Texas has some major changes surrounding cannabis on the horizon.
The state’s House of Representatives has given initial approval to a bill allowing doctors to recommend medical cannabis to patients as an alternative to opioids for chronic pain treatment. The bill would specifically expand eligibility for low-THC cannabis products, granting legal access to patients with “a condition that causes chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, one in five Americans live with chronic pain. In 2021, more than 106,000 people in the U.S. died from a drug-involved overdose, including illicit drugs and prescription opioids, according to the National Institutes of Health. In Texas specifically, there was an 80% increase in reported synthetic opioid-related deaths in 2021 compared to 2020, according to the Texas Workforce Commission.
Conversely, even the DEA admits that no deaths from cannabis overdose have ever occurred.
A New Chapter for the Texas Cannabis Industry?
The legislation, House Bill 1805, would also replace the THC cap established under Texas’s existing medical cannabis law. Texas’s medical cannabis law is currently CBD-only, with a cap of 1% THC for cannabis oil. Should the bill be enacted, the THC limit would shift to the volumetric dose of 10 mg. The bill further stipulates that Department of State Health Services (DSHS) regulators could approve additional debilitating medical conditions to qualify new patients for the cannabis program through rulemaking.
The bill from Rep. Stephanie Klick (R) cleared the chamber after a 121-23 vote on Tuesday, and it needs one more round of approval in the House before it can move to the Senate. If enacted, the bill would take effect on Sept. 1, 2023.
Texas NORML has also encouraged supporters in the state to reach out to lawmakers and voice their support of the reform, encouraging lawmakers to approve it. Jax James, executive director of Texas NORML, said in a news release that he is “thrilled” to see the advancement of the proposed legislation.
“Passage of this legislation will provide qualified patients with a state-sanctioned option to access a therapy that has proven to offer significant benefits,” Jones said. “Medical cannabis is an objectively safer alternative to the array of pharmaceutical drugs that it could potentially replace. I urge my fellow Texans to voice their support for this important legislation and to reach out to their Senators to encourage their backing as it moves through the legislative process.”
One of Many Recent Shifts
Of course, this move could be seen as a small step compared to other states that have enacted more wide-reaching medical cannabis legislation, or ended prohibition as a whole, though it still represents significant expansion for Texas. It’s also one of several recent moves that show Texas may be broadening its horizons when it comes to cannabis.
Texas lawmakers recently held a hearing on House Bill 218 that, if passed, would lower the penalties for possession of cannabis and cannabis concentrates. Last month, the Texas House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee also voted 9-0 to pass a bill that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of cannabis.
On Election Day 2022, five Texas cities also voted to decriminalize low-level cannabis possession: Denton, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Harker Heights. In the weeks since, some cities clashed with lawmakers, who argued that the decriminalization effort violates state law and hinders police officers.
Recently, a Texas Federal Court also ruled that the federal ban on cannabis users owning firearms is unconstitutional. The judge on the case, Kathleen Cardone, said, “It strains credulity to believe that taking part in such a widespread practice can render an individual so dangerous or untrustworthy that they must be stripped of their Second Amendment rights.”
Texas Residents Favor Updated Cannabis Policies
And while Texas still has very restrictive cannabis laws, they don’t align with views the state’s citizens hold.
According to a University of Houston study released earlier this year, out of 1,200 Texan adults 18 and older, four out of five adults said they would support an expanded medical cannabis program. The survey also found that the majority of respondents supported decriminalizing cannabis possession, lessening the penalty of possessing small amounts of cannabis to a citation, and two-thirds of surveyed individuals support legalizing cannabis for adult use.
Another poll, conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project in 2022, similarly found that a strong majority (72%) back decriminalizing cannabis by making the offense punishable by a citation and fine with no threat of jail time. Only 17% said they would support a complete prohibition on cannabis usage, including medicinal cannabis.
A recent study claimed to show vaped CBD is more harmful than vaped nicotine, and while several news outlets have reported on it, they all missed numerous flaws in the methodology. As a result of numerous confounding variables, there is no way to actually show that any of the harms they found were from CBD, and not one of the many other chemicals in the oil. High Times spoke to several cannabis vaping experts in an effort to nip this story in the bud, and stop it before it can spread further.
Seeing Through the Hazy Cloud of Vaped Variables
Rather than test a range of CBD and nicotine products, Dr. Yasmin Thanavala and her colleagues only looked at one CBD and one nicotine product, using the same Juul device to aerosolize both. The study was done on groups of ten mice, and rather than direct inhalation, the mice were in chambers filled with vapor. Things got off to a rocky start, with Table 1 showing the CBD sample used propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) and the nicotine sample used medium chain triglycerides (MCT), yet every other part of the study reported the CBD sample used MCT and the nicotine sample used PG/VG.
Source: “Not All Vaping is the Same: Differential Pulmonary Effects of Vaping Cannabidiol Versus Nicotine”
Dr. Thanavala told High Times “that is an error in Table 1,” confirming the CBD sample used MCT oil, which is banned by five legal cannabis states due to concerns over EVALI-like symptoms. Despite being “aware that ~ 5 states have banned MCT oil as a vape additive,” Dr. Thanavala and her colleagues used a CBD sample with MCT. Paradoxically, given their choice to use samples with MCT, VG, and PG, the researchers noted that “any respiratory toxic effects of vaping could potentially be exacerbated by the presence of other constituents,” like MCT, VG, PG, and terpenes.
Dr. Jeff Raber is the CEO, CVO, and a co-founder of the cannabis analytical laboratory, the Werc Shop, and is an expert on vaped cannabis and common vape additives. “VG/PG blends can be irritating to the vapor pathway,” which is one reason why they are not widely used in the cannabis industry today. Dr. Raber said “the concern with MCT is that it could stay in the lungs and lead to lipid pneumonia,” which is normally caused by “long chain fats” with over 40 carbons in their chain, cautioning “we don’t know the ‘magic number’ on what is safe to inhale.” Dr. Raber is an advocate for using alternatives that are “naturally in the plant” like terpenes or cannabinoids, and thinks terpenes are a great alternative to PG, VG, or MCT.
Dr. Peter Grinspoon is a primary care doctor, cannabis specialist at Harvard Medical School, and author of the upcoming book Seeing Through the Smoke. Dr. Grinspoon echoed some of Dr. Raber’s concerns, “I can’t see the rationale for dissolving them in different solvents, as the solvents themselves could be responsible for some of the findings.” Dale Gieringer Ph.D. is the Director of Cal NORML and a vaporizer research pioneer, who told High Times, “It’s impossible to draw meaningful conclusions about vaped CBD from this study.”
The next thing you see in Table 1 is there are a dozen terpenes in the CBD sample and seven terpenes in the nicotine sample, which all are “confounding variables,” in other words, potential sources for the supposed harm of CBD which were not controlled for by their study. When asked about their attempts to limit the myriad of confounding variables, Dr. Thanavala said, “Our goal was to test commercial pods the way a user would.”
