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Freezing Your Cannabis: Storing cannabis correctly

Freezing Your Cannabis: Storing cannabis correctly

How to store marijuana properly
Unless you’re making fresh-frozen concentrates, putting your cannabis in the freezer might not be the best idea.
The cannabis plant is full of wonder and a plethora of yet-to-be discovered health benefits in addition to those already helping those ailing from a multiplicity of ailments. However, when it comes to recreational cannabis, people tend to forget that it is a plant just like any other, and after it is harvested it can only stay good for so long.

When it comes to storing your cannabis, there are different options you can try out to see what maintains the flavor and scent profile the best. But not all storage methods will provide the right humidity, temperature and lighting to maintain those tastes and smells for an extended period of time.

Cannabis Storing Basics

Storing cannabis is extremely simple and easy once you know the basics. The most important thing to remember is that cannabis likes the dark and cooler temperatures after it is cured. Mildew and other molds start to thrive on cannabis if the plant matter exceeds 77º and excessive dry heat will dry out the essential oils in the plant making it dry, crumbly, and harsher to consume.

While too low of a temperature can also be dangerous for cannabis potency, a nice cool temperature between 50º and 60º in a dark place and relative humidity between 59% and 63% that blocks UV rays will be the most effective in maintaining the original potency and flavor of cannabis. So, what is the most effective way to store cannabis?

Freezing Your Cannabis

Let’s start with freezing cannabis. In short, this is not the way to go. While one may think that freezing cannabis could have its perks like slowing down the aging process or helping the buds stay firm, it is actually the opposite. 

Most cannabis is “aged” for multiple days after the harvest to dry out and cure the buds, so by the time it hits the shelves it is already cured and ready to use. However, as cannabis sits, it continues to decarboxylate, which is the process that transfers THC-A into the psychoactive THC we all know and love. Lower temperatures like that of a freezer will slow down if not halt completely the decarboxylation process, leading to less potent cannabis over time.

Another downside to freezing cannabis is the fragility of the THC crystals that sit on the outside of the buds, also known as trichomes, one of the main contributors to the potency of cannabis. As temperatures drop, trichomes will freeze and fall off, decreasing potency. However, freezing cannabis can be useful for making concentrates such as ice-bubble hash or other concentrates made from frozen cannabis product.

Other Storage Methods

While it may seem obvious that storing cannabis in a plastic bag or a cardboard box is not an effective method of storage, many do so due to lack of knowledge of the effects over time. Have you ever noticed when you go to take your cannabis out of the plastic baggy it came in there’s little pieces of it sticking to the sides? That’s because plastic can hold a static charge that attracts trichomes, taking away potency every time you take it out and put it back.

The refrigerator may seem like a viable option since it is much warmer than a freezer but still cooler than 77º, but fluctuations in humidity and temperature from opening the fridge constantly can still increase chances of mold and mildew. 

The most effective way to store cannabis and maintain its flavor and aroma profiles over time is to store it in an airtight container, like a glass jar. While oxygen is essential for the curing process, you want just the right amount in your storage container to keep humidity consistent without drying out the bud too quickly.

If you want to go the extra mile, pick up a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels in your storage container and make sure the jar you are using is vacuum sealed to reduce exposure to oxygen. Also remember to keep your cannabis in a separate container from grinders, pipes or other paraphernalia as the smell of burnt cannabis and other resins can stick to the container making it stink over time.

Overall, as long as you have a glass jar kept it in a dark place that is relatively cool, you don’t have to worry about your cannabis going bad anytime soon!

How Long Edibles Take to Kick In

How Long Edibles Take to Kick In

How do edibles take to start working?

Recreational and medical marijuana has come a long way since Colorado first legalized adult use in 2012.

The saying, “not your father’s weed,” has become truer than ever, as new testing and growing methods has led to great advances in potency and knowledge of marijuana’s many effects. One such delivery method comes in the form of edibles, or marijuana-infused products.

We have long-surpassed the day of brick-weed brownies and random dosages that could do nothing to one person and completely level another, and a new world of options has started to grow in its place. Brownies may still be one of the most popular edible options, but with the addition of candies, drinks, tinctures, and more there is a plethora of new choices that patients and adults can test out themselves. 

