Published quarterly, Cannabis Review Quarterly is the perfect resource to discover all that’s happening within the cannabis industry.
CRQ is a sophisticated, informative publication that will keep you updated about the ever-changing cannabis space in our local communities, the region and the Massachusetts commonwealth.
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CRQ Magazine reaches an audience of more than 250,000 adults** through a combination of print and digital media platforms.
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Cannabis Review Quarterly (CRQ) is published by The Republican. Our offices are at 1860 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103. All advertising is subject to the terms and conditions of the CRQ rate card, and all advertising submitted is subject to the approval of the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to cancel an advertising order or reject or edit any advertising copy or images. The Republican Co. shall not be liable for incorrect ad placement. Liability for failure to publish an ad shall not exceed a refund of or credit for the original price of the ad. Liability for an error will not exceed the cost of space for the section the error occupies. Credit will be allowed for the first insertion only. Advertisers should check ads upon publication. The contents of this publication are copyrighted 2024. The Republican Co. All rights reserved. No portion of CRQ may be reproduced in any form without the consent of the Publisher.
Enhancing your trip to the beach this summer.
Set to become the best-selling cannabis products by 2030.
A
Relax
It’s tougher than choosing chick en or fish!
New
West Springfield sweet spot.
Weed is not just a young person’s game, if it ever was.
Check out some fun summertime dosed
and drinks for your next backyard BBQ!
Activated Shake takes out the guesswork of using cannabis flower for DIY edibles.
Hidden Hemlock shares some tricks and tips of the trade.
Climate, soil type, genetics, time, etc. How to get the most yield from plants.
Note to readers:
Please consume responsibly. Cannabis and related products may cause impairment and may be habit forming. For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children.
Products shown in this magazine have not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is limited information on the side effects of using these products, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana used during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product.
Author Tim McBride talks about his life experiences with cannabis trafficking.
KEEP THESE PRODUCTS AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. The effects of Edibles may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.
Cover Photo: Strawberry jam spritzer & gummy garnish by Nate Blais.
Product PREVIEWS
FACTORY
Location in Holyoke Visit bostonbudfactory.com for more info
EXPANDED VAPE CARTRIDGE LINE
“Boston Bud Factory continues to expand its vape cartridge selection, adding several new strains to the menu,” said Frank Dailey of Boston Bud Factory. Boston Bud Factory does not use any solvents during processing, allowing for the vape cartridges to be solvent-free with nothing but cannabis derived terpenes and full spectrum extract. “Terpenes are blended back into the extract to provide the necessary consistency for vaping,” he added. The vape product line includes CBD options such as 1:1 vape cartridge which offers extra relaxation and the many benefits of CBD. Boston Bud Factory also has the lowest vape prices in the state with half-gram cartridges selling for $15, or two for $25.
CHITTY DISTY VAPE LINE
Coming soon to Boston Bud Factory is the new Chitty Disty Vape line. “Boston Bud Factory is one of the few product manufacturers to use cannabis derived terpenes to formulate vape cartridges which then offer a full spectrum experience,” shared Dailey. “Cannabis derived terpenes
provides a flavor and effect true to the strain used. The customer can choose if they want Myrcene to help relax or relieve anxiety, or maybe they want Limonene to help with alertness – whatever their goal there will be a vape option to help.” Chitty Disty carts will be offered in a variety of
strains and flavors to meet the needs of every customer. “Make sure to try the Chitty Disty vapes to find the right effects for your vaping pleasure, not to mention the low retail price of $20 for a half gram cartridge,” Dailey noted.
HIMALAYAN HIGH PARTNERSHIP
“Boston Bud Factory is pleased to announce a partnership with Himalayan High to develop an extensive line of full-spectrum cannabis products, with a variety of cannabinoid ratios,” Dailey said. Boston Bud Factory and Himalayan High are working on formulation for the new product line which will include one of the firsthand candies manufactured in Massachusetts. Additional products that are in development are tinctures and gummies in a variety of cannabinoid combinations like 1:1 CBD:THC and a nighttime formulation that includes CBN. “The partnership between Himalayan High and Boston Bud Factory will allow us to combine resources to develop more products to expand both companies’ menu offerings,” he concluded.
GOODNIGHT GRAPE GUMMIES COURTESY OF COAST
COAST CANNABIS CO.
Locations across Massachusetts VISIT COASTCANNABISCO.COM FOR MORE INFO
PEACH – GUMMY
Coast Cannabis Co. has recently introduced its peach 20mg:1mg CBD:THC gummy. “Each bite promises a balanced fusion of juicy peach flavor and the calming benefits of CBD,” said Angela Brown, co-founder of Coast Cannabis. The gummy is used for relaxation and can be taken at any time during the day. It ranges in price from $25-$27.
GOODNIGHT GRAPE – GUMMY
“Introducing GoodNight Grape, your ticket to a restful and rejuvenating night’s sleep,” Brown shared. “Our juicy grape gummy is packed with 25mg of CBN and 5mg of THC, meticulously blended to deliver the perfect balance for a peaceful slum-
ber.” The gummies are used for a deeper sleep, falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer. No melatonin added. The product ranges in price from $25-$27.
FERNWAY
Found in locations across Massachusetts VISIT FERNWAY.COM FOR MORE INFO
BANANA BREAD
In mid-July, for a limited time only, Fernway will offer its newest flavor, Banana Bread. “A timeless taste –tasty, fresh-baked and always welcome,” said Fernway CMO and Co-founder Liam O’Brien. “Goes great with fresh coffee on the deck, impromptu epic walks and piecing together the perfect outfit. It always hits the spot.” Banana Bread is sold in half-gram cartridges for $25 and 0.3g Traveler recyclable vape for $20.
THE GOOD LIFE PACK
Another new Fernway product that will be available in mid-July is the
Good Life Pack. “Enjoy more and spend less this summer with the Fernway Good Life Pack.” O’Brien said. “Featuring 4 grams of Fernway’s bestsellers at an unbeatable value, so you can load up on your favorites for any adventure. Plus, purchase of a Good Life Pack allows you to enter the exclusive raffle for the Fernway Jackpot – a monthly prize for every cannabis lover who deserves the best.” The Good Life Pack will be launching in Berry Haze and Mandarin Orange – 4 full gram cartridges for $100-$110.
INSA
Locations in Easthampton, Salem and Springfield VISIT MYINSA.COM FOR MORE INFO
BERRY LIMEADE DROPS
Insa has released several new limited-edition products in time for all summer activities. One of those products is the Berry Limeade Drops, a “tasty blend of tangy lime and sweet raspberries infused with 5mg
BANANA BREAD VAPE COURTESY OF FERNWAY
of THC per piece,” said Insa’s Head Chef and Director of R&D Julian Rose. Whether you are relaxing by the pool or taking it easy after a busy day, this product is perfect for chilling out in the summer heat. The drops retail for $25 a pack.
PINA COLADA DROPS
“Life’s a beach with our deliciously sweet Pina Colada Drops,” said Rose. “Bursting with tropical pineapple, sweet coconut and 5mg of THC per piece, these summer-themed drops will transport your mind and body on a relaxing beach vacation – no Hawaiian shirt necessary.” The drops retail for $25 a pack.
