Why the Midwest is the Perfect Destination for Your Next Cannabis-infused Adventure
Written By Bri Smith
Pack your bags and bug spray; Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes (and nearly as many opportunities to try cannabinoid-infused beverages) are calling! This year, instead of planning the typical coastal vacation, might I suggest visiting the Twin Cities in the heart of the Midwest?
With a diverse and progressive population, a lively art and music scene, and hundreds of breweries dabbling in THC-infusion, the Twin Cities has become the poster child for successfully integrating edibles and drinkables into mainstream retail stores.
Now, you can buy (and, in many cases, enjoy on-site) canna beverages in restaurants, bars, hotels, grocery co-ops, theaters, art festivals, concert venues, and more.
You might be thinking, “There’s no way you can get a THC-bev or edible in all of those places… right?” But I’m here to confirm the rumors are true. I’ve visited these spots and can confirm the experience is euphoric, exciting, and incredibly… normal.
Read on for 10 locations where you can (and should) experience cannabinoid-infused beverages in the Minnesota Wild.
Transitioning From Non-Cannabis to Cannabis: What You Need to Know
Written By Christy Essex
So, you want to work in cannabis? There is a lot of “buzz” going on, especially when it comes to people looking into transitioning to cannabis from non-cannabis fields.
Cannabis companies have needs, just like any other company in any other legal industry. In the fastest growing industry in the nation, opportunities are popping up everywhere.
The process of transitioning from traditional non-cannabis careers into the cannabis industry may seem daunting, however there are more connections between the job you have now and your future career in cannabis than meets the eye.
One of my favorite quotes by Henry Ford is “Whether you think you can-or think you can’t-you’re right!” I kept this quote by my desk as I set up to pivot into the cannabis space, myself. Now, here I am ten years later loving my decision to transition into the cannabis workforce.
So, if you are still wondering where to start, here are some recommendations;
ETHEREAL ADVENTURES OF DR. MERL THE ASTONISHING METAPHYSICIAN: Map Points
Written By Grant Mitchell
After traveling down a kaleidoscopic wormhole, for what seemed like an eternity, Dr. Merl wakes up on the beach of what he can only guess is a distant alien planet. Merl notices a small tower in the cove across the coastline.
Merl meets a wizard who calls himself Citizen Patient. Discussions about isolation, what planet they are on, and the year transpires briefly.
Dr. Merl explained his home is called “Planet Earth.”
“Never heard of it.” C.P. replies.
It’s so dark in the dank smelling castle that Dr. Merl can’t see, and so asks C.P. if he can open a shade to let in some light. Just as he is about to ask him what type of cannabis strain he favors…
“Sure.” says C.P. as he floats, not even walking, towards the window. Mysteriously, C.P. then vanishes into the curtain and the map spontaneously combusts again like the first piece of parchment from Dr. Merl’s laboratory.
Dr. Merl jumps back in order to save his nose and eyebrows from getting seared off. Another practical joke or a tricky magical prankster, eh?
‘Cross-pollination’ Leads to Good Ideas
Written By Mark G.
Priuses. Labradoodles. OG Kush. Although these random items appear to have little in common, they do share one thing: cross-pollination.
You might be asking yourself, what is cross-pollination? To put that in the context of cannabis culture, cross-pollination could best be exemplified by one of the most popular hybrid-strains ever, OG Kush.
OG Kush is technically a three-way hybrid (tri-brid?) of Chemdawg x Hindu Kush Indica x Lemon Thai Sativa. Three separate strains that are amazing by themselves are combined, or cross pollinated – to create a new, arguably better solution – a true cross-pollination.
This process of mixing disparate components to create a total that is better than the sum is akin to problem solving. The mixing of problems and ideas to create solutions is one of the oldest and arguably the most important processes we as humans NATURALLY utilize.
I argue that the existential reason for humanity is to problem-solve with the goal of advancing our lives. How do we do that? You guessed it–cross pollination– mixing scenarios with our experiences to ultimately create ideas.
Everywhere I’ve Smoked Part I: WEST vs EAST
Written By Emily Harris
It’s safe to say that many of us have grown up alongside weed’s legitimization, and I’m here to take a deeper look into how we all fit in where the West meets the East, and all the cultures in between.
