4Travis Duda

Well, hey there fellow stoners. Hope you had a fun and safe 4/20. Don’t forget to smoke one in honor of the 508 on May 8.

Alright Everyone… Chill

Did you see they’re making infused ice cream?! Cloud Creamery, based out of Framingham, plans to hit the dispensary shelves this summer. Having just received approval from the CCC, this first of its kind offering is a welcome change to the edible scene. MSRP is $9 for each 8oz of ice cream /5mg of THC serving, which puts it a little more expensive than the seltzers, but still within the affordable realm. It’s not that much more than Ben & Jerry’s and what I already would pay for an artisan ice cream like Mrs. Moriconi’s. But you already know I’m going to try the Cloud Creamery concoction as soon as I can. I think I’m most excited to sample the Tanzanian Vanilla flavor that has vanilla sourced from Bukoba, Tanzania. But truthfully, I’m really hoping that this opens the doors for boutique bake shops and other food purveyors. I would love to have access to a wide variety of food options that calms as well as it tastes. Until then, I’ll just have to chill.

Let’s Hear it for NY

If you’ve never felt the joy of walking down Broadway Ave in Manhattan while smoking a joint, you’re seriously missing out. What was a fairly illegal activity at the time is now perfectly acceptable behaviour with New York becoming the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis. No longer will you need a friend to remind you that you’re “only as sketchy as you think you are” while conducting a streetside sesh. Now, anywhere you can smoke a cigarette, you can smoke a joint. I don’t have the space in this column to discuss the intricacies of their new rules and the oddly convenient timing of Cuomo distracting people by passing this. Essentially, they have similar rules to Massachusetts, except you can have up to 3 oz on you at a time, which would be a brave amount regardless of the environment, but especially in NYC. For me, it’s going to be a great day when I can snag some PRJs, pack up the PAX and head to a stoner metal show at Saint Vitus. OH! Or maybe I’ll break out the old apple pipe trick and enjoy myself on the streets of The Big Apple. Who knows? The sky’s the limit. 

More Welcomed Change

Vanessa Jean-Baptiste recently made history with the opening of her dispensary, Legal Greens, in Brockton, MA. It is the first Black woman-owned cannabis dispensary on the East Coast and the first Haitian American-owned dispensary in the country. In a scene that is dominated by rich, white guys, it’s refreshing to read stories about people like Jean-Baptiste and New Dia owner Ross Bradshaw succeeding in the space. We, consumers, need to be mindful of who we are supporting with our purchases, and where the money is going. Like most things, I feel better when my dollars go to support locally started and supported endeavors. More big money players keep entering the scene. Chicago based Cresco Labs acquired Cultivate and is now a top three share position in the State. Simply stated, with this kind of competition, if we don’t support the smaller shops, we’ll be stuck with only corporate cannabis options after they’ve gobbled up or priced out everyone else. So, congratulations Vanessa Jean-Baptiste. I hope to make a trip to Brockton in the very near future. If any readers beat me there, let me know what you think!    

Thanks for reading and happy trails!

-Travis (@hunchbacktravis)