BLACK RASPBERRY ICE CREAM BAR
Insa’s new Black Raspberry Ice Cream Bar combines real black raspberries and a blend of smooth European chocolates, with a hint of heavy cream for a unique flavor. “It’s our twist on the classic ice cream treat, but with an extra chocolatey kick,” explained Rose. “With a striking dark purple hue and 5mg of THC per piece, this special summer flavor is a must-try.” The summer seasonal retails for $30 a bar.
BAJA CITRUS VAPORIZERS
“Get ready for a trip to flavor paradise with Baja Citrus, sativa infused with a blast of tangy lime, luscious citrus and a sugary sweet finish that’ll have you coming back for more,” Rose said. “Uplifting and energizing, let the tropical flavors awaken your senses, delivering a refreshing and happy vibe that’ll transport you to sun-soaked island shores with every hit.” Pens retail for $40.
PIONEER
CANNABIS CO.
Location in Brimfield VISIT PIONEERCANNABISCOMPANY. COM FOR MORE INFO
TRIFECTA FARMS FLOWER
“Trifecta Farms is locally owned and operated right in Brimfield, allowing us to offer flower that has been grown and sold all within our small town,” said Pioneer Cannabis Co. CEO Maura Doyle. Pioneer offers eighths of premium bud and half ounces of pre-ground flower. “With an impressive strain catalog, a few of the customer favorites so far have been their Fruit Pebblez and Vanilla Zoap,” Doyle shared. Eighths can be purchased
for $35 and half ounces of preground for $60.
GOOD CHEMISTRY’S DRIPSTIX
“For those looking to kick their preroll experience up a notch, DripStix have become a customer favorite,” said Doyle. The infused DripStix are hand-packed, 100% flower joints that are infused with premium Live Rosin, delivering a terpene and cannabinoid-rich experience. “Offered in a variety of strains including Platinum Huckleberry Cookies and Amnesia Haze, these offer high potency at a bargain price of $12 per .5g joint,” she added.
TRIFECTA FARMS FLOWER COURTESY OF PIONEER CANNABIS
It’s beach time!
relax and unwind this summer, then Beachtime Betty’s fruit chew is the product for you.
The limited-batch chews are strawberry lemonade flavored, featuring a blend of THC, CBG and essential summer vitamins C and D.
Betty’s Eddies Brand Director Sara Rosenfield described this as “a quintessential summer flavor because it embodies the refreshing, vibrant and tangy tastes that are perfect for hot weather.”
She went on to say, “It’s intended to capture the essence of summer, reminiscent of picnics, beach outings and warm, sunny days.”
The Beachtime Betty’s limited-edition
most sought-after chews.
“Due to its popularity, we hear from customers all year long, urging us to make it a permanent addition to our lineup,” Rosenfield said. “Now in its second year, we’re thrilled to bring it back, and our customers couldn’t be happier to enjoy this seasonal favorite once again.”
Rosenfield explained that Betty’s Eddies are “great-tasting, handcrafted fruit chews that feature all-natural blends of full-spectrum cannabis, supporting cannabinoids, and herbal supplements and vitamins.”
The chews are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free, and made with real pieces of fruits and vegetables that consumers can see and taste. “Each chew is custom-formulated and
relief, energy and more,” she said. She continued, “Betty’s Eddies offer a comprehensive array of products tailored to enhance every aspect of the summer experience. Whether you’re looking to chill at the beach with our relaxing Beachtime Betty’s chew, get a full night’s sleep after a fun-filled day with our Bedtime Betty’s chew, ease muscle aches from lugging air conditioners or hauling the kids around with our Ache Away Eddies or Ache Away Eddies PM chew, or take the edge off after a long day with the family with our Take It Easy Eddies chew, our delicious, all-natural cannabis fruit chews are crafted to meet every need.”
Beachtime Betty’s fruit chews are sold in a 10-pack. Prices vary per dispensary, but typically cost around $18.
1 2 3 4 5 6 8 9 7 10
Betty’s Eddies Cannabis Ice Cream
It’s summer. It’s hot out. Really hot. You’d like to maybe have something sweet and cold and totally wonderful because that’s what ice cream is. Especially when it’s Emack and Bolio crafted delicious regular and dairy-free ice cream (lactose intolerant people unite!). Now, picture all that in flavors like Black Raspberry and Cup O’ Coffee Chip and others, and you get what’s happening here.
Cheech and Chongs
There are duos of the entertainment world in the US that take less time to associate with cannabis culture of the last four decades than Cheech and Chong. The “Up In Smoke” legends got into the celebrity cannabis game and launched their own lines of flower, edibles, and prerolls in different product lines for different effects. Which is great for fans, especially if the main effect you are seeking is “smoke some cannabis flower named for Cheech and Chong” that happens to be good weed.
Garcia’s Hand Picked
Jerry Garcia. Icon. Genius. Fan of mind altering substances. Artist. Renegade. Player of long noodling solos. Spiritual avatar for many in weed culture. However you recognize him, there’s no mistaking Garcia’s Hand Picked flower line given the trippy and artful packaging design, as well as the primo buds and ounces available for sale like this batch of Under the Stars strain. Which may result in you employing them for laying out on a summer night to find yourself in that very position.
Smash Hits Chem D Flower
Ah, Chem D. The original. The grandfather of many, many exotic strains today. That’s right, the 30 year old classic that’s rife with funky gas and peppery petrol fumes to the smoke, as well as the deeply satisfying full body and mind effects that take hold after consuming this
30%+ THC juggernaut, is still kicking under Smash Hits cultivation director and Canna Provisions star grower, Greg “Chemdog” Krzanowski. In the parlance of our times: IYKYK.
Chem S1 Carts
There are 510 vape carts and then there are the Treeworks x Smash Hits Live Rosin collaboration 510 vape carts. Which is to say, there are mortals and there are gods. The Chem S1 strain carts available are the creme-de-lacreme of solventless live hash rosin in vape cart form, providing all the gassy funk and peppery loveliness of the Chem S1 (basically the Chem D strain that was bred back onto itself, or “selfed” for a super potent and flavor rich intensity). Novices beware, this one packs a punch!
Wyld Gummies
Wyld entered the Massachusetts market for the first time this summer and the edible-consuming masses of the Commonwealth are all the better for it. From the packaging to the flavor formulations, these tasty chews made with real fruit and an array of minor-cannabinoid combinations have made them one of the top selling gummies in the country. From the sleep inducing Elderberry THC:CBN and indica terpenes, to Blood Orange THC:CBC + sativa terpene blends, as well as other fruits and cannabinoid combos (CBG + CBD for the daytime win!), hit up the preorder menus today to see why these are so popular with consumers.
Jeeter Pre-rolls and Infused Preroll Packs
Another nationally popular brand that made its entrance into Massachusetts over the summer is Jeeter. Prerolls of wide acclaim, they are crafted with indoor flower and infused with cannabis oil and kief for some supernova strength joints (with many clicking in at over 3545% THC levels for you size queens out there), built to be stronger and bursting
with flavor. They come in a variety of sizes like the Baby Jeeter .5g jars, as well as the XL 2g cannons. Ideal for percentage hunters and terpene lords (three words: Strawberry Sour Diesel), make your next jibber a Jeeter!
Crispy Commission x Smash Hits Concentrates Collaboration
Ah, Crispy Commission x Smash Hits cannabis collab. Live sugars, crumbles, cured budder, badder, wax, and live sauces abound, and with strains like Blue Cookies (Blue Dream x Lilac Cookies) or Lemon Dawg (Lemon OG Haze x Stardawg Corey Cut x Urkle x Tresdawg), Biscotti Star (Biscotti Mintz x Stardawg Corey Cut x Hippy Slayer) and Hippy Waffle (Waffle Cone x Hippy Slayer), there’s a chance you’ve just found your new concentrate home in this Crispy collab.
