Legacy Vs. Legal: The War over the Future of Cannabis
Written By Tara Eveland
There is a place for the big dogs, and we have welcomed them into our states, but now they want to totally shut out the legacy entrepreneurs and small businesses that got them where they are today, and we will not let that happen. Those of us that love this plant, those of us that have fought for years for patients over profits.
We won’t let the people that paid that cost not have a seat at this table, especially when #bridgingthelegacytolegalgap is not unheard or unattainable.
NYC: A Stoner’s Paradise
Written By Hannah Gershowitz
New York City has the tendency to heighten the grandiosity of really anything— from as minuscule as the curves of the buildings to as regal as a brand-new market opening.
Thus, when recreational cannabis was legalized in March 2021, it was so monumental that the whole climate and landscape of the city changed along with it.
Cannabis smoke has taken over the once-familiar aromas of nearby restaurants and bakeries, illicit dispensaries line every block, seemingly endless elevated experiences and spaces have popped up… and that all happened before the first recreational dispensary even opened.
Now, the market is fully open, and it’s louder than the chatter of the city— louder than the mix of sirens and subways and people. The city’s cannabis scene is making noise, and New York City will never be the same because of it.
And as a weed enthusiast, I love it. New York City is a stoner’s paradise.
Homegrown Reviews: Dave’s White Widow
Written By Daniel Crawford
When I told my friend Dave about a new project I was starting, he didn’t hesitate to hand over a fat sack full of his newest hobby: home growing cannabis. The White Widow nugs were supplied from Dave’s first harvest since beginning his hobby.
I hadn’t consumed White Widow since my college days with summers filled with trips to music festivals around the country. Most who know me, understand I have been involved with cultivating cannabis for nearly two decades.
Having an official record of his first ever harvest will allow Dave to dial in and keep track of his entire genetic portfolio in the years to come. This goes to show you, a grower doesn’t have to grow cultivars with THC percentages +25% to produce effective medicine.
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.
‘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.
Herbie My (New) Love
Product Review By Casey Renteria
I like to think I’m an active person, at least four days out of the week. After working out, my back becomes so uncomfortably tight that it causes headaches, neck pain, and cramps. I take my self-care seriously, and one constant ordeal is tight muscles.
I love topicals for muscle recovery post-workout for this reason. I have found that it is a critical key in my recovery. Although I have so many lotions, potions, rubs, and balms I am still kind of picky about my topicals, since I use them multiple times a week.
One day, while doom scrolling on LinkedIn, I came across a post featuring Herbie Pain Balm. I knew right then and there, there wasn't a doubt in my mind, I wanted to get my hands on it. Or more like 'get it on me!
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.
Casey’s Fat Nugs Field Trips: Black Ridge Cannabis
Dispensary Review Written By Casey Renteria
Black Ridge Cannabis is a veteran-owned and operated dispensary in Calera, Oklahoma.
When I found out the dispensary opened in March of 2023, this of course sparked a Fat Nugs field trip! I wanted to meet the owners Harvey Thompson, Edward Gann, & Kody Edwards to see what they were really all about.
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.
NECANN Boston: The Best of Cannabis in the Northeast
Written By Jessica Reilly-Chevalier
For years, the west coast has been the domestic mecca of cannabis, a shining paradise of legalization in a sea of prohibition. But it’s not 2012 anymore – over half of Americans now live where cannabis is legal, and the biggest wave of legalization reform has been on the East coast in recent years.
So, when NECANN descended on Boston for 3 days, it was the kind of good time you can only expect in the cannabis industry. This was the first time in 9 years that a majority of states in the NE were legal, and people were ready to celebrate.
I spent two days on the show floor, attending sessions, and afterparties, and talking to people. You don’t need to have visited the city to get the highlights - here’s the best of the best.
Miami’s Cannadelic Convention: Where Cannabis & Psychedelics Collide
Written by Isabella DeChard
Throughout the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Cannadelic, I felt the crowd grow larger and larger with energy. While the event may have not had the trippy or captivating decor you’d imagine a psychedelic and cannabis convention space to have, I feel pretty hopeful for the immense potential and growth this specific industry event has in store!
The first day of the convention was specifically for B2B industry leaders and workers, I was meeting everyone from brand managers, influencers, venture capitalists, and simply passionate psychedelic stoners throughout the entire event weekend.
But no matter who you were, this cannabis and psychedelics convention was a thought-provoking and exciting experience for all. With a Main Stage, Secondary Stage, Zen Lounge, Experience Room, and Outdoor Smoke Lounge – every attendee swirled around the convention center making connections and learning something new.
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.
Black Hempstory Month: Origins of Western Prohibition
Written by Dan Isenstein
There seems to be no end to shameless conspiracy theories about the origins of cannabis prohibition. Among the most disseminated are that William Randolph Hearst wanted to ban hemp to protect his vast timber holdings and that the DuPont corporation wanted to eliminate competition to their newly patented thermoplastic - nylon. The evidence supporting both sounds better when you’re high.
No, racism is inarguably at the root of reefer madness and ultimately cannabis prohibition. And, if racism was not the motivation for the making of cannabis illegal initially, then the execution of the law, which saw blacks and people of color arrested and incarcerated at more than double that of whites and sentenced to much longer jail terms, certainly provided the law with plenty of racist cred.
This Black History Month open your eyes, and your mind, to the reality that the easiest explanation is often the truth. Was cannabis prohibited because DuPont and Hearst conspired to protect their own self-interest or did the United States, which has been racist AF since its inception, pass a law to preserve the dominant social order?
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.
Herban Bud Review
Product Review by Varsha Hyland
When the editors at Fat Nugs Magazine asked for a review of Herban Bud’s products, I was intrigued. I’ve tried THC and CBD, but this review was my first foray into hydrogenated and derivative cannabinoid products.
The products I received from Herban Bud included THCa flower and concentrate, as well as a disposable vape containing an oil blend consisting of an HHC base. The “Euphoria” vape contained THCp, followed by some THC-O, just enough THCjd, and "a dash of Delta-8."
Having only used CBD flower or oils as an alternative to THC when I was worried about getting drug tested for work, the Herban Bud haul was my first time experiencing a high from these alternative cannabinoids.
Uncovering the “Invisible Shopper”: Re-examining How We Look at Data to Give Brands a New Edge
Co-written by Lara Fordis, M.A. and Tymofey Wowk, Ph.D.
Data, data, data. It’s all around us, we all know about it, but why is it important, especially for the burgeoning cannabis industry? And, who are the “invisible shoppers™” in cannabis?
The cannabis industry is no different than other vertical markets in terms of a need for contextual, accurate, actionable consumer data, perhaps even more so given how new the industry is and what an opportunity this presents.
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?
Weedish Meatballs: A Recipe By Renae Blackhall
Written By Renae Blackhall
Tis’ the season! Fresh outdoor is abundant and we are all looking for that perfect “POT-luck” dish!
I am very fortunate to come from a little mountain community known for over 50 years of guerilla gardening. Since it’s no longer necessary to hide in the hills, most of the community enjoys their six-plant allowance in their backyards amongst their vegetable gardens and fresh flowers.
On a recent trip back home, my neighbor gifted me some of his organic outdoor. This plant has never been sprayed or treated with anything other than natural soil amendments. It was grown from seed in the clean mountain air, making it a perfect product for my culinary delights.
The strain I used for this recipe is called Seaweed. Well known for its earthy undertones and musky flavor, this outdoor strain is perfect for savory cooking. Hitting around 12 to 15 percent THC also makes this plant very desirable for edibles.