Category: Cannabis

Casey Jones may have driven that train high on cocaine, but soon fans of the Grateful Dead will have a different substance they can buy to celebrate the band.

Garcia Hand Picked cannabis makes its Colorado debut this week with three strains of flower apt for pairing with live music. Good timing: The launch coincides with The Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on June 29, when the Colorado Symphony will play hits from the iconic jam band in honor of what would be Garcia’s 80th birthday later this year.

As of that date, fans too can take a hit of Garcia Hand Picked flower, grown locally by Veritas Fine Cannabis. The company is rolling out a sativa strain called Morning in Marin, an indica strain called After Midnight and a hybrid called Love in the Afternoon. They’ll be available for sale in pre-packaged eighths and as pre-rolls at dispensaries along the Front Range.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

Colorado’s cannabis industry is preparing for tough times as marijuana sales drop and economic problems pile up.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, weed businesses serviced consumers eager to stock up on their favorite edibles, concentrates and pre-rolls. That high has since given way to a low for the industry, as less consumer spending means sales are falling in both the recreational and medical markets, according to Headset, which provides insights into cannabis consumer trends.

In Colorado, total sales for marijuana stood at $153 million in April – a 26% decrease compared to about $206 million sold that month last year, according to the Marijuana Industry Group, the trade association for the state’s cannabis industry. Medical sales specifically took a hit, plunging to about $20 million in April from almost $40 million last April.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

PotGuide sat down with Anthony Alegrete from 40 Tons previously in an interview to discuss the foundation and background of business, a Black and woman-owned cannabis company that was created to serve people impacted or incarcerated by the system. 40,000 inmates are still in prison to this day for marijuana charges and 40 Tons is working day in and day out for their freedom.

With legalization in over 19 states, it’s amazing that there is such a stigmas still surrounding our favorite plant and that’s exactly why the founders of 40 Tons came together to educate and petition for people’s release and records to be wiped clean.

The Background Scoop on 40 Tons

The name 40 Tons derives from the amount of cannabis that led Corvain Cooper to be hit with a life sentence… which thankfully he was released after obtaining the winning lottery ticket, a presidential clemency, on January 20th of last year by former president Donald Trump. While the company is extremely grateful for the release of Cooper, there lies a bigger task at hand: freeing the thousands of prisoners still behind bars over cannabis offenses and helping them upon return. Hence, #FreeThe40K was born.

Interview with Anthony Alegrete from 40 Tons Part 2

PotGuide continues to speak with Anthony Alegrete, co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of 40 Tons, to discuss the overall impact of the brand, the importance of serving BIPOC communities, and more!

[Shirely Ju]: So, How difficult or easy was it to launch your brand?

[Anthony Alegrete]: Launching a brand is a bear. I’ve been an entrepreneur for 23 years and it’s never easy starting anything. It takes time, capital, resources, and innovation. At the time, I was knee deep in other projects. But after much consulting with my other co-founders, Loriel and Corvain, we decided to take on the project.

A company we no longer work with but are thankful for their directive, told us we’ll help cultivate, manufacture, and distribute products for you, but one thing we won’t do is build a brand and market it. That’s something you will have to do if you want our help. With this new opportunity presented we’re determined to create something great. 4 months later and with the help of AVO Brands, we created the 40 Tons Brand and put together an incredible brand deck that showed we were serious about this company.

We came up with the 40 Tons logo and the brand deck I sent you, Shirley. We sent it to that company and they were blown away at the detail we had put into it like “Holy shit, we don’t even have a brand deck like this,” and from there we continued to build and work on all aspects of the business. Like the supply chain, branding & marketing, operational infrastructure, web, design, and every other component of business. It ultimately ended up not working out with that brand, which was fine. We continued to push forward and more and more blessings opened up for us. We still thank and honor them for giving us the push and drive that set us on a path to build this brand.

What ended up happening since inception is truly a blessing from God. Many people came to us and either donated capital, their time, or connections to help us get going. From lawyers to accountants, PR specialists to design makers, cannabis licensed manufacturers helped put out products, professional services and volunteers gave a significant amount of resources to us.

If it weren’t for these people we would not be here today. There are too many to name but you know who you are, and even if we don’t work with you today, we still pay our respects to you for playing a role in our progression at that period of time.

We’ve also learned that this industry is very tumultuous, ego driven, overly taxed, ridiculously over compliant, and in California almost impossible to profit without being cut throat to some part of the supply chain. And thus, we have expanded into other states, other revenue streams, and an entire cannabis career services platform.

So, to your original question. It has been very difficult but with the right people helping us, and the 23 plus years of entrepreneurial experience, it has definitely been one wild journey that has become fruitful. One of my favorite sayings is, “Smooth Seas Don’t Make Skillful Sailors”.

[SJ]: There’s been an influx of cannabis brands as of late. How can you ensure your flower upholds quality?

[AA]: That’s another great question. We knew that if we were going to be a white label and be a non-plant-touching entity, we couldn’t just be any Tom, Dick, and Harry type brand. We needed more than just great quality cannabis. The people we work with are incredible resourceful and only select the finest of products. But there needed to be more to the brand than just the physical benefits.

We needed to build a brand that didn’t matter what flower we sold as long as it was quality within that category of cannabis. When you buy anything from us, you are supporting legacy, social and restorative justice. You are contributing to helping those impacted by criminalization. You are helping to bring more diversity and inclusion of BIPOC communities into the cannabis space and provide second chances to those past cannabis convictions. You are helping support the 10s of 1000s of cannabis prisoners via our many cannabis prisoner programs.

Our purpose and mission is much bigger than selling weed. It’s about making an impactful positive change and we’re utilizing cannabis and the industry to do so. But for all the cannabis smokers that want to know, we say try it out and give your honest feedback on the Tetragram app. We want to satisfy our customers and curate a great experience. Our goal is to always source the highest quality, regardless of what level the cannabis is at. But FYI, we got the Za!! [laughs]

We also have an ethos. We believe that nobody should be serving a life sentence for a cannabis offense. If the companies we work with don’t believe that, we don’t work with them.

[SJ]: Why is it important for you to bring on BIPOC communities into the space and provide second chances to the past cannabis convicted?

[AA]: Because these are the people that helped build this industry. Most of the people who’ve been arrested over this plant have been disproportionately black and brown. Most of the people who’ve experienced systemic racism in this country are black and brown.

Many of the people who got this plant to where it is today are the people that are locked up over it now. The Legacy Farmers in the emerald triangle lived off the grid for years in fear of reprimanded. Why should only the large corporate companies make billions of dollars off this plant, but not give back to these communities that helped build this infrastructure?

When alcohol was illegal, someone had to go to jail during prohibition. Unfortunately, the community that went to jail over alcohol weren’t the ones that ended up owning it afterwards. Only a handful of alcohol companies had a monopoly for decades on it. The legacy was completely kept out of that industry.

But with cannabis, we have an opportunity to change that narrative and give a seat at the table to the people that were directly impacted by the war on drugs, specifically cannabis. Typically, that’s black, brown, or poor people. Poor people black, white, mexican, asian, whatever, but poor. This is why it’s so important that we build 40 Tons.

There’d be no legal compliant industry without people going to jail, without people losing their lives over this. Without those who got sick and needed cannabis for medicinal use. It’s not just our want, it’s our duty to make sure those people are propped up in the industry.

And given not just a chance and opportunity but actual OWNERSHIP. That’s why 40 Tons is a black, female owned business. That’s why we partner with equity brands. That’s why we partner with the people that are involved in equity in some form or fashion, directly or indirectly.

[SJ]: There are 40K prisoners still incarcerated over the plant. What’s the solution?

[AA]: Number 1, we need to decriminalize and legalize cannabis. If we decriminalize cannabis, that helps majorly. The President can easily, with a stroke of a signature, do a mass clemency for cannabis prisoners. There are a few organizations out there facilitating this.

Google: “Cannabis clemency” for a list of organizations. Support and sign their petitions. Write your congress, and state legislatures. Vote for those that are pro cannabis. If we continue to destigmatize the use of the plant we can gain more and more mass adoption.

But it’s even deeper than just decriminalization and legalization. Because what does it matter if you get that person out of prison, and they end up going back? We got to stop recidivism. If we focus on providing education and opportunity, we can have an incredible impact on our system. That’s what 40 Tons provides through our career conferences and other programs. Providing someone with education, and the tools and resources to rebuild themselves and ultimately creating generational wealth is our way of making a difference.