Khalifa Kush
Khalifa Kush, or KK, is renowned for its vibrant terpene profile, featuring myrcene, caryophyllene, and limonene. These terpenes contribute to its sour lemon and pine aroma, delivering a creative and uplifting cerebral high. Khalifa Mints, a cross of KK and The Menthol, boasts an OG gas, creamy gelato, and minty menthol flavor, offering a potent and long-lasting high that’s both active and cerebral
Nordic Goddess and Dr. Solomon’s topicals
Look summer is fun. But not fun is some of the aches and pains that come with it. Long hikes. All day swim sessions. All day grill duties. Eating what comes out of all day grill duties. Whatever the reasons, grabbing some cooling nano-infused topicals and balms like the Nordic Goddess as well as the THC:CBD topicals from Dr. Solomon means those pesky pains and aches are due for a slathering of these pain relief aids always at the ready.
Fine Fettle settles in West Springfield sweet spot
STORY BY STAASI HEROPOULOS
PHOTOS BY NATE BLAIS
It is becoming increasingly difficult to decide where to open new cannabis dispensaries in Massachusetts, as the industry approaches a saturation point in the commonwealth. But owners of Fine Fettle think they’ve planted their new dispensary in the fast lane of growth on busy Memorial Ave. in West Springfield.
“In Massachusetts, there’s dispensaries all over the place. Finding locations that are not totally oversaturated was important,” said Ben Zachs, CEO of Fine Fettle’s parent company, FFD MA Enterprises, Inc.
“We found amazing real estate, and that is a busy location in an enormous shopping center (Century Center), and it is in a less saturated area,” he continued.
While selling and consuming cannabis is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut, the drug is banned by the federal government and illegal to transport across state lines. Even so, Zachs is counting on cannabis users from Connecticut to shop in his West Springfield store.
Fine Fettle began fiddling with cannabis in Connecticut five years ago when it opened a dispensary in Willimantic. The company now has six dispensaries in the nutmeg state, with a seventh on the way.
“We have huge reach in Connecticut,”
“In Massachusetts, there’s dispensaries all over the place. Finding locations that are not totally oversaturated was important.”
- Ben Zachs, CEO of Fine Fettle’s parent company, FFD MA Enterprises, Inc.
he said. “Having really strong market share and brand recognition in Connecticut, being right over the border made a ton of sense for us. We hear the complaints about prices being expensive in the state (CT), and not that many options.”
Zachs said he wants the West Springfield dispensary to differentiate itself not only by offering stellar customer service and product education— he’s also aiming to feature the best prices and widest variety of products in the area.
“We’ve created an unbelievably competitive menu. We have a billboard up that says ‘cheapest cannabis prices anywhere.’ We’re really proud of that in Massachusetts because we think the vast majority of consumers are really price conscious,” he said.
Fine Fettle already operates a dispensary in Rowley, MA, but plans to sell its dispensary on Martha’s Vineyard by the end of the summer because Zachs said the regulations on the island are onerous and it is so expensive to operate there.
In Georgia, Fine Fettle has opened a 118,000 square cultivation, production and manufacturing facility in Macon, and over the summer has plans to open four stores in the state.
Fine Fettle is a family owned and privately held business that has seen explosive growth in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Georgia, expanding from a handful to more than 300 employees in the last five years.
In that same time frame, the cannabis industry has blossomed in the Bay State, a burgeoning market of some 400 dispensaries and a growing number of cannabis cultivators and processors. It is all driving prices down.
“Massachusetts is definitely oversaturated. Prices have come down and it is the commoditized brands that are going to win. Specific operators who do it the best are going to win,” said Zachs.
“We don’t want a Massachusetts store for Connecticut people. We want a Massachusetts store that we thought would thrive in Massachusetts.”
- Ben Zachs, CEO of Fine Fettle’s parent company, FFD MA Enterprises, Inc.
While the Fine Fettle chief said he’s counting on business from the border towns in Connecticut, he’s not staking the store’s future on it.
“It would be a bad thing if our West Springfield dispensary sees high percentage of Connecticut people, because once Connecticut’s pricing changes, we’d see a huge hit. We’re trying to create a sustainable business everywhere. We don’t want a Massachusetts store for Connecticut people. We want a Massachusetts store that we thought would thrive in Massachusetts,” said Zachs.
It will be some time before Connecticut dispensaries pose a significant challenge, because Zachs believes the plan in Connecticut is to grow slow.
“Massachusetts got so much investment dollars pumped in so quickly, and Connecticut has not seen that because it’s really expensive to build out cultivation,” he said. “Connecticut is definitely more New England Puritan, old school. A lot of ‘Not in my backyard.’
Cannabis use over Age 50 A Primer
Weed is not just a young person’s game, if it ever was.
Despite the growing market, many older adults with legitimate curiosity or interest in legal cannabis still face barriers due to lack of education about available products. However, as more research emerges showing the benefits of cannabis, including reductions in opioid use and improvements in daily living activities, older generations are increasingly open to exploring these options
The legal cannabis market continues to expand, with combined U.S. medical and recreational cannabis sales already in the tens of billions of dollars. In Massachusetts, the cannabis industry
is flourishing, driven by a mix of new products and a growing acceptance among older demographics creasingly turning to cannabis products that offer therapeutic benefits, as well as those that are just interested in the psychoactive effects.
As more and more research contin ues to mount showing improvements in quality of life, reduc tions in pain and
opioid use, and changing opinions and stigmas, older generations are having more frank discussions with their peers, friends, and medical professionals on usage and general information of legal cannabis.
Following our primer on cannabis use for those over 50, it’s clear that the interest in cannabis for medicinal purposes is booming among older adults. So be sure to check out part one, and let’s focus on specific products available in Massachusetts that cater to sleep, anxiety, and pain relief, providing options from the legal adult-use market.
Edibles remain a favorite among the 55+ crowd, offering discreet and controlled dosages. Products like Betty’s Eddies Bedtime Chews are infused with melatonin, THC, and CBN, these chews are designed to help you fall and stay asleep. Note: if you’re more of an ice cream person, Betty’s makes THC ice cream as well, good for that nighttime sweet tooth, or any time cannabis and ice cream sounds like a great idea. Another is Wana brand gummies, which are one of the top selling gummies on the market. Their fast acting “Stay Asleep” gummies highlight quick onset of effects, making them ideal for those needing immediate relief which many older people want.
to the average non-consumer. This has given rise to a range of THC and CBD dosed beverages, from seltzers to sodas combining THC with strain-specific terpenes for a refreshing and effective drinks.
Older adults and new consumers also crave familiarity, data shows, and product delivery forms that make sense
Tinctures are another popular choice as they can be added to non-cannabis beverages in clear controlled doses and flavors. Known for their ease of use and portability, and rapid absorption. Bay State Extracts Blackout Drops use a combination of minor cannabinoids aimed at promoting deep sleep and relaxation, while Treeworks Full Spectrum RSO Drops are infused with Rick Simpson Oil, a powerful full-plant extract that provides comprehensive benefits and effects.
Transdermal patches provide a controlled release of cannabinoids over several hours, making them ideal for both discrete usage as well as consistent delivery of effects, like those from Freshly Baked company, a Massachusetts veteran and minority-owned business.
