CANNABIS: The editors go on a cannabis adventure

STRAIN REVIEW

Punch Breath — not your average indica

By Miles Buchan

@buchanmiles

Hello, fellow weed enthusiasts. I am excited to bring to you a new strain review. This week’s strain was picked up from the triedand-true Verts Neighborhood Dispensary, a convenient location for folks in the Colorado State University campus area.

I enjoy all forms of cannabis consumption, but for my first review, I had to go with my longtime favorite: flower. The strain of Verts-brand flower that my budtender suggested is aptly named Punch Breath. Sitting at a healthy THC level of 21.04%, this indica is a heavy hitter.

These dense nuggets make their presence known as soon as you open the container, filling the room with a potent aroma every stoner will appreciate. Upon inspection, you’ll notice these nugs are quite sticky, so I recommend using a grinder.

Just as noteworthy as the smell is the appearance. Shine a flashlight at one of these flower buds, and you will see it glistening with trichomes that cover the clusters of vibrantly colored plant material that radiate orange and purple. Punch Breath certainly seems to match the dank reputation of Colorado herbs. After some time for admiration, I prepared my materials for the much-awaited taste test.

Of the many methods that exist for smoking weed, I’ve always preferred a classic joint — or two. Rolling a joint can be a tricky process, so just remember you can buy pre-rolled joints from most dispensaries or phone a friend. There are also many tips, tricks and even devices for rolling jays, so find whatever works best for you. After rolling the joint and lighting up, I immediately noticed the taste was as pleasing as the smell, leaving a slight hint of what seemed to be the aroma of pine trees. After smoking a joint full of Punch

Breath, I’ve got to say this strain is of the highest caliber.

I was very impressed at the potency and found the effects to be very enjoyable. Even though my body was very relaxed, I found I was mentally quite active. It was the best of both worlds, in my opinion: a cerebral and body high, which allows for active relaxation. Activities that come to

mind while enjoying some Punch Breath are watching a good movie, playing a favorite video game or maybe even some stretching, if that’s your style.

In this case, I bought 7 grams of Punch Breath for $60. For someone looking to smoke just a couple times, much less would suffice. Verts offers Punch Breath, along with their other premier-tier flower, in quantities as small as one gram for $10.

“Even though my body was very relaxed, I found I was mentally quite active. It was the best of both worlds, in my opinion: a cerebral and body high, which allows for active relaxation.”

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLIE COHEN THE COLLEGIAN

No matter how you smoke Punch Breath, I would 10/10 recommend swinging by Verts to grab some.

Reach Miles Buchan at cannabis@ collegian.com.

25th ANNIVERSARY President’s Fall Address

and Annual University Picnic Thursday, September 29, 2022 11:00 a.m. | On the Oval

Join us on the Oval for Interim President Rick Miranda’s Fall Address, then stay for our annual campus-wide picnic.

BAKED STORIES

The editors go on a cannabis adventure

By Paul Brull

@csucollegian

Our editor cannabis adventure started in the newsroom about two weeks ago, when I was underprepared to pitch the next two weeks’ content. With some quick thinking, I made a plan for this week and labeled one future article simply: “Paul’s edible adventure.” I was going to make edibles with minimal guidance from the internet.

Serena Bettis, our editor in chief, decided to accompany me on this adventure (and supervise).

There was one issue: Bettis and I are not very good stoners. I can count on my own two hands how many times I’ve been high before, and Bettis, the baking savant she is, had never gotten high. Fortunately, we had the internet, gumption and a camera crew who knew more about this than us.

Our adventure started at Green Dragon dispensary, where I realized two things: First, when going on a cannabis adventure, it is best not to forget your ID at home. Second, an ounce is way more than a gram. After eventually acquiring half an ounce of Green Dragon’s cheapest indica (Whoody Melon), we continued on our merry way with what can only charitably be described as “a bit too much cannabis.”