Giving someone a career, or an opportunity can massively affect their lives.

We don’t have all the answers, but we do know that we have a mission. And that mission is to create a more equitable cannabis industry for all.

[SJ]: What do you see as the most important steps or actions that need to be taken to see more equality in cannabis?

[AA]: Right now, social equity is a buzzword. It’s technically a designation by the DCC. You hold a social equity license and in order to obtain that license, you have to meet set criteria. The problem is it doesn’t address the financial side of owning a cannabis company. What happens is these social equity applicants receive these licenses, but they don’t have a go to market strategy on how to launch their company. It costs hundreds of thousands, if not single millions to launch a company.

Because of the regulation on how the license is given, it puts the license holder into a position of negative leverage.

Now, they have to sell out to a predatory investor in order to get their business off the ground. We need to fix the licensing structure. We need to fix the way big business supports small business, and we need to get real. We need to give a real runway for these social equity applicants to really be able to get their business from point A to point B without having predatory lenders and investors come and gobble everything up. It’s really a multipronged approach.

I personally don’t have all the answers, but I know we need to change the way the licensing structure is for social equity. We need to lower the barrier to entry for social equity and we need big businesses to honestly, equitably, and honorably support small businesses.

It’s a Wrap

[SJ]: Anything else you want to let the people know?

[AA]: Less than 5% of black people are owners in this industry, and even less are female. As an industry, we need to embrace and support women and minority ownership. The female is usually the backbone to most relationships. The mother, the wife, the daughter, the sister have such an important role in our society. We need to bring the woman to the forefront of this industry and provide more ways to create leadership opportunities! 40 Tons is honored to have a strong female at our helm.

I also want to give a shout out to Brand Resumes for our partnership in bringing the Canna Get a Second Chance Cannabis Career Conferences to the masses. We have so much happening with the many strategic partnerships we’re securing across the country and soon will have the conference in each market. In the meantime, job seekers please upload your resume here, and companies set up your online profile to get direct access to a ton of diverse talent.

And thank you to everyone that has ever helped us in any type of way. We honor and appreciate it. Just because someone carries it well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy!

#FREETHE40K

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Thank you, again, for joining us in this conversation with Anthony Alegate! Have you had the chance to try 40 Tons cannabis? Let us know below!

Photo Credit: 40 Tons

A Colorado couple at the center of the state’s largest-ever black market marijuana ring has reached a plea agreement with federal authorities, court records show.

Fayin Deng and Kelly Chuong were set to stand trial this week on felony charges related to the distribution of large quantities of marijuana.

Late last month, attorneys for both individuals filed notices in federal court, saying agreements had been reached. Terms of the plea agreements were not specified in court documents.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

A commercial bus driver has been charged with 38 counts of reckless endangerment after blacking out behind the steering wheel while snacking on gummies he says he didn’t know were infused with THC.

Jinhuan Chen appeared Tuesday in Bridgeport Superior Court after being arrested at his home in Boston.

Chen was driving 38 passengers from the Mohegan Sun Casino on March 13 when he stopped the bus on the side of Interstate 95 in Stratford. Police said they found Chen slumped unconscious in the driver’s seat, next to an open package of Smokies Edibles Cannabis Infused Fruit Chews.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

Buddy Boy Brands’ seven metro-area dispensaries will shutter their doors permanently on Friday, with the owner blaming a market downturn and high costs.

John Fritzel took over Buddy Boy in June 2014. Buddy Boy’s locations dot the Denver area, selling flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals and more.

Fritzel, who also owns dispensaries Lightshade and PotCo, initially said sales tumbled off of a cliff, forcing him to close Buddy Boy. However, he admits “a tax balance” is also a contributing factor.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

An organization called 40 Tons is setting the bar high when it comes to cannabis with a purpose. Bringing new levels to the term “socially conscious,” the Black and woman-owned cannabis company was created to serve all those impacted by the system, from cannabis prisons to victims of the war on drugs to their families and loved ones.

With cannabis booming into a billion-dollar industry that’s been thriving from California to all over the globe, 40 Tons was created by the same legacy operators who have been fighting the good fight to break the negative stigma of cannabis. In fact, over 40,000 inmates are still incarcerated to this day for marijuana charges and convictions — which is baffling to think given the legalization of cannabis in over 19 states in the country.

The Mission of 40 Tons

40 Tons’ mission is to “break the chains of these injustices stemming from prohibition,” with every purchase helping cannabis prisoners fight their unfair sentences, engage in restorative justice, and work towards living an equitable life once they are released from jail and be able to return to their families.

The name 40 Tons derives from the amount of cannabis that led Corvain Cooper to be hit with a life sentence… which thankfully he was released after obtaining the winning lottery ticket, a presidential clemency, on January 20th of last year by former president Donald Trump. While the company is extremely grateful for the release of Cooper, there lies a bigger task at hand: freeing the thousands of prisoners still behind bars over cannabis offenses and helping them upon return. Hence, #FreeThe40K was born.

Interview with Anthony Alegrete from 40 Tons

PotGuide had the pleasure of speaking to Anthony Alegrete, co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of 40 Tons, to discuss their recent career conference in Oakland, the overall impact of the brand, how it all got started, the importance of serving BIPOC communities, his NFT project, and more!

[Shirley Ju]: You just obtained sponsorship from another 3 booths for your career conference up in Oakland today, can you touch on that?

[Anthony Alegrete]: We don’t just sell cannabis products and merch. We have an entire restorative justice/social impact component to our brand, which includes Career Conferences. We believe that if we were going to start a brand, we had to have an impact and bring humanity into the cannabis space.

The Canna Get a Second Chance Cannabis Career Conference is basically a miniature Hall of Flowers, but instead of it being for weed, it’s to get people jobs, careers, and provide a massive amount of resources to bring more BIPOC into the space and give second chances to those with past cannabis convictions. We are deeply grateful for our sponsors that have helped make this happen, including Curaleaf’s rooted in good program, Herbl Solutions, Stiiizy, and many more.

[SJ]: How important is an event such as this? I know you had Stiiizy on as your partner during your last conference in Los Angeles.

[AA]: Oh man, they’re phenomenal. In fact, they’re partnering on this one as well. Stiiizy will be at the one in Oakland. We’ve built a great organic relationship with their diversity and inclusion team. DeRon Waller who heads up the program has been an incredible supporter of ours and spearheaded this great partnership.

We also have Curaleaf, Pactone, Vertosa, Mediajel, Herbl, 710 Labs, Dutchie, Last Prisoner Project and many large brands that have supported. We also could not forget about the equity brands and organizations that helped put Cannabis on the map. In Los Angeles, or wherever we bring our Career Conferences to, we do our best to try and include as many equity groups as possible, often comping their booths or providing an equity discount.

Our next Canna Get a Second Chance Cannabis Career Conference is slated for Trenton, New Jersey on August 13th, then we’ll double back to LA towards the early fall of 2022. However, we are in discussions with various companies that want to bring the conference to their city.

This event is extremely important because what we do and how we execute has never been done before in the industry. Our conferences bring together a diverse set of talent and offer many tools and resources for job seekers in or looking to get into the cannabis industry.

[SJ]: What does it mean to take the conference across the country, and how impactful is it on the community?

[AA]: Oh my Goodness, it’s such a blessing for us to get to help people all across the country. When we decided to take this conference outside of our home city of Los Angeles, the first place we selected was Oakland, CA for its deep historical history with the plant. We also had to pay our respects to those in Oakland. Oakland is one of the Mecca’s of the cannabis industry.

Bringing these conferences to the different cities is a collective effort with those cities. We never want to come into any city and act as if we are saviors. We want to tap in with the local community and really pay our respect to those that helped pave the way in their respective cities. We have a program that our team believes can help benefit your local city.

The larger brands definitely play a role and help with the facilitation of the impact, but we never want to exclude anyone that may not have the budget to be there, or in the beginning stages of building their brand or organization. If you have a great attitude and are genuinely interested in helping your community we want you there.

So, we reached out to many bay area equity companies and nonprofit organizations. These were the ones that came out and supported: The Oakland Equity Collective Team, Supernova Women, Oakland Equity Trade network, Conscious Mindz Distribution, Self Sufficiency, Sunset Connect, Purple Heart, New Life CA, and Jackfo,

Anytime you go into anyone else’s city it’s only right to tap in with the locals and partner up. Collaboration over competition is our motto.

