Elevate NV: The Wellness Issue - January 2016

CBD Lotions,Potions & Topicalsforget smoking cannabiswe should be smearing it

bodiesouroverall

TURN YOUR HEALTHUpside Down

WITH ANTI-GRAVITY YOGA

DISPENSARY MAPpage 23

Check out our&Looking to the Future

2016 WITH PREDICTIONS FOR

january 2016

I am obsessed. Completely and absolutely obsessed with cannabis and I don’t even medicate with it or use it recreationally. I am obsessed partly because of the myriad diseases that this little plant can treat as we have outlined over the last few months with issues dedicated to PTSD, breast cancer and epilepsy, but mostly because of my recent discovery of cannabis in a topical form. It brought my cannabis obsession to a whole new level because this is a cannabis product I can use.

I attended a trade association luncheon for the medical cannabis industry in the fall and received a sample of Cannamour, a topical oil infused with whole-plant cannabis that was specifically created for use on the face and neck (you can read more about it on page 22). I practically skipped all the way home at the thought of a cannabis-based skincare product. If cannabis can bring relief to patients with Alzheimer’s, chronic pain, diabetes, migraines and fibromyalgia -- imagine what it could do to my 46-year-old, sun-damaged skin.

And then I used it. It was like the heavens opened up.

I daubed some of the precious oil underneath my eyes and toddled off to bed. When I woke up the next morning I didn’t see any major changes to my skin. But then I put on my foundation and was astounded when it went on like paint goes on a wall. It went across my skin like I had already applied a primer, no streaking at all. Clearly Cannamour’s

oil must have minimized my pores, and astonishingly, overnight.

Over the next few days I continued to use the cannabis oil, carefully tapping it onto my face with my fingertips each night before bedtime. I didn’t notice any major changes but a

couple of times I had acne breakouts and applied some oil on them and they would be gone the next day.

Then one night I was out with friends and they asked if I had been out in the sun. It was November so I definitely had not been out in the sun. But I was pretty sure my new radiant glow and vibrant skin probably had to do with the canna-oil I was applying each night.

But the best part of using this miracle oil had nothing do with diminishing fine lines or eradicating any signs of aging. About three weeks in, I realized I was sleeping through the night without the aid of half a Benadryl pill, LED eye mask, and white noise machine. (Yes, it’s quite a production for me to get a solid night of sleep.) And that, readers, is why the heavens opened up. I would love it if wrinkles started to dwindle, but, to me, there is nothing more precious than sleeping well.

I hope in 20ı6 you will find a magic elixir at one of Nevada’s dispensaries that brings you sleep, comfort and relief.

With an open mind,

from the editor

PublisherGuy Bertuzzi, [email protected]

Editor-In-ChiefBeth Schwartz, [email protected]

Creative Director

Jina Hustler, [email protected]

Contributing Writers: Derek Connor, Rio Lacanlale, Dr. Pouya Mohajer, Madeline Purdue, Launce Rake

Sales AssociateShanna Perry, [email protected]

ELEVATION PUBLISHING LLC

President Jonathan Fine

Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Lupo

Vice President of Business Development Kim Armenta

FINE THE AGENCY

President Tracey Michels, [email protected]

Director of Creative Services Brooke Bertuzzi, [email protected]

Digital Services Austin Grantham, [email protected]

Social Media Services Anna Loumbrozo, [email protected]

Elevate Nevada magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors, false data or omissions. Elevate Nevada assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publication or in any advertisement. Elevate Nevada magazine does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products or advertisements within. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. All rights reserved.

7120 Rafael Ridge Way, Las Vegas, NV 89119Phone: 702.737.8464 | Email: [email protected]

702.737.7777 | NevadaMedicalMarijuana.com

Dispensing Quality of Life

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6 Breaking the LawIllegal delivery services are still a flaw in the cannabis ointment

8 Cooking with CannabisBurgoo

10 Elevate Your StateCannabis updates from across the United States

12 Healing: the Power of Medical Cannabis Patient puts all his faith in cannabis oil to rid his body of colon cancer

14 What’s in a name? Cannabis by any other name would heal as well

20 Lotions and Potions and Topicals! Oh My! Forget about smoking cannabis, you should be smearing it all over your body

23 Dispensary MapPatients’ guide to finding medical cannabis in the Las Vegas Valley

24 LegaleaseAre CBD products legal or not?

26 Into the FutureIndustry leaders prognosticate about the cannabis scene in 20ı6

36 Elevating the Conversationwith Leslie Bocskor

CONTENTS

20

8

26

10

6

6 elevatenv.com | january

That legal chaos was supposed to end with legislation that was passed and signed into law in 20ı3 when SB 374, which created the framework for the state’s medical marijuana industry, was signed into law.

Highly regulated brick-and-mortar cultivation and production sites with storefront dispensaries were authorized. Stringent licensing and testing requirements meant that those owning the new facilities would sell standardized product, similar to what medical patients would get when buying other kinds of pharmaceuticals. And other requirements, such as a hefty $250,000 proof-of-financial viability rule, would keep fly-by-night dealers out of the business.

The rules appear to have worked as licensed dispensaries and regulated cultivation and production sites started appearing all over Nevada’s Clark and Washoe counties in 20ı5. But there is a flaw in this cannabis ointment.

Those unlicensed, unregulated and fundamentally illegal delivery dealers didn’t go away. In fact, a couple of years ago you could go online and find about two-dozen delivery services, most of them apparently careful to deliver only to people with medical marijuana cards.

Today, despite the new laws authorizing licensed and legal dispensaries, the number of delivery dealers on the popular Weedmaps website stands at more than 50.

Those distributors not only avoid the onerous licensing requirements, including the financial viability and ongoing laboratory testing rules, but they can get product outside Nevada’s legal supply chain, undercutting the legal prices while making fatter profits. In short, the legal and licensed business owners fear that the illegal distributors threaten the very survival of Nevada’s nascent but growing medical cannabis industry.

“They are out-competing other dispensaries, but they are completely violating every part of the law,” says Will Adler, executive director of the Nevada Medical Marijuana Association, a trade group representing the licensed dispensaries. His voice reflects his frustration with the unlicensed competition. “It is not just petty drug dealing. It is violating every part of the law and pretending to have a legal product. That is why it is so destructive.”

While competition in most areas is a good thing, unregulated commerce, in what is fundamentally intended as

medicine, is not, Adler emphasizes. Nevada’s regulated system of

cultivation, production and dispensaries is designed to give patients confidence in the strength, quality and characteristics of the product that they use.

“Every step of the chain, every gram,” is accounted for in that process, Adler says. The point was to avoid the chaos that developed in other parts of the country, where cannabis products are sold without quality control and seemingly to everyone. “The Nevada system was to be the gold standard of the country, and still is.”

Three years ago, before the new laws were passed and the old laws were mired in contradiction over what was and wasn’t legal, defense attorneys told a reporter for the now-defunct CityLife magazine that the delivery services were largely getting a pass from law enforcement. Juries were reluctant to convict dealers who were providing medical marijuana patients with a legal product.

Now Metro Police and the Clark County District Attorney not only have the laws standardizing the industry, but the legal, licensed dispensaries have significant political and financial

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY IN NEVADA LOOKED LIKE THE WILD WEST. PATIENTS WERE

THEORETICALLY PERMITTED TO BUY AND USE CANNABIS PRODUCTS FOR A VARIETY OF AILMENTS, BUT THERE WASN’T A

CLEAR LEGAL AVENUE TO ACQUIRE THE MEDICINE FROM LEGITIMATE DEALERS. THOSE PATIENTS RELIED ON A SORT OF

GRAY MARKET THAT INCLUDED DOZENS OF DEALERS WHO WOULD DELIVER THEIR PRODUCT DIRECT TO THE PATIENTS –

MOSTLY AVOIDING LAW ENFORCEMENT ALONG THE WAY.