After a brief run to the grocery store and hiatus waiting for our camera crew, we got to work. Borrowing Bettis’ roommate’s grinder — we’d forgotten to secure one beforehand — we got 3.5 grams of cannabis trim and spread it out on an oven sheet with a tinfoil cover. After preheating the oven to 230 degrees, we put the whole thing in for 45 minutes to decarboxylate. Needless to say, the entire kitchen smelled great.

From there, I only had three jobs: eat semisweet chocolate chips, manage the cannabis timer and descend into madness (Bettis didn’t trust me to bake). I can safely say I did two of those things with great skill, and the cannabis timer wasn’t one of them.

Eventually, the cannabis was ready. We took it out, let it cool, then added it to chocolate chip cookie dry ingredients. We then added the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirred and put in way too many semisweet chocolate chips.

Our canna-dough made about 40 or so cookies at about 15 milligrams of THC each. Bettis was a wizard forming the cookies. I was less so, due to my aforementioned descent into madness. Fortunately, we soon had the dough prepared, a Netflix movie on and cookies in the oven.

Now, there was a problem with these cookies. They tasted too good. With normal cookies, this is the goal, but with cannabis cookies, it is a deadly pitfall I walked directly into. Toward the beginning of the movie, I had a cookie. Then, I figured one more couldn’t hurt because they tasted so good. About an hour into the movie, I felt nothing, so I had a third. Then, I had a fourth 30 minutes later.

Now, an astute reader may think: “Paul, don’t you run the cannabis desk and know about the classic edible blunder?” The answer to that question is yes, but when you’re watching a movie and don’t feel high the entire time, you start to question, and I cannot emphasize enough: They were really good cookies.

At the end of the movie, we all bid ado, and I caught a ride back to my place. That, of course, is when the edibles started to hit. I found myself unable to hold together any semblance of coherent thought, and I couldn’t remember what happened five seconds ago. One cookie processed.

Once I got back to my house, the second cookie hit. That was a doozie, but it was the third and fourth ones that really got me. From there, my experience quickly turned from weird to transcendent. Every stimulus was amped up to about 11, and I felt stuck about half a second in the past. I was dry-mouthing out the wazoo, and getting a glass of water turned into an almost Herculean task. Fortunately, when I finally lied down in my darkened room, I passed out until 1 p.m. the next day. 8/10 cannabis experience.

Reach Paul Brull at cannabis@ collegian.com.

“Now, an astute reader may think: ‘Paul, don’t you run the cannabis desk and know about the classic edible blunder?’ The answer to that question is yes, but when you’re watching a movie and don’t feel high the entire time, you start to question, and I cannot emphasize enough: They were really good cookies.”

BECAUSE I GOT HIGH

Help from Grandpa

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY SOPHIE SIROKMAN THE COLLEGIAN

Photo illustration of cannabis-infused chocolate chip cookies Sept. 16. The bakers used Whoody Melon, an earthy and cakey indica strain from Green Dragon dispensary. PHOTO BY TRI DUONG THE COLLEGIAN

18+ MEDICAL

By Guest Author

@csucollegian Editor’s Note: “Because I Got High” content consists of community story submissions and does not represent the views of The Collegian or its editorial board. The Collegian does not promote underage or excessive substance use or impairment for the purpose of creating a submission. Help from Grandpa

About a year ago, I stayed with my grandparents for a summer to work for my grandpa. They were well aware of my cannabis smoking habits, as I didn’t really hide it. My daily routine would include going to work, getting home, working out, smoking and then eating. I was smoking dabs at the time and needed a new torch, as mine broke.

I went to my grandma to see if she had a kitchen torch of some kind since she cooked every day. I had no luck, so I next went to my grandpa, who is a handyman, praying he’d have an option for me. I asked, “Grandpa, do you have a torch I can borrow?”

He knew exactly what it was for, just not how I would be using it. He responded with, “What the hell you smoking out there that you need a torch? Crack?” Since he’s an older man not so much with the new times, I gave him some grace. Ultimately, he had a massive torch, and I used the hell out of that thing.

To submit stories, email cannabis@ collegian.com or fill out our Google Form, which is linked alongside guidelines in our Letter from the Editor.

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