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The Stoner Of The Week blog will return in the coming weeks...

Week 7 - WA5280

www.WA5280.com

Week 6 - Better

by StankyyDankyy

In North America, it's hard to say if  anyone is the best at growing cannabis and/or providing quality medicine to their patients. Of course their are hundreds, possibly even thousands of great growers and caregivers. Those that win cannabis cup awards from time to time or get acknowledged for other various accomplishments. But none that necessarily stand out as better than everyone else. One company in Israel however is hands down doing it better than anyone else. And there is no debate about it. That company is known worldwide as... Better.

What is their mission? According to Marty, a shareholder at Better, they want to set the bar for quality organic medicine. First in Israel, and then worldwide. And they are doing just that! Having officially been founded in 2009, the Better crew has quickly set their mark on the cannabis culture. Marty was nice enough to speak with me about the company. On top of being a shareholder at Better, he's also a patient and activist. He found that marijuana helped him heal from injuries due to being struck by a drunk driver in 2008. Yohai G is the founder of Better. Before founding the company, he had been working on another project in Israel for a few years, and had a decade of experience in California, where he apprenticed under and eventually partnered with K of the award winning firm Trichome Technologies, who've been featured dozens of times in High Times Magazine. Yohai took his 12+ years of experience and combined it with a team of individuals that were the best in their given fields. 

Their efforts to better the cannabis culture have garnered the attention of the Israeli cannabis authorities, who regard them as the current highest quality producer in Israel. In addition to that, the Czech authorities as well as the Canadian government have taken notice. "I cannot go into detail - but it seems likely that we will be operating within both of those markets within a year" he informed me when discussing the matter. It seems the Better team is determined, and maybe even destined to take the amazing work they've done in Israel to other parts of the world in need of quality affordable medicine. The company prides itself on the fact that they produce quality medicine and provide it for an affordable price. They guarantee 100% organic medicine to their patients for a low $2.75 a gram US. And since Israeli laws are so strict, all the medicine goes to extremely sick patients that are in desperate need of it.

"We are proud to be the only company in Israel that fuses Israeli agricultural innovation with tried and tested California-born methodologies, practices and genetics" said Marty. Their work is based out of Israel, but not just any part of Israel. The farm is located in southern Israel, close to the port city of Ashkelon. Which is a mere 10 miles away from the Gaza border. This put them in quite the predicament in 2011 when the Gaza/Israel conflict reached an extremely violent point, having an estimated 1,600 missiles and rockets fired out of Gaza. They also garnered international attention when they chose to remain on the farm against evacuation orders. This courageous act didn't go unnoticed. High Times Magazine featured them for their decision to stay during the 13 days of extreme violence. "Although it wasn't much of a decision, more of an obligation to our patients" said Marty.

After reading about their accomplishments, as well as their passion to provide, there shouldn't be any question as to why the Better team was selected to be my Stoners Of The Week. Putting their patients first, even before their own safety, the team has proven that they are passionate to provide to those in need. And doing so in a way that isn't a financial burden to those that are suffering. Better IS doing it better than anyone in their country, and they are just getting started!

To contact Marty or the Better crew,     visit their website at www.BetterTM.org.il and to check out some more photos of their operations, head over to their Instagram feed at www.Instagram.com/BetterTM. Tune in next week to see who will be the next Stoner Of The Week!

Week 5 - Chronnoisseur

by StankyyDankyy

The marijuana movement has progressed immensely in the past 15 years. And if you're reading this, chances are you're some-what educated on the matter. But there's no question that when it comes to cannabis, there are far more misconceptions floating around than actual facts. It is my belief that misinformation and ignorance are slowing down this movement more than anything else. Nothing can help our cause more than educating ourselves and others. Thankfully, individuals like Christina have already received the memo!

Christina, better known on Instagram as Chronnoisseur, has been a prime example of what it means to be a cannabis activist in today's world. Creating a website and multiple social media accounts for various purposes, she has taken social media and used it as an avenue to educate others. From an outsiders perspective, it seems as if she spends all of her time trying to better the movement. Which is admirable to say the least. I had the pleasure of speaking with her about her cannabis activism and learning more about why she's so passionate about spreading awareness.