Here is the final video of the Oakland Career Conference.

[SJ]: Being one of the co-founders, when did you first get the idea for 40 Tons?

[AA]: Ironically, it all started 20 plus years ago when Corvain Cooper and I sold our first eighth of bud together.

Fast forward 10 years later, we start to realize that cannabis is being more accepted and we might have a chance under the Trump administration to get some of these people out of prison, including Corvain.

Corvain and I have been friends for 27 years. 40 Tons started 27 years ago when we met. We just didn’t know it yet. Officially, it started in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic when we realized we might have a chance at getting Corvain out of prison.

We formed the 40 Tons brand about a year before Corvain got out of prison. The whole purpose to start the brand was to bring awareness to his mission and hopefully get him out. Then we caught the winning lottery ticket, on January 20th, 2021 when then president Trump gave him a presidential clemency on his last day in office.

Thanks to many organizations and advocates like Brittany K Barnet and the buried alive project, Alice Johnson, Freedom Grow Forever, Life for Pot, Cheri Sicard, The Last Prisoner Project, Project Mission Green, Cando Clemency and many more that were all tirelessly advocating to get him out.

When he got the life sentence, the newspaper article read “California man sentenced to life in prison for 40 tons a weed.” We named the brand 40 Tons in honor of turning a negative into a positive. We were determined to change our lives and utilize what took us down to help rebuild others and make a real difference.

We understood that we committed the crime of selling cannabis without a license. However, we’ve always advocated that the punishments don’t fit the crimes. If there are going to be billions of dollars legally made, then why is anyone still in prison over cannabis solely.

[SJ]: What do you think we’re the key influential factors that helped get Corvain out of prison?

[AA]: Great question. This is a case of 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 10

I don’t believe that there was any one occurrence that did it. I think the collective efforts of many are what led to his release. Each had more or less influence on the final outcome for sure, but even the 152,000 people that signed the change.org petition contributed to his release. All the organizations I named above all had some sort of role in his release. From walking the clemency into the Whitehouse to standing outside the Whitehouse and picketing.

Nas, B-Real, Berner, Al Harrington, Kamala Harris, Virgil Grant and 20 plus other celebrities were in a documentary called Smoke & Black America, which brought national attention to Corvain Cooper’s cause.

[SJ]: Talk about the NFT project you’re working on.

[AA]: Eewwwwwwww, we’re about to change the game on that! So, personally I’ve been dabbling in crypto and NFTs for over a year now. I have taken the time to really learn the space and participate in it. I knew that web3 was here to stay and something any business should be learning and getting involved in.

So, I created an amazing NFT project that has loads of utility. I wanted to create something that gave back to the 40 Tons Brand and the cannabis prisoners. But I knew there needed to be utility, great artwork, and a reason for someone to want to buy the NFTs.

Without giving too much away, because the project launches VERY SOON. All art is original hand drawn art. There is a utility that allows for communication with the prisoners and a very large % of the project goes directly to the 10 cannabis prisoners we selected to help on our first of many projects, directly. Not a 5% or 10% share, but rather a LARGE percentage is going back. The largest, I believe, that has ever happened.

Our hopes are to build a pathway to create wealth for these prisoners so that when they come home, they don’t come home to nothing. On this first project if we sell out, we’ll probably make around $15K per prisoner in today’s cryptocurrency prices. Imagine if that $15K in 5 years goes to $75K? It’s like a stock. We’re building ways for these prisoners to have something to come home to. We are also funding the many other projects we have that are all social impact driven. The art’s dope, the utilities are vast, access to events, access to private parties, access to merch, access to future drops, then donations to the prisoner directly is what this is about.

To learn more about this NFT project, please visit CannaConvicts.io

Conclusion

It’s amazing to see how different organizations in the cannabis industry can come together for the better cause. 40 Tons is a shining example of this; how they are fighting for the freedom of marijuana charged, incarcerated people and finding them jobs once released. With more and more social equity groups jumping on board together, real impact is moving within the cannabis industry.

This is Part 1 of our interview with Anthony Alegrete. Stay tuned for Part 2 as we discuss the 40 Ton’s cannabis brand, their mission, and the challenges they had to overcome.

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Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below on cannabis NFTs, social equity organizations we should know about, or your thoughts on the war on drugs!

If you’re smoking and you need some music recommendations, look no further than Dizzy Wright. A fan favorite in the category of stoner rap, the rapper and cannabis connoisseur is best known for pushing positivity in his music. Wright stands for something greater than just putting together rhymes. His whole aura and energy is both inspirational and motivational, effortlessly giving listeners that nudge that they too can also live a life in prosperity.

With the acceptance of cannabis and cannabis culture finally coming around, Wright continues to use the flower as a means of creativity, as well as relief from the life stressors that continue to plague us all. For a decade straight, Dizzy has been blessing his fans with a project every single year, recently celebrating 10 years of his debut album Smokeout Conversations.

With the release of his newest project, Dizzyland, collaboration with frequent collaborator DJ Hoppa, Dizzy once again proves why he’ll forever be recognized as one of the greats. The 12-track project is spearheaded by lead singles “Escape,” “24 Hours” [ft. Xzhibit], and “Promoter” [ft. B-Real and Man Like Devin].

PotGuide caught up with Dizzy Wright virtually, who was living his best life bowling, in sunny Los Angeles on his off day, as he embarks on his newest headlining tour. Read below as we discuss his new project, how weed improves his life and his music, collaborating with Xzibit, why he doesn’t get munchies anymore, having his own weed strain, celebrating 10 years of Smokeout Conversations, being a father, and more!

PotGuide Interviews Dizzy Wright

[Shirely Ju]: New album Dizzyland is out now! Fans have been waiting, how are you feeling?

[Dizzy Wright]: Yeah, the new album is out now. I’m feeling good, feeling blessed. I’m back out here on the road. First time doing my own tour since this whole pandemic thing so I’m feeling good. Feeling healthy, feeling blessed.

[SJ]: This is the first time you and DJ Hoppa have done a project together? That’s wild.

[DW]: It’s been a f*cking process. I’m going into a different stage of my artistry. Like I’ve always mixed the producers together on all my projects. I felt like the best way to give the fans the versatility was to f*ck with the different producers that I enjoy and put them all on the same project, give the fans that collection of music.

Now, I’m going into a different stage where I want my fans to be able to identify with the producers that they enjoy the most. I got a lot of fans that like the music I make with Hoppa, so I wanted to have a project that they could gravitate towards and they could feel proud about that.

Even though they might love the other stuff I do, they might love this stuff I create with Hoppa. I’ma do a couple different projects with a few different producers, I just wanted to kick it off with DJ Hoppa because that’s my mans.

[SJ]: How much weed was smoked in creating this album?

[DW]: Shit. [laughs] Too much weed. Whole lotta weed. To be honest with you, I recorded a lot of it at my crib. Hoppa was cooking up them beats for me. I had so much time at the crib, I was able to really dive in some of those records the way that I wanted to. Shit, I was pretty much the weed. I had a big ass bag of weed all the time.

[SJ]: How does cannabis improve your life?

[DW]: In so many ways, it keeps me grounded and motivated. It helps me layer things out the way I can approach and attack them the perfect way for me. Marijuana helps me ease through the things I need to do. Everyone has things they need to do and handle, marijuana helps me get through that shit. Feeling grounded. Even when I’m in a pressured moment, I don’t really feel the pressure. I can get through it without all the extra emotions that we sometimes put on ourselves. I’m definitely an advocate fasho.

[SJ]: How do you feel like it influences your music?

[DW]: Life really influences my music, marijuana just so happens to be a part of it. It really keeps me grounded, helps me see things differently sometimes. Life, living, the experience, that’s really what impacts my music. Marijuana just makes a n*gga feel good.

[SJ]: I love your song “Escape.” What were you going through with this one?

[DW]: I appreciate that. I actually recorded that first verse of “Escape” back in 2019, then I recorded the second verse this year. There was a little gap for that record, but I was really trying to figure out where I wanted to take that record. My boy Trent came in and sang that hook, really helped bring it in where it needed to be.

[SJ]: Talk about linking with Xzibit on “24 Hours,” that’s legendary.

[DW]: It was fire, Xzhbit’s my guy. I got to record my Growing Process album in his studio back in 2015. I wanted him on that album, but I couldn’t find a song hard enough for that fool at the time. I’m like “look man, I ain’t gon hold you. I can’t get a beat that I thought was hard enough.”

