Cannabis News

[Grass Yes]

The uphill battle I see is, how can someone convince a cannabis consumer that they should be buying their weed from a small passionate grower? I mean it almost seems obvious but, obviously it's not. If simply having a superior product isn't convincing enough, it's like, what would change someones mind? A small company will never have the economy of scale to compete on price the way a megacorp could, so that's a dead end there.

I think craft beer is a model that could be followed for craft cannabis. Although if that works we will definitely get this:

Craft Beer Infographic: “Craft” Beer Owned by AB Inbev – Craft Sense

craftsense.co

I remember when there were no small breweries in the US and now it is a pretty reasonable situation. Obviously the big guys use every tool to smash the craft folks.

It also reminds me of the coffee aisle in the grocery store. When I was a kid there was mostly pre-ground shit coffee and Folgers crystals. Now you can find small roasters and even small farm, single-origin coffee at Safeway.

Anyway I have hope but I don't think anything is guaranteed without work from the grassroots.

 

[JBone65]

But the Sons of Liberty were not protesting a tax HIKE. They were actually protesting a tax CUT on tea.

The Son's of Liberty's slogan was "taxation without representation". They believed King George's tea tax was oppressive according to multiple online sources. They didn't want any money going to the crown. This was the start of the revolution. Not Germain to this discussion, except that if they were sheep they would have just paid the tax and kept their mouth shut, .....things would have been more like they are today....I think.

 

[florduh]

The Son's of Liberty's slogan was "taxation without representation". They believed King George's tea tax was oppressive according to multiple online sources. They didn't want any money going to the crown. This was the start of the revolution. Not Germain to this discussion, except that if they were sheep they would have just paid the tax and kept their mouth shut, .....things would have been more like they are today....I think.

They were definitely being taxed without representation. But the Boston Tea Party itself was a reaction to a tax CUT that benefitted British Corporations. And, fucked with guys like John Hancock's smuggling operations. Basically the tax cut on British tea made it more attractive than Hancock's smuggled tea.

10 Things You May Not Know About the Boston Tea Party | HISTORY

Explore 10 things you may not know about the iconic political protest.

www.history.com

Yeah, overall colonists were pissed about getting taxed by the Crown. But the Tea Partiers were pissed that colonists effectively got a tax BREAK on tea, because it interfered with their illicit businesses.

The Sons of Liberty were basically saying no tax CUTS without representation, which isn't exactly how the Boston Tea Party framed in the popular imagination. What kicked off the revolution was the insane British response to some harbor hijinks..

 

[Photonic]

IMHO prioritizing and protecting home cultivation should be at the top of federal and state cannabis law creation. It's not a cure all, but it's the single best way to ensure medical and rec users have choices (whether they individually grow or not). It will likely help craft commercial growers too.

 

[Okla68]

IMHO prioritizing and protecting home cultivation should be at the top of federal and state cannabis law creation. It's not a cure all, but it's the single best way to ensure medical and rec users have choices (whether they individually grow or not). It will likely help craft commercial growers too.

If all that was available was Govt pot, it would be back to the underground again for me. 75% of the flower isnt as good as some of the old Mexican weed and Definitely not as good as what I can grow myself...and I consider myself a Novice !

 

[Madtater]

If all that was available was Govt pot, it would be back to the underground again for me. 75% of the flower isnt as good as some of the old Mexican weed and Definitely not as good as what I can grow myself...and I consider myself a Novice !

You’re better off growing yourself instead of getting it from black market.

At least you’d know what you’re getting. Too much shit they can put into the black market stuff. It’s actually a bit scary.

Rather grow it myself if it comes to that.

 

[JBone65]

Greedy consumers voted in legalization schemes that sucked and threw the existing producers under a bus, thinking they would get cheap weed and not giving a hoot about growers and marketers. Consumers behaved like addicts, wanting their fix cheap and not caring who it came from or whether the quality was compromised.

Hey, I resemble that remark.