For those who enjoy a hands-on approach, using cannabis flower to create DIY edibles at home is a viable option. Moreover, the shift towards sophisticated consumer products like “Activated Shake” which is pre-ground cannabis flower that has been “activated” or decarboxylated, the process which
Transdermal patches provide a controlled release of cannabinoids over several hours...
provides the high or psychoactive effect of consuming the cannabis flower (THC needs heat in order to be “active”).
The convenience of classic and diverse consumer products ensures that there are options for every preference and requirement And with continued education and evolving product offerings, the 55+ demographic is well-positioned to benefit from the therapeutic and recreational potential of cannabis.
Summer Daze Menu
BY
Spring has sprung, school’s out for the summer, and beach weather is upon us—so light up those taste buds with some yummy summertime dosed recipes!
STEAK KABOBS WITH
CANNABUTTERGARLIC AND CANNABIS INFUSED SALSA VERDE
INGREDIENTS:
Kabobs:
1 package of steak tips
½ cup cannabutter
4 garlic cloves
8 mini bell peppers
Marinade:
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
¼ cup Olive oil
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Salsa verde:
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped cilantro
½ cup cannabis infused olive oil
½ cup sherry vinegar
½ cup chopped green olives
2 tbsp capers
½ a shallot
½ a Fresno chili, seeded
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Cut your steak tips into even cubes. In a large bowl mix together your marinade ingredients and marinate your steak for at least 1 hour. While your steak is marinating make your salsa verde. Add parsley, cilantro, pitted green olives, capers, shallots and chili to a food processor and blitz until fully combined. Add in your cannabis infused olive oil and vinegar blitz a few more times and set aside. Add your steak tips and peppers to your kabob skewers and set aside out of the fridge for about 20 minutes before grilling. Melt your cannabutter and add in your crushed garlic cloves. Place your steak kabobs on a hot grill and brush with garlic cannabutter every cou- ple of minutes until your steak is cooked to your desired temp. Once finished, brush with some more garlic cannabutter and serve with your salsa verde. Enjoy!
PHOTOS AND RECIPES
NATE BLAIS
PEACH COBBLER
INGREDIENTS:
5 peaches
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
For the batter:
6 tbsp cannabutter
1 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla Cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Dice your peaches and add to a sauce pan with your sugar and salt. Cook for about 5-10 minutes on low heat. Preheat your oven to 350 and add your cannabutter to your baking dish and let melt in the oven. While your butter is melting, make your batter. Add in your dry ingredients (minus cinnamon) to a mixing bowl and stir to combine, whisk in your milk and vanilla until you have a smooth batter. Once your butter is melted, remove baking dish from the oven and add in your batter. Add peaches over the top of your batter, and generously sprinkle with cinnamon. Add your baking dish back into the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!
RANCHPOPCORNFLAVORED
INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsp cannabis infused oil
½ cup popcorn kernels
1-2 tbsp ranch seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Add cannabis infused oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot add in your popcorn kernels and let pop until you don’t hear popping in the pan. Add to a bowl and add your ranch seasoning. Serve and enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup canna sugar
½ cup regular sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 pint of strawberries, halved
DIRECTIONS:
Halve your strawberries and set aside. Zest and juice your lemons. Add strawberries, canna and regular sugar and lemon zest to a sauce pan over low heat. Cook for about 10-15 minutes on very low heat until you have a jammy consistency. Add in your lemon juice and stir to combine. Let cool for about and hour. Add jam to your glass, add ice and finish with plain seltzer. Garnish with a gummy and lemon wheel. Enjoy!
STRAWBERRY JAM SPRITZER & GUMMY GARNISH
Activated Shake from Smash Hits cannabis takes the guesswork out of using cannabis flower for DIY edibles
Making your own DIY edibles at home. Data indicates that consumers are becoming more intentional with their cannabis use, often seeking specific outcomes like relaxation, pain relief, or enhanced social experiences. This has led to an increase in products designed to meet these specific needs, including targeted edible creation at home.
There is a notable trend of consumers purchasing cannabis flower to create homemade edibles. This trend is driven by individuals seeking customized dosing and the ability to create specific recipes that cater to their personal tastes and dietary needs
And DIY edibles are a time-honored tradition for cannabis enthusiasts. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of online instructionals as well as how-to guides available to those interested in them. Especially those keen on using
legal cannabis flower. Depending on your experience, the method can bring on a little madness when it comes to figuring out the best way to go about it. Consider the following scenario… Fade in: You go to the store. You buy some top shelf cannabis flower that you intend to turn into a pan of THC dosed brownies. Or cookies. Or a whole cake. Basically anything requiring cannabis to take it from a fun adult cannabis treat to YE-HAW, HERE WE GO! Once home from the store, you get set up in your kitchen. You have a grinder to grind all the flower. Then you grind it even finer (as you don’t want to be chewing on plant material in your edibles). Preparing for the decarboxylation process (the process which “activates” cannabis and converts the THC into a compound that enters your system and gets you high), you set your baking sheet pans
STORY BY DAN MCCARTHY PHOTOS ISTOCK / SUBMITTED
set before you with the needed accoutrement. Parchment paper: Check. Oven on preheat to get up to the key temperature for activating the flower: Check. Full intention to make a solid batch of flower dosed edibles: Check. But now you have to refer to the best method for the whole affair. Questions arise. Do we fine grind it or keep it a loose grind? What is the temperature to activate the flower at? What temp do the aromas and flavors and bio-available terpenes wear off? And how do I know if I over baked the flower and basically toasted it, resulting in that burnt-popcorn smell that lets you know you’ve gone a bit far in the decarboxylation process. And if that
you decarboxylate cannabis flower the result is a flavor and aroma that is bereft of the crucial terpenes and plant oils that give off smells and contribute to the overall flavor of a flower.
“At Canna Provisions, we are all lovers and consumers of this plant and all its forms,” says Meg Sanders, CEO of Canna Provisions. “And we listened to our consumers who wanted a new way to enjoy our Smash Hits flower in edibles, so we took the guesswork out of the decarb process to do it for consumers while also preserving the aromas and terpene profile of the strains, and we’re proud to say we nailed it.”
With the new Activated Shake line you can land half ounces and ounces
Cannabis on the coastline
Abeach chair, towel, umbrella, sunglasses, sunscreen and a boogie board … What’s missing? Oh yeah, cannabis!
If you are looking to enhance your beach trip this summer, Ryan Crandall, chief revenue officer at MariMed, Inc. has several product recommendations that will do just that.
He shared that MariMed has a product/brand called Vibations. “Think libations with a ‘v,’” he said. “Good vibes.”
He continued, “Vibations is really where Liquid IV meets cannabis.”
Vibations is a powdered cannabis drink mix that is in a six-pack – like Liquid IV or a similar product – that comes in a 10-pack, with a variety of flavors and dosages.
“The idea is really hydration. Think cannabis meets hydration,” Crandall said.
He added that the product is discreet. “[You have] the ability to take these in your purse or in your pocket
and really infuse a bottle of water or a hot beverage at night before you go to bed.”
Crandall noted that when you have the six-pack, people don’t really know what it is so you have the ability to be tactful and can take it on the go.
“It’s a great product for the summertime and for the beach,” he shared. “We see people using it golfing, hiking, doing yoga. I literally use it almost all weekend long as I’m doing yard work and stuff.”
