What TF is Going on in NY?
Written By Jessica Reilly-Chevalier
From smoking apple bowls in the Big Apple to dispensaries in Times Square, cannabis in New York State has come a long way. But it’s been a convoluted path to get here – and where is here, actually? Two years after the Empire State formally legalized cannabis, we’ve still got a long way to go.
Here’s where the NYS market currently stands.
Hash Helped Me Heal
Written By Shelley Peebles
I remember the day I was sitting in my therapist’s office when I said, “I feel like he’s emotionally abusive. I don’t know if that’s a thing, but that’s what it feels like.” My therapist stopped and looked at me, eyes wide open. The next words out of her mouth hit me in the gut. “That’s because he is. And he will never change.”
I was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of a domestic violence incident. I knew I had to make a decision. Something needed to change. I needed my children to know that this was not a normal or healthy relationship, and I also needed to be in a better place. Mentally, I was not prepared for what unfolded.
Hasta Luego: From Barcelona With Love -Snowbirdstoner in España for Spannabis 2023
Written By Grant Mitchell
Barcelona as a city, functions as Europe’s beacon for trade shows. Despite weed being completely illegal in Spain, Spannabis shines as the largest European cannabis fair - now running 20 years strong.
Conglomerating 4 events, The International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC), Spannabis Fair, a symposium titled The World Cannabis Conference: International Cannabis Forum, and The Professional Growers Cup aka “Spannabis Champions Cup” all make up the juggernaut known collectively as SPANNABIS. Events are held in Fira de Cornellà from March 9-12th, with a plethora of afterparties, mixers, and networking gatherings usually in El Centro.
If you are thinking of visiting next year, it is definitely worth the trip. An article such as this, can never fully capture the magnitude of the breadth of the experience. Still, Spain should be on everyone's bucket list! Beyond just the convention, the culture in this part of the old world is magnificent.
Loving Yourself Is As Easy As 1 2 3
Written By Casey Renteria
I have always reserved edibles for pain management. Well, I used to until recently; Having food allergies makes finding edibles I can eat almost impossible. This is why I was thrilled when I found Love You Three – discovering it was women-owned and operated was a bonus! After learning more about the brand, I was curious to see if these edibles would do more for me than just manage my pain.
NECANN Boston: The Best of Cannabis in the Northeast
Written By Jessica Reilly-Chevalier
For years, the west coast has been the domestic mecca of cannabis, a shining paradise of legalization in a sea of prohibition. But it’s not 2012 anymore – over half of Americans now live where cannabis is legal, and the biggest wave of legalization reform has been on the East coast in recent years.
So, when NECANN descended on Boston for 3 days, it was the kind of good time you can only expect in the cannabis industry. This was the first time in 9 years that a majority of states in the NE were legal, and people were ready to celebrate.
I spent two days on the show floor, attending sessions, and afterparties, and talking to people. You don’t need to have visited the city to get the highlights - here’s the best of the best.
To Be A Woman In Cannabis Is To Be A Chemchix
Interview By The “Naive Newb” Blue Amnesia
To be a woman in cannabis is to be a “Chemchix'' and the CEO of Chemchix is leaning into that pleasure; the pleasure that is acknowledging all the incredible women making the culture what it is, the pleasure of finding and stepping into our power.
Her experience in the industry on the marketing side of things is where she began to feel the call to uplift the voices of women in the space. As she shared her experiences of repetitive stolen credit and misplaced honor with me, I understood completely how she got inspired to be the change.
What It’s Like To Be A Woman In Canna-Biz
Written By Christy Essex
My journey started by being only one of few women in cannabis meetings, gatherings, and collaboration events. As years passed, more and more women seemed to pop up at these events. All are there to support and be part of one of the greatest movements in our nation’s history!
Women who demonstrate passion and perseverance towards their goals in cannabis, despite the challenges and mountains they must climb, have GRIT!
It is not easy, and I’ve had my fair share of times I’ve thought to myself “this is the hardest thing I have ever done”- but I also know that working in the cannabis industry is the best decision I have ever made!
I truly believe that the women within the industry who will last know that the only way to truly excel and survive is to support and empower each other any chance we get.
Cannabis After Birth: Redefining Motherhood
Written By Casey Renteria
If you have ever had a c-section you already know coughing, sneezing, laughing, really everything can make you feel like you’re just going to collapse into a puddle. It’s not a great feeling at all, and not one I’d want to mix with a high.