I'm starting to question who's writing the laws in each state. I think it was a genuine pothead activist group that wrote the open Oklahoma laws. Maybe some of the activists groups in other states really weren't/aren't looking out for the public when the money starts flying?

If the only option put to the voters is shit... You get what I'm saying. We US voters ain't the brightest, especially we (complacent) stoners anxious for any form of legalized weed (we didn't read the fine print).

Anyway, that's my opinion. If there's talk about reform, let's all wake up, grow nuts, and loudly push for genuine legalization.

Until then, everyone should grow your own. I've been considering trying a new auto-flower sativa. Supposedly much easier and faster with a surprising yield. You don't have to worry about light, just put the seedlings in the sun and they're ready in 10-11 weeks.

 

[invertedisdead]

I think craft beer is a model that could be followed for craft cannabis. Although if that works we will definitely get this:

Craft Beer Infographic: “Craft” Beer Owned by AB Inbev – Craft Sense

craftsense.co

I remember when there were no small breweries in the US and now it is a pretty reasonable situation. Obviously the big guys use every tool to smash the craft folks.

It also reminds me of the coffee aisle in the grocery store. When I was a kid there was mostly pre-ground shit coffee and Folgers crystals. Now you can find small roasters and even small farm, single-origin coffee at Safeway.

Anyway I have hope but I don't think anything is guaranteed without work from the grassroots.

That's sort of how Prop 215 was in California.
Many dispensaries were growing their own material or sourcing it directly from small family farmers to offer to their patients.
This stimulated a good local economy and allowed for a much more diverse selection of genetics.

The problem with legalization is, just like the grocery store, it's almost impossible for the truly boutique craft brands to get on the shelves next to these big brands the masses are coming in for. I remember hearing a few years back that some cannabis businesses here in California were already paying dispensaries thousands of dollars a month, per store, in promotional "advertising" to share that very limited shelf space next to these other reputable brands.

 

[Farid]

Sadly, consumers are easily duped by corporate marketing which intents to mimic small batch, "grassroots" branding. If laws were passed to force cannabis retailers to all sell in blank packaging with generic names, similar to what has been done with cigarettes in some countries, then consumers would be forced to judge the cannabis itself and not the branding. But they'd probably just judge by THC%, which isn't a key indicator of quality either.

 

[His_Highness]

What would make things easier IMO (here in Florida) to find quality flower at the best price would be mandating access to "online test results" for the product at the point of purchase. I can find the test results AFTER a purchase but I can't easily find those test results when making a purchase. I don't want to debate the validity of the test results.....at this point I'll take whatever test results I can get.

I know the testing is occurring so why not tie the specific test to the flower sold online? Makes me feel like an educated consumer is the last thing they want. The same strain can have multiple batches and therefore multiple test results but if the dispo can tag the jar with the correct test result so I can find the test AFTER its sold my guess is the dispo doesn't want the added complexity, responsibility and cost associated with having to keep the product tied to the test.....

Right now many dispos allow some kind of link to test results but there are multiple results for the same strain and I have to try and tie something like THC% for the potential purchase to a match on the multiple results for that strain. Takes forever.....

I have had drastically different product percent's and age dates between what I bought on-line and the jar I purchased and I've returned unopened product when I've found out how much older and less the specs were. Maybe I'm paranoid but it feels like the dispo has multiple batches of the same flower and the description and test available links to their best batch for that strain when they have multiple batches.

 

[Farid]

Buying based on test results is a bad habit though. Validity of the results aside, the % of THC does not usually correlate to the enjoyment of said strain and can encourage vendors to carry generic strains which test well but are not necessarily interesting and tastey. I think being able to look at and smell a sample is much more important.

A good example of why this trend is so bad is that selling drier bud will lead to a higher % of THC measured, but we all know super dry bud means terp loss and a less pleasant experience overall. If vendors know people are buying based on % they may be encouraged to over dry.

