NorthwestLeaf_Mar2026

better than ever

WE'VE G T PLENTY OF GREEN GREEN

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3/17 ST. PADDY'S DAY SALE

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PANDAMONIUM MONDAY

DOUBLE POINT DAY

40% off all Panda flower and joints

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BEST BUDS TUESDAY

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CONCENTRATION WEDNESDAY

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MUNCHIES THURSDAY

30% off all edibles & beverages

FLOWER POWER FRIDAY

30% off all flower and joints and 30% off Blue Roots and FlipSide

SAFETY MEETING SATURDAY

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ONLINE 9AM UNTIL 9PM

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WES ABNEY CEO & FOUNDER wes@leafmagazines.com

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DANIEL BERMAN CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER daniel@leafmagazines.com

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MATT JACKSON SOCIAL MEDIA LEAD mattjackson@leafmagazines.com

ABOUT THE COVER

This month, our trichome-coated cover showcases a collage of beautiful bud shots captured by longtime Leaf Contributor Rex Hilsinger, who also wrote many of the reviews in the pages that follow. Our Flower Issue is dedicated to highlighting the best of Washington State’s Cannabis growers, and takes a close-up look at some of their finest strains and cultivations. If you’re looking to try a new brand or revisit an old favorite, check out these mouthwatering reviews pgs. 36-60, and be sure to tag @nwleaf for love!

COVER PHOTOS BY REX HILSINGER @BOROPHOTO DESIGN BY DANIEL BERMAN @BERMANPHOTOS

CONTRIBUTORS

WES ABNEY, FEATURES

AJ AGUILAR, FEATURES + STYLING

DANIEL BERMAN, DESIGN + PHOTOS

BOBBY BLACK, DESIGN + FEATURES

JACKIE BRYANT, FEATURES

CHRIS ROV COSTA, PHOTOS

DAVID DOWNS, FEATURES + PHOTOS

BRAM GOODWIN, PHOTOS

REX HILSINGER, FEATURES + PHOTOS

ELLEN HOLLAND, FEATURES WIND HOME, PHOTOS

MATT JACKSON, FEATURES

DAN KARKOSKA, PHOTOS

MODERN OBSCURA, PHOTOS LENA B. MONAGHAN, AD S ALES + PRODUCTION

MIKE RICKER, PRODUCTION

CHRIS ROMAINE, PHOTOS

TERPENE TRANSIT, DISTRIBUTION

TERPODACTYL MEDIA, PRODUCTION

BRUCE WOLF, PHOTOS

KATHERINE WOLF, FEATURES

LAURIE WOLF, RECIPES

We are creators of targeted, independent Cannabis journalism. Please email us to discuss advertising in the next issue of Northwest Leaf Magazine. We do not sell stories or coverage. Email ricker@leafmagazines.com to start advertising!

Editor’s Note

Thanks for picking up The Flower Issue of the Leaf!

Farmers are the key to life, whether it’s food or our favorite terpenes, and this issue honors the best buds that we’ve found in the market.

It’s hard work dedicating your life to growing a plant, which is why corn, soybean and weed farmers all have dirty fingernails and the hardscrabble endurance that it takes to coax a living thing out of the Earth. The biggest difference between the weed industry and the farming industrial system is that Cannabis has a huge diversity of farm and product ownership, whereas the food system is almost entirely controlled by 10 major corporations.

That lack of ownership diversity is why our food system is enti rely corrupt, which — combined with our financially crooked political system — has led to food additives, coloring and the spraying of glyphosate (as a drying agent) on wheat during harvest, poisoning our food system. Ever heard of gluten intolerance? It’s glyphosate intolerance, a fact that charts with data. It's likely why cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome pops up in newly legal states, where pesticides and chemicals are used in greater freq uency than in established Cannabis markets. Our bodies have an endocannabinoi d system, so it’s much more likely that a chemical is to blame than the plant we were created with and given by God.

In today’s America, there are only four major meat processors, and they are all owned by BlackRock, the $12.5 trillion asset management gro up. There’s a disturbing lack of choice when it comes to food at a U.S. groce ry store, including the stores themselves, which continue to merge and consolidate, all packed full of shiny brands with additives and chemicals that are illegal in Canada and the European Union.

"WE NEED FARMERS — AND OWNERSHIP DIVERSITY — SO THAT THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF CLEAN, BEAUTIFUL BUDS …”

In the U.S., we even let food companies self-certify new ingred ients under the Generally Recognized as Safe system without Food and Drug Administration approval or notification. Letting food companies certify the safety of new additives is l ike letting pharmaceutical companies run their own trials and then redact the data, as has happened with many vaccines and controversial drugs. Remember Zantac, the antacid causing c ancer?

When you realize that the food companies are owned by the drug companies, which make money off our poor health and chronic diseases and illnesses, t he entire rotten food system suddenly makes sense.

Why am I on this soapbox? The reason you don’t have Frosted Flakes-flavored vapes complete with fresh glyphosate and Roundup sprayed until the day of harvest is that the Cannabis industry is made up of thousands of small farms all competing to deliver the best terps and products for their loving stoner fans.

We need farmers — and ownership diversity — so that there is an abundance of clean, beautiful buds along with vapes, edibles, tinctures, topicals, RSO and everything else to buy, consume, heal and feature in the Leaf. Otherwise, weed will end up like the cereal aisle: lots of brand options, all owned by four companies. That’s why we honor farmers in this Flower Issue!

Appreciating the flowers on a road trip through the Napa Valley

SENDING SUNSHINE

“Yellow is the first sign of spring,” I think to myself as I’m driving to the Napa Valley on a midwinter morning. It’s the beginning of February, and the famously golden hills of California are still mostly green. The old vine grapes in the valley are dormant, woody brown, knotted skeletons, and the sun is shining brightly. In the fields ahead are pops of yellow.

AT A CERTAIN TIME OF YEAR IN WINE COUNTRY — and across many areas of California — the mustard plants bloom, transforming whole hillsides into sunny seas of yellow. Introduced by Spanish colonialists, legend has it that mustard seeds were scattered along the El Camino Real mission trail to mark the route, creating a “ribbon of gold.” Found in adobe bricks dating from the mission era, these non-native plants were most likely transported by cattle across the wide grazing lands during the time of Spanish and Mexican ranchos. Pervasive and invasive, black mustard plants grow wild almost everywhere in California and are celebrated in Napa in February and March as a way to draw tourists during the slow season. Armed with a map put out by the local tourism board and inspired by the warmth of the sun, I’m in the heart of the valley dropping in at wineries, but I’m not tasting wine. Instead, I’m smoking weed and taking in the splendor of another flower you’ll find across California and most of the world: the black mustard flower.

MAGIC WITHOUT MONEY

It’s easy to get priced out of Napa if you’re not ultra-wealthy; most wine tastings are nearly $100, and many wineries are appointment only. I grew up in Fairfield, on the other side of the Vaca Mountains from the valley, so Napa holds nostalgic childhood memories for me. When I was growing up, the mineral pool in Calistoga had a day rate and a snack bar. Now, the only way to experience that pool is by booking a high-end massage or pricey overnight accommodations. I want to spend time in the Napa Valley, but I can’t afford to spend my day sipping expensive wine. The mustard bloom offers me an in — a way to linger in the iconic valley, best known for its wine production, without spending money at every place I stop. Bringing Cannabis along enhances the experience of enjoying time in the natural settings of the valley on an unseasonably warm winter’s day.

I spent my afternoon crawling along Napa’s two main thoroughfares, Highway 29 on the west side and the Silverado Trail on the east side. After noticing the lemons, daffodils and sour grass with delicate yellow flowers that I used to eat as a kid, I find myself deeply connected to the color yellow as the first signal that winter is ending and brighter days are ahead. The valley presents naked oak trees covered in green moss, leafless rows of grape vines and fields of yellow mustard flowers. Deepening my sensory perception with Cannabis flowers helps me connect with the natural beauty of the area.