Throughout my lengthy and wavering relationship with weed I’ve had the opportunity to smoke in a total of eleven states. It’s been a long, wild ride as I’ve taken weed across the country, border to border, and coast to coast, all the while wondering how the hell I got to where I am today, and everywhere I’ve been along the way.
Through the ebbs and flows of cannabis’ presence in my personal life, I’m at a point of reflection on its role in America’s history, the influence it’s had on me coming into my personhood, and the current cultural implications based on its legislation from the West to the East.
KEEPING YOUR CANNABIS CONSUMPTION A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE
Written By Deborah Agboola
When it comes to cannabis consumption, it's easy to go with the fad, but it's better to go with your limits.
What is an “ideal dosage”? At this point in time, state regulators have failed to address dosages, so it is up to relevant cannabis organizations to set dosage standards for the cannabis consumer. Yet, a meshwork of suggested THC thresholds exist; we’ve heard that THC limits for newbies should stay under 2.5 mg, while others suggest 5 to 10mg. Do any of these recommendations actually stick?
On the Ground at NCF 2023 with Caroline Phillips
Written By LaWann Stribling
It’s now close to 2pm, and I am making my way to the VIP area, finally. After getting my food, I came closer to Caroline, thinking this would be a great time to approach her for a face-to-face interview.
I then noticed the look of concern on her face and overheard that we have to evacuate. I confronted her face-to-face, and asked her for clarification; “Did you say we have to evacuate the park?” She responded with a yes, explaining that a temporary shutdown is in place due to incoming storms.
With food still in hand, I briskly walked back to the other side of the park to our booth. Before I could even reach our tent, the rain drops began!
Keeping in mind the magnitude of this amazing annual festival, I am happy to report that I was able to interview Caroline Phillips, Founder of National Cannabis Festival after all - to finally speak about this year’s NCF.
The Legend of Rusty: Part 2
Written By Jonothon I. Wild
Now it was time to select music to weed by; head for Three Tree Bed and The Battle of Extraction. Appearing in concert today would be ZMayor & Z5GallonBuckets, Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks, with special guests Creeping Charlie and ZDandyLions.
As ZMayor approached, he noticed debris scattered at the base of the Hickory. No problem, HizBucketNess would make short work of it while weeding and gathering. He did not notice however the newly minted dreyless kid on the block, clinging to a branch and staring down at him.
What Can Cannabis Do For Your Dog?
Written by Andrea Harris
"You're gonna put cannabis in dog treats? How on earth is that going to work?" Dr. Rodgers asked me.
"Yeah, I mean obviously it won't be high in THC, but I know there has to be medicinal properties for dogs as well." I retorted as I pulled back on the plunger and the 3ml syringe began to fill with blood.
I never thought that I would go from those conversations to stopping by clinics that carry my full-spectrum hemp dog treats. I can't help but think back as I hear story after story about cannabis helping canines.
Much like our own system, your dog's endocannabinoid system produces its own endocannabinoids. In fact, it's more than just dogs. We all have a system that interacts with the compounds found in cannabis, now it's all about narrowing down what cannabinoids are beneficial to which ailments so we can tailor-make cannabis profiles for our furry, and not-so-furry friends.
To Be A Woman In Cannabis Is To Be A Chemchix
Interview By The “Naive Newb” Blue Amnesia
To be a woman in cannabis is to be a “Chemchix'' and the CEO of Chemchix is leaning into that pleasure; the pleasure that is acknowledging all the incredible women making the culture what it is, the pleasure of finding and stepping into our power.
Her experience in the industry on the marketing side of things is where she began to feel the call to uplift the voices of women in the space. As she shared her experiences of repetitive stolen credit and misplaced honor with me, I understood completely how she got inspired to be the change.
ZMayor & Diana: A Love Story
As Told by Jonothon I. Wild
Sadly, softly they parted. The phone flirting slowly faded into each other's new life. HizSingleness broke the heartbreaking news to the Budsburg ladies. HizLoneliness spent the rest of that growing season at ZBend, spending his weekends caring for his cannabis plants also referred to as “The Ladies of Bburg.” When he needed a fan leaf to cry on, they were only a Stoner's-throw away.