For the first few weeks, I avoided smoking because I was literally afraid to cough. Immediately after being moved from the observation room to my recovery room, I got motion sick (which I knew would happen). There is no feeling that compares to your empty stomach dumping its contents, while several people hold compression on your core and incision site. I never wanted to feel that again… and I think that is really where my fear came from.
The Montana Cannabis Tour: Fat Nugs Under Big Skies with the Traveling Cannabis Writer
Written by Veronica Castillo
Montana’s cannabis legalization journey was a wild one in my opinion. So, I decided then that I wanted to travel to Montana someday to cover the people, the stories, the industry, and overall culture.
Fast forward to 2023, to a LinkedIn post by James Stephens, one of the owners of Sinful Beverages looking to sponsor a cannabis writer and sampler to roam the wilds of Montana!
I commented that I’d love to collaborate on this with Fat Nugs Magazine. Within a week we were on a call, and on that call, the planning of the tour commenced.
Covering Montana’s cannabis scene is important, covering Montana’s history is important, and covering Montana’s travel scene is important.
Here’s a little insight into the why’s.
ZMayor & Diana: A Love Story
As Told by Jonothon I. Wild
Sadly, softly they parted. The phone flirting slowly faded into each other's new life. HizSingleness broke the heartbreaking news to the Budsburg ladies. HizLoneliness spent the rest of that growing season at ZBend, spending his weekends caring for his cannabis plants also referred to as “The Ladies of Bburg.” When he needed a fan leaf to cry on, they were only a Stoner's-throw away.
ZMayor had a good habit of not playing favorites because he believed each and every lady was unique in her own Phenoness. Though he would never mention it to the others, this season and this season only, he had a favorite. She was alone just south of the barn. He would take time to gently guide her limbs each visit. He would compliment her on her pistils and terpene perfume. He would take time to gather Forget-Me-Nots on the way. The Dragonfly loved the white ones. They reminded her of the snow, and her winter walks at ZBend.
Rolling it up without RAW
Written by Melanie Rizzo
The news of RAW’s recent court case left us all feeling a bit bamboozled. As a joint aficionado, I frequently try new papers in an attempt to find the smoothest smoke that doesn’t burn too quickly or cover up the taste of my delicious and intentionally selected flower.
In my experience, paper preferences are personal, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt (or a puff of smoke) as my criteria may be different from your own.
No More Monkeying Around: That Manila Hemp Is Bananas!
Written by Shannon Flaherty and Austin Roberson
As the industry learns of the bad corporate behavior coming from prominent suppliers of rolling papers (and other smoking accessories) one might wonder: “I know the product I have is safe, I have a lab report for that, but what about the paper I’m about to roll it up with?”
Some have already been asking these questions, from growers to testing labs, to even TikTokers. You know, people. People who have a relationship with cannabis that is central to their daily lives.
As two people who refuse to harm the patients that are about to walk through our dispensary doors, our loved ones, and our personal health; we are now intent on finding the cleanest and most ethically produced rolling papers out there. Manila hemp is not the way.
Don’t know where to turn to now? We got you!
LaWann’s Famous Infused Sweet Potato Pie: A Butter Brewer Review
Review by LaWann Stribling
“As a baker, I wanted to test the limits of this machine to see if it could handle a Strib’ble Treats bestseller: Infused Sweet Potato Pie…”
No-No Berries at The Nearby Nowhere Private Dragon School
Written by Randy Gunter
Introduction by Lindsey Gunter
The piece you are about to read originates from a small group of rebellious teenagers in 1972 while attending the American school in Sao Paulo, Brazil called “Graded” or “Escola Graduada.” These kids had a small, independent publication small enough to be slid into the lockers of their peers called “Ergo,” in which they voiced frustrations with the school administration in all manners fantastical and allegorical.
The creator of this paper was a young William “Randy” Gunter, my father. This particular issue is labeled “Another Fable (From the Chronicles of Nowhere)” the second passage in the first volume, and the topic? “No-no berries in the berry lounge,” or in other words; “no marijuana in the smoking section."
This is why I wanted to share this piece of my family's history with cannabis with the Fat Nugs community as well as the cannabis community at large. To remind us that this de-stigmatization mission is not new, that it is generational, widespread with roots everywhere older than most civilizations.
To remind us that this cause has already been long fought, to rally us forward in wasting no more time uplifting the voices who have been part of the fabric of usage, the agents of the evolution of this glorious plant and the unique culture it inspires, past and present. Please Enjoy.”