FLOWERS FOR FLOWERS

The morning hit of Zangria when I arrive in Yountville tastes fruity and bright. I smoke on the walkable flat streets, which are empty of people, but full of cars parked in front of California bungalows and vacation rentals.

Bouchon Bakery — run by celebrity chef Thomas Keller, who also heads the world-renowned, three-Michelin-star restaurant The French Laundry just down the road — is a popular hotspot in Yountville in the morning. When I arrive at the bakery, it’s unusually empty. I’m a savory breakfast person, but can’t stomach the idea of a $15 ham and cheese croissant, so I opt for a cream cheese danish and an Americano. When I push my crumbs off the table, and small brown birds begin to gather, I feel like Cinderella.

In The French Laundry Culinary Garden, I spot winter vegetables like cabbage and lettuce as a woodpecker with a red cap flies just above my head.

A flowering pear drops snow-white blooms to the ground that mimic snowfall, and I feel incredibly grateful to be in California while the rest of the country is still in a time of deep winter cold.

Following the map of mustard blossoms, I stop at a winery along the Silverado Trail and walk toward a field of mustard. It’s nearly 70 degrees, and the sunshine on my skin feels amazing.

I visit a few more spots on the map before arriving in St. Helena, further north along the valley. Once there, I follow a directional sign leading toward the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, which is flanked in front by a field of grape vines and mustard blossoms.

Best known for the novels “Treasure Island” and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Stevenson arrived in the Napa Valley seeking sunny, dry air to improve his health. On her blog, Very Important Potheads, Ellen Komp writes that Stevenson and his cousin Bob Stevenson were inseparable in their youth, noting that Stevenson’s biographer James Pope Hennessy wrote that the two Stevensons “pursued girls together and smoked hashish (when they could get it).”

Stevenson's poem “Spring Song” reminds me of the renewal I feel on my stoney trip to the Napa Valley, knowing that spring is on its way.

The air was full of sun and birds, The fresh air sparkled clearly. Remembrance wakened in my heart And I knew I loved her dearly.

The fallows and the leafless trees

And all my spirit tingled.

My earliest thought of love, and Spring’s First puff of perfume mingled.

In my still heart the thoughts awoke, Came lone by lone togetherSay, birds and Sun and Spring, is Love A mere affair of weather?

The valley presents naked oak trees covered in green moss, leafless rows of grape vines and fields of yellow mustard flowers. Deepening my sensory perception with Cannabis flowers helps me connect with the natural beauty of the area.

In another poem, Stevenson wrote a line that reminds me of my ambition for my day’s adventure in the Napa Valley: “Bring flowers while flowers are sweet to see.”

SING A SONG OF SEASONS

I brought Cannabis to a place that’s best known for wine to look at another type of flower, and in doing so, felt hope for the things that are yet to come. As the days continue to warm up, the dormant Cannabis seeds that we plant in the soil will begin to grow. And come next winter, a celebration of these flowers will occur as we smoke the first tastes of the 2026 Cannabis harvest.

Napa Valley is beautiful in all seasons, and enjoying it with an herbal companion as opposed to a glass of wine was an incredible way to stay in tune with the seasons. Flowers of all kinds bring joy to our lives, but I think the Cannabis flower is the most special because of the way it can help us to appreciate the world around us. As we look ahead toward spring and the Cannabis planting season, I hope we all can find the time to appreciate flowers and feel the heat of the sun. The yellow color of mustard blossoms that filled my day in Napa evokes happiness, energy, optimism and warmth. I take solace in knowing there are brighter and stonier days ahead as Cannabis flowers begin to bud and bloom, both in our hearts and minds.

Purpose

Pleasure

Health Matters

Party J’s

FIRE FOLLOWER BEST SEEDS AND CLONES TO GROW IN 2026

IT'S A glorious time to be a Cannabis gardener. More folks in more states can grow more dope than at any time in history. Legalization has spread from a hippie pipe dream in San Francisco to the backyards of frickin’ legal Virginia (four plants allowed) and Ohio (six plants). Generally, dozens of states allow some form of home growing, and this March is the time to lock in your seeds for an epic 2026 full-sun run.

We do our best to review hundreds of breeder websites, seed banks, Instagrams and Discord channels to bring you this essential list of the Best Seeds and Clones to Grow in 2026. Get out there and flex your freedom to garden.

‘CANDY-GAS’

Let's start with the most popular flavor profile: “purple candy-gas.” Look toward industry leaders Compound Genetics and its 2026 line of “candy” Pavé crosses. We sampled six this month, and our where-bling-meets-flavor favorite is the Zhampagne (Blue Nerdz x Pavé). It keeps the glimmering bag appeal of the Pavé with the tongue-smacking taste of Zkittlez cross Blue Nerdz.

A related pick goes to former Compound Genetics breeder Chris Lynch and his Cipher Genetics label. Cipher has two big lines of work off the Leafly Strain of the Year 2025 nominee, Blue Lobster. Blue Lobster (Apples & Bananas x Eye Candy) has had an enormous impact over the last two years, and “it’s really worthy of it," Lynch said. Blue Lobster V2 feminized seeds are up on the Cipher Genetics website. Standouts include Paint Stripper, a cross of (Chemdog D x Monaco Octane) x Blue Lobster, but there are keepers in every pack.

Another honorable mention for herb that’s guaranteed to move is Humboldt Seed Company’s new Candy Hustle (Don Carlos x Jose x Grape Menthol).

Describing the reaction to it on the farm, Benjamin Lind at Humboldt Seed Co. said, “This is that hustle weed,” which means that it's good for folks selling to brokers and bulk buyers.

HASHERS

Second to purple candy-gas, another big wave remains: strains that hash well. One great place to start is “slips” — that is, unrooted cuttings of preselected winning varieties. New breeder super-group Arcana of Marin, California, has a top-selling slip called Bickett OG — a cross of Cherry Pie x GMO — that’s a hash dumper. Of course, Bloom Seed Co. reigns for hash-producing varieties. We’d run Super Limez, a cross of Leafly Strain of the Year 2024 Super Boof x Too Much Limez.

We just finished judging the American Autoflower Cup in Hollywood, and our biggest takeaway came from the hash entries. The future belongs to automatically flowering Cannabis that hashes well. Picks there include Fast Buds’ Apricot Auto, which won first place in Best Hash at the Autoflower Cup. Also, Humboldt Seed Co.’s new Hella Jelly Autoflower and Garlic Budder Autoflower, out soon.

Award-winning journalist/author and

David Downs’ monthly genetics intelligence

HYPE STRAINS

Let's speedrun through some more essential hype: Seed Junky Genetics keeps pumping out winners like Guava Jellie (Guava Gelato x Permanent Marker BX2).

Fellow Los Angeles grower Capulator has released the 10th anniversary of MAC in seed form as MAC 10.

Archive Seeds has amplified the Toad Venom strain wave with the new Ichiban (Toad Venom x Oishii).

And my favorite local, indie breeder Xeno Seed Company of Richmond, California, has a hit with Gumosa, a cross of its Black Bubblegum x Symbiotic Genetics’ Mimosa. Gumosa flower, grown by Bosky, just took second place in the 2025 MJBowl, and seeds are out now.

“THIS

OUTDOOR BANGERS

Now, let's abandon hype for unique, feel-good strains that crush outdoors. First on my list is Canna Country’s latest crosses. All Canna Country’s strains are numbered, not named. We love the Canna Country #26 (a Forbidden Fruit x Cherimoya). Anything by Canna Country with the #26 in it is going to be a pleasant treat. For example, CC29 x CC26 unites Blueberry Muffin x Dosidos and Forbidden Fruit x Cherimoya. Hot damn! Similarly, multi-Emerald Cup and California State Fair champ Greenshock Farms is on the Tangled Roots seedbank website with a few must-haves like Tropical Sleigh Ride x Tangie (just three packs left at press time).