ZMayor had a good habit of not playing favorites because he believed each and every lady was unique in her own Phenoness. Though he would never mention it to the others, this season and this season only, he had a favorite. She was alone just south of the barn. He would take time to gently guide her limbs each visit. He would compliment her on her pistils and terpene perfume. He would take time to gather Forget-Me-Nots on the way. The Dragonfly loved the white ones. They reminded her of the snow, and her winter walks at ZBend.
No-No Berries at The Nearby Nowhere Private Dragon School
Written by Randy Gunter
Introduction by Lindsey Gunter
The piece you are about to read originates from a small group of rebellious teenagers in 1972 while attending the American school in Sao Paulo, Brazil called “Graded” or “Escola Graduada.” These kids had a small, independent publication small enough to be slid into the lockers of their peers called “Ergo,” in which they voiced frustrations with the school administration in all manners fantastical and allegorical.
The creator of this paper was a young William “Randy” Gunter, my father. This particular issue is labeled “Another Fable (From the Chronicles of Nowhere)” the second passage in the first volume, and the topic? “No-no berries in the berry lounge,” or in other words; “no marijuana in the smoking section."
This is why I wanted to share this piece of my family's history with cannabis with the Fat Nugs community as well as the cannabis community at large. To remind us that this de-stigmatization mission is not new, that it is generational, widespread with roots everywhere older than most civilizations.
To remind us that this cause has already been long fought, to rally us forward in wasting no more time uplifting the voices who have been part of the fabric of usage, the agents of the evolution of this glorious plant and the unique culture it inspires, past and present. Please Enjoy.”
My First Harvest Ball
Written by Isabella DeChard
The Emerald Cup hosts the Harvest Ball in Santa Rosa, California each year. Farmers and cannabis brands from all over the Golden State join to celebrate the bountiful crops and cultivars meticulously cultivated this season.
However, among the handful of other cannabis events I’ve gotten to recently experience, this two-day event felt significant among the others. Throughout the entire Harvest Ball weekend, the collective empathy and perseverance I always recognized about this cannabis community was stronger than ever.
Even though this was my first time at the Harvest Ball and an Emerald Cup occasion in general, I had never felt more welcome or comfortable at a major cannabis event.
Last tolerance break in Paris
Written by Matthew Dean
Ahhhhh…. The T-Break, AKA the tolerance break. No matter what your thoughts - whether you are a cheerleader or chastiser, a willing participant, or in my case, had the T-break foisted upon you, this is not a diatribe on the pros and cons of taking a tolerance break. It is a journey into the unwanted absence of my love, cannabis, in the city of love itself.
I figured, once free of the family, the wedding, and France, I would treat myself to a week in Amsterdam while the family flew to Rome to see the Pope or something. The major issue was making sure Nina had weed: Period, point blank. And she PROMISED that she would. A rare thing for my lovable but sometimes not all that dependable cousin.
To be clear, traveling with my family wasn't going to be a nightmare, it just wasn't the ideal option to be traveling with Mom and Nana. Despite this, I knew that some weed would be just what I needed to ease into the trip, and Nina had a friend in Amsterdam supplying decent weed and hashish.
Ethereal Adventures of Dr. Merl The Astonishing Metaphysician: Metascapades - Diving for Quantum Arcadia
Written By Grant Mitchell
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! You Are Hereby Cordially Invited to Join Us on Our Metascapades in Ethereal Realms: Diving, Hunting, Searching, and Exploring the Mythical Quantum Arcadia.
As the legend goes, in the year 2070, Professor Saxemillian Merlinius von Vaporblaster: Doctor of Science in Dematerialization, or “Dr. Merl,” for simplicity’s sake… is alleged to have achieved the unimaginable.
At 11:11 AM, in the flash of a moment altering the very fabric of the spacetime continuum itself: Dr. Merl exhaled a spark and was granted temporary powers, although unaware of them at first. Gifts like ultra-intelligence, clairvoyance, telepathy, psychokinesis, supernatural deduction, hyperluminal dematerialization, metaphysical chakra harmonization, lucid dreaming, and transmutation were harnessed through the Fluxflower.