Breaking the LawIllegal delivery services are still a flaw in the cannabis ointment by Launce Rake

7 january | elevatenv.com

resources, assets that can be helpful in motivating law enforcement to go after the delivery services. Regardless of motivation, that is exactly what is happening.

“Year to date,” said officer Michael Rodriquez, a Metro spokesman, of 20ı5, “Metro has investigated ı9 illegal delivery services. Of those investigations, nine have resulted in search warrants and arrests.”

In 20ı4, Metro investigated just two illegal marijuana delivery services (both of which resulted in felony convictions).

The 850 percent increase in investigations isn’t accidental.

“In 20ı4, the Southern Nevada Cannabis Operations and Regional Enforcement (SCORE) focus was more on indoor marijuana grows,” Rodriquez said in an email, referring to the illegal cultivation facilities sometimes tucked into residential neighborhoods. “In 20ı5, the focus has changed to illegal marijuana delivery services.”

Those who operate the unlicensed deliveries, unsurprisingly, are less than enthusiastic about the shift in focus. Elevate talked to one young entrepreneur who, in 20ı5, relocated from California to Nevada to run a business in Las Vegas.

His product comes from California. The businessman, who asked that his name and the name of his Weedmaps-advertised business not be disclosed for fear that Metro would scrutinize his activities, said that just like the legally authorized dispensaries in Nevada, he is concerned about providing a high-quality product to medical marijuana patients.

He says he ensures that his customers have valid medical marijuana cards. He also says that although his extensive selection of products – which includes dozens of varieties of sativa, indica, and many edible products, with suggested medical applications – says online that it has not been tested for the quantity and potency of active ingredients, he has in fact had those products tested.

“I want the best product possible,” he says. “We do lab test every one of

our products. I’m not here just to make money,” he says. “I’m trying to do the right thing. I’m trying to start a large business. But you have to start somewhere.”

He refers to the rules that require extensive financial resources and the limited number of licenses for production sites and dispensaries: “It’s almost impossible to do it the right way.”

And he argues that in addition to providing products that are as potent as the licensed dispensaries, his access to the California wholesale market, his suppliers, means he can sell products for less than the licensed competition in the brick-and-mortar dispensaries.

“The prices here – they are unheard of in California,” he says. His prices are perhaps $5 to $ı0 less than similar products at Nevada’s dispensaries. Dispensaries in California sell similar products at $ı0 to $20 less.

Adler and the licensed operators in Nevada say sure, the illegal delivery services can sell a less-expensive product, but without the state oversight, how do patients know what they are getting?

“They’ll undercut the price, go online, they’ll drop it lower and say, ‘Hey, we’ll deliver it to you too’,” Adler says. “They can get it in California far cheaper than in Nevada, but in Nevada you pay for getting a medically

safe product. In California, it could be grown in somebody’s basement.

“They’re advertising it as if it were the same, but it’s something far worse,” he says. Adler says he hopes to see the laws and the law-enforcement response adapt to the new reality and put what he calls “street drug dealers” out of business.

The licensed operators insist that it’s not about competition or profits, but the well-being of patients that they are concerned about.

“Let’s talk about patients,” says Aesha Goins, with the licensed Nevada Wellness Center, a dispensary in Las Vegas. “We are tested, under scrutiny, our products are clean versus whatever they are selling.

“Nevada has done an excellent job. There are no pesticides, no fake growing material. You’re getting a good, true product. Number one, we’re concerned about the patient. That is our whole mindset.”


BURGOO by Chris Sayegh, theherbalchef.com

Burgoo is traditionally a southern stew using all the leftover meats and veggies that weren’t good enough to stand on their own. So when tasked with making a healthy yet flavorful recipe for Elevate Nevada, I wanted to offer a hearty recipe that could also conveniently utilize all the holiday leftovers in your fridge. Thoughtful, I know. I highly encourage you to use any leftover turkey, ham, chicken, sausage, and beef for the proteins. You can also use any leftover vegetables -- just make sure to add all of the precooked ingredients at the end.

INGREDIENTS2 lbs. pork shoulder2 lbs. chicken legs, thighs, breast2 lbs. beef chuck roastı green pepper & ı Serrano pepperı large onion & 5 celery stalks2 carrots (peeled) & 4 kale stalks5 garlic clovesı qt. chicken stock & ı qt. beef stock28 oz. crushed red tomatoesı lb. red potatoes cubedı lb. corn & ı lb. lima beans6 Tbs. Worcestershire saucesalt/pepper to taste

Since this is a soup and more than likely many people will be eating it, it would not be wise to put the cannabis infusion in the entire soup considering everyone’s dosage is unique. Not to mention if you add it too early, the THC, CBD and lovely terpenes will cook out at high temperatures. This infusion is best left to the individual bowl. I baked my cornbread with the cannabis infusion at ı0mg apiece, but if you don’t have time to make your own bread then you can use cannabutter/oil and just put it straight into your bowl. Or you can let your portion of cannabutter come to room temperature and fold in honey and bourbon before spreading it on bread to dip in the soup. Add in your dosage to the bowl after you have poured it for yourself. The fats from the meats and the oils will help to homogenize the cannaoil in the soup. I recommend ı0mg dosage at a time.

Please remember that when cooking with medicinal cannabis you are cooking with a drug and the amounts of the drug and portions of the food ingested should always be taken into consideration. Always start out with small portions or doses and wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating any additional portions of

food prepared with medical cannabis.

Cooking Cannabis

DIRECTIONS:Heat a large pot on high with oil. Season the meats with salt and pepper, and brown them on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside in a separate dish. Using the large pot with oil in it, add celery, onion, carrot and peppers and sauté until slightly browned. (Optional: add a shot of Bourbon) and then add the garlic and sauté another 30 seconds.Add the meats into the pot as well as the chicken and beef stock and the crushed tomatoes.

Mix thoroughly before you cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Remove the bones from the meat and add in the potatoes and kale. Cook for another 40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. For the last ı0 minutes of cooking, add corn and lima beans.

ASSEMBLY:Serve in a bowl with the bread of your preference. I used cornbread with a honey bourbon butter. For those that like it extra spicy, serve with Tabasco.

“THIS BURGOO RECIPE

IS EXACTLY WHAT I CRAVE ON THESE

CHILLY DAYS!”

ELEVATE

ALASKA: The board tasked

with writing rules for Alaska’s recreational

marijuana industry voted to allow cannabis consumption in state-licensed pot shops in November. If approved by Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott, whose duties include filing and publishing state regulations, the Marijuana Control Board’s decision will make Alaska the first state with Amsterdam-style cannabis cafés and, in turn, becoming the first state to explicitly allow cannabis use in settings other than private residences. The 3-2 vote by the Marijuana Control Board (MCB) also changed the definition of the term “in public” to allow for consumption at some pot shops, none of which are open yet. It is still illegal to buy cannabis in Alaska because businesses have not yet been licensed to sell it. MCB is set to begin accepting business applications in February, with the initial industry licenses expected to be awarded in May.

CALIFORNIA: San Francisco

could soon be home to the largest medical

marijuana dispensary in the country, according to SF Weekly. The publication reported that a three-story commercial building at 70 Second Street is for sale—along with the cannabis dispensary the building currently

houses—and bids have topped $ı0 million. The astronomical bidding is because the property comes with

the ability to operate a medical marijuana dispensary. The new owner could simply have the health permit transferred to his or her name.

