TO BE BLUNT

Prolonged pandemic turns boyfriend into couch potato

By Chelsea Cebara

EVERCANNABIS CORRESPONDENT

Dear Blunt,

Ever since the pandemic got serious, my live-in boyfriend just wants to smoke and veg. It’s like he’s lost all motivation. It’s not like I would want to go out clubbing even if we could, but I’d like to do something other than watch Netflix reruns. Cooking, board games, anything! – Sativa girlfriend, Indica boyfriend

Dear Sativa,

I’m going to encourage you to engage your radical compassion muscles here. It’s tempting to read lazy-stoner boyfriend tropes into your situation, but I don’t think that’s necessarily what’s happening, at least not yet.

The unprecedented stresses of COVID-19 have got us all retreating to our safest, warmest coping mechanisms. For some, that’s checking out with cannabis and Netflix; for others it’s trying to find a sense of control through exercise. Some people (other people, not me, definitely not me) may have engaged in increased and unwise online shopping.

With the vaccine so close to liberating us from the clutches of this pandemic, a lot of folks I’ve spoken to are finding it harder to cope. It’s like seeing salvation on the horizon has somehow thrown our continued suffering into sharper relief. Even the strongest, most solid couples I know are struggling. This is just hard.

It seems like your partner’s chronic problem isn’t a ‘chronic’ problem – this is his response to prolonged stress, not something that has troubled you throughout the relationship. But I also want you to hear that your desire for more interaction with him is super reasonable, and you have the right to request adjustments to how he’s processing the pandemic. You deserve to have your needs met as well.

So until we’re free from this situation, here are some practical steps you can take. Start by looking with an eye for what needs are being met by his veg-out sessions. It sounds like what’s helpful for him right now is distraction and escape, whereas you’re looking for engagement and connection.

Can you think of any activities that incorporate both? Here are some suggestions: • Grab a headphone jack splitter, get stoned together and listen to your favorite albums. • Watch documentaries instead of reruns, things that will get you talking to each other instead of passively consuming media. • Play cooperative video games together. I especially love retro-style stuff, like Diablo 3. • Request a foot rub while he watches TV and you read or scroll. The physical contact can help you feel connected, even while you’re doing different activities.

Please be gentle with each other as we pull out of this cultural tailspin. All of this is temporary. However, the toolkit you develop now will come in handy for other types of chronic stress which, unfortunately, are guaranteed to crop up.

If he’s still checking out every night in spite of increased vaccinations and loosened restrictions, then you can have a more serious talk and set some stronger boundaries. For now, I advise you to Netflix and actually chill.

Dear Blunt,

Can you tell if somebody is going to be a good match based on their favorite cannabis strains? – Seeking My Blue Dream

Dear Dream,

Nope. I’m fond of saying “strains are imaginary” – not because cultivars and chemovars aren’t real, but because the current state of the market makes strain names a completely unreliable way to choose cannabis. Add to that the immense variation in the endocannabinoid system person-to-person and you’ve got a recipe for a whole lot of marketing and very little consistency or reliability.

You know what is a good indicator of whether you will vibe with someone? A joint and a conversation. Ask them why they like the stuff they like. That will tell you more than sneaking a peek at their stash cabinet. Unless of course they utter the phrase “weed is weed,” in which case you should put down the joint, run out the door, and never call or text them again.

CANNABIS IN BRIEF Virginia joins ‘legal’ states

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, answers a question during the Virginia Senate’s session in Richmond on Feb. 16. The Senate passed a House bill that legalized the possession of a small amount of marijuana.

New law to take effect Jan. 1 allows personal cultivation, adult possession

RICHMOND – Virginia became the first Southern state to allow adult-use cannabis, and one of the few states where approval came from the Legislature instead of citizen initiative.

The House and Senate approved bills in late February and Gov. Ralph Northam signed the measure into law soon after. The system officially takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

The new law allows personal cultivation, retail sales for adults 21 and over and cannabis possession by adults.

Although some Democrat lawmakers pushed for this in the past, the party now has majority control of the Legislature and Governor’s office so the effort was successful.

“Equitable legalization of marijuana is an essential step towards racial justice in Virginia,” said House Majority Leader Delegate Charniele Herring.

Northam has expressed interest in legalization and even created a plan that would allow sales to begin in January 2023. Polls of Virginia voters show that 68 percent of registered voters support cannabis legalization, a figure that’s similar to the national views.

The current cannabis package automatically seals low-level past cannabis conviction. It also directs 30 percent of tax revenue to a Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Fund, which provides workshops, scholarships, training and workforce development.

Source: Cannabis Business Times

FORMER SEAHAWK LYNCH STARTS CANNABIS BRAND

Dodi Blunts will offer THCA diamonds; sales to benefit criminal justice reform non-profit

SEATTLE – Marshawn Lynch, a past top player for the Seattle Seahawks, recently launched his own brand of premium cannabis products in California. The company, called Dodi Blunts, will feature blunts infused with THCA crystalline diamonds.

Along with selling a new product to cannabis consumers, Lynch also hopes to use the opportunity to raise money for the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit which focuses on criminal justice reform and taking steps to free people convicted of marijuana crimes.

“At the end of the day, the industry has the ability to raise up Black and Brown communities – and I intend to lift up those who I can,” Lynch said.

He also hopes this venture will normalize cannabis, especially in athletic communities. Lynch said when growing up he was told that using cannabis would slow him down, which he never experienced. There’s also such a negative view of cannabis users in general, even when players use it for recovery from injuries.

Dodi Blunts are only available at high-end cannabis stories in the Oakland area.

Source: SeattlePI.com

Former Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch after an NFL football practice in December 2019 in Renton, Wash.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New shop in Vancouver

VANCOUVER – The owners of two successful cannabis shops in the area are combining their efforts to create a new store.

Adam Hamide, owner of Main Street Marijuana, and James and Rachel Bean, co-owners of New Vansterdam, which later became Craft Cannabis, plan to open a new Craft Cannabis location in the Walnut Grove area.

The new shop will be custom-built on a location that currently houses a car wash on Andresen Road. The new building is expected to be complete by the end of this year.

In the meantime, the store is open in a temporary building on the lot.

Main Street Marijuana and New Vansterdam were the first shops to open in the region in 2014 and both posted high sales over the years.

There are two Main Street locations and two Craft Cannabis locations in the Vancouver area.

The Beans changed the name from New Vansterdam to have more statewide appeal. They also own a Craft Cannabis shop in Wenatchee.

The new building is expected to offer a 4,000 square feet sales floor, which the owners hope will include more room for displays and more budtenders to provide more customer service.

Source: The Columbian