If all this stuff feels too newfangled and fancy, grab some Rebel Grown Seeds Blue Dream F5s. The Humboldt and Vermont-based brand offers a trusted, consistent domestic source for the easy-togrow, easy-to-love, high-yield classic.

It’s impossible to fully arm you with personal garden picks — everyone’s tastes and needs are unique. Find more Fire Follower picks over at daviddownspresents.substack.com.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE PATH

AYNE JUSTMANN understood that medical Cannabis was survival.

In July 2000, standing on the steps of San Francisco’s Department of Public Health, Justmann held the city’s first anonymous medical marijuana identification card and told the San Francisco Chronicle that the program was “another brick in the path paving the way to legal use of medicinal marijuana.” At the time, Proposition 215 was only 4 years old and still politically volatile.

Patients were being questioned, raided and, in some cases, arrested. The card — deliberately stripped of name and address — was designed to protect them.

Justmann needed that protection himself. He was living with HIV and used Cannabis to manage the side effects of the medications required to control it. In 2000, he told the Chronicle he had already used his card to purchase an eighth of an ounce to relieve those side effects; symptom management during an era when antiretroviral therapies were harsh and often debilitating.

As director of the San Francisco Patients Resource Center on Divisadero Street, Justmann helped formalize access for patients who were otherwise navigating a legal gray zone. The center distributed Cannabis to qualified patients under California law, providing a structured, accountable alternative to the street market.

In the early 2000s, that structure signaled that medical Cannabis was civilized, organized and institutionalized care, the same as any other type of medical care.

The anonymous ID card program he championed was equally intentional. According to city officials at the time, doctor letters were verified, photocopies were destroyed and no identifying records were retained by the Health Department.

Activists insisted on confidentiality because federal enforcement remained a threat. Justmann understood that visibility and privacy had to coexist. Someone had to speak publicly so others could remain protected.

He was not operating in isolation, of course, especially as a close friend of Dennis Peron and the rest of their world-altering activist crew. San Francisco in the late 1990s and early 2000s was a crucible for medical Cannabis policy. Local supervisors, the district attorney and public health officials were actively shaping how Proposition 215 would function on the ground. Justmann was part of that ecosystem — a patient advocate who bridged lived experience and policy implementation.

The infrastructure surrounding medical Cannabis today — state ID systems, regulated dispensaries, lab testing and formal patient protections — can make those early fights feel distant. They were messy, political, personal and built by people who needed the medicine and were willing to stand on record saying so. They’re still happening today at the federal, state and local levels. Wayne Justmann died Jan. 28; his memorial was held in Berkeley, California, on Feb. 22. I met him briefly in San Francisco a few years ago during 4/20 celebrations. He stopped me to introduce himself, and we shared an earnest conversation filled with mutual admiration and a lot of hugs.

Similarly, in his advocacy, he did not frame his work in grand language. He spoke plainly about suffering and relief. In doing so, he helped normalize the idea that Cannabis could be a medical agent without apology. For patients who can now access their medicine without fear of arrest or exposure, that legacy is tangible. Wayne Justmann helped lay that brick; the path is still being paved.

WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SHAPE SENSIBLE CANNABIS POLICY THAT BENEFITS BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS, AND COMMUNITY.

THE FREEDOM MARKET THE FREEDOM MARKET LONGVIEW

WHEN YOU SEE THE GIANT NUG MURAL ON THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

The Freedom Markets’ multiple locations all started with a goal: to serve their local communities. This simple mantra is the reason that this team can celebrate over 15 years of successfully providing Cannabis to locals. With budtenders from the medical days and a focus on supporting the best of Washington’s craft and small-batch Cannabis producers, it’s no surprise that once you find one of their locations, you’ll be back. This month, Northwest Leaf takes a closer look at the Longview store.

WHEN YOU SEE the giant nug mural on the building, you know you are in the right place. Ample parking awaits you, but what’s even more inviting is the team — they have smiles for miles. These dedicated budtenders have legacy experience and are always seeking knowledge about the latest and greatest products.

The shop’s layout is easy to maneuver. Original artwork and prints adorn the walls, creating a welcoming and heady aesthetic. A curated selection of glass art is visible as soon as you enter the store. If you need something to aid in consumption, this shop has it, from papers to the latest e-rigs. This is a one-stop shop.

A lot of regulars came in the afternoon Northwest Leaf visited, and one thing that stood out was the attention to detail each individual experienced. Even if they knew what their client purchased last time, the budtenders were very cognizant of any new needs.

This locale might seem a little sleepy and laidback, but some of the newest products on the market are available at this shop. The Freedom Markets stay on top of it, but they don’t overcrowd their shelves with meaningless trends; they

really do have the heat. Delectable rosin, fresh flowers, edibles galore and a great array of vape products cover the wall, but it’s all organized in an efficient manner that is easy for the eye to decipher. Go visit our friends at The Freedom Market. The Leaf can vouch that the experience will satisfy your taste buds and make you ready to come back for more!

THE FREEDOM MARKET

971 14TH AVE. #110 LONGVIEW, WA

THEFREEDOMMARKETS.COM

@THE_FREEDOM_MARKETS

8 A.M. - 12 A.M. DAILY (360) 703-3229

“HOUSE OF CANNABIS PROVIDED THE ATMOSPHERE THAT SHE WAS SEEKING. “IT’S A PLACE THAT FEELS LIKE HOME” AS SHE PUT IT.

@TACHOUSECANNA

8 A.M. - MIDNIGHT DAILY (253) 327-1242

DARIAN MARTINI

Darian Martini’s knowledge of industry structure and current Cannabis products is impressive. Her vibe is friendly and warm. She is the friend that you are happy to spend a Saturday afternoon with — doing nothing or going on a serious adventure — and you know smiles and good times are ahead.

SHE WAS BORN and raised in Chehalis, and when she turned 18, she moved to Bellingham. Known for its outdoor activities and bustling metro area, Martini made herself at home there. When asked what she did in Bellingham, she said, “Sold a lot of weed, so, so much weed.”

Martini was a full-time budtender at some of the highest-volume retail locations in town. Through her natural attraction to knowledge, she quickly became a go-to for the latest and greatest product recommendations. Bellingham (and Whatcom County) is a very inclusive place where people respect each other. There is a lot of common ground, and that is why she made it home for over a decade.

About a year and a half ago, Martini made her way back south and settled in Tacoma. The location was perfect, as it’s close enough to spend time with family in Chehalis. She dotes on her family and really values being able to spend more time with them now.

When it came to planting her feet in the southern Puget Sound area and finding a company she could put her heart into, House of Cannabis provided the atmosphere that she was seeking. “It’s a place that feels like home,” she said.

Recently promoted to lead budtender, she emanates this company’s values, as House of Cannabis promotes product knowledge and customer service above all. This location is a very community-based store; the clients all seem like regulars. From edibles to help an elderly gentleman with sleep issues to locals in their 20s looking for some fire, you can tell that this is a local safe place that puts a high value on each interaction and always includes a smile.

DARIAN’S DARLINGS

FLOWER

WA Bud Co. Afghan Hashplant PREROLL

Laff Gas Super Boof flower with Gary Payton Badder PIC EDIBLE

Kelly’s Sweet Hash Edibles

Triple Chocolate Malted

Edible Cookie Dough

CONCENTRATE

Sitka Hash House

Lebanese Red CART

SKöRD Dark Rainbow 2.0 VAPE

Fire Bros Crepe Ape

When Martini isn’t working at House of Cannabis or spending time with her family, you can find her relaxing at home with her house plants and a western hognose snake, a very beautiful and sometimes mischievous 3 1/2-footlong serpent named Coilette.

If you find yourself in the southern part of Tacoma, stop by and say “high” to Martini and the team.

