Category: <span>Sativa</span>

High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2023

February 3, 2023 Published by SDZ News

We’re excited to see the product lineup as it begins to develop, but we’re even more excited to announce that we have pumped our number of categories to 20 this year—that’s three more categories than last year! This year we welcome the expansion of Solvent Gummies and Non-Solvent Gummies to the Edibles categories. We’ve also expanded our Medical categories as well to include Medical Concentrates and Medical Infused Pre-Rolls, but you can check out the whole list in its entirety here:

Entry Categories

Rec Indica Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Sativa Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Hybrid Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Pre-Rolls (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Infused Pre-Rolls (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Non-Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Solvent Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Non-Solvent Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Non-Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Medical Indica Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Sativa Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Hybrid Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Pre-Rolls (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Concentrates (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Infused Pre-Rolls (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Edibles (3 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)

The winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2022 revealed an outstanding selection of products well-known throughout The Great Lakes State. Brands and companies such as Pro-Gro, FLWRpot, Local Grove, and Canna Boys were just a few of the winners. Feel free to check out the winners from 2021 as well, and you can also look back at the winners of our in-person cannabis cups between 2015-2019.

Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Participation for the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2023 begins on between March 20-30 as the window for submissions. Just in time for 4/20, we’ll have kits available starting on April 15 at participating locations. We’ll give our honored judges just over two months to properly sample and review all of the submissions in their kit, with a deadline of June 25. Finally, just a few weeks after that, we’ll announce the winners on July 9.

Winners receive the coveted High Times Cannabis Cup trophy, a longtime symbol of quality in the cannabis community. It was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, made from zinc and 24k gold plating.

Judges will analyze the products in their kits through a variety of criteria. For Flower, Pre-rolls, Vape Pens, and Concentrates, judges will take note of a product’s aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor profile, burnability, effects/effectiveness, and terpene profile. Edibles have a slightly different list of considerations, including packaging and labeling. Finally, Topicals, Tinctures + Capsules judges are asked to review the “ease of use” in addition to other criteria.

Because the competition includes both recreational and medical products, the entry requirements differ slightly. From maximum weight limits on products and number of units submitted, we highly recommend that interested participants who want to submit their products adhere to the following requirements:

Entry Requirements

Recreational:

Flower: (228) 1g units. We will not accept any 3.5g entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) units. Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each.
Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower-equivalency or 1g concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5g units. We will not accept any 1g entries. Batteries required for Carts.
Edibles: (100) units with 100mg THC max.
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) units with 500mg THC max.

Medical:

Flower: (228) 1g units. We will not accept any 3.5g entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (100) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each.
Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 5g flower-equivalency or 5g concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (100) .5g units. We will not accept any 1g entries. Batteries required for Carts.
Edibles: (100) units with 200mg THC max.

The cost of entry is set at $250 for one entry and $100 each for two (both non-refundable); for entries of three or more, it’s $100 each but the deposits per entry are refundable. If you’re interested in sponsoring the event, there are varied levels of sponsorship including Presenting Sponsorship, Silver Sponsorships, Bronze Sponsorships, and General Sponsorships.

Michigan really came out of the gates strong at last year’s Cup, so we can’t wait to see what these local brands bring to the table this year.

A huge thank you to our official intake partner Green Pharm.

Questions? Email Competition@hightimes.com.

The post High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2023 appeared first on High Times.

The Main Strain: Magnum PI by TreeHawk Farms

January 18, 2023 Published by SDZ News

When it comes time for TreeHawk Farms CEO Jason Olsen to determine the strain allotments for his indoor grow space, he always saves plenty of room for Magnum PI. A top seller for his Chimacum, WA-based business, Magnum PI is a citrus-heavy sativa cross of Blue Hawaiian and Agent Orange. According to Olsen, the strain has become quite popular with local consumers looking for a functional, daytime high.

“If I’m going to a [Seattle] Seahawks’ game, or if we’re going to sit down and have a cup of coffee, I’d be smoking Magnum,” Olsen says. “It gives you that ‘happy day’ feeling, like the sun’s out. It’s a euphoric, stimulating sativa high, which a lot of people love.”

Magnum PI is a citrus-heavy sativa cross of Blue Hawaiian and Agent Orange.

Proof of Magnum PI’s popularity in Washington is evidenced by the fact that Olsen and his small staff of ten are constantly seeking to restock supply of the strain to the 30 or so stores within the state that currently carry TreeHawk’s products. A holdover from Washington’s days as a medical-only market, Magnum PI is believed to have originated with Seahorse Gardens, a breeder near Puget Sound.

For the past five-and-a-half years, however, consumers eager to taste this explosion of orange-centric terpenes and enjoy the ensuing, energizing high, have had only one option: Olsen. In truth, it was his great-grandfather and grandfather who first put his family on their current path when they bought the property that’s now TreeHawk Farms back in the 1950s and started a dairy farm. Eventually, diminishing returns and deaths in the family left Olsen, 38, to determine what course to pursue next.

TreeHawk Farms CEO Jason Olsen says Magnum PI gives a “euphoric, stimulating sativa high.”

“Small dairies had started to go out of business,” Olsen says. “There were eight dairies in this little valley that all shared a milk truck. We were all land-rich and money poor. Once my uncle passed away, and with costs around the business going up, it just didn’t seem like it could be profitable going forward, so we closed down.”

From Patient to Producer

As a lifelong cannabis consumer, Olsen says he applied for and received a medical card with the state as soon as the opportunity first arose. During his time as a medical patient, Olsen recalls observing the potential for a retail cannabis market and quickly realizing that if he wanted to act, the time was fast approaching. Seeing cannabis as a viable way to reinvent his family’s property with a new agricultural slant, Olsen and his wife made the decision to use their life savings to start TreeHawk Farms.

Magnum PI is a cultivar that’s unique to TreeHawk Farms.

Despite a lengthy application process, battles over water usage and a spate of other bureaucratic hurdles, their efforts would ultimately prove highly successful.

Today, Olsen oversees an indoor production flow that yields about 60 pounds of cannabis each month. In addition to perennial favorite Magnum PI, the farm’s also renowned for their Candyland Cookies strain, which combines two classics in the form of Granddaddy Purple and Bay Platinum Cookies. Other notable strains on the TreeHawk menu include Chocolate Thai and The Wills, although Olsen acknowledges that his Magnum PI is likely a cut above the rest.

TreeHawk products (L) and a trimmed nug of Magnum PI that has “bag appeal,” according to Olsen (R).

“It has the bag appeal,” he says. “It’s covered in sugar. It’s just a really beautiful plant. It really liked our feeding regimen and everything just fell into place.”