All the producers were giving me stuff they felt was “Dizzy Wright’s shit.” That smoove, poetic shit, I wasn’t tryna get X on nothing like that. I wanted some hard shit for him. It’s crazy all these years later, I heard that beat and instantly heard him on it. I’m glad he felt the same way and blessed me with a verse.

[SJ]: What was your reaction when you heard that verse back?

[DW]: I was tripping like a motherf*cka! He sent that shit back fast as hell too. I sent that shit to him and he sent that verse back the very next day. I couldn’t believe that shit.

[SJ]: When artists tell me that, there’s no way. People wait years to get a verse back, that’s crazy.

[DW]: Yeah, I was like hold on! He sent this mf back quick as fuck and it was hard. N*gga said “I headbutt the blunt,” I couldn’t believe it. [laughs]

[SJ]: I actually interviewed B Real for PotGuide last time, how was it collaborating with him on “Promoter”?

[DW]: I’m most excited because I haven’t been able to give my fans the concept videos that they deserve, that brings the music to life. On the backend, I was going through a whole lot of shit and I finally bought my masters back. Getting my masters back allowed me to maneuver a lot better and do some things. I’m excited to show the fans what I’m capable of and what I can bring to the table with some extra support behind me. I’ve been building my team up and getting everything back where it needs to be.

I was able to come up with a dope concept with some videographers, it’s a next level video. Concept video. We wanted to bring some humor, because I’m coming from a real approach and I didn’t want to feed into the stereotypical stoner criticism. Smoking and being lazy, shit like that, but I wanted to have some humor and show my personality. I don’t feel like I’ve been able to broadcast that as well as I’ve wanted to over the last couple of years. Now, I’m getting back in that rhythm of things. I’m excited for my fans to see me get back into the groove.

[SJ]: What does it mean to have your own weed strain, Dizzy OG, just being one of the pioneers of stoner rap?

[DW]: I appreciate that, I love having my weed strain. It’s been fire. It started with the Dizzy OG. Honestly I don’t even remember when we started, it was 2014 maybe? Started with Dizzy OG, Crown Genetics, Crown OG. It’s been a beautiful journey with them. Watching the weed industry become what it is, I’m happy to be a part of it. As far as Vegas goes, I work with Redwood Cultivation, they grow all my strains. They grow some fire for me. A lot of different dispensaries pick us up and show us love, but you know Jardin is one of the ones. I’m actually rocking my Jardin shirt right now.

[SJ]: Shout out to Jardin! Love them.

[DW]: It’s been fire having my strains in Vegas too. I got a couple different ones that have hit the streets. Vegas isn’t like the Dizzy OG. The Dizzy OG became my one strain in California that I wanted to get behind, push and really turn into something. In Vegas, I wanted to give them different flavors and different things that I enjoyed smoking. So I did it a lil different in Vegas, but it’s been fire.

[SJ]: You’re healthier, so what’re your favorite munchies?

[DW]: I don’t really get the munchies no more, which is fucking weird. Damn, I haven’t been snacking. I don’t really snack. [laughs] I eat all kinds of stuff, but I like the plant based substitutes. I’m really just on the fruit if I’m really snackin, but I don’t like to snack like that. I just be on the fruit.

[SJ]: I was interviewing Toosii and he said he can’t eat before he performs.

[DW]: I don’t really eat right before stage either, a n*gga go out there and be a little sluggish. But I’m definitely smoking and drinking before that set. I be having a lil buzz kicking in.

[SJ]: How was that festival with Devin the Dude?

[DW]: The festival was fire. Not to discredit them brothers, but it was slightly weird because they had a VIP section they wanted to get people to be in front of the stage. Mad people didn’t want to do the VIP thing so people were far, but other than that it was cool. Being able to see Devin is always a pleasure for me because I grew up on that harmonizing shit. To be able to see it live and see an artist be able to sing and harmonize live, that shit’s always super impressive to me.

[SJ]: Anything else you want to let the people know while we’re here?

[DW]: I’m on tour right now. I don’t know where y’all at but if I’ma be anywhere near you, come out and check out the show. We got a great show. It’s my 10-year anniversary of my first album, so 10 years later I’m still out here.

[SJ]: Smokeout Conversations! What was Dizzy like back then?

[DW]: Aw man, green. I remember asking my manager at the time I dropped Smokeout Conversations:”Yo when I drop this, you think I’m gonna be able to tour?” He’s like “shit, I don’t know. We’re gonna have to see if they like it.” I’m like “alright cool.” I ended up getting booked for 46 shows for my first tour, I was super proud of that. It gave me the motivation and ambition I needed to go this decade, do this decade of independent music.

But back then, I was similar to how I am now. I know what I want to do now, I know where I’m going. I know what I want to accomplish now. Back then, I just wanted to be a rapper. I didn’t know everything that came with it. Wasn’t thinking about being a businessman or really having a brand or movement. I just wanted to put out positive energy, smoke weed, and be able to take care of my daughter. 10 years later, I’m on a motherfucking mission now.

[SJ]: With a newborn too, right?

[DW]: Yeah, I got 3 babies now.11,7 and 2.5 months. I’m papa Dizzy now! It’s a beautiful thing. They keep me humble and grounded as well. I always have something I can lean on whenever life starts getting a little crazy. I always got them kids, my family. It’s a beautiful thing to have. You gotta have that foundation.

[SJ]: Last question, do you have a weed man in every city?

[DW]: Almost, yup. I don’t think I have one in Maine or something. [laughs] Anywhere on the West Coast, yeah I have a weed man everywhere. 10 years of traveling, 10 years of doing this the independent way. Getting out here, I fuck with the people. I come out and shake their hands. I don’t ever stunt on them so when I come back, the love be there. I just tap back in with the same ones who used to fuck with me the last time.

Thank you, Dizzy Wright, for taking the time to speak with PotGuide!

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Are you a fan of Dizzy Wright’s music of cannabis! Hit us up in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Dizzy Wright

Nearly one in two Canadian patients authorized to access medical cannabis products say that their use of marijuana has enabled them to either reduce or cease their consumption of other controlled substances, particularly opioids and alcohol, according to data published in the Journal of Cannabis Research.

A team of researchers from Canada and from the United States surveyed 2,697 Canadian patients enrolled in the nation’s federal medical marijuana program, which began over two decades ago. (Canada separately legalized the possession and retail sale of marijuana for adults in 2018.)

Investigators reported that 47 percent of respondents acknowledged substituting cannabis for other controlled substances. Of those who said that they used cannabis in place of prescription medications, half acknowledged doing so for opioids – a finding that is consistent with dozens of other studies. Many respondents also reported using cannabis to reduce their alcohol intake, a finding that has also been previously reported in other studies.

About one-third of respondents did not inform their primary care providers that they were engaging in drug substitution.

Authors concluded: “This study examined patient-provider communication patterns concerning cannabis use and substitution in Canada. Results suggest that patients often substitute cannabis for other medications without PCP guidance. The lack of integration between mainstream healthcare and medical cannabis could likely be improved through increased physician education and clinical experience. … Future studies should investigate strategies for effectively involving PCPs in patient care around medical cannabis with specific focus on substitution and harm reduction practices.”

Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Cannabis has established efficacy in the treatment of multiple conditions, including chronic pain, and it possesses a safety profile is either comparable or superior to other controlled substances. So it is no wonder that those with legal access to it are substituting cannabis in lieu of other, potentially less effective and more harmful substances. As legal access continues to expand, one would expect the cannabis substitution effect to grow even more pronounced in the future.”

Other studies have shown that patients also frequently reduce their consumption of benzodiazepines, sleep aids, and antidepressants following medical cannabis initiation.

Full text of the study, “Healthcare provider and medical cannabis patient communication regarding referral and medication substitution: The Canadian context,” appears in the Journal of Cannabis Research. Additional information is available from NORML’s fact-sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

Related

BERLIN (AP) — The German government is setting in motion plans to legalize the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes, aiming to have legislation ready later this year.

The Health Ministry said Monday that it will start holding expert hearings on various aspects of the issue Tuesday. It said that more than 200 representatives from the medical, legal and other fields will take part, along with officials from various levels of government and unidentified international experts.

The pledge to legalize controlled sales of cannabis to adults in licensed shops is one of a series of reforms outlined in last year’s coalition deal between the three socially liberal parties that make up Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government.

Read the rest of this story on BostonHerald.com.

