Lenny Brennan

Growers Grow, Part 4: Exclusive new products from Aura

This is the fourth in a series of articles about the ecology of cannabis growers. Michael Petrone, Marketing Manager at Aura Cannabis Company with stores in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Central Falls, shares some background about new flower products being developed and marketed. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Lenny Brennan (Motif): […]

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A Truly High Society Redux: Congratulations Bri Duffy

On New Year’s Day 2025, Hey Rhody recognized 10 people as “Up and Coming Change Makers” in Rhode Island. The accomplishments of these individuals are impressive and legion. Change Maker contributions range from providing youth access to outdoor resources, promoting tourism, and enhancing women’s healthcare to changing negative cultural stigma about marijuana. What? Has a […]

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Book Review: The Science of Weed: and Indispensable Guide to Cannabis, by Godfrey Pearlson

“Cannabis is the noisiest plant on earth.” This first sentence of the foreword by Joe Dolce in The Science of Weed sets the stage for the topics covered in this landmark book by Dr. Godfrey Pearlson, a professor at Yale University and a director at the Institute of Living in Hartford. Every few years, a […]

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Growers Grow, Part 2: Hydroponics for home growers

Hydroponics is the art and science of growing plants without soil. Instead of soil, some inert substrate, such as vermiculite, a naturally occurring mineral made of magnesium, aluminum, and iron silicate is used. The vermiculite – which are particles of mica – anchors the plant roots while water containing fertilizer and other nutrients circulates in […]

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Growers Grow, Part 1: Observations of the business ecology of cannabis dispensaries and growers in the Ocean State

Let’s face it. – if not for the growers, there would be no weed for sale in any Ocean State dispensaries. Of course, there is the intrepid home grown culture, but really, with each home grower limited to only six plants, there would never be a sufficient supply of weed to meet the demand. This […]

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Reclaiming Rhode Island

Although Rhode Island is geographically the smallest of our fifty states, we are lucky to have many non-governmental and non-profit organizations with visions that promote missions for improving social justice and equity. I recently learned about a relatively new non-profit organization called Reclaim Rhode Island. Incorporated in May of 2020, Reclaim Rhode Island was organized […]

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Cannabis and Higher Education: CCRI Gets in the Game

Every once in a while, an email lands in my inbox with good news. On May 29, I received a link to a press release from the Community College of Rhode Island titled: “CCRI Launches First Cannabis Training Program to Meet Workforce Demands in a Fast-growing Industry.” This is good news indeed. Actually, this is […]

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