GPS GLASS

GREGORY PAUL SCHEYER

Gregory Paul Scheyer, the artist behind GPS Glass, started life like a lot of us did: with a skateboard. He told the Leaf that defining his own style came from learning and enjoying board sports, from something as simple as how you do a kickflip to finding zen in the mountains on a snowboard. There are no set laws and no national judges, just you and your vision of a clean landing.

“BOLTS” (flawlessly landing a skateboard trick) — that’s what Scheyer desires in his artwork as well. Landing a trick perfectly requires practice and the ability to do it until you are happy with the results. It’s not about who, what, why, when or where; it’s about finding solace in your own mind. When the Leaf asked Scheyer about influences, it started with skating. His friends Michael Nicholson and Mark McCourt were mentors. They skated together, experienced life together and partied together. Fortunately, all of this happened in a “mecca” of contemporary glass art.

Eugene, Oregon, has been a cultural center for the arts and creatives for over half a century. It was here that Bob Snodgrass, the “Godfather of Glass,” put down roots in the 1970s.

The art form has progressed at an amazing pace. Today, you can find dozens of studios, raw material providers and a great education base.

One of these institutions, the Eugene Glass School, is a creative space where Scheyer learned to mold something from his mind that didn’t involve carving a fresh slope or finding the perfect transition. Charles Lowrie was among the first of many teachers that would help encourage Scheyer’s playful disposition and youthful exuberance.

Scheyer said that working on large scale soft glass projects with Charles gave him a broader perspective on the bigger picture. Many can relate to this moment in our lives, when the walls come crashing down to reveal a whole world that was in front of us the whole time. Scheyer hit that slope and is still riding the wave. His style is defined by his execution. You will notice a perfect symmetry in his work. The juxtaposition of his sculptural proportions mixed with the perception of his internal vision always creates something unique and magical for the mind's eye.

“We are all a catalyst in each other's lives ...”

He said he realized part of what drives him is “never being satisfied while at the same time accepting that true perfection isn’t a real thing. But I'd rather do my best and give it all I've got.”

Scheyer has learned from some of the glass masters, including Robert Mickelsen, Carmen Lozar and Roger Parramore. After years of experience, personal growth and Flame Off events, he did some exploring. His travels landed him in Medford, Oregon, about 15 years ago, where he has made a home with his wife, Jenny Calaba.

In his 30s, Scheyer had another enlightenment. “We are all a catalyst in each other's lives, a catalyst of change,” he said. This was brought on by his realization that what we put out into the world affects others.

Continuing to explore his mind and the world around him for inspiration, he never loses sight of the goal to always do better and be the best version of himself.

If you are craving a piece of this master's artwork, check out his website or with your local glass gallery. Keep an eye on his Instagram for updates on openings and drops.

GPSGLASS.BIGCARTEL.COM | @GPSGLASS

BOUQUETS, BONGS AND THE ART OF LIVING FLOWERS

SPRING CANNABLISS

There’s a primal joy that comes from harvesting something with your own hands. Whether it’s a wildflower clipped from a backyard garden or a perfectly cured Cannabis kola trimmed with care, the act itself slows time. It brings us back into a relationship with the season and our senses.

STEP OUTSIDE THE RECREATIONAL MARKET and into your home with this DIY Cannabis floral bouquet guide.

At the center of this creation sits The Mantelpiece Vase, a female-owned entrepreneurial vision brought to life by creator Elisabeth Chembry with the intention to help destigmatize and normalize Cannabis use.

This tabletop decorative glass looks like art, holds flowers like a vase and transforms into a bong when the moment calls for it. It’s clever, elegant and slightly mischievous, the kind of object that invites curiosity while honoring ritual.

CANNABIS JOURNEY

“My relationship with Cannabis began later than most. I was 22 when I took my first toke around a campfire with my parents in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. It was such a safe, beautiful experience. My God, I wish everyone had an introduction like that,” Chembry said.

Her parents, longtime but quiet home growers, had waited intentionally.

“They didn’t want to influence me as a youth,” she said. Today, her relationship with the plant is rooted in reverence: “I don’t get high, I get grounded.”

BREAKING DISCRIMINATION WITH NORMALIZATION

For Chembry, design is activism.

“People are sitting in prison for this harmless and beneficial plant,” she said. “Meanwhile, alcohol is proudly displayed in homes and boardrooms. The discrimination makes no sense.”

The Mantelpiece — with its slogan “Stop Hiding” — speaks directly to that contradiction. “It’s meant to be hidden and yet not hidden all at once,” Chembry said.

She plans to donate a percentage of proceeds to Last Prisoner Project once profits allow.

“It’s important to keep our prisoners in mind as we boldly display our use while some are still sitting behind bars."

CONSCIOUS AND INTENTIONAL DESIGN

“What makes something worth creating is the perfect combination of aesthetics and utility,” she explained. The duality is intentional.

“It’s a bong, and bongs can be loud visually and sometimes stanky loud,” Chembry said with a laugh. “I wanted to soften that. I wanted a piece I’d genuinely use every day yet discreet enough to leave out on the mantel.

“At the heart of it, adults deserve options. The Mantelpiece Vase is the Cannabis alternative to crystal champagne glasses.”

Sustainability is woven into the company ethos: recyclable packaging, soy inks and heirloom-quality glass. “I refuse to create something that becomes waste. The box and the piece are meant for a lifetime.” Future plans include new colorways and an ashtray design launching this year.

MANTELPIECE VASE WITH THUNDER CHIEF FARMS

“GASSIUS CLAY”

CRAFT A LIVING CANNABLISS SPRING BOUQUET

Set the mood. Open a window. Light palo santo. Put on music that feels like sunlight—KMHD jazz radio is my pick. Think heart-centered crafting, not nervous rushing.

Lay out your offerings. Choose vibrant florals — daisies, roses, dahlias, hydrangeas, wildflowers — paired with fresh-cut Cannabis fan leaves. Arrange them in sections from small to large. Let the plants guide the mood.

Prepare the vessel. Rinse the Mantelpiece Vase. Pour water into the floral chamber while keeping the smoking pathway dry and separate. Don’t have a Mantelpiece Vase? No problem, Leaf Readers enjoy an exclusive savings: Use code LEAF10 upon checkout.

Grounded in green. Trim stems at an angle, and remove leaves below the waterline. Start with greens as your foundation; vary heights to create movement and flow.

Time to bloom. Place flowers in a loose, open shape. Nature doesn’t do symmetry; she does balance. Let some stems rise tall and others fall soft.

Weave in the kush. Fan leaves slide in like sacred feathers, framing the arrangement. Add Cannabis flower last as gemstone accents. Keep buds dry and lifted so their trichomes stay luminous. Our custom Cannabliss Bouquet features Thunder Chief Farms fan leaves and nugs in Gassius Clay.

Bask in your Cannabliss. Rotate the Mantelpiece clockwise, and adjust gently. There should be one slightly wild side that looks like it grew that way on its own.

Keep the blessings blissful. Refresh water daily. Remove fading blooms. Dry fan leaves as keepsakes, like pressed petals from your love.

This DIY guide is an invitation to let Cannabis exist in the open. All you need is a clean Mantelpiece Vase, fresh flowers, a few Cannabis fan leaves, scissors and water.

Happy spring, OGs! Remember, each of us is in the process of elevating and blossoming.

Bacon’s Buds

Bacon’s Buds is located just north of the Columbia River in Washougal. This is a beautiful area that is lush with evergreens, fishing, friendly folks and some of the best Cannabis the state has to offer. Up in the hills above town, Northwest Leaf was greeted by the wonderful team at Bacon’s Buds.

Bacon’s Buds puts a lot of focus on certified organic nutrients and sustainable practices, which comes through in the flavor of its Cannabis — truly a goal for a lot of farms.