YOUR STATE Medical cannabis updates from across the United States

MINNESOTA: Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger announced the agency will expand its medical cannabis program next year to include patients suffering from intractable pain. The program, which started in July, allows patients suffering from a limited number of severe or fatal illnesses to use marijuana in a liquid or pill form. Dr. Ehlinger said a lack of firm scientific evidence about the benefits and risks made the call difficult, but the testimony of hundreds of Minnesotans made adding intractable pain as a qualifying condition the “right and compassionate” choice. Patients certified as suffering from intractable pain can receive medical marijuana starting in August 20ı6, Ehlinger said.


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FLORIDA: In November, the state’s Department of Health named five nurseries that will be allowed to grow non-euphoric cannabis for medicinal purposes under a law passed in 20ı4. Under the 20ı4 law, patients in need of medical cannabis were supposed to be able to obtain the substance in 20ı5 but lawsuits and red tape have caused delays. The cannabis strains that can be grown must contain a ratio of ı0 percent or more cannabidiol (CBD), a substance that may help alleviate seizures, and 0.8 percent or less tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Under the law smoking cannabis

is illegal, medical cannabis patients must medicate using an oil,

through vaping or other non-smokeable means.

MARYLAND: It was reported in early December that Maryland will delay announcing the winners of medical cannabis business licenses for an undetermined amount of time, leaving entrepreneurs in a holding pattern and introducing uncertainty into the process, according to Marijuana Business Daily. The Natalie M. LaPrade Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission (MMCC) said it wants more time to review applications “due to the number of submissions received,” adding that it plans to issue an updated timeline “in the near future.” Previously, the commission had said it would announce license winners in January. In November, the commission received more ı,08ı applications for marijuana dispensary, cultivation, processing and testing licenses.


HEALING THE POWER OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS

Despite the agonizing pain from neuropathy, panic attacks and insomnia caused by the chemotherapy, Rich was just relieved it worked and his cancer was eradicated.

Then in December 20ı4 his cancer returned. Rich had started losing weight rapidly which was the first sign something was amiss. “I have always weighed 240. If I am losing weight there’s a problem,” he reveals.

For his second bout with cancer, Rich explains, “I was going to do the chemo but my wife had been researching cannabis and Rick Simpson Oil and she brought it to my attention. My doctor wanted me to start chemo but this was a life and death decision we had to make. We weighed the pros and cons.”

One big strike in the con column was that Rich’s neighbor had just passed away from cancer and he had taken chemotherapy. Another con was his past chemo experience.

“We knew chemo was going to do me in this time so it was between dying

the bad way because the chemo hurts so bad, and it really messed me up the first time, or trying something different. Because what could they really do but give me double the dosage this time. We prayed on it and prayed on it,” explains Rich, for who, it ultimately came down to: “If I do pass, how do I want to pass?

“So we went a different route,” explains Rich, whose wife started doing all the research on medical marijuana and encouraging him to apply for his patient card. Rich told his doctor he would do the surgery but wasn’t going to do chemotherapy and instead was going

to try cannabis oil. His doctor tried

to persuade him to use chemotherapy again, explaining that there is no research on whether cannabis oil works or not, and that Rich shouldn’t try something based on hearsay. But Rich’s mind was made up. “I told him that the

research I did on chemo told me it was gonna kill me.”

Following his surgery in March 20ı5, Rich recalls telling “the doctors to just pray for us.”

“Once I started taking medical

marijuana I immediately could sleep,” Rich says of the first healing benefit from the cannabis oil he noticed. He also started to gain weight. “When I got out of surgery I was 208 and now I am at 232 lbs.”

Rich returned to his doctor this past November for a pet scan on his pelvis, neck and chest. When his doctor saw him he said to Rich, ‘I am going to tell you the truth, I was scared to see you again and scared to see what you were going to look like.’

Not only does Rich look healthy, more importantly, he is healthy. His pet scan came back clean. “I am blessed. I feel good. Whatever I want to do, I can do now.

“I put all my faith in this oil. I just wish I could have known about this before.”

Beating Cancer

It really destroyed my body,” Rich Holiday, 44, explains of the chemotherapy he received to treat his colon cancer in 20ıı. The construction worker, who is now on disability, opted for the traditional route to treat his cancer, receiving ı2 rounds of chemotherapy.

Patient puts all his faith in cannabis oil to rid his body of colon cancer

We knew chemo was going to do me in this time

so it was between dying the bad way because the chemo hurts so bad, and it really messed me up the first time, or trying something different.”

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The notion that a name of an object does not reflect what it really is as put forth by William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet applies not only to the tale of the star-crossed lovers, but also to cannabis strains. Much like the Montague name, the specific names of cannabis strains doesn’t matter – it is the actual composition of the medicine that is of the utmost importance.

The variety of names is a result of hybridization which has created an infinite number of strain possibilities. Cannabis strains are either pure or a hybrid mixture of Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica. Hybrid varieties are grown in order to intensify specific characteristics of the plant. The variety name, often coined by the grower, reflects certain traits of the plant such as smell, color, taste, or origin of the specific variety.

Hybrid varieties can also be used as a marketing tool to differentiate themselves from one another. Hybrid varieties tailored for medicinal purposes have been traditionally different than the varieties customized for the recreational market. The latter varieties have been genetically bred to have a higher concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) while

the former varieties have a higher composition of other cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD).

The genotype, or genetic makeup, and phenotype, the observable traits, work hand in hand to produce a wide spectrum of strains -- from pure sativa to pure indica and all imaginable combinations in between. The interaction of the genotype and the environment will produce a distinctive phenotype, such as the smell (terpenes), shape, color, and concentration of cannabinoids, of which there are over 80.

THE BREEDING GROUND The breeding of Cannabis sativa

(Latin for cultivated) and Cannabis indica (originally collected in India) produces a variety of different strains. Sativa is the slower growing, taller species with long branches and large narrow bladed leaves. Indica, on the other hand, is the shorter and bushier species, with wider leaflets.

Traditionally sativa is known for its cerebral effects while indica for its sedative properties. Breeding requires pollination of the female cannabis plant with the male pollen. In order to create specific varieties, selective breeding methods are utilized.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

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CANNABIS BY ANY OTHER NAME WOULD HEAL AS WELL

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Ace A n a l y t i c a l L a b o r a t o r yAce A n a l y t i c a l L a b o r a t o r y

Once bred, the names and nomenclatures for the varieties traditionally have been given by the grower. Obviously, marketing has influenced this process with popular strains being produced. Distinctive and catchy strain names have been used in order to distinguish different varieties and to differentiate strains from one another.

But as a consumer, what do these varieties mean? Unfortunately there may be a significant difference in the composition of strains that bear the same name. This becomes very frustrating for the patient, as there is uncertainty in the medicine they are purchasing.

This is also a big dilemma for recommending physicians. Most physicians are not familiar with cannabis products but even if they were knowledgeable about the various strains, the composition of the strains can be different. With the strict laboratory testing of medical cannabis in Nevada, strains will now offer consistency and breeding particulars because medicines will have the ratios and components printed on the label.

THC, CBD & TERPENES Historically, especially during the

clandestine years, growers were keen on producing strains with the highest concentration of THC, the psychoactive component, which was desired by consumers.

With the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes and the medicinal properties of other cannabinoids (CBD) coming to light, more growers are beginning to focus some of their crops to breed high CBD:THC varieties.