The difference between eating and smoking cannabis

One of the major issues people face when it comes to edibles is knowing the difference between edible effects and normal smoking or vaporizing effects. The other question many have before they try edibles their first time is, “how long do edibles take to kick in?”, and rightfully so. While many edibles nowadays may come with a measurement on the label of how many milligrams of THC the product has, this can lead to confusion for those who don’t know the recommended amount to take.

The recommended average dose for an edible in places such as Colorado and Washington is 10mg of THC per dose. For example, if a brownie has 100mg of THC in the whole thing, only one small piece of that brownie is equal to a normal dose. This can lead to serious problems when someone who does not know the recommended dose eats half the brownie or even the whole thing, because let’s be real, who just eats half a brownie?

When it comes to feeling the actual effects of an edible after ingestion, results vary for everyone. While one may indulge in marijuana recreationally or medicinally on a daily or chronic basis through smoking or vaporizing, edibles act within the body – from ingestion to digestion – in a very different way.

Compared to smoking or vaporizing in which THC is absorbed through the lungs, ingesting an edible takes and entirely different route through the body. Since it is technically food, the body treats it like anything else you might eat; it passes through the digestive system, which can take a while. While the effects of smoking or vaporizing are near instantaneous, edibles take much longer to take effect due to the digestive process which can vary from person to person.

How long edibles take to kick in

In the case of regular marijuana-infused food products such as brownies, cookies, candies, etc., the average onset time can range from thirty minutes to well over an hour, in some cases even taking as long as two hours to kick in. Inexperienced users many times make the mistake of assuming the edible did not work because it has been longer than what they were told at the dispensary and eat more, only to be hit a short time later with increased effects that last much longer.

When purchasing an edible, always look for labeling and dosage. Some edibles come in one single 10mg dose, while others come in a package with many pieces, each equal to 10mg but accumulate to a higher dose when taken in greater quantities (i.e. gummies that come in a package of five or ten). Always ask your budtender what they recommend for first time edible users, and make an informed decision.

The main thing to keep in mind after ingesting an edible is patience. If on an empty stomach, one can expect an edible to hit much faster, no matter the dosage. However much faster in the case of edibles still ranges between thirty to forty-five minutes for how long it takes for edibles to kick in. Many dispensaries and professionals recommend eating a small amount of normal food prior to ingesting an edible so the effects do not come on too strong and too quickly. 

Eating food after ingesting the edible, if on an empty stomach, can increase the speed at which the effects come on, as putting more food on top of the edible can push it down more quickly through the digestive system. So, if you’re looking to feel the effects as quickly as possible, eat or consume the edible on an empty stomach and eat something small afterward to help speed up the digestive process.

It is important to keep in mind that how long edibles take to kick in can also vary depending how they are made. The main methods for infusing food with marijuana consist of cannabis butter, cannabis concentrates and oils. While the former of the three usually involves using marijuana flower itself, the latter two are an already concentrated form of marijuana that can be much stronger. Cannabis butter can also be made more efficiently with concentrates to increase potency.

Shop for edibles with confidence

Asking your budtender if they know how a certain edible was made, what the dosage is, and the average onset time that other consumers have reported can greatly increase confidence when it comes to figuring out how long edibles take to kick in, and how long the effects might last.

Overall, the biggest decider when it comes to choosing an edible and figuring out how long edibles take to kick in is you. While researching certain products and asking your local budtenders about what others have experienced can be extremely beneficial, edibles effect everybody differently, and most anecdotes should be taken with a grain of salt.

As a newbie, here are some of the main notes about edibles to know before trying your first edible:

  1. You can’t overdose on edibles, but taking too much can lead to a very bad time
  2. Edibles affect everybody differently, so don’t get upset if someone who took a similar edible feels it before you.
  3. How long edibles take to kick in depends on a variety of factors from metabolism to dosage to how it is made.
  4. Nobody has ever died from a marijuana overdose, you will come back down from the effects, and you will return to normal.
  5. Be patient and have a good time!
How Oklahoma Became the Nation’s Hottest Weed Market

How Oklahoma Became the Nation’s Hottest Weed Market

How oklahoma became the largest cannabis market in the country

Oklahoma entered the world of legal cannabis late, but its hands-off approach launched a boom and a new nickname: ‘Toke-lahoma.’

