The History of Marijuana Legalization

Marijuana cultivation in The United States dates back to the 1600s. Colonists grew a certain type of hemp known as cannabis.

The American government encouraged settlers to grow hemp at that time. The crop was used to make rope, clothing, and sails.

Up until the Civil War, the domestic growing of hemp flourished. However, after the war, hemp was imported instead.

By the end of the 1800s, marijuana was being used as a medical product. Americans could purchase remedies that contained marijuana in drug stores.

In 1910, after the Mexican Revolution, Mexican immigrants brought recreational marijuana with them when they flooded across the border into the USA.

This gave rise to fear of the drug trade and drug gangs. Anti-drug campaigns warned against a "Marijuana Menace". 

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, many were unemployed. Fear of and resentment toward Mexican immigrants escalated. Governments and the public were so concerned about the potential problems associated with marijuana that twenty-nine states voted to outlaw marijuana. 

In 1937, Congress passed the Marihuana Tax Act. This act placed a tax on the sale of marijuana. According to the terms of the act possession and sale of marijuana became illegal. Medicinal use of marijuana was legal but there was a very expensive tax on it. Those who grew, imported, distributed, or prescribed marijuana had to pay a tax. Extensive record-keeping was required for the sale of medicinal marijuana. 

Some contend that the act, in effect, criminalized the use of, production of, and sale of marijuana.  Some saw the act as a way to cut the production of hemp that was, by then, being used as a cheaper paper product than pulp.

Others argued that the tax was necessary to curtail the negative effects of marijuana use. They believed that marijuana affected brain function and caused an increase in violence and crime.

Not everyone believed marijuana had harmful effects. The New York Academy of Medicine issued an extensive report dispelling the negatives of marijuana use. Their report said that marijuana did not increase violence or insanity. They also stated that its use did not lead to drug addiction nor did it lead to the use of harder drugs like heroin or cocaine.  

World War II saw a resurgence in the production of hemp. The U.S. Department of Agriculture encouraged farmers to grow hemp. It was used for such military gear as marine cordage and parachutes. The "Hemp for Victory" campaign registered 375,000 acres of hemp fields in the United States. 

By the 1950s, federal laws enforced mandatory sentences for drug-related offenses. However, by the 1960s more lenient attitudes towards marijuana were in place. 

By 1970, Congress had repealed mandatory penalties for drug-related offenses. In 1972, the Shafer Commission determined that personal use of marijuana should be decriminalized.

In 1976, a parent's movement against marijuana led to the 1980s War on Drugs with mandatory drug sentences re-enacted.

By the mid-1990s there was a major shift in public perception of marijuana. In 1996, California passed Proposition 215 allowing for the sale and medical use of marijuana.

Today, thirty states have legalized the medical and/or recreational use of marijuana.

Street Prices

Once known as black market prices, street prices are what you would pay when buying marijuana from someone who is not a licensed dealer. 

Street Quantities and Quality

As expected, there is a wide variation in quality when you purchase marijuana from a street source.

Advantages of Street Purchases

While you need to do your research before purchasing marijuana from a street source, you are not limited in the quantity you purchase. You may also be able to find good deals. In states and countries where marijuana is now legalized, street prices have reportedly dropped to less than half of those of licensed dispensaries. When you buy on the street, there is even some room to haggle over prices.

But when purchasing from a street source, it’s buyer beware. There is no guarantee of quality.

Factors that Affect Street Purchases

With street prices, it’s a law of supply and demand. Since licensed dispensaries opened, many who bought on the street aren’t doing so anymore. Thus, independent marijuana sellers have been forced to drop their prices.

With street purchases, there is also a wide variation in prices from one location to another.

Dispensary Prices

To run a legal dispensary, vendors must be licensed. There are also strict guidelines about quality and pricing. Buyers pay a sales tax of approximately 15% when they purchase from a dispensary.

In a dispensary, you can expect to pay an average of $9.99 per gram. The street price for a similar amount might be less than $6.40. That’s a saving of over thirty-five cents per gram.

Dispensary Quantities and Quality

Most dispensaries are clean, pleasant places. They often have knowledgeable staff happy to help you choose a product. Many dispensaries also run educational programs.

Advantages of Dispensaries

A CTV News report contends that the legalization of marijuana has driven up prices.

Dispensaries are eager to match the product you purchase to your goals. They encouraged you to ask questions and to learn about their many products. Their aim is to nurture return business.

Factors that Affect Dispensary Costs

1. Product Type and Quality

The brand of the product may affect its price. Other factors include the amount of THC in the product. Cost may also be determined by how it is produced. Growing and drying processes can affect the quality of the weed.

1. Supply and Demand

The degree of demand and the amount of marijuana available greatly affects the pricing of marijuana. If the supply is low and/or demand is high, then the cost of marijuana will increase.

How Dispensary Prices and Street Prices Regulate Each Other

Street prices can affect the pricing of dispensary marijuana. Street sellers can undercut the prices of legal dispensaries because they do not have the overhead of a store. They also do not have to buy a license and charge sales tax.

Once dispensaries of legal marijuana cropped up, street prices dropped as buyers were lured to dispensaries by guarantees of safety and quality of the product.

Why Buy Through Cannasaver?

Cannasaver and is the best option for getting the best weed deals anywhere. Dispensaries have some great options as far as all cannabis products are concerned and unlike the days where you used to have to buy from the street, you actually know what you’re getting. If prices seem a little high, check out our deals and save on flower, concentrates, edibles, and more!

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There is a definite pattern of Colorado population growth since the legalization of marijuana. In 2015, Colorado was declared the state with the second fastest-growing population in America with a population of 101,000.

In the years after legislation to legalize marijuana, the population increased by over 30,000. In 2014, Colorado’s population increased by another 35,500. The year 2015 saw almost 37,000 new residents.

A study by IZA Institute of Labor Economics, a German research firm, found that the population of Colorado showed a sharp increase after the legalization of medical marijuana.

Several factors may have caused the population to increase at the time when marijuana was legalized. To explore the reasons for the Colorado population growth, the US Census Bureau used data from the American Community Survey.

Comparing the results of census data taken in 2005 and 2009, they concluded that the annual move to Colorado rose by between 11% and nearly 20% since the legalization of (medical) marijuana in 2011.

Population Growth Patterns

Population growth can be the result of increasing birth rates that are larger than death rates. It can also be explained by immigration. New residents may come from Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe, or Asia.

Colorado’s rapid population growth comes mostly from domestic immigration. The movement of people from one state to another is a typical reason for population growth.

Why are People Moving to Colorado?

People choose to move from one state to another for several reasons. These include greater employment opportunities, climate, more affordable housing, greater safety, recreational options, retirement living, and better medical care.

While the rapid growth in marijuana production and the opportunities to use marijuana legally in the state have most certainly accounted for some of the population growth, there are other reasons people are moving to Colorado.

New job opportunities have opened up in Colorado. Denver Business Journal rated Colorado the second-best state for jobs. Some are related to marijuana production and sales. But other areas such as construction and tourism are also growing.

Colorado’s climate with an average of three hundred days of sunshine annually is a drawing card for both retirees and the younger set. Many come because they like the beautiful landscape, the laid-back lifestyle, and the many recreational opportunities.

Wealth Afforded by Legalization of Marijuana

Marijuana production and sales are big business for individuals and for the state of Colorado. In 2019, CNBC reported that Colorado state revenue for marijuana had surpassed a billion dollars.

Colorado imposes a 15% excise tax from the cannabis grower to the retailer. Additionally, the state places a 15% sales tax on the buyer.

In 2018, Colorado legal pot sales topped $1.2 billion, with the state pulling in about $270 million in taxes. Compare that to the approximately $45 million that the state collected in tax on alcohol that same year.

Presently, Colorado has almost three thousand licensed marijuana businesses. Over forty thousand Colorado residents are licensed to work in the marijuana production industry. 

In a little over three years, Colorado garnered $500 million dollars in state revenue from marijuana sales.

In April and May alone, the state saw its two highest-grossing months with $24 million in state revenue.

Colorado’s cannabis revenue is used for health, education, and youth drug prevention initiatives. 

Colorado politicians point to other positive aspects of legalizing marijuana besides tax revenue. These include increased employment, crime reduction, increased business, and residential construction, and higher occupancy rates in rental properties.

Cannabis Revenue in Other States

The eleventh state to legalize cannabis for recreational use, Illinois joins Washington, Alaska, Colorado, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Vermont, Michigan, and Nevada. Washington, D.C. legalized marijuana sales, as well. To date, thirty states have legalized marijuana for medical and/or recreational use. 

Many state leaders see revenue from marijuana sales as a way to help states which are in financial crisis. 

Illinois estimates state revenue at $170 million annually. This income is from both marijuana sales and producer license fees.

Investopedia points out that there are several areas of revenue for states that have legalized marijuana. Job opportunities lure people to the state. New residents increase state revenue. Building projects abound when people move to the state.

Marijuana production, licenses, and sales bring in millions in state revenue.

In addition, cannabis production provides investment opportunities for the state, the country, and worldwide. 

Washington State reaped $376 million in annual revenue for legalized marijuana.

NewFrontierData.com, a cannabis data website, predicts that by 2025 legal cannabis will grow to $25 billion. This projects huge revenue for states with legalized marijuana.

Not all states have fared as well as they had projected. While California hoped to take in $643 million in revenue, it pulled in only $345 million in 2019. California’s marijuana industry is struggling to make a profit because of black market marijuana sales.

What are the Downsides of Legalizing Marijuana?

As with most things, there is a downside to legalizing marijuana.

Long-term or extended use of marijuana may be harmful both as a cancer-producing smoke and as a mind-altering substance.

Second-hand smoke from marijuana has proven to be harmful to others.

Regular use of marijuana can lead to the use of harder more harmful drugs including heroin and cocaine.

There is no argument. Cannabis production puts millions in state coffers. In addition, it creates large numbers of new jobs in production and sales. People who move to the state to fill these jobs boost the state’s economy. They create a need for increased housing and increase retail sales.

Medical marijuana has proven therapeutic benefits. Its legal availability does not seem to have increased its use among youth.

Crime and violence have decreased because of decriminalization of cannabis consumption and sale. Policing costs have thus decreased because the illegal selling and buying of marijuana has been removed. As Market Watch notes, where states have legalized recreational marijuana, police can spend time on solving these serious crimes instead of making marijuana possession arrests. 

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Psst, hey you. I hate to interrupt as I see you are about to light that delicious-looking bud in your pipe but I have a secret I want you and everyone to know. Ready? 

If you eat a specific fruit before you chief on that bowl in your hands, it will boost your high significantly.

Wild, right? A fruit that can help obtain and maintain your high for much longer than typically expected. This magical fruit, drum roll please, fresh mangoes. Okay, you think I’m nuts, totally get it. But let’s take a peek with the grand question ringing, do mangoes really increase your high?

The Intertwining Relationship Between Marijuana and Mangoes

Eating fresh mangoes 60 to 90 minutes before enjoying your top tier cannabis is one of the easiest ways to get the most out of your high and your flower. The exotic mango is made of a terpene that is fairly common among different marijuana strains. Did I lose you at terpenes? I hear you but they are not scary. They help make cannabis the psychedelic awesome ride we know and love dearly.

Oh, The Delectable Terps

Terpenes are biological aromatic compounds found in many different plant species. They are responsible for the various smells and flavors plants have. The terpenes produce the citrus, pepper, pine, and floral tastes/smells gathered within the buds. They promote relaxation/stress relief for Indica strains and uplifting/energy for sativas but how does this connect with mangoes? Follow me. 

The Science of Myrcene

The most common terpene amongst the marijuana ranks is myrcene. As far back as 1970, studies have shown myrcene improves cell membranes in the body to absorb good nutrients. Myrcene makes up 20% of all the terpenes found in all cannabis strains. The terpene also appears as the most dominant among 40% of shelved marijuana strains. This is quite handy because mangoes are also filled with the glorious terpene. Myrcene affects the blood/brain barrier.

The terpene protects against circulating toxins/diseases which cause brain infections. The protection allows nutrients to reach the brain. Myrcene lowers the barrier allowing THC to pass through easier thus allowing for a sustained high. This process does not raise the psychoactivity of THC but naturally increases the sense of chill and couch-lock. This allows marijuana to hit fast/strong. Typically completely halving the onset time.

The Benefits of Marijuana and Mangoes

The myrcene in both plants help prevent multiple health issues including but not limited to:

• Battling cancer 

• Bone density improvement 

• Stability of blood sugar levels for diabetics 

• Reducing asthma flare-ups

• Digestion improvement. 