“That’s a fair point to test the pods consumers buy,” said Dr. Raber “but they did not clearly delineate that the CBD was the culprit.” Dr. Raber then fired off some questions for the researchers: “How pure was the CBD? Could it be the combination of that formula with that hardware? How consistent was the hardware made? How was it stored? Did they use a new battery or an old one?” Dr. Raber noted the “time and cost limitation to studies” but would have preferred to see “2-3 different CBD and tobacco samples tested to see if they all behaved the same way.”
When pressed about the variables clouding their data, Dr. Thanavala told High Times, “Our goal was not to dissect out the effects of the individual components.” As that was their goal, one major question remains: Why did they “dissect out” the CBD and blame all the reported harms on it? If they truly wanted their study to demonstrate real-world harms of consumer-available products, they should have reported on that, rather than singling out CBD, which their study was not constructed to control for.
Designing a Better Study
Dr. Raber had an easy solution to control for the numerous confounding variables,“they could have gotten rid of concerns by just filling the cartridges themselves.” That would allow them to test terpene and solvent free samples, limiting confounding variables significantly. As a result, Dr. Raber was “disappointed” and felt they didn’t run “the right blanks and controls.” He also brought up a meta level issue of risks vs. rewards. Any potential harms need to be weighed against the potential benefits in what Dr. Raber called a “medicinal cost benefit risk analysis.” Considering the benefits of cannabis will be one way to improve a follow up study.
Another confounding variable they did not properly control for was the temperature samples were heated to. When asked if they knew how hot their samples got, Dr. Thanavala pointed to their supplemental section, which only had information on the room temperature, not device temperature. A 2021 study found that some “vape pens” heated to temperatures far above the point of combustion (450 °F, 232 °C), in worst cases as high as 633 °F/334 °C when containing liquids or 1000 °C when dry heating the coils. “Temperature is a key parameter but very hard to determine,” said Dr. Raber, because the temperature around the coil is hotter than the vapor stream.“The rate of molecular change doubles every 10 degrees celsius you go up,” said Dr. Raber, “a jump of 50 degrees can lead to a lot of changes.” The study hinted to these concerns saying, “Numerous potential degradation byproducts were detected … suggesting that both products are susceptible to high temperatures.” The CBD sample “may have been more susceptible to thermal degradation compared with nicotine product.”
One final way to improve their methodology is to use more accurate puff topography. “At present there is no information on CBD user topography,” said Dr. Thalanavala, so their study “followed the same puffing protocols for both products.” They did note that “users of cannabis-based vaping products may use these products in a very different way than nicotine vapers.”
Arnaud Dumas DeRauly is the CEO of the Blinc Group, and Chair of the ISO & CEN Vaping Standards Committees, and has researched cannabis user puff topography. DeRauly told High Times that this study used a puffing regime similar to Coresta Recommended Method 81, which “is totally different” than what Blinc’s research showed. In the study, “Animals were exposed … to a total of 20 puffs generated over 1 hour (1 puff every 3 min), 5 days/week.” Blinc’s research found that, while rates were different for U.S. and Canadian cannabis consumers, most needed only 20 puffs per day rather than 20 puffs per hour like the mice. Beyond puff topography, DeRauly was critical of the decision to use the Juul atomizer for both samples, and said “the Juul coil is not compatible with lipids like CBD oil.” Finally, DeRauly pointed out that one of the researchers, Maciej L Goniewicz, received funding from Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, which the study noted was “outside of this work.”
Source: “Blinc Group and Labstat”
Mice: Nice Animals, Definitely Not Humans
As previously mentioned, this was a study done on small groups of mice, which means the results might not even be generalizable to the broader population of rodents, let alone, humans. While Dr. Thanavala said that ten mice per group is an “adequate group size,” the study’s discussion section said “larger numbers of mice could have further strengthened our study conclusions.” Dr. Raber viewed the findings as “not generalizable” and said, when it came to rodent lungs and humans, “It is a model, it is not an exact replica.” The mouse lung is not just smaller than human lungs, it “is considerably different in structure,” namely, while both mice and humans have five lobes in their right lung, “unlike the human the mouse has only a single left lung.” Research on mouse lungs also shows they lack “mast cells in the peripheral lung” and “extensive pulmonary circulation.”
Another way this study could be improved is to actually do it on humans, which currently is very difficult due to the federal ban on cannabis research with a positive hypothesis. If a researcher sought to prove the claim that vaped CBD is more harmful than nicotine, they could be eligible for funding, but if they wanted to disprove that claim, they would not. While a lot of research is done on mice, in the words of the recently deceased Father of Cannabis Research, Raphael Mechoulam, “Mice are nice animals but they are definitely not humans.”
BHO, or butane hash oil, is a cannabis concentrate that’s made through using butane to dissolve and isolate the substances within the plant’s resinous trichomes. To remove the trace amounts of butane extractors use a vacuum oven to purge the material. Depending on the temperature during the purge, BHO comes in various consistencies.
Shatter / Courtesy Shutterstock
Shatter
Shatter is crystallized and translucent and golden to orange in color. It’s very commonly found and is one of the most popular forms of BHO concentrate. Shatter should be glass-like and break when bent. If the concentrate is slightly softer, bending and snapping, it’s considered pull ‘n’ snap, and has a consistency like taffy. Being very hard, it is relatively easy to handle, and all you need for a dab is a small pitch. Avoid shatter if it is cloudy or still smells like butane.
Budder / Courtesy Shutterstock
Budder
As explained in the book Beyond Buds Next Generation by Ed Rosenthal and Greg Zeman, when shatter turns from clear to opaque it goes through a process called nucleation or “buddering.” A magical combination of optimal heat and air pressure are the key for producing a batch of good quality budder. Budder ranges from opaque yellow to beige, and its texture is like cake batter or butter. Badder and batter are other alternative names, and it shouldn’t be confused with cannabutter, which is less potent and used as a cooking ingredient.
Crumble / Courtesy Shutterstock
Crumble
Crumble is opaque and often holey. Its consistency is crumbly and it breaks up like a hard cheese. Crumble is sometimes called honeycomb at the right consistency. Crumble is made by purging butane at a low temperature for a longer period than other forms of BHO extraction. Flat end dab tools are usually recommended for dabbing crumble. Good BHO crumble should remain stable at room temperature. As with most other forms of concentrate, good crumble should also taste like the original flower it was made from.
Live Resin / Courtesy Shutterstock
Live Resin
Live resin is a concentrate that is crafted from “live” or fresh frozen material. Flower is immediately exposed to temperatures below the freezing point, which in turn helps preserve delicate terpenes and cannabinoids. It takes on a variety of forms depending on how it is processed. Some connoisseurs consider live resin to be the most refined concentrate type. Good live resin should look light yellow to gold in color.