WELLSTON, Oklahoma—One day in the early fall of 2018, while scrutinizing the finances of his thriving Colorado garden supply business, Chip Baker noticed a curious development: transportation costs had spiked fivefold. The surge, he quickly determined, was due to huge shipments of cultivation supplies—potting soil, grow lights, dehumidifiers, fertilizer, water filters—to Oklahoma.

Baker, who has been growing weed since he was 13 in Georgia, has cultivated crops in some of the world’s most notorious marijuana hotspots, from the forests of Northern California’s Emerald Triangle to the lake region of Switzerland to the mountains of Colorado. Oklahoma was not exactly on his radar. So one weekend in October, Baker and his wife Jessica decided to take a drive to see where all their products were ending up.

Voters in the staunchly conservative state had just four months earlier authorized a medical marijuana program and sales were just beginning. The Bakers immediately saw the potential for the fledgling market. With no limits on marijuana business licenses, scant restrictions on who can obtain a medical card, and cheap land, energy and building materials, they believed Oklahoma could become a free-market weed utopia and they wanted in.
Within two weeks, they found a house to rent in Broken Bow and by February had secured a lease on an empty Oklahoma City strip mall. Eventually they purchased a 110-acre plot of land down a red dirt road about 40 miles northeast of Oklahoma City that had previously been a breeding ground for fighting cocks and started growing high-grade strains of cannabis with names like Purple Punch, Cookies and Cream and Miracle Alien.“This is exactly like Humboldt County was in the late 90s,” Baker says, as a trio of workers chop down marijuana plants that survived a recent ice storm. “The effect this is going to have on the cannabis nation is going to be incredible.”Oklahoma is now the biggest medical marijuana market in the country on a per capita basis. More than 360,000 Oklahomans—nearly 10 percent of the state’s population—have acquired medical marijuana cards over the last two years. By comparison, New Mexico has the country’s second most popular program, with about 5 percent of state residents obtaining medical cards. Last month, sales since 2018 surpassed $1 billion.
To meet that demand, Oklahoma has more than 9,000 licensed marijuana businesses, including nearly 2,000 dispensaries and almost 6,000 grow operations. In comparison, Colorado—the country’s oldest recreational marijuana market, with a population almost 50 percent larger than Oklahoma—has barely half as many licensed dispensaries and less than 20 percent as many grow operations. In Ardmore, a town of 25,000 in the oil patch near the Texas border, there are 36 licensed dispensaries—roughly one for every 700 residents. In neighboring Wilson (pop. 1,695), state officials have issued 32 cultivation licenses, meaning about one out of 50 residents can legally grow weed.
How Weed is Measured: A guide to quantities and labels

How Weed is Measured: A guide to quantities and labels

Understanding the most common weed measurements

Cannabis has come a long way since it was made illegal in the 1930s, with new methods of growing, cultivating, and manufacturing sprouting up over the years.

There is one thing about cannabis that has changed very little over the years, however, and that is weed measurements.

While the different names for different weed measurements may have been upgraded since the 20th century, the actual amounts and measurements of weed sold in dispensaries today are very similar to those once found on the prohibition-laden streets of America. But what are the most common weed measurements and what are the terms to know before you go asking your local budtender for “hella weed”? 

Let’s start with how weed is measured before we jump into all the different names.

Fun fact; measurements of cannabis start low in grams from the metric system, but move into ounces from the US or imperial system as weight increases. Confusing, right? Just how we like it here in the states!

Basic Weed Measurements

The lowest amount you can purchase (although most dispensaries don’t go this low anymore) is what is commonly called a “dime bag”. A dime bag almost always equals a half of a gram and costs on average $10, hence the “dime” in the name. However nowadays most dispensaries will sell one whole gram for around $10, reaching up to $20 for top shelf cannabis.

So, a gram is the most common small amount of cannabis that you can purchase at most places in a variety of ways, whether in flower form or pre-rolled joints. Simple enough, right? Well, this is where weed measurements can get confusing.