The high-functioning digestive system helps to intensify edibles if taken. The myrcene in the mango also provides calming effects as well as pain relief. 

Mango Munchie Time

By eating the mango before your sesh, you are also toning down the effects of the munchies or rather the food cravings. Only 130 calories, the mango consists of mostly water and dietary fiber. This allows the eater to feel full in their stomach which will calm the over-eating stoner. The mango’s nutrients will rejuvenate the smoker while decreasing the risk of cancer with every bite.

Effective Mango Intake for an Increased High

Eat one to three mangoes before you smoke or eat an edible. If you have a fast metabolism, you should start this process one hour before consuming. For those with a slower metabolism, start one to two hours before your smoke sesh. When choosing a particular mango product for this adventure, always go fresh, fresh, fresh. Go ahead and skip juices or dried mangoes. Juices may be artificial and the myrcene harvested may have degraded much further with those products.

If for some reason you cannot eat a mango, some substitutions are:

• Lemongrass
• Thyme
• Parsley
• Hops

So, if your next smoke sesh you find yourself feeling adventurous (or if you’re running low on weed), dive right into a myrcene-drenched, fresh mango. Oozing in rich vitamins, nutrients, and a high of ever-increasing awesomeness, this method of getting stoned is sure to impress. From delighting people with high tolerances, health nuts, and couch-lockers; mangoes are truly here to increase that ever-fleeting high.

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Heat exposes the cannabinoids in your weed to decarboxylation. "Decarbing" your weed is a process that changes the chemical structure of the chemical compounds in cannabis to become more available to the bloodstream. That’s the simple part. In this guide, we discuss a bit of the chemistry and focus on proper decarboxylation of your weed at home.

Chemical Processes Maximize The Availability TO THE BRAIN!!!!

Ever wondered why marijuana is more commonly smoked?  How about expressed curiosity as to why edibles get you high, yet eating raw marijuana does not? 

The most forward conclusion one could make would be that heat and temperature conditions must have something to do with this phenomenon - and they’d be 100% right! This process is called decarboxylation. 

What is the proper decarboxylation process?

Decarboxylation put in simple chemical terms, implies that we remove a carbon atom and oxygen atom from a molecule (hint: it’s THCa). By heating cannabis, this causes these bonds to break within the THCa molecule, converting it to THC. 

That’s a simplification, yet it’s important to have a basic idea of the full concept before we dive further. 

What cannabinoids are activated by carboxylation?

Now that we know the removal of an oxygen atom and carbon atom via heat from the cannabis plant allows certain compounds to become more available to the body, but what does that mean? 

Cannabis contains hundreds of naturally occurring chemical compounds. Some provide an effect on the body, others are purely aroma, while others do not really do anything we are aware of yet. Not all of these compounds are cannabinoids, there are terpenes, flavonoids, among other compounds that make up the flavor and aroma of fresh cannabis and cannabis products. 

Cannabinoids such as THCa and CBDa exist in the raw flower in greater quantities - naturally. The problem: While these two cannabis compounds do have some appreciable medical benefits, it is their decarboxylated family members THC and CBD that produce the greatest benefit to medical patients and the best experience for recreational consumers. 

Decarboxylation of your weed removes the chemical bond preventing the cannabinoid THC, among others, from readily entering the bloodstream. Put another way, decarboxylation activates the THC and CBD.

Is decarboxylation necessary for edibles? 

Cannabis distillate is among the few types of cannabis product that comes activated (i.e. - decarboxylated) from the dispensary. If you plan on making edibles with anything else, "decarbing" your weed is 100% necessary. 

Eating marijuana fresh flower will not produce any of the psychoactive effects associated with smoking or vaporization. Decarboxylation is therefore one of the most important parts of the edible production process. With a good method, making edibles, tinctures, or other non-smoked products at home is both fun and consistent. 

A note about edibles:

Decarboxylation allows cannabinoids to more freely enter the bloodstream. Because food goes through the stomach and smoke goes through the lungs, there are different enzymatic processes in the body for processing the THC. 

Edibles do take longer to kick in as a result of their different process of absorption. Just keep in mind the experience and the timeframe are much different with edibles than with smoking or vaporization.

Weed and Decarboxylation: How to do it in 5-steps

Decarboxylation of weed, known colloquially as "decarbing," is essential for THC, CBD, or various other less prominent cannabinoids to be available to the body without smoking or vaporizing the product. Decarbed weed can be used to infuse oils; it can be easily added to salad dressings and sauces, and it can consistently produce the experience recreational cannabis enthusiasts are seeking. 

This process can be done with fresh flower and concentrates. As mentioned above, cannabis distillate does not need to be decarboxylated. There is a good reason, but it’s not one we will explore here (because we explored it here).

Step 1: Measuring your doses

Measure out the desired amount of weed for proper decarboxylation. This varies by both the user and the intended dose. Let’s run through a piece of math quickly:

• 3.5 grams is equal to 1/8th of an ounce

• The cannabis is 20 percent THCa, meaning per 1000 milligrams of full flower (or 1 gram) there is 200 milligrams of THCa.

• This means per 1/8th ounce, there are 700mg of THCa

** it should be noted that THCa does not 100% convert to THC. It’s generally good to estimate the final THC will be roughly 25 percent less than the initial THCa. 

• 700mg THCa * 0.25 loss = 175mg loss

• 700mg THCa - 175mg THCa = 525mg THC after decarboxylation

Step 2: adding the heat

Under environmental conditions, cannabis would grow, it would produce flower, and die. After the plant is dead, the remaining plant would continually be exposed to oxygen. A process of oxidation would eventually cause the THCa to lose an oxygen and carbon molecule, becoming THC. This process is expedited greatly by adding heat.

We've found the temperature 220 degrees Fahrenheit (~104 Celsius) for 55 minutes - 1 hour 5 minutes consistently delivers a bright experience rather than a burnt one. 

Preheat the oven so the timer is as accurate as possible. The goal is to minimize the loss of THC and maximize flavor. 

Step 3: preparing your cannabis for decarboxylation

If you are using fresh cannabis flower, grind it finely and evenly. If you are using concentrates, depending on the quantity, the most important part is you have a tool to scrape it from the container.

Step 4: get the cannabis oven-ready

Use an oven-safe container such as a Pyrex container. Spread the cannabis flower or concentrate evenly across the container. Some recommend putting tinfoil or a cover over the container, others don’t. We think it is up to preference. 

Step 5: it’s time to decarb your weed!

Pop that pot in the oven for 55 minutes to 1 hour 5 minutes. At the 25 minute mark, stir your flower and concentrates. This helps ensure even decarboxylation. At the hour mark, remove from the oven and let sit for five to ten minutes. 

Find great cannabis deals and get "decarbing" your own today with Cannasaver! 

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Let’s face it, friend – the dank Colorado “sticky-icky” is profoundly potent these days. With potency of the flower comes some of the most powerful odors known to the human nose. As your house fills with the attractive smells of your favorite dispensary, you realize you have your family coming over for dinner. 

You have no time to embrace the wonderful smells as you rush to think of solutions for the smell. An overload of nerves surges through you – how are you going to smell proof your righteous stash? Let’s skip the sandwich bags and look at some ways we can smell proof thy stash.

Starting at the Source

Mary Jane, how we love thee, but wowzers, you really stink. No more comments need to be heard from mom about letting a skunk die in the living room. How are we going to smell proof this noxious, inviting cannabis? Let’s seal up this odor in the most preserving way we can. No flavor or potency will be sacrificed this day.

What to Look for When Smell Proofing the Stash

We will start by hitting the obvious on the nose, the actual smell proofing. Smell proofing your stash will help to deter our precious cannabis from children, looky-lous, and animals alike. This will hopefully keep your stash’s threat level maximum low. We want to stay away from plastic jars. Marijuana smells leak out of plastic containers due to the porous nature of the plastic itself. Also, plastic containers run the risk of having static charges destroy the adorable trichomes.

Proper Stash Storage

Airtight, glass jars are a perfect place to start. With so many different styles to choose from, it’s a matter of personal preference but have fun with it. Just make sure it's glass and airtight. The cheapest, often most effective choice is simply Mason jars. Big plus – they often come in packs of six or so. Storing in jars prevents smells from coming out of the jar while providing cover from light and humidity. 

Another option is a humidor. Humidors keep the humidity between 50-65%. Be cautious however because they can fluctuate in humidity randomly which could spell mold for your innocent flower. For extra paranoia protection, you can also wrap the stash jar in laundry sheets or throw the jar in with coffee beans.

Fancy Stash Bags and Devices

These days, stash bags can get about as designer as you want them to be. That said, stash bags are absolutely amazing and necessary if you can get one. They typically have room for thy stash, pipe, lighter, and if lucky, your grinder. Lined in activated charcoal, stash bags absorb the strong smells leaving no odor behind. 

Another fancy thing you can do is invest in a good vaporizer. Vaporizers reduce the amount of odor being emitted while also having flavor and being a healthier overall choice.

Smell Proofing While Smoking Your Stash

Air Filters

There are a couple of great options when disguising cannabis smoke as regular smoke. The first option is a useful, crude device known as a sploof. Many of you probably used this creation at some point while smoking. It consists of a toilet paper tube stuffed with laundry sheets. 

Simply blow through the tube and smoke comes out smelling like freshly washed clothes. For the more adult, not McGuyver type, the Smoke Buddy is a longer-lasting choice. Made of various colored plastic, Smoke Buddies have a good design, effective, and not a toilet paper tube.

Smoke Outside

Sounds simple enough right? Get outside to smoke, friend. You will enjoy some fresh ol’ air while the sunlight neutralizes any smells you acquired during your sesh. UV light takes the smell away in about 30-45 minutes.

Odor Eliminators

It’s tempting to start spraying Febreeze or Axe like it’s going out of style. Don’t. The world and the environment will thank you. Instead, invest in some Ozium, Odoban, or Va-Por-Tek. They kill bacteria, break up stubborn odors, and will leave you (and anyone else) wondering if you ever smoked at all.

Clean your Glass

Never underestimate the power of a cleaned out piece. Pipes, bongs, vaporizers, the cleaner they are the cleaner you are. When dirty, glass pieces can be notorious sources of awful stoney smells. By cleaning the resin and ash out, the glass won’t smell and bet the flower tastes much better as well.

Air Purifier

To round out our festival of ripe cannabis smell remedies, an air purifier will finish the job of smell removal by removing the smell particles from the area in which the purifier is set up. Works best in a medium space. It will remove the remaining stale smoke smells.

Armed with your arsenal of goodies, your family shows up and cannot believe how good your house smells. No dead skunk jokes tonight folks. 

Marijuana is absolutely amazing and gets better every day, but we don’t have to flaunt it. Not everyone loves it as much as we do. Learn how to smell proof your stash and you become a professional pot lover. 

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States across the US are changing their views on cannabis, and they have been doing so for some time. That’s why it was monumental to see movement at the federal level, and not just the state. On December 4, 2020, the US House of Representatives passed H.B. 3884, titled the “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020”, or the MORE Act for short. But when will weed be federally legal?

While it is likely to be blocked in the Senate, the passage at the House of Representatives comes after 50+ years of strict federal prohibition of marijuana. While it may have taken a lifetime, and we still are not there yet, this is hopeful - and not just because it would make marijuana federally legal. 

The bill is loaded with resolutions that reach across political parties and offers some compassion for the mistakes and tragedies our criminal justice system has placed on consumers, growers, and non-malicious purveyors. 

Let’s take a look.

50 Years in The Making: Removing Cannabis From The Controlled Substances Act of 1970

The Wall Street Journal reports “The vote was largely along party lines. Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan and five Republicans voted in favor of the bill, including Rep. Matt Gaetz (R., Fla.) who was a cosponsor. Six Democrats voted against the bill, all centrist lawmakers.” 

The bill passed the House with 228 Congressperson's voting in favor and 164 votings against the Bill, marking the first time since 1970 a measure for reforming cannabis laws that make marijuana federally legal was passed by either chamber of Congress.

What Would The MORE Act of 2020 Change?

There are several high-impact components in the Bill, most of which can stunningly reduce the past, existing, and future harm individuals and communities have faced from criminalization. 

Given these harms are and have always disproportionately impacted minority communities, the push to right the wrongs of our systems is front and center in the minds of many voters - and it seems most US House representatives support change as well. See some of their remarks below.

1. The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act

If signed into law, the MORE act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, effectively leaving it to states to determine how they want their residents to engage with the plant.  