Oil / Courtesy Shuttestock
Oil
A sizable chunk of cannabis concentrates are oils or begin as an oil, with a honey-like consistency. Oils are commonly found in vape carts as their consistency is easy to work with in this delivery method. Sap, a more sticky consistency, is fairly similar but less runny. Dating back to the 1960s, crude forms of oil such as honey oil were available. Today, illicit butane hash oil production can be dangerous and many places have launched efforts to implement harsher punishments for its production.
This article was published in the July 2022 issue of High Times Magazine. Read the full issue here.
The long-delayed medical cannabis program may finally be coming together in Georgia, with state regulators reportedly expected to vote on rules over the production and sale of the product.
Capitol Beat News Service reports that the “Georgia Access to Medical Cannabis Commission is expected to vote Wednesday on rules governing all aspects of the program from growing the leaf crop in greenhouses under close supervision to manufacturing low-THC cannabis oil to treat patients suffering from a variety of diseases to selling the product at a network of dispensaries across the state.”
The Medical Cannabis Commission held a meeting last week at Lanier Technical College in Gainesville, where officials heard from representatives from medical cannabis companies who “urged Georgia regulators to quickly approve rules for production and distribution of the drug to registered patients while skeptics of the drug asked for stronger protections against illegal use,” Georgia public radio station WUGA reported.
The anticipated action this week by the Medical Cannabis Commission means that qualifying patients in Georgia may soon have access to the treatment years after it was made legal.
State lawmakers in 2015 passed the Haleigh’s Hope Act, which legalized the prescription of cannabis oil containing no more than 5% THC for patients with the following qualifying conditions (as listed on the Georgia Medical Cannabis Commission’s official website): “Cancer, when such diagnosis is end stage or the treatment produces related wasting illness or recalcitrant nausea and vomiting; Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Seizure disorders related to diagnosis of epilepsy or trauma related head injuries; Multiple sclerosis, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Crohn’s disease; Mitochondrial disease; Parkinson’s disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Sickle cell disease, when such diagnosis is severe or end stage; Tourette’s syndrome, when such syndrome is diagnosed as severe; Autism spectrum disorder, when (a) patient is 18 years of age or more, or (b) patient is less than 18 years of age and diagnosed with severe autism; Epidermolysis bullosa; Alzheimer’s disease, when such disease is severe or end stage; AIDS when such syndrome is severe or end stage; Peripheral neuropathy, when symptoms are severe or end stage; Patient is in hospice program, either as inpatient or outpatient; Intractable pain; [and] Post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from direct exposure to or witnessing of a trauma for a patient who is at least 18 years of age.”
The law was given teeth in 2019, when Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that created the Medical Cannabis Commission and established a regulatory framework for the program.
Since then, the number of registered patients who are eligible to receive the cannabis oil has grown to more than 25,000, according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
But none of those patients are able to legally purchase the oil in Georgia.
Should the Medical Cannabis Commission approve the regulations that are up for a vote this week, “two companies awarded licenses to produce low THC oil could begin selling it to patients as soon as this spring,” according to WUGA.
Capitol Beat News Service reports that the Medical Cannabis Commission is “requesting a $125,000 increase on top of its current $908,000 fiscal 2023 budget to move the program forward,” an amount that “includes licensing the five dispensaries the original 2019 law authorized for each production licensee in addition to a sixth dispensary each will be permitted to open now that the registry of Georgia patients eligible to receive the oil has climbed above 25,000.”
Seems like we’re past due again. Go figure. Oh well, this one’s a doozy!
I’ll be honest – trying to compete with the ever-rising barrier to entry that I’ve created for myself for these lists is exhausting. First I was going to make this edition ALL hash focused, as 7/10 was obviously earlier this month, but y’all know I’m a flower guy first & foremost. Initially it was going to be the ‘7/10 list’, but as everyone was doing that, I pulled back. To make matters worse, I saw Jimi drop a list for the holiday that included two of my initial picks – is it cheating for us to like the same shit? Does anyone else notice this stuff? Trying to be different while trying to do your best is stressful.
Anyway, as everyone was doing a 7/10 thing I decided to hold out, wait for the holiday to pass, and then remind y’all that hash is a lifestyle, not specific to one day out of the year. As such, most of the attached extended post-holiday edition is focused on slurpable terps. And instead of re-listing classics that I’ve praised before, like 710 Labs, Kalya, Holy Water & Helios, we’re going with all new labels to my collection. That said, I couldn’t let the other dopeness that launched recently pass me by, so here’s some hash, a little flower and some snacks, as a treat.
I’m not sure if these guys are operating in the rec market yet, but trust me when I tell you, if an opportunity to snag one of their jars presents itself, you’re going to want to take it. Put onto my radar by the cultivation master Life is Not Grape (formerly Candypaint), I have yet to see a jar from this crew that doesn’t seriously impress. I know this is common verbiage at this point, but I still feel weird saying this: shit is WET. I’m not always the best with remembering to put things back in the fridge, or even putting the cap back on, so trust when I tell you that I have run these products through the gamut and they’re still best in class, even after I’ve fucked ‘em up.
Not to repeat myself, as I know I’ve said something similar about Kayla in the past, but Frosty is one of those guys you just love to be around. While the hash they produce is world-class, for me, it’s almost more important to know that great people are involved in the process so you know the love really went into it. In my experience that’s usually the key differentiator between good and great. I can say confidently that no matter the tier of product, everything I’ve tasted from the jolly trichman’s team clearly had nothing but love poured into it, bc the flavors are *chef’s kiss*!
Over the past year or so there’s been a certain hash cultivar that I’ve really dug, and although I historically haven’t been a massive hash head, I’ve kept a jar of Honey Banana around pretty much at all times since discovering it. I’ve tried countless versions, and while they’re all delicious, few are as special as what I experienced from Heads That Roll, and almost none pack the same amount of flavor. While this cut stinks with little effort, driving home that pallet staining taste isn’t as easy. This one’s a must cop.
This might be a world premiere, I’m not sure, but I’m fairly certain most of the world doesn’t know that West Coast Cure’s about to drop a live rosin line. If that wasn’t enough to excite you, here’s this: it SMACKS. Available as live or cold cured, having tasted the line there are some real winners in this camp. Classics like Fatso are represented as well as they’ve ever been, but it was a newcomer for me, the Strawberry Jelly, that I couldn’t put down. Crazy enough, the Jelly was actually one of the Cold Cure jars, so while definitely better for the longevity of the product, don’t discount the terps coming from those bad boys.
Another sweet soul who deserves a nod is Trichadelics. While for sure running some of the cleanest product I’ve seen to date, Trichadelics is also the perfect example of a highly productive, successful AND energetic stoner – which for some reason people are still questioning whether or not they exist. Not only is dude pumping out top tier hash that’s getting name-checked across the country, but following him on insta is like having your own personal trainer. You will hear, at least once a day, that smoking hash and pedaling fast is possible. Don’t let the terps slow you down, Trich’s proof that it’s mind over matter.