STORY BY LAUREN LeBEL
Crandall noted that the product will keep you hydrated, as there are electrolytes in it and the formulation for it is built to allow people to have multiple, as it is low dose.
“The concept of it being hydration and low dose at the same time really yields for people to be able to be out in the sun and consuming these products responsibly,” he said.
Crandall went on to describe the beach as a “sensitive place.”
“You don’t want to be smoking at the beach, but I know a lot of people do vape at the beach,” he said.
At MariMed, there are a variety of options within their Nature’s Heritage brand for folks who want to consume pre-rolls, flower, concentrates or vaporizers.
“Although you may not want to be doing those openly at the beach, some people do and therefore, those are products that some folks may be looking for at the beach,” Crandall said.
He suggested that consumers not smoke openly at the beach because it is not great for children, among other aspects.
“I do want people to be able to consume their products, responsibly, so that [it will] be safe for everybody,” he said.
Another great product for the beach – or summer in general – is ice cream made by Betty’s Eddies.
Crandall shared that Betty’s Eddies has partnered with Emack and Bolios – an “iconic ice cream brand” based in Boston – for a couple years now, making Betty’s Eddies ice cream fixed with all the Emack and Bolios formulas.
The ice cream comes in four different flavors: vanilla brownie, coffee chocolate chip, dark chocolate with sunflower butter and black raspberry. Two of the flavors are vegan and two are dairy-free to give people options who are on more limited diets.
Crandall described the sizings as a “mini sundae” or “personal serving,” as it comes in 4-ounce cups.
All these products are highly distributed and available in over 100 stores across the state. They can also be found within MariMed’s three stores in Massachusetts – Beverly, Quincy and Middleborough – all located near a
beach.
“Each one of the stores certainly gets a lot of beach traffic,” Crandall said.
Additionally, each of these products/brands has its own website, with a store locator to find these products
near you and across various other states.
So, what are you waiting for? Pack up the car and pick up some products to complement a sunny, fun filled day at the beach!
and its testing at 35% THC!” You probably thought to yourself that 35% THC is a high number for flower so it must be potent, therefore it has to be good! While it does mean the flower is packed with cannabinoids, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll like the high or the flavor. What makes today’s Cannabis more potent than the previous generations? And how are we, the consumers, helping to push the boundaries of innovation in the Cannabis industry?
Have you ever noticed certain strains of flower, the tiny, mushroom-shaped fibers that seem to glisten in the light? Those are called Trichomes and a recent study performed by the University of British Columbia claims that if a flower has an abundance of trichomes, the
than others
more likely it is to be more potent.
“Crystalized hairs (trichomes) that have been held in high regard for decades by cannabis aficionados are what produce the chemicals that give the plant all of its psychoactive and medical properties” (Livingston et al.). Science is finally given the opportunity to showcase what consumers have already thought for years. What was once labeled Bro-Science is now given the chance to fully be understood and experiments can be conducted for evidence backing up said myths. With new technology making it easier for studies to be conducted, it also makes growing less of a guessing game and more focused on scientific data that will
help growers and consumers find the product best suited for their needs and wants.
Cannabis growers are always searching for the best flower that their consumers will keep returning too. That means when they find a keeper, they tend to breed and backcross the lineage to strengthen genetic traits that are more desirable, including unique terpene profiles and high-testing cannabinoids. Companies base their decisions on statistics and the numbers show consumers are increasingly chasing products with higher percentages of cannabinoids to achieve the bliss of getting high for the first time again. Connoisseurs will go
to great lengths to find a Cannabis product that no one else has, even if they have to pay top dollar and travel miles to get their hands on it. Technology like ultraviolet lights helps growers have a better understanding of what’s happening with the plant’s trichomes and when the best time to harvest is. Ultraviolet lights, when used in conjunction with a microscope, allow you to see the color change more clearly on the trichomes. Waiting too long or not enough time can be detrimental for your plants if you’re attempting to get the most potent flower possible. Harvest times must be tested and monitored closely to ensure the delicate trichomes aren’t getting destroyed by the environment, or lack thereof.
Considering some of the best cannabis grown in the past was done under harsh conditions due to legal reasons, lack of resources, space, knowledge, and technology, Today’s bud is more socially accepted and science has had more chances to study the plant for a greater understanding of how to best support its environment. More money has been spent on research and development
of new processes and techniques to achieve the highest quality of flower possible. The growers at Timber Cannabis Co. stated “As our knowledge of cannabis began to increase, so did the quality” (Timber Cannabis Co.). Before Cannabis used to come in a brick with stems and seeds inside, now Cannabis is being preserved on top of the line growing containers inside of temperature and humidity controlled vaults to help preserve those precious trichomes. Growers are using statistics to grasp a larger concept of how their processes are causing the plant to thrive to its maximum potential or grow with lackluster outcomes. Long-term research is helping consumers and scientists understand what to expect from cannabis and how it affects our endocannabinoid system. Constant testing for all cannabis products in the state of Massachusetts is helping give consumers more data to help them make educated decisions on what to purchase for an ideal product to suit their medicinal and recreational needs.
Cannabis is becoming more potent due to a variety of factors, but the bot-
tom line is, everyone is in the industry to help push and propel cannabis forward. Growing the best cannabis is what everyone is striving for. Whether you’re crossing potent strains with other potent strains, or just enhancing a strain to showcase its best attributes and genes, the end goal is to find the best product for the consumer. There are millions of people in the world, and each person has unique and individual needs, with the help of technology and passionate people, we can find a strain for everyone.
Works Cited: Adams, Mike, et al. “Trichomes Are the Key to Most Potent Cannabis Flowers.” Cannabis Now, 10 January 2024, cannabisnow.com/trichomes-arethe-key-to-most-potent-cannabis-flowers/. Accessed 10 June 2024. Livingston, Samuel J., et al. “Cannabis glandular trichomes alter morphology and metabolite content during flower maturation.” Wiley Online Library, The Plant Journal, 30 August 2019, onlinelibrary. wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tpj.14516. Accessed 10 June 2024.
Stuyt, Elizabeth. “The Problem with the Current High Potency THC Marijuana from the Perspective of an Addiction Psychiatrist.” NCBI, November 2018, ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6312155/. Accessed 10 June 2024.
Timber Cannabis Co. “Powerful Pot: Why is Weed So Strong Now?” Timber Cannabis, 7 October 2022, timbercannabisco.com/why-is-weed-so-strong-now/. Accessed 10 June 2024.
Reading a dispensary menu
it’s tougher than picking chicken or fish
Take a gander at a restaurant menu and it’s easy to know the difference between fowl, fish or a filet. But reading the line-up of offerings at a dispensary may not be so tempting.
“When you come to a dispensary menu, it can be a little overwhelming if you’re not familiar with the cannabis industry,” said Kaitlin Dottori, marketing manager at Fine Fettle dispensaries. “There are different categories like flower versus pre-rolls, edibles and tinctures. Then there’s different brands.”
To dive even deeper, there is the lineage of products—hybrid, sativa or indica. And within that, there are terpenes for each product, and each terpene has a different effect. And don’t forget about dosing.
Dottori says, if this is spiking your anxiety, take a deep breath and think about what you’re looking for.
“How do you want to consume your cannabis? Do you want to smoke it or eat it? Then diving deeper from there, what effects are you looking for and then filtering the options that way,” she said.