“Across this nation, thousands of men and women have suffered needlessly from the federal criminalization of marijuana, particularly in communities of color and have borne the burden of collateral consequences for those ensnared in criminal legal systems that have damaged our society across generations.” - Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)

1. Like the states already do, The MORE Act would allow the Federal government to tax cannabis

The legislation would impose a five percent federal tax on cannabis products. These funds would be used by programs in communities hurt by the war on drugs.

According to Marijuana Moment, “As now structured, the MORE Act would make it so cannabis would be federally taxed at five percent for the first two years after implementation and then increased by one percent each year until reaching eight percent. After five years, taxes would be applied to marijuana products based on weight rather than price.”

If passed, the MORE Act would both make cannabis federally legal - or at least states can choose without fear of a federal crackdown - and would create a Community Reinvestment Grant Program. 

The program would use tax dollars for job training, literacy programs, and youth recreation and mentoring services, and numerous other community services and organizations.

“This is about allowing states and localities to self-determine what their marijuana policies should be.” - Justin Strekal, political director at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, to WSJ.

1. The MORE Act expunges criminal records for most offenders

Within the bill, there are measures to resentence individuals currently incarcerated for criminal offenses related to cannabis. While ‘resentence’ means that the individual may still be sentenced for a crime, under the MORE Act, a majority of low-level cannabis offenses will be expunged. 

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020 clarifies that not all marijuana offenses are eligible for expungement. More specifically, violent marijuana offenders and “kingpins” will be barred from resentencing/ expungement under the MORE Act. 

Under the rules making cannabis federally legal, the number of incarcerated individuals for nonviolent marijuana charges would see a substantial drop. 

1. The MORE Act does not require that federal positions be tested for THC or other cannabis-derived compounds, except in limited circumstances

The rules go on to say that the Transportation Department and Coast Guard may continue to include marijuana in drug testing programs, but most federal employees (and applicants) would no longer be ineligible for work because they got high on holiday. Hurray!

If you didn’t know, marijuana testing was a federal employee requirement. And since THC can be detected in urine for 2-4 weeks, people seeking federal employment had to worry about their employment, and their activities outside of the office would collide in a negative way. The MORE Act would allow this anxiety to disappear. 

1. Immigrants would have broader marijuana protections under the MORE Act

The bill, passed Dec. 4, 2020, aims to further protections for immigrant individuals and families. With regard to immigration laws, the MORE Act, in making marijuana federally legal, states the following:

“....an alien may not be denied any benefit or protection under the immigration laws based on  any event, including conduct, a finding, an admission, addiction or abuse, an arrest, a juvenile adjudication, or a conviction, relating to cannabis, regardless of whether the event occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.”

BONUS: The MORE Act minimizes barriers to entry for small business owners through loan program access

Under the MORE Act, a Cannabis Justice Office would be started. The Office would have appointees under the Justice Department. This individual or office would be responsible for distributing funds provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provide loans for small cannabis businesses owned and controlled by socially and/ or economically disadvantaged individuals. These loans seek to reduce inequality by minimizing any existing bias or discrimination in current borrowing practices. 

Making Marijuana Federally Legal: What’s Next?

While the MORE Act passed the House of Representatives, the Senate is less favorable. The reasons for this are largely political and civil. However, since criminal penalties are being discussed, it is likely to cause a bit of frothy conversation first. 

The passage of the MORE act in Congress marks a first, but also a half-way point. There is more political and social support for changing the law than ever before, but it is not yet enough. When will weed be federally legal?

Not yet, but we're almost there.

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Marijuana is widely available in Colorado. There are certain cities and counties which do not allow the sale of cannabis products, but you will not have to go far to find places where you can fulfill your cannabis cravings. If you’ve never done it before, buying weed in Colorado can be intimidating. What do you get? How do you know what to ask? Will I look like a noob? Don’t worry, here are a few things to know about buying weed in Colorado.

Buying Legal Marijuana in Colorado

There are two types of dispensaries for buying weed in Colorado: Recreational and Medical. Many companies have dual storefronts as Colorado laws demand a separation of medical marijuana products from recreational store products. 

Buying Recreational Marijuana 

For recreational marijuana buying access is restricted to people over 21 years of age. If you possess a medical marijuana card you can start buying at 18 years old. For recreational marijuana, you just need your photo identification and your money and in the time it takes to get a coffee you can get an ounce from a dispensary. 

Buying Medical Marijuana 

By contrast, a medical marijuana card is not something you will just find on the street or come across by chance. It is a tool, available to those with medical conditions that must be obtained in steps. To obtain a medical marijuana card you must be a Colorado resident, visit a doctor, fill out the paperwork with the Colorado Department of Public Health, and wait for your approval. You will then receive approval in your email which you can print. 

Then you only need your card and your cash and you are on your way to finding the best-priced weed this side of the Mississippi River. 

Cannasaver has a page dedicated to this privileged segment of customers.

The Difference Between Buying Medical and Recreational Marijuana

The difference between recreational and medical marijuana is not the buds or concentrates. It is largely a difference based on price and quantities. 

Colorado taxes medical marijuana at a lower rate of just the standard state tax of 2.9% while recreational marijuana is taxed at 15% in addition to the standard state tax. 

The other big difference between medical and recreational marijuana legalities is the amount you can possess. A medical card carrier can possess up to 2 ounces of buds and someone who shops recreationally is only allowed up to 1 ounce. 

Cannasaver has a page dedicated to helping you find the best ounce deals. You can expect to pay a low of $39 for shake and up to $200 for top-shelf nuggets. Concentrates are also available to both medical and recreational customers. The same rules apply as with buds, medical cardholders can buy and possess more concentrates legally. 

The Amount of Weed You Can Buy in Colorado

Dispensaries are heavily regulated and will let you know what your max carrying and purchase limits are for the day. Once you reach your limit for the day you cannot buy from the same place until the next day. Additionally, many places will only allow one visit per day even if you don’t max out your legal allotment. Plan wisely to avoid disappointment. 

Edibles, concentrates, and flower buds are all factored into the maximum purchase per day at any certain dispensary. You could max out on one of these products or select a combination of products. Your budtender during your visit will give you the best advice.

Carrying Weed in Colorado 

Another legality regards the way in which you carry your goods. The law requires “sealed” packages while traveling in public with your weed. Some dispensaries will charge you a few bucks for special bags designed with fancy “childproof” locks. Other dispensaries will simply staple your bag shut and the requirement is met. It may be tempting to rip open your bag before driving home but be aware that this could invalidate the “seal”. In the event you are examined by law enforcement there could be the question about if the seal is broken. 

Beware of traveling with open packages and be aware of heavy, “skunky” odors that could attract unwanted attention. In the state of Colorado, drug dogs are no longer used to detect marijuana and the smell of marijuana is not an automatic cause for the search of an automobile. Be sure that you are discrete when transporting from dispensaries to your private property to preserve your freedoms.

Weed in Public in Colorado

Consuming and driving is against the law. There are charges such as DUI for marijuana use when operating an automobile. If it is edibles or vapes or good old fashioned buds it is a requirement of the law that you do it on private property. 

Although it might seem fun to get high while skiing or hiking be careful as this could be a violation of state and federal laws as many of our favorite outdoor places are considered public lands. 

Carrying Weed Outside of Colorado

Unfortunately, federal law does not allow one to cross state lines with marijuana products. This also applies to flying through Denver International Airport. It is illegal, although due to the decriminalization in Colorado and the city limits of Denver extending to the airport, it is rare for arrests to occur based on possession of Marijuana. Depending on where you are going, if caught with cannabis, the local authority will determine what charges, if any, should be brought. 

Reselling Weed

Another issue to be aware of is resale of marijuana is also against the law. Any sale of marijuana must be authorized by the state at a sanctioned dispensary. Not to worry about gifting your favorite stoner some buds though, as adults can still “gift” each other up to an ounce legally.

Be Responsible With Weed in Colorado

The moral of the story is that responsibility is required when dealing with the laws surrounding marijuana. Be careful, know your limits, and be responsible. There are numerous resources to explore to ensure you are aware of boundaries and laws such as CDOT’s website around drugged driving. 

Another great resource to consider is the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environments resources on getting a medical card.

Some activist events that cannabis lovers should consider attending to further the cause of access and decriminalization is the annual 4/20 rally in Denver civic center park. Also, consider writing your senator and house representatives to remove marijuana from the DEA schedule one drug list. 

End the war on cannabis and happy highs!

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What is Cannabutter?

Often referred to as marijuana butter or weed butter, cannabutter is used to create cannabis edibles like brownies and cookies.

Creating your own cannabis-infused edibles at home can be messy and time-consuming. If you wish to enjoy cannabis treats without the work, browse the great deals on prepared edibles.

How is Cannabutter Made?

Many sites like Healthyish.com and Bonappetite.com offer step-by-step instructions to novice cannabis cooks to create cannabutter.

Cannabutter Proportions

As you become more experienced, you can experiment with how much weed and butter to use. For beginners, a good starting point is four sticks (one pound) of butter for every ounce of marijuana. Try a half-ounce of weed and two sticks of butter. 

There are various ways to strain the product. A simple guide suggests creating cannabutter by following these steps:

1. Decarboxylation

Also known as decarbing, drying, or desiccating, this step involves baking or dehydrating the weed. The process activates THC, CBC, and other cannabinoids. When this step is completed, the lipids in the butter can bind with the weed.

For proper decarboxylation:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. 

• Take a half-ounce of weed and grind gently with a hand grinder or snip with scissors. 

• The finished product should be just fine enough for making a joint.

• Spread plant material on a glass baking dish. Place the dish on the center oven rack.

• If the weed is old or of lower quality, bake for twenty minutes. If it is a higher quality weed or cured weed, bake for forty-five minutes.

• Stir gently every ten minutes to prevent burning.

• The marijuana should change from bright to deep brownish-green.

If you want to streamline the process of making cannabutter, you can buy plant materials ready for infusion. Check out our cannabis products or already vaped material deals.

1. How to Make Cannabutter with a Coffee Maker

The next step involves infusing the butter with marijuana. A common technique uses a large pot containing marijuana, water, and melted butter. Put this on the stove on medium heat for ten minutes or so. Then, the plant material has to be separated from the water and melted butter.

Unfortunately, the straining process often results in spatters, filter accidents, and singed fingers while trying to get the emulsion through the strainer material.

Also, sadly, the precious cannabutter can get stuck in the cheesecloth or other filter material while it cools and solidifies. This wastes valuable cannabutter. 

These disappointing experiences often cause would-be cannabutter makers to abandon the project and simply buy their edibles.

A tidier, safer alternative is the coffee maker. You can use a regular coffee maker. Place the plant material in the coffee filter. Pour the butter/water mixture through the top and wait for the liquid to pass through the coffee-making process and into a Pyrex measuring cup below.

However, an espresso pot or a Mota Pot is more effective.

Follow these steps to use a simple espresso machine or a Mota Pot to create quality cannabutter without the muss and fuss of those kitchen accidents.

• First, unscrew the top of your espresso pot.

• Remove the middle chamber.

• Place a stick of diced butter in the bottom chamber.

• Fill the bottom chamber halfway or a little more with water.

• Weigh out decarbed weed you’ve dried yourself or try a $50 ounce of “shake.” 

• Place this in the middle filter chamber where coffee grounds would be placed.

• Screw the top of the espresso pot back on.

• Place the espresso pot on medium heat on the stove for at least ten minutes or more.

• Don’t use higher heat. You will burn the butter.

• Listen for the burping sound as the butter/water passes up through the weed in the middle chamber.

• It will bubble into the top chamber. Make sure all the juice has spurted into the upper chamber. 

• Pour this liquid into a Pyrex measuring cup.

• Place in the fridge to cool. This will allow the butter and water to separate. This will take approximately an hour.

• Use a butter knife to poke the edges so you can pry the solidified butter out of the measuring cup.

Using a Mota Pot is much the same process as with an espresso pot. Simply place the Mota Pot on the stove on medium heat with a stick of butter and a cup of water in the bottom. The water in the lower section heats and turns to steam. The hot steam forces the melted butter up through the filter containing the herb, infusing the butter with the THC.

The hot liquid is then poured into a Pyrex dish and cooled in the same manner used in the coffee maker or the espresso coffee maker. Click here for a step-by-step Mota Pot demonstration.

Why Strain Cannabutter? 

There is no rule that you must strain cannabutter. You can scoop the plant remains from the butter/water mixture using a fork, a slotted spoon, cheesecloth, or a metal sieve. Depending on the edible, some plant material may not detract from the weed butter. 

Using the coffee maker or Mota Pot method, the filter area of your coffee maker, espresso maker, or Mota Pot builds in this straining method.

