Bartender turned cannabis Alchemist, Warren Bobrow, grew up on a biodynamic farm in Morris Township, New Jersey. His father, who manufactured pharmaceuticals, expected the young Bobrow to become a judge, surgeon, doctor, or at the very least, a tax lawyer. Bobrow refers to his mother’s father as a tycoon – owner of Columbia Pictures television […]
Bartender turned cannabis Alchemist, Warren Bobrow, grew up on a biodynamic farm in Morris Township, New Jersey. His father, who manufactured pharmaceuticals, expected the young Bobrow to become a judge, surgeon, doctor, or at the very least, a tax lawyer.
Bobrow refers to his mother’s father as a tycoon – owner of Columbia Pictures television stations, maker of Aqua Velva and Geritol, with both products promoted heavily on T.V.
Much to his father’s chagrin (and disappointment to the family in general) Bobrow’s cannabis use disqualified him from the family fortune.
“It took great effort to just be me,” he shared. “My dad died refusing to know me, and my mom disappeared from my life eleven years ago after the theft of my family trust. First I cried, then I was angry. It caused me to take stock in myself and seek to be a better person.”
His first experience with the partaking of cannabis was at the tender age of 11 in 1972. It was with his Harvard educated uncle-turned-hippie, who evaded the Vietnam draft due to Bobrow’s father’s connections in business.
The second time he partook was a year later in 1973 while attending a Grateful Dead show at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City. Then again at a Led Zeppelin concert with “much smoke in the air that night,” he recalled. The pattern of partaking at rock concerts continued at an Aerosmith concert, with Rick Derringer opening. He confirmed, he did, in fact, inhale deeply and often. To quote former President Obama, “that was the point.”
The cannabis industry first came into his vision during a family vacation when he was 13 years old. “Amid the pink painted cottages, and Cerulean Blue waters with massive Parrot fish splashing up against the pink colored beaches,” he shared that he made friends with the bartenders, partaking in virgin Pina Coladas and exotic punches, with the occasional Pim’s Cup, which contained very little alcohol. The bartenders also passed a little herb in his direction.
“It was outdoor grown island weed, that may or may not have gotten me stoned,” he explained. “What it did do for me was make me a cool kid, when all I really identified with at the time was being a nerd.”
Eventually diagnosed with Glaucoma, he was then allowed to get a medical cannabis card in his home state of New Jersey. “That kind of diagnosis is a bad thing for most, but my cannabis use keeps it completely under control,” he shared. “Since I write for Forbes, I’ve had my cannabis DNA tested for a potential article. I learned exactly which strains I should be using and how much I should be dosing, pertaining to my specific genome. Pretty nerdy stuff that actually makes sense to me…being a daily weed smoker, now with six books in print and hundreds of magazine articles under my belt.”
According to Webmd, Glaucoma is a progressive condition, passed down through generations, caused by an intrinsic deterioration of the optic nerve, leading to high-fluid pressure on the front part of the eye. The increased pressure is called intraocular, damaging to the optic nerve that transmits images to the brain. While there is no cure and no warning signs early on, it’s only detected via a routine exam for glaucoma. If not managed properly it can lead to permanent blindness.
A paper published via the U.S. National Library of Medicine states that many pharmaceuticals are ineffective in treating the disorder, lose efficacy, and have intolerable side effects such as burning and stinging. The paper goes on to state that glaucoma patients who smoke cannabis have decreased intraocular pressure (IOP). This is due to the discovery of ocular cannabinoid receptors, prompting more studies on treating glaucoma with cannabis.
Living in New Jersey has its drawbacks where cannabis is concerned, as the state just recently adopted medical cannabis laws with limited access. Currently, there are just six safe access points in the state, making it difficult to source.
“I’ve spent quite a lot of time on the ‘left’ coast of the country; if I smoked as much in New Jersey as I do in the West, I’d be completely destroyed,” he laughed. “Smoking outdoor grown, biodynamic, organically grown cannabis is not a bad way to go through life. I actually consider myself very, very lucky to have found Excelsior Extracts, or I’d be in real trouble in my home state.”
Smoking too much isn’t an issue with a glaucoma diagnosis, but Bobrow admits he really likes the feeling of being high. Even if the plant wasn’t beneficial, cannabis would be his first choice for recreation.
“Others like to get drunk, but I don’t,” he continued. “I use the Ardent Lift – Nova, to decarb. It increases the effect of being high. Infusing decarboxylated cannabis into the best craft spirits, then creating the most intriguing craft cocktails with those carefully infused spirits is probably my favorite dose of the day.”
Recipes for Bobrow’s favorite daily dose can be found in both books he’s penned on the subject, first with Cannabis Apothecary, and his more recent endeavor, Cannabis Cocktails.
For more information on Warren Bobrow visit, http://cocktailwhisperer.com/
Webmd, definition of glaucoma, https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/glaucoma-eyes#1
Pub Med: Cannabinoids in the treatment of glaucoma, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182967
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