For me personally, this is one of the OG’s in the hash world. While I’m not claiming they were the first to do anything, I will say they were one of the first true hash brands I saw when I came to California, and I’ve been floored by both their presentation and their quality since. You see, hash was still, for a long time, the grungier side of the industry. And while they were certainly true hash heads, there was a certain degree of cleanliness about their brand from the jump. I’m not sure if that makes sense to anyone else, but what I’m trying to say is that from my perspective, these guys are godfathers of this shit, and they paved the way for a lot of what we’re seeing now. Product still bangs, too!
I don’t know the history of Cold Fire as well as the last one, but maybe the biggest co-sign I could offer for these guys is that in a time when I had totally written off the cart game, Cold Fire changed my mind. In fact, Cold Fire gets me hooked. While other carts can sit in my house for basically ever, these carts never last long. They simply provide the best vape experience I’ve had to date. Not only that, but they’re constantly running material from the big dogs, so everything from Biskante to Giant Fuyu has graced their menu. I’d recommend these to anyone, but if discretion is still important in your life, this one’s a no brainer.
Closing out the Hash portion of the list is Hash and Flowers. While they indeed provide both in spades, it’s worth noting that this is another brand who recognizes the fiscal hurdles it takes to consume top tier cannabis, and provides not only top shelf meds, but also more entry level products for those who don’t want to mortgage their home to get high. While the single source is great, and I don’t want to make them out to seem like some bottom of the barrel brand, I mention this because the lower tier stuff is actually significantly better than that next to it on the comparable shelf.
I wrote about the Proxy earlier this summer when it dropped, so you should know already that I love this thing, but for those of you who couldn’t get past the dry hit element, now you don’t have to. The gang has already released its first accessory pack, and while not quite introducing an artist edition, they HAVE satisfied the water element, offering their first Proxy bubbler. They’re also releasing the travel accessories for the original device, as well as the flower attachment, for those looking to turn their proxy into a traditional bowl… perhaps after you’ve acquired a more unique custom housing for your device? On the real though glass blowers hit me up, I want to see the magic you’re building around this thing!
This is a special one. Over the past few years I’ve (reluctantly) become more attracted to natural materials like crystals and precious metals despite wholly not understanding their value previously. Now, as I’ve gone down this headiest of path, there’s one name that’s been thrown out quite a few times, and everything I’ve seen from him so far has just been stellar. That dude is Bubba’s Face, who while I still haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, I did manage to get my hands on one of his terp shanks, and I’ve gotta say, while a hot knife is easy, this thing just feels better somehow. I know, it’s heady magic, but it’s real. Plus it comes with this cool sheath, so you really do feel like you’re walking around with a shank, but don’t worry, you probably won’t stab yourself with it.
Ok, flower time. I know this one’s making a bunch of noise back east right now, and they actually beat me to the punch for a change. Christopher’s Bakery’s Haupia Malasada is delightful. Named after the Portuguese confection, this shit doesn’t just smell like donuts, it hits smooth as cream filling. I had tried his Guava cut awhile back and while that was good, this one is the dialed in older sister you’re going to want to get to know. This is definitely one that will be easier to find on the traditional market, so hit up your local plug and let ‘em know you’re looking for some fried dough terps!
Before you say anything, I know. I know Alien Labs is on here a lot, and I hear you when you say you don’t love repeats, but honestly, if they weren’t so far ahead I wouldn’t have to keep bringing them up. Because they need to keep raising the bar, these guys dropped their latest, Y2K, at select dispensaries via a happy meal, complete with a plush alien toy and a real burger to eat. While I missed the live event and didn’t get to try the actual burger, both the flower and the cute lil alien are worth writing home about. Not that they ever really miss, but this one was a grand slam.
Y’all know I’m a sugar fiend before anything, and this one’s a fun full circle moment for me. Remember Jones Soda? Those delightful Canadians pumping out full flavor colas like FuFu Berry and the Thanksgiving bundle? We’ll they’re in the game now! Launching first with four flavors of micro dosed deliciousness, I can attest that these things taste just as good as the original. They’ve got gummies and syrup coming down the pipe later this summer so get pumped because this is just the first of what will be several delicious new treats.
I get a lot of promo boxes, so I’m just about stacked with all the lighters, grinders, and papers I’ll ever need. At this point, I didn’t think it was possible to get me to accept another. Well friends, here’s something that I’m actually excited about. We all saw the fidget spinner craze a few years ago, and while I definitely had a few I think I was just too old for the craze to really affect me. Well friends, turns out when you throw em on a lighter, these things get addictive as hell. I’ve walked around with this thing in my hand on calls or even just while i’m relaxing basically non-stop since receiving it, so if you need a fidget toy and it’s good to have a lighter handy, DHC’s got ya.
Kool-Aid Jammers
This one’s really a bonus, but I feel like much of the world forgot these exist, and I want to make sure that I’m bringing them to your attention because turns out they still smack as adults. I know, I know, drinking out of sippy things are weird past 12, but you know, the juice box was invented for a reason, and that reason was portability, not child friendliness. Tropical Punch is my favorite, but all their red flavors are elite. It’s worth noting that I’m also mentioning this here hoping they’ll recognize and adopt our audience, as stoners and delicious snacks go hand in hand. What up Kool-Aid Man? Can we fill ya with weed??
Guess what?!? It’s 710! Or, to a non-toker… it’s July 10th and no big deal. But, if you like to smoke weed, it is going to be a great day (especially if you are particularly partial to extracts and oils). Today is the day to pull out the fancy dabs you’ve been saving and oil […]
This past summer, as the US military exited Afghanistan, and the country has fallen back into a transitional phase. Afghanistan first became a nation just over 100 years ago in 1919, but one thing that has always transcended the country’s rocky political history is its legendary hash scene. Despite the Mujahideen, Taliban or communists, Afghanistan’s hash industry has transcended the people and policies that have made life for Afghan hash producers difficult over the past 50 years. The flood of hash that once hit Europe and America following the first major hash haul in 1967 has long since been forced out of practice, but the stories of this prime time of hauling hash across multiple country’s borders remain fascinating tales of a different time. High Times obtained an exclusive interview with Ray, who recounted his trips through Europe and Asia and the challenges he and his companions encountered on their journey.
The first hash haul is said to have occurred one year before things really hit the gas on the “Hippie Trail,” where thousands of westerners traveled east through Afghanistan on their way to find enlightenment in India. But for many, their trek would make a stop in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. There they would start their quest to stock up on as much hash as possible before heading back west to wherever they called home; be it Germany, Amsterdam or southern California.
Much of what we know about the smuggling aspects of the trail come directly from one of the first groups to make it happen—The Brotherhood of Eternal Love, which included members from southern California. Brotherhood member Ron Bevan is considered to be the first to run an operation out of Kabul in 1967, although there were many groups doing it at the time.
Among these other groups, there was a young man named Ray. High Times sat down with Ray to talk about his past hash smuggling experiences, as we discussed the fallout from the US exit from Afghanistan, wondering what it could mean for a hash scene that has already been devastated for decades.