Room to Grow

Currently encompassing a trio of 600-square-foot grow rooms, each with 21 lights, TreeHawk Farms will soon expand its operations to include a fourth room, which Olsen confirms will include a whole row of what amounts to a third of the room’s potential production—to growing Magnum. The reasoning is simple: people just can’t get enough of it.

“A lot of people get strain-tired,” Olsen says. “With Candyland, I’m probably going to back off on that a little bit because people just want something different after a while. I haven’t had to do that at all with Magnum. I sell out, so I have to divvy up our harvest to spread it out to our stores as best we can, but everyone will take twice as much Magnum as any other strain, without blinking. The demand is still there.”

What is it about this tropically flavored, funk-forward blast of cerebral stimulation that makes it such a mainstay for Washington State cannabis regulars? Perhaps it’s the cut, maybe it’s the care that goes into cultivating it but most likely it’s a potent combination of both. After all, beyond the caché that comes with growing rarer, more exotic strains, there’s a family legacy inherent to TreeHawk Farms that clearly informs not only its craft approach but the quality of the finished product.

And for now, Olsen is proud to say that the reputation of Magnum PI can be directly traced to his efforts to bring his family’s farm back to life under the auspices of his new cannabis enterprise and its star strain.

“Honestly, there’s no one else that has this particular strain,” Olsen says, “So, if you’ve smoked Magnum PI in the last five years, you got it through TreeHawk Farms.”

Strain: According to Olson, the name is a play on the strain’s lineage: Blue Hawaiian x Agent Orange. It reminded him of a Hawaiian private investigator, like Tom Selleck from the TV show Magnum P.I.

Breeder: Seahorse Gardens in Seattle, Washington.

Type: Sativa Hybrid

Genetics: Blue Hawaiian x Agent Orange

Taste: A citrusy orange-lemon flavor with a little tropical earthy funk on the back end.

Flowering: 9-10 weeks

The post The Main Strain: Magnum PI by TreeHawk Farms appeared first on Cannabis Now.

Dr. Huberman on The Biological Effects of Cannabis

January 2, 2023 Published by SDZ News

Dr. Andrew Huberman, a professor of neurobiology at the Stanford School of Medicine, hosts a popular YouTube podcast in which he discusses a range of topics based on the latest scientific evidence. On a recent podcast, he delved into the biology of cannabis, breaking down various aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids including how the plant’s compounds affect the brain and body.

Cannabis and Psychoactive Compounds

Dr. Huberman begins the podcast by discussing the psychoactive compounds found in cannabis. He points out that there are more than 70 of these compounds in the plant, most of which are not studied, meaning very little is known about their functions and mechanisms. The most well-known compounds include delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC and cannabidiol or CBD. Another important compound is cannabinol or CBN. Each of these compounds is a biologically active agent, meaning they have specific actions on the body and brain, which can be either positive or negative.

THC is the compound largely responsible for the psychoactive properties of cannabis, resulting in changes in mood, perception and sensation, more commonly known as “getting high.” Likewise, CBD and CBN have profound effects on the brain and body, but don’t cause the same changes in mood, perception and sensation that THC does. However, CBD does play a role in the “high” created by THC. On top, the cannabis plant has more than 400 biologically active compounds, some of which may or may not have psychoactive properties, and may or may not have medicinal applications. In short, there are vast opportunities for further study of the cannabis plant.

What is THC? The Cannabis Plant’s Most Abundant Compound

Understanding Different Cannabis Strains

Dr. Huberman divides the effects of cannabis on the body according to the strains: sativa v indica v ruderalis. The traditional understanding of the differences between sativa and indica is based on the plant’s structure and effects. Sativa is known as a tall plant with large fan leaves, while indica is a short and stout plant with smaller leaves. To activate the psychoactive properties of cannabis, the dried leaves are heated. The traditional way to achieve this is via smoking. When cannabis is smoked, the compounds enter the lungs, interacting with the vasculature of the lungs i.e. blood vessels and capillaries, where they’re absorbed into the bloodstream, and cross the blood-brain barrier.

When activated in this way, sativa strains act as a stimulant, making people feel more alert with a heightened sense of focus and/or creativity. Though effects vary from one individual to the next, in general, sativa varieties are said to produce head-based effects. By contrast, indica strains tend to have more effects on the body, acting as a sedative that creates feelings of relaxation. As a result, indica strains are sometimes used to aid sleep and relieve anxiety.

It’s important to note that these strains of the cannabis plant are traditional categories that have mostly been bred out due to modern-day cross breeding, but they remain in use as convenient ways to discuss the effects of cannabis. Most plants today are hybrids, meaning the plant may contain varying ratios of sativa and indica. These new strains are typically divided into type one, type two and type three. Type one hybrid strains are typically high in THC; type two hybrid strains have equal ratios of THC to CBD, and type three strains are typically higher in CBD. These new strains have been created specifically to produce nuanced effects on the brain and body.

Endogenous V Exogenous Cannabinoids

The two main endogenous cannabinoids are anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonyl glycerol (2-AG). They are released from nerve cells, which contain presynaptic neurons and postsynaptic neurons. Presynaptic neurons contain bundles of neurotransmitters or chemicals. When stimulated (by a thought, desire to move, hunger, etc.), the relevant neurotransmitters are released to fuse with cells in a gap (synaptic cleft) in between the pre- and postsynaptic neurons, and park in receptors on the postsynaptic neuron side.

The key thing to know about endogenous cannabinoids is that they’re released from the postsynaptic side, and in this instance, the neurotransmitters or chemicals work backwards, or in retrograde, affecting the presynaptic nerve, changing their ability to release further chemicals. Retrograde action leads to activation or suppression of activity in various neurons There are two kinds of receptors available to endogenous cannabinoids: CB1, found in brain and nervous system, and CB2, found in tissues including the immune system, liver and genitals.

Due to the widespread location of receptors throughout the body, cannabinoids affect many physiological functions. It’s important to make a distinction between the action of endogenous cannabinoids and exogenous cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. When exogenous cannabinoids park in receptors, they are stronger than endogenous cannabinoids, in effect overriding the body’s system, to the point of shutting it down. In other words, in some cases, they can cause a dysfunction in the endocannabinoid system.

The Endocannabinoid System Explained – Why Cannabis Is Good for Our Bodies

The Biological Effects of Cannabis

Cannabinoids enter the bloodstream quickly, and can cross into the brain and permeate the body in less than 30 seconds, which is faster than alcohol or nicotine. It reaches its peak effect within 30 to 60 minutes. The duration of the effects are typically 3 hours but can vary widely. Cannabinoids are highly lipophilic, meaning they are fat-soluble. Each cell in the body has a fatty membrane that acts as a barrier for protection, which cannabinoids can easily penetrate. They can remain in the cell for up to 80 days. The familiar effects of cannabis are mostly due to the effect of cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, on CB1 receptors in the brain.