Have you ever dreamed of judging a cannabis competition? Good news: You’re high-ered!

The High Times Cannabis Cup has returned to Colorado and is currently seeking judges to try locally-made products, including flower, topicals, edibles and concentrates and help determine the best of their kind available in the Centennial State. (See the full list of categories below.)

Entries into The Cannabis Cup, started in Amsterdam in 1988, were traditionally judged by panels of experts, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, “High Times” reshaped the event into a virtual format and opened judging to the general public. It’s now billed as a “People’s Choice” competition and anyone 21 years or older is eligible to judge. In addition to Colorado, competitions are also taking place in Michigan, Illinois, California, and Alaska.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

It’s easy to miss Moffat — a 120-person town in southern Colorado’s San Luis Valley that long has been known for its agriculture and ranching history.

But if Mike Biggio has his way, this tiny outpost on the edge of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve soon will be rebranded to reflect what he views as the future of a dying valley.

Welcome to Kush, Colorado.

Read the rest of this story on DenverPost.com.

The pandemic isn’t over, but thanks to vaccinations, masking, and less lethal variants we’ve moved into a post-lockdown phase (for now). While some are getting back into their routines (for better or for worse), others are having a hard time getting back to normal.

If you’re one of those people with lingering lockdown anxiety, you’re in good company. For over two years, everyone you came in contact with could potentially be carrying a life-altering virus for you or your loved ones (and this is still the case for immunocompromised individuals, parents of young children and many others).

Time with friends, family, and co-workers moved to screens. Dating became way trickier than it already is. Going to grocery stores, house parties, bars, or restaurants were all big risks that many avoided completely. Even if you came out of the worst of the pandemic relatively unscathed, it’s okay to feel more anxious or depressed. Having trouble getting back to “normal” is normal at a time like this.

Try Microdosing

Out of all the cannabis products available during the pandemic, edibles were the clear favorite. They were an easy entry point for newer users, lasted longer for those looking to stretch their budget, and were a safer option for anyone concerned about their lungs. If your lockdown experience can be summed up as “Stoned Alone,” your THC tolerance is probably high and your social skills, not so much.

Edibles are great for doing chores around your place, zoning into a game, or just chilling on the couch with a screen or some music. However, 10 mg (or whatever amount you take) can make navigating social encounters a little harder, especially if you’re out of practice. You want your marijuana and social anxiety to work together, not combat each other.

Luckily, plenty of edible companies are starting to make low-dose options. You can also just cut your favorite edibles into quarters and see where it leads. A 2.5mg dose can give you that subtle uplift or chill as you’re re-introducing yourself to a social life, without the THC taking over the conversation. If your place of work is ending their telecommuting option, a microdose can help you get back into the office or onto the floor.

Mix in Some CBD

High-CBD flower and 1:1 CBD edibles have been around for a while now, and for good reason. CBD is known to be very beneficial for relieving stress and anxiety. If your marijuana and social anxiety are at odds, try mixing in some CBD. In fact, there is a thing called the Entourage effect, where all parts of cannabis work together to be more effective. So, you may get the desired effects from the THC and more anxiety relief from the CBD at a lower dose. If edibles are your thing, try a 1:1 gummy or chocolate bar.

You’ll still get the uplift of THC, but with the CBD helping take the edge off. Seek out some high-CBD marijuana strains or concentrates at your dispensary and either smoke them on their own, or mix them in with your favorite strain before heading out to the bar, party or whatever your night awaits.

Switch Up Your Strains

Many things have changed in the post-COVID world, and one of them might be your tried-and-true strains.

Before Covid-19 popped up in the news, sativas might have been your jam. Maybe Sour Diesel was your ticket to a great concert, Durban Poison made you the life at a party, or Strawberry Cough gave a first date that extra spark. Post-lockdown, you may find that sativas now just clam you up as your brain runs through all the things that are, can, or will go wrong. Instead of being a social butterfly, you can’t wait to cocoon up back at home.

Try smoking a strain you usually wouldn’t smoke to see if your preference has changed.

On the other hand, indicas might have been your go-to in social situations. If being around people has drained your social battery, a light kush strain or a heavy edible may have helped you switch off your worries or lower your barriers as you navigated your way through. But after all that 2020 put you through, you might be fog-headed when you’re stone sober and feel a bit lost once those indica-leaning terpenes and cannabinoids take the wheel.

Switching up your strains could be the answer. Instead of ordering the usual, ask your friendly neighborhood budtender what else is on the menu. A milder sativa, indica, or a hybrid could give you that lift instead of a nose-dive around people. Or try something completely new. If indicas now fog you up, a sativa might clear your head. If sativas now make you jumpy, an indica could help you settle down. Try new hybrids, buy a variety of grams. Try them out both at home and while out and about. Lower THC, different strain profiles, or more subtle effects could help you get back.

Change Your Consumption Routine

Pre-pandemic, you may have greeted each morning with a wake-and-bake dab, got back to level with a noontime toke, or wound down your workday stress with an evening gummy. Now everything’s been thrown off-kilter. A wake-and-bake isn’t as soothing if you’re scattered from lack of sleep and an evening gummy does no good if you’re too stressed to wind down. In other words, marijuana and social anxiety are now foes instead of friends. If the old ways aren’t helping like they used to, start experimenting with when and how much you consume. Maybe a morning gummy can help you glide through your workday so that you don’t need a wind-down, or postpone your wake-and-bake until you’ve shaken the cobwebs out.

Additionally, your body primes itself for any routine, including cannabinoids, which means it’s already got a firm opinion on the THC by the time it arrives in your system. Switching up when, where, and how you consume can help reintroduce THC to your system when it has more of an open mind to it.

Take a T-Break (Tolerance Break)

If cannabis isn’t helping get you back on your social game no matter what you try, it might be time for a hard reset on your tolerance. Consuming too much of any substance can severely reduce the effects it has, down regulating or blocking receptors, reducing production of biochemicals and neurotransmitters.

Sometimes, this can change the effect the substance has entirely. Taking a couple of days or weeks off for your body to come back to level will help you dial in the best dose, strain, and time of consumption to help you get back on your social game. Medical cannabis patients might want to explore if there is any room to lower their dosages for a while (while still remaining within a comfortable range for their health).

The Wrap Up

Now that we are post-lockdown, cannabis has been helping a lot of people cope with this enormous, frequently tragic disruption in all of our lives. If THC isn’t giving you that TLC that it used to as you try returning to normal life, switching up your routine or your go-to strains may help. Adding in some CBD or lowering your dosage of THC may help turn the volume down, and taking a short break from cannabis completely can help you reset your levels.

However you’re getting through this new phase of the pandemic, remember to be kind to yourself. It may take some time to emotionally recover, and it may never feel like it was before the pandemic, but you will recover.

Also, if you are struggling, don’t rely solely on cannabis to get you through. Talk to a friend or family member, See a therapist, or talk to your physician about what’s going on. You will get through, but sometimes we all need a little help from someone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Smoking Marijuana Help with Social Anxiety?

It certainly can. Finding a marijuana strain that makes you feel more relaxed, outgoing, and happy can certainly take the edge off any social anxiety. You may also try strains high in CBD if you find smoking marijuana makes you more anxious.

Does CBD Help Social Anxiety?

Yes. CBD is known to reduce stress and anxiety.

Why Do I Have Social Anxiety After Pandemic?

Many have social anxiety after a pandemic because it was a socially traumatic experience. People had to isolate themselves, and being in a crowded place or interacting with strangers could expose you or a loved one to a life-altering illness.

Can Cannabis Improve My Social Anxiety at Work?

It can. Marijuana can help with social anxiety by “taking the edge off” or giving you a mood boost. However, when it comes to work, you may want to try microdosing with edibles or smoking only small amounts so that it doesn’t interfere with your focus. Or, again, try using a higher CBD/lower THC strain for a while.

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How has cannabis helped you get back in the swing of things?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

THC distillate is a partial-spectrum cannabis oil that can reach up to 99% purity. We use the term “partial-spectrum” because distilling THC often separates it from other cannabinoids like CBD or THCV, meaning they may be less effective for holistic wellness than full-spectrum concentrates. Though, distillates are more effective at delivering clean, pure THC to the consumer.

One of the most popular applications for distillate is adding it to food. Unlike cannabis flower, which must be “activated” via decarboxylation, distillate is naturally decarbed during the production process, and can be eaten as-is. Thus, adding a few drops or a little drizzle of distillate can turn any dish into an “edible,” but note this is not the same as cooking with cannabis.