Like myself, Christina hadn't started medicating with cannabis until years into her adulthood. As a teenager, it was something that never caught her interest. But after suffering from injuries in a serious car wreck a decade ago, she elected to try it. It relieved her chronic physical pain, as well as assisted with her PTSD. When she saw immediate results, she realized it was far better for her than any pharmaceuticals her doctor had ever prescribed. A few years later she started cultivating cannabis, and has continued to to this day. And has been spreading awareness for the past 5 years.

Education is one thing, but taking action is another. Marijuana reform laws have had little to no success up until the dawn of the century. Why is this the case? More often than not, it's because those that WANT to take action aren't exactly sure HOW to go about doing it. It's such a chore for anyone to try and keep up with their states bills or initiatives, and nearly impossible to find the information you're looking for. Luckily, several years ago Christina created www.Medifaded.com and the Instagram account @MMJnews to help spread awareness and keep readers up to date on all marijuana reform laws. Since creating both, she gives daily updates on any and all marijuana reform laws across the world.

"I started @MMJnews and medifaded.com to help inform people and my patients as to what was going on nationally because I was so severely affected by the Supreme Court ruling here in So-Cal...or where to find info on their particular state" she said when asked why she started being an activist to begin with. On top of running Medifaded.com and @MMJnews, she stays busy will lots of other endeavors. She's the GM at Perennial Holistic Wellness Center in Studio City, California. Prior to this position, she owned her own collective which closed down last May due to the supreme court ruling.  She also runs the social media accounts @Chronnoisseur, @cchi2014 and @PerennialHWC, along with her newest page @MMJmothers which is geared to bring mothers into the MMJ conversation.

When asked why she is so passionate about spreading awareness, her motives were made clear. "It has been proven time and again that cannabis (and hemp -which has little to no thc) oils high in CBD have the ability to reduces seizures in children with severe and rare cases of epilepsy- I have helped a child myself and have seen the results firsthand. I have to say the child and his mother have shown me bravery that has deeply impacted my life; those two are part of the inspiration that drives my career and compassion today; results like his are miracle-like and it will keep someone like me working everyday to educate and spread awareness."

Christina spends all of her time doing her best to progress the movement and keep others informed on how to do the same. Some would say that activists like her are the most important and influential factors in today's movement. Those opposed to cannabis and it's properties are either completely illogical, or simply uninformed. Educating the masses about cannabis and keeping them informed on how to take legislative action is the first step to changing things on a larger scale. By spending hours a day spreading awareness, Christina is helping progress the medical marijuana movement in more ways than one. I've been an avid follower and fan of hers for years. And it's my pleasure to call her my Stoner Of The Week. 

To learn more about Christina, visit her Instagram at www.Instagram.com/Chronnoisseur. And to keep up to date with all marijuana legislative changes, visit her website www.MediFaded.com or her Instagram page @MMJnews. Tune in next week to see who will be the next Stoner Of The Week! And please, start the conversation about cannabis with someone today. You can change a lot just by talking about it!

Week 4 - Afgoo Head

It is no secret that humans have been smoking marijuana for thousands of years. In fact, scientist believe that they have found evidence of the earliest cultivation of hemp in history, dating back 10,000 years ago to present day China. The Chinese would finally use it for medical purposes 7,000 years later (2,600 B.C.). Meaning humans have been smoking cannabis for the past 4,600 years. And it's safe to say that in those 46 hundred years, the evolution of medicating with marijuana has changed drastically. In the world of cannabis today, there are hundreds of ways to smoke. But has someone created the PERFECT method of medicating? Many would say CannAlchemy's Afgoo Head has. 

Most variations of the "Thai Stick" consist of buds of cannabis skewered on a piece of bamboo, tightly wrapped with a piece of hemp fiber from the plant. Over the past few decades, Thai Sticks have been used to medicate those with extremely high tolerance levels. Eventually, users started dipping their sticks in hash oil to make them more potent. And after decades of evolution, the Thai Stick remains to be improved today. What Afgoo Head has done, is taken the traditional Thai Stick and turned in to an all cannabis cigar. 