However, because CB1 receptors are found all over the brain, and because of the retrograde action of cannabinoids, they can produce different effects on different parts of the brain. For example, sativa strains are known to increase focus, which occurs due to activation of the CB1 receptors in the prefrontal cortex. But the prefrontal cortex acts a modulator of the limbic circuitry, which is attuned to stress, and includes the amygdala. The default of the limbic system is to detect danger, and the prefrontal cortex regulates the system by acting as a break on it. So while a sativa variety is increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex, it’s also decreasing activity in the limbic system, with the effect of reducing stress.

What’s happening here is a sort of seesaw affect where the same compounds are causing an increase in activity in one area of the brain and a decrease in another. There is no way to predict how a particular strain will affect an individual but what is known is that cannabis will intensify an individual’s pre-existing condition, state or mood. So if a person is prone to anxiety, cannabis is likely to exacerbate that anxiety.

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Dr. Huberman offers a summary of the biological effects of cannabis on various parts of the brain and body:

Brain / Body Part	Biological Effect
Hippocampus	Suppression of hippocampus leads to negative effects on short-term memory, in particular indica strains
Prefrontal cortex	Sativa act as stimulant, increases creativity and focus whereas indica depresses prefrontal cortex resulting in a relaxing effect that promotes sleep
Basal ganglia and cerebellum	Suppression of circuits in the basal ganglia (action planning or withholding action) and cerebellum (balance and motor sequencing) causing reduced ability to plan or take action
Mouth	Reduction of saliva production causing dry mouth
Eyes	Causes eyes to redden or produce water
Hypothalamus	Activates neurons that stimulate appetite resulting in “munchies”
Blood Sugar	THC and CBD have strong effect on blood sugar resulting in an increase in appetite
Spinal cord	Presence of CB1 receptors in spinal cord results in pain relief
Prolactin: Hormone produced by pituitary gland to promote milk production in pregnant women	Leads to increase in prolactin, can cause enlarged breasts or gynaecomastia in men

FINAL THOUGHTS

Dr. Huberman makes it clear there’s no way to know in advance of consuming cannabis what effect it will have on a specific individual. The important take-away here is to consider the context in which cannabis is being consumed by asking questions in relation to your current environment and reasons for consuming cannabis. What I covered in this article is taken from the first hour of this two and a half hour-long podcast. Dr. Huberman goes on to describe further biological effects of cannabis, including the links between cannabis and hormones, the effects of long-term use, and the people for whom cannabis use is not advisable. If you’d like to hear what else Dr. Huberman has to say on cannabis, you can watch here:

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The post Dr. Huberman on The Biological Effects of Cannabis appeared first on Cannadelics.

We’re Making This Too Complicated (An ‘Indicas and Sativas Are For Dummies’ Response)

December 23, 2022 Published by SDZ News

Earlier this year Jimi Devine penned a piece for this column called “Indicas and Sativas are for Dummies.” While I do, for the most part, agree with his sentiment, I don’t believe his proposed solution of “Afghani” & “Equatorial” to be viable. As it’s the end of the year and I’m not sure what traffic’s going to be like on these final Fridays, we’re experimenting a bit over here. We always intended for WEIRDOS to feel like a public discourse, so in that spirit, here’s my response to Jimi’s idea, and some proposals of my own.

Why Afghani & Equatorial Are Doomed

Let’s face it, America isn’t actually the most accepting place in the world. Although we love to dub ourselves as the world’s melting pot, we’re actually far better at drawing lines than finding common ground. Because of this, I don’t think nomenclature like Afghani and Equatorial will ever be commonly accepted because it sounds foreign to most of our citizens. In fact, I’d argue if many people fully understood what they were saying with “Indica” (Latin for “Of India”) they’d probably use that a lot less too – because most of what they’re cultivating isn’t actually from India, it’s from America. Even further, “Sativa” in Latin means “cultivated” – so they’re both Sativa by definition. And by species, but that’s another story.

It’s worth noting that cultivars that formerly had “Afghan” in their name have all seemed to drop it in recent years. I am willing to bet that started post-9/11, but I wouldn’t know. I was 11 at that point. I’ve only heard about the mythical Afghani varietals, but I know a lot of Kush. Maybe I’m looking too far into it, but assuming America to be a racist place seems to be on the nose.

But more than that, what people are TYPICALLY trying to describe with Indica & Sativa – or Afghani & Equatorial, as proposed – is the effect the plant will provide, not the place it was from. While I get there’s correlation there, aren’t we leading consumers down the wrong path with that type of information anyway, since we know most of the effects are driven by terpenes and the other psychoactive chemistry found within the plant? To me this isn’t as black or white as it is a color wheel. That said, if we have to break it into two specific groups…

Stimulating vs. Sedative

What about categorizing them as stimulating or sedating? This way there’s variance, for sure, but to me, that’s what we’re really trying to say with the forbidden bro-science, right? We’re trying to tell you if it will get you lifted, or stoned. If you’ll be energized or couch-locked, so aren’t these more appropriate terms anyway? Eventually I believe this is what terpene science will tell us, and where we’ll really be able to get prescriptive with effects consumers can expect, but for now I believe this encompasses what we have been trying to say in a more accurate way.

That said, determining which of these categories said products will fall into can’t only rely on the information we’ve had in the past. For example, we know short and fat plants can sometimes present a profile that is closer to what we consider historically Sativa, even though the plant looks Indica, as Todd McCormick suggested for your piece, so there is far more research required for this to become a perfect system. And while we’re here, traditional science today says we pretty much only have anecdotal evidence to prove the effectiveness of terpenes, but any regular consumer knows smoking something that smells like gas will cool you down, so we’re in some degree of a holding pattern while the research picks up.

My only worry here is that these are still complicated terms for some. Not to sound like an asshole but some people need it to be super simple to understand, and we need this to be approachable. So I have another proposal, and this one may be more digestible for that lot.

Uppers & Downers

I choose this because it’s familiar terminology for drug users of all types. While there’s admittedly a ton of gray area here, as most of what we’re dealing with is a hybrid anyway, is there a simpler way to dumb it down? People commonly know most alcohol is a downer, but that tequila riles you up. They typically know that a Xanax puts you to sleep while Adderall will keep you up, so why not lean into what’s already understood? What’s actually wrong with likening our vice to other more common, and today socially accepted, ones?

Looking past it’s usage across other drugispheres, does it get any easier for the layman to understand? We’re already using things like arrows up and down to describe how products will make us feel, so why not take it all the way? I understand this will be complex for hybrid classifications, but there’s someone out there who’s been saying “This is a 70% Sativa, 30% Indica,” so I’m sure that guy would love to decide just how much of an angle each of those are pointing.