“At Bacon’s Buds, we don’t believe in trying to outsmart Mother Nature,” Jory Bacon, sales manager, said. “We believe in putting the healthiest and most natural offerings the world has to offer into our bodies, and we provide our plants the same, as they too will end up in our bodies and many other people’s bodies we care about. Health is wealth!

THIS IS A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS, and it shows in the care they provide for their plants and crew. Everyone on the Bacon’s Buds team was really stoked to be there and seemed to flow perfectly. Each area of the farm Northwest Leaf toured was moving along at a rapid rate: transplanting, big leafing, harvesting, etc. It all seemed like muscle memory to these folks. We even found canopies, dense and healthy nugs, great internodal spacing, amazing resin production and very happy plants. This is the result of making your own organic soil and using timeproven lighting and feeding techniques.

“Their dedication to pheno hunting has helped them win multiple awards over the years.’

The crew does a noteworthy job of marketing and making their products available to clients in every corner of the state. They truly have something for everyone. Over the years, we have tried some amazing Bacon’s Buds flowers and dabs that really put us back in our seats. The six-pack jar of joints is a big hit with the Leaf team. Often known for its rosin, we were able to take in some fresh press and see the squeeze in action. It’s always satisfying to watch the trichomes gather and dump onto parchment paper. And the taste … wow! It was simply amazing.

But this crew is never completely satisfied and constantly strives to make Bacon’s Buds the best it can be. Their dedication to pheno hunting has helped them win multiple awards over the years. Finding and nurturing Cannabis strains for particular traits is an art, and they are always working on finding the next favorite for your palate.

We can confidently say that this is one of the highest-quality producers in the state. No matter what you find on the shelf, if it says “Bacon’s Buds” on the package, you are going to be stoked! If you can’t find any at your local shop, ask them to reach out to the Bacon’s Buds team, and get your taste buds ready for greatness.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6 •

THE FLOWER

FLOWER ISSUE

BUDDY BOY FARMS

look like the grapes that we want to be fed, one satisfying toke at a time. The Presidential Kush loves the mixed light greenhouses that Buddy Boy Farm has been growing amazing weed in since 2014, and this earthy, gassy, creamy strain smacks the senses with a lemon-berries-piney finish that’s ready to delight senses and then sedate them. Sticky and oh so frosty, this flower is easy smoking and ready for executive decisions on @buddyboyfarmco | buddyboyfarm.com

GLACÉE BLANCHE

FIRE BROS.

to know that SODO stands for “South of the Dome,” you’ll recognize the Kingdome in chrome on the Fire Bros. jar, which is almost as shiny as the frosty purple buds of this Lemonheadz x Eye Candy cross. Simply stunning in the jar, this flower reeks of sour lemons, fermented candy and sharp Markers and Glue for an aroma that only a stoner could love. Sticky fingers load a bowl that sends a rush of thick, gluey, lemony gas that rushes straight to the forehead, with a smooth burn and devastatingly stoney effects that are worthy of the Kingdome references. firebros.com

PLAID JACKET

BEAUTIFUL PURPLE-FROSTED BUDS glisten like candy from this cross of Ice Cream Cake x White Truffle. Dank notes of rich, earthy truffles melt into a deep cake-and-cream funk that dazzles the senses and sticks to fingers as a bowl is loaded. First tokes are exceptionally smooth, coating the palate in cakey-truffley-hashy smoke, relaxing the body from the chest to extremities, with a true indica buzz that’s ready for the couch and kitchen. @plaidjacketi502 | plaidjacket.com

Check out your players!

THUNDER FUCK

THESE THICK FOXTAIL BUDS live up to the name Heavenly with this gorgeous light green flower that’s heavily covered in both red hairs and trichomes. Snapping the tip of a nug delivers a resinous pop and releases a rush of fresh strawberries, hazy lemongrass and earthy candied Kush that teased our palate from the jar. First sips of smoke are syrupy and smooth, with sugary berries teasing the senses as a cerebral rush smacks the frontal lobes, sending the mind floating in a blissful cloud of happiness. @heavenlybuds | heavenlybuds.com

HEAVENLY BUDS AGRO COUTURE

FROM LEGEND TO REALITY, Alaskan Thunder Fuck is a true classic strain, and these juicy nugs from Agro Couture carry the essence of the old-school cut. These big lime green nugs are heavily coated with trichomes and ooze with golden and warming hazy lemon cherries and a piney, earthy, citrus tang that took us 10 years back in time as sticky buds were broken up. This ATF is the real deal, and the proof is in the smoke, which slaps the senses with a slow-burning and hazy sativa buzz that puts the mind into a happy daze, complete with the giggles and a floaty body that’s ready to play board games and video games or hit the trail outdoors. @agrocouture agrocouture.com

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Cannabis can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

intoxicating effects and may be habit impair concentration, coordination, and not operate a or under influence of this drug. be risks associated with consumption this For use only adults 21 and older. Keep out of the reach of children

RIPPED OFF RUNTZ

BACON’S BUDS

IT’S SMOKABLE DESSERT TIME with this tasty cross of Cookies & Cream x Blueberry OG that comes from the living soil gardens of Bacon’s Buds. This lime green and extremely frosty flower slaps the senses out of the jar with a sharp OG-Blueberry gas that’s balanced by a creamy Cookies-citrus zing that’s mouthwatering and ready for big hits. Medium dense but still both fluffy and sticky, this flower burns true to the name: smooth with heavy effects that melt the mind into a sedated body that’s couchlocked and ready for treats. @baconsbuds baconsbuds.com

THICK AND TERPY, these dark purple buds tease from the jar and deliver sour gas Runtz and creamy, berried Z with a sour-cake-frosting finish. Sticky, foxtailed and shining with trichomes, this flower smokes with exceptional smoothness and a sweet Runtz exhale that builds a warming euphoria in the chest, and a time-slowing, drooly daze mental buzz that’s a happily stoned choice for daytime seshes. @tilted_wa | tiltedcannabis.com

THE HEART OF HOQUIAM

VIKING CANNABIS

@viking.cannabis | vikingcannabis.com

DOGHOUSE FARMS

BURSTING WITH freshly picked and squeezed oranges, this Orange Alibi is the perfect complement to a healthy, balanced breakfast. These plump nugs are deep green and liberally coated with trichomes to the foxtail tips, teasing the senses with a fizzy and creamy Orange Julius flavor with a kick of gas to remind the mind that this is weed and not fruit. Dense and sticky, this gorgeous flower burns slow and smooth, with a sharp citrus zing, and a quickly uplifting and fog-clearing mental euphoria that’s ready to kickstart a productive stoner day.

THIS DOGHOUSE JAR is full of treats, so if you turn on the Wi-Fi, we’ll move in with Fido and be very good boys for hits of the Chem Bros Purple and green buds sparkle from the jar with giant visible trichomes, releasing a rush of gassy fermented citrus and berries, dark GMO notes and sour funky chem with orange peel zest that’s the best of this cross between GMO Cookies x Mimosa. First hits of this gassy sativa are smooth and sweet, with a tingly mimosa and garlic exhale, and a rush of cerebral energy that’s all good vibes and ready for a happy daze. @doghouse_washington | doghouse420.com

rush of rainbow candy, funky gas and a breathy, hazy, berry cream that’s mouthwateringly delicious. First inhales are sugary and smooth, with a body-relaxing, mentally euphoric and stress-free buzz that’s ready for a stoney lunch break. @ladymz_a

FULL SPEC

HONEY BUTTER MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER, both the spreadable deliciousness for rolls and bread and this beautiful purple and frosty flower that’s ready to deliver an extra helping of the munchies. Soft and fluffy with medium density and a light stickiness, these nugs send wafts of golden honey, tingly citrus and creamy Z fuel that set our tummies to rumbling. First hits are syrupy and sweet, with a smooth exhale that drips with honey Z terps, relaxing muscles and the mind as a gentle, happily stoned euphoria sends us into the kitchen for a second sweet treat. @full.spec | fullspec710.com