Hop In—We’re Going Smuggling
The days before Ray’s first trip to Afghanistan were filled with proper hippie business. “We went to southern Oregon in the late ’60s and for whatever reason out of pure synchronicity a bunch of us from northern California and southern California all ended up in this one house in southern Oregon,” Ray told High Times.
The group decided to take things to the next level and looked to start a commune. They spent some time hunting for a property, but after some hiccups with the search, they regrouped in California in 1968. A lot of the people that originally tossed that idea around remain friends to this day after originally finding each other all those years ago.
Part of that group included some friends who had already been smuggling hash from Afghanistan a year or two before that, and they had just brought back a load. In those days, Ray and his friends were staying in the High Sierras—the perfect place to unload some hash.
Most people associate the “Hippie Trail” with the image of a classic Volkswagen bus and a Hanomag Camper that rolled up to their spot in the same hills that was also very popular with other hash smugglers, such as Darrell. “He came, we unloaded it there, and it took a while. And after he got what he thought was the load amount he goes, ‘Okay, you guys can have the rest.’ And so we picked away at it because it was in the framework,” Ray said, “We had to use all kinds of tools we implement to dig it all out but I think eventually we got like another 10 pounds.”
This would be the first time Ray mentioned the man that he eventually partnered with to make the travel east. “So you know we are quite thrilled to make a connection with him. This is Long Beach, brother, I can give you his name because he’s no longer with us. Well, he had many names, but we knew him as Darrell,” Ray noted with a laugh.
Before connecting with Ray, Darrell had already made two or three trips. He was always a driver, and for good reason. In this critical role, he was the main person who drove from Holland to Kabul and back, through every border. He didn’t even need a map when he was on his runs.
Eventually Darrell shared his next plan with Ray: “Here’s what I want to do next time because I’m gonna have another Honomag, but also I’m going to buy a really nice motorhome,” Darrell told Ray at the time.
The motorhome was called a Revcon. It was the top-of-the-line in 1968 when it was designed. It had an aerodynamic aluminum body, and the 26 rails that ran the length of its frame were a hash smuggler’s dream.
“Very cool, very modern, front wheel drive. And he goes ‘I’m gonna buy this and we’re gonna, this is the vehicle we’re gonna make special rails that go inside the rails and we’ll have little hooks to pull it out,”’ Ray said of Darrell’s original plan.
Ray and Darrell had some friends that were engineers who helped them with building the rails. Eventually they would drive the Revcon across the country from California to New York, shipping it on to Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Darrell asked Ray to tag along for the full run to Afghanistan. “I go, ‘Sure, I’ll go slide and sit shotgun,”’ Ray replied. “It was like the coolest ride I ever took. But we were vegetarian at the time, so we were doing a lot of soups, avocados and carrot juice. We had it all decked out with the Norwalk Press, which is a real good juicing machine. We totally kept our eating habits intact.” Their eating habits would eventually earn them the nickname “The Carrot Juice Boys.”
The group prepped for their journey from Rotterdam after picking up the Revcon. They would make their way through Germany and Austria, then travel through Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey and Iran before finally reaching the Afghan Border.
That first trip would end up taking a few months, after Ray and Darrell got caught up in eastern Turkey. The Revcon’s front wheel drive engine featured torsion bars in the front, which didn’t pair well with the traffic or potholes they encountered on their journey. They lost control of the Revcon for a second, but were able to come to a stop in the center median. “Eastern Turkey is definitely the sticks, very isolated and very desolate,” Ray said of the breakdown.
When you break down out there, it’s common to surround your vehicle with rocks. They did so before hitchhiking to the closest town. They brought mechanics back to the Revcon, knowing they wouldn’t be able to replace the bar, but could rig something to get the Revcon back to civilization.
They hobbled into Tehran, Iran and messaged home for the part they needed. It wasn’t a fast process. “So we were in Tehran for about a good month, repairing the vehicle, but everything got straightened down,” Ray said, “So we rolled into Afghanistan, probably in late summer of 1970.”
Of Science and Borders
The mission was to obtain a couple hundred pounds of hash and five gallons of hash oil. While other groups had brought hash loads back for about three years before this trip, to the best of The Carrot Juice Boys’ knowledge, they were the first people ever to bring a flash evaporator to Afghanistan. Much of the Revcon was loaded with Everclear for their grand chemistry project.
If the idea of driving across the middle east with a chemistry set seemed weird, the opulence of the Revcon stole everyone’s attention at each border crossing, simplifying getting its contents across various borders in both directions. “I mean, they’ve seen the ‘Hippie Trail’ in the VW Vans, the Honomags, but they’ve never seen anything of this magnitude in this amazing really cool motorhome,” Ray noted on the border crossings. “And of course once we got into Persia we decked it out with Persian carpets and runners and it was looking really cool.”
They were very much playing the part of rich Californians, but they would still be pulled from the line at every border. “The head custom guy would come out and just wanted to go inside and look at it and say ‘oh very nice,”’ Ray said, “It’s just amazing.”
One time, a border agent pulled out their chemistry set and pulled out a beaker. He asked Darrell and the pair what it was. “Glass,” they replied. The border guard looked at it again, nodded in agreement with their take, and put it back in the box.
Iran had some of the toughest border restrictions, but once you entered the country, the group found that it was amongst the most welcoming as they attempted to Westernize before the Shah fell in 1979. Ray emphasized that it was one of the nicest places he’s ever been to, as they spent the month waiting for car parts. “They just want to make sure you’re [not] smuggling weapons or anything, doing nefarious stuff, but all the people there were so nice,” Ray noted of Tehran. “They just were so hospitable and helped us [with] whatever. If we’d go looking for the embassy, [residents] would take us in their car, take us to their home, feed us and then take us to the embassy.”
But with a repaired Revcon, things got a bit rougher as they approached the Afghanistan border. Every hotel featured signs that warned a prison sentence of 10 years in prison for a gram of hash, and life in prison for a kilo. “They try and put the fear in you, but we got some good hash in Turkey,” Ray said with a laugh.
After getting into Afghanistan, the group headed straight for Kabul. They stayed in a fancy neighborhood fitting of rich Californians. From there, they would head to The Solan Hotel, a hotspot for hash enthusiasts and general tourists heading in both directions on the trail.
One of Ray’s favorite things about The Solan Hotel was a space attached to the courtyard where you could park your van and camp near a little park attached to the hotel. There was always an ongoing rotation of Europeans and a few Americans, and it was always a good time.
The locals did their best to keep the hippies and smugglers happy, too. “Afghanis just loved us because we had money and we were very careful about religion,” Ray said. “We were very aware of how they are and how not to trespass or do anything [that] goes counter to them. There’s just some things so you don’t mess with. You don’t eat during the day during Ramadan and walk around chewing food.”
But Ray argued that besides that kind of thing, the religion of Islam was based in hospitality. Over the course of three trips that, in total, took about a year to complete, Ray picked up some language skills. One of the things he noticed immediately was how caring and personal everything was. He noted that a lot of the conversation focused on how the other person was feeling.