Obviously there’s no clear right answer here, but I think it’s important we keep evolving this conversation, especially as the scientific understanding increases. Not only will this help us to be more accurate, but it will actually help people understand what they’re getting if they’re not as well versed as you or I. We’re not doing anyone any favors by continuing to push the misinformation, and we don’t know the unintended consequences this lack of understanding can have down the line. Look at THC percentage, and states that are now taxing products over a certain limit. It really sucks to have to pay for someone else’s stupidity, especially for something that your consumer doesn’t understand and doesn’t actually want – despite what they may think or say.

Thoughts?

For those reading at home, what are you thinking? Do either of these make sense to you? Do you have a better solution? Feel free to respond below or in the comments on social media to join the discussion, and help us crack this. While I don’t think either of us have proposed perfect solutions, I think any are better than where we’re at today – and being better tomorrow than we were today is the best we can hope to do.

The post We’re Making This Too Complicated (An ‘Indicas and Sativas Are For Dummies’ Response) appeared first on High Times.

Cannabis and Labor Day – Best Products to Help You Get Through the Work Week

September 5, 2022 Published by SDZ News

Let me preface this by saying that, not all jobs are suitable for daytime toking, and not all employees can handle it either. It’s important to know your own limitations regarding cannabis at work – whether they are personal, professional, or legal. Now, with that out of the way, what makes a product suitable for daytime consumption? You’ll want something that keeps you functioning highly; so that will mainly be sativa products, may some hybrids. Additionally, you’re going to need discretion, because even if your job does not drug test, that doesn’t mean you can actually smoke at work. Tinctures, edibles, softgels, beverages, and in some cases, vape products even, all can work. Let’s explore the history of Labor Day and go over some appropriate cannabis product for our hard-working Americans.

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History of Labor Day

Labor Day is an annual celebration in the United States that was established to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers, and to honor their many contributions to the wealth, strength, status, prosperity, and overall well-being of America. Labor Day is observed on the first Monday of every September, which falls on the 5th this year.

Before it became a federally recognized holiday, Labor Day was celebrated by labor activists and a handful of individual states. New York was the first state to introduce a bill to make Labor Date a recognized holiday, however, Oregon became the first state to actually pass such a bill, which it did on February 21, 1887.

During that same year, four more states passed laws naming Labor Day an official state holiday: New York, Colorado, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. By the end of 1889, three more states had followed suit: Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. Between then and 1894, another 23 states had adopted Labor Day as a holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with how the Central Labor Union had celebrated a year prior.

Today, Labor Day is three-day weekend that marks the end of the summer and in many states/districts, the start of the school year as well. People typically celebrate by gathering with friends and family and grilling, swimming at a beach or pool, camping, or watching the first college football games of the season. Typically, alcohol, weed, and food is somewhere in the mix.

Sativas

Sativa strains are known to hail from the warmer, more tropical climates of the 0-30 degrees latitude area. Closer to the equator. Some areas known for growing cannabis sativa are Mexico, Columbia, Thailand, and Jamaica. In Europe, the term “sativa” was used to describe hemp plants found throughout Europe where it was cultivated for seeds, fiber, and other practical uses. However,

The exact origins of Sativa strains are less specific, although we do know that much of it hails from the latitudes of 0-30 degrees. Typically, it grew in warmer climates like Mexico, Columbia, Thailand, and Southeast Asia. The term “sativa” was also used to describe hemp plants found throughout Europe, where it was cultivated for seeds, fiber, and other practical uses. However, this is no longer the case, and sativa is used to describe strains that produce certain effects – those opposite to indicas.

Sativa strains are associated with the uplifting “head high” that people claim makes them feel connected and euphoric. These effects aren’t necessarily due to the fact that they are sativas and simply that, but rather because strains coming from those parts of the world may have different combinations of compounds than hardy, mountain Indica strains. My guess would be that it has a lot to do with the sun and warmth.

The Real Difference Between Indica and Sativa Strains

Sativa plants are tall and lanky. On average they get around 10-12 feet tall, although some can exceed 20 feet. The leaves are thin and pointed and the nugs produced by these strains are typically longer and fluffier than indica flowers. Sativas grow well outdoors and often require less maintenance than indica plants. Despite that, they are less popular for cultivators, especially those doing indoor and greenhouse grows.

Product Discretion

Once again, discretion is of utmost importance when medicating at or near where you work. One of the most low-key ways to use cannabis during the day is with tinctures. Simply fill up your dropper than put the tincture under your tongue and let it dissolve. Dosing is easy with tinctures because they don’t have very many additional ingredients, aside from cannabinoids, terpenes, and some type of c

arrier.

Edibles can be great for secretive medicating as well, but be forewarned, edibles take a while to kick in but when they do, they can hit pretty hard and the high lasts a while. They also work differently than other cannabis products, because the body converts all THCs to 11-hydroxy-THC when it is eaten, and that can produce a heavy, sleepy type of experience. So, unless you have a really high tolerance, using edibles during the day might not be the best idea.

Vaping can be discreet as well, but not always. It’s not something you can sneak into your office with you in a purse or pocket (like you could with a tincture or gummies, for example). But on your break, using a vape pen will be much more incognito than smoking. Live resin might have a bit of a weedy smell, but distillate with flavor added will smell no different than a flavored nicotine cart.

A Few Labor Day Cannabis Deals

25% Off Sitewide at Binoid: Save on Vapes, Tinctures, Concentrates, and more!

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Hello readers! We hope you enjoyed our Labor Day deals, and we appreciate you joining us at Cannadelics.com, a top choice news platform for independent coverage of the growing cannabis and psychedelics landscapes of today. Come by the site whenever possible for updates on current and world-changing events, and head over to the Cannadelics Weekly Newsletter, so you’re always up on what’s going down.

The post Cannabis and Labor Day – Best Products to Help You Get Through the Work Week appeared first on Cannadelics.

Indicas and Sativas are for Dummies

July 22, 2022 Published by SDZ News

There are a few eternal debates intertwined with cannabis at the moment. Are the criminal justice reform victories of legalization enough to call it a win with farmers’ struggles? Does Jimi smoke the heatest heat? Do the concepts of Indicas and Sativas make sense?

While you’ll have to search your heart for the answers to the first couple of questions, when it comes to indicas and sativas, I think it’s fair to say we can do a little better. And I offer not just the idea we can do better, but a solution.

I think we should move on to referring to cannabis as Afghani or equatorial. It’s a lot more accurate representation of what 99% of the marketplace consists of. If you’re the Ruderalis guy that needs to be offended by something, go back under your bridge nobody wants your pot.

