 2018 and weed is now legal. Is it really a dream, or just a facade that gets the state and government more involved? Either way, there are still rules and regulations to this fun, and for those who are new to the game, here are some tips on how to keep yourself educated on cannabis.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Help us help you! Being vague about what you want makes it harder for budtenders to find something you’d like. Knowing the difference between cannabis types is essential for getting to know your desired effects. Don’t ever be afraid to ask the difference, that’s what dispensaries are there for, to educate and spread the best knowledge! Leafly explains it well:
Sativa
Provides more invigorating, uplifting cerebral effects that pair well with physical activity, social gatherings, and creative projects.
Indica
Physically sedating, perfect for relaxing with a movie or as a nightcap before bed.
Hybrids
Somewhere in between the indica-sativa spectrum, depending on the traits they inherit from their parent strains.
Not only do they have different effects, but you can also identify the plants by the way they look.
Sativa
Tall, narrow-leaf varieties of cannabis, thought to induce energizing effects.
Indica
Stout, broad-leaf plants, thought to deliver sedating effects. These broad-leaf drug (BLD) varieties are technically Cannabis indica ssp. afghanica.
Hemp
What we call “hemp” refers to the industrial, non-intoxicating varieties harvested primarily for fiber, seeds, and CBD.
Not only can you refer to the different strains, but terpenes play an important roll as well. Did you ever wonder why weed has such an aroma or taste when you smoke it? Terpenes are aromatic oils that are secreted in the same glands that produce cannabinoids like THC and CBD, that give cannabis a variety of different flavors like citrus, berry, pine, and mint. They also help differentiate effects of various strains, including relaxation and stress relief, or the opposite effect like focus and sharpness. Terpenes were developed for adaptive purposes like repelling predators and luring pollinators. Factors that influence a plants development of terpenes includes, climate, weather, fertilizers, soil type, age and maturation, and even the time of day.
Terpenes are naturally found in plants and fruits and over 100 different terpenes have been identified in cannabis alone! Leafly describes it as, “every strain tends toward a unique terpene type and composition. In other words, a strain like Cheese and its descendants will likely have a discernible cheese-like smell, and Blueberry offspring often inherit the smell of berries.”
Don’t forget your math! Know how much a gram, an eighth, a quarter weighs, and if you’re into concentrates, get more info on vape pens here!
This might be a lot of information to take in, but that’s what comes with getting to know your cannabis! Learn more about strains and cannabis on Leafly.com
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2. Learn About CBD In this day and age, media and television are catching onto the cannabis trend, giving more insight to those who might have not been exposed to it as much. We’ve seen new shows like Disjointed, movies like Gringo, and reality TV like Cooking on High on Netflix, it’s all around us. With legalization comes misinformation as well. CBD is the new word in everyones vocabulary, yet not everyone knows the exact definition which comes many assumptions. Yes, CBD can help with epilepsy and seizure disorders, pain and inflammation, PTSD and anxiety, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Opioid withdrawal, but it is not a cure all. It takes trial and error. Most folks come into a dispensary thinking they’ll buy CBD, not get high and get the results they need, but it’s not that easy. One key factor to help CBD is THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis. Although one might not want to “get high,” a proportionate ratio of CBD to THC activates both cannabinoids to their best potential. The right trifecta of THC, CBD, and terpenes can help many symptoms.
3. Bring your ID
Think of a dispensary as a bar, you must be of age with a legal form of ID to enter. Whether you’re freshly 21, or 76 years-old, you are always required to show your ID. The law requires anyone who steps foot into a recreational dispensary to be the age of 21 or older with a valid government issued ID, including out of state IDs, or passports. If the shop is also medicinal you must present your doctor’s medical recommendation as well.
You cannot bring a picture of your ID or passport, or a photocopy. If your ID is expired, you must have the expired ID and the official document from the DMV.
Most dispensaries do not take a doctor’s recommendation from online, unless it is a PDF file that can be printed or forwarded in an email. It is always safe to have your recommendation on you at all times.
4. Cash Only This is a tricky one. This does not apply to all dispensaries, but most. Cannabis is recreationally legal on a state level, not on a federal level, therefore, dispensaries cannot use federal banks. As to other dispensaries using debit and credit card systems, we can’t say much, but, think about how it will come up on your bank statement?
5. NO PHONES! Since the beginning of medical marijuana, it’s been a known fact that you cannot use your phone inside of a dispensary. You’ll see signs signifying “no phone use.” Some people get frustrated, but it comes down to a privacy policy. There are exceptions like showing a PDF file of your recommendation, a picture of a product, etc. It’s as if you were to text a minor what they’d want and buying it for them. This includes no phone use at all, no pictures, no texting, no checking emails. It may sound stupid, but it’s being safer than sorry.
