Northwest Chronicle - December 2019/January 2020

Chronicle The Northwest

PUGET SOUND’S Premier CANNABIS Guide D e c e mB E R 2 01 9/Ja n ua ry 2 02 0

HOLIDAY ISSUE A PUBLICATION OF A SUPPLEMENT TO CENTRAL KITSAP REPORTER

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Giving the gift of pot at Christmas

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Types of marijuana

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Testing for marijuana

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Marijuana use in Washington State

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Giving the gift of pot at Christmas

By BOB SMITH rsmith@soundpublishing.com

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n an age in which holiday gift buying knows no bounds, did you know that putting a little something from the cannabis shop under the Christmas tree has quickly become a “thing”?

That’s been the experience of cannabis businesses not only in Washington state but throughout the quickly spreading number of states in which pot has become legalized.

Steven Benoit, purchasing manager for Greenway Marijuana in Port Orchard, said, shoppers have steadily stopped by his Continues on page 5

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business in search of that perfect gift of cannabis for a loved one.

“It’s absolutely a trend that we’ve experienced,” Benoit said.

While his store doesn’t have any cannabis items that have been customized, say, in Santa Claus or Christmas tree packaging, Benoit said they have plenty of items suitable for tucking into a stocking or wrapping into a small gift box and placed under the tree.

He said items most suitable for gifting include edibles such as chocolates, hard candies and flavored drinks infused with marijuana-infused ingredients.

“It helps to have a good idea about the preferences of the person you plan on giving a cannabis gift,” Benoit said. “Is it something they’ll enjoy? Would they prefer edibles or something in liquid form?

The old standby — marijuana joints — can be purchased in a clear plastic tube and ready for use.

In Washington state, purchasers can now share cannabis as a gift with a friend. It was technically illegal until Gov. Inslee signed legislation in 2017 to make it OK to pass a joint to a friend who’s 21 or older.

There are limits, however. You are allowed to share only up to one ounce — approximately 28 grama — of cannabis flowers, or bud; 16 ounces of marijuana-infused edibles in solid form; 72 ounces in liquid form; and 7 grams of marijuana concentrates purchased in a retail store.

If you happen to have your own pot grow operation, small or large — and illegal, you can’t give weed away to anyone.

Any pot legally consumed in Washington state, it must have been grown, packaged and sold under the direction laid out by legal statutes.

Here’s another cautionary note for potential gift-givers: wrap your gift securely and appropriately. It might attract curious children and the sniffers of the family pet, who could consume it and suffer the side effects. For pets, devouring pot could be deadly.

Cannabis edibles are being sold as gift items at shops throughout the region, no doubt popular because they don’t emit that familiar pot smoke odor. They are discreet and Continues on page 6

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as tasty as anything Grandma might have gifted you. In fact, quite popular are baked goods, such as chocolate chip cookies and brownies infused with cannabis concentrate of various strengths in THC or CBD — or both.

Hard candies in traditional flavors, such as butterscotch, toffee or fruit, are mouth-watering and offer a slow release of flavor and kick that provides a long-lasting experience, shop sellers say.

If your gift recipient likes their pot experience via liquid form, there are products out there that can be sipped, say, on your front-porch swing. Orange cream soda manufactured by Olala contains up to 250mg of THC per bottle, so it’s highly advised that drinkers sip the ingredients, not chug it down.

The product does, however, come in variations of 10mg, 50mg and 100mg of THC per bottle.

But if your gift of cannabis absolutely, necessarily needs to appear in the holiday spirit, a visit to Seattle Cannabis Co. is advisable. The store sells a pair of garden gnomes that can store your pot goodies in a little compartment inside. The gnomes can grace either your outdoor garden space or inside the house.

But it’s worth mentioning, however, that these gnomes aren’t your typical Germanic mythical creatures that grace gardens from Bainbridge Island to Olalla: they come as a pair in the form of Cheech and Chong, dressed as Christmas elves (Cheech is wearing a shirt with the message “Dave’s Not Here, Man” on the front).

Happy buying, holiday shoppers!

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Types of marijuana: What effect do you want?

Any seasoned smoker knows there are three distinct types of marijuana: sativa, indica and hybrid.

The plants of cannabis indica and cannabis sativa have been around since the 18th century with cannabis Hybrid being relatively new.

Hybrid indicates the mixing of seeds from different geographic locations around the world.

The effects of each vary.

INDICA: The Indica strain is a more relaxing effect with the tendency of making you want to hang out on the couch. The origin is believed to come from the Hindu Kush region close to Afghanistan.

Anyone who knows anything about marijuana knows that Kush is really strong weed. In this area of Afghanistan, the strain developed thick coats of resin as a mean of protecting themselves due to the harsh climate. Characteristics of indica include flowering time, yields, geography of where seeds came from and various flavors. Some of the epic names given to top flavors include Purple Haze, Granddaddy Purple and Northern Lights.

SATIVAS: The sativas strain alternatively has energizing effects which is why they’re often used in the morning or afternoon. This strain of marijuana is used primarily for depression and exhaustion.

