TRAVIS DUDA

Go with the Good Stuff

Are you feeling stuck on what to do for the weed lover you love this Valentine’s Day? One of the favorite gifts I received for the holiday was a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup heart box with some of the candies replaced with nugs of flower. It felt as obvious as the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Other presentation methods to consider include a bouquet of pre-rolls, some nice chocolate and a card, or just in a jar thrown in their general direction. We are usually an easy crowd to please.

However, if you were looking to step it up, consider making an infused feast. There are tons of recipes online that can walk you through the extraction phase, or you can find oils at your local dispensary. If it were me, I’d consider a service like Dinner at Mary’s. This HelloFresh for the highly enlightened, allows anyone to cook a deliciously infused meal in their kitchen. They offer a new menu each week of tantalizingly tasty and herbally healthy three course meals. Unfortunately, they currently only service the Greater Boston area. Maybe with enough support and attention, we can see expansion to Worcester soon? Check out their Instagram for more info: @dinner.at.marys.

The Miracle Drug?
I’m sure you’ve seen the headline, “Cannabis Prevents Covid Infection in Laboratory Study” by now. It was a news article that went around stoner social media like wildfire. Of course most people that posted it didn’t actually read the article, which to its credit was very interesting. If you’re here for the hype, I’ll save you the time. We haven’t proven that smoking weed is going to save the world…yet. What the Oregon State University research did show is that cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid, two compounds that can be found in cannabis, were identified as having potential to combat coronavirus. They essentially block the virus’s growth process, which prevents it from infecting. However, this was found in a controlled setting and not in a human test subject. At this point, it’s highly likely that you know a daily smoker or two who have caught Covid. Obviously this isn’t the preventative measure we all hoped it would be, but the potential is very exciting. So much knowledge and understanding comes from studies like these. More information and appropriate uses will help further destigmatize cannabis.

Pot-Pourri
We’ve all been there. Bag of herb in the pocket but your papers ended up in a puddle. Or your buddy just smashed your glass piece. Whatever the occurrence, what do you do next? Improvise of course! Like many, I’ve done the tin foil bowl, soda bottle bong, and even make a point to use an apple every fall. My friend Anna (@anna.bis_babe on IG) was in a similar situation and tried something I’ve never heard of. She and her date surveyed their scene and settled on rose petals as their most viable option. She warmed up the petals so they were malleable and then stacked two next to each other until it was approximately the length of a joint paper. Then she sprinkled in her flower and got to work rolling. It took a couple tries to roll it tight enough to smoke but a stoner always finds a way! She said the petals provided a slight floral taste, however the flower inside was more powerful. I applaud the creativity and hope someone gives me some roses this Valentine’s Day so I can try too.

Thanks for reading and happy trails!