How to Use Weed Butter

You can add weed butter to many recipes. You are limited only by your imagination. Use the cannabutter as part of the butter or oil specified by the recipe. For example, you can use a tablespoon of cannabutter and three tablespoons of non-weed oil or butter.

Follow these steps to make a good cannabis vinaigrette salad dressing. 

Fix nutritious soups by spiking the liquid with two tablespoons of cannabutter or canna-infused sesame oil.

Try these cannabis-infused Citrus Caramel Blondies. 

Are you in the mood for homemade hot-from-the-oven marijuana cookies? Try this simple recipe.

My favorites are still chocolate cannabis brownies. 

If you have decided you’d rather buy your edibles already prepared, indulge in Chaos Crispies or get a great deal on ANY “N-fuzed” gummies.

For other ways to make cannabutter, visit our blog!

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Do you ever find yourself working your butt off at work or cramming for a test the night before realizing how badly you need a delightful weed break? You want to take a few quick rips from the bowl in your pocket but you think I don’t really want to get too stoned, lose focus, and relax too much. It is easy for cannabis enthusiasts to fall into stereotypes of the lazy/too chill smoker from your favorite stoner film. Alas, the answer becomes clear – you just need an awesome, dare you say, best sativa strain of all time. A sativa strain to get you socializing, energized, and uplifted in no time. 

The Sativa

Sativa dominant strains of cannabis offer a lot of terms of being a functional stoner. The sativa effect works to boost energy, increase focus, and raise creativity levels. Sativas have an added benefit of increasing serotonin helping to treat medical conditions such as depression, chronic pain, and anxiety.

As anxiety crosses your mind, you remember someone once saying, “Sativas freak me out”. Sativa strains are more prone to cause paranoia in less experienced users. But, breathe in with a sigh of relief as we find you the best sativa strains of all time based on levels of energy and for those with anxiety issues.

Best Sativa Strains for Dealing with Anxiety

Best to start here as later sativas in this list might not be for you.

Blue Dream

As the name entails, Blue Dream enters with a full body calm and gentle cerebral invigoration. BD packs a powerful buzz without rendering yourself too high. The strain offers swift relief without a feeling of being sedated.

Maui Wowie

Ah yes, a true classic. Mauie Wowie swipes the senses with tropical flavors and mellow island vibes. The strain dispels stress with a high energy euphoria. Maui Wowie sends you straight to absolute paradise, keeping you surfing for hours.

Chocolope

Sweet, sweet Chocolope, every bit as delicious as the name implies. Being a cross of Chocolate Thai and Cannalope haze, Chocolope gives a sweet coffee taste with sweet after tones. This delightful strain offers dreamy euphoric cerebral shifts and will leave you grinning all day long.

Strawberry Cough

Before we leave the candy shop, Strawberry Cough is another mild sativa offering a lot in terms of taste and smell. Exceptionally delicious, SC is surrounded by fragrant berry scents and berry flavors. Strawberry Cough will leave you happy-go-lucky as you sweeten your day.

Best Sativa Strains for Creativity

Now for those without the worry of anxiety/paranoia, let’s look at heavier hitting sativa strains for those seeking creativity.

Sour Diesel

Incredibly popular, Sour Diesel is a 90% sativa dominant strain. Sour Diesel is full of citrus flavor and gassy smells. This fast-acting sativa is great for an all-day bake of creativity. Sour diesel is a long-lasting strain that will leave you stress-free and relieve pain.

Purple Haze

A well-known favorite of musician Jimi Hendrix, Purple Haze is absolutely legendary. The strain is covered in vibrant, purple hairs with sweet hints of berry and spice. Disorienting and psychedelic, Purple Haze offers creative inspiration with an enjoyable sensory experience all in your brain.

Alaskan Thunder Fuck

Excuse our language but Alaskan Thunder Fuck is an absolute legend. Though tracking it down is decently tricky. ATF is absolutely gorgeous with extremely large buds and a glistening, frosty exterior. This sativa strain will leave you with a great heady, creative buzz.

Golden Goat

With the "Midas touch," Golden Goat gleams with a beauty you’d swear was actually gold. The GG scent is known to be sweet, spicy, and sour. The flavor is enchantingly tropical. The high is strong and able to be felt from head to toe. Golden Goat is clear-headed and creative.

Best Sativa Strains for Energy

Last but certainly not least, for those who need a nice jolt, we will thoroughly examine the best sativa strains of all time, for energy specifically.

Jack Herer

Jack Herer is named after the well known Emperor of Cannabis. Jack Herer is a cross between Skunk, Northern Lights, and Haze. The strain is extremely potent usually being between 15-24% THC. With a spicy aroma, JH has an enhancing ability with no massive comedown.

Pineapple Express

Pineapple Express will, simply put, make your day better. The satisfying sativa has an astonishingly thrilling smell, comparable to an apple or mango. The taste is as close to pineapple, pine, and cedar as you can get. Pineapple Express has a long-lasting, energetic high while heightening the sense to the fullest.

Durban Poison

Forget your morning coffee? Durban Poison covers the gap like a shot of espresso. The sativa strain hits hard and remains powerful from start to finish. Side effects may include: being productive, the need to explore, energy, and uplifting thoughts/feelings for hours.

Moby Dick

Thar she blows! Like Captain Ahab’s obsession, Moby Dick is an absolute sight to be seen. The sativa strain is a cross between Haze and White Widow, with THC levels often reaching up to 27%. The smell is an intoxicating citrus one and the flavor is one of sweetness with hints of vanilla. Moby Dick is euphoric, body numbing, and sometimes even trippy. Moby Dick will provide focus and energy as you hunt your white whale all voyage long. Great for adventures.

Green Crack

Don’t let the name fool you, this sativa is 100% energizing marijuana. Green Crack is the definition of pure energy and focus. The strain has mango flavors and smells potent enough to fill a room. Green Crack has a super surge of cerebral effects and sharpened focus. Green Crack is a great daytime strain helping fight fatigue and stress.

Hopefully, by now, you will have found the perfect sativa for your needs. Allowing you to feel sufficiently able to plow right through your day. By looking at the best sativa strains of all time, you will know which sativa strain feels right for you.

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Perhaps smoking the same flower you’ve always smoked just isn’t cutting it anymore and you’re looking to elevate your experience? If you’re anything like us, sometimes it takes a little more than the usual amount of weed to get that high you’re looking for.

Or, maybe there’s a special occasion that you’re looking forward to and need a little “special occasion smoke.” In either case, have you ever heard of Canna Cavi? It may be just the thing you’re needing, to take it up a notch or four.

What is Canna Cavi?

Simply put, Canna Cavi is premium flower (either an uplifting sativa, an indica, or a hybrid, depending on which you prefer) soaked in a cannabis concentrate hash oil, flavored with terps and usually rolled in kief. It’s basically caviar and/or moonrocks, all in one. It’s also the name of a specific brand that specializes in making these out-of-this-world products.

What is Caviar Marijuana?

When you think of caviar, what comes to mind? For us, it’s sophistication, caviar marijuana, or cannabis caviar as it's sometimes called, is often the same exact product as moon rocks. Like Canna Cavi, It's flower buds that have been soaked in hash oil, and usually (but not always) coated in kief. 

Sometimes caviar marijuana refers to marijuana that has been saturated in hash oil, but that does not have the added layer of kief on the outside. Moon rocks always have both the hash oil layer and the kief coating, whereas caviar always has the hash oil, but may or may not have the kief layer. To put it another way, moon rocks are always caviar, but caviar is not always moon rocks.

What are Moon Rocks?

Moon rocks are choice marijuana buds (a few terpenes and strains to choose from with these) that have been dipped in hash oil and then rolled in a layer of kief. Typically, only high quality top shelf marijuana is used to make moon rocks, as the whole goal is a highly potent product. 

Often, the bud will be coated in hash oil and kief produced from the same strain as the bud that's being utilized. Since moon rocks have the THC content of not just the bud, but also the hash oil and the kief, it can contain as much as 50%-91% or more THC.

Caviar vs. Moon Rocks – What's the Difference?

Moon rocks and cannabis caviar are relative newcomers on the marijuana market, and if you haven't tried them yet, you're missing out on an extremely powerful high. Both moon rocks and caviar are high THC marijuana products that exceed the buzz brought on by ordinary marijuana exponentially. 

So, what’s the difference between moon rocks and caviar? 

Essentially nothing, really. 

Cannabis caviar is almost always the same product as moon rocks, but not always. Caviar can come in many different shapes and forms, whereas moon rocks are more of a rock-like (imagine that) shape, covering the entire flower bud. 

Moon rocks are always going to have the hash oil layer, followed by a kief coating (that will vary to some degree, how much kief is actually on each moon rock).

Moon rocks (and caviar) have become quite popular in the Denver and Colorado areas, as people are looking for a new high, a new experience and a new product. Want to get even higher than usual? Moon rocks will do the trick.

How Do You Smoke Caviar or Moon Rocks?

Both moon rocks and caviar are pricey as well as delicate, so you'll want to take care how you're blazing it. If you have some caviar devoid of the kief outer layer, it might be a bit sticky or stiff to the touch. If you have moon rocks, there's a powdery layer of kief to contend with. 

• You don't want to waste any of that good THC, so handle with tweezers or a fork, something metal that won’t stick to the amazing cannabis stuff. 

• Then, place your moon rocks or caviar on a smooth, hard surface and simply cut off little bits to smoke using a pocket knife or metal nail file. 

• Don't pack the bowl too full or it will be hard to light, and tilt the bowl part of the pipe downward slightly as you hit it so that the liquified hash oil will stay on the bud in the bowl rather than running down into the mouthpiece potentially clogging your pipe. 

• Other than that, just smoke it as you normally would, just like a bowl topped with any type of concentrate.

You might want to go slow your first time smoking moon rocks or caviar; they have a reputation for knocking out even the most experienced stoners.

Where Can I Find Canna Cavi Near Me?

Unfortunately, we don’t have any current deals on Canna Cavi specifically, as it’s only available in some areas (ask your local dispensary where you can find it if they don’t carry it). However, we do have some pretty outstanding deals on both caviar and moon rocks, which we have seen grow increasingly popular in different dispensaries around Denver.

If you can’t find any good deals that catch your attention on caviar or moon rocks, you can also try making your own moon rocks! You can purchase the ingredients separately or make them yourself, and put them all together. Here’s what you’ll need for that:

• A large bowl of kief - If you don’t have any kief, or if you’re low, try purchasing some flower to make into kief. If you freeze your weed, you’re likely to get more kief that way, too.

• Your favorite cannabis flower buds - Running low on flower? Don’t worry, restock with some of our flower deals.

• Hash oil/concentrate - There are always some great deals going on with concentrates.

Now that you have all the ingredients, it’s time to put them all together!

Take your flower bud and remove all the stems, so you’re left with only premium bud. 

• Using tongs, take the bud and cover it with hash oil. You’ll want to do so using something like a distillate syringe or something that will easily disperse all the concentrate.

• After the bud has been entirely coated with concentrate, drop it into your bowl of powdered kief. With a poker, you can move the concentrate-covered bud around in the bowl to make sure kief is attached to all sides of the creation.

• Take the moon rock out of the bowl and allow it to dry. You can use baking paper or wax paper to do so. We also recommend you freeze the moon rocks to allow them to dry out (it’s all based on personal preference).

And there you have it - you’ve made your own moon rocks! It’s no Canna Cavi, but it's your own version of what they sell!

 

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As COVID continues to spread across the nation, Colorado lawmakers try to make Colorado weed delivery legal statewide. With dispensaries continuing to thrive, the spread of the virus becomes a bigger problem with each customer helped at the facilities. With the question of how do we lessen social contact in the air, the answer seems pretty clear, allowing weed delivery in the state of Colorado. But what exactly is the status of Colorado weed delivery?

Colorado Weed Delivery Law Passed in 2019

In late 2019, a bill was passed allowing for marijuana delivery, starting with medical marijuana delivery. This bill began a two-year process to provide dispensaries with proper licensing that will allow them to make weed deliveries to medical customers and to later follow with recreational customers. Gov. Jared Polis described marijuana delivery in Colorado as a tactic to reduce impaired driving. The process began on January 2nd, 2020.

Other States Delivering Weed 

Each state regulates the marijuana delivery services closely and collects taxes accordingly.

California, Oregon, Maine, Nevada, Massachusetts, and Michigan all currently allow for the delivery of marijuana to recreational customers.

Every state will tackle the delivery service situation differently with some form of licensing being required to do so. 