510 CART

510 BATTERY

AVAILABLE NOW

CERAMIC MOUTHPIECE

CERAMIC COIL

GLASS TANK

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children. Marijuana products may be purchased by persons twenty-one years of age or older. WAC 314-55-155(5). ©2025 Pastime Brands LLC

JAFFA

A STUNNING CROSS of Trop Cookies x Gelato #41 x Sherb, this trifecta strain is chunky and purple, and it resembles a freshly snowed tree. The Jaffa oozes out of the jar with a thick aroma of orange peels and Gelato/Cookies/Sherb, with a frosting of gassy citrus and fermented tropical fruits that washes over the senses like a warm wave. First hits are bright and tropical, with a sweet Cookies and Gelato exhale that ushers in a happy, euphoric and giggly-stoned buzz that’s ready for daytime activities, especially outdoors. @methodgrow curationsco.com/Brands/Method

Matters

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

PINK LOBSTER

THE TEAM that brought us Blue Lobster last year is bringing us Pink Lobster this year. The overtones are pungent and earthy with a sprinkling of fruitiness. Not gassy but definitely sassy, this strain almost smells pink. The taste is floral and extremely smooth, and it includes a great pine and citrus flavor. The high sets in pretty quickly and is definitely cerebral. The colors around you seem to go into oversaturation as you relax and enjoy the effects of this amazing hybrid. liftedcannabisco.com

TACO TRUCK

DUNGENESS

DANK

POP THAT JAR, and the scent that wafts out literally smells like a taco truck and street corn. When grinding it up for a taste, it actually smells like cumin plays a part in this one. Taco Truck’s taste is spicy, but it still has an enjoyable layer that is reminiscent of grape landrace strains. I swear, there was a flavor of cotija that followed this bong hit. Definitely no cotton mouth after this strain, though; it’s juicy through and through. dungenessdank.com

GRAPE

MEAN MUG

MAD MARK FARMS

EVERY NUG OF THIS STRAIN looks like it was taken right out of a picture. This flower is light, fluffy, lime green, completely drenched in trichomes and looking tasty. You can tell this is Mad Mark because it appears the bud has never been touched. A very fruity and sweet terpene profile awaits you, and it lingers on the palate with an enjoyable effervescence. The smoke is dense and rich with flavor. The high is just heavy enough to help you lock in on that video game, but be sharp enough to enjoy it. @madmarkfarms madmarkfarms.com

CANNASOL FARMS

MEAN MUG IS A HYBRID of GMO x Rootbeer backcross. Wait a second — Rootbeer! Let’s see what this is all about. This strain absolutely carries hints of sarsaparilla and follows with a creamy finish. Sun-grown Cannabis has an extra punch both in flavor and effect. It’s a high that makes you want to enjoy an A&W burger. Your uncle Bob said, “Sit back and enjoy this one.” @cannasolfarms cannasol.com

ELEPHANT GARLIC AFGHAN HASH PLANT

DANK CZAR

LOOKS LIKE THIS ONE is covered in the snow that we didn’t get this winter. A very savory flavor hits your nose immediately. Garlic is right; you experience it on the first hit, and the flavor lingers a little bit on your palate. Smooth sailing through the fog, though, not harsh. It has a sweet cheesiness on the back end. Feeling nice and light on my feet, this is some top-form hiking weed for certain.

@dankczar_washington | dankczar.com

to this flower is sweet and earthy. Pungent terpenes are readily present, and the cure is perfection. There is a nice little spice to the afternotes, just enough to tickle your nose. The burn is super clean, and it tastes just like it smells. The true indica vibe from this high is the

@washingtonbudcompany2012 | wabudco.com

TROPICAL RUNTZ AMARE-

TROPICAL IS THE IMMEDIATE SMELL from this cultivar; it’s like guava and passion fruit came together as one. Extremely smooth, hints of citrus and hibiscus really bring the flavor around for a full circle moment. The buzz is reminiscent of hybrids that find the perfect fine line between indica and sativa. My mouth was watering afterward, and I still could write this review. lazybeegardens.com

| @lazybeegardens

WHAT A STUNNER! This flower is absolutely covered in trichomes and a stink that encourages you to get it into your lungs. Sweet and sour notes immediately flood your senses. The smoke is smooth on this one; you almost want to cough, but don’t have to. The high comes on like a freight train; it feels like you are launching into space, while this strain leaves your jaw nice and juicy. @svingarden_wa svingarden.com

MODERN MUSE

THE LAST SUPPER

this flower is absolutely covered in crystals, and you can’t tell if it’s predominantly purple or green. The taste profile is earthy with lots of pine. Modern Muse hits the nose and makes you want to sneeze. It’s smooth to boot, but the numbers definitely show in the high from this one. Straight from the sinuses to the mind, you feel the full effect off the bat. It’s a sweet treat, but it definitely puts you on your feet with perfect sativa @skord_wa | iskord.com

SUNSHINE FARMS

SOUR POWER BLASTS OUT OF THIS JAR like a sunbeam piercing the clouds on a spring day, sending the promise of sunny days and a fully melted brain ahead. Thick and chunky, these light green buds reek of sour soy sauce, fermented garlic, funky skunk and a chem-fuel zing to finish. Frosted almost white, thick, dense buds break up with sticky fingers, burning with a power that grips the lungs and sends the body and mind into a puddled, melty euphoria that’s ready for dinner and a show. @thesunshinefarms | wasunshine.com

Review by Wes Abney @beardedlorax

PHAT PANDA CHRONBERRY CRUNCH

WITH THIS STRAIN, YOU CAN EASILY SAY THAT THE “CHRONBERRIES TASTE LIKE CHRONBERRIES.”

The fruity, punchy and creamy display of terpenes is one of the qualities that keeps you coming back for more. A superb burn and a very relaxing high will continue to enthuse you. I recommend this strain as a reward for a great day of work or a fire way to start the weekend. @phatpanda | phatpanda.com

Review by Rex Hilsinger @borophoto

Page Burner

One of the most beautiful things about smoking flower is the way it invites us to slow down and create a sense of ritual.

Naturally, Leaf Magazines’ Flower Issue book pick needed to be a great companion to that moment.

THINK ABOUT how you grind up your flower, deeply inhale its aroma and feel the texture of the buds between your fingertips as you roll. This ceremony is exactly the space Sarah Wilson explores in “This One Wild and Precious Life.” Her approach to presence centers on returning to “wild practices,” which are simple, intentional acts that reconnect us to ourselves, each other and the natural world. Not through productivity hacks or the quest for perfection, but through conscious acts of awareness, community and creativity.

One of these wild practices that resonated deeply with me is Wilson’s call to “become a soul nerd” through a connection with the arts — whether that be classical music, visual arts, poetry or longform reading. She describes carving out sacred time for this long reading that becomes ritualistic, much like packing a bowl or rolling up with intention:

“Reading deep articles and nonfiction, as well as good literature, cultivates focus and reprograms our neurons.”

“Reading deep articles and nonfiction, as well as good literature, cultivates focus and reprograms our neurons. …You might like to try my approach. I set aside time. Sunday afternoons work for me. I take that lull period between morning social activity or chores and the end-of-weekend dialing down and own it. I carve out an hour and sit on the couch. I made a pot of tea. It’s a ritual. It must be a ritual.” Add your favorite strain, and the scene is set. This is a fast-paced read that you can easily follow with a stoney headspace. Wilson tackles feelings of modern disconnection with head-on honesty and offers grounded ways to combat it. Her conversational writing tone feels more like a wise friend who’s done some wandering and comes back with a notebook full of stories and a little dust on her boots. Happy reading and reflecting, page burners!