 

[His_Highness]

Buying based on test results is a bad habit though. Validity of the results aside, the % of THC does not usually correlate to the enjoyment of said strain and can encourage vendors to carry generic strains which test well but are not necessarily interesting and tastey. I think being able to look at and smell a sample is much more important.

A good example of why this trend is so bad is that selling drier bud will lead to a higher % of THC measured, but we all know super dry bud means terp loss and a less pleasant experience overall. If vendors know people are buying based on % they may be encouraged to over dry.

I'm also very interested in the "age" of the flower which is also something I can only find on the test results prior to purchase.

 

[Polarbearboy]

Maryland studied how much marijuana adults consume. It’s a lot.​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/05/recreational-marijuana-maryland-adult-demand/

RE: The Biggies Faking Being Locals
I'm into supporting local creative business and therefore make a point of avoiding phony small business that are actually owned by the biggest most rapacious corporations. This is especially true for beer and dope, two of the happiness causers in my life. Its shocking how the advertizing and packaging on stuff like Goose Island never mentions that its not a small micro-brewer but merely a small appendage of InBve Bud. Increasingly when I look at the beer offering at Walmart or the local gas station or convenience shop, nearly all the "micro-brew" offerings are owned by the lying greedy non-local biggies. It makes me angry, in part because they are taking advantage of all the good will that local micro-breweries have generated.

I've mentioned here that I'm concerned about the same thing happening with legal cannabis. When Maine first opened just two or so years ago, I fell in love with all the small vertically integrated companies that grew the weed, processed it themselves and made their own concentrates, and owned their own retail outlets. Now there seems to be an overabundance of new dispensaries. This is good in terms of the price has dropped 35-50% with near constant sales. But I fear that the long-term outcome will be a few big corporate players undercutting and outlasting all the small operators. Once they control the market, as they clearly intend to do, they will price gouge us at will. Unregulated markets may increase competition and lower prices in the short-term, but they almost inevitably lead to corporate take overs by people who aren't concerned with quality, health, local communities, truth, or anything else but how much money they can make.

 

[Okla68]

I'm also very interested in the "age" of the flower which is also something I can only find on the test results prior to purchase.

The "Age of Flower" i.e. the advertisers selling 18-24 Month Cured weed at an Exorbitant Prices. Its not like they are selling 30 year old Scotch or Bourbon !

 

[darkstar72]

Maryland studied how much marijuana adults consume. It’s a lot.​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/01/05/recreational-marijuana-maryland-adult-demand/

RE: The Biggies Faking Being Locals
I'm into supporting local creative business and therefore make a point of avoiding phony small business that are actually owned by the biggest most rapacious corporations. This is especially true for beer and dope, two of the happiness causers in my life. Its shocking how the advertizing and packaging on stuff like Goose Island never mentions that its not a small micro-brewer but merely a small appendage of InBve Bud. Increasingly when I look at the beer offering at Walmart or the local gas station or convenience shop, nearly all the "micro-brew" offerings are owned by the lying greedy non-local biggies. It makes me angry, in part because they are taking advantage of all the good will that local micro-breweries have generated.

I've mentioned here that I'm concerned about the same thing happening with legal cannabis. When Maine first opened just two or so years ago, I fell in love with all the small vertically integrated companies that grew the weed, processed it themselves and made their own concentrates, and owned their own retail outlets. Now there seems to be an overabundance of new dispensaries. This is good in terms of the price has dropped 35-50% with near constant sales. But I fear that the long-term outcome will be a few big corporate players undercutting and outlasting all the small operators. Once they control the market, as they clearly intend to do, they will price gouge us at will. Unregulated markets may increase competition and lower prices in the short-term, but they almost inevitably lead to corporate take overs by people who aren't concerned with quality, health, local communities, truth, or anything else but how much money they can make.

I hear your concerns. At the end of the day lower costs and more availability will be a good thing. Consumers will do what they will. Hopefully there will be enough consumers supporting quality and quantity will presumably be available. I hope that federal legalization will allow personal grows to further my desire to see more than just mass produced lower quality flower.

