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!