I remember when that empowered young woman of color budtender got a lot of flack for a video where she highlighted how stupid the whole indica/sativa debate was. A lot of people that look like me, well not quite the blue eyes and curls but you get my drift, were really sad she made them feel like dumb dumbs. She got a lot of shit because of their sensitivities but was spot on. You can’t even find her original post anymore and I wouldn’t share to save her any more drama and bullying. Not that she needed saving, she was a spicy meatball.

But her struggle stirred something back up in me. I’ve dealt with the same frustrations she did. I was just a pinch more chipper about it.

I’ve been working at the Cannabis Buyers Club of Berkeley since 2009 and will still jump on the counter in the morning if an extra set of hands is needed due to a couple of callouts or whatever it may be. I turned off my frustrations early in my career on this subject. I would speak to the cannabis in four categories that were Indicas, Sativas, and hybrids leaning in either direction.

Eventually, I’d try and work a little education into the process because it all felt so bullshit.

“Hello, skinny handsome budtender. Can I get a pure sativa?”

“We making rope?!” I’d reply in a jolly reference to hemp.

When you talk about things like the Hippie Trail, Super Sativa Seed Club, and other stuff that backboned the early heatseekers’ genetics lines, a lot of it is going to fall into those major equatorial or Afghani. Even today, what’s the bulk of what we smoke? Just hybridizations of that stuff.

All these “indicas” we’re puffing on for the most part are of Afghan origin. Are there some high mountain kush phenos from the other side of the Pakistani border in the mix too for this discussion? Sure. But it’s most predominantly associated with Afghanis so it keeps it a lot more simple to just use that for the umbrella term.

As for everything else we smoke, you’ll find a lot of the genetics pools outside of the Afghani are coming from places generally close to the equator. The southern Indian city of Kanyakumari is about 560 miles north of the equator. The Thai beach town of Narathiwat is only 430 miles from the equator Even Tapachula, Mexico is only about 1500 miles from the equator.

But the system doesn’t always work, like in India. India is not far from the equator at its southern tip but the genetics it’s known for are coming from thousands of miles away in its mountain region.

It all seemingly makes sense right?

To help me articulate this great idea to the masses I knew I’d need mascots. So I created Equitorial Ed and Afghan Annie to help move the masses away from saying indica or sativa. Umbrella terminology tends never to be perfect. But in this case, I was generally satisfied with how much could be categorized within the scope of the characters.

We reached out to the Pot Prince of Bel-Air to get his take. In 1997 Todd McCormick, a medical cannabis patient and childhood cancer survivor, was arrested with 4000 plants. After serving his bid in the early 2000s he returned to the scene and in recent years has focused on preserving old-school genetics like Road Kill Skunk.

McCormick noted the question in itself is an excellent clarification that most people don’t understand but he prefers to use the term Northern to Afghani.

“The reason that I go with the word “Northern” rather than Afghani is because the Hindu Kush Mountains are freaking huge and only part of the Himalayas are located in Afghanistan,” McCormick said, “I believe that a lot of us use “Afghan” as the default genetic for all northern cannabis, but I think we are sorely mistaken.”

McCormack also spoke to the India part of the debate I brought up.

“All of the more northern varieties of cannabis from India, or dare I say Indica correctly, has the faster flowering broad leaflet, dense buds (to protect the seeds from cold), the characteristic is not only found in Afghanistan,” McCormick said, “In southern regions of India, which is still “cannabis Indica,” have the narrow leaflet equatorial/tropical, long flowering characteristic of loose spindly flowers (to be able to evaporate away high humidity) with a long flowering time.”

Keep an eye out for more great ideas from Jimi Devine in a future edition of WEIRDOS.

The post Indicas and Sativas are for Dummies appeared first on High Times.

The Third Species: Cannabis Ruderalis

May 3, 2022 Published by SDZ News

We talk all the time about marijuana vs hemp, but technically, it’s all the same thing. Where there is a distinction in terms of taxonomy, is between Cannabis indica and Cannabis sativa. However, there’s one more to consider in all this, and we don’t hear its name much. What is this third species, Cannabis ruderalis, and what can it do?

There is a 3rd species in the cannabis genus, but we rarely talk about it, even though it’s frequently used. Perhaps Cannabis ruderalis will have a bigger name in the future. We’re a news site focusing on the cannabis and psychedelics fields of today. Keep up with everything by signing up to THC Weekly Newsletter, which puts you first in line for deals on tons of cannabis products, likes vapes, edibles, and other smoking paraphernalia. Plus, get premium access to cannabinoid compounds like delta-8 THC. Please remember, *cannabinoid compounds are not liked by everyone, and we only promote people use products they are comfortable with.

***Cannabis indica* and *Cannabis sativa***

Let’s start with what we know. We know that Cannabis is a genus under family name Cannabaceae, and that genera have different species under them. We know that sativa and indica are two species within this genus, which are sometimes considered the same species. When looking at them together, generally just the name Cannabis sativa is used. They are both associated with high-THC, although some plants are also high – or higher – in CBD.

The plants themselves do look different. Indicas grow shorter, and have more dense branches, sativas are taller, with more spread apart branches. Indicas have shorter and broader leaves, while sativas have longer narrower leaves. In terms of psychoactive effects, indica plants are more associated with a body high, pain relief, and anti-anxiety properties, whereas sativa plants create a more cerebral and energetic high. However, some say this distinction doesn’t exist and the differences are only related to compounds like terpenes.

Both indicas and sativas range in the amount of THC and CBD they contain, with each species capable of producing high-THC or high-CBD plants. While ‘hemp’ and ‘marijuana’ are often referred to as two separate species, this is not the case at all. In terms of taxonomy, the classification of the plant doesn’t change based on THC content.

**What is Cannabis ruderalis?**

Whether indicas and sativas are technically the same species or not, there is a third part to consider. This third part also could be considered its own species, or lumped in with the other two, as a subspecies of sativa. This third species, Cannabis ruderalis, is just as much under the heading of ‘cannabis’, as the other two.

Cannabis ruderalis is native to Central and Eastern Europe, and in Russia and surrounding countries. Ruderalis plants grow smaller than the other two species, rarely topping two feet high. The stalks are thinner and flimsier, with less fiber, and less branching out. The leaves that grow on ruderalis plants are long and thin.

Sativa leaves have nine points, indicas, seven, and ruderalis plants have three main points, with two smaller points. Ruderalis plants are fully grown in 5-7 weeks from seed to harvest, which is a much shorter growing time than indicas or sativas, which require 2-3 months. Ruderalis plants also require no standard light cycle, and flowers grow out of maturity, making it autoflowering by nature.

