Help I’m Gay (Maybe) and High

Help I’m Gay (Maybe) and High

Written By Brian Cruz

When Lindsey first brought this topic to my virtual desk, she didn’t phrase it with any negative connotation.

As a gay, I think gay things when I’m high frequently, but I felt like Lindsey was probably looking for someone who identified as heterosexual and thinks gay thoughts, only or mostly when they are high. ‘

Tis not the case for me, but based on my experience of repressing my sexuality for most of my life coupled with the occasional hook up with a closeted friend, I can imagine what a candidate she is looking for might be like.

I wouldn’t say my high thoughts differ in extreme to my sober thoughts. Aside from that, sober I am less creative, more irritable, and more self-conscious. When high, I take my thoughts and reflect on their nature. I don’t hold myself to a puritan standard of what is normal. Just look outside, “normal” in the U.S.A. is very weird.

I, at the risk of labeling myself some pervert, think thoughts that interpret as heterosexual, even to me, my own critic.

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Casey’s Fat Nugs Field Trips: Black Ridge Cannabis

Casey’s Fat Nugs Field Trips: Black Ridge Cannabis

Dispensary Review Written By Casey Renteria

Black Ridge Cannabis is a veteran-owned and operated dispensary in Calera, Oklahoma.

When I found out the dispensary opened in March of 2023, this of course sparked a Fat Nugs field trip! I wanted to meet the owners Harvey Thompson, Edward Gann, & Kody Edwards to see what they were really all about.

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On the Ground at NCF 2023 with Caroline Phillips

On the Ground at NCF 2023 with Caroline Phillips

Written By LaWann Stribling

It’s now close to 2pm, and I am making my way to the VIP area, finally. After getting my food, I came closer to Caroline, thinking this would be a great time to approach her for a face-to-face interview.

I then noticed the look of concern on her face and overheard that we have to evacuate. I confronted her face-to-face, and asked her for clarification; “Did you say we have to evacuate the park?” She responded with a yes, explaining that a temporary shutdown is in place due to incoming storms.

With food still in hand, I briskly walked back to the other side of the park to our booth. Before I could even reach our tent, the rain drops began!

Keeping in mind the magnitude of this amazing annual festival, I am happy to report that I was able to interview Caroline Phillips, Founder of National Cannabis Festival after all - to finally speak about this year’s NCF.

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Enough. We have to stop using the word ‘strains’

Enough. We have to stop using the word ‘strains’

Written By Elana Kirsh

Some of you are gonna be up in arms about this one. I can already hear it. The legacy growers and sellers, the backbones of the cannabis industry for so long, who feel you need to stand as defenders for any attack on “the way things were.” 

So I’ll say straight off the bat - it’s not you. It’s prohibition. 

Of course we developed rubbish nomenclature for different types of cannabis while it was illegal (or more illegal than it is today), and underground. What choice did we have? How can you label something accurately when you only have an idea of what it contains?! 

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Cannarchy In The UK Part 1: The Decline of The British Hempire

Cannarchy In The UK Part 1: The Decline of The British Hempire

Written By Dave Barton

Much like Britain and its Royal Family, here and now in 2023 the UK and cannabis have a complicated relationship. But it wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time – some half a millennium ago – cannabis, in the form of hemp, was one plant we just couldn’t get enough of on this side of the Pond.

A little later on, cannabis continued to thrive; as both a material and a medicine. Even dear old Queen Victoria allegedly partook to quell her cramps. And then, just a few decades after… boom. The seeds of criminalisation were sown.

It’s only now, some 100 years on, that the balance is being redressed; and adult use/recreational cannabis is seemingly being openly embraced everywhere… except here in Blighty (I know, I know… but stay with me on this, k?).

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Fat Nugs & Impeccable Vibes: The 19th Annual Emerald Cup Awards Recap

Fat Nugs & Impeccable Vibes: The 19th Annual Emerald Cup Awards Recap

Written By Isabella DeChard

Just over 19 years ago, nestled up on a hill in the redwood trees, the (then underground) cannabis community of Northern California came together to create a friendly competition around cannabis cultivation. 