 

[JBone65]

I hope that federal legalization will allow personal grows to further my desire to see more than just mass produced lower quality flower.

Not wanting to debate but not understanding this comment. Everyone is free to buy the best value weed they can find, even in states with highly regulated, corrupted markets. There will always be a gradient in terms of quality, there always has been.

IMO a lot of the routine Mexican weed and central/south American weed back in the 1970's was better than what we have today. Not saying I wanna go back, only that I expect the current weed quality and value to improve from here. I'm thinking a lot of the hybrids are lacking. The gene pool is getting pretty fucked up.

I'm pretty impressed with the quality of some mass produced weed these days, provided they started with right seeds. No two plants are identical, even if clones but grown under different conditions. Although one is likely to be stronger than the other, the breakdown of psychoactive compounds should essentially be the same from any two clones.

Increased availability probably means more options, folks should be able to pay as much as they want to get whatever "quality" they perceive as the "best value".

I'm finding great weed for $50/oz with searches on weedmaps. The most expensive weed I found in the area was $290/oz. Another search I did turned up 1205 nearby "deals" for 1 oz of flower.

 

[cybrguy]

You're such a tease...

 

[Gunky]

A few years ago I ran out of homegrown and bought stuff from dispensaries in Oregon for a few months. There was certainly some good stuff, usually quite expensive, and there was a lot of over-dried stuff which had lost most of its smell. As others have mentioned the time from harvest to sale is frequently a problem. If not refrigerated the potency and smell suffer. Some brands fertilize too late in the process and you can taste it. One of the better buys turned out to be the now-unfashionable bubble hash - cheap and good. I'm a heavy consumer and the big problem for me was being able to afford the quantities of bud I usually consume.

 

[Okla68]

A few years ago I ran out of homegrown and bought stuff from dispensaries in Oregon for a few months. There was certainly some good stuff, usually quite expensive, and there was a lot of over-dried stuff which had lost most of its smell. As others have mentioned the time from harvest to sale is frequently a problem. If not refrigerated the potency and smell suffer. Some brands fertilize too late in the process and you can taste it. One of the better buys turned out to be the now-unfashionable bubble hash - cheap and good. I'm a heavy consumer and the big problem for me was being able to afford the quantities of bud I usually consume.

Never done any "now Unfashionable Bubble Hash" ? Why is it "Unfashionable" ?

 

[invertedisdead]

IMO a lot of the routine Mexican weed and central/south American weed back in the 1970's was better than what we have today.

That's because those were true sativa's which are essentially non existent in the US market today.

 

[Madtater]

Never done any "now Unfashionable Bubble Hash" ? Why is it "Unfashionable" ?

I have some at my house currently. Seems to be in fashion just fine.

 

[Gunky]

Well if you go in these dispensaries they have beautiful concentrates that are clear and colored blue, all kinds of fancy stuff; I barely know what some of it is. For the prices they were asking the stuff had better wash your dishes and clean your floor too. In one place I asked for bubble hash and the guy behind the counter didn't know what that was. Eventually he remembered some they had and referred to it as 'old school stuff'. "Looks like kif" he said after opening up the package.

I have some I made myself in the Vapor Genie at the moment. Old school but pure and tasty.

 

[macbill]

Heavy marijuana use should be disclosed before surgery, new guidelines say

Heavy cannabis use can leave patients in more pain after surgery and it increases their risk for heart problems, doctors say.

www.usatoday.com

 

[florduh]

Defund the TSA

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1613542194610147329

 

[Babylon Drifter]

Defund the TSA

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1613542194610147329

Uh, no. They did thier job for once. Maybe change the damn laws but defunding the agency designed to prevent things like 911 is insane. Especially in light of the report from Dec 31 2022 that increased chatter from Al-Qaeda indicates "upcoming attacks on US, possibly involving planes, that will use new techniques and tactics.”

I used to sneak hash onto the ship inside candles that were dipped by the dealers in the middle east. So have I used the tactic myself, but I would never expect the security to be defunded and get people killed so I could get high.