Wade Laughter, an Unsung Hero for CBD

Wade Laughter, a long-time cancer patient who died in the last week of this month after a battle that lasted for years. Wade Laughter was a beloved horticulturist in the cannabis world, known for his modesty, kindness, and great name. He is also one of the unsung heroines of CBD botanicals that took hold in Northern California during the early 2010s. The endocannabinoid research group was the only ones who knew of cannabidiol’s remarkable therapeutic properties. When newly-established analytical labs serving the emerging cannabis industry identified a few CBD-rich cannabis strains, word about CBD began to spread in medical marijuana circles. 

Wade Laughter named one of the CBD-rich varieties “Harlequin”, but he didn’t claim credit for its breeding. He claimed to have only found it. It was a great thing that he discovered it. CBD is the newest cannabinoid, and several of the early adopters had CBD-rich genetics. However, they were reluctant to release their property. Wade Laughter is a different story.

Wade felt that Harlequin was not his. Neither did anyone else. This plant was given to him by chance, so he decided to give it back. Harlequin was made available for anyone interested in exploring the healing properties of this plant. Harlequin was “seeded” in California and other states soon followed. Laughter decided to make Harlequin available worldwide, enabling an unsupervised medical experiment. 

What happens if a large number of cannabis-infused with CBD is consumed?  The preclinical science — attesting to the compound’s anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-tumoral, neuroprotective, and analgesic properties — was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Most of the studies have used single molecule CBD, and were tested on mice. Wade, in California, was using whole plant CBD-rich cannabis oil extract. 

In 2011 and 2012, I grew Harlequins in my garden. It was a squat, indica-looking plant, three-and-a-half-feet tall, very bushy with huge odiferous purple-pinkish colas oozing medicated goo that contained a significant amount of both CBD and THC. The CBD-THC ratio of this gorgeous plant was close to 1:1. This ratio fluctuated depending on how long plants were left in the garden. A slightly earlier harvest could register 3:2 in CBD:THC while a somewhat later harvest may shift the ratio to 2:3 in CBD:THC. 

Lester Greenspan is a prominent advocate of medical marijuana and former Harvard professor. He praised Harlequin for its euphoric effects and as an uplifting remedy for seniors. Harlequin produced euphoria, but it was in a different manner than the THC dominant strains. CBD lowered the THC peak while increasing its duration. 

The High Causer was always an important part of CBD’s early development. Within a few years, however, Harlequin and several other cannabis chemovars with roughly equal parts CBD and THC — Jamaican Lion, OmRita RX, Blue Jay Way (a True Blueberry/OG Kush cross), and Lawrence Ringo’s Sour Tsunami — were overshadowed by a surge of popular interest in nonintoxicating, high-CBD/low-THC cannabis oil extracts, misconstrued as “hemp” and much sought-after as an alternative treatment for epilepsy. 

Wade Laughter, along with Monica Senter, was the custodian of “House of Harlequin” in Grass Valley. Wade was an important figure at the Caladrius Netwok. This nonprofit provided cannabis medicine to children with terminal and catastrophic illnesses.

Wade committed his life to serving others without any strings attached and with no expectation of receiving a favor in return. Wade described his kindness as “the foundation of selflessness”. His generosity was unselfish, and he did not make others feel inferior. He did not need applause to serve. “He stood with the weak, not above them.”

— Martin A. Lee