Furthermore, the specific terpene composition has opened the door for new strain varieties. Terpenes are the aromatic oil compounds secreted by the trichomes, which also produce cannabinoids, on the cannabis plant giving each plant its unique aroma. Laboratories have added terpene profiles to their reporting algorithm. Thus, a better scientific makeup of each strain is delineated. There appears to be a synergistic relationship (entourage effect) between cannabinoids and terpenes in the body.

Both cannabinoids and terpenes bind to cannabinoid receptors in the body and affect neurotransmitters’ production, cannabinoid transportation into the brain, and chemical reaction at the cannabinoid receptors. Now, medical research has to catch up and decipher what role terpenes play in shaping this plant into medicine.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME…As a physician, it’s not so much

the name of a medical cannabis variety that is important but rather its actual composition. Research of specific varieties will be necessary to fully understand the efficacy of cannabis for specific aliments being treated. Future research will be a key factor in understanding, optimizing and expanding this fledgling field.

Dr. Pouya Mohajer is a Diplomate

of the American Board of Anesthesiology with

a subspecialty in pain medicine, and founder

of Nevada Cannabis Medical Association.


Imagine yourself for a moment hanging upside down from a silk fabric suspended from high ceilings. You could be in either one of two places: on stage

performing in a Cirque du Soleil show on the Las Vegas Strip, or in Rebecca Perrick’s Anti-Gravity Yoga class.

At Shine Alternative Fitness, the path to wellness, healing and strength means more than the traditional treadmill and elliptical.

If, like me, you have been practicing yoga for some time, Perrick is unlike any other yoga instructor you may have come across. As a board certified occupational therapist, Perrick translates her in-depth understanding of the body, body mechanics, and sensation into her yoga practice. “Therapist turned Yogi” is how Perrick describes herself.

Knowing very little about me before our class, including the fact that I have a few years of yoga and Pilates experience under

my belt, Perrick treated me as a

beginner. When Perrick and I

entered the studio, I found myself questioning whether or not this thin, silk hammock-like contraption could support my full body weight during inversions. Perrick recognized my initial uncertainty when we got into our first “zero gravity” pose, but with her ability to analyze body movements, I was flying

Anti-Gravity Yoga, however unconventional it

may seem, is truly a holistic and natural approach to wellness

and healing—similar to medicinal

cannabis.”

Anti-Gravity Yoga adds zero gravity element to practice

TURNING HEALTHUPSIDE DOWN

by Rio Lacanlale


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with confidence by the second exercise. “I think beginners tend to feel safe in

my class because of the way I can break down information,” Perrick later explained after class.

The neon green silk hammocks hang a few feet above the ground, customized for each student’s height. The

silk contraption truly moves with your body whether you are in an inversion or utilizing the silk to deepen a stretch.

By eliminating outside factors, including the floor, Anti-Gravity Yoga lets your body move in a manner that is difficult to achieve while on a yoga mat. The “zero gravity” element of Perrick’s class allows for full decompression of the spine and limbs—a feature, I realized only after taking this class, that is missing in traditional yoga practices.

I experienced a very different, but rewarding type of mind/body connection with the zero gravity inversions. There was

also a calming familiarity of childlike curiosity I came across while upside-down.

While Perrick is not the only anti-gravity instructor at Shine Alternative Fitness, her classes are

one-of-a-kind. Honing in on her occupational therapist skills, she also successfully incorporates essential oils in her practice for

deeper restoration.There is no question that essential oils

make a room smell great. But when put in the right hands, such as Perrick’s, they contain effective healing

properties. If, while reading this, your stomach was turning at the idea of swinging around upside-down, do not let your motion sickness sway you from taking Anti-Gravity Yoga.

After a number of inversion sequences, I was hooked on the practice. And though I wanted to try more moves, my stomach was begging for me to stay right side up. That is, until Perrick freed herself from her hammock and dug around in her bag of essential oils. One drop of peppermint essential oil on my tongue had me back on the silks.

Anti-Gravity Yoga may be intimidating, especially for those completely new to the yoga practice or to inversions. But this new “trend,” however unconventional it may seem, is truly a holistic and natural approach to wellness and healing—similar to medicinal cannabis.

Whether you are looking for a way to relieve chronic pain, reduce stress, or just want to feel like a Cirque du Soleil aerialist for an hour, Anti-Gravity Yoga with Perrick offers healing through deep stretches, refreshes blood circulation with zero gravity inversions, and provides a therapeutic component through the use of essential oils.

Rebecca Perrick teaches a variety of classes at Shine Alternative Fitness, located at 64ı5 Tenaya Way, that includes: Fundamentals, Aerial Yoga, Suspension Fitness, Restorative and, of course, Anti-Gravity Yoga. The full schedule and list of classes can be found at shinealternativefitness.com.

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Cannabidiol (or CBD) is THC’s less controversial little sister. Overlooked and cast off many years ago as a hippie’s disappointment because of its lack of psychoactive properties -- CBD has suddenly found itself in the spotlight.

And under the microscope, for that matter, as researchers, scientists and cosmetic innovators delve deeper into the cannabinoid that is considered to have a much wider scope of medical and, even health and beauty, applications than THC. Turns out it could very well be the next big wellness breakthrough.

CBD users are finding that used in a topical form, it works on everything from chronic hip pain, arthritis, and nerve damage to migraines, radiation burns and permanent scars.

“There has been a good deal of pre-clinical data – not to mention user data – to suggest that a massage with cannabis oil or lotion has a positive effect on chronic pain, inflammation, and even burns, lesions, and wounds,” notes Rebecca Turley, a skincare specialist who writes for estheticianedu.org.

Dahlia Mertens, who founded Colorado’s Mary Jane’s Medicinals, a natural and organic line of cannabis topicals, concurs, offering that, “I feel like topicals are such an ambassador for the cannabis plant because it’s not about getting high but it is so therapeutic. Anybody can use this stuff and it’s so natural and gentle.”

CANNA-MASSAGE IS A THING?When Elevate first heard about

cannabis lotions and topicals being used in conjunction with massage, our interest was certainly piqued. As it turns out, Colorado is the most progressive, or possibly lenient, of the cannabis-legal states to branch out into health and wellness, especially the massage category.

“In Colorado, the popularity of cannabis-infused products of all kinds – including lotions and massage oils – has even introduced a booming new niche to the wellness industry, with dedicated

Lotions and Potionsand Topicals! OhMy!!smearing it all over your body

Forget about smoking cannabis, you should be

by Beth Schwartz


“canna-massage studios” popping up everywhere,” explains Turley.

With this in mind, Elevate headed to Denver to try out LoDo Massage Studio’s Mile High Massage which is advertised as a great way to “experience marijuana’s healing properties.”

LoDo does not need a license to use a cannabis-infused product because as Alexi Atkins, LoDo’s operations manager, explains, “We don’t sell it or upcharge for so it’s there’s no revenue coming through the company that’s directly associated with it. It’s a gift we give. When they book a massage with us, they can use the lotion or not use the lotion.”

In turn, LoDo customers can select from three options, of both the cannabis and non-cannabis nature. The selection includes ı00% Pure Unrefined Shea Butter, Santa Barbara "So Natural You Can Eat It" Crème or Apothecanna’s Pain Crème.

For purposes of our research, Elevate chose the Apothecanna option since it is infused with THC and CBD, as well as Arnica, Peppermint and Juniper, and is billed as a natural pain reliever and anti-inflammatory.

Which, of course, brings us directly to the controversy that inevitably follows CBD and THC wherever they turn up: Will a person experience psychoactive effects from topicals or more specifically massage treatments that use CBD/THC cremes?