California is the forerunner for acquiring the correct licensing, with hundreds of dispensaries currently licensed to deliver cannabis legally. For marijuana businesses to acquire legal cannabis delivery licenses, they must meet strict state safety and quality standards to move forward. As a consumer, you can rest assured that you will receive quality and safe products.

But where is weed delivery in Colorado?

Is Recreational Marijuana Delivery Legal in Colorado?

According to the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, delivery of recreational weed in Colorado is absolutely not legal (yet).

Right now, Colorado weed delivery is limited to only medical marijuana dispensaries delivering to medical patients. Current recreational delivery services offered are illegal and are most likely trying to scam you. Unregulated weed deliveries have many physical risks involved with purchasing such as potential robberies involved with criminals making fraudulent delivery services and quality of the product not being as good as dispensary-grade products.

Also, not knowing where the product was grown, dried out correctly, etc. adds to the dangerousness of buying this way. Many Colorado cities simply haven’t brought marijuana delivery into a local law spotlight. Currently, the only two dispensaries offering legally permitted marijuana delivery are Native Roots and Helping Hands but the services are for medical patients only.

Laws Being Made for Colorado Weed Delivery Services

The real reason it seems that marijuana delivery is not legal yet in Colorado is simply that there are no laws for marijuana delivery. Lawmakers are currently working out the intricate details for the law. Marijuana laws are so new to Colorado that every regulatory decision sets a precedent for other states following marijuana legalization. With this, Colorado has been incredibly slow in the state’s approach to extending new allowances in the cannabis field. With agencies such as Cannabis against COVID, people are working to spread marijuana to people all around while drastically reducing the spread of coronavirus.

The initial goal as described by the campaign was to petition the State of Colorado to legalize home deliveries for recreational marijuana and add a temporary $20 surcharge to each delivery, which would go directly to COVID relief agencies. The group also pointed to the economic hardships imposed by the pandemic, noting that cannabis sales in Colorado suffered a significant dip in sales due to the lockdown measures. COVID-19 has done a lot to turn the spotlight on how important it is to make cannabis items accessible to those who are homebound, many of which need cannabis for all sorts of medical reasons.

The Timeline for Colorado Weed Delivery

As of right now, recreational marijuana delivery in Colorado is slated to debut in 2021.

This also depends on each Colorado county opting into the law. Being the case, there will be a slow political process in the state deciding whether or not marijuana delivery is appropriate for each locality. With COVID continuing to be present, this alone might be enough of a reason for the Colorado legislature to stop dragging their feet when considering the delivery laws. Though not intended to be a response to the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019, Colorado cannabis delivery services may well be helping to stop the spread of the highly infectious coronavirus.

The Light in Sight for Marijuana Delivery

The Aurora City Council is advancing a proposal to legalize cannabis delivery for individuals who are of legal cannabis consumption age. On December 7, 2020, the Aurora City Council voted 8-2 to allow for licensed marijuana retailers to deliver recreational marijuana in Aurora. Under the proposal, weed delivery would be allowed from 8 am to 8 pm.

No more than one ounce of marijuana can be delivered to a customer in one day. The proposal will see a final vote later this month.

If passed, Aurora would be one of the first Colorado cities to permit weed delivery.

Should the Aurora city council pass the proposal later this month, marijuana delivery could begin in the community as early as January 2021.

The Colorado weed delivery bill gives discretion to local governments in the state to decide whether or not to opt into marijuana delivery. The realities imposed by the coronavirus pandemic may increase pressure on more Colorado cities to hop on board the bill. 

As of right now, marijuana delivery services are tentatively scheduled for some time in 2021.

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Colorado's recreational and medical marijuana is beneficial to our lives. It helps to enhance adventures, help relieve ailments, and get restless eyes peacefully to sleep. Just wonderful, greeny goodness. However, as marijuana is ever so delightful, it never seems to last as long as one might prefer. It seems as though you make dispensary run after dispensary run until there doesn’t seem to be much money left in your bank account. With rent, utilities, and other monthly bills consistently piling, it might be a smart idea to think economically, as one enjoys the beauty of cannabis. Here are a few ways you can save money as a stoner.

Buy in Bulk

It might seem obvious, but simply buying more at once can save lots of money (think CostCo and Sam's Club). Think about it – if you are someone going to the dispensary every day and are only grabbing a gram or two at a time that’s about $20 a run. If you were to only spend about $5 more, you could have gotten an eighth and received 1.5 grams more, having that much more to save aside.

Price breaks increase considerably as weight increases. Save up a little more money and you will get much more marijuana for less money! Dispensaries love giving discounts for bulk purchases as they help dispensaries move products faster allowing for fresher merchandise. We have plenty of ounce-related deals for you to save on cannabis.

One-Hitters/Dugouts

One-hitters and dugouts are small in size, which only allows for one hit at a time before needing to reload. Dugouts, in addition, have their own storage area, but only a small one. The small storage helps keep the amount you carry to the bare minimum and having to repack every time keeps you from smoking more and more. This helps to space out your smoking sessions.

For $20 or under, these devices are a cheap investment for minimizing your tolerance needs and providing years of savings. You can find one-hitters and dugouts at just about any of our featured dispensaries.

Grinders

The grinder is a stoner’s best friend. Throwing whole nugs or hand-broken nugs into a pipe often won’t burn very well and is essentially wasting your cannabis. This brings uneven burning on your poor ol' cannabis. Instead, use a grinder! By grinding your cannabis, you are increasing the surface area of your stash. The increased surface area allows for more bowls gained out of your buds and will burn very evenly.

You also have the added bonus of the wonderful trichomes (kief) accumulating at the bottom of your grinder. The kief is a great rainy day treat or a perfect topper to any ground-up bowl you have loaded. Another secret to getting more kief is to add a nickel or dime into the ground section of your grinder. It will help separate the trichomes from the buds and give you more kief.

Concentrates

Concentrates such as wax, shatter, and live resin were made for a modern stoner wanting to save money. Cannabis concentrates often hit between 60-80% in THC potently. The higher potency maintains a longer high. It also helps that concentrates are cheaper by weight for the amount of THC contained. We include quite a variety of deals on tasty concentrates.

Edibles

Edibles are the longest-lasting way to enjoy cannabis. These tasty treats can last anywhere from 4-6 hours with smoking lasting a much shorter time period. It does not take much of an edible to get a desired high. Edibles are also a health-conscious way to get high, protecting your lungs from toxins and carcinogens found in smoke.  If you're really trying to count pennies, try cutting up your edibles into smaller pieces and consume each piece at a time. You'll find that less is more most of the time when it comes to edibles, so this is a great way to save money as a stoner.

Mangoes

Eating a mango before consuming your cannabis will strengthen and prolong the high. Mangoes are filled with the terpene, Myrcene. Myrcene, also found in strains of cannabis, affects the blood/brain barrier allowing THC to pass into the brain easier. This allows for the effects to hit sooner and make the high much longer. It's also a great, healthy snack for when you get those "munchies."

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Perhaps you've heard one of the most popular (and in our opinion, best) smoking anthems by Rebelution, called, "So High." The lyrics start off by asking, "Who's got the herb when I'm dry?" and that's the culture we are trying to promote. This may sound like something you never thought you would hear but share! Sharing is caring.

We have seen a lot of lists saying just to be simply stingier with your stash. We disagree big time because remember – what goes around comes around. It’s just the cool thing to do in general. But also, if you share now, people are more likely to feel for you when times are rough for you, too, or simply when you're "dry."

To save money as a stoner might seem like an impossible task sometimes but these ideas should help you maintain your high AND your savings account. By changing things up, you will also discover a broader world of cannabis. There are plenty of dispensaries in the Denver area that have great prices on not only bud, but edibles, concentrates, and so many other products. Becoming a member at your regular dispensary will also help you save money as you accrue rewards points over time.
 

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Traveling to Colorado and have a late flight getting into Denver International Airport? Or perhaps the day got away from you before you were able to notice you were out of weed and now you’re looking for a dispensary still open? Maybe you work late hours and sleep all day, so the hours in which you can buy marijuana are different than for others?

No matter the situation, we know the feeling.

The good news is that you’re going to find more than one dispensary open till 8 pm, or even later, in most cases. Yes, most dispensaries (not all) are open later than 8 pm, so you have plenty of time to grab more weed – no matter the situation. 

Later Hours for Denver Dispensaries

A few years ago, the Denver City Council approved a measure that allows dispensaries in Denver city limits to stay open until 10:00 pm. Since then, Colorado marijuana tourists and “cannaisseurs” alike have had a lot more options for where to buy weed late at night. 

We do have to say, though, that whatever the listed closing time is, they usually have to make their last sale before that time. So, in order to follow that guideline, they stop accepting new customers 15 minutes before their closing time. So you’ll want to keep in mind to show up at least 15 minutes before any stated closing time.

Knowing that, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best dispensaries that are open late. All of the dispensaries in this list are open till at least 8 pm, if not later. 

It's also good to note that there is no such thing as a 24 hour dispensary in Colorado, as Colorado regulations rule against having such a thing at this time.

Dispensaries Open Late in Colorado

Each of these dispensaries is not just another dispensary open till 8 pm. This isn’t a review, so we’ve already picked our dispensaries based on the quality of the store. Each of the following dispensaries on this list is known for consistent products, friendly, welcoming customer service, and cannabis expertise.

So, that being said, we’ll list each dispensary with the hours of operation, location, as well as a few good cannabis deals you can expect during those hours.

The Stone Dispensary

The Stone Dispensary is open every day from 10 am to 9:50 pm. It is located on the western side of Denver, near Lakewood (4820 Morrison Rd, Denver, CO 80219). This location is a bit far from the airport, but if you’re a local and looking for some good bud before bed, The Stone is a great choice. 

This dispensary has some great deals, including an ounce of flower for $67.51, Cheech’s Stash joints, which are 1.2 g of weed, for $6.35, and distillate syringes (1000 mg) for $15.89. They probably have the largest selection of everyday deals at their dispensary, so it’s worth checking out – no matter what time.

The Lodge Cannabis (All Locations)

The Lodge Cannabis is open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. The Lodge Cannabis dispensary has two locations – one that’s very close to Interstate 70 just north of the RiNo area (High Street). This location is most optimal for those arriving from the airport, as i-70 goes straight to Denver from the airport’s direction. The other location is on the southwest side of Denver (Federal Boulevard). This location is actually easy to get to as well, being just west of Interstate 25, which runs north and south through Denver.

The Lodge has a wide variety of coupons and deals that will help you save on cannabis and weed products. If edibles are your jam, they have BOGO 50% off all edibles, all the time. They offer 8 grams of live resin, from Summit concentrates, for $170. Speaking of concentrates, they also have 8 grams of champagne wax/shatter for $130. 

Rocky Mountain High Dispensary (Only Downtown Locations)

The Rocky Mountain High Dispensary has a few locations, but the ones downtown (Wazee St and 20th St) are the two locations that have later hours. Since Friday and Saturday are days that people stay downtown longer, they’re both open from 11 am to 10 pm on those days. All other days, these downtown locations are open until 9 pm. 

The Wazee Street location is located in the heart of downtown, known as LoDo (Lower Downtown). The other downtown location is off 20th Street, which is technically LoDo still, but further south and east. You’ll recognize it as the “Cannabis Station” (technically still Rocky Mountain High).

These dispensaries have fewer deals, but still great. However, they’re deals that are only during specific times of the day or week. They have a Wellness Wednesday deal, which gives you 20% off all CBD products and a few Mix ‘n’ Match pre-roll deals for $20. Some edibles are BOGO ½ off and they’re also offering 2 grams of premium live resin for $55. If you’re already in the downtown area, definitely stop by and see them.

Pure Marijuana Dispensary (All Locations)

No matter the location, Pure Marijuana Dispensary is open till 10 pm. They have 4 locations around the Denver area. They have one location right off of Interstate 70, which is most optimal for those arriving from the airport, another off of Colfax Avenue east of downtown, one closer to downtown in the Capitol Hill area, and lastly, one location near Sloan’s Lake, on the west side of Denver.

Pure Marijuana Dispensary is always holding good weed deals, no matter the time of day or week you go and visit (or location). However, on Wednesdays, they offer a, “Buy Any One Thing, Get One Half Off” deal. The minimum amount with that deal is $50. Distillate cartridges (500mg) are $10 when you spend $30 and Sunday you can get a half ounce of flower for $55.

If you’re into concentrates, they have a Mix ‘n’ match wax & shatter deal, for $12.95.