Its morphology is a growth of up to 20 feet high, it is narrow with loose branches. The effects of sativa are said to be uplifting and allow you to be creative. Medicinally, it can treat ADD and mood disorders. Some of the more popular flavors under the sativa strain include Sour Diesel, Jack Herer and Lemon Haze.

HYBRID: There are many variables for the two ancient strains which is where Hybrid comes in. The seeds of many geographical areas are cross germinated to balance marijuana with both strains.

This offers the marijuana user a balance between the two so you get the best of both worlds.

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Testing for marijuana: Will a topical be detected?

While medical and recreational marijuana is legal in Washington state, some employers still do tests for drug use. Those who use topical creams with cannabis in them often wonder if that will make them test positive in a urinalysis drug test.

Here’s what Amanda Reiman, who teaches classes on drug policy at the University of California-Berkeley, had to say: Topical cannabis applications can be extremely helpful for localized pain and inflammation. Many people like them because they work on contact and are non-psychoactive.

In theory, the same reason you can’t get high from rubbing them on your skin is why using topicals will not cause you to test positive in a drug test.

The THC level in topical products tends to be far lower than that in smokable or edible products. Add that to the fact that applying a topical to the skin only allows it to break the skin/muscular barrier, but not enter into the blood stream. I have not seen any reported cases of positive drug tests from topical applications and the research supports this.

However, depending where you live, there might also be transdermal patches on the market. These work similarly to nicotine patches and do contain components that allow the THC to break into the bloodstream and will cause intoxication and a positive drug test.

The topicals I am referring to only include lotions, balms, salves, and other products that contain cannabis and are rubbed on the skin.

Think about it like rubbing alcohol. You can rub it on various places on your body, but you will not feel intoxicated or have a BAC over the legal limit if you use it, even though it has a very high concentration of alcohol in it. However, remember that, like the transdermal patch, consuming marijuana in other ways will show up on a drug test.

There are three main types of drug tests, urine, blood and hair tests, and saliva tests are becoming more common, especially for detecting marijuana smoking. However, a urine test is the most commonly administered because of ease and cost.

In reality, the only thing that will ensure a clean drug test is abstaining from ingesting drugs, at least for a while, but each test is different in terms of how long you need to abstain and what the test can tell about your use history.

Urine tests can detect the THC in the fat cells, since some of it gets washed out with the urine. THC can reside in fat cells for up to four weeks, sometimes longer if the person consumes large amounts of marijuana.

In a blood tests, THC is usually eliminated from the blood within 48 hours, however, blood tests are costly and harder to administer so they are not used as often. Hair follicle tests work by detecting THC metabolites that have been passively diffused from the blood stream to the base of the hair follicle. Hair follicle tests can detect drug use within the past three months, including patterns of use. However, they often show false positives due to environmental pollution and other factors.

Drug tests can be administered in a discriminatory way that many times includes violations of privacy and an assumption of drug use leading to negative consequences. However, in today’s world, it is a part of many opportunities for employment, athletic participation and part of criminal justice sanctions.

Whether you support the idea of drug testing or not, the consequences of having a positive test can be far reaching and detrimental.

Source: Amanda Reiman, PhD., doctorate in social welfare.

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What you need to know:

Using cannabis in the Evergreen State The facts about legal marijuana in Washington Only adults 21 and older can purchase and possess marijuana.

Marijuana can only be sold and purchased at state-licensed retail stores. A valid photo ID is required and no one younger than 21 is allowed on the retail premises. Retail marijuana stores only accept cash.

Adults 21 and older can purchase up to one ounce of usable marijuana (harvested flowers or bud), 16 ounces of marijuana-infused edibles in solid form, 72 ounces in liquid form, and 7 grams of marijuana concentrates.

Price will vary according to the quality and availability. Some strains are considered better than others. Most stores aim at $10-$12 per gram, although that price can go as high as $25.

There are 28 grams in one ounce, the amount that can be legally purchased at one time. Typically, that amount can cost $300 and up.

It is a felony for anyone but a licensed retailer to sell or provide marijuana to anyone else. Providing or selling marijuana to a minor younger than 18 is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

It is illegal to consume marijuana in public view.

It is illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana, and doing so may result in significant legal penalties.

Taking marijuana outside the state of Washington may result in significant legal penalties.

As with tobacco, smoking marijuana in any indoor location is subject to the restrictions in the Washington Smoking in Public Places law. The law prohibits smoking in public places or places of employment, and within 25 feet of entrances, exits, open windows and ventilation intakes. If you are a hotel guest and the hotel permits it, it is legal to consume marijuana in a private hotel room.

Possession of marijuana is still illegal federally. This is also true at national parks. And if you are in navigable waters, the U.S. Coast Guard will enforce federal law. It is never OK to operate a boat while impaired by marijuana or any other drug.

The law against marijuana use in public view applies to state parks, public hiking trails and ski resorts.

Source: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Control Board.

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