Back in their Kabul neighborhood, they rented out a two-story mansion and set up the hash lab. They would do a lot of the extraction work offsite and then bring the crude material back to the flash evaporator in the bathroom to get all the alcohol out. It would take them a couple of months to get the five gallons of hash oil they were shooting for.
“THEY JUST WERE SO HOSPITABLE AND HELPED US [WITH] WHATEVER. IF WE’D GO LOOKING FOR THE EMBASSY, [RESIDENTS] WOULD TAKE US IN THEIR CAR, TAKE US TO THEIR HOME, FEED US AND THEN TAKE US TO THE EMBASSY.”
Unloading the Goods
High Times asked Ray how much hash they needed to make the five gallons. Ray estimated that about 200 kilos were concentrated into the oil. He also noted the unpressed hash made for much better oil, then they hid the rest to stuff in the specialized frames of the Revcon. “The rest we had pressed up and put into the containers, the square tubes, it actually ended up making the hash look like a Hershey bar. We sold most of that in Amsterdam and I’m sure to this day, there are a lot of people there who call it ‘screw hole hash,’” Ray said.
The hash received this name when they put five to seven of the bars together and put a screw through the stack, just to tighten it up before they tossed it down the tube designed to fit into the Revcon’s internal storage system. “It was a precise measurement that we had all the patties pressed,” Ray noted on the precision used to fill each tube with as much product as possible.
As for the oil, that came out pretty great, too. The flash evaporator kept the oil at a reasonable temperature as it sweat off the Everclear used in production. “I mean, it was a black oil. But because of the flash evaporator we didn’t have to heat it in a high temperature, it was in a vacuum, so you got the real essence of really, really good hash,” Ray said. “I don’t know if you’ve had really, really good hash but it’s very floral and very sweet.”
Just like today, in order to make the best oil possible, they had to get their hands on the best material possible. Ray described the process that took them around the country from their upscale Kabul hash lab and base camp. The first connection they ever made was in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
“We used to go to Kandahar, but that was a tough place to be,” Ray noted on the trip. “Kandahar was like going back 1,000 years. I was like ‘Oh my God. That was an ancient town.’ And you couldn’t help but get dysentery just hanging out there for any amount of time. But Kabul was more modern.” In addition to the more modern vibe in Kabul, you could basically get whatever you needed. And in reality, it wasn’t that competitive with other smugglers in town because there was just so much hash to go around.
When it was time to return, the Revcon would leave Afghanistan without Ray. They hired a German woman to play the role of a fancy lady with a fancy motorhome. “We paid her like $10,000 or something. And she was great! She had like a fur coat. I mean, she’d look the part of being wealthy,” Ray said. She was the perfect accessory for a driver who had already completed this trip five times before. The key was the balance of looking like a regular person. Not being an asshole, but also not being too nice, in the hopes of getting waved through borders smoothly.
Ray and Darrell made it to Holland with no problems. The Revcon worked like a charm before being unloaded on a small farm outside Amsterdam. Most of the load would be sold locally.
“But here’s a luggage story for you,” Ray laughed. While the hash moved in Europe, they decided to bring a bunch of the oil back to America. At the time, Ray estimated that the oil was selling for about $10 a milliliter, so a whole liter was worth roughly $10,000 bucks. “We went to a liquor store in Amsterdam and bought Kahlua. Then we’d melt the little seal and stretch it and pull it over the bottle, undo the cap and pour out all the Kahlua and then poured in the hash oil. Then we heated the seal back up and you know back the cap and so it looked sealed, and we’d take two bottles,” Ray said. “So, we go to the airport and we’d go to the duty free and buy another bottle of Kahlua and we traded out the bottle we bought at duty-free. So, we just carried it right across check-in.”
Ray emphasized not to forget the exchange rate. That $10,000 bottle in 1970 would be worth over $70,000 today. He can’t recall how many bottles made it back, the whole five gallons would be worth $1.2 million today.
Adapting the Experience
On Ray’s two trips to Afghanistan, he already had the lay of the land. He flew into Kabul and would buy the hash ahead of time to limit the time spent in the country compared to the marathon road trip and hash oil production of his inaugural adventure.
Ray’s first trip lasted so long he actually overstayed his visa. When he returned for the second run the customs people at the airport noticed it on his passport and gave him a shorter amount of time. After learning his lesson, he got a new passport for the third run. It did the trick, and it was clear sailing at customs. “So, I’d go ahead of time and get there and order up and make sure everything’s ready,” Ray said, “So when the vehicle came through it wasn’t just there, it was like it was going across. It wasn’t there longer than a week or two, which is about the average tourist time somebody might spend there.”
The later runs wouldn’t feature the Revcon. The team moved on to four-wheel drive Suburbans with special compartments in the gas tank that could hold over 100 pounds of gas. The only problem with it was you had to stop a lot more to fuel up, but the trucks did a lot better on the roads than a motorhome.
“But it was pretty safe because to get to it you’d have to take out the whole gas tank and cut into it,” Ray said, “And that was the last time that we did it. We actually hired a professional race driver, who was a dear friend, and he did a good job.”
The gang had a mission of wider psychedelic enlightenment between trips. As they made the runs through the early 1970s, a lot of the resources went into furthering that mission. The freedom Ray and his peers were in search of came with the smuggling and they wanted to make sure to pay it forward. What would start as personal projects for the group would eventually end up in the hands of nonprofits down the line in the form of an unfinished boat. “So the majority of the money that we ever made went on that boat, eventually when the Russians started coming in and put in the puppet government and everything we said, ‘okay, that’s done. We’re not going back there again,”’ Ray said.
Expanding Lore of the First Smuggler
Three years prior to Ray’s first run, Ronnie Bevan of the Brotherhood of Eternal Love would make the first major smuggling run out of Afghanistan. He released the first autobiography of a hash smuggler entitled Brotherhood Hashish: The Story of Ronnie Bevan in 2018.
Many people speak of the “Hippie Trail” as intertwined tales of the many tourists that passed through and a handful of preeminent smugglers like him. High Times asked Bevan to weigh in on that idea. “One thing was there was more than just the two,” Bevan quickly rebutted. “You could get on a bus in London and end up in Kathmandu and there are photos of those people going in 1967 or 1968. The girls have bouffant hairdos and they’re in tight skirts. And then you see him a year later in Kathmandu, and we’re in the hippie clothes and their hair is all down.”
Bevan found that was really the basic motivation of the of the European travelers. Thousands of Europeans made that trip, but very few Americans did, because of the overseas aspect. “We didn’t have the buses. There just weren’t that many. I know, all of the guys that were in Afghanistan smuggling because I was there through several years, and there just weren’t that many,” Bevan said.
Bevan explained that a lot of people in London, or wherever they went from, by the time they got to Nepal all of a sudden they were into the metaphysical side of everything and taking psychedelics. But not everyone. Some people were there for the opposite of self-help. “There also was another large group of people that just did drugs,” Bevan explained, “You could buy heroin, cocaine, you could buy either from the pharmacy in Afghanistan. And consequently, we saw a lot of druggie type people just hanging out. So that’s just another dimension to what you’re talking about.”