Mile High Green Cross

Mile High Green Cross is a dispensary open till 8 pm. However, you’ll want to get there at least 15 minutes beforehand, to give them time to let you in and serve you. Their regular hours are Monday through Sunday, 9 am till 8 pm. There is only one location, which is easy to get to, no matter where you are coming from, which is on South Broadway. 

They don’t have a large selection of coupons and deals on Cannasaver, but their prices are always good and they have a killer rewards program. They have an all-bud (really good bud) full ounce deal for $78.63 (pre-tax). They also offer a 4-gram bucket of wax for $38.92 (pre-tax).

Medicine Man Dispensary (All Locations)

Medicine Man Dispensary is open daily, from 8 am to 10 pm. They have a few locations, but only one near the Denver area (and also conveniently located near Interstate 70, for all you airport arrivals). Technically in the Northfield/Montbello area, just northeast of downtown, this is a prime location for everyone driving to and from Denver. Their prices are also a good reason to get off of I-70.

As far as deals go, they have a lot of in-store specials and even an awesome rewards program, but only a few deals to choose from on Cannasaver. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check them out, though, as we’re sure you’ll get a great deal no matter what. If you’re looking for concentrate, they do have some specials with 710 Labs, which is a great product.

Mary Jane’s House

Mary Jane’s House Dispensary is open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. It’s also conveniently located near I-70 and the airport, northeast of downtown Denver. Open later than 8 pm, this dispensary is perfect for the out-of-towners that are getting into Denver with a late flight (seeing a trend here?. Or if you find yourself having some fun in Northfield, this is a great pit stop before heading back home.

You’ll find a wide selection of products and awesome specials with all things cannabis at Mary Jane’s House. They have everyday deals on edibles, tinctures, and flower. If you’re getting off the plane but looking to “take off” again, this is your place.

Of course, we’d like to list so many other dispensaries that are open late, but there are a lot, as almost every dispensary is open till 8 pm or later. For more featured stores, check out our site and see what each store has to offer, even into the night hours.

 

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Many cannabis consumers that know how to roll a joint agree – knowing how to roll a blunt is a different game. Knowing how to roll a blunt is something that takes more know-how and experience. This is not only because a blunt is much longer and fatter than an average joint, the paper is also much more coarse and grainy, which makes it a bit more difficult to roll and to get to stick together.

If you're a first-timer or a beginner, we built this step-by-step guide for you. We created this guide on how to roll a blunt beginner friendly.. 

We will cover: 

• Why choose a blunt, to begin with

• Which type of blunt wrap to choose

• How to prepare your marijuana for a blunt

• Tips to roll consistent blunts

• A 5-step guide to rolling expert blunts

Let’s begin! 

Rolling Your First Blunt: Why Do It? 

Blunts are a popular method of smoking weed. A blunt is commonly thought of as a larger, fatter joint that is wrapped in a tobacco or cigar wrap. They last longer, hold more, and carry with them aroma and effects that marijuana on its own does not.

If you are interested in learning about how to roll a blunt, you are likely interested in what these additional effects are - both in paper and in practice. 

Blunts commonly are rolled using hollowed tobacco wraps. These tobacco wraps impart flavors and a small amount of nicotine into the experience of smoking the blunt. Much like spliffs, which mix cannabis and tobacco before being rolled into a paper, blunts are known to provide a small headrush and physical energy right after smoking. 

This is an effect purely linked to tobacco, and it’s among the main reasons blunts are popular. Second, blunts are popular because they can add flavor through the cigarillo wrap used to roll them. That flavor both adds to smoking the blunt and helps to obscure the aroma of cannabis. 

How To Roll A Blunt for Beginners in Five Steps

We understand that many of us have never rolled our joints or blunts. It is a skill that can be learned and perfected, but not without practice and someone to show you the way. Since there is no “How to Roll A Blunt for Dummies”, we created a step-by-step ourselves. You’ll have to go buy some marijuana or have some around to move forward - at least if you want a hands-on learning experience.

Take advantage of the best ounce deals in Denver with Cannasaver. 

If you choose to get weed legally, you'll need a valid government-issued photo ID proving you're 21 years old or older to shop at any of the local recreational marijuana dispensaries. You'll need a med card if you want to shop at the medical dispensaries or take advantage of medical pricing which is often lower.

Let’s get roiling. 

Step 1: Break Up Your Buds

You'll need to break up your weed into small pieces to roll it in a blunt. You can use any flower strain you want at this point. To save some money, you can go for discount buds, shake, and trim rather than the premium top-shelf flower. If you want this smoking experience to be as luxurious as possible, go for premium flower and luxury wraps or cigarillos. 

Blunts, by design, last longer - so a good strain is a good plan, but not necessary to learn how to roll a blunt. 

Step 2: Buy a blunt or a blunt wrap

A traditional blunt wrap uses an actual cigar with the tobacco hollowed out of it. Many people opt for a cigarillo such as Swisher Sweets, which are both cost-effective and available in numerous flavors, rather than an actual cigar when learning to roll a blunt. 

If you don’t feel that you want to start by ripping the guts out of a cigar and then licking the paper back together, commercially-made blunt wraps are available as well. 

Both cigarillos and wraps are usually sold in packs of two and are available at most convenience stores. 

If you're a beginner at blunt rolling, your best bet is to choose a commercially made blunt wrap as these are much easier to work with. Zig Zag has a good variety of flavored blunt wraps if you like your blunts on the sweeter side. If you want to go the more old-school route and start with a cigar, a Phillies is the classic full-flavor blunt experience.

Step 3: Prepare your blunt wrap

If you've opted to start your first blunt with a traditional cigar, you'll need to empty the tobacco first. Slit the cigar down the middle vertically and empty the tobacco, or gently twist until you get all the tobacco out. 

If you've chosen a blunt wrap, simply bend it in half as you would with a rolling paper when rolling a joint. 

If you have never rolled a joint, not to worry - we’ve got a tip: Wrap the blunt wrap around a pen, lick the paper, and seal it around the pen just loose enough to slide off once dry enough. Most wraps come with a plastic tube in the center which can be used to pack the blunt. 

Step 4: Prepare your weed

When learning how to roll a blunt, you'll want to make sure your weed is broken up evenly and without any thick chunks, stems, or seeds. The more consistent the weed is broken up, the easier it is to roll or pack. But be careful, if it's ground too fine, the smoker may not be able to hit very well.

Step 5: Roll the Blunt

If you're using a blunt wrap or a cigar that's been split down the middle, simply roll it as you would roll a joint. Add your weed down the middle and spread it out so that it's nice and even. Once it’s evenly distributed, hold it with your thumbs in the middle while you use your index fingers to keep everything in place as you roll it up as tightly as possible. 

Lick the wrapper along the upper edge, seal it up, and it's ready to smoke. If you've chosen to empty the tobacco of your blunt without cutting it, you'll need to carefully fill it with weed, packing it down as you go. A small funnel made out of construction paper and a straw or other thin object will come in handy here and make your job a lot easier. 

Once you have your weed in and it's filled up completely so that it's nice and fat, simply light it up and get to toking.

Want to Learn How to Roll a Blunt with Video Instead? 

If you're still not feeling confident about how to roll a blunt, you might want to check out this video tutorial. Rolling a blunt isn't too difficult, but it does take a bit of practice so don't be too disappointed if your first-timer blunt rolling attempts aren't the greatest. Practice makes perfect, so try again.

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The modern age of marijuana has a different look to it. It has taken many different sizes, shapes, and forms in how you can enjoy the medicinal plant. THC can be extracted from the plant in its purest form. Sugar Wax THC is one of the most popular ways to enjoy marijuana concentrates. 

Learning about all the different types of concentrates at once can be a bit overwhelming, so in this article, we’ll focus solely on a type of concentrate called sugar wax. 

What exactly is it? Let’s dive in. Here are the basics of what sugar wax is, how sugar wax is made, and where to buy sugar wax.

What is Sugar Wax?

As “dabbing” becomes increasingly popular, manufacturers of concentrates continue to develop different types of dabs. The many varieties of concentrates can be confusing and a bit overwhelming if you're new to dabbing. 

A few types of concentrates:

• Shatter

• Live Resin

• Rosin

• Ear wax

• Ice wax

• Butter – just to name a few. 

Generally speaking though, a dab is a dab, which is a concentrated marijuana extract. The many types of concentrates or dabs are all very similar really, and the differences are mainly (for the most part) superficial. Different classifications of concentrates are primarily based on how the concentrate is extracted and on the consistency and texture of the end product. 

As for sugar wax, it’s a more solid way of extracting THC into concentrates. Much like shatter, sugar wax is refined using heat purging and vacuuming, which gives it a more solid, ‘sugary’ texture. This allows the THC and/or CBD to crystallize while keeping the terpene profile(s) intact. The THC extraction into sugar wax concentrate is very similar to how sugar is extracted from sugarcane, which gives it its name and resemblance.

How is Sugar Wax Made?

Here comes the “sciencey” part of our blog – sugar wax can develop naturally over time as the lipids in the wax begin to break down and separate from the cannabinoids, which causes the wax to crystallize. It can also result from condensation or other contaminants which get mixed in with the wax, or if the wax is overly agitated during production. 

Sugar wax can be the result of an accident or intention. Since many dabbers prefer the flavor and texture of sugar wax, some concentrate manufacturers intentionally produce it. Other times, what you see in the stores as sugar wax is of the accidental variety, resulting from a mistake in manufacturing or from an aging product. 

The quality of the sugar wax depends mainly on the potency of the marijuana from which it’s made, and not so much on how it's made, although a fresher wax is obviously preferable.

How is Sugar Wax Different?

Sugar wax is a marijuana concentrate with a full flavor and a slightly grainy texture. It replicates the look and feel of sugar, being cube-like in shape and being made up of tiny, glistening crystals. It's a little less messy than some of the other types of concentrates as it's a bit thicker and not quite as sticky. 

Many people prefer sugar wax for its richer, more complex flavor profile. Others will argue that sugar wax dabs are the best, as they’re easier to work with than other concentrates when it comes to using a dab tool. It also doesn’t take as much sugar wax THC to dab with – you can save the amount of concentrate you smoke by dabbing with sugar wax.

How Do You Smoke Sugar Wax?

Since sugar wax is a concentrate, you will want to smoke it, either through dabbing or vaporizing it or using it as a topper for any flower bowl or bong. While we don’t recommend the latter, sometimes it’s easier to carry around a glass pipe than it is a dab rig, unless you have a dab needle or something more portable.

Sugar Wax Weed

Don’t have a dab rig or perhaps you’re afraid of them for how high you get when using one? Then topping off your ground-up flower with some sugar wax is ideal – and cost-effective, as sugar wax and other concentrates cost less for the same amount of weed than flower usually would. This is one of the best ways to save money as a stoner. The other great thing about using sugar wax on your flower is that, since it’s not as viscous as other concentrates, it’s not going to make your piece so sticky. 

Sugar Wax Dabs

This is the most popular way to smoke sugar wax, is through “dabbing” or vaporizing. With an e-nail or coil pen that you can drop concentrate into, or a dab rig, which you can heat up and then drop concentrate into, sugar wax THC can be quite powerful, potent, and efficient. Less is more here, but it’s easy to just grab a few crystals at a time. You know the technique you use to tell the difference between salt in your cabinet and sugar? The same applies to when you’re dabbing sugar wax.

Where to Buy Sugar Wax

If you're a med customer wondering where to buy sugar wax, check out the dispensary deals this week at RiverRock South. They have grams of sugar wax from 710 Labs for just $20 each with the coupon from CannaSaver. For a good dispensary deal on sugar wax for recreational customers, head to the Stone Dispensary with this Cannasaver $17 sugar wax coupon.

Sugar Wax First-Timer

If you're curious about sugar wax, visit a local dispensary and ask them to show you the different concentrates that are available. Many weed stores in Denver have dispensary deals that let you mix and match with different types of concentrates, so you can test out some sugar wax in addition to your usual concentrate of choice and see for yourself how it compares. 

You can also find daily specials, too, like the 10% off Wax Wednesday deal at Whole Meds. Just take a quick look at CannaSaver to find the best deals on sugar wax near you.

 

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Your Guide to 2021 Colorado Weed Prices  

As of 2020, Colorado is closer to a decade of recreational marijuana being legal than a modern preschooler is to third grade. While it’s been a ride, the laws governing cannabis sales in the state evolve every year. One of the factors that influence these legal changes? The average price of weed in Colorado. 

Colorado weed prices affect how much tax is collected. Legal weed prices also aid in reducing black market activity around cannabis, so long as they are low enough to prevent those selling it from being able to reliably turn a profit. 