I had the opportunity to discuss the details of this movement with Afgoo Head. He was nice enough to give us some simple instructions as to how one makes his canna cigars. "To make a thai stick, you need soft, spongy nugs, a skewer, and hemp string. You start off by gripping a few nugs around a skewer with your fingertips, while carefully tying the nugs in place with the hemp string. It's not the easiest task in the world, but it is probably one of the most rewarding. As the nugs are tied neatly around the skewer, more nugs are pressed into the tied nugs, while wrapping around the skewer. Eventually you are left with an elongated cannabis mass tied around a stick that can be turned into a canna cigar. The hemp string can then be removed after about 2 weeks. The nugs will eventually solidify into a single entity, which will make for a safe removal of the string. The stick can then be wrapped with cured cannabis leaves backed with cannabis oil or wax, for glue. I usually wrap one layer, then retie with the hemp string for about 2 days, then I add a hash dusting over a light coating of oil. I then wrap with 2-3 more leaf layers then retie with the string and set the stick to cure for at least 2 weeks." 

His canna cigars are clearly packed with a punch. And it comes as no surprise that the community has taken so much interest in his work. Most of that can be attributed to the end result of the cigar, but what makes Afgoo's work so appealing is the way he presents it. When he first received instructions on how to make a canna cigar, he decided to make one for his Instagram feed. He knew he would be slammed with a ton of questions. "What is this?! How do you make it?!" So he decided to make it a multi-part narrative over a few posts. This avoided any sort of confusion and answered the most frequently asked questions. He has gone on to create about 7 different variations of the cigar, which all come complete with a detailed guide. Since it's become the phenomenon it is today, Afgoo has created roughly 200 cigars, including the projects he has featured on his website. 

So why all the effort you ask? Well, like I mentioned before, the Thai Stick's primary purpose is to improve and optimize your high. Cannabis cigars are an extremely efficient way to get medicated. They burn at a consistent rate of about half an inch per hour, sometimes even slower! The leaf wrapping gives you a flavor that is unobtainable with any type of rolling paper. And the effects are felt the very first hit. In Afgoo's words, it is "They are very, very, very efficient!" 

Whether you call it a Thai Stick, a canna cigar, or my personal favorite "The 1,000 Hit Stogie", one thing is for certain. IT GETS THE JOB DONE.  One problem that many veteran cannabis users run in to is their tolerance reaching it's peak. But with Afgoo Head's all cannabis cigar, problem solved! Much like the cultivation of marijuana, our generation has nearly perfected the way people medicate. In today's cannabis community, we are introduced to new peculator systems and new consistencies of cannabis extracts all the time. Which gives us more and more ways to medicate. But some would say that nothing is as effective and efficient as an all cannabis cigar. Afgoo Head has managed to reinvent something old, and make it something that is relevant in today's world. He has revolutionized the way people smoke today, and for many years to come. And that earns him the title of my Stoner of the Week!

For more detailed instructions how to create various versions of the canna cigar, visit 

www.cannalchemy.com for tutorials! And to admire the work of Afgoo Head, visit his Instagram page at www.Instagram.com/Afgoo_Head. Tune in a week from today to see who will be crowned the next Stoner Of The Week.

Week 3 - Marimberos

by StankyyDankyy

In North America, we know those in the medical marijuana industry by many titles. Whether it be a farmer, grower, trimmer, dealer, or caregiver, we've assigned multiple names for each position. But in the country of Colombia, all these individuals are known by most as "Marimberos". Decades ago, Marimberos was a name given to the cannabis cultivators, smugglers, dealers, and pilots by the local Colombians. They did this so they could quickly identify those individuals involved. After years of Marimberos becoming fairly profitable, the term became more of a social distinction for those of financial and social status. After a decade of growth and knowledge, these Marimberos were at the top of their game. That is, until another drug swept the nation.

In the early 1970s, cocaine started to make its way throughout the country. This caught the attention of most of the marijuana drug dealers. Distributing cocaine was a much faster and easier way to make money. Over the next ten years, it would become the largest cocaine market in the world. And in doing so, brought the marijuana movement to a complete halt. Colombia has unfortunately been associated with cocaine ever since. Because of cartels fighting over boundaries, the drug trade became increasingly violent over time. While all of this was occurring, the next generation of Marimberos were being born. Little did the Colombians know, amongst these future Marimberos was an individual that would forever change the South American cannabis culture.