Is Hemp Flower Sativa or Indica?

Ruderalis is hardier than its brothers, and grows in more difficult and colder areas like the Northern Himalayas, or Siberia. It was initially found in 1924 by Russian botanist Dmitrij Janischewsky. At that time Janischewsky created the third species designation on account of its different structure and flowering habits.

Though larger forms of the plant do exist, and have been found in the same areas, the lack of human selection of these plants, have kept them solely acclimated to their own environment. Ruderalis has never had the popularity of its brothers because if its low THC content, which makes it less valuable for recreational and ceremonial use. However, it is often high in CBD. Though it can be used for hemp production, its smaller stature makes it less desirable than the other cannabis species.

Regardless of its low THC content, Cannabis ruderalis is regulated the same as regular cannabis plants, and is not a part of the hemp designation, as that only refers to Cannabis sativa. This acts as an oversight in that ruderalis plants can be a good source of CBD, with a naturally low amount of THC. Nonetheless, unless cannabis is legal for recreational or medical use in a place, use of ruderalis is illegal.

Benefits of Cannabis ruderalis

Do we use Cannabis ruderalis at all? The answer is yes, we do, though it’s not well-known to consumers, nor advertised in any way. Ruderalis plants have a few specific attributes that make them good for hybridization with the other cannabis species.

One of the mains attractions, is its ability to autoflower, which is specific to ruderalis only of the cannabis species. Have you ever wondered why you can buy autoflowering indica or sativa seeds? Because they’re hybridized with ruderalis plants for this purpose. Autoflowering makes things easier in general for growers, as it means the plant will leave the vegetation state for the flowering state, on its own. Since it does this within its own time frame, and without regard to light patterns, this attribute makes for the possibility of multiple harvests within a single year.

Ruderalis plants also have great disease and insect resistance, which make for another reason for their hybridization with other cannabis species. This is an aspect of being a ‘ditch weed’ that can grow nearly anywhere. In nature, it shows up in very difficult places to grow, and is able to deal with just about anything.

The Real Difference Between Indica and Sativa Strains

Its ability to grow in more harsh climates makes it useful too, adding a sturdiness to other sativa and indica plants. Ruderalis seeds are so strong, they can even survive a season in frozen ground. This species is the only cannabis species that naturally grows in cold temperatures.

Cross-breeding with ruderalis plants keeps the new plants a bit smaller. For growing in certain places, like inside, or in a confined area, this can offer benefits as well. Smaller plants are not always preferable, but for some growing situations, the smaller size makes for an easier grow.

The shorter growing season is also an attractive quality for growers, and hybrids are frequently made to access this attribute. C. ruderalis has been crossed with different sativa and indica strains to produce autoflowering plants which are fully mature in 10 weeks. This makes for a substantially shorter growing period than with the other species alone.

Other uses of this species

Cannabis ruderalis makes an appearance in Russian and Mongolian natural medicine traditions, as its known indigenously in these places. It’s lack of THC kept it from being used the same way as sativa or indica plants. Whereas those two species were often employed as aids in ceremonial and ritualistic activities in different cultures, (due to the psychoactive effects), ruderalis is known as a medicine only in history.

Ruderalis strains were apparently hybridized with strains from the company Bedrocan to come up with the medication Bediol. The high CBD concentration of the species makes it good for anxiety patients and epileptics. Ruderalis formulations are also used in medications for cancer, sclerosis, and appetite loss, much like its brother species.

Ruderalis is not studied as much as the other two, and is less frequently directly used. Though it can be useful in medical preparations, and might become more relevant for these uses in the future, it’s main use now is in hybridization for accessing the unique characteristics listed above.

Conclusion

Weed Seeds: Top 5 Cannabis Seed Banks for Home-Grows

With all the cannabis hype these days, its funny that Cannabis ruderalis has taken such a back seat. As it contains the same general cannabinoids, and can be a high CBD species, the implication is that it has the same general medicinal uses (or similar) as the other species. I wonder if in the future, more will be done with ruderalis on the medical front.

Ruderalis is used more than people probably think, just not directly. The genetics provide ways to make indicas and sativas autoflower, which means having a specific light scheme isn’t necessary. It also can create hybrids that need a shorter growing time, and which can withstand more than other cannabis species in the way of cold weather, pests, and all around lousy growing conditions.

Hello everyone! Thanks for dropping by CBDtesters.co, the #1 online platform for news coverage of the cannabis and psychedelics industries. Check out the site frequently to stay up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape of cannabis and psychedelics, and check out The THC Weekly Newsletter, to keep on top of every new story.

The post The Third Species: Cannabis Ruderalis appeared first on CBD Testers.

Hot Cannabis Seeds To Grow in 2022

April 7, 2022 Published by SDZ News

Luckily for us, cannabis was made illegal. After all, if the U.S. government had not decided to criminalize marijuana, starting with a tax for growing it, we wouldn’t have nearly as many different types. When cannabis growers and breeders were forced underground, they used male and female plants to create their own seedstock. The illegal distinction borne by the cannabis plant has led to it being one of the most diverse botanicals on the planet. When the War on Drugs meant Americans could no longer get landrace genetics like Acapulco Gold from Mexico, we looked further toward Amsterdam’s marijuana melting pot. The fusion of American cannabis enthusiasts and High Times legends like Sam the Skunkman, Ed Rosenthal, and Steve Hager with Dutch seed companies blessed the world with delicacies like Super Lemon Haze and provided the platform to promote them. Today, the worldwide cannabis seed market is a thriving industry.

Seed germination for outdoor growing starts in spring. Seeds require 10-15 days longer than clones, so the end of April is an excellent time to pop them to get the 2022 outdoor harvest outside by Mother’s Day. We checked in with three ganja growing all-stars to see what cannabis combinations they’re excited about this year.

David Downs
Senior Content Manager, Leafly

What seeds are you excited about for this planting season?
For this planting season, I’m super-juiced to re-run Humboldt Seed Co’s Squirt (feminized) for year three. I can smoke that super-optimized modern Tangie cross all day, every day, and it makes a great salad with another sativa during the day or some gas at night.

I’m also hyped to bring back HumSeedCo’s Hella Jelly (fems) for year two as a super-agronimized modern sativa that finishes early and has mad cherry and cotton candy taste and zippy daytime effects.

I’m stoked to run Archive Seeds Dosi-Tree outside for the first time for that Dosi gas plus Lemon Tree’s size and syrupy lemon smell. Yum! Last year it was In-House Genetics’ Slurricane IX—that killed!

