Weed Dreams & Kinky Clubs
Monday, October 30, 2023
Time to read: About 5 minutes. Contains 895 words.
Good morning!
Happy All Hallow’s Eve Eve! 🐈⬛ Be safe and be spooky, dear readers.
Thank you to all who liked and shared Friday’s interview with Micah Evans, the senior designer on GRAV's Product Development team, which turned out to be a surprisingly wholesome and refreshing chat about the glass art industry, glass pieces’ place in cannabis culture, and the internal journey of an artist adapting to manufacturing overseas.
Holiday season is coming fast—are you ready?
If you need extra hands/clients/collaborators to execute everything you have planned for the next couple of months, the Lonely Hearts Board of entrepreneurial want ads may be able to help with that. What do you think?
One-Hitters: Cannabis News at a Glance
Last week, I highlighted one New York budtender who was being held at Rikers Island jail awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania for a ridiculous edible possession charge. The fundraiser is going well, but unfortunately, Jumal George is still at Rikers. The latest update as of 10/26/2023 reveals additional flaws to our legal system: “Jumal was supposed to be in court on the 24th, but he wasn't transferred from Rikers, so when his lawyer requested bail the judge wouldn't allow it as he wasn't present in the court. We have retained a NORML-certified attorney in PA to represent Jumal. This attorney is doing his best to get the bench warrant dropped so Jumal can be released.” His next court date is Nov 3rd in Kings County Supreme Court, and hopefully, George’s transfer is already on his way.
A group of Massachusetts cannabis businesses have filed a lawsuit to seriously challenge the legitimacy of enforcing federal cannabis laws against state-regulated cannabis companies—and they hired one of the most successful lawyers in the game. Their goal is for the Controlled Substances Act to be deemed unconstitutional when it comes to state-regulated cannabis markets.
In California, a new consumption lounge in West Hollywood combines cannabis and carnal inspiration. PleasureMed is the latest endeavor by the founder of the Pleasure Chest adult store empire, Brian Robinson. Although tops must stay on, the sprawling space is indulgently over the top, including a dispensary, a restaurant, and an al-fresco cocktail lounge behind the shop named Hind.
Any New Yorkers heading upstate for apple-picking/leaf-peeping? You can pick up fresh buds while you’re there—Gotham dispensary is popping up across from the Hudson Amtrak station every weekend for the rest of the year.
With the five-year deadline to reexamine the Farm Bill looming, one senator points out that either the 2023 Farm Bill gets finalized or an important extension gets filed ASAP. Without either, the hemp industry may risk losing its position established by the 2018 text of the bill.
You know how people will often report that they dream more frequently/intensely when they take a THC break? Salon spoke with a real doctor to find out if science backed this theory up, and the results are fascinating. According to Margaret Haney, Ph.D., the Director of the Cannabis Research Laboratory at Columbia Psychiatry, there’s likely a correlation between those who regularly consume for a serious amount of time and a sort of withdrawal symptom that impacts our “sleep architecture.” As in, suddenly stopping this regular intake may result in us having more REM sleep and more memorable dreams.
If you live in a state where it’s legal to grow at least three plants and could use some extra dough, this seed company would love to pay you $1,500 to test their products through a full harvest. Today is the last day to apply for the opportunity.
High Finds: Lifestyle Goods I Like
I’m not writing any Thrillist gift guides this year, but if I were, this handmade, pearl-studded joint holder by High Society Collection would be on the “What To Buy Your High Femme/Posh Stoner Friend/Lover” list.
Montana-based outdoorsy brand Dangle Supply (maker of the epic titanium bong) collaborated with the equally nature-minded Colorado’s Fat Tire Brewery on the Relaxation Research Department—a “buzzworthy, joint collection of hard and soft goods crafted for the most elevated times.” It’s precious that, beyond a mutual appreciation for Mother Nature, both companies were conceived on bike rides. The collection of smoking tools and apparel is available at both Fat Tire locations and online at Dangle Supply.
As weed drinks rise in popularity, hemp-based bevs find their niches. Ty Haney’s Joggy just dropped an energizing canned drink, and Uncle Bud’s launched a “Revitalizer” hemp wellness drink packed with marine collagen.
Cloth + Flame co-founder Matt Cooley once mentioned an amazing, acclaimed restaurant just down the street from their Phoenix office called Bacanora. This wood-fired destination’s Chef Rene Andrade just collaborated with infused pre-roll brand, Tumble, on an exclusive strain that complements the flavors of Arizona and the Sonoran desert with floral notes, lime, and creamy vanilla.
Pilot Farm, one of Oregon’s most trusted licensed cultivators, has entered the hemp game. I featured Pilot alongside Pure Beauty in an epic sun grown v. indoor story in which each head cultivator talked me through their plant-first methods and sustainability practices, and I’m stoked people outside of Oregon can now try out this mountain-grown, high-altitude flower. In full transparency, I’m doing some consulting work with Pilot Farm on the hemp end—but as a farm with high, regenerative standards, I wanted to highlight the news in any case. Also, I just love the name (which I had nothing to do with): Gatherers of Simples.
Gatherer of poker tools,
Lauren Yoshiko