From a gram or two, we jump up to an eighth, or one-eighth of an ounce. This comes out to roughly 3.5 grams, and prices range from $15 on the low end to $60 for top shelf quality cannabis. Most people who don’t want to run to the dispensary every day for a gram will pick up an eighth at a time to last them through the week. For those that want more, we move up to a quarter in the weed measurements scale.

Commonly known as a “Q”, a quarter is self-explanatory. It equals a quarter of an ounce or seven grams. Prices vary on quarters anywhere from $20 for very low-end shake up to around $90 for the highest quality bud. When you want a larger quantity that will last a while longer than a quarter, you can purchase a half ounce or an ounce.

Twenty-eight grams make up one ounce, so fourteen makes up a half. Most people won’t go above this range as 28 grams is plenty to last one person quite some time, ranging between $80 for low end product to over $200, though some places may charge more for their top shelf ounces. Common names for an ounce are “O” or “zip”, which comes from the old days when an ounce would usually take up a whole zip-lock bag. Luckily in recreational places like Denver, just asking for an ounce is perfectly acceptable.

There is always more that can be purchased, although the most one can buy in Colorado is an ounce per visit. This isn’t to say you can’t just go to three different dispensaries and pick up three separate ounces, but a single person won’t need much more.

Quantity vs Quality

So, we’ve covered the amounts and names for the most common cannabis purchases, but what about how weed measurements regarding actual THC content? There is a plethora of different chemicals that make up the cannabis plant, but THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main psychoactive ingredient that gives users the euphoric and relaxed feeling that is commonly associated with cannabis. 

The measurement of THC content in any given cannabis plant is taken as a percentage that the compound makes up of the plant’s flower compared to the other lesser known compounds. Average THC content in Colorado varies between 15% and 30%, with more potent strains being created every year. 

When it comes to concentrated forms of cannabis like wax, shatter, hash and edibles, the weed measurements switch from a percentage to milligrams. A gram of concentrate such as shatter may be 80% THC, but it is labelled as 80mg of THC per dose. Similarly, edibles are given a THC per mg dose, with the average dose for edibles begin 10mg. Suffice to say, concentrates are much stronger and work much faster than an edible, but the effects of an edible can last much longer.

Now you’re ready to stomp into the dispensary and ask for whatever amount you want to match your desired price point, whether its flower or concentrates.

Street Measurement Metric Equivalent About the size of a/an…
1g 1 gram Grape
1/8 ounce 3.5 grams Kiwi
¼ ounce 7 grams Apple
½ ounce 14 grams Grapefruit
1 ounce 28 grams Coconut
1 pound 16 ounces or 448 grams Watermelon

 

 

 

 

 

The States Voting on Legal Cannabis in 2020

The States Voting on Legal Cannabis in 2020

Updated on 11/5/20 to include results.
states voting on legal cannabis on November third

Every year there’s more states voting on legal cannabis. 2020 is no exception.

It’s become a regular trend. Each year, several states add an initiative to their ballot to vote for the legalization of cannabis. 33 states have legalized medical cannabis, and 11 of those states have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

It doesn’t mean that all of the initiatives are what we would ideally like, and there’s a couple states who have suffered from bad legislation.

For example, even though Vermont and Main legalized cannabis in 2018, neither had an actual regulated marketplace for legal cannabis until 2020. In other words even though cannabis was legal, there was nowhere to buy it, and selling it was still illegal.

But states voting on legal cannabis with some issues in the legislation is better than states not voting on legal cannabis at all. With that said, here’s the states voting on legal cannabis on November 3rd.

Mississippi

There are two measures on the ballot in Mississippi that aim to legalize cannabis for medical purposes.

Initiative 65 would make medical marijuana available for people with very specific qualifying conditions, according to WJTV. Patients could possess up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana at one time. The initiative also sets a state tax rate. This initiative basically fully legalizes medical and recreational cannabis in the state.

Initiative 65A does not specify qualifying conditions or possession limits. Regulations would need to be set by state lawmakers. This initiative is the more restrictive option, only specifying the use of medical marijuana for chronic illnesses and terminally ill patients.​

RESULT: PASSED

Arizona

Proposition 207 would legalize the possession and use of marijuana for adults who are 21 or older. People would be permitted to grow six marijuana plants at their home as long as the plants aren’t in public view. The Arizona Department of Health Services would be responsible for regulating marijuana facilities and stores.