And lastly, I’m pumped to run Terp Hogz Geneticz Z3 for the first time this year! I think I’ll always want some Zkittlez in the garden, and Z3 is a way to get at the root of some optimized Z terps, as opposed to chasing new Z crosses. I can’t wait to have a pound of Z3 for Thanksgiving! Terp Hogz is selling seeds direct to your door on NXTLVL delivery in the Bay Area—if you don’t know how cool it is to shop, buy and get Terp Hogz genes delivered in a couple hours—now you know! It’s so clutch.

Do you typically grow from seed? If so, why?
Yes! I like the vigor of seeds, especially regulars—they get huge outside! There’s also less chances of a virus or pest infection from seeds vs. clones. I buy seeds all year and they keep well until it’s time to plant. (But I still might get a clone of Jokerz from Compound Genetics for this year, and if I do, I’m all about it!)

What does your grow setup look like?
I start popping indoors the first day of spring and raise babies inside where it’s warm, then sex the juveniles, and harden them on the porch in The City, before transplanting the keepers into 30-gallon fabric pots outdoors in the NorCal sun by Mother’s Day! We try and KISS (keep it simple, stupid). We use Fox Farm Ocean Forest soil plus amendments and well water on a drip timer. And BT to fight the caterpillars!

Are there certain types of cannabis or specific cultivars that do well where you are growing?
Yeah, I’m an outdoor NorCal Bay Area grower, and I’m deliberately running Humboldt Seed Co, Archive, and Terp Hogz because I think their gear tends to be tested and screened for outdoor runs. I know HumSeedCo does a bunch of mixed-light testing, and Terp Hogz in Mendo also works in mixed light. Archive’s stuff seems to be developed more indoors in Oregon, but I know that Lemon Tree has killed it outdoors in Santa Cruz.

I want to run stuff that’s been tested outside, for sure. Lots of the latest crosses are bred and tested inside and many breeders and growers don’t know how they’ll react to the variations in heat, humidity, etc. outside. I want stuff that’s hard to fuck up, as opposed to some diva that molds the second it rains, or some crazy sativa that won’t finish until November. But that’s just me! Everyone’s needs are pretty specific!

Jeff Jones
Horticulture Instructor, Oaksterdam University

What seeds are you excited for?
I am fond of recommending and growing varieties that produce well-rounded plants with new tastes and smells.

Do you typically grow from seed? If so, why?
No, but I have done so with Oaksterdam University students over the years often.

What does your grow setup look like these days?
A simple 4′ x 4′ area light up with LED lights in a larger room that I have found no need for AC to cool.

What has been your experience growing autoflowers?
To me, this is the best reason to grow from seed. They only come this way and are getting better varieties all the time.

Are there certain types of cannabis or specific cultivars that do well where you grow in Oakland?
We have a mix of urban growers that are survivors. Many obstacles to keep from having a successful harvest in tight city living. I grow inside due to this better neighborhood policy. I find less issues and arise with having long-term success. But I do know a few good areas that have outdoor gardens with little to no worry for either the garden or neighbors with bad smells.

Shango Los
Podcast Host, Shaping Fire

What seeds are you excited about this year?
Since I live on Vashon Island in the Pacific Northwest, I have to choose seeds that will finish flowering fast enough during our short summers. I’ll mostly be growing autoflowers so I can germinate them on June 1 and harvest at the end of August before the rains start. I am excited to grow the Purple Pope collaboration between Gnome Automatics and Night Owl Seeds. The flowers smell of sandalwood, lemongrass, and yuzu. Northern Cheese Haze from Mephisto Genetics is always a winner for me too. It captures some of that fresh sunshine-dried linen sweet smell of haze with the bloomy-rind cheese funk that we love cheese strains for.

The most reliable photoperiod for where I live continues to be Mandelbrot’s famous Royal Kush from Mendocino, which will often finish in 50 days. There is a new collaboration between Emerald Mountain Legacy and Mean Gene From Mendocino called Royale with Cherries that blends the gas and shorter flower times with Mean Gene’s Cherry Lime Pop which contributes a complex Maraschino cherry sweetness. It is exquisite. Last summer, it finished well ahead of all the other photos. And it hashed well for us too.

How was the 2021 Autoflower Cup? Are you experimenting with autoflowers?
The 2021 Autoflower Cup was a great gathering. For so long, autoflowers really didn’t perform as we wanted. But the modern era of autoflowers are so much better tasting and yielding. And because they can be grown nearly everywhere in the U.S., they are quickly gaining a following. And, of course, since autoflower enthusiasts are so often ridiculed by photoperiod growers, it is nice to hang with a big group of people who share this special interest.

I am past simply experimenting with autoflowers at this point and have fully embraced them. Before this season, I have grown 156 varieties. I’m at the point now where I believe in them, understand their advantages and disadvantages and can really work with them to meet my cultivation goals.

The post Hot Cannabis Seeds To Grow in 2022 appeared first on High Times.

Just Announced – High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice 2022

January 28, 2022 Published by SDZ News

The High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice 2022 will be the largest competition held in SoCal in history, with more than 2,200 judge kits and 12 categories.

High Times Cannabis Cups have a long legacy of success in the state of California, and this upcoming People’s Choice event is no exception.

“High Times has hosted the coveted Cannabis Cups in California for many, many years, bringing together cannabis enthusiasts from all over the country and awarding the best products in The Golden State,” said Mark Kazinec, High Times Director, Competitions & Events.

“For People’s Choice Cups, this marks only the second-ever Cup where judging is open to everyone in the Southern California region, bringing in a wider and more diverse pool of judges to crown the best of California. Just last year, we saw hundreds of entries across 10 categories with more diverse strains and products than ever before.

“Connected, Green Dragon, and Sovereign reigned supreme in the flower categories and will be ones to top this year, while Kiva and TONIK proved to be the most effective and delicious edibles amongst the state’s competition. We’re very excited to see legacy brands and new brands alike enter their best for this year’s Cup, with new categories added to the mix.”

California is known as one of the hotbeds in the U.S. for legal weed, even after so many have followed in the legalization footsteps, and the state’s offerings drive this point home.

“In my humble opinion, California still holds the crown for the leader in cannabis in the United States,”Kazinec added. “From Humboldt to Palm Desert, there are so many talented cultivators and processors, and we aim to provide the opportunity for judges to help determine who truly has the best products in various diverse categories that suit consumer tastes.”

For those who are interested in participating as a Judge, be sure to mark your calendars. Judge kits go on-sale May 13 for Loyalty Members and May 14 for General public via High Times Delivery and Retail channels.

We wish the best of luck to all participants!