That’s why we created this guide – to describe how much weed in Colorado is, how much it differs across the state and why. Let’s dive in.

Creating A Consumer Methodology for Determining The Price Of Weed in Colorado

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, in October 2020 the average price per pound of flower for growers to dispensaries was ~$1300. 

Put another way, growers on average charge dispensaries the following:

• $81.25 per ounce

• $10.15 per ⅛ ounce

• $2.88 per gram

Once dispensaries have received the flower, the price doubles or triples before reaching the buyer. This is the result of paying employees, renting property, buying equipment, and other business operation expenses. 

In order to create a methodology that captures the consumer-end price, we’ve added 200-300 percent to the AMR price the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division uses for taxation. 

The Result?

Average Price Per Ounce in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $160 - $240 

Average Price Per 1/8 Ounce in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $20 - $30

Average Price Per Gram in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $5.76 - $8.64

We will use these as benchmarks in the analysis below. 

Determining Colorado Weed Prices

Prices of cannabis in Colorado vary based on brand, region, current specials, and dozens of other factors.

Built within this is a feedback loop for the state and cannabis producers and dispensaries. 

Once every three months, the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, known as Colorado MED, uses data from grower to manufacturer (like an edible producer) or seller (such as a dispensary) to determine an Average Market Rate (AMR). The AMR is the basis for taxes and is reviewed based on weight. 

In the chart below, available on the Colorado Department of Revenue website, you can see that growers of marijuana in Colorado, on average, charge ~$1,300 per pound in October 2020. This is up 30 percent from ~$1,000 in October 2019. This is important for later.

(Pulled from CO DOR 11/25/2020)

Why The Average Market Rate Matters

Roughly speaking, by the time cannabis gets to the consumer the price per pound is double or more than the AMR (average market rate). This is in part because manufacturers and dispensaries have to pay staff, labor, as well as equipment, and licensing. 

The other part? 

Colorado marijuana laws place limits on both recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients.

Consumers can’t easily go out and buy a pound since the law limits recreational to an ounce, or 1/16th of a pound.

In the decades where cannabis was illegal entirely when a police raid created headlines like “$1 Million in Marijuana Confiscated”, it was an average market rate that allowed this headline to make sense. Police would use average street prices to evaluate the worth of a quantity. This applies equally to legal markets. 

How Much Is Weed In Colorado? 

As of October 2020, Colorado MED pulls together purchase information from a total of 466 cultivators, 216 product manufacturers, and 416 medical or recreational stores as part of creating the AMR. When retail mark-up is added, our methodology will give us a standard price. 

To remind you, we are using the following as baseline pricing:

• Average Price Per Ounce for Recreational Consumers: ~ $160 - $240 

• Average Price Per 1/8 Ounce for Recreational Consumers: ~ $20 - $30

• Average Price Per Gram for Recreational Consumers: ~ $5.76 - $8.64

Now let’s test these price estimates on some cannabis dispensaries in Colorado: 

Botanico (Denver)

Strain: Crystal Gelato

Prices: $20 per 1/8th, $160 per ounce

Strain: Bazookies

Price: $140 per ounce

Check Out Botanico Cannabis Deals Here: 

• Botanico

• Botanico 2

Medicine Man (Longmont)

Strain: Cookies N’ Cream

Prices: $19 per 1/8th, $114 per ounce

Strain: G6 #3

Prices: $19 per 1/8th, $114 per ounce

Check Out Medicine Man Deals Here:

• Medicine Man Denver

• Medicine Man Longmont

• Medicine Man Aurora

• Medicine Man Thorton

Organix (Breckenridge)

Strain: GG #4

Price: $15 per gram, $32 per 1/8th, $155 per ounce

Check Out Organix Deals Here:

• Organix Breckenridge

The Lodge (RiNo Denver)

Strain: Sour Chunk

Price: $13 per gram, $32 per 1/8th, $150 per ounce

Check Out The Lodge Deals Here:

• The Lodge - Federal BLVD

• The Lodge - High Street

What Is The Average Price Per Gram In Colorado? 

The above pricing samples and our baseline costs tell us a few things about weed prices in Colorado. We estimated the average cost per gram, based on Colorado DOR data, to be between ~$6 to $9. However, from our sample, we can see that the average cost per gram is much more.

The average cost per gram of weed in Colorado is between $10-$15. 

This is likely because, as with most things, weed is cheaper when bought in bulk. 

What Is The Average Price Of An 1/8th In Colorado? 

We estimated based on available data from the state of Colorado the average price per 1/8th would be between $20 and $30 dollars. Botanico was on the lower end of our estimated range at $20 per 1/8th. Medicine Man was $19 per 1/8th or $1 less than the estimated low.

Both Organix and The Lodge dispensaries show up at the higher end of our estimated price range, but only by a little. Both have an average price per 1/8th of $32, or $2 more than our $30 high estimate. 

What Is The Average Price Of An Ounce In Colorado? 

The methodology for estimating Colorado weed prices we established actually overestimated the price per ounce on nearly every count. Our methodology puts the average price per ounce at between $160 and $240. 

Every dispensary fell at or below our benchmark of $160. Again, buying in bulk will always lower the price – with anything from soap to marijuana.

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You’ve reached the end of a long day. You finally sit down to enjoy some much-needed cannabis when you remember your only smoking utensil was broken by your clumsy friend the night before!

Or, you find yourself on a camping trip and you've brought all of your smoking needs, like a lighter, flower, even a poker, but you forgot your pipe!

With no papers in sight, you're left with two options: an apple that you had or a soda can.

But how does one smoke out of an apple?

It’s about now when high school nostalgia kicks in. You know how to make the perfect can pipe. You think of all the fun times in which you started with a soda can pipe. How can you resist? But then something more practical waves over you. Is aluminum the best choice to smoke from? Anyone who has ever thrown a soda can into a campfire knows how nasty the fumes from aluminum are. Aluminum vapors are known to cause various health problems and are not environmentally friendly as they emit these awful vapors and sit on earth for entirely too long.

Now that all that high school nostalgia has worn off, it’s a no-brainer.

Apple pipe it is!

The Early Days of Smoking Out of An Apple

Back in the day, a few high schoolers got creative and used their lunches to make pipes. With their apples being the most sturdy opinion in their lunchboxes for this beautiful revolution. Another huge bonus – they could get rid of the evidence by either eating them after or throwing away. It’s a completely organic way to enjoy cannabis without the worry of aluminum residue.

 

Benefits of Smoking Out of An Apple

Taste

One of the main benefits is that it doesn't leave a terrible taste in your mouth. It (surprisingly) has an apple aftertaste! Not to mention it gives you the ability to taste the cannabis with all the terpenes involved, as the apple filters out a lot of the foul smoke taste. The apple doesn’t necessarily change the cannabis flavor but complements it. The best part – no metal taste! 

Healthy

Knowing you’re not inhaling the fumes, even better! Aluminum vapors are known to house carcinogens of all sorts. With the apple degrading gracefully in nature, you’re feeling healthy and environmentally friendly. By smoking out of an apple, you're not contributing to the ever-growing trash problem we're dealing with. The apple pipe is a stoner’s handbook must.

But isn’t it a huge pain to make?

Not even a little bit!

Plus, you’ll be able to rejoice in the product you made by hand – and feel good about it being all-natural. 

It’s about time to teach you how to smoke out of an apple.

How To Smoke Out of An Apple

Tools needed to make your own apple pipe: 

• Hollowed-out pen (pen outer lining)
• Toothpicks (or a poker of some sort)
• And, of course, the apple

If you don't have a pen and/or toothpicks handy, you can improvise by finding a strong stick, with about a half-inch diameter. To substitute the toothpicks, try and find smaller, thinner-yet-stronger sticks than the one you'll use in lieu of the pen.

 

7 steps to a fully functioning apple pipe:

1. Remove the stem for the top of the apple. Use fingers to twist or pull off.

2. Use toothpicks to deepen the hole left by the stem. Dig hole until it extends about halfway through the apple. This will form a downstem.

3. Use the pen to carve out a hollow shape on the top of the apple.

4. Poke 5-8 toothpick holes around the stem area (this will act as the bowl). No aluminum foil needed!

5. Insert the pen (or stick you found) and poke a hole that will meet with the downstem. If shoving the pen doesn’t work, twist the pen until it connects to the stem hole. Push the pen until the tunnel connects with the downstem.

6. After making the mouth hole, you may want to add a carb. Follow the previous step wherever you feel like placing the carb. Think ahead about how it will all connect.

7. Take your cannabis and fill the bowl. Light the wonderful herbals and enjoy your creation!

When you're left without a pipe, papers, or standard smoking utensils, you should now know how to smoke out of an apple. You will have a perfectly functional pipe in just 7 easy steps. Easily disposable and also edible, apple pipes are a healthy way to get by in a pinch. The pipe is really only recommended for a day tops before the apple will start falling apart or oxidizing, so it's just a great temporary option.

If you find yourself needing some good buds to put in your awesome, kick-butt pipe, check out our marijuana deals page for a breakdown of the best dispensary deals to get you properly lifted and feeling great!

There you have it - an apple pipe to smoke cannabis out of. Now, there's one way you can embrace the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” 

 

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It’s not uncommon to hear of artists and creatives, philosophers and industry leaders, consuming cannabis at some point in life and experiencing clarity of sorts. The good news is this isn’t just the experience of a few creative and critical thinkers - there are studies that show cannabis and creativity are linked. That is why we prepared this list of the 10 best strains for creativity. 

Stimulating the Artsy Brain cells – How We Define Change in Creativity 

Creativity is both nebulous and extremely specific. It allows us to define new spaces while also capturing the nuance of the ways we live. Creative pursuits, by and large, stimulate the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe of the brain has been shown to handle a huge portion of executive function, including strategic and creative thinking. When this area of the brain is activated, it’s as if a dial can be turned that tunes individual receptiveness to thoughts and ideas. 

No, not like mind control receptiveness. 

By tickling the frontal lobe with a bit of cannabis inspiration, not only can we gain clarity on the merit of an idea, but may, in fact, be inspired with an idea that is entirely new. 

Cannabis has been shown in studies to enhance creativity by increasing cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the frontal lobe. In this study, subjects with higher baseline CBF were deemed more creative whereas those with lower CBF were less so. By increasing CBF, cannabis impacts creativity, most particularly in those who are less creative, to begin with. 

And that is why we deem it necessary to deliver a list of the top creative strains out there. 

CHECK OUT OUR CURRENT OUNCE SPECIALS: https://deals.cannapages.com/ounce-deals 

The 10 Best Strains For Creativity 

Now that we have a basic idea of how cannabis can inspire creativity, it’s time to look at some of the best strains for it. We broke these into three buckets.

First, we have strains that inspire focus and creativity.

Second, we have strains that encourage curiosity and creativeness.

And lastly, we explore a few strains that can be excellent for creative pursuits that you are passionate about already. 

Strains For Creative Focus

Blue Dream

Great for a euphoric experience that eases open the gates of creative and divergent thoughts and often inspires the ‘hit the blunt’ moments we see in memes. 

This sativa-dominant strain is known for its light, yet funky tropical aroma and uplifting, focus-inspiring effects. Blue Dream is a cross between Blueberry and Haze strains. Expect a fun calm that gives thoughts flurrying around your cranium a place to breathe.

 

Island Sweet Skunk

Commonly seen as interchangeable, Island Sweet Skunk and Sweet Island Skunk describe sativa-dominant hybrids strains that tickle creative blood flow something fierce. This strain owes its genes to Grapefruit, Haze, Skunk, and Northern Lights strains. The creative focus from this strain manifests with humorful observations and thoughts. You know the type - you aren’t sure why it came to you, but it did and it’s amusing. Like a power nap, expect mindfulness to even the most out-of-nowhere ideas.

 

Jack Herer 

Its pungent aroma of pine and citrus is as distracting as it is focused. It’s sharp notes awaken and promote alertness. 

Jack Herer is a strain named after the famous activist. Jack Herer is known for writing “The Emperor Wears No Clothes”, a treatise on hemp and it’s legal standing. The strain that bears their namesake similarly evokes considerations and thoughts both poignant and actionable. Jack Herer owes its genetics to the strains Haze, Northern Lights, and Shiva Skunk.

 

Space Queen

Space Queen is a hybrid born of the Romulan and Cinderella 99 cannabis strains. A near-perfect 50:50 hybrid showcases the focus of an energizing sativa strain with the calming body high associated with indica strains. 