When cooking with cannabis, the THC is cooked right into the dish, usually by infusing cannabinoids into a fatty ingredient like oil or cream. Though the cannabis can be more thoroughly infused, cooking with cannabis requires more prep time, multiple extra cooking steps, and can be tricky for first-timers.

By comparison, distillate is much easier to use as it can be quickly and easily added to any dish after it’s been prepared (or delivered). It can sometimes have a distinct sharp flavor note not present in other infusion methods, but this is easily hidden by some bolder flavors, which we’ve included in our list.

Here are PotGuide’s ten favorite dishes to add THC distillate to, with no cooking or extra steps required.

Top 10 Foods for Adding Distillate

Mac and Cheese

While fats are required for formally infusing dishes, they are not required when adding THC distillate to food. That said, more fats will encourage more THC uptake, making macaroni and cheese a potent option for THC consumption.

The bold flavor of the cheese is also enough to hide any lingering cannabis flavor.

Pasta Sauce

Pasta sauce often begins with a strong tomato base which actually benefits from the earthy flavor of THC distillate. Many pasta sauces already include seasonings like oregano and black pepper which contain terpenes also found in cannabis including pinene and caryophyllene, making the flavor of distillate blend well into this versatile sauce.

Yogurt

Cannabinoids bind to healthy fats just as easily as unhealthy ones, so full-fat or whole-milk yogurt makes a great breakfast option boosted with distillate. Mix it with a nutty granola or muesli, and the earthy flavor of the distillate will disappear among the oats and seeds.

Honey and Syrup

We could have just as easily listed pancakes and waffles here, because that’s how this combination is most often used. The thick, golden distillate blends easily with the thick, golden syrup or honey, and from there can be drizzled over anything.

For larger batches, sunflower lecithin can be used as an emulsifier (in equal ratio to the amount of distillate used), and the combination can then be stored in the fridge for several months.

Chinese Food

Chinese food is full of savory, salty sauces that easily mask the flavor of cannabis, and distillate can be simply mixed with chili oil for a kick that lifts you off the couch. However, distillate should not be used in ramen or soups as hot temperatures may reduce the potency of cannabis oils.

Smoothies

THC distillate is an easy ingredient to add to smoothies for a morning or midday boost, and the anti-inflammatory properties make it a great supplement when recovering from a workout.

Salad Dressing

There are many recipes available for formally infused salad dressings, but THC distillate is much less laborious, and better for single servings of salad. Add a few drops to your dressing of choice, or add more to the bottle in your fridge and mix well before serving!

Tacos

The spices and seasonings in taco meat hide the grassy flavor of distillate well, but it should be added at a particular stage in the cooking process. Adding THC while the meat is still in the pan, or over the heat, may cook off precious cannabinoids. Instead, warm the distillate syringe in water to thin it out, then add it to the meat when it comes off the heat. This way the distillate will be thin enough to mix evenly throughout the meat, but not hot enough to burn off the THC.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is naturally oily, so an oily distillate mixes right in, and can then be spread on anything from a PB&J to celery, toast, or added to a smoothie.

If your peanut butter is in a glass jar, that jar can be placed — but not submerged — in boiling water to thin the peanut butter, making it easier to evenly stir in the distillate.

Pizza

As we’ve discussed, distillate blends well with tomato sauce and cheese for both masking the flavor and improving cannabinoid uptake, so pizza is an easy choice. Pineapple Express is an excellent topping on any pie, regardless of your opinions on the “Hawaiian” pizza debate.

Conclusion

THC distillate can be added to drinks as well, but we’ve left them off this list for a couple reasons. Without an emulsifying agent to balance the two liquids, the oily concentrate will always separate from a watery drink, resulting in a not-so-pleasant mouthfeel to most cannabis consumers. Additionally, this 2016 study found that temperature affects cannabinoid concentration, particularly in hot drinks which reduce cannabinoid content by as much as 28%. So THC distillate can absolutely be added to drinks, but it may not be as enjoyable to consume, and probably won’t deliver as much THC.

Otherwise, cannabis distillates provide a great option for making instant edibles!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Foods Can You Put Distillate in?

Cannabinoid distillate can be added to just about anything, but loses potency in hot drinks or when cooked, so it is often added shortly before consuming. Using distillate in fatty foods improves THC absorption for optimal effect.

How Do You Add Distillates to Food?

Distillate is usually warmed first by submerging the syringe or other water-tight container in hot water. This thins out the oil making it easier to drop or mix into foods. It can remain stable in the fridge mixed into salad dressings or leftovers, but may lose about 15% potency from the cold temperature. More potency is lost at cooking temperatures, so when possible, add distillate immediately before consumption.

What Can I Do With Delta 8 Distillate?

Delta-8 distillate can be used the same as any other distilled cannabis product, including adding it to foods or placing it directly on the tongue.

What dishes do you add THC distillate to? Tell us in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

At PotGuide, we love to offer cultivation tips and tricks to help our readers get the most out of their crops. Usually this includes things like choosing the best lights for indoor grows or tips for dealing with pests and contaminants. However, for this piece we want to talk about a trend that’s gaining a lot of attention among cannabis cultivators nationwide: using music to affect plant growth.

We know it sounds a little eccentric to play music for plants – I mean plants don’t even have ears, right? But research has shown that music may, in fact, have a profound impact on a cannabis plant’s growth. Interestingly, different styles of music seem to have different effects. So let’s investigate the question: does music affect plant growth?

How Does Music Affect Plants?

Researchers have been studying the effect of music on plants for decades. Dr. T. C. Singh conducted a few experiments in 1962 in which he discovered that balsam plants grew 20 percent taller and had an increased biomass of 60 to 70 percent when compared to control plants that experienced silence.

Singh also noted that seeds grown in musical environments had an increased vitality rate and produced stronger characteristics, such as improved leaf production and bigger leaves. Newer research has confirmed these findings.

Interestingly, different genres of music seem to affect plant growth differently.

Singh suggested through his research that violin music produced the most favorable results. In 1973, Professor Dorothy Retallack conducted her own experiment where she divided plants into three groups. One group of plants heard an F-note for eight solid hours. A similar note was played for the second group, and the third (control) group was left in silence. The first group died within two weeks, the second group thrived, while the third showed no major changes.

Next, she went on to test the differences in response to rock and classical music. She once again split her plants into three groups and played either rock music, classical music, or nothing. She found that plants who were exposed to rock music actively tried to “escape” the sound by turning their growth away from the speakers or “climbing” the walls of the enclosure. She also noticed signs of stress in the rock-and-roll plants resembling excessive water intake.

It’s important to note that it’s not necessarily the genre that affects plant growth but rather the rhythm and harmony of the sound. Plants that are exposed to calming music like classical tend to fare better than those exposed to heavy metal – perhaps due to the way plants have evolved and adapted to their environments.

Music and Plant Growth

Of course plants react to their external environments – hot conditions encourage plant leaves to curl up to retain cool for example, and pest infestations encourage the release of terpenes to protect the plant from damage. Likewise, plants react to vibrations in the air and ground which helps protect themselves from hungry caterpillars, or to slow their growth in windy areas that might snap their branches, for example.

The same goes for sound, which is composed of vibrations. Whether it’s music, the hum of a busy highway, or the sound of approaching predators, plants have learned to pick up vibrations and react according to these vibratory cues. Therefore, plants that react adversely to aggressive rock music are likely to do so because their evolutionary makeup has taught them that these lower frequency sound waves pose a threat. Industrial equipment like vehicles and clothes dryers also produce low-frequency sound waves.

Higher frequency sound waves, on the other hand, such as those produced in classical music, may have the opposite effect, signaling to the plant that conditions are optimum for growth and development. Researchers theorize the reason for this is because the frequency encourages stomata, the little pours in plant surfaces, to open up, allowing for greater nutrient intake while helping accommodate increased transpiration.

Wrap Up

Music has a way of moving us. Across cultures – and species – organisms react to music in ways that may reduce stress, improve health, and increase growth. It’s no surprise, then, that music would have the same effects on plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Music Promote Plant Growth?

Unfortunately, we can’t ask the plants personally. But there is some evidence that plants respond positively to some Hz vibrations.

Does Talking to Cannabis Plants Help Them Grow?

A very small study from the Royal Horticultural Society found that tomato plants that were regularly read to grew taller than those that were not.

Do Plants Like Beethoven?