Nearly every dispensary has a highly educated staff that can guide patrons
down the path of making a perfect selection. But it’s a good idea to get a head start by doing some research online, using a cannabis glossary to identify and define terms, like understanding the difference between THC and CBD.
A bit of advance planning will help you understand a dispensary’s menu and better inform the questions you have for budtenders—the experts on hand to help you make your purchases.
“I definitely recommend, before heading to a dispensary, checking out the menu and online resources. It’s not that you’ll be super confused if you don’t know those terms, but it gives you a little more insight into the products that you’re buying. It gives you a little more ammo for walking into a dispensary and knowing exactly what you want to ask and knowing exactly what you’re looking for.”
Dottori said she’s seeing a growing number of people exploring the up and downside of cannabis—is it a gateway drug, what is it like to be high, will I feel doped-up if I light-up a joint.
“It’s very helpful to educate yourself and then you end up having a better
experience too, because you know what kind of high to expect. The longer cannabis is legal, the more people are looking into things like that,” she said.
Dottori said the supply of information is growing with the demand for knowledge, and there are now countless blogs, newsletters, online forums and websites that offer everything from basic information to in-depth studies on the effects of cannabis and the discovery of new varieties.
“When people think of marijuana, they first think pothead, couch potato and it just makes you lazy. There’s different strains of cannabis, and there are some strains that do make you more tired, and there’s some strains that can actually give you energy,” said Dottori.
Cannabis consumption remains a controversial topic, but with easy access to a growing body of information, research can help refine everything from pre-roll preconceptions and flower philosophies—to the basics of reading a dispensary menu.
Glossary details from finefettle.com/blog/how-toread-a-dispensary-menu/
GLOSSARY
CHEMOTYPES/THC CONTENT
When it comes to cannabis strains, there are 3 primary chemotypes which describe the balance of THC and CBD in the plant. There are:
THC-dominant strains: These strains have much more THC than CBD in them, which lends them strong psychoactive effects. Popular THC-dominant strains include Blue Dream, OG Kush, Kosher Kush, and GSC.
CBD-dominant strains: These strains won’t make you feel very “high” but they still offer the benefits of cannabis. Check out Harlequin, ACDC, or Cannatonic.
One to one (1:1) strains: These strains have a nearly even ratio of THC to CBD and are perfect for medical users. Argyle, Dancehall, and Sweet and Sour Widow are great examples.
Many people think that the higher the THC percentage, the more THC in the strain. Actually, it represents the level of THC in comparison to other chemicals like terpenes and cannabinoids in the product. This will help you identify the chemotype of the strain.
TYPE OF STRAIN
There are 2 primary categories of cannabis--Sativa and Indica. Growers have also bred hybrid strains that deliver the best of both worlds.
Sativa: Sativa strains produce a “head high” that can stimulate creativity and increase your focus while energizing and invigorating you. These typically have more THC than CBD.
Indica: Indica strains induce a full-body high. Indicas are known for their deeply relaxing properties and are great for just before bed. These strains contain more CBD than THC, generally.
Hybrid: Hybrid strains are bred from Indica and Sativa strains to have a higher THC level. However, the ratio of CBD to THC is different in each strain.
Terpenes
Chemical compounds in the cannabis plant that produce certain smells and may have an effect on how the strain makes you feel. Learn more about the terpenes in your cannabis here.
Harvest & Test Dates
Most cannabis flower purchased from a dispensary will be labeled with the harvest date and test date. The harvest date represents the day the flower was removed from the plant for drying and curing, while the test date shows the day it was checked for mold, pesticides, and potency.
Lab/Grower Name and ID
When buying cannabis flower from a dispensary, you should be able to trace the product back to the grower or lab that produced it. Depending on your preferences, this may not be important to you, but some people prefer to only purchase cannabis from the same producer.
Batch ID
Your cannabis flower should also have a batch ID or number that identifies what batch the product was processed with, in the case of quality assurance issues.
Tinctures
While cannabis flower and edibles usually have similar labels, tinctures are usually different because they are dosed by drops and often consumed sublingually.
Potency
Look for an amount of milligrams when you’re looking for the potency of a tincture. The label should tell you the amount of THC, CBD, and CBN in the product.
Dosage per Drop
This is the most important information when it comes to tinctures. The label will designate how much THC and CBD are in each drop so you know how much to consume.
BY STAASI HEROPOULOS
secrets to grow your own cannabis HIDDEN HEMLOCK REVEALS
Their story begins 20 years ago, in the hills of Western Massachusetts, where Jeff and Greg Bellino harvested their love of growing plants.
“We had a favorite hemlock tree deep in the woods behind the log cabin we call home. We’d ride our ATVs to this hidden hemlock which served as our waypoint to our secret garden. There, we’d park and walk a mile through bear
territory and along steep ledges to the spot where our love of growing began,” the brothers say on their website. The Bellinos pursued degrees in environmental science and agriculture, but after working in environmental consulting jobs, they quit “to live the dream and operate our own cannabis microbusiness. They say, ‘Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.’ And we took that to heart the moment
we learned about the legalization of cannabis in Massachusetts.”
“My brother and I enjoy working with the plants, getting our hands on them, feeding and watering them and troubleshooting. It’s an escape from the regulatory side of it, the computer work. It’s just very therapeutic,” said Jeff Bellino.
Greg and Jeff founded Hidden Hemlock four years ago in Westfield.
They produce cannabis grown in 100% organic soil, selling flower and pre-rolls to retail dispensaries. Even though they don’t sell product directly to consumers, they have a loyal base of at-home growers asking for tips and tricks of growing cannabis.
“People are always asking us if they can get seeds or clones from us, which unfortunately, we don’t sell. There’s tons of seed banks online. We point them in the right direction. People are definitely wanting to grow their own weed, especially because it costs a lot of money to buy it,” said Jeff Bellino.
Hidden Hemlock grows small batch cannabis in a 2,500 square foot indoor canopy. Even though the Bellinos make their livelihood selling product to retailers, the brothers willingly share their secrets with would-be growers.
“We’re happy to answer questions from anybody. I was actually talking to a fellow competitor and we were getting tips off of each other. We’re not trying to hide anything from anybody. My brother Greg and I are happy to share our knowledge with the consumer.”
Jeff and Greg’s secrets
START SMALL AND SIMPLE
Begin with only a couple of plants and keep your setup simple. Start getting good at the basics before you attempt more advanced growing techniques with complicated equipment.
DO YOUR RESEARCH Read the popular ‘grow bibles’ and scour the internet for growing information. Online cultivation forums are a great place to learn, ask questions and show pictures.
USE QUALITY GENETICS It’s ok to grow a bag seed, but it is a complete gamble. You may find a winning phenotype, or you may end up with a male plant. We recommend shopping on one of the popular online seeds banks and picking seeds from a reputable breeder.
KEEP IT BREEZY
Airflow is very important and keeps your plants happy and healthy. A gentle breeze helps keep away mold, strengthens the stems and helps with cooling. Make sure your grow tent or closet has a fan to keep the air moving and a source of fresh air coming in for good ventilation.
WET NOT WILD
One of the most common mistakes is over or under watering your plants. Like potted house plants, only water as needed. Volume and frequency of watering is dependent on environment, genetics, growing medium, pot size and other factors.
Symptoms of overwatering are yellowing leaves, stunted growth and wet, heavy pots for multiple days. Let the pots dry out and restart your watering schedule. Droopy leaves and dry soil/light pots are a dead giveaway that the plant needs water. Cannabis plants are resilient; experiment with watering volumes and frequency until you have the necessary experience to dial it in! Don’t over think it!