Alejandro Londono grew up in this violent culture. Marijuana was a common thing in his household growing up. Rather than being a taboo subject like it is in many American families, it was presented as a gift from nature in his. His older brothers used it, and would occasionally grow some for personal use in their family garden. It the late 80s and early 90s, Alejandro began using cannabis. As a consumer, his interest in the plant peaked to an all time high. In 1991, he moved to Miami to escape the violence of his country. Once he was in the States, he was able to learn more about the medical benefits of the plant. In Colombia, he had never had access to this type of knowledge. After some time, he found a group of friends with similiar interest and knowledge. And by 1992, found himself buying his first lamps. He would spend the next few years continuing to gain knowledge and experience in his trade.

In 1995, Alejandro left the states to return to Colombia. And with him, he brought his newly acquired knowledge. Using that knowledge, he adapted new indoor cultivating techniques never seen before in his country. He shared his knowledge with others cultivators in the area. And eventually began developing his own genetics. While he was busy influencing others, he would meet one of his biggest influences in the industry, Mila Jansen. Mila, owner of Pollinator Company, was and still is one of the biggest pioneers of the modern marijuana movement. She would go on to introduce Alejandro to new books and various people that would continue to build his knowledge on all things cannabis. He was living his dream and making a living doing it. But the movement was still a long way from where it needed to be. This was ever so apparent when he was met with a reality check. His two older brothers, Mao and Caliche, were both killed in the senseless drug war. These events put things in perspective for Alejandro and reminded him that there was a long way to go.

After years of working illegally, several South American countries loosened marijuana laws and began recognizing the medical benefits of the plant. This allowed Alejandro and his fellow Marimberos to finally cross the border with their work. He began sharing his knowledge with cultivators in various other countries. As of last year, they were working with Cannabis clubs in Colombia, Spain, Argentina and Uruguay, which recently became the first country to completely legalize cannabis. Alejandro is currently a consultant of the Uruguayan government through AECU. Finally, after spending 20 years experimenting with genetics and creating hundreds of strains, Alejandro has narrowed it down to a few dozen of the best and plans to launch his seed bank company "Marimberos" this year.

I recently had the honor of sitting down and talking with Alejandro about his past experiences, his current operations, and his future endeavors. First, I wanted to get a clearer idea of which companies he owned and operated. His main company is his seed bank company Marimberos. As I mentioned, he has spent over 20 years experimenting with genetics. After creating hundreds of strains, he eventually narrowed it down to a few dozen. Some of his best are memorials to his late father, his fallen brothers, and most notably to his daughter. "Nicole Kush" is an award winning strain, winning best flower and best concentrate in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. "I've been lucky enough to live in Europe for a few years. And I'm proud to say that I've been close to the biggest names in the industry and have learned from the best of them." he said. Global Cannabis Solutions is his second company, based out of Uruguay. It has been in operation for the past 2 years and has yet to be opened to the public.

Knowing of how successful he had been in the past, I was especially interested in his current projects. Like being a cannabis consultant for the Uruguayan government isn't enough, Alejandro has some other big plans in the works! His mentor Mila Jansen had previously owned and operated the Hemp Hotel, based out of Amsterdam. After 15 long and successful years, she recently had to close the hotel. Alejandro plans to reopen the Hemp Hotel in Uruguay, naming it so in honor of her. He also has plans to open a cannabis university not too far from the hotel. Last and most importantly is his lab based out of Uruguay, which sole purpose is to produce cannabonoids and CBD based medicine. He hopes that with their low cost of production, they will some day be able to give clean and affordable medicine to those in need. As an advocate of medical marijuana, the plans of the hotel, university, and his revolutionary work in the lab get me very enthused about the marijuana movement. And as Alejandro puts it, "I have big hopes. The sky is the limit now that they have given us a playground, buddy."