Consumers can expect a euphoric body high that begs the questions AND delivers some answers. The only person who can decide if they are the right answers is you. Welcome to space, Queen. 

Strains For Creative Curiosity

Jillybean

Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How about analysis paralysis? How about just low motivation? Jillybean is an uplifting sativa-dominant hybrid strain. Covered in colorful hues and aromatic trichomes, this hybrid busts stress and bummer moods., leaving you free to play in your headspace. 

New information - whether from a book, the news, or any other source you trust - doesn’t escape this experience, allowing for curiosity and creativity to gain a tempered edge through our behavior and in our thoughts.

 

AK-47

AK-47 is an engineering masterpiece. Much like the weapon it gained its namesake, the experience inspires rapid action that is accessible to any who wield it. It keeps the brain moving, and, along the way, the curiosity and creativity it inspires play a game. 

With citrus and diesel among the primary aromas, AK-47 embodies alertness. AK-47 is a blended hybrid from many landrace strains including Mexican, Thai, Colombian, and Afghani varieties. 

 

Cinderella 99

Cinderella 99, or Cindy 99, is a hybrid cannabis strain embodying euphoric body effects and a curious rush of humorful inspiration.

The hybrid strain is perfect for daytime consumers who need creativity that is bootstrapped by curiosity. It inspires thinking and the focus to dive into it. Cinderella 99 is a cross of Cinderella 88, Princess, and Skunk strain genetics.

Strains for Creative Passion

XJ-13

A careful cross of sativa-dominant strain Jack Herer and indica-learning G-13, XJ-13 delivers potent experiences and pungent aromas. 

A refreshing mint with citrus and earth delivers alertness and drive. Its light body high and heavy energy boost help increase the momentum behind our creative engines, free of stress. 

 

Purple Haze

Purple strains are literally named to capture the color before anything else. Luckily, purple also has cultural associations with passion, with the depth of color found as inspiring and captivating. 

This potent blend of Thai and Haze strains bring the rhythm of rock and roll and the creativity of the psychedelic 1960s to launch consumers into their personal summer of love. 

 

Tangie

Uplifting euphoria is just one key experience Tangie can inspire. This hybrid cannabis strain blends California Orange and Skunk genetics. In the process, a funky citrus aroma that captures attention and adds creativity was born. 

It’s perfect for the type of creative energy drummed up by meditative practices, pushed by passion and the limits we think we have. 

 

Find Marijuana Strains that Inspire Creativity by browsing our deals now! 

 

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With every innovation in cannabis, consumers have to learn the lingo. Sugar wax is yet another term to add to the marijuana dictionary, and having a definition is a much different thing than having experienced it. That’s why we not only cover what makes the wax different from other cannabis concentrates, but also the different - and equally awesome - ways you can smoke sugar wax. So how do you smoke sugar wax?

We'll teach you all there is to know.

What is Sugar Wax?

For every unique texture, refinement process, or technique to extract, there is a name for it. For casual or bargain cannabis consumers that are searching out the THC molecule, these distinctions do not offer much, yet for the engaged connoisseur, it can be the difference that builds brands.  

Sugar wax is no exception.

Sugar wax has a lower viscosity than other forms of wax and offers a robust aroma and flavor. The crystalline texture helps preserve the terpenes of the strain or strains the wax is extracted from, as does the agitation process during extraction. We will get into that later.

Sugar Wax Color

Sugar Wax describes a texture and a method of refining extracted THC and other cannabinoids from the cannabis plant.

Sugar wax can range in color - though is often amber to off-white yellow. 

Sugar Wax Texture

Have you ever had a really, really old bottle of honey? The viscous honey overtime has the moisture content removed and turns into wet-looking crystalline granules.

In many cases, sugar wax is similar - wet-looking sugar-like crystals. 

How is Marijuana Sugar Wax Made? 

It’s unsurprising, really. The fact that more varieties of cannabis concentrate continue to hop into the consumer view makes sense. Cannabis concentrates are a great way for consumers to achieve desired effects with less and for producers to maximize the value of every crop. 

Sugar wax is heat purged and vacuumed during the refinement process. This allows the product to gain the crystalline structure needed to become good and ‘sugary’. By encouraging nucleation, or the creation of crystal from a solution via heat and oxygen removal, producers are left with a beautiful cannabis concentrate full of the desired effect and with terpenes preserved. 

For more information on how cannabis concentrates are made, check out this guide for dummies (not that you’re a dummy by any means).

How is Sugar Wax Different From Other Marijuana Concentrates? 

The vacuum and heat purge method used to create sugar wax most closely resembles how shatter, another cannabis concentrate, is made. The main difference is contained within the process of agitation. 

Agitation is the part of the extraction process wherein the cannabinoids and terpenes are stripped from the plant to create a concentrated version. 

Sugar wax uses substantial agitation throughout the extraction process, in combination with dialed-down temperature and lowered condensation when compared with other concentrates (thus the vacuum purge). This allows THC or CBD crystallization to happen more readily while keeping the terpene profile intact. 

RELEVANT DEALS:

• Recreational wax deals

The Two Best Ways to Smoke Cannabis Sugar Wax

Sugar wax is like all other cannabis concentrates in that they can be smoked, vaporized, or included in edibles.
The difference in textures and consistency make some concentrates better than others for certain types of consumption methods. To truly grasp an appreciation of marijuana sugar wax, where flavor and aroma are maximized, the following two methods have been tested (personally) to great success. 

Dab Your Sugar

Dabbing is the standard when it comes to most concentrates. Smoking or, more accurately, vaporizing cannabis sugar wax via dabbing is one of the best ways to ensure the flavors and effects are fully appreciable. 

Why do you ask? 

Dabbing can be done using various types of apparatus and with numerous accessories. For instance, this writer chooses a rig - the most common consumption tool for dabbing - with an e-nail. E-nails allow dabbers to choose and maintain a temperature they dab at, while the rig itself allows the act of dabbing to occur. 

These work in tandem for a single reason: the melting points of terpenes and cannabinoids present in the wax you are smoking. Yes, the “chemistry in high school” melting points.  

The melting point determines the dab flavor and can affect the effects (yes - I wrote that bit to make you reread it.) 

Given the robust presence of terpenes found in sugar wax, dabbing it with an accessory like an e-nail makes for a consistent dabbing experience. Be careful though, the experience may be too glowing for your high eyeballs to want to look at. 

ALWAYS take it slow with cannabis concentrates. 

PRO TIP: Keep your e-nail somewhere between 500 and 750 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal use. Keep this scale in mind:

• Lower temp: better flavor, higher potential for waste

• Higher temp = bigger dabs, still excellent flavor, less potential for waste

Infuse Your Flower

It could be an experienced take, but I can’t see a reason to not pump up the volume on any flower I’m consuming. That means adding wax and other cannabis concentrates to the fresh flower. 

PRO TIP: Get concentrates and strains that align or complement. 

It’s not that this is a new idea. We just find it reliably produces a better flavor than even smoking weed through fruit. People have always added hash or kief or both (aka Moonrocks) to products - though it has become a lot more commercially available as of late.

There is a question that arises, however. And particularly in an environment where a buyer can get a 1/8th of weed and a gram of sugar wax (or other concentrates) for $30 or so dollars (in Colorado [Nov. 2020] low end and $100+ on the higher end.)

Some more experienced consumers may find the stellar in-house or branded infused joints and moonrocks to be just fine, but personally, I like to turn the dial myself. 

That is where infusing your own joint comes into play - and why it is such an awesome way to appreciate the robust and somewhat granular aspects of sugar wax within some of your favorite flower. 

Other Ways to Use Sugar Wax

Sugar wax can additionally be added to edibles, though it has to go through the process of decarboxylation first. You can click on that link of the term for more info. Once activated via decarboxylation, it can basically be added to anything. 

Did we just change how you use sugar wax? Let us know. 

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Common weed wisdom usually separates cannabis into two different kinds of high: the more cerebral, uplifting high of sativas, and the more sedating, body-centered high of indicas. While that categorization is rooted in some fact (as well as centuries of accumulated experience), scientific research points to it being a bit of an oversimplification. 

Is there really a difference between indica and sativa? Absolutely! 

Though it might not be the exact difference you think...

The Basics

Today, cannabis indica and cannabis sativa are regarded as the two main subspecies of the cannabis plant. However, that was not always the case.

One of the earlier writings on cannabis taxonomy, dating back to the 1500s in Germany, grouped hemp into two distinct categories — what the author, botanist, and physician Leonhart Fuchs, referred to as domesticated (or “sativa”) cannabis and wild cannabis. 

The classification of plants as either sativa or indica doesn’t begin until the late 1700’s when French biologist Jean Baptiste Lamarck allegedly coined the term “indica.” In 1785, his Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique proposed the existence of this new subspecies which he had identified from samples sent to him from India. In his entry on indica, he wrote:

“The principal effect of this plant consists of going to the head, disrupting the brain, where it produces a sort of drunkenness that makes one forget one’s sorrows, and produces a strong gaiety.” 

 

Modern understandings of the differences between sativa and indica haven’t evolved an enormous amount since Lamarck was writing. We know that physically, indica plants are typically shorter, with broad, dark green leaves while sativa plants are taller and have thin, pale green leaves. Genetically, indicas tend to have a higher amount of CBD, while sativas tend to have a higher amount of THC.

And that really sums up the major, scientifically accepted differences in the strains. Out of those differences have developed the more folksy (and less research-based wisdom) that sativas will get you ready for a deep conversation about the universe, while indicas are better for binging cartoons on the couch.

CBD and THC

Lamarck’s categorization of indica vs. sativa was mainly based on the plant’s physical attributes (height, leaf size, etc.), but modern research tells us that predicting the high of a given strain is much more about a plant’s chemical makeup than its appearance. Neurologist and psychopharmacology researcher Dr Ethan Russo wrote on the subject, “one cannot in any way currently guess the biochemical content of a given cannabis plant-based on its height, branching, or leaf morphology.”

The amount and balance of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in a given strain is a much better predictor for the kind of high you will get. A higher amount of CBD will more likely produce a mellow high, while a higher amount of THC will more likely produce a more energetic high.

Indicas do typically have more CBD, and sativas typically have more THC — but it is not a hard and fast rule.

In addition, while the interaction between THC and CBD is one of the main factors in predicting the effect of a given strain of cannabis, it is far from the only factor. There are over 100 different cannabinoids found in various strains of cannabis, of which CBD and THC are only two. These other cannabinoids also can have an effect on a strain’s high.

Terpenes

Then there are terpenes — compounds that are largely responsible for a strain’s aroma but also thought to co-mingle with the other active compounds to affect the overall high of a strain. Terpenes may be one reason why two strains with the same amount of THC and CBD might have totally different effects when smoked. For example, a terpene called myrcene is known to have a sedative effect while another, called limonene is known for lifting mood and energy levels (as well as for having a citrus aroma). Another terpene, alpha-pinene, may be responsible for counteracting THC-induced short-term memory loss. 

These various interactions are often referred to as the “entourage effect” — a kind of compounding of effects that make predicting the high of given strains much harder than simply knowing if it is an indica or sativa.

Beyond that, the effect of a specific strain of cannabis will differ from person to person — the same way that alcohol and caffeine will affect different people in different ways. The same cup of coffee might give you the jitters or while someone else doesn’t feel the effects at all. Likewise, a user’s genetic profile will influence their reaction to THC, CBD, and cannabis in general.

There is still a long way to go to understanding cannabis and the different effects of various strains. 

Why don’t we have a better understanding of the different kinds of strains of cannabis and their potential effects? For one thing, both scientific and agricultural research into cannabis has been largely curtailed by the US government. Cannabis's long time classification by the government as a schedule 1 substance has made cannabis hard to study in a formal setting. Because of that, and the informal nature of the weed economy for most of its history, classifications and “research” have been left more to users, growers, and even dealers — to describe how a given strain affects someone.

In an interview with VICE, Sean Myles, a professor of agricultural genetic diversity at Dalhousie University and co-author of a 2015 study about cannabis genetics, summed up where modern science seems to leave the indica/sativa conversation:

“We may loosely call things "indica" or "sativa," and that's a fair rule of thumb for describing their physical traits and psychoactive effects. But since nobody was keeping track of marijuana with the methods of a modern agriculturist some 5,000 years ago, we don't know what a "pure" sativa or indica really is, DNA-wise, he said. Who's to say what the defining characteristics of a pure sativa or indica really are?”

So, the next time you find a strain you like, make note of the balance between THC and CBD and use that as a good starting point for choosing your next one. With that information in hand, don’t feel like you need to stay loyal to indica or sativa — feel free to branch out!

 

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