6. The Difference Between Medicinal and Recreational Since the legalization of cannabis in California, Prop 215 is still into effect… for now. You can choose to shop recreationally with a 21+ ID, or you can get a doctor’s medical recommendation. You can visit a doctor or talk to one on the phone at nuggmd.com or eaze.com. Tax for recreational customers in California is currently 34.5% and 29.5% for medicinal customers. California state excise tax is 15%, California sales tax is 9.5%, and the Los Angeles tax is 10% (varied on city or county.) Being a medicinal patient helps lower the taxes by 5% and some shops give medicinal patients first time discounts as well. Unless you get a Medical Marijuana Identification Card (MMIC) from the count that first requires a doctor’s recommendation, you are exempt from all taxes except for the 15% excise tax.There is also a difference in quantity you are allowed to purchase. Recreationally you can only buy an ounce of flower a day and eight grams of concentrate. As a medicinal patient you can buy up to eight ounces of flower, and eight ounces of concentrate a day.
7. Expect Taxes Listed above are the tax rates. This has definitely impacted the cannabis industry. Your favorite cartridges, edibles, and flower, is all going up in price. If you were ever a medicinal patient, we know you’re used to $30 eighths or less, but things are changing. Due to the legalities of the new industry, you won’t be seeing those low prices anymore, at least at legal shops. So remember, your budtenders don’t want to hear you complain about how you used to get a half ounce for $60 rather than what an eighth costs now.
8. Legality After July 1st, all legal cannabis shops must be compliant and carry compliant products. What does compliant ensue? Companies with the according avenues must have distribution licenses, manufacturing licenses, retail licenses. All cannabis products, including CBD and flower, must be prepackaged, in child-proof containers, signifying it is a cannabis product with a government warning. Everything must be grown in California and tested by a state approved lab for pesticides, THC, CBD, and CBN levels. No more weighing out weed from big jars right in front of you.
As for edibles, say goodbye to your 1000mg Blackout bars and gummy bears! All edibles must be capped at 100mg, dosed at 10mg or less per package and cannot take the shape of candy due to children’s accidents. So, you’re looking at what used to be one small gummy that was 100mg, to 10 individual gummies, 10mg each. This allows everyone to dose correctly, because no one wants to have a scary edible high, we’ve all been there.
Most companies aren’t making edibles over 100mg because the recreational market is now bigger than the medicinal. Fear not medicinal patients! Companies are whoever producing tinctures, sprays, pills, and “tablets” that have over 100mg per package. These are not considered edibles.As these new regulations take their course, more and more companies are forced to jump on the bandwagon, backing up the smooth conveyor belt of legalization.
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9. Do Not Touch The Weed Would you like it if people were touching your grapes at the market before purchasing? It’s the same with weed. When showing a display, whatever you do, do NOT touch the weed! We all know that stickiness and density are a factor in our preferences, but you’re going to have to hold back. You’ll have to base your decision on smell and sight, which if you’re lucky, some dispensaries will have a magnifying glass.
10. Percentage Isn’t Everything We know that high numbers equals high THC levels, but you shouldn’t always count on the percentage for good weed. We understand there’s a huge difference between a strain that is 8% and 21%, but the effect is what matters. You must take into account what kind of weed it is, sativa, indica, or hybrid, the smell, how many trichomes you can see, the color, and also consider the desired effect from research online. Ask your budtender what they know about the strain, what they’ve heard, or if they’ve smoked it, they should be honest.
11. Weedmaps If you haven’t heard of Weedmaps, you might be living under a rock. Weedmaps is an app where you can locate a dispensary near you, find products you’re looking for, and check menu items. Before shopping, it’s always a good idea to check Weedmaps for products, whether you’re looking for a specific item, a price range, or a location.
12. It is ILLEGAL to travel with WEED No matter what you do, do not ask your budtender if you can travel or ship weed. Whether it’s an edible, a vape pen, or even MINTS, we as budtenders are legally not allowed to advise anything of the sort. Even if you’re flying from one legal state to another, even if someone is sick in another state, we cannot talk about it. That’s what Google is for right?
13. It’s Not a Museum
Don’t show up with your whole squad to the dispensary, especially if only one person is going to buy a joint. We know it’s a new experience and everyone wants to see what we have to offer, but when it comes down to it, business is business, and if you’re holding up the line by asking 100 questions, having no idea what you want, or just taking a look around, be courteous. People are patiently waiting to get high!
Bonus Tip: Try to be pleasant to your budtenders, they are only there to help you!
Not only do they have different effects, but you can also identify the plants by the way they 