Hosted at Area 101, a small campground and gathering spot in Laytonville, Mendocino, a group of friends – consisting of passionate cannabis farmers, (now) legacy growers, and stoners – would party together through the night to honor the start of another cultivation season. 

This year, it hosted around 3,000 of California’s biggest brands, farmers, advocates, creatives, and “cannaisseurs” in the industry – all joined together for this reputable competition and celebration. 

For me, as a new-timer to this renowned cannabis competition, and a rookie industry advocate out of the masses that attended, it was an event and experience that I will never forget and always appreciate. 

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HOLD THE OPIOIDS, PLEASE

HOLD THE OPIOIDS, PLEASE

Written By LaWann Stribling

On September 15, 1995, I arrived at Prince George’s Hospital Center nervous and worried as hell for my 6:30 am scheduled induction.  My last OB/GYN appointment brought on concerns that I was developing pre-eclampsia, a serious condition marked by high blood pressure and other symptoms after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Due to this, my doctor thought it was best to have a scheduled induction on my actual due date. 

I had been living with my sister at her place on Taylor Street because I was still a ward of the state and couldn’t afford a place for me and my soon-to-be child to live. 

I had state insurance and the only two sonograms I had revealed my baby with their ankles crossed, blocking the pelvic area. 

I wasn’t familiar with pain medications or opioids except for what I heard on television. I watched pregnancy shows on Discovery Channel in the hopes that it would prepare me for this day – but I certainly WAS NOT prepared.

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Respect Thy Budtender

Respect Thy Budtender

Written By Kristine Freeman

“ You pull up to an impressive storefront decorated with ribboned panels of wood and live succulents in hues of green and purple. The glint of gold and glass though the window along with the leafy smell in the air is a hint of what’s to come. You cautiously take a step into an open lobby; to your right is a desk and to your left a flowing fountain.

The person behind the desk greets you and asks for your ID.

You’re directed to a nearby employee; her smiling face and friendly greeting put your nerves at ease. After exchanging names, she asks whether you’ve shopped for cannabis before and, when you tell her you haven’t, not to worry because she is a budtender. When you ask her to repeat herself, she adds that others might go by cannabis consultant or even sales associate, but either way, she is here to be your guide. “

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The Warrior Spirit of Mike Robinson: Awakening Into Confusion

The Warrior Spirit of Mike Robinson: Awakening Into Confusion

Written By Casey Renteria

In a blurry haze, Mike slowly came back. Even though his life seemed to have paused, his strong will could not. “I worked my way out of the hospital bed into a recliner that sat next to it.” The fog from the anesthesia was so heavy that when the nurse spoke to him, it was just a voice in the breeze.

“I had been injected with what I didn't want, but there was a true need. I was comfortably numb with the drugs they had supplied and Cannabis Oil.” The surgical oncologist came in right as Mike was putting away a syringe. The report came in. “There was conflicting data, so CT Scans and PET scans were being paired with the films of what he saw inside of me," Mike recalls. “My blood counts had dropped to 20% below the normal level.” 

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Cannabis & Consciousness

Cannabis & Consciousness

Written By Guy Borgford

“Cannabis and I have been an item for a very long time, yet it was only a few years ago, when I began combining her loving glow with the introspection and consciousness expansion of meditation. I kind of stumbled into meditation, with cannabis as my lovely wing, and began with just trying different things - different breathing techniques, music, sounds, mantras, focal points, positions, and different amounts of cannabis to go along with it. 

From the beginning, the idea of just sitting completely still or laying flat out, corpse pose, and applying a thin, sticky smear of cannabis consciousness to hold the phone, seemed to be just about the best idea I had ever come up with, and so I practiced. As I practiced and read up a bit, I began applying some yogic meditation techniques and my life began to shift in some pretty profound ways. “

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“STONED-OVER, FOREVER”

“STONED-OVER, FOREVER”

Written By Alex Montalban

“My first encounter with ‘marihuana’ was at the very ripe age of 13, growing up in Los Angeles, CA; or, ‘The Valley’ (for all you other CLUELESS fans like me out there).