Combined these fantastical concepts are dwarfed in comparison to the underlying mystery: Where is the Protostone Flowerflux phenomena drawing its magical energy from?
The science behind the munchies
Written By Riley D. Kirk, Ph.D.
The holidays can be a wonderful time to catch up with family and old friends and of course, stuff our faces with all the amazing home cooked foods. Before indulging in the savory food, many of us go for a pre-meal ‘walk’ to prepare our bodies for the feast.
Lighting up a joint or indulging in other cannabis products before the big meal may give you the classic “munchies” which can make everything taste even better and accentuate the obscure combinations of food you’re about to eat.
Many of us have hilarious stories about combining ridiculous ingredients while high, or eating absurd amounts of food, but have you ever wondered why this happens?
From Red to Pink - Part VIII: Hot Pink mess
Written By Lindsey Gunter
Listen up people: You can be a big, bad whatever, but if you put two types of weed in the bag, you’re doing bad business. Period. It’s unacceptable. I could not believe the blatant illegality of this, outside of the poor planning and product development. Such shamefully low regard for the consumer. There is only one C.O.A. for good reason, and besides, people have eyes and can clearly see a difference.
'Red would never have done something like that' I remembered thinking to myself. What a shame it felt like at times, everyone from the teams I worked with running dispensaries were scattered all over the place by now, and couldn't likely come in to see what all that I learned from them could make.
For some, after the amount of drama that had so far unfolded, they were starting to feel embarrassed about even being associated with the place. I wondered what my own late business owning mother would say about Pink as I watched ownership and the owner's assistant show family around the dispensary around holiday time.
From Red to Pink - Part VI: The Pink Era Begins
Written By Lindsey Gunter
My layoff date approached, red jackets began to appear in thrift store windows around town (ouch), and I found myself sitting in a dark, shabby room covered in concrete dust - clearly the only habitable place in the general sea of construction going on inside. I was interviewing for a new dispensary’s ownership that got my resume from The Blacklist. “Gold” someone had called it. We knew some of the same people, shared some brand-building opinions and a desire for an open, feminine, inclusive ideal for the dispensary. I shook hands and agreed to an hourly rate until opening, upon which time a salary for myself and the people I brought into other key positions would go into effect. I walked out and just about danced all the way home.
Do you ever wish you could just go back in time, not to prevent anything from happening necessarily, but to warn yourself? I probably would’ve just tapped myself on the shoulder and simply said, “Don’t dance yet.”
But alas, as I danced down the street, “Finally,” I thought, “this is my chance to put a real dent in the binary!”
My Journey into Cannabis - Part III : More Fun Than The Law Allows
Written By Jason Bird
Most of New England was a fairly conservative place back then. Seeing that my love for weed and the desire to have access to the best of it was growing inside me, I knew that I would eventually have to leave the East Coast in search of places that were more relaxed in their attitude toward The Herb. I was seeking knowledge and understanding of the cannabis plant itself, and hoping to find people who shared that interest and could help me find the knowledge that I was seeking.
The West Coast was a totally different weed scene compared to the East Coast. Night and day. The relaxed setting made it a different type of experience. Like there was nothing to get in the way of it.
I had decided that I would be moving to the West Coast to pursue my desire for knowledge about cannabis and how to grow “The Kind Bud.” I had been planning to leave in the summer of 1995, anticipating that I would just follow the Grateful Dead tour out to the West Coast and find a place to live once I got out there.
It didn’t quite go as planned…
My Journey Into Cannabis - Part 2 : Road Trippin’
Written By Jason Bird
It’s a glorious thing when the lights go down and everyone lights up. There’s nothing like the smell and taste of fresh lit fully cured herb. It was around this time that 4:20 became more widely popularized and was adopted as the unofficial stoner holiday.
There were so many good vibes surrounding that Cali adventure in the Bay Area, sitting in Golden Gate Park. On a friend's farm in Santa Cruz. Secret spots in Big Sur and Ben Lohman. All throughout the hills of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties… The Kind Bud revolution was underway.
It still seems surreal to me now, years later, but you have those moments in your life where you transcend everything you know, or thought you knew, about something, and I was certainly having mine with The Kind at that time.