Authentic Stoners in Love Talk How Cannabis Impacts Their Romance
Written by Hannah (Izer) Vysoky
Cannabis brings on euphoria. This is a pretty well-known fact amongst cannabis lovers. Being an adult cannabis consumer can add a hint of flare when you enter the world of dating and coming together as partners in a relationship.
On the other hand, sometimes dating as a cannabis consumer can be a bummer. Sometimes non-consumers might not understand the plant. Maybe they don’t enjoy smoking at all. Others may worry about judgment from others when playing the dating field as a stoner.
We wanted to talk to authentic stoners in genuine loving relationships or those in the throes of the dating world themselves, so we spoke to some fantastic content creators on social media and other outstanding personalities working in the cannabis industry to shine light on real-world perspectives.
Let’s take a look at some certified pot smokers who can share how cannabis impacts romance in their relationships.
Black Hempstory Month: Origins of Western Prohibition
Written by Dan Isenstein
There seems to be no end to shameless conspiracy theories about the origins of cannabis prohibition. Among the most disseminated are that William Randolph Hearst wanted to ban hemp to protect his vast timber holdings and that the DuPont corporation wanted to eliminate competition to their newly patented thermoplastic - nylon. The evidence supporting both sounds better when you’re high.
No, racism is inarguably at the root of reefer madness and ultimately cannabis prohibition. And, if racism was not the motivation for the making of cannabis illegal initially, then the execution of the law, which saw blacks and people of color arrested and incarcerated at more than double that of whites and sentenced to much longer jail terms, certainly provided the law with plenty of racist cred.
This Black History Month open your eyes, and your mind, to the reality that the easiest explanation is often the truth. Was cannabis prohibited because DuPont and Hearst conspired to protect their own self-interest or did the United States, which has been racist AF since its inception, pass a law to preserve the dominant social order?
My First Harvest Ball
Written by Isabella DeChard
The Emerald Cup hosts the Harvest Ball in Santa Rosa, California each year. Farmers and cannabis brands from all over the Golden State join to celebrate the bountiful crops and cultivars meticulously cultivated this season.
However, among the handful of other cannabis events I’ve gotten to recently experience, this two-day event felt significant among the others. Throughout the entire Harvest Ball weekend, the collective empathy and perseverance I always recognized about this cannabis community was stronger than ever.
Even though this was my first time at the Harvest Ball and an Emerald Cup occasion in general, I had never felt more welcome or comfortable at a major cannabis event.
The Sexiest Cannabis Topicals for Valentine’s Day
Written by Jessica Reilly-Chevalier
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and it’s time to get handsy. Cannabis topicals are usually applied by hand, which makes them a useful and erotic addition to your bedroom.
Topicals are absorbed into the skin, but not through the skin barrier. Perfect for relieving pain or soreness, reducing tension and inflammation, and helping you disconnect from the craziness of the world… so you can reconnect with your (or your partner’s) body.
V-day invites us to slow down, relax, and make ourselves feel good. How good? That’s up to you! The following topicals are sure to spice up your love life and become go-to products.
Cannabaceae: Japanese Hops, the Killer Weed that Can Save Your Life!
Written by Mike Robinson
Cannabaceae is Medicine; it's time we harness the power of all the plants within the family, because Cannabis is just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple varieties of Humulus are known for medicinal properties, and the Japanese Hop has found its way into that collection.
What a shame to think that these vines growing throughout America are considered nothing more than a burden when they possess their own goodness, ready to heal our aches, pains, moans, and groans.
There seems to be quite a bit of madness over these vines; maybe it's the shape of the leaves and their similarity to Cannabis that truly disturbs the mostly illegal states that wish to eradicate it.
Last tolerance break in Paris
Written by Matthew Dean
Ahhhhh…. The T-Break, AKA the tolerance break. No matter what your thoughts - whether you are a cheerleader or chastiser, a willing participant, or in my case, had the T-break foisted upon you, this is not a diatribe on the pros and cons of taking a tolerance break. It is a journey into the unwanted absence of my love, cannabis, in the city of love itself.
I figured, once free of the family, the wedding, and France, I would treat myself to a week in Amsterdam while the family flew to Rome to see the Pope or something. The major issue was making sure Nina had weed: Period, point blank. And she PROMISED that she would. A rare thing for my lovable but sometimes not all that dependable cousin.
To be clear, traveling with my family wasn't going to be a nightmare, it just wasn't the ideal option to be traveling with Mom and Nana. Despite this, I knew that some weed would be just what I needed to ease into the trip, and Nina had a friend in Amsterdam supplying decent weed and hashish.