Yep - believe it or not, my first ‘toke’ occurred approximately 3 miles from where CLAIRE was mugged under that infamous, hugely-fluorescent clown that still overlooks the Circus Liquor on Vineland Blvd. in North Hollywood.

My best friend at the time (we’ll call him “Luke”) held a glass, phallic-looking apparatus, filled to the brim with what appeared to be one of the many spices I had only seen in my mother’s kitchen cabinet, and handed it over to me; this pipe in one hand, and a Bic lighter in the other. “

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Why Dispensaries Should Invest in Their Sales Staff

Why Dispensaries Should Invest in Their Sales Staff

Written By Ashleen Aguilar

“My career started in marketing, and I budtended as a second job because I really wanted to be part of the cannabis industry.

I had gained a ton of knowledge on my own as a casual cannabis user and social media warrior. I followed cannabis accounts and soaked up their content. I watched videos on Youtube. I took myself to free classes and seminars to learn more. I asked questions to the growers and vendors who passed through my store. I also talked to my peers and we educated each other.

Do you know where I did not get much training?

From my dispensary. “

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“Burmese Mimosa” Strain Review

“Burmese Mimosa” Strain Review

Written By Shelley Peebles

“I’ve been hearing a lot lately about Sol Spirit Farms, and I was wondering what all the talk was about. When I had the chance to review their cannabis, I decided I had to meet the people behind the weed. This review begins with a story, set in idyllic Trinity County, California, in a little town called Willow Creek.

The cannabis scene was much different then, and legalization had not happened yet. Judi attended college and graduated with a degree in physical therapy. Walter was more of a free spirit, but they both followed the Grateful Dead all over the US. When they met, it was at a Jerry Garcia memorial in LA in 1995.

Judi and Walter have set up a beautiful regenerative farm tucked into the mountains, where they work with the terroir of the area to produce some of the county’s finest sun-grown cannabis.”

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Feeling the Fear: Battling Cancer with Cannabis

Feeling the Fear: Battling Cancer with Cannabis

Written By Casey Renteria

“The day after Christmas Mike had left for the hospital, assuming he’d quickly be in a room and getting ready for tests. However, the next 10 hours were full of errors and being brought in/out of tests, all of which were supposed to be done after admission. “I had no doctor,” Mike remembers. “nothing was coordinated, I was in pain, afraid, and alone.”

Mike didn't get a room until 5 pm that day, with nothing to eat or drink “due to the orders for testing.” My heart (and probably yours) aches hearing about a patient going through something this intense being left unattended. Was his health assessed? Yes, but what about him as a person, with a life and family at home?”

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Your Doctor Probably Tokes, But You Would Never Know

Your Doctor Probably Tokes, But You Would Never Know

Written By Dr. Olivia Green

“Walking into my job’s occupational health office sends my stomach into more twists than a pretzel. In my profession, an employee physical is standard. Also like many professions, a drug test is utilized for screening. When I got the job offer several years ago, I made sure that my urine was pristine.

The reason I walked into occupational health last week with an armpit full of piss was for a “lateral” promotion. You see, I’m a medical prescriber working in an outpatient clinic located in a non-legal state. I carry a little bottle of synthetic urine with me during work hours, wherever I go. Call it anxiety, call it overkill, call it smart, call it whatever you want. I call it insurance.”

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A Rainy Afternoon at the National Cannabis Festival

A Rainy Afternoon at the National Cannabis Festival

Written By Jessica Reilly-Chevalier

“It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when the National Cannabis Festival came to Washington DC.

Before 2 pm a thunderstorm rolled in and parked itself over the festival. What was a cool breeze turned into gusts of wind delivering fat raindrops and devolved into utter chaos.