It is thought that classical could be good music for plants. Beethoven: definitely classical.

Do Plants Like Reggae Music?

If a cannabis plant doesn’t like Bob Marley, is it still a cannabis plant? But seriously, there’s no way to know unless someone funds and conducts that experiment. For now, the firmest answer is maybe.

Why Do Plants Grow Better with Music?

The science on this topic is mixed at best and not that thorough, so the best guess is that plants may grow better with music at higher frequencies, such as classical music.

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Have you ever played music for your cannabis plants? Tell us about your results.

When it comes to cannabis royalty, Mila Jansen deserves her title of the “Hash Queen of Amsterdam.” One of the most influential people in cannabis, Mila invented the first solventless hash processing machine. She has served as a mentor to modern hash pioneers like Nikka T and countless others through personal teaching and annual “Dabadoo” hash makers gatherings.

PotGuide sat down with Mila to discuss her incredible travel stories, the inspiration for the Pollinator, and her views on modern day hash.

Interview with Mila Jansen

[Paul Barach]: You smoked your first joint back in 1964. Who introduced you to hash?

[Mila Jansen]: My boyfriend. He was studying medicine and wanted to see the effect of someone who was smoking hash. In those days you couldn’t even get weed in Amsterdam. You went down to the harbor, where hash would be brought in by the sailors from Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Africa. You bought it by the matchbox-full in those days. Rolled my first joint and I remember a short time later I was just lying on the floor rolling with laughter. It was love at first toke. (Laughs)

[PB]: How long were you smoking hash before you moved to India?

[MJ]: Maybe four years. I’d started a boutique, which we turned into a tea house. It became a collecting point for travelers. There were people coming from the East, bringing hash and even some dropouts from the Vietnam War bringing LSD. So it was a very nice place to hang out. The police didn’t like it and tried to close us down. That’s when I decided to hitchhike with my daughter to India.

[PB]: Where did you go first?

[MJ]: First we went up to Mazar-i-Sharif to the north of Afghanistan, and had some wonderful experiences there. They were the culture for hash, in those days. It was way ahead of any other hash you could score in Pakistan or Nepal. Afghani was the best.

[PB]: What made it so good?

[MJ]: They have been making hash for thousands of years. It was very fruity and got you high.

[PB]: Do you have any fun adventures to share about getting to India?

[MJ]: We were going from Manali to Lai, which was 500 kilometers. Permission to cross the border had just been granted, so I think we were just about the first ones to make that trek. They gave us a ride on a truck and we’re sitting there smoking some bidis. And my daughter, who was just learning to read, said, “What does that mean? Die. No. Mite?” And it turned out, the truck was really carrying boxes of dynamite. (Laughs). We banged on the back door for the driver and yelled “stop, stop.” We jumped out even before the truck stopped.

[PB]: So 14 years in India, what did you learn about hash making?

[MJ]: I had some very good examples in Afghanistan where I saw it being made. They sifted it over cloth. And then up in the mountains in India, we used to just make “charas,” which is a whole different process. They rub their palms along the buds and in the end your hands are full of hashish. You scrape it off and then you get to smoke it.

[PB]: How had Amsterdam changed when you got back in 1988?

[MJ]: At that time it was full of coffee shops all selling weed. But growing and selling weed to the coffee shops was illegal [and still is]. But I had four kids to feed, and they always wanted three meals a day, those damn kids. (Laughs) So I grew quite a bit. There were no books I could get a hold of, so the only thing I could fall back on was my knowledge of plants and when they look healthy and when they don’t.

The Dutch are very inventive about growing in greenhouses because of the bad weather. We built our own home systems. We made hundreds and hundreds of clones. At one point I had 13 gardens all through Amsterdam, the largest being this big greenhouse of 24,000 plants. Then it got busted and I suddenly realized, “What the hell are you doing? You got four kids sitting at home.” So I stopped.

[PB]: How did you come up with the idea for the Pollinator?

[MJ]: [Because I had so much material] I started off making my own hash over a flat screen and waffling the leaves so that slowly the crystals fell off. Then one night I was standing in front of the clothes dryer and saw those clothes tumbling inside.

The next day we got one and took out the heating unit and tied a screen just around the drum to see what would happen. We threw a bunch of dried material in and yep, all the crystals started falling down. So that was the beginning of the Pollinator, the first mechanical system to separate the glands from the rest of the plant material, and the beginning of my company. I wanted to get away from growing weed and do something more straight.

[PB]: What other products have you invented?

[MJ]: I also came up with the Ice-o-Lator, the bag system. I think from my background of having the boutique and everything, thinking of cloth [instead of the failure-prone plastic devices] was not such a big step.

And the Bubbleator. The washing machine was invented to get your dirty socks clean. So [I realized] if you fill the washing machine with icy water, [trichomes] are the dirt and it washes them off the plant in an expert manner. Pass the runoff water through some screen bags, then you catch the crystals.

[PB]: Wow. The laundry room has really been your Thomas Edison.

[MJ]: (Laughs) That’s probably why some guy could never have thought of it. They’re not doing enough laundry.

[PB]: How have you seen hash change since you began and is there anything you miss about the old stuff?

[MJ]: Well over here in Amsterdam, the quality is not all that much different from the old style. But every time I go to America there is something totally new. Lately everybody is loving all this fresh, frozen stuff so much.

According to my older techniques, if you chop a plant when all the crystals are still white, it isn’t mature yet. It’s in the last weeks that the crystals grow and that many of the terpenes form and even the cannabinoids. When I do try and smoke fresh stuff, it’s always a very short, intense high. I’m sure that’s what people like about it, but it’s not my thing. I prefer the one that’s cured. Just a bit more mellow flavor and effects.

[PB]: How do you prefer to smoke your hash?

[MJ]: I’ve smoked spliffs for nearly 55 years now. I always used to think I was a recreational smoker till I realized I reached the age of 77. Now I’ve realized it’s been my medicine all along. (Laughs)

[PB]: Thank you again for speaking to PotGuide.

[MJ]: I enjoyed speaking to you, and to all those people who are reading this, I love you. Have a good one. Stay high. (Laughs)

Mila Jansen’s book Mila: How I Became the Hash Queen is available on her website.

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What kind of hash do you enjoy? Have you ever tried Afghani, Lebanese, or Moroccan hash before? Let us know in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Mila Jansen

Commercial cannabis is now welcome in many states throughout the U.S., giving consumers countless options they can acquire. Though concentrates and edibles are certainly growing in popularity, good ol’ cannabis flower is still the top choice among consumers everywhere. Whether the flavor, convenience, or nostalgia, people still want bud, and they want it to be as pretty as possible.

Of course, there’s more to high-quality cannabis than growing it and bagging it. Between cultivation and curing, the buds must be trimmed to remove unnecessary (and harsh) leaves and stems from the product. There are two methods to trim your marijuana — trimming by hand and using machine trimmers — both with advantages and disadvantages depending on the situation. Today, we’ll discuss the differences between machine-trimmed weed and hand-trimmed weed, and outline steps you can take to discover how the buds you purchase are trimmed.

Hand-trimmed Weed

Hand-trimmed weed is the most traditional form of cannabis trimming. It became especially popular in the early 2000s as people started shying away from “brick-packed” (i.e., illegally imported) cannabis in favor of more potent, flavorful buds. Trimming sugar leaves and excess stems off of buds not only created more aesthetically-appealing buds, but also reduced the harsh smoking sensation that comes with smoking chlorophyll. This practice helped set premium cannabis strains apart from the rest of the, well, schwag.

Hand trimming weed continues to be a popular practice among both private and commercial grows. That’s because hand-trimmed weed results in a more thorough trim, more attractive (and unique) buds, and a higher potency because of both the reduced fan leaf leaves and careful handling of trichome-covered buds.

Additionally, hand-trimmed weed has a low start-up cost. For example, small-scale grow ops need only a few dedicated hands (and maybe a binge-worthy Netflix show) to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Whether a small group of employees or just some close, personal friends, hand trimming is relatively cost-efficient provided that harvests are not too large. When it comes to quality, hand-trimmed weed beats automated machine trimming, too. Due to its nature, hand-trimmed weed is also carefully checked for quality by real people with an eye for quality bud. Trimmers can flag worrisome buds like those that contain mold or pests and can remove and dispose of them properly.

