Mila Takes America:

Mila Jansen, proprietor of Amsterdam's famous Pollinator Co., recently attended two festivals in the States, aligning the Dutch and American hash industries.

Mila Jansen, proprietor of Amsterdam’s famous Pollinator Co., recently attended two festivals in the States, aligning the Dutch and American hash industries.

It is not often that one person in the Cannabis industry represents so many things: innovator, teacher, legalization activist and medi-weed advocate. Mila – who also founded a 1960s ‘tea house’ and the Hemp Hotel in Amsterdam – is a rare exception. Inventor of a variety of hash-making equipment and pioneering techniques, she also offers females in the industry a role model. As a mother, she artfully balanced those duties with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, which she now happily shares with the world.

American growers and smokers have long revered Mila as their guru, and she recently had the opportunity to ‘preach to the converted’ at both the Freedom Rally in Boston, Massachusetts and the 710 Cup in Denver, Colorado. The annual Freedom Rally was held on September 14 and 15 in the vast, leafy Boston Common, the park that launches a 2.5-mile (4 km) walk encompassing seventeen historic sites, known as the Freedom Trail. Although local authorities did approve a two-day permit for the festival, event organizers MassCann complied with a judge’s order to limit the second day’s festivities in duration. While officials insisted the cutback was intended to preserve police resources for other events in town, some attendees noted that the cops were able to spare a few undercovers posing as dealers.

Notable attendees such as activists, advocates and the NORML crew mingled with dedicated locals and those who travelled far to attend. Speakers included noted Cannabis author and medical expert Lester Grinspoon, plus politicians from many states who reported the progress of Cannabis legalization across the country. Delicious food tents filled with American festival staples, such as elephant ears and blooming onions, encouraged attendees to sate their ‘munchies’ while vendors hawked the usual hemp and Cannabis wares.

The documentary Mila’s Journey was screened at the Grassroots Institute, where people are taught how to grow and process their own medicine, including implementing various products from the Pollinator Co. (For those unable to attend, it will also be played at the Emerson Film School at a future date.) Musical acts further elevated the atmosphere, ranging from hippie girls with guitars to booming hip-hop. Although some performers and speakers were cancelled as a result of the abridged schedule, Mila’s address to the substantial Saturday afternoon crowd was retained and warmly received.  

A rapt audience was pumped up by the Hash Queen, who praised the progress currently being enjoyed across America – with regards to both legislation and hash-making techniques – as eighteen states plus Washington, D.C. have some sort of pro-pot laws in place. In addition, the concentrate community (and groups such as the sub-Reddit r/trees) are coming out of the woodwork en masse, publicizing the practice of condensing the best elements of Cannabis and removing the unwanted fodder, allowing for a super-clean, intense cannabinoid experience.

This ‘new’ subculture was even more present at the inaugural 710 Cup, made possible by Grassroots, Hitman Glass and WeedMaps and held from July 12 to 14 in Denver, Colorado. Why ‘710’, you ask? Take the word ‘OIL’, flip it around, and there’s your answer. Unlike typical weed competitions, seventy-four concentrates were entered into the début instalment of this contest, including eight non-solvent entries, a few full-melt samples, edibles and some pressed hash. Judges received a swag bag of the entries plus an event T-shirt, smoking rig, judge’s hat and a few other goodies, while enjoying speakers and seminars regarding cultivation and activism, an outdoor medicating area, a catered dinner for judges, over forty musical acts and comedy by the Fine Gentlemen’s Club. Perhaps most impressive were the various glass art superstars displaying their talents.

Mila was honoured with the accolade of Female Industry Achievement Award, presented by her apprentice Nikka T. of Essential Extracts. Online hero Hash Bean also got a nod, and Tony from Sagarmatha Seeds surprised everyone by attending. The dabbing crowd also enjoyed the Hash Queen as a main stage keynote speaker on Saturday afternoon, as well as her participation as an international judge of the non-solvent category. In addition to having created the dry-sieve machines (pollinators) and the ice-water extraction bag system known as Ice-O-Lator bags, the tiny Bubbleator, etc., Mila is known for bridging the gap between different nationalities, backgrounds and levels of experience and interest. Her shop in Amsterdam is a sacred spot for many, as she absorbs her international observances and knowledge, passing it all on to anyone with time to chat.

The connection will be further strengthened during this November’s Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, when Mila invites dabbers from all over to attend her Dab-A-Doo event on the 25th. Torches, adapters and rigs will soon be available at the Pollinator Co., as the shop will host this event in conjunction with Doug from Hitman Glass. As Mila herself states, “What is so very popular in the United States will come [to the Netherlands] too – all this dabbing of concentrates will come here, too, no doubt.”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2BHwxvwlos&feature=youtu.be

Check out Mila at the 710 Cup on YouTube.

Photos courtesy of the Pollinator Co.