HEALTH
Who is Mama Sailene? The Story Behind Our Smoke In The Kitchen Chef
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Meet the master behind all things cannabis and all things food.
Published on December 5, 2015

Not too long ago, when the marijuana business was completely illegal and underground, nothing helped to establish street cred more than being mentioned in a rap song. So when Dilated Peoples sang about going to see the girls in Venice, they pretty much immortalized Sailene Ossman, the “girl” they were making tracks for.

Sailene is the owner of westside Los Angeles’ oldest and most iconic delivery service and has long been a key figure in the Venice community. Ironically, the delivery business, now well into its second decade, never had an official name. It was just The Girls or, to some, The Angels. The lack of a name didn’t matter. Everyone who needed to knew exactly who she was.

Like most of the trailblazers of her generation, she was forced to split her focus with a second demanding (and fully legal) career. In her case, it was in restaurant management and event planning. And, although there’s no real surprise there, she was great at it.

Her most visible run was at Abbot’s Habit, the original, pre-gentrification Abbot Kinney coffee shop where the cool Venice crowd started their day. For the lucky ones, however, the real fun took place at her parties. Invitations were highly coveted, and not just for the food (incredible) or the hand-rolled joints (plentiful).

Because the marijuana world was still essentially in the shadows, Sailene’s parties were unpredictable neighborhood affairs, where you were as likely to end up standing alongside your doctor as you were the produce guy at the farmer’s market or the guy who stood next to you in yoga class. You never knew who you’d meet or what would happen; but you always knew that you’d leave feeling more connected than when you walked in.

Smoke In Tthe Kitchen with Mama Sailene, her new show on MERRY JANE, embodies the same spirit of her former parties, in that the food, delicious yet easily prepared snacks and meals, always comes with the perfect strain of cannabis, hand- selected specifically for the occasion, and great conversation. More importantly, it gives you a chance to meet Sailene and understand why she believes cannabis is finally getting the attention it deserves.

“I respect and honor this plant so much, and that love pours out of me. People feel that,” she says. “It makes a big difference.”

See for yourself.

Find Mama Sailene on Smoke In The Kitchen on MERRY JANE's YouTube channel here.

FOOD
INTERVIEW
HISTORY
NARRATIVE
Sailene Ossman
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Sailene Ossman has been in the marijuana business all her life, and is the owner of the west side of Los Angeles’ oldest and most loved boutique delivery services. In addition, she has had long, successful careers in restaurant management and event planning, and has long been a cultural icon on Abbot Kinney and Venice, CA. Her love of fine food and fine cannabis is evident in merryjane.com’s Smoke in the Kitchen, which she hosts.
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