Four years ago, voters narrowly rejected a measure to legalize recreational marijuana. It is looking like this year’s vote will have more support and is likely to pass.

RESULT: PASSED

Montana

Montana definitely isn’t a state that comes to mind when people think of states voting on legal cannabis, but Montana actually has two different initiatives on the ballot.

CI-118 or “Allow for a Legal Age for Marijuana Amendment” would make 21 the legal age to purchase cannabis for recreational use. In other words it would amend the Montana Constitution to authorize the state to set 21 years of age as the minimum legal age for marijuana consumption.

I-190 would be the actual regulated industry proposal that CI-118 would allow for. According to Ballotpedia, the measure would legalize the possession and use of one ounce or less or 8 grams or less of marijuana concentrate by people at least 21.

It also puts a 20% tax on legalized marijuana that would flow into the state’s general fund. But that’s not all. In fact, I-90 is actually quite comprehensive. In addition to the above, I-90 would also:

  • Direct the Montana Department of Revenue to license and regulate the cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana and marijuana-infused products and to inspect premises where marijuana is cultivated and sold.
  • Require licensed laboratories to test marijuana and marijuana-infused products for potency and contaminants.
  • Allocate 10.5% of the tax revenue to the state’s general fund, with the remainder dedicated to accounts for conservation programs, substance abuse treatment, veterans’ services, healthcare programs, and local governments where marijuana is sold.
  • Allow an individual currently serving a sentence for a prior low-level marijuana offense to apply for resentencing or an expungement of the conviction.
  • Prohibit advertising of marijuana and related products.
  • Strictly regulate the packaging and labeling of marijuana products to prevent accidental ingestion and access by children.
  • Require that marijuana provider licenses only be issued to Montana residents.
  • Permit localities to regulate, ban, or restrict marijuana businesses within their jurisdiction.

RESULT: PASSED

New Jersey

Question No. 1 on the ballot would make pot legal for adults 21 and older. Medical marijuana is already legal in New Jersey, and the group that oversees the regulation of medicinal cannabis would also regulate recreational pot.

The constitutional amendment would take effect on January 1 and would make New Jersey the first state in the Mid-Atlantic to legalize marijuana.

Because of the economic impact expected to be brought in by residents of neighboring states, it’s believed passage in New Jersey could put pressure on other states in the region to pass similar measures. Unfortunately, Question No. 1 is very short and vague, which likely implies while cannabis could be legal on January 1, 2021, it might be some time before a regulated industry is operating in the state.

RESULT: PASSED

South Dakota

The state will be voting on both medicinal and recreational marijuana during the general election.

Amendment A would legalize recreational cannabis for anyone 21 or older. The measure would also require state lawmakers to pass laws that create a medical marijuana program by early 2022.

Measure 26 would only allow for the sale of medical marijuana to people with “debilitating medical conditions.” Patients cleared for the program could possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana and grow plants in their homes.

While strict, South Dakota is one of the most conservative states when it comes to cannabis, being one of the only in the nation to still not have passed any legislation regarding cannabis. For these same reasons many are unhopeful that Measure 26 or Amendment A will pass.

RESULT: PASSED

The Shady Politics of the MORE Act Vote and Cannabis Legalization [Opinion]

The Shady Politics of the MORE Act Vote and Cannabis Legalization [Opinion]

MORE Act house vote delayed

Has cannabis always been political?

While in most of our lifetimes cannabis has been illegal, it wasn’t always that way. In fact it was the complete opposite until the early 1900s.

Believe it or not, cannabis has been used for thousands of years, with traces of the plant being smoked as far back as 2,500 years. Its first use dates all the way back to 2727 BC in China where it was considered a legitimate medication. Traditional uses of cannabis for medicine might not have been as popular in the west, but that doesn’t mean the cannabis plant wasn’t just as essential.

A very brief prohibitionist history

Not only was cannabis legal prior to the 1930s, it was an essential crop. The ships that brought the colonists to America had sails made entirely from hemp fibers. Colonists were “encouraged” by law from the Queen to grow hemp as one of their staple crops.