Technically, many date the “Hippie Trail” to beginning in 1968, one year after Bevan’s first run. Bevan went on to explain how those increased crowds impacted business. “In the early days nobody got busted for anything, it wasn’t until 1971 that somebody busted [in] one of the vans,” Bevan said.
By 1973, Bevan and his friends had a warrant poster, and he was on the run. That same year Afghanistan’s King Zahir Shah made hash illegal following a $47 million dollar payment from the US government. “Our people had to move into Pakistan to do their work, and it was pretty much destroyed after that. And then it faltered and then a lot of people got busted and especially in those Volkswagens. I think about eight of them, and from that point on, none of them made it they got every one of them but when the Russians came [in] 1979 it was over for sure. That it’s, been over since then.”
A recent article in the South China Morning Post spoke with a cannabis farmer and hash producer outside of Kandahar named Ghulam Ali. Ali noted he hasn’t had any problems since the most recent transition of power, despite concerns that the Taliban would crack down a lot more than the coalition-backed government that fell last summer. “We don’t hear a lot over there. But I think the Taliban is pretty much leaving everything alone,” Bevan replied after reading Ali’s story. “I think what they’re doing is they’re trying to get in there economically.”
It’s also important to remember that hash and Afghanistan have a much longer history than the Taliban does with the nation. “And I think the Taliban probably see that and realize that the people are going to be much happier and much easier to deal with if they let them have their culture,” Bevan argued.
Flower is indeed still king, and new research proves it. The paper, which researchers say is “one of the most comprehensive assessments of cannabis consumption at the population level in Canada and the U.S. to date,” examines trends in cannabis consumption patterns in Canada and the United States between 2018 and 2020, with authors recognizing the “rapidly diversified” market in both countries since the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis.
Of course, consumption methods may solely come down to what a user prefers, however, as authors note in the abstract, “… mode of administration has important implications for cannabis potency, pharmacokinetic effects, and consumer patterns of use.”
This study looked at the use of different cannabis products in population-based surveys in Canada and the U.S., examining changes over time in the prevalence of use of different cannabis products, along with frequency of use and consumption amongst each product type.
Respondents aged 16 to 65 years were recruited from commercial panels in Canada and the U.S. in states with and without a legal, adult-use cannabis market. Researchers collected data on frequency and consumption amounts for nine types of cannabis products, including dried flower, oils and concentrates, edibles and more. Consumers were also asked about habits around mixing cannabis and tobacco, and researchers collected sociodemographic information to examine any correlates of consumption.
Findings were consistent with previous surveys, ultimately noting that flower still reigns supreme among consumers, regardless of whether those consumers took part in a legal or illegal cannabis marketplace. However, researchers noted the popularity of other formations of cannabis, especially in markets with the option to legally purchase from licensed retailers.
While dried flower was the most commonly used product, examining the past 12-month use among consumers between 2018 and 2020 showed a decline in Canada (81% to 73%), as well as the U.S. legal (78% to 72%) and illegal states (81% to 73%). When looking at prevalence of past 12-month use, researchers observed an increase for virtually all other product forms, though the prevalence of daily use remained stable throughout the observed years.
Following flower, edibles and vape oils were the most commonly used cannabis products in 2020. The use of non-flower products was also highest in U.S. legal states, though similar trends were observed in all jurisdictions covered by the study.
Men were most likely to report the use of processed products. Vape oils were the most commonly processed product among surveyed 16 to 20-year-olds, consistent with other recent research that cannabis vaping is the most popular method of cannabis consumption among U.S. adolescents.
Researchers also noted that the daily use of cannabis flower has increased in all U.S. states, whether adult-use cannabis is illegal or not, and the average joint size has also increased across all jurisdictions over time.
While it may not seem shocking that flower once again comes out on top, these findings offer some insight surrounding the road ahead. Namely, flower may not be “king” forever.
In the conclusion of their report, authors note, “The findings highlight the rapidly evolving nature of the cannabis product market, including notable shifts in the types of cannabis products used by consumers. … Although dried flower continues to dominate the market, it has begun declining with a notable shift towards increasing popularity of processed cannabis products.”
Recent data from Headset, looking at cannabis markets in California, Colorado, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon and Washington state seem to echo the same trends, according to an MJBizDaily report. According to retail sales data from the six states, cannabis sales grew from $4.92 billion in 2020 to $5.49 billion in 2021, but the flower’s overall share of the market fell.
According to Headset Senior Data Analyst Cooper Ashley, last year saw a 11.5% increase in flower sales, less than the 18% jump in overall cannabis sales. Sales of edibles, in comparison, increased from $1.14 billion to $1.37 billion over the same time period, up 20.4%. Flower was also the third-slowest-growing product category, ahead of topicals and tinctures/sublinguals.
Even though it has some other contenders to play with in the modern age, it’s unlikely flower will fall from its throne any time soon. Though, as the industry continues to rapidly grow and shift, who are we to predict the trends to come?
710 is right around the corner, and you know what that means: Oil! Whether you’re a hardcore dabber or you’re looking to try it out for the first time, July 10th is the day to go all out and get really, really stoned. To help with that, we’ve put together a list of some our favorite products that will take your 710 to the next level!
Courtesy of West Coast Gifts
GEAR Premium® Dip Stick
Grip it, dip it, and rip it with the Dip Stick from GEAR Premium®. This easy-to-use concentrate accessory is 510 thread compatible and allows you to use your concentrate anywhere, at any time.
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Courtesy of Nothing’s Impossible
Nothing’s Impossible Dab Rig w/ Matrix Perc
Increase the intensity of your next dabbing session with the Nothing’s Impossible Dab Rig w/ Matrix Perc. Coming in at 10.5”, this killer piece will completely transform the way you think about enjoying your favorite concentrates. You have your choice of red, orange, green, or aqua-colored accents and the Nothing’s Impossible logo can be found on the side of the chamber, which is the icing on this oh-so-tasty cake. The joint size is 14mm and utilizes a 90 degree fixed downstem design for convenient use. It also features an angled neck design, flared lip and super thick base for added style and stability.
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Courtesy of CBD Living
Delta-8 Living Lemonades
Cheers to higher living with fruity Delta-8 Living Lemonades. Available in three refreshing flavors—Mango Lemonade, Pink Lemonade and Iced Tea Lemonade 50/50—these 100 mg Delta-8 beverages are ideal for mixing into cocktails and mocktails or for enjoying by themselves on the rocks.
Delta-8 Living Lemonades are manufactured using Delta-8 Living’s Proprietary Water Soluble Technology, which increases bioavailability by allowing the nutrients to bypass first-pass metabolism in the liver, so you get more relief, quicker.