CAN THERE BE HEALING WITHOUT THE HIGH?

“Most massage therapists have no interest in having somebody high on their tables,” explains Karen Menehan, editor in chief of Massage magazine. “I think the reason it is such a controversial topic, and there’s been so much interest among the massage therapists, is because people don’t realize there is CBD from marijuana plants and CBD from hemp. So I think there’s a certain curiosity and thinking that anything with CBD is going to get people high and I think that’s why people are so interested in it.”

To clarify Menehan’s point, CBD comes in two main forms. Cannabidiol

can come from medical marijuana plants or from industrially grown hemp plants.

Project CBD’s Martin A. Lee explains their differences, “The flower-tops and leaves of some industrial hemp strains may be a viable source of CBD, but hemp is by no means an optimal source of cannabidiol. Industrial hemp typically contains far less cannabidiol than CBD-rich cannabis.”

DOES CBD GET YOU HIGH?Mertens of Mary Jane’s Medicinals

drills down the debate to layman’s terms. “The THC (in topicals) doesn’t enter your bloodstream so it doesn’t get into your brain but it does interact with your peripheral nervous system and CB2 receptors in your endocannabinoid system so it is interacting with your nervous system but it’s not getting into your blood and it’s not getting you high.”

Mertens’ explanation lines up with LoDo’s literature about Apothecanna’s Pain Crème and its use in the Mile High Massage, which says: the THC does not enter the bloodstream, there are no psychoactive effects -- just soothing, cooling sensations and immediate relief from pain.

LoDo Massage Studio’s Operations Manager Alexis Atkins explains, “The way that topicals generally work, at least in the way Apothecanna is making them, is they just don’t enter the bloodstream so there shouldn’t be any psychoactive effects.”

Elevate’s massage experience was consistent with Apothecanna’s claim. We didn’t experience any kind of high during or after our 60-minute massage, but we did enjoy an impressive ı2 hours of straight sleep the night of our treatment.

Michael Jameson, co-founding partner of ReLeaf Las Vegas, a local dispensary that carries CBD-based products such as Apothecanna and Trew Balance, concurs but with a caveat. “You won’t get high but the cannabinoids are entering your skin and body tissues and bloodsteam and binding to the body. It’s definitely going to end up in the bloodstream via the body’s nerve endings.”

The concern about topicals getting into a person’s bloodstream also runs to massage therapists who are apprehensive about applying the lotions. “I don’t think massage therapists are going to want to have it on their hands for one thing because you absorb it through your hands. And they don’t want to get high while they are doing a massage,” explains Menehan of her readership at Massage magazine. “I could see CBD lotion with trace amounts of THC being used by massage therapists. The kind from marijuana, I just think it’s too up in the air right now in terms of the regulations in different states. I wouldn’t see that being used anytime in the near future on a widespread basis.”

Two of the massage therapists Elevate spoke to at LoDo said they prefer doing the Mile High Massage with canna products because their joints don’t ache and hurt as much after a full day of doing treatments unlike when they use traditional products. And, no, they do not get high from using Apothecanna’s Pain Crème.

“The therapists really love it because they are coating themselves in pain relief and anti-inflammatory medicine all day long,” Atkins confirms.

LoDo’s clients are finding relief too. “We get everything from athletes dealing with injuries because it helps a lot with inflammation to the elderly because it is a really great way for them to access the medicinal side of marijuana without smoking it or consuming it in any way because it can get right to the places that are aching on older bodies,” says Atkins.

WILL VEGAS SPAS OFFER CANNA-MASSAGE?

At this time, there are no spas on Las Vegas Boulevard offering canna-massage treatments. Elevate reached out to MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment and the Cosmopolitan and none have any plans to offer CBD-based treatments in 20ı6.


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But that’s not to say the door is completely closed to canna-massage in Las Vegas. “If anybody was going to use drugs in massage therapy, I think it’s going to be Vegas,” predicts Menehan.

Mertens concurs, “I think on the Vegas Strip it will happen more quickly because people come there to party and cannabis is associated with that. Also it seems like Nevada is setting up their regulatory structure so that it will be easy for people to be exposed to this…I am not totally familiar but I feel like Vegas will allow a real cannabis spa before anybody else will. I think it will happen in Vegas in the next two years.”

And Mertens will be there to capitalize on the city’s embrace of topicals. She is working on a licensing agreement with a Nevada dispensary to have her products here by the end of the year noting that, “Everybody should have a jar of cannabis salve in their medicine cabinet because it works for so many things.”

Jameson agrees, offering that he keeps a little jar of cannabis salve next to his workout area.

And because Menehan doesn’t foresee cannabis-rich CBD products becoming a mainstream spa treatment anytime soon she suggests self-application, “If somebody wants to buy the kind of salve that contains THC in larger than trace amounts, they can just buy it at the dispensary if they are a medical marijuana patient and use it on themselves.”

CANNABIS HAS ALL THE ESSENTIALSTO BECOME BEAUTY’S NEXT

BIG ANTI-AGING PRODUCTby Beth Schwartz

Imagine sidling up to the cosmetics counter at Saks Fifth Avenue or Neiman Marcus and buying luxury skincare products that are made with cannabis. Dirk Lindley, CEO of Cannamour Skincare, is hoping you will be doing just that by the end of this year. California-based Cannamour spent eight months developing and testing its whole plant cannabis-infused skincare line of topicals and plans to make them available in Hawaii, Nevada, Washington, Oregon and Colorado in 2016. “We took the best of every ingredient that is clinically proven in the marketplace and then we brought the cannabis into it because of its incredible entourage effect,” relays Lindley of Cannamour’s ingredients. “CBD has been a wonderful element that has spearheaded the whole industry to where we are today, but what everybody knows who is in the industry today, is the little hidden truth, CBD by itself is bullshit. You need the whole plant. CBD by itself doesn’t have anywhere near the impact. It’s not just the CBD and THC, but all the cannabinoids.” Billed as a miracle oil by Cannamour, the company’s literature says its Face & Neck topical, “helps banish the look of wrinkles and fine lines, plumps and firms, and hydrates deeply.” “We take botanical oils and other types of actives and formulate them together and they would have an incredible effect on their own but we add cannabidiol and, more or less, it takes incredible proprietary formations and puts them on steroids,” explains Matt Haskins, CEO of CannaSafe Analytics, a cannabis testing lab, of Cannamour. Cannamour products contain a 50/50 ratio of CBD and THC, but Lindley assures that you can’t get high. “It’s virtually impossible to get stoned or drugged or test positive for this topical because it’s not entering the bloodstream. We started testing to see how much THC it would take to register and it never got to that threshold, it never got to the point where it tested.” “We believe cannabis works in your body like a vitamin,” concludes Lindley. “Cannabis will be proven to be the number one antioxidant, we believe, when this is all over.”


1

2

3

5

6LAUGHLIN

7

14b

8

9410 1113

12

14a

Please call the dispensary before you visit to confirm they are open.