Stoned +Savory

1. In a medium pot, heat canna-oil over medium heat. Add onions, and saute until translucent, 6-7 minutes.

2. Add stock and tomatoes, and cook until they’re warmed through. Add half-and-half, and season the soup with salt and pepper.

Simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the soup cool slightly.

3. Working in 2 batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Or, if you have an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot.

4. Return blended soup to pot, and rewarm over medium-low heat.

5. Garnish with basil or scallions.

1. In a small bowl, combine butter, canna-butter and Dijon mustard. Spread the mixture on all 8 bread slices.

2. Layer a slice of cheddar and a slice of Gruyere on the unbuttered sides of 4 of the bread slices.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over med. heat.

4. Cook each slice until golden brown and cheese melts.

5. Pair the top and bottom halves to make sandwiches, cut in half and serve warm.

I’VE BEEN COOKING WITH THIS uplifting, citrusy, floral strain lately. It’s moderately potent, never overwhelming and perfect for a creative afternoon. I picked up an ounce at Serra, grown by Pruf Cultivar, and it inspired the coziest infused menu. Cooking with Golden Haze is all about balance — comforting, flavorful and just enough to spark creativity and that golden kind of joy. As always, if you want more information, please email me at Laurie@ Laurieandmaryjane.com

ASIAN DUMPLINGS

Servings:

2

1

2

1

1

1.

Cook for 7 minutes. Remove the cover, allowing the water to evaporate, and cook the dumplings, turning them a few times, until they’re entirely golden brown and crisped, about 6-9 minutes.

2. While the dumplings cook, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.

3. Serve the dumplings warm alongside the sauce.

Learning to Meet the Plant Again

“Primarily, I only smoke sun-grown … grown in the dirt, outside Cannabis,”

JULIA SPARKMAN’S relationship with Cannabis didn’t start as medicine. It started young — “12 was the first time I ever took a puff” — and by high school, she said, “To be honest, I was just wanting to get fucked up … not really medical to me.”

OVER TIME, the plant took on a different role. Sparkman, a San Diego mother, writer and healing arts practitioner, is 19 years into alcohol sobriety. In the years when she was still caught in alcohol and other substances, Cannabis became part of how she got through the day after.

“It was like what I woke up to,” Sparkman said. “It … help(ed) to soften the edges of the destruction from the night before.”

When she stopped drinking and using “harder drugs,” she kept Cannabis less as a party substance, more as a stabilizer — a harm-reduction bridge while she built a different life.

Throughout that vibrant life, Sparkman’s use hasn’t been linear. In those 19 alcohol-sober years, she estimates she’s had “like 10 collective years where I did not use Cannabis,” including a long stretch of about seven years. She stopped completely. Then, almost exactly a year later, she learned she was pregnant. She stayed off Cannabis through pregnancy and breastfeeding, and returned within weeks of stopping, several years and two kids later.

These days, Sparkman is intentional and selective about what she consumes.

“Primarily, I only smoke sun-grown … grown in the dirt, outside Cannabis,” she said.

She shops at Torrey Holistics in San Diego and names Farm Cut and Coastal Sun as preferred brands, gravitating toward lowerpotency flower and multicannabinoid profiles rather than “something that was bred to be so intoxicating.”

“My goal is never to feel super high,” Sparkman said, mentioning that she prefers cultivars with different cannabinoid ratios, like Farm Cut’s Four Directions from Mendocino’s Emerald Spirit Farms with THC, CBD, THCv and CBDv.

Now, Sparkman finds medical value in Cannabis for its ability to help with her nervous system.

“I have … complex trauma, so I hold a lot of that in my body,” she said. “For me, it helps bring me back to my body.”

The rest is what she calls expansion — the sense that Cannabis can open perception and soften tension without shutting her down.

“She helps me feel ease in my body,” Sparkman said about the plant.

“And she opens me up to how incredible this Earth is.” @JULIASPARKMAN

The Dogfather

If there were a Cannabis genetics hall of fame, Chemdog would stand proudly alongside classics like Skunk #1, Original Haze and Northern Lights as one of history’s cornerstone cultivars. Remarkably, this gassy hybrid with an intense aroma and cerebral high would likely have faded into obscurity had it not been for a lucky teenager who stumbled upon it in a Grateful Dead parking lot by the name of Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski.

A HEAD OF HIS TIME

Greg Krzanowski was born on March 19, 1973, in North Hampton, Massachusetts. He grew up in a good family and spent his junior high years racing ATVs ... that is, until he discovered Cannabis.

and Chong movies came out, and for some reason I re ally loved them,” he said. “I swear that’s what influenced me to get to where I am today.”

seventh grade, but didn’t get high because “it was basi cally brick weed — probably like 5% THC back then.” It wasn’t until high school that he developed a true appre ciation for the herb, as well as for the Grateful Dead. At 16, he attended his first Dead show — July 2, 1989, at Sullivan Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts — and he was blown away.

parking lot, the music, the experiences … how it all made you feel,” he said. “And I realized, holy crap — this is the mecca of freaking good weed! At the Dead show you can find this stuff called ‘kind bud.”

HIGH AS A DOG

In June 1991, Krzanowski spent some of his graduation gift cash on Dead tickets and followed the tour for the summer. It was at one of these shows — on June 6 at the Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana — that he’d have an encounter that would change the course of his life. For it was at that fateful concert, while cruising Shakedown Street in search of smoke, that he met a couple of hippie dealers from Colorado named Joe “B” Brand and Mike “P-Bud” Nee. They were selling some killer kind called Dogbud — allegedly because it made you “roll over like a dog” after you smoked it — which they also referred to as “Chem Weed” because it tasted so strong that Nee assumed the grower “must have pumped so much chemicals” into it.

“It was the best pot I’d ever seen in my life,” Krzanowski reminisced. “It was so green, it smelled so nice and skunky. Then they packed a bowl, and I tasted it, and it hit me like kryptonite!”

He paid $125 for a quarter-ounce — the most they would sell anyone due to high demand. He was so impressed by the buds that he asked for their phone numbers so he could stay in touch.

HAIR OF THE DOG THAT BIT YOU

Upon returning home in August, Krzanowski called them and arranged to purchase another ounce of Dogbud for $500. When it arrived in the mail, he was elated to discover 13 seeds in the bag.

“I was so thrilled … I was like, ‘Wow, I think I just hit the lottery,’” he told Cannabis & Tech Today in 2011.

Within weeks, he’d rented an apartment and set up his closet grow

— purchasing a small hydroponic setup called Emily’s Garden System and a 250 HPS light from the nearby garden supply store Worm’s Way. He then planted four of the 13 seeds, along with two brick weed seeds. For his new East Coast batch of killer bud, Krzanowski combined its two previous names into one, rechristening it “Chemdog.” One of the Dogbud seeds turned out to be a male, which he discarded (a rookie mistake he regrets in retrospect), along with another dud he tagged “Chemdog B”. By late December, his remaining plants — “Chemdog” (Chem 91) and “Chemdog A” (Chem’s Sister) — were ready to harvest.

TOP DOG

At just 18 years old, Krzanowski was now the sole caretaker of one of the most potent and flavorful Cannabis cultivars in the country. Using clones from his Chem 91 mother plant, he began “pounding out” crops of kind bud, some of which he’d take on Dead tours with him to sell.

During these tours, Krzanowski also began buying pipes from glassblowing icon Bob Snodgrass, some of which he’d resell back in Massachusetts. In 1993, he spent two weeks in Oregon studying under Snodgrass, becoming the first glass pipe maker in Massachusetts. Then in 1994, he made his first trip to Amsterdam to attend the High Times Cannabis Cup, where he purchased around $2,000 worth of seeds to smuggle home.

In the late ’90s, Krzanowski moved into a larger space and scaled up his operation. He also honed his breeding skills — stabilizing the Chemdog genetics and developing his own strain, the ill-fated Dog Daze. In 2001, he popped three more of those original Dogbud seeds, producing Chem C (discarded), Chem D and Chem E (also discarded).

