Good afternoon!
As the winter rains come down, many of us are thinking about 2018’s annual crop. We’re buying seeds and marking calendars for when to plant because cannabis is an annual that goes in the ground after the last frost and is harvested before the first fall rains. Unless, of course, you grow indoors.
And if you’re thinking of doing that, you probably want to keep an eye on Cloudponics’ $2,490 GroBox, which debuted on Amazon.com this week. The fully automated gardening cabinet weighs 176 pounds and ships to your door from San Diego.
As we detail on GreenState, GroBox is a classic San Francisco start-up tale, right down to getting kicked off Kickstarter, and crowdfunding $20,000 in pre-orders on their own. Several hundred GroBox units have shipped since it debuted in summer of 2017, and at first I thought the idea was far-fetched. But after kicking the tires a bit — we think 2018 will see a sea change in personal gardening automation. Here’s to a fruitful season. — David Downs
WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT
Learn what “biodynamic” cannabis farming is from the growers themselves at Sebastopol, Calif. dispensary SolFul’s education series tonight, featuring Mike Benziger, formerly of Benziger Wines. Tickets are available here.
MONEY | POWER | FAME
Supermodel turned supermogul Kathy Ireland has joined the raft of celebrities dipping their toe in the burgeoning cannabidiol market. Via GreenState and PageSix.
Legalizing cannabis would generate $132B in taxes and over one million new jobs through 2025, a new analysis concludes, even if a significant chunk of the industry stayed in the black market. Via Washington Post.
GreenState reports Privateer Holdings, the company that owns the Bob Marley brand of cannabis, Marley Natural, has doubled its investment capital to $200M, with $5M earmarked for charity.
FASHION | ART | DESIGN
The world’s premier production pipe makers, Mothership Glass, took home a Glass Company of the Year award at the American Glass Expo in Las Vegas this week. Meanwhile, in the posh suburb of Walnut Creek, Calif., a Mothership glass opening saw pieces going for $13,000 and collectors who flew in from as far as Texas. Via Cannabis Now.
VIRAL
Netflix’s Disjointed parodied Harborside CEO Stephen DeAngelo to mixed reviews. Some claimed the series went a bit overboard in painting character “Angelo Destevens” as a “green rusher.”
WELLNESS | HEALTH
If new reports prove true, and legal cannabis indeed causes a 15 percent reduction in alcohol consumption, the public health savings would be staggering. Via Forbes. . . . The CDC finds excessive drinking costs America $249B per year.
Cannabis skin patches — called “transdermals” — are poised to have a breakout year among pain patients. Learn all about them on GreenState.
PICKS OF THE WEEK
Edible: V-Day tip! California’s Satori edibles features TCHO luxury chocolate from Berkeley. . . . Hardware: The Phoenician is the world’s best herb grinder — leaving fluffy shavings, not pulverized cannabis dust. . . . Flower: Maybe not best for date night, but otherworldly California growers Alien Labs has released the new Garlique Cookies, a very pungent new varietal.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BeTIKRvB5Iv/
REVIEW
America is probably ready for the iMac of cannabis cultivation: meet Cloudponics’ GroBox.
Miss your old cigarette habit? Hate feeling “stoned” on THC? The former Chief Marketing Officer of Budweiser is about to up-end the luxury pre-roll market with Toast GOLD. Via GreenState.
FOOD | TRAVEL
The Specialty Food Association’s Trendspotter Kara Nielsen tells us why she ranked cannabis number eight of the top-10 fancy food trends to watch in 2018.
NEWS
Vermont became the first state in the US to legalize the recreational use of cannabis via a Governor’s pen and not a ballot initiative. Vermont’s Republican governor had some misgivings, he said, but decided to support individual liberty over a nanny state.
State-legal medical pot activity remains protected from federal interference after a vote to re-open the federal government included the spending provision known as Rohrabacher-Blumenauer. Via MJBizDaily.
HIGHLY DUBIOUS
Canada’s three largest cannabis companies grew at least 200% in value in 2017 to $14.5 billion. But is it all hype, VICE asks?
READ THIS
Medical Cannabis: A Guide for Patients, Practitioners and Caregivers by Michael H. Moskowitz, MD is the newest manual for folks taking control of their healthcare options. . . . Where There’s Smoke: The Environmental Science, Public Policy, and Politics of Marijuana by Char Miller dives into the impact of illegal cultivation on public lands and other topics.
WATCH | PLAY | LISTEN
Watch: The “Godmother of California medical cannabis,” Lynette Shaw, celebrates twenty years of activism this year, and The Chronicle video series “The Regulars” marks the occasion; The Doctors brought the discussion of senior citizens using medical marijuana to daytime television this week. . . . Play: Nintendo’s new cardboard video game player LABO looks bananas; good luck getting one before they sell out. . . . Listen: Cult comedy ringleader Jay Chandrasekhar of Super Troopers sits down with The Hash to talk about their creative methods.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3Bd3HUMkyU
FOLLOW
@satorichocolates has your daily chocolate fix ready to go.
@mothershipglass transports you to the cutting edge of high-end glassware.
And @gardenofeden.menu has some of the most delicious strains east of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.
REMINDER
GreenState’s first print quarterly of 2018 promises to change more lives with authoritative health and wellness reporting. The 40-page issue hits 230,000 Bay Area driveways mid-March. Subscribe to the print Chronicle to ensure delivery. Brands can reserve limited ad space by emailing Ben Grambergu at bgrambergo@sfchronicle.com.
Best wishes for a relaxing, rewarding weekend, david downs + jimi devine