A

1. The Apothecary Shoppe theapothecaryshoppe.com | 702.740.43724240 W. Flamingo Road, 89103

2. CannaCopiacannacopialv.com | 702.487.67766332 S Rainbow, Suite ı05, 89ıı8

3. Euphoria Wellness euphoriawellnessnv.com | 702.960.72007780 South Jones Blvd, 89139

4. Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensaryinyolasvegas.com | 702.707.8888 2520 South Maryland Parkway, #2, 89109

DISPENSARY MAP - A Patients’ Guide to Medical Cannabis in Southern Nevada

5. Nevada Medical Marijuananevadamedicalmarijuana.com 702.737.77773ı95 St. Rose Pkwy, #2ı2, 89052

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6. Nevada Medical Marijuananevadamedicalmarijuana.com | 702.737.7777ı975 S. Casino Dr., Laughlin, 89029

7. NevadaPurenevadapure.com | 702.444.47904380 Boulder Highway, 89ı2ı 8. Nevada Wellness Center nvwellnessctr.com | 702.470.20773200 S. Valley View Blvd., 89102

9. Oasis Medicaltheoasisdispensary.com | 702.420.2405ı800 Industrial Rd., Suite ı80, 89ı02

10. Las Vegas ReLeaf lasvegasreleaf.com | 702.209.2400 2242 Paradise Road, 89104

11. Sahara Wellness702.478.5533420 East Sahara Ave, 89ı04

12. ShowGrow702.994.77994850 S Fort Apache Rd, Suite ı00, 89147

13. The Sourcethesourcenv.com | 702.708.20002550 S. Rainbow Blvd, # 8, 89ı46

14.Thrive Cannabis Marketplacethrivenevada.com | 702.803.242014a. 2755 West Cheyenne Ave, North Las Vegas14b. ııı2 South Commerce Street, Las Vegas, 89102

Are CBD products legal or not?

LEGALEASEby Derek J. Connor

The current legal status of marijuana is enough to put marijuana users and businesses in a constant state of confusion. Complex and often contradictory laws can be difficult for patients and businesses to understand and stay on top of. One area of confusion that has been coming up with increasing frequency involves the sale of

cannabidiol (or “CBD”) products. For the purposes of this article I differentiate between “marijuana” plants, which are grown to produce marijuana, and “industrial hemp plants” which are grown to produce hemp products.

Although there may be confusion, one thing is clear, while certain states allow for the use of marijuana for medical or recreational purposes, marijuana remains illegal pursuant to federal law. It does not matter if you have a recommendation from your doctor; if you use, possess, produce or distribute

marijuana you are breaking federal law.

Hemp-Derived CBD vs. Marijuana-Derived CBDIndustrial hemp is produced from the same basic

plant as marijuana. Consequently, the federal prohibition of marijuana also prohibits the cultivation of industrial hemp. Nevertheless, it is completely legal under federal law to import several products produced from industrial hemp that is grown outside of the United States, so long as the products are derived from the seeds and stalk of the hemp plant.

Some of those products are very well known such as rope, clothing, lotions, etc. People are often surprised to learn that it is perfectly legal to import many CBD products produced from industrial hemp grown outside the United States. Anybody can legally purchase those products, you do not have to be a marijuana patient under state law and you do not have to go to a dispensary to purchase those products so long as the THC levels are sufficiently low (federal regulations require that industrial hemp products be less than 0.3% THC by dry weight). These products are generally treated as dietary supplements and do not undergo the strict

FDA screening required of mainstream medications.

Ironically, Nevada Medical Marijuana Establishments (MMEs) should be aware that while many CBD products may be federally legal to import and sell, it may actually be illegal

under Nevada state law for the MME to sell those

products. Quite simply,

Nevada is a highly regulated market and Nevada’s strict regulations may actually be higher than the federal regulations in some areas, particularly with regard to product testing. Therefore, MMEs should exercise extreme caution before attempting to sell any CBD products to ensure compliance with Nevada’s strict state and local regulations.

So the $64,000 question is: are CBD products produced from marijuana plants treated differently than those produced from imported hemp products?

CBD products produced in the United States from marijuana plants (and theoretically industrial hemp plants) grown in the U.S. remain illegal under federal law in practically all circumstances. Nevertheless, in spite of federal prohibition the laws of certain states and jurisdictions allow for the medical or recreational use of marijuana, including the production and use of CBD products produced from U.S. cultivated marijuana plants.

In Nevada, marijuana patients may legally purchase these types of CBD products so long as they have a valid patient card and the products are produced and sold by Nevada licensed MMEs. Nevada MMEs wishing to sell CBD products should familiarize themselves with the relevant legal regulations. State produced CBD products will be treated as any other marijuana infused product and will be subject to all the same strict state regulations.

Marijuana laws are complex and ever-changing. Both MMEs and patients should consult with a Nevada licensed attorney who is familiar with Nevada’s complex regulations before attempting to buy, sell, or produce CBD products.

“With ballot initiatives and legislative action

in Nevada and a number of other states,

I predict we will reach a tipping point and

Congress will be forced to take action

to protect patients, doctors, and

businesses from federal prosecution;

support marijuana-related research;

and expand financial services

to the industry.”

- DINA TITUS, CONGRESSWOMAN (NV-1)


Cannabis ballot initiatives are going to determine the

next president of the United States. Florida, Ohio,

Nevada, Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Maine --

if we have ballot initiatives in every one of those states,

what do they do? They drive our youth voters like

nothing else does. Youth voters skew dramatically in one

direction or the other. These ballot initiatives will bring

out the youth vote in unexpected numbers

and those ballot initiatives will effect the

vote for every other office that’s on the

ballot. Cannabis is going to determine

our next president.”

?

INTO THE FUTURE Industry leaders prognosticate about where cannabis is going in 2016

Elevate NV canvassed leaders in the Nevada MME (medical marijuana establishment) industry for their

20ı6 prognostications regarding cannabis. We asked them to look deep into their crystal balls to make

some predictions about what they thought the year would bring to Southern Nevada’s patients and

business owners. Without fail, most had high hopes for the passage of adult use cannabis in November,

as well that medicinal options would explode and supply would stabilize. We welcome your cannabis

predictions too, so please share them with us at [email protected].

- LESLIE BOCSKOR,

FOUNDING CHAIRMAN,

NEVADA CANNABIS

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

“I predict ipı will pass overwhelmingly and

the legislature will vote to speed up its

implementation so recreational will start

on July ı, 20ı7 instead of January ı, 20ı8.”

- TICK SEGERBLOM, NEVADA STATE SENATOR

"Delivery will be very important and the initial success of

medical marijuana in Las Vegas will require businesses

to navigate the complicated patchwork of local delivery

restrictions. If a business is able to capture significant

market share in the delivery space early that will mean

profitable returns for years to come. Logistics and the

technology of delivery will be the next big opportunity

for Nevada in 20ı6.”

- ANDREW LIVINGSTON, POLICY ANALYST, VICENTE SEDERBERG LLC

“I see Nevada becoming a recreational state in 20ı6 as well as the medical

industry starting to take a positive proactive approach with the use of cannabis.”

–LANCE PARVIN, CO-FOUNDER & LEAD RESEARCHER, COMPASSION AWARENESS PROJECT

“At least one spa on the Strip will start offering massage

treatments that incorporate a CBD oil or lotion before

the year ends.”

-BETH SCHWARTZ, EDITOR, ELEVATE NV MAGAZINE

This is a longshot but the

reclassification of cannabis

from Schedule ı to either Schedule

ıı or ııı. And a non-medical

prediction, adult use passage

in Nevada.”

- DR. POUYA MOHAJER, M.D., FOUNDER,

NEVADA CANNABIS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION


The beneficial effects of the stringent

regulations imposed by the state of

Nevada on the state's medical marijuana

enterprises will increasingly be recognized

as patients benefit from having the safest,

cleanest, most well-defined cannabis

available to them. As other states continue

to adopt stringent testing standards related

to such things as pesticide and microbial

testing, which were first made mandatory

in Nevada, Nevada will

increasingly be recognized

as having establishing

the "gold standard" for

cannabis testing. Nevada

politicians will work to

foster an environment

which allows

clinical patient

research and be

at the forefront

of clinical trials

demonstrating

the efficacy of medicinal

cannabis for a variety of

common medical ailments.”