As word about Chemdog spread, demand skyrocketed — not just in Massachusetts but throughout the Northeast. Adopting the name of his strain as his own, “Chem” began making periodic runs down to New York City, where he could move his flower fast. Naturally, his first stop was typically the High Times offices, where the staff would often clean him out within minutes.

IN THE DOGHOUSE

Sadly, Chemdog’s cultivation career came to a dramatic end at around 10 a.m. on August 2, 2011, when 30-35 law enforcement officers simultaneously raided both his home in Southampton and his parents’ house in Easthampton (whose top floor housed his grow, unbeknownst to them). Apparently, the IRS, DEA and state narcotics unit had been watching him for months — likely because one of his associates had turned informant.

“I got ratted on by a guy named Rezdog,” he revealed at last year’s Flower Expo. “He’d gotten Gypsy Nirvana and a bunch of other people in trouble. He’d been to the house and gotten clones, so … that was the conclusion we came to.”

According to reports, police seized 9 pounds of herb and 97 plants with an estimated street value of $150,000. They also confiscated his Winchester .22 caliber rifle and a Tupperware container in his freezer that held his entire seed collection — including the last original Dogbud seeds.

He was originally charged with cultivation, possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm without a federal identification card and tax evasion, which, taken together, could have landed him up to 20 years in prison. Luckily, his lawyer negotiated a plea deal that avoided prison time. In October 2012, Krzanowski pled guilty to possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and three counts of money laundering (he’d made three $800 cash deposits into one of his bank accounts).

“Between the Chemdog and the OG, those two strains pretty much paved the way to contemporary Cannabis.”

“They wanted me to do five years’ probation and forfeit $500,000,” Chem told me. “I said, ‘I don’t have that kind of money.’ But I’d just sold the new house that I’d built, so I had like $310,000 in equity from the house that was held in escrow, and they said, ‘We’ll just take that.’”

On January 14, 2013, he was sentenced to three years’ probation, a $2,500 fine and forfeiture of $300,000. And since 4 pounds of weed were found in the trunk of his car, they confiscated that too.

“They took me for everything,” he lamented. “I had no money, and I had to piss in a cup every month for over a year. It sucked.”

STONER, INTERRUPTED

Now 39 and sober, Krzanowski had to start over from scratch — moving into an apartment with his fiancee and son and figuring out new ways to earn a living. Though he couldn’t grow or sell weed, he wanted to keep the Chemdog name alive. So in 2011, he traded me a few ounces of Chem D to design him an official logo, which he then copyrighted and used to produce an array of cool swag. He also rekindled his old passion for glassblowing — relighting his torch for the first time in a decade and cranking out a cavalcade of fantastic functional glassware. Fortunately, thanks to good behavior, Chem was able to get off probation after just a year and a half, but continued his herbal hiatus for at least another year after. It wasn’t until Massachusetts legalized Cannabis for adult use in December 2016 that he really felt comfortable smoking and handling the plant again.

THE DOG’S PEDIGREE

Thankfully, Chemdog’s genetics lived on through the friends he’d entrusted with clones, such as Montana’s Luck Dog Cannabis Co., Illinois-based IC Collective and NYC’s Top Dawg Seeds (who changed the spelling from “Dog” to “Dawg” to distinguish their genetics from Chem’s original cultivars). Thanks to their work with those clones, we now have incredible strains like Motorbreath, Headband, GMO and, most famously, Sour Diesel — supposedly a cross between Chem 91 and Diesel, which itself was allegedly an accidental cross between Chem 91 and either Super Skunk or Northern Lights. Legend has it that OG Kush is also an offspring of Chemdog — a rumor that Krzanowski denies, though he believes they are definitely related. What can’t be denied is the massive impact these cultivars have had.

“I want to say strongly that between the Chemdog and the OG, those two strains pretty much paved the way to contemporary Cannabis,” Chem avers.

As for Chemdog itself, its origins remain a mystery. Joe B said that he procured the original Dogbud from a biker in Crested Butte, and that it was allegedly grown in Oregon’s Camas Valley. But as for its lineage, theories abound: Some speculate that it came from an Afghan landrace; others that it originated from a rare Skunk phenotype; still others — including Chem himself — believe it may be descended from Northern Lights.

We may never know Chemdog’s true origin; what we do know, however, is that it’s become one of the most iconic strains in history. In fact, when bioengineering company Medicinal Genomics decided to map the genomes of Cannabis plants, the first one they analyzed was Chemdog.

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY

Today, Chemdog serves as director of cultivation at Canna Provisions — growing around 20 of his namesake strains and their descendants for retail sale under the Smash Hits Cannabis brand in his home state of Massachusetts.

What’s more, his Cannabis career’s connection with the Grateful Dead has come full circle: Nate Duval, the local artist who designs Smash Hits’ packaging, also designed concert posters and album covers for the Dead. Jay Lane, the drummer for Dead & Co., has been spotted wearing Chemdog tees during performances. And most exciting, when Jerry Garcia’s family and Dead drummer Mickey Hart decided to launch their own Cannabis brands, both tapped into Dead lot lore to select Chemdog as their first offerings.

Most recently, he partnered with five other legacy breeders to launch Arcana Collective — an organization dedicated to preserving heritage Cannabis genetics and providing them to the public from their authentic sources.

After three decades of hustling, and having his life nearly destroyed, Chemdog is finally enjoying the spotlight with no fear or regrets.

“I think that getting in trouble put me in the position where I am now … to do what I want to do, and do it legally,” he told Cannabis & Tech Today. “I can’t ask for much more.”

WOOKWEAR MICHELLE GALLAGHER HOW CANNABIS INSPIRES ART

Next month is Leaf’s annual Glass Issue, so we thought we’d get a jump on it by visiting an artist whose work runs hand in hand with heady glass pieces.

USING UPCYCLED, modern, vintage and custom fabrics, Michelle Gallagher tailors custom pouches and bags for the fashionable stoner. Her brand Wook Wear creates cozy homes for those expensive marbles, dab tools and glass pendants. She also sews custom bags and has collaborated with names like Trevy Metal, trulyredpanda, Mike Gong and Bubba’s Face.

Although Gallagher said she made art for most of her life, it wasn’t until the pandemic — when she lost her job, and her boyfriend bought her a sewing machine — that she started Wook Wear and took it full time.

Since then, she’s created 1/1 couture out of everything from vintage Pendleton to fabrics imported from Africa. Gallagher’s main inspiration comes from both the textile feel of something and its rarity. She said that lately she’s been loving the challenge of working with rare and hard-to-find fabrics, finding that having less to work with means more focus on what she can make.

Gallagher isn’t just one of Portland’s many incredible artists; she’s also a part of Main Circle Studios, a collection of creative heavy hitters in the glass scene. Over in her personal studio, you’ll find organized piles of colorful trim and stacks of fabrics.

“I try to keep everything organized, but I get stoned and start pulling out everything I want to use, and it piles up pretty quickly,” she said.

When asked how Cannabis interacts with her work, Gallagher said, “I, for sure, take a few

goodbye dabs before I hit the studio to get creative, then I use it as a reward for getting parts of a project done. I don’t smoke inside my studio, but I can hear all my studio mates through the wall, so I know when a sesh is starting. I’ll make that my reason to finish what I was working on so I can go take a dab break.”

When the break is over, and she gets

“I TRY TO KEEP EVERYTHING ORGANIZED, BUT I GET STONED AND START PULLING OUT EVERYTHING I WANT TO USE, AND IT PILES UP PRETTY QUICKLY.”

back behind her sewing machine, Gallagher said she listens to a ton of Notion — calling it “the best music ever” — as well as the “Are You Garbage?” podcast. “It’s two comedians asking other comedians questions about how they grew up to see if you’re trashy or classy,” she said.