Finally, commercial hand trimming provides countless jobs in the cannabis industry. Trimming jobs are an entry-level position that requires little to no training for around $12/hour or more. Furthermore, trimming positions can open the door to more advanced, higher-paying jobs in the cannabis industry through networking and industry submersion.

Drawbacks of Hand-trimming

Hand-trimmed weed is not perfect. The job is tedious and time-consuming and can take a major toll on the health of trimmers if they arch their backs over their trimming trays for 8+ hours each day.

Furthermore, the time it takes to produce beautifully trimmed buds can cost commercial facilities both in labor and in downtime before the product can go to market. Because it is so laborious, hand-trimmed weed is usually reserved for premium cannabis strains and/or boutique dispensaries.

Machine-trimmed Weed vs Hand-trimmed Weed

When it comes to machine-trimmed weed vs hand-trimmed weed, machine trimming offers an easy alternative, which is especially valuable for larger commercial grows and those that produce lesser quality buds. Though the machines themselves can be quite pricey, after subtracting labor costs and processing times, machine-trimmed weed is actually quite affordable.

Machines trim weed by placing them in specialized rotating bins that shave off excess leaves and shape buds into standard football shapes. Trim collects in secondary bins which can then be used to make concentrates or edibles. However, because machine trimmers agitate the buds to smooth their appearance, potent trichomes can be lost in the process. Trichomes are either collected in the trim bin or lost to blades and other machine parts, which means a loss in potency of the final product when it comes to machine-trimmed vs hand-trimmed weed.

Machine trimmers also offer more consistent bud shapes and sizes and do so in a much more sanitary environment than hand trimming operations. Machines are cleaned and sanitized regularly as compared to human trimmers who, despite washing hands, may come to work with a case of the sniffles (or worse) which can be hard to regulate. Those with severe medical conditions that make contamination a concern may fare better with machine-trimmed cannabis.

How to Know if It’s Machine-trimmed Weed vs Hand-trimmed Weed

You can often tell the difference between machine-trimmed weed vs hand-trimmed buds by their appearance. For example, hand-trimmed buds boast unique shapes and structures, whereas machine-trimmed weed all looks pretty standard and conical. hand-trimmed buds may also contain fewer sugar leaves and more trichomes.

Hand-trimmed buds are often regarded as higher quality and placed on the top shelf with higher price tags (though this is not necessarily a constant).

But perhaps the best way to determine how your weed was trimmed is simply to ask. Most budtenders are familiar enough with their products to know if they cultivate in-house (in which case, they will know many basics about their cultivation practice like which nutrients they use and what their trimming process is). If they outsource, especially to a large cultivation facility, they likely sell machine-trimmed weed.

The long and short of hand trimming is that it is a major selling point for many dispensaries. If they sell hand-trimmed bud, everyone in the dispensary knows it. Sure, the price may be a bit higher (you help offset the labor cost with the pricey purchase, after all), but the care put into preserving the bud — and its potency — is well worth it for those who seek premium, high-quality cannabis flower. Those who prefer products with a lower price tag, however, will likely find themselves leaning towards machine-trimmed weed over hand-trimmed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are Bud Trimming Machines Worth it?

Bud trimming machines will pay for themselves in terms of lower labor costs and processing time, but they’ll produce lower-quality, less-potent nugs.

What is a Bud Trimming Machine?

A bud-trimming machine is a specialized machine that processors use to trim and shape cultivated nugs so they can be cured. The machine shaves off excess leaves and shapes bud into standard shapes. It also collects trim.

How Does a Trimming Machine Work?

Machines trim weed by placing them in specialized rotating bins that shave off excess leaves and shape buds into standard football shapes. Trim collects in secondary bins which can then be used to make concentrates or edibles. However, because machine trimmers agitate the buds to smooth their appearance, potent trichomes can be lost in the process.

How do you feel about machine-trimmed weed vs hand-trimmed? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

If you’ve got a foodie friend who loves to cook, they’ve probably introduced you to sous vide. If your foodie friend also loves to cook weed, you should probably introduce them to sous vide cannabis. Sous vide cannabis is taking the edible world by storm.

Home cooks are singing its praises when it comes to potent, easy, delicious infusions. Edible companies like Colorado’s Dialed In winning adolations and awards for their sous vide cannabis gummies.

That’s why PotGuide is here to dive into what sous vide edibles are, why it’s a superior infusion technique, and how to get started with your own sous vide canna oil and edibles.

What is Sous-Vide Cannabis?

For anyone not in the culinary know, sous vide (pronounced “Sue Veed”) is a more recent cooking technique that uses a heating coil device to circulate water at a precise temperature around a container like a pot. You then suspend food in the water inside a vacuum-sealed bag (sous vide is French for “under vacuum”). A home model costs around $110 online.

The circulating water transfers heat into the food through the bag, slowly cooking it until it’s the same temperature throughout as the surrounding water. Thus, the sous vide technique is also known as “low-temperature long-time” (LTLT) cooking. The result is more tender meat, perfectly soft-boiled eggs, flavorful veggies, moist desserts, and perfectly decarboxylated and infused cannabis edibles.

With immersion circulation, you can decarb your flower and infuse sous vide canna oil or sous vide edibles all in one vacuum sealed bag. You don’t need to turn on an oven or a stovetop.

Sous Vide Cannabis vs. Other Edibles

Sous vide edibles are quickly gaining a reputation among fans for their ease and potency. As Dialed In is keeping their sous vide gummy recipe a secret, we’ll focus on sous vide canna oil, which any home cook can make.

Those in the know are quick to point out the three main benefits of sous vide cannabis cooking:

Sous Vide Cannabis Maximizes THC and Flavor

Sous vide cannabis will take longer to decarboxylate and cook than in an oven or on a stovetop (90 minutes or more depending on who you ask), but what you lose in speed you make up for in cannabinoid and terpene retention.

Ovens heat unevenly. They’re hotter towards the back than the front and hotter above than below, meaning some of your bud will cook too much and some too little. Additionally, some shreds of your ground bud will heat faster due to dryness, shape, or trichome density, vaporizing or denaturing the THC while other shreds are still decarbing.

With sous vide cannabis cooking, your bud cooks at an even temperature throughout, without burning off trichomes or denaturing your THC molecules to the less fun (but still beneficial) CBN.

Set it and Forget it.

Once your vacuum sealed bag of decarbed weed and oil is soaking in its culinary hot tub, you’re free to do whatever. There’s no stirring required. Sous vide cannabis isn’t going to boil over, start smoking, or get knocked off the counter by a curious pet.

There’s not even a smell of weed in your home for anyone to complain about. Once you get it all set, you’re free for the next couple hours to run errands, toss a frisbee around, or head out to the gym. Even if you’re late getting back, nothing’s gonna burn. It’ll stay at that same temperature.

Sous Vide Cannabis is Repeatable

Once you find the right recipe for your cannabutter or infused oil, you want to get it right every time. Sous vide cannabis cooking is far more predictable. Some bud may be drier than others, some stoves cook hotter or cooler, but sous vide cannabis cooking means your temperature will always be dead on.

This makes a far more predictable product for both medical cooking, your own personal enjoyment, or if you’re interested in starting your own business. You can reproduce the same product time after time.

Once you have your sous vide canna oil or butter, you can also cook your edibles in the sous vide in the same chillaxed fashion. Just follow the recipes, like this one for chocolate chip cookies.

Sous Vide Cannabis is Sous-per Easy

Dialed In may be keeping their gummy recipe to themselves, but that shouldn’t stop you from developing your own sous vide cannabis treats. Sous vide canna oil and sous vide edibles are an easy, no-hassle way to prepare tasty, potent infused treats, as well as some truly delicious steaks, veggies, and other culinary masterpieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Effective Is Sous vide Decarb?

In some ways it’s more effective than decarbing in an oven, because you’re not losing any THC to overheating or vaporization.

Can You Get High From Cooking Edibles?

It’s highly unlikely. The temperature you bake at is way lower than the temperature at which THC vaporizes or combusts.

Can You Use Sous Vide for Cannabutter?

Yes. Sous vide is one of the easiest ways to make cannabutter, because you don’t have to stir it or watch it to make sure it doesn’t burn. There’s also no smell.

How Long Should I Sous Vide Cannabutter?

Once you’ve decarbed your ground up cannabis at 203 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes, add your butter into the bag and cook at 185 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 hours or more.

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Do you feel that sous vide edibles will make a big impact in the edible market because they can be more reliable with temperature and dosing deliverability?

Photo Credit: Shutterstock