In 20ı6, I predict

that there will be a

significant increase

in the number of

Nevada patients and an increase in

the number of out-of-state patients served by

the many dispensaries that will open; however,

some of the companies that were granted

provisional licenses will not successfully open a

medical marijuana establishment.”

- AMANDA N. CONNOR, ESQUIRE, CONNOR & CONNOR

“Medical marijuana prices will fall sharply in 2016, and will stabilize by year's end. Prices are

currently around $22 a gram retail, and will fall to somewhere in the $ı2-ı5 a gram range.

- JOE BREZNY, COALITION TO REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

“We at the County have already issued 24 medical marijuana

business licenses. We should be able to more

than double that in 20ı6 and I anticipate

that Las Vegas-area patients will see a more

consistent supply of higher-quality

product with more stable pricing, even

as competition heats up with more

consumers and greater demand.”

- STEVE SISOLAK, CLARK COUNTY COMMISSION CHAIRMAN

“I think adult use will pass in November

because a casino operator will decide to

donate to a non-profit instead of going

against the ballot initiative. I also have it

on good authority that Elevate magazine

will expand into other states looking to

elevate the conversation.”

- GUY BERTUZZI, PUBLISHER, ELEVATE NV MAGAZINE

“Sales will skyrocket in the summer as

more dispensaries open, creating

significant problems in

the businesses trying

to operate on a cash-

only basis. However,

a banking solution will

come about in the second

quarter that will effectively

address these operational and

public safety issues, as state and local

officials are fully engaged in seeking a

viable solution.”

- JOHN SULLIVAN, CEO,

INTEGRATED COMPLIANCE SOLUTIONS

“Nevada’s newly

minted marijuana

industry

entrepreneurs

and their

investors will

breathe a sigh

of relief as they

begin to reap the

rewards of two years

of hard work and

sacrifice. More and

more dispensaries

will open, and the

year will

culminate

with the

passage of

a hard-

fought

campaign to

permit adult

use during

the 20ı6

election.”

- LORI GLAUSER, PRESIDENT

& COO, SIGNAL BAY INC.

“There will be ı0

approved dispensaries

that will not open.”

- DAVID GOLDWATER,

MANAGING PARTNER, INYO

FINE CANNABIS DISPENSARY

- BRUCE BURNETT, M.D., CO-FOUNDER,

ACE ANALYTICAL LABORATORY


Adult use marijuana is approved by voters

in November 20ı6. Total sales from medical

marijuana in Nevada will top $ı00 million in 20ı6.

The first Nevada state-chartered marijuana banking

facility opens in the second quarter of 20ı6.”

- ALICIA R. ASHCRAFT, ESQUIRE, ASHCRAFT & BARR

“The state will start an online process to shorten the

time it takes for patients to get their medical marijuana

cards. Prices will go down

on the street as well as in the

commercial market because

of the opening of more

dispensaries as well as the

number of legit cultivations

in Nevada. There will be

more raids on illegal

operations.

BANKING- JEN SOLAS,

2015 PRESIDENT, WECAN 702

- SHANE TERRY, CEO, NUVEDA

On a greater scale, once MMEs have

passed the startup phase of business,

I think there will be a great social

and economic opportunity for

industry leaders to look externally

from their own operations and shoulder the

responsibility for positive change in Nevada.

I see 20ı6 being a significant

year for social and political

acceptance. I think the initial

public safety concerns are going

to be significantly mitigated as

our community recognizes the

cannabis industry for both its

medical and economic

contributions. I also see

strong growth within the

industry, as the supply will

become closer to meeting

demand mid-year.

--DEMETRI KOURETAS, CEO, THE GROVE

“Probably the most exciting thing to

happen in 20ı6 is that patients seeking

relief will finally have a wide variety

of products available to treat their

ailments and will have options for

where to obtain their medicine.

They have waited many years for

this day to come.”

“The stigma surrounding cannabis

will be reduced, leading to more

acceptance, usage, research, and

financial investments.”

- JONATHAN FINE, PRESIDENT,

ELEVATION PUBLISHING

Independent Analytical Testing Laboratory Specializing in Cannabis Testing and Analytics. 844-5-TESTIN | 702-728-5180 | www.dblabslv.com | 4439 S. Polaris Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89103

H3C

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o CH3

Acclaimed for its secret dish of the same name, Killer Shrimp has made its way to Las Vegas, opening a location at Town Square in late 20ı5. “Las Vegas was a logical choice because it’s so accessible as well as being a world-class destination,” explained Kevin Michaels, CEO of Killer Shrimp, of opening the first Killer Shrimp outside of California.

From ı988 until 2008, the restaurant’s eponymous dish was so wildly popular it was the only entree the restaurant served. It may be so coveted because Michaels and his family have kept the secret spices used to make the dish a closely guarded secret. “The guys in the kitchen don’t even know what goes into the spice profile,” he said, noting that “people love trying to guess what’s in it.”

In spite of its wild success, Killer Shrimp expanded its menu in 2008 to 60 items but to this day 50 percent of what it sells is still its spicy shellfish dish served by

itself or over either rice or angel hair pasta. The new restaurant is pleased to now

share its Killer Shrimp with Las Vegas and is even more pleased to offer the state’s medical cannabis patients a discount. Patients who show their medical marijuana card can receive a 20% discount off of their check in January. Michaels feels strongly about taking care of medical marijuana patients because he has a personal connection.

“Twice I have seen it really impact people in my life in a big way -- that’s

my whole connection,” he relayed. “My mom passed away in 2007 from pancreatic cancer. My mother was a very health-driven person and never smoked pot. But she was so sick that toward the later stages we talked her into trying it.

“Watching your mom go through that and seeing the magic of it and how it gave her a new lease on life and get some enjoyment and be able to smile again, it was a very positive thing. Marijuana would give her a little bit of relief.”

And in its own small way, Killer Shrimp is also hoping to give Nevada medical marijuana patients a little relief – just a whole lot tastier.Town Square Las Vegas (702) 385-2000 • killershrimp.com

Killer Shrimpto offer 20% discount to medical cannabis patients in January

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THE BIGGEST LITTLE DISPENSARY OPENS IN RENO by Madeline Purdue

Sierra Wellness Connection, managed by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Eva Grossman, was the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Reno. With Jeff as the Cultivation Manager and Eva in charge of the dispensary, Sierra Wellness grows, harvests and packages their own cannabis.

The couple turned to cannabis after Eva underwent surgery to remove a tumor. Following three years of exhausting treatments, she found that medical cannabis improved her condition and she gained her quality of life back.

So she understands better than anyone what the dispensary’s clients, who suffer from a variety of illnesses such as chronic pain, brain injuries, and PTSD, are going through. Many of the dispensary’s patients have reported successful stories

of recovery after using medical cannabis. “It has been nothing short of miraculous to see the improvements taking place over the past three months since we have been open,” said Eva.

Sierra Wellness, located at ı605 East Second Street, offers a wide variety of strains (their full menu is available at Leafly), as well as edibles, beverages, and wax, in addition to glassware, vaporizers and other accessories. Sierra Wellness can also help with applications, doctor referrals and provide free consultations.