For more information visit hidden-hemlock.com or email brothers@hidden-hemlock.com.
How much can you get from
Ione plant?
n Massachusetts, any adult over the age of 21 has the ability to grow up to 6 female cannabis plants within their residence, with approval from Landlords if applicable. While 6 plants doesn’t sound like a lot, if trained properly and given the appropriate amount of nutrients throughout its life cycle, there’s a good chance you find yourself with more flowers than you know what to do with. If one plant isn’t enough for you, please check out more articles about using the Sea of Green (SCROG) and Perpetual Harvest techniques to ensure you’re getting the most out of your plants.
Whether you’re just starting out on your journey of growing, or you’re looking to maximize your plant count and
space, this guide serves as a general estimate of expected yield on medium-to-large sized plants that are healthy and vibrant. Growing from seed can provide tons of varieties of smells, colors, and sizes, making it more challenging to create a uniform plant structure. FloraFlex, a company known for their robust cannabis nutrient line, suggests if you’re willing to wait a longer period of the vegetative stage, you can expect a larger yield due to a stronger and more robust root system (FloraFlex). Clones can be a good way to achieve consistency between plants and ensure you’re mastering mimicking an optimal environment for cannabis to thrive in. Clones also grow at a faster rate than that of plants started from seed, giving
you a quicker turn-a-round time for harvesting.
The biggest factor in determining the expected yield size from any cannabis plant is whether you’re planting outdoors or indoors. Plants that are planted outside have a larger area of soil and nutrients to sustain larger root systems, which in turn create stronger and larger buds. With patience, care, and nutrients, plants have the potential to achieve over 1 lb (453.5g) per plant per harvest, if given the proper space. The downfall of putting anything outside, is the larger susceptibility of attracting pests that can be harmful and detrimental to your plant’s health.
Indoor plants are great for peace of mind in security and environmental
barriers, but you’re limited on space by your grow tent or grow area. Another factor to consider when deciding on indoor or outdoor is the power of light. Indoor plants can only receive the amount of light provided, whether good or bad. Typically, growers aim to achieve 20-30 watts per square foot for the vegetative stage and 30-40 watts per square foot for the flowering stage according to highly rated Vivosun known for producing good quality LED lights for growers (Vivosun). It’s important to note that wattage isn’t the only way to measure appropriate light coverage, Photosynthetically Active Radiation, otherwise known as PAR, is essential to understanding the needs of the plants. Other factors that play key roles in determining the size of expected yield
Harvesting your plants at the appropriate time is helpful in determining potency and if outdoor, not allowing your plants to get frost from the lower temperatures.
are the climate, soil type, and genetics, and the amount of time for the plants to grow. Cannabis is considered a weed, but it can be tricky to not let them get too cold or too hot. Large swings in temperature can cause growth to halt, resulting in a delay of development.
Harvesting your plants at the appropriate time is helpful in determining potency and if outdoor, not allowing your plants to get frost from the lower temperatures. Lastly, genetics are key to determining whether a plant is going to be a high producer or larfy and airy
buds. Nutrients and maintenance can only help increase yield so much, if a strain’s genetics are inferior, it won’t help achieve your ideal harvest weight.
Pat Goggins, a writer for Leafly, broke down the math for understanding how much weed someone should grow based on their daily consumption. For example, if an indoor plant harvested and weighed ¼ lb or 112 grams, you could make 224 half gram (0.5g) joints. If you were to smoke or use 1 gram per day, you’d get approximately 4 months worth of weed from just one plant. If you are resourceful and conservative, using only an eighth (3.5g) a week, you could have weed for up to 8 months (Goggins). These are rough estimates of what you can expect if you’re giving your plants the attention and love they need to thrive. All plants are different and everything can change from your yield to physical height and smell, even if your environment is the same.
If you take the time to learn about environmental factors and a little history of your genetic lineage, you can achieve bigger yields and push your plants to their limits to express wonderful terpene profiles. How much yield can you expect to harvest from one plant? The true answer is based on you and your experience growing cannabis. From beginners to Head Growers, there is always more to learn and more to grow. Enjoy the process and don’t rush greatness.
Works Cited
Flora Flex. “How Much Weed Can You Get From Growing One Plant? A Beginner’s Guide to Estimating Yield.” Wikipedia, 19 April 2023, https://floraflex.com/ default/blog/post/how-much-weed-can-you-get-fromgrowing-one-plant-a-beginner-s-guide-to-estimating-yield. Accessed 7 June 2024.
FloraFlex. “Seeds vs Clones: A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing the Best Option for Your Cannabis Grow.” FloraFlex.com, FloraFlex, 24 April 2023, https://floraflex. com/EU/blog/post/seeds-vs-clones-a-comprehensiveguide-to-choosing-the-best-option-for-your-cannabisgrow#:~:text=Greater%20Yield%3A%20When%20growing%20from,pests%20and%20diseases%20than%20 clones. Accessed 12 June 2024.
Goggins, Pat. “How much weed can you get from growing one plant?” Leafly, 5 October 2021, https://www.leafly. com/learn/growing/how-much-weed-can-you-grow-oneplant. Accessed 7 June 2024.
McDonald, Christopher. “Weighing In: How Much Weed Does One Plant Yield?” Happy Hydro, 17 October 2023, https://www.happyhydro.com/blogs/growing-cannabis/ how-much-weed-does-one-plant-yield. Accessed 7 June 2024.
Vivosun. “How Many Grow Lights Do You Need? | VIVOSUN.” Vivosun, 31 May 2022, https://vivosun. com/growing_guide/how-many-grow-lights-do-i-need/. Accessed 7 June 2024.
BY G. MICHAEL DOBBS
Saltwater cowboy
If you needed someone to play a cannabis smuggler from the 1980s and called a casting director, that person just might want to find someone who looks and talks like Tim McBride.
A tall affable man who sports a braided beard, cannabis tattoos and a sense of humor and perspective, McBride recently appeared at the Zaza Greens dispensary as part of its 4/20 celebration. While at the dispensary he taped a video podcast with Christopher DiMauro.
McBride achieved national recognition in 2015 when his book, “Saltwater Cowboy the Rise and Fall of a Marijuana Empire” (co-written with Ralph Berrier Jr.) The book details how in 1979 McBride, then a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, joined a friend to travel to the southern tip of Florida to work on a stone crab boat on Chokolosee Island
on the state’s Gulf Coast close to the Everglades.
What young McBride didn’t know is the ship and the crew was doing more than just crabbing. The boat was part of cannabis smuggling operation and McBride told Cannabis Review Quarterly he helped unload and bring back “15 tons of Columbian weed off a shrimp boat.”
He said, he “never saw a [crab] trap” that day.
The next day the haul was 22 tons. McBride recalled with a laugh his first day he received $10,000, which he called “rookie pay.” That amount eventually rose to $50,000 a night with the operation working two to three nights a week.
The secret to the success of the smuggling was due to the fact that nearly everyone in the small town of
less than 500 people was involved.
“Everybody was in on it, man,” he said. McBride explained the average load was 25 million tons a night which took 50 to 60 people to help unload and then transport to a drop in Miami.
“That’s just how I grew up,” he said.
“It was the most sophisticated smuggling operation with literal impunity,” he added.
The boat would travel 30 miles off the coast to meet the vessel from Columbia anchored in international waters. Townspeople would then store the cannabis in their homes until it was brought to Miami, he explained.
