Thank you for picking up the 180th issue of Northwest Leaf!
The longest-running free Cannabis magazine in the country exists thanks to readers like you, who love the plant and care about the community that has sprouted from the underground to support it.
Our first issue of Northwest Leaf was published in June 2010, made possible by a $1,600 loan and a dream that a publication for Cannabis would help change and save lives. I’d recently left a Division I tennis scholarship and had my first daughter at 20, and my second at 22. The Leaf was born in between those years, at a time when I was searching for purpose and a cause worthy of fighting for.
My childhood was shaped by my amazing parents, who are now retired public school teachers, and it was in long summers that I learned to fish and adventure in ways befitting Tom Sawyer, while also getting a taste of the urban explosion happening in Seattle. My parents raised me with Christian values, to care about others, to stand up against oppression and to be steadfast in faith and my beliefs.
One of the hardest lessons for me growing up, that I still struggle with today, was to accept and trust authority simply because it exists. I’ve always been more of a Ben Franklin fellow, who famously wrote, “It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority.” A notorious writer and publisher, Franklin was known for creating fake pen names and writing both sides of an argument in his newspapers editorial sections.
Despite my defiance I did believe my parents and teachers when it came to drugs. It wasn’t until I first smoked Cannabis at 17 that I realized it was safer than alcohol, something that was commonly shared with teens my age in events of that era. The first time I got in trouble for weed was when I’d hotboxed with a blunt and left the windows of a Jeep Cherokee cracked equally while I was inside reading a book. My mom was suspicious, and my keys disappeared for a few weeks.
Even then, I pondered the ethics of my punishment. Why was I in trouble for smoking and reading a book?
A few years later my best childhood friend and co-conspirator in early hustles crashed a dirt bike, fracturing his pelvis in three places and dying on the operating table before being revived. His recovery was transformed by medical Cannabis, and he was one of the first patients under 18 in Washington. This gave me the chance to interact with the plant and see the healing powers firsthand.
I began researching medical Cannabis, talking to early patients and hearing stories of cancer or AIDS patients who could only eat after smoking. I saw the injustice of the War on Drugs and experienced a pot arrest for one gram of weed.
I’d worked on my college paper, The Ebbtide, as the business manager alongside Daniel Berman, who has served as chief creative officer and as Leaf’s photographer and designer since issue one. The idea was planted to start a weed magazine, and the rest as they say is history.
On the cusp of 15 years in print, I often remember my college professors advising not to go into print. My journalism advisor also commented on my proclivity for getting high before doing homework. They assumed (rightly so) that only a major stoner would be silly enough to launch a magazine in 2010.
What makes the Leaf so special that it has endured the digital smartphone revolution?
The Leaf has been free since issue one. I delivered over 1,500,000 copies in the first eight years of print myself. We’ve always printed magazines and invested in our distribution, because we care tremendously about the reach and value of our product.
Print is tangible. It lasts. Some readers of this column have better archives of the Leaf than I do, with collections of favorite issues stored with love. Because we love the plant, the patients, the freedom and the high, our work reflects that, and our community has supported the Leaf for 15 years!
The Leaf never sells our content. You cannot buy a cover story, or any story, because we only write about what we care about. Rule number one for new writers: If you aren’t excited about the story, you don’t get to write it. This isn’t homework!
Which leads me to the most important part of the Leaf: the amazing team that has carried the banner and literal bundles of magazines. Those writers, photographers, artists, editors, sales people, delivery drivers, Leaf Content Director Amanda Lopez, our COO Tom Bowers aka the Scorpion King, and business partners including my brosky Mike Ricker all cared enough about the plant to invest their time and passion into a Cannabis magazine and media company. A special thanks goes to Daniel Berman for enduring too many all-night-marathon design sessions; for his timeless and elegant design style driven by a photography-first mentality; and for being my closest friend since 8th grade.
There are too many others to thank individually, especially factoring in the years and some who are no longer here with us, so I want to shout out the entire Leaf team. You are all so important to me and our mission, and it’s an honor to publish our work together!
I am grateful to God for sending me a community to support the Leaf and a community to be supported by the Leaf!
We tell stories that otherwise would not be told. We fight for the cause of the plant and freedom and rail against the War on Drugs from a position that most can’t. And we highlight the amazing people, strains and stories that make up our diverse and beautiful community that is welcome to all.
The best part is, we’re just getting started!
The War on Drugs is not won, although drugs are surely winning. Our plant isn’t legal for everyone in America, or the world, to use and heal safely. The amazing community of plant people is always growing, giving the Leaf an endless source of inspiration and stories to share with our readers.
As I wrap this 180th issue of the Leaf, I am filled with the same wonder, hope and joy that drove the first issue. I pray that this same energy and love for the plant and the gift of life fill your lungs and heart and that you can pass the good vibes on to the next person you share a joint with.
~Wes
Thank you to all our advertisers! Without you, we could not publish the Leaf!
In 15 years I have seen so many Cannabis businesses go up in smoke or fall prey to the government’s smothering overtaxation and overregulation. Very few have endured as long as the Leaf, but those that have shared a common thread: They’ve stayed authentic, on mission, while adapting to the marketplace, and they love Cannabis.
Perhaps this is the most important factor. To be in Cannabis today, you have to love it. Like the ring carried by Frodo, the burden is surely great.
The other factor that long-term brands have? They advertise! Advertising works, and the Leaf is 100% advertising-supported. If you have a brand, project, event or idea, please reach out to the Leaf so we can grow together!