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Courtesy of STIIIZY
STIIIZY Live Resin Diamonds
As one of the leading legacy brands in cannabis, STIIIZY is reinventing the way you experience 710. STIIIZY Live Resin Diamonds are curated specifically for usability, potency, and experience, making these perfect-sized diamond crystals suspended in terpene-packed sauce one of the most refined and consistent extract products in the cannabis market. Our live resin diamonds are extracted using only high THC, fresh frozen flower, preserving the natural flavor compounds of the plant that Mother Nature has intended.
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Courtesy of STIIIZY
STIIIZY OG Pods
It’s not 710 without STIIIZY. The STIIIZY OG Pod is created using our premium quality concentrates that uphold the highest level of purity. Extracted from a variety of natural flora, STIIIZY’s botanically derived terpenes yield a balanced aroma and taste to deliver a consistent experience every time. As a 710 fan favorite, our OG Pods are continuously setting the industry standard to influence and inspire through innovative methods.
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Courtesy of Canna River
Canna River Ultra Classic CBD Tincture
The Canna River Ultra Classic CBD tincture is a genuine high strength tincture. In fact, at 20,000 mg of broad spectrum CBD per bottle and approximately 167 mg per serving, “high strength” is an understatement. It is perfect for those who need extra support. Try it in their best-selling Lemon Raspberry flavor or choose from new Sweet Mint and Mango Peach. All of Canna River’s tinctures are crafted with MCT oil and hemp-derived cannabinoids from plants grown in the USA. They are lab tested, sugar free, alcohol free, vegan, and non-GMO. At only $100 per 120 ml bottle, the Ultra Classic is too good to pass up.
Price: $100
Courtesy of The Seed Fair
The Seed Fair
The Seed Fair is back with an all new line of 2,000 cannabis seed strains ready for cultivation! Whether you are looking for an exotic that is hard to find, or trying a new classic, we have the product for you during 710.
Our premium cannabis seeds have been hand selected and lab tested to help give you the consistency you deserve when growing. Our seeds come with a 90% germination guarantee and a full staff support to help you on your journey.
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Courtesy of Al Capone Leaf Wraps
Al Capone Leaf Wraps
Roll the perfect blunt with Al Capone All-Natural Tobacco Leaf Wraps. The Al Capone wraps match most of the roller’s needs. They come packed in individual pouches, so they are always fresh. They don’t have thick veins, and the leaf is stretchy. They come pre-cut to the perfect size and ready to roll, with a self-adhesive strip for easy closure. Slow Burning for the perfect smoking experience. Available in 3 flavors: Original, Cognac & Rum.
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Courtesy of Cloudious9
Cloudious9 Ultra9 Bundle
The Cloudious9’s Ultra9 bundle is the perfect bundle gift for the cannabis connoisseur which includes the popular Hydrology9 NX which is an electric vaporizer for cannabis concentrates and flower, the Hydrology9 NX leather carrying case for easy portability, the Atomic9 dry herb flower vaporizer, and the Tectonic9 auto dispensing grinder. The Hydrology9 NX features an interchangeable concentrate atomizer & hybrid convection flower vaporizer chamber that were designed with an uncompromising dedication to each material’s unique vaporization attributes. The Hydrology9 NX is one of the best water filtered vaporizers & dab rigs for you to enjoy this 710 holiday.
Price: $299
Courtesy of Pulsar Vaporizers
Pulsar RöK
Feast your eyes on the best portable electric dab rig available! For only $200, this eRig gives you the ability to experience premium innovation and taste the finer properties of your exquisite concentrates, while opening up their full flavor profile. Boasting a powerful 1600mAh battery with multiple heat settings and a durable metal body, the Pulsar RöK is where functionality meets performance and enables yet another way to #EnjoyHigherCulture.
Now features larger internal air paths which allows the water-filtered percolation to produce consistently cool pulls every time. Plus, the updated coilless quartz V2 atomizer delivers even smoother hits having increased surface area which provides bigger clouds and heats faster and more evenly!
The city of Athens, Georgia is on the brink of a significant drug reform, with the Athens-Clarke County Legislative Review Committee passing a measure that is being hailed as “Georgia’s most comprehensive marijuana decriminalization ordinance.”
The ordinance, which was approved unanimously by the committee last week, “would reduce the penalties for possession of misdemeanor amounts of marijuana (defined as less than 28 grams) by making such infractions a 1$ fine,” according to Students for Sensible Drug Policy, which highlighted some of its advocacy efforts in Athens-Clarkes County in a blog post on Thursday.
The group says it has been “lobbying Athens Clarke county to reduce penalties for cannabis possession” since 2017, and that it was ultimately “able to bring together community stakeholders and local officials before the legislative review committee to hatch out a plan of attack.”
Once implemented, the ordinance would make “possessing under 28 grams of any marijuana product a civil infraction,” according to Students for Sensible Drug Policy, while also enshrining the “already common practices by the District Attorney and Athens Clarke County Police not to prosecute or arrest citizens; 19 other municipalities across Georgia have already passed similar ordinances.
The ordinance will help Athens, the home of the University of Georgia, stand apart in a state that has been slow to embrace cannabis reform.
After the vote by the committee last week, Raiden Washington, the University of Georgia Students for Sensible Drug Policy chapter president said, that drug policy “that provides equitable access and harm reduction resources is a non-partisan issue.”
“The Drug War has affected all communities across identity and political lines, whether that’s due to losing loved ones to overdoses or incarceration. It’s time we stand together for our entire community’s betterment,” Washington said. “The tools of the masters have been used by those who are oppressed.”
Students for Sensible Drug Policy noted that Georgia is “one of only 19 states that still imposes jail time for simple possession of marijuana, and one of only 13 that lacks a compassionate medical cannabis law.”
“The criminalization of drug possession fuels the US and Georgian mass criminalization system. GA has 183 jails in 159 counties. Georgia’’s total county jail population in 2019 was 45,340. There were 420,000 people on probation in the state,” Jeremy Sharp, SSDP’s South Eastern Regional Director, wrote in the blog post on Thursday. “There were 54,113 people under the jurisdiction of the GA Dept of Corrections in 34 state and private detention centers. The GA Department of Corrections had a staff of 9,169 employees and a budget of $1,205,012,739. 1 in 20 Georgians are on probation, parole, in Jail, or under some sort of supervision. The national average is 1 and 99. Private probation is an offender-funded system. Private companies with state or local contracts are allowed to charge individuals on probation with all kinds of extra fees and surcharges that far exceed their court fines. Failure to pay these fees can represent a violation of probation and risk re-entry into incarceration. Georgia has a long history of oppressive legal mechanisms used to disenfranchise.”
The lack of access to medicinal cannabis in the state has been particularly frustrating for advocates.
Lawmakers in Georgia legalized the treatment back in 2015 by passing the Haleigh’s Hope Act, which permitted qualifying patients to receive cannabis oil containing no more than 5% THC. But seven years after the bill’s passage, those patients still are unable to legally access the oil.
A bill that sought to change that failed in the Georgia state senate this spring.