He said there was a stash in the mayor’s office and the senior park ranger for the Everglades was also part of the organization. The deputy sheriff’s son was also in on it.
McBride showed a photo of the
coastline in which he operated and he explained that members of law enforcement would get lost in the natural maze.
Another part of the operation’s success came from the fact the people involved only knew about their part and not about the full organization.
When his boss was arrested in 1984, McBride took over the smuggling and continued it until he and 38 others were arrested in 1988. He had had a nearly 10-year run in the business.
He said his sentence was 160 years to life with $16 million in fines. “That’s how I started out,” he said. He used his time in prison to learn about the law eventually earning an associate degree in legal studies.
He was released after serving 10 years and started a construction company.
His story was too good not to be told so he worked with a journalist and St. Martin’s published the book in 2015. One review, by best-selling author Bruce Porter, described McBride’s book as “a wild and entertaining true story by one of the biggest pot haulers in American history. Speedboat chases, women, Colombian mansions –Tim McBride’s tale of excess is a thrill to read.”
The book has sold well, McBride said. He added, with pride, that several colleges in south Florida have used it as a textbook in classes about the cannabis traffic. The book was optioned by the FX cable TV network for a series, but McBride said the executives thought it would be a “conflict of genre” with its existing show, “Snowfall,” which told the story of a crime family selling crack cocaine.
“I took the option back,” McBride said. He is now working with a person he described as “a legend in the entertainment industry” in finding the right people to make either a series or a movie from his book.
Standing in a legal adult recreation dispensary with people lined up to buy cannabis products on the official cannabis holiday, McBride answered one more question: how does he feel about the legal status and popularity of cannabis?
His sentence was 160 years to life with $16
million in fines.
“That’s how I started out,” he said. He used his time in prison to learn about the law eventually earning an associate degree in legal studies.
Without missing a beat and said with a smile, he answered, “I should get some f*****g credit for it.”
Popularity behind pre-rolls
As ways to consume cannabis evolve, a classic method remains one of the most popular: smoking a pre-roll.
According to Leafly, “A pre-roll is a ready-to-go joint filled with cannabis that you can buy from a store – it’s pre-rolled for you.”
It continued, “Pre-roll has become the industry-preferred term, rather than ‘joint,’ though many cannabis consumers still call them joints. Pre-rolls are among the most common methods of smoking cannabis and can likely be found at most dispensaries,” (Leafly).
In a 2023 report done by Headset, a cannabis data company that examines the pre-roll market’s performance and trends in the United States and Canada, it was determined that pre-roll purchases have increased over the past few years.
From January to June 2022, consumers in both markets spent more than $725 million on pre-rolls (Cannabis Business Times).
During that time period, pre-rolls made up the second largest product category in Canada at 24.1% – up 5.9%
from June 2021 – behind flower at 42.6%. It was also the third largest product category in the U.S. at 12.6% – up 2.1% from June 2021 – behind flower at 40.7% and vape pens at 22.6%, according to the Headest report (Cannabis Business Times).
Contributing to the popularity behind pre-rolls are infused variations. So much so, it “dominated” the product category in the U.S. in the first half of 2022, making up 41.5% of overall pre-roll sales (Cannabis Business Times).
“According to BDSA’s [Cannabis Tracking Company] retail sales tracking data, infused pre-rolls [were] up 4% of total sales in [Quarter 4 of] 2022 and 35% of total pre-roll sales in [Quarter 1 of] 2023,” which is up 15% from Quarter 1 of 2020 (Cannabis Business Times).
Based on the information and data discovered by Headset, the National Cannabis Industry Association believes the increased popularity in pre-rolls is not just a trend, but that it will become the best-selling cannabis products by 2030.
“Over the past few years, the whole-
sale price of flower has dropped dramatically in mature markets, and cheaper cannabis costs have allowed producers to source higher quality flower for their pre-rolls. Combined with the advances in pre-roll making machinery, quality prerolls are now able to be sold at a lower retail price, which has driven strong growth for the category,” (National Cannabis Industry Association).
While all cannabis products prices decline over time, pre-rolls are displaying the least amount of price reduction. As a result, the National Cannabis Industry Association suggests “if you are in the business of selling cannabis, and you are worried about declining margins, pre-rolls are a category you should be expanding into to maintain and boost profitability,” (National Cannabis Industry Association).
Works cited: www.leafly.com/, www.cannabisbusinesstimes.com/news/prerolls-surge-popularity-mature-markets-california-presidential/, thecannabisindustry.org/ member-blog-pre-roll-market-industry-trends-andgrowth-potential/
misconceptions fact vs. myth:
Although cannabis – and people’s perceptions around cannabis – has evolved over the years, there are still existing myths around the psychoactive drug.
To debunk those myths and learn the facts, let’s dive into some popular misconceptions around cannabis today.
One common myth is that cannabis has no medical benefit. While that may be true for some conditions, its effectiveness varies depending on the disease and individual.
According to PharmaNewsIntelligence, “Patients report various benefits of CBD, including relief from insomnia, anxiety, spasticity and pain.”
It continued, “Medical marijuana is commonly used for pain control, especially chronic pain and as a muscle relaxant. It is also reported to help with glaucoma, weight loss, nausea, post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, HIV-related pain and wasting syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, seizures, and multiple sclerosis.”
While different cannabinoids might help these specific conditions, scientific research is still ongoing to determine its full range of medical applications (PharmaNewsIntelligence).
Another common myth is that smoking cannabis is as harmful as smoking tobacco.
“Although smoking any substance can have adverse health effects, research suggests that smoking cannabis is generally less harmful than smoking tobacco,” (PharmaNewsIntelligence).
In 2021, a published Pulmonary Therapy article determined that the equivalence of cannabis smoke exposure to cigarette smoke is ambiguous (PharmaNewsIntelligence).
While smoking is a common form of cannabis consumption, there are also various other types.
A myth you might have heard is that all forms of cannabis have the same effect, when in reality, different cannabis strains and forms contain different combinations of cannabinoids and other compounds. “For instance, CBD is non-intoxicating and may have therapeutic potential, while THC is responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis,” (PharmaNewsIntelligence). Therefore, all forms of cannabis do not have the same effect.
“The effects of cannabis can also be influenced by factors such as the method of consumption – smoking, vaping, edibles, etc. – dosage, individual tolerance, and the user’s overall state of mind and environment,” (PharmaNewsIntelligence).
It is important to know that effects of cannabis can vary widely among individuals.
Another common myth is that cannabis is addictive. While it may be a habit for some, not all users become addicted. “The risk of addiction depends on various factors, including genetics, frequency of use, and personal susceptibility,” (PharmaNewsIntelligence).
“Yes, people can get addicted to cannabis but don’t tend to injure themselves or break into pharmacies with cannabis addiction like opiate addictions,” said Peter Grinspoon, a primary care physician and a cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an instructor at Harvard Medical School. “Cannabis has low-to-moderate abuse liability. It’s certainly not nearly as high as alcohol or tobacco, which are completely de-scheduled. People don’t tend to die from cannabis addiction.”
Before consuming cannabis – either for recreational or medical use – it is crucial to consult with a healthcare professional, in addition to doing research on benefits and risks. Although cannabis has come a long way, it seems as though there is still much to discover.
Works cited: pharmanewsintel.com/features/ top-10-myths-about-medicinal-and-recreational-cannabis.