By 2:05 pm, festival organizers issued an evacuation and rushed people out.

I missed all of this excitement as I rode the metro in, and when I arrived, the thunderstorm was still raging.

A wrong turn took me the long way around RFK stadium, where I passed bridge after bridge of people. They sat in camp chairs, chatting and smoking, clearly waiting for the storm to pass. After the third bridge, I began to wonder if there was something I was missing.”

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Cubicle ‘Stiff’ Finds ‘Self’ Again With Radical Healing

Cubicle ‘Stiff’ Finds ‘Self’ Again With Radical Healing

Written By DG Brosky

“Like most modern folks, I wasn’t given much time to loaf and lean against ragged fences brooding about art and existence. I was schooled and disciplined and told to focus! I did, and in my early thirties I found myself sitting in a sterilized cubicle on the 3rd floor of an office building in San Francisco.

What I was doing there doesn’t matter. Be it paying down debt or climbing up the ladder to building a career; burning away whatever sat at the back of ambition, no longer desired. Whatever that was, it was making me fucking miserable.

I’d started taking antidepressants with the hope that they’d flip the switch that seemed stuck in my head. I was advised by the Doctor to stay away from alcohol due to adverse effects. He recommended therapy. “Why would I need therapy if I have pills?” I thought. But I didn’t say anything because I was desperate to show the Doctor that whatever was going on with me was easily curable. Nothing serious. Just a superficial crisis. “

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Cancer Again?! A Cannabinoid Researcher Speaks Out: Heartbreak & The Return to Oncology

Cancer Again?! A Cannabinoid Researcher Speaks Out: Heartbreak & The Return to Oncology

Written By Casey Renteria

“I recently had the privilege of sitting down with the Man… Mike Robinson, whose story hits close to home for me. When I was too young to understand, my own grandfather started his battle with cancer. Like many so often do, he chose standard treatments and procedures. I watched, ignorant of what was going on as he became a shell of a human, and I’d be lying to say it didn’t affect me. The changes were permanent and stayed with him until his death.

With the chance to not only talk with Mike about his first-hand experience in an interview, but also to learn how cannabis came along for the ride, I knew it was a chance worth taking.”

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The Flower Mill Grinder: A Ganjier Review

The Flower Mill Grinder: A Ganjier Review

Written By Rob Sanchez

“As we all know, the grinder is an essential piece of the cannabis consumer’s toolkit. From plastic to wood to steel with varying designs and complexity, a grinder does what it has always done, breaking down delicious trichome covered buds for consumption. As the cannabis industry has evolved, every aspect of the toolkit has as well, but what about the grinder? The only real innovation over the years has been the kief-catching screen and different shaped teeth or materials. 

This is where the Flower Mill comes in. I've been using the Premium Stainless Steel Flower Mill along with the milling plate kit since Emerald Cup last year, and it has found a way into my regular kit these days. Aptly named with a cool flower/mandala logo and crispy clean packaging it “mills” instead of “grinds”, creating a very even product ready for rolling up. “

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Smells like Skunk: The Science Behind Our Favorite Weed Aromas

Smells like Skunk: The Science Behind Our Favorite Weed Aromas

Written By Bart Dluhy

“You know it when you smell it, but then again, you can’t just describe one cultivar and have it accurately represent all buds. Some are sweet, some are pungent, there are even unpleasant smelling cultivars with horrific sounding names like “Halitosis.” But what determines the aromas of cannabis buds?

Most cannabis consumers in medical or adult-use legal states have heard of terpenes by now. They are the fragrant, essential oils found in the same resinous material that contains THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids we value so much. But what about Thiols, Esters, Aldehydes, and other chemicals found in your weed that contribute to the complex smells?

Currently, science has identified approximately 550 chemical compounds that may be present in cannabis. Over 100 of those are cannabinoids (many are currently undefined) and more than 200 are terpenes. But what about the other 250 plus chemicals? What are they and how do they contribute to the smell and effects?”

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