NEWLY FORMED NEVADA MARIJUANA COUNCIL TO DEVELOP LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES

The inaugural meeting of the Nevada Marijuana Council (NMC) drew leaders from the state’s cannabis industry to start developing priorities to build on its 20ı5

legislative successes in Carson City.“The council is designed to promote

common sense regulation and balance the many interests of the medical marijuana industry,” said Senator Patricia Farley, who along with Senator Tick Segerblom, started NMC.

NMC has created four committees – Patient Issues; Pesticides, Cultivation and Production; Banking; and Ownership Issues – that are charged with exploring opportunities to build out Nevada’s regulatory framework. Committee findings will inform a list of suggested legislative changes in time for the bill draft process prior to the 20ı7 Legislature.

Along with Sens. Farley and Segerblom, Assembly members David Gardner and Olivia Diaz serve on the council. Other executive officers include President Riana Durrett, Esq., Policy/Legal Analyst Amanda Connor, Esq., and board members Lucy Stewart and Nycole Cummings.

NEVADA’S BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN A SAFE AND CLEAN ENVIRONMENT.

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34 industry connect | elevatenv.com | january

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Visit us at mjardin.com

KARMA HOLISTIC HEALTH FOUNDATION

9111 W. Russell Rd. Suite 120, Las Vegas, NV 89148

(702) 388.1119 | Free: (855) 420.1110

[email protected]

CANNA LAW GROUP400 S. Fourth St. , Suite 500

Las Vegas, NV 89101

(702) 979.4597

cannalawgroup.com | cannalawblog.com

WE CAN 7021771 E. Flamingo Rd., Suite 201

Las Vegas, NV 89119

1.844.WeCanLV

wecan702.org

GETTING LEGAL2619 W Charleston Blvd #100

Las Vegas, NV 89102

702-979-9999

Gettinglegal.com

PROFILE

In any emerging industry, steady leadership and proven business acumen are necessities for success. And that has never been more true as it has been in Nevada’s medical cannabis industry, which has undergone such a complex regulatory process to ensure safety for patients.

Demetri Kouretas, owner and CEO of The Grove, has been an entrepreneur and business innovator for decades, having managed international import/export businesses, overseen full-scale industrial and real estate ventures, and successfully launching and operating numerous gaming and restaurant establishments.

Kouretas and his team have taken the commitment to providing the highest quality, all-natural medicines very seriously, carefully examining every aspect of the business and its operations.

“Rather than trying to be the first to market, we have chosen to take the time necessary to ensure that the product The Grove produces and sells is going

to be the best alternative for those who are seeking relief,” Kouretas said. “It matters to us that everything we provide is natural and truly effective.”

“We have built a team of experts who bring an incredible depth of knowledge and are applying it to our operation. We have folks from the medical, horticultural, and even culinary and oil industry applying their talents to a new frontier and we all are excited to educate and inform new patients.”

Importantly, The Grove will have control throughout the process, from the seedlings in its grow facility, through cultivation and production, to two dispensaries where clients can obtain their medicine. The Grove is dedicated to curating its selection of strains so it can not only offer those that are most in demand by its clients, but also those that are difficult to find and highly sought after.

The Grove’s state-of-the-art, eco-friendly indoor grow and production facility will create pure medical marijuana,

concentrates and edibles. The company strives to honor all-natural growing principles with every plant it grows, and with the help of its experienced master grower, The Grove has designed an ecosystem that mimics the growth conditions found in nature. All-natural soil, along with purely natural means of controlling pests and fungus, will be used at The Grove’s grow facility.

The Grove will operate two dispensaries in Nevada. The Las Vegas location is at 4640 Paradise Road, facing Swenson and across from the Thomas & Mack at UNLV. This location will be convenient for both locals and tourists, as it is moments from McCarran Airport and just a few blocks from The Strip. The Grove will have the only licensed dispensary in Nye County, as well, at 1541 E. Basin Ave, in Pahrump.

facebook.com/thegrovenv

The Grove is committed to providing the highest quality, all-natural medicines

35 january | industry connect | elevatenv.com

Demetri Kouretas, CEO of The Grove

36 industry connect | elevatenv.com | january

Elevating the Conversation with Leslie Bocskor

HAS NEVADA’S MEDICAL

CANNABIS INDUSTRY

UNFOLDED LIKE YOU

THOUGHT IT WOULD?

In fact it’s unfolded even better than I thought it would. When you take a look at it from a purely objective perspective and evaluate, first off, how transparent, thorough and fair the regulatory framework is in Nevada, it’s arguably the most transparent and fair framework that has yet been devised. Why is that? Because Nevada has a history of being able to devise a regulatory framework for industries that have been looked at as taboo in other jurisdictions and that history goes back decades. We have been through it, and have had it go wrong, and figured out how to do it right.

FOR YOU, WHAT HAS

BEEN THE MOST EXCITING

THING ABOUT NEVADA’S

DISPENSARIES OPENING?

That it is real. Up until the moment they open, there’s still this question because it is still federally illegal. This is really happening

and we are seeing change. That means fewer arrests for ridiculous things. That means tax revenue is going to be generated for our schools and for law enforcement and for substance abuse counseling that is so needed in this state. It means jobs are plentiful. It means keeping the hard won treasure of Nevada in Nevada. It’s all that money not leaving our economy and being siphoned off into a criminal economy.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE

BIGGEST BUSINESS SURPRISE

IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?

Truly, it has been a combination of two things -- profitability and values. First, it has a value system that has developed within it that has turned the conversation to: how can we be exemplary? How can we do the right things every step of the way? Values are trumping profitability. You just don’t hear about that in other industries, it just doesn’t happen. The other surprise is the profitability. Maybe the reason we can

think about our values is because the industry is so profitable. Maybe because 52 percent of businesses in the cannabis industry hit break-even in the first six months, that’s unheard of. It leaves me speechless at times when I think about the consequences of that.

DO YOU BELIEVE LAS

VEGAS WILL BECOME THE

AMSTERDAM OF THE U.S.?

People think of Amsterdam as the touchstone of legal cannabis but it’s not done right there. The wholesale market is not allowed to exist, there’s no testing that’s done, and it is still sort of seedy. So I think other cities are going to say we are going to become the Las Vegas of… for instance, Anchorage will say we are going to be the Las Vegas of Alaska. I would say we are going to blow right by Amsterdam and pretty soon Amsterdam will say they want to become the Las Vegas of Europe.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE

CHANCES ARE OF NEVADA

VOTERS PASSING IP1?

I think it’s very likely that it will pass. I think every Nevadan really needs to think about it and consider that this is the only effective way to keep it out of the hands of kids and that this is the best way to provide tax revenue for substance abuse counseling, for law enforcement, and for education. Nevada is 50th in the United States for public education. We are going to provide tax revenue that’s going to help our kids to get a better education while keeping cannabis out of their hands while establishing a regulated framework that’s going to lower the burden on our court system and treat this from a regulated perspective the way alcohol has been. If every citizen of Nevada has an honest conversation about that and looks at the facts, what they are going to realize is that it’s the only solution and it will pass by a very wide margin. We can’t come at this as activists, but as realists. To read our entire interview with Bocskor, please visit elevatenv.com/Elevating_the_Conversation

Leslie Bocskor is a managing partner of Electrum Partners, founding chairman of the Nevada Cannabis Industry Association, and a member of ArcView Angel Investor Network. Having worked on the investment side of the tech world, Bocskor’s interest

turned to cannabis in 20ı2 when he began looking at data surrounding the industry. Following the election later that year that made adult use legal in Colorado and Washington, Bocskor explained “the writing was on the wall and that was when I knew there was something very substantial happening and I was certain it was going to be enormous.”

Documents

Elevate NV: The Wellness Issue - January 2016