Escaping the violence of his country, Alejandro immigrated to America to better his life. And in doing so, he discovered his path. After the marijuana movement came to a halt in the 70s, Alejandro and individuals like him were able to use their passion and knowledge to ensure that it would have a monumental comeback. Now, after 25 years in the industry, he's at the top of his game. Breeding hundreds of strains, winning award after award, consulting with the Uruguayan government, and this is all just the beginning. With the plans to publicly launch his seed bank on a global scale, Alejandro and the Marimberos family are sure to be popping up (pardon the pun) everywhere in the near future. It's obvious that he had to overcome obstacle after obstacle and was faced with adversity the entire time. But with passion and perseverance, he overcame that adversity and is now one of the leading geneticist of our generation. His passion for the plant alone is enough to make Alejandro Londono my "Stoner Of The Week".


To read more about Alejandro's story and the history of Marimberos, visit http://issuu.com/marimberos/docs/marimberosissuu. And to see photos of Marimberos operations and adventures, go to www.Instagram.com/Marimberos. Tune in next week to see who will be crowned the next Stoner Of The Week.

Week 2 - MassRoots

by StankyyDankyy

The majority of us have been using social media for the better half of 10 years. Depending on how old you are, your first experience may vary from others. In the early 2000s, social media became the phenomenon it is today. First, there was Xanga and Friendster. Then along came MySpace, which absolutely killed the competition. The following year Facebook was created and Twitter would follow soon after. Finally, there was the birth of the exclusive social media app. Apps such as Instagram and Vine would soon become available. These social media networks, among others, have dominated the market for the last decade. And what do they all have in common?

In my experience, all these networks really weren't the best place for a marijuana user. Before Instagram came along, I always felt scrutinized when sharing my smoking lifestyle on social media accounts. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter have always been a fun and convenient way to connect with friends, family, coworkers and classmates. But not all of us feel comfortable sharing this part of our lives with everyone. Alot of us tried to manage both a personal and a marijuana related account on Instagram to avoid unwanted confrontations. And the majority of us ended up abandoning our personal Instagram accounts all together to focus on our "weedstagram" account. But finally, there is a solution! And it's name is MassRoots.

Founded in the Spring of 2013, MassRoots is a social media app thats main focus is on the cannabis community. Built to bring marijuana patients together and support the legalization movement, the app is one of the first of its kind to excel. With the support of a few investors, the founders of this social network have managed to create a means to connect with one another in the cannabis community without having to worry about persecution from others. With the medical marijuana movement sweeping the nation, and recreational legalization finally happening, it's a sure bet that MassRoots will continue to have success.

To find out a bit more about the origins and future of the company, I recently spoke with one if the founders of MassRoots:

Me- "Hey man, how's it going?!"

MassRoots- "Hey! I'm doing great! How about yourself?"

Me- "That's good to hear. I'm great! Keeping busy! Well, why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself to our readers and tell us your position at MassRoots."

MassRoots- "My name is Tyler Knight and I am a co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at MassRoots."

Me- "Awesome. Well firstly, I want to say I'm a huge fan of what you guys are doing over at MassRoots. Tell us a bit about how MassRoots came to fruition and who the creators are."

MassRoots- "Thank you! It means a lot to us at MassRoots to see other people with the same ambitions as ours! MassRoots began as an idea between fellow co-founder and CEO, Isaac Dietrich, and myself in my college apartment. We wanted a community where people could post pictures of cannabis, meet other stoners, and interact with the cannabis community. Being an anonymous community was our main goal because we wanted a place where users felt free to post about marijuana. After we came up with the basic idea we collaborated with cofounder and Chief Graphic Designer, Hyler Fortier, to come up with the basic design of the app. From there we hired our fourth and final cofounder and Head iOS Developer, Stewart Fortier, to start building the app. We went from basic idea last April to a minimum viable product in the App Store in July."

Me- "Well congratulations on all the success so far! You've certainly met your goals by creating a unique, user friendly App for the cannabis community. I'm curious about the name! How did you come up with it and what is the meaning?"