In the 1700s and 1800s, extractions from the hemp and cannabis plant were used for medicine all over the country. In 1830, it was used to treat insomnia and migraines, and it acted as a pain reliever. From 1850 to 1942, the United States Pharmacopoeia recognized it as a legal medicine by the name “Extractum Cannabis.”

It wouldn’t be until the 1920s that the United States government would begin to lay restrictions on cannabis cultivation in the form of taxes put on farmers. After a racist, propagandized anti-cannabis movement led by Henry Anslinger, the government eventually created the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. This made it basically impossible for farmers to buy, sell or profit off of cannabis production.

The rest, as they say, is history.

The rise of the cannabis movement

Cannabis use and production certainly continued in the illicit markets across the country after prohibition in the United States. Almost 40 years after cannabis was made illegal, genetics and cultivation techniques from Europe (Holland specifically) where hydroponics was a rapidly growing industry made their way to the states.

This revolutionized how we cultivated cannabis, creating more potent cannabis with higher yields. An explosion in cannabis consumption during the 60s and 70s when the “hippy” movement took off created a perfect storm that birthed a new and booming, albeit illegal, industry in the U.S..

With a growing interest in cannabis came a renewed desire to look at why it became illegal in the first place. The reality being that the main propaganda used to make cannabis illegal was based on racist ideologies against Latinos and African Americans. A thirst for justice and the knowledge of a shameful past created a movement that continues to this day.

The movement to legalize cannabis.

The politics of cannabis legalization

The United States is a unique beast. It is the collation of 50 different states, all of which can create their own laws as long they abide the federal law put forth by the federal government. This is why half the country has legal cannabis, and the other half will still throw someone in jail for years just for having a little bit of cannabis in the car.

In a way this makes sense, as the people of the state dictate how the politicians vote. This would imply that in states where cannabis is still illegal, the people there must want it that way. But this is rarely the case. In fact, roughly two-thirds of Americans support legalization of cannabis.

So if the majority of people think cannabis should be legal, and over half the states in the country have gone ahead and just done it themselves, why hasn’t the federal government done anything?

Well that answer is easy…politics.

This article was written shortly after the news of the House of Representatives delaying their vote on the MORE Act. This bill would remove cannabis from the controlled substances list (where it is currently listed as Schedule 1 alongside heroin) and expunge criminal records of those convicted of small cannabis-related crimes.

In the United States, Democrats are considered the “progressive” party. Meaning they are the party that would normally push for something like cannabis legalization. The MORE Act itself was drafted with bipartisan efforts from Republicans and Democrats alike. Yet it was moderate democrats that voted to postpone the vote on the bill.

Why would this be? After all, the Democrats hold the majority in the House and could easily vote the bill through to the senate to begin deliberations.

But they didn’t.

Additionally the Democrats didn’t decide to postpone the vote just a few days or a couple weeks, they postponed it until at least after the election in November between now sitting President Donald Trump and Joe Biden. It might seem irrelevant, but there’s a real, shady, shitty reason that they did this.

 

The “BIG” announcement

You see, it just so happens that coincidentally, and totally by chance, that the same day that the House of Representatives (i.e. Democrats) decided to postpone the vote, Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris (the Democrat nominees) pledged to decriminalize cannabis, remove it from the scheduled substances list and expunge criminal records.

Sound familiar?

It’s almost as if the Democrats postponed their House vote until after the election, so that Biden can use it to score points and gain more votes from those who want legal cannabis.

Now, if you haven’t gotten any hints of opinion thus far in this piece, here comes some.

I have a prediction.

Call me crazy, but I think there’s just a slim chance (that’s sarcasm) that if Biden is elected, the House will pass the bill through to the Senate the same week. But if Biden loses, the bill will sit dead in the House for eternity, while Democrats blame Republicans for not letting it pass.

That, my friends, is the true politics of cannabis legalization. It isn’t about figuring out if it’s safe, or can be taxed, or if it’s profitable. We know all of that is true already.

It’s about who gets to take credit, and the letter (D or R) next to their name. For politicians, legalization isn’t about the people. It isn’t about the hundreds of thousands of people in jail for small-time cannabis crimes.

It’s about them!