SoCal Entry Categories:

Indica Flower (3 entries Max per Company)
Sativa Flower (3 entries Max per Company)
Hybrid Flower (3 entries Max per Company)
Pre-Rolls (2 entries Max per Company)
Infused Pre-Rolls (1 entries Max per Company)
Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company)
Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company)
Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries Max per Company) (Category may split)
Edibles: Gummies (3 entries Max per Company)
Edibles: Non-Gummies (3 entries Max per Company)
Edibles: Beverages (2 entries Max per Company)
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 Entries Max per Company)

Entry Requirements:

Flower: (228) 1-gram samples. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) samples: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each; Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower or 1g concentrate equivalency each.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) 0.5-gram samples. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries required for carts.
Edibles: (100) samples with 100mg THC max
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) samples with 500mg THC max

Entry Pricing:

1 entry: $500
2 entries: $250 each, for a total of $500
3 or more entries: Fees will be waived

www.cannabiscup.com

The post Just Announced – High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice 2022 appeared first on High Times.

REVIEW: STIIIZY Offers a Gummy Nano-Enhanced Triangle for Every Occasion

November 23, 2021 Published by SDZ News

When it comes to reviewing cannabis for a living, you can only imagine how many times we’ve crossed paths with different products. Back when we first feasted our eyes on STIIIZY’s vape cartridges, their unique design was the first quality that piqued our attention. At that time (back in 2017), given the unique construction of the carts in comparison to the industry standard vape carts on the market, we were unsure how well this product would actually perform. Would consumers be so loyal to the brand that they trade out their tried-and-true cart batteries in order to consume just STIIIZY products? Fast forward to years later, our question was answered: It was a clear yes!

The fact that this brand has earned its spot as one of the fastest growing cannabis companies, and that we personally have a STIIIZY vape on-hand at almost any occasion, it’s clear to say our concerns about their completely unique design were never realized. This company was on to something epic back in 2017, and its expansion of product offerings only continues to prove that this company is on fire.

This brings us to the relaunch of STIIIZY’s latest high-inducing endeavor—STIIIZY Edibles. To kick off the edibles category right—STIIIZY just introduced its premiere line of Sour Gummy Nano-Enhanced Triangles to the public, which are fast-acting due to having Nanomolecular-Enhanced Live Resin expertly infused into each bite.

Whether you’re looking to go hard, or prefer to keep it mellow and microdosed, STIIIZY has you covered. Each bag of gummies contains a whopping 90mg of THC. You don’t have to go and eat the whole bag at one time, however. The gummies are segmented down into three large triangles (at 30mg each), and from there you can break them down into even smaller triangular-shaped doses, three at 10mg.

What makes these gummies stand out among the crowd of candies comes down to the technology. Utilizing nanomolecular technology, these gummies will deliver cannabis to your bloodstream at a record pace, giving you desired results in warp speed. Edibles have notoriously had a bad rap in the cannabis space, because the effects can often take hours to hit the consumer, leaving a large margin of error for getting “too high.” This leading edible tech makes that a thing of the past.

In our assessment of an assortment of these gummy varieties, two qualities really stood out, beyond the effects: The taste and texture.

Courtesy of STIIIZY

The first offering we tried was the Blue Raspberry Blast Gummies, which is an indica offering. Anticipating the effects of a good indica edible, we decided to take these after dinner and before our bedtime routine of Netflix and chillin’.

Ripping open the triangle shaped package, the sweet smell of blueberry filled the room, transporting our minds to day trips to the local farm where we’d pick fresh berries by the basket-load. Following the instructions on the back of the package, we decided to start out by consuming one-third of a 30mg triangle. The flavor burst made our mouths water, reminiscent of popping a freshly picked blueberry into your mouth.

Within 15 to 20 minutes, we already felt the buzzing effects starting in our limbs and warmly wrapping our minds and body in a relaxing state, much like being snuggled in a cozy blanket next to the fireplace on a winter’s night.

One hour after eating the 10mg triangle and well into our binge-watching of Squid Game (for a second time, mind you), our bodies were heavy and relaxed, prompting us to set the sleep timer on the TV for 30 minutes. These Blueberry gummies proved to be great at not only getting us to sleep, but also providing deep, pain-free slumber through the night, without feeling any kind of head fog come morning.

After such a positive experience with the indica gummies, we didn’t waste any time in trying the next flavor the following morning, which was Caribbean Breeze, a sativa variety. The package alone gives consumers a good preview into what taste they can experience. With green apples, strawberries, citrus fruits and pineapple swimming in a sea of yellow juice on the package, we knew this one was going to be filled with flavor.

The scent of these wasn’t as overpowering as the Blueberry, but the flavor was again spot on. Pineapple came through hard in terms of flavor, with the sugary sweet coating of the gummy providing a welcomed texture that perfectly complemented the tropical taste experience. Our day ahead was going to be a busy Saturday at home, doing chores and finishing up some outdoor projects in the garden. Let’s just say that we opted for a bigger dose, since our experience with just one, 10mg triangle proved to be manageable and positive our first go-round.

After eating two squares and going in the backyard to harvest fruit from our lemon trees, it wasn’t long before the uplifting psychoactive effects kicked in. Suddenly a mundane task of chores in the garden turned all the more enjoyable. The sun was shining brighter, our minds were wandering, the music we were playing sounded better… overall, it was an intense and uplifting experience. While productivity wasn’t necessarily affected, we did find ourselves switching from one task to another, quickly forgetting what we were doing momentarily, truly enjoying the day.

Throughout the day we were able to consume one triangle at a time, about every hour, to keep the effects going strong without putting a damper in our busy day of chores.

The last gummy we tried was the STIIIZY’s Sour Apple Hybrid gummy. We were a little nervous because typically with sour flavors, we’re a little bit sensitive. That said, the flavor was sour, but the sugary sweet coating made it all the more manageable and not overwhelming. Consistent with the other gummies, the effects onset quickly, with us first feeling effects within 20 minutes, and the full body-high set in at about 45 minutes. Starting with one gummy, we decided to pop at second at around 90 minutes, since the effects were strong but satisfying.

Feeling a little stressed after a long weekend (and anticipating a busy work week ahead) the hybrid was helpful in easing our stress and anxiety, without causing us to overthink anything. Instead, we were able to take a nice bike ride around the neighborhood, followed by a spontaneous trip to the store (which very well could have been motivated by a case of the munchies). We found ourselves browsing the aisles in a carefree state, picking up essentials for the week, as well as some spontaneous snacks that we couldn’t resist.

All in all, all three edible varieties delivered on our expectations, giving us varied and enjoyable experiences that didn’t put a damper in whatever activities we had set out to accomplish. From the tasty flavors to the fast-acting properties, these were hands-down some of our favorite edibles we’ve tried to date. There’s nothing like consistency and a fast onset of effects to keep our faith in edibles, and STIIIZY delivers on all that and more.

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Category: Sativa