MassRoots- "Thanks! The name MassRoots was a collaboration between the cofounders. We wanted a name that would work well with the already existing cannabis community and also bring some of our own hometown slang into the picture. Many people initially see "Mass" and immediately think that we are from Massachusetts, which is not true. The other cofounders and I are from Virginia Beach, Virginia and use the word "Mass" in a different way than others may. We use the word "Mass" as another word for big, a lot, many, or huge. The word roots was one of our first ideas and we had many different meanings of it that we could apply. Whether it be the physical roots of a marijuana plant or "roots" meaning where you originated from, we felt that roots was the perfect fit. From there we put together MassRoots and have kept the name ever since."

Me- "Thank you for the explanation! Like others, I assumed that you were based out of the Massachusetts area. I absolutely love the name and the meaning behind it. In a past conversation we had, you mentioned getting an investment from angel group. If you could, elaborate on how that relationship started and the investors involved."

MassRoots- "Yes, we recently closed our seed round of investing at $150,000 from the ArcView Group. The ArcView Group is an angel investor network that invests solely in the Cannabis Industry. We were first introduced to the ArcView Group while pitching MassRoots in San Francisco at Peter Thiels "20 Under 20 Summit". We were fortunate enough to meet Randy Hencken of SSDP ( Students for Sensible Drug Policy ) who introduced us to the ArcView Group. Our lead investment was made by Douglas Leighton of Dutchess Capital, and the rest of our seed round was funded by two investors which choose to remain anonymous."

Me- "And I understand the famous Steve DeAngelo is also involved?"

MassRoots- "Yes, he is the President of the ArcView group and also an investor in the group."

Me- "It's really inspiring to hear that you all had a dream, set some goals, and made it happen. What can we expect from MassRoots in the future? What are some of your aspirations for the App and the company itself?"

MassRoots- "We have many goals for MassRoots that we strive to attain everyday, and it is all of our "buds" that give us the inspiration and drive to keep the community an awesome place. Some things to expect in the near future will be an Android app that is fully up to par with our iOS version, a web and mobile web version (for those without smartphones ), and a multitude of new features to the network. It is our goal at MassRoots to be the digital hub of the cannabis industry and be able to offer the best experience possible to our users."

Me- "I'm excited to see the web version, as well the new features for the network. One final question before I let you go, and this is a personal one. Having made a social network, you've obviously had some experiences with them in the past. Do you remember your first social media experience? If so, tell me a bit about it!"

MassRoots- "Haha yes I do remember my first social media experience. I was in 7th grade and one of my buddies had told me about this new website called MySpace that "everyone" had and that I needed to get it. So I made a MySpace, updated my profile information, took a weird selfie, put up what I thought was a cool song and pretty much thought that I was king of the school, even though I was only friends with Tom, haha. Since then, I have used just about every social network you can think of, and I am very ecstatic to see where social media goes in the future."

Me- "That sounds very similar to my first experience with MySpace haha. It was definitely the first of its kind! As for my first experience, Xanga was my first shot at the social media game. A game that has evolved immensely since it began roughly 10 years ago. It's awesome to see folks like you taking the time to create a network geared toward those in the Cannabis community. And as I mentioned, it's truly inspiring to see you guys chasing this dream. I've been extremely impressed with what MassRoots has been able to accomplish in such a short amount of time and look forward to seeing what you have in store for us in the future. Once again, congratulations on all the success and I wish you the best of luck in the future! Thanks for taking the time to sit down with me and give us some insight as to how MassRoots came to be, and what to expect in the future."

MassRoots- "Thank you so much, it has been our dream come true to be where we are at right now, and it's people like you and the rest of the cannabis culture that give us that opportunity and we can't thank you guys enough! MassRoots has big plans ahead and we can't wait to keep growing our community!"

I personally haven't seen a better example of someone in our community having a dream and pursuing it to the fullest. MassRoots recently hit 50,000 users. And with a desktop version coming soon, you can expect the MassRoots community to grow at a faster and faster rate. As society continues to accept cannabis and what it has to offer, a network like MassRoots is needed now more than ever before. It's vital for our community to stay in tune with one another and stay up to date on the progressing movement. Thanks to MassRoots, that's now easier than ever.  They had a dream and made it happen. And that earns them the title of this week's Stoner Of The Week.

MassRoots is current available for FREE download in the Apple App Store as well as the Android Market. You can For more information about MassRoots, visit www.MassRoots.com or www.Instagram.com/MassRoots.