Drink Your Weed 🥂
420 event list + ways to celebrate Drink Cannabis Day
This week, an older woman in her 70s told me how much she loves cannabis beverages. She doesn’t drink. “Never liked the stuff,” she said gruffly. She prefers mixing a splash of cannabis-infused soda into a glass of tonic and a squeeze of lime. “I like the way it makes me feel,” she said with smile as I slid the cans of medicated beverages across the counter.
“I want to sleep better but I don’t want to smoke or eat sugar before bed,” said another person wearily. I recommended a cannabis tea or tincture before their bedtime routine. “Oh, I like the sound of that. I already drink herbal tea in the evenings and that seems easy.”
“Thanks for the rec!” said a former colleague who replace glasses of wine with weed instead to help unwind and relax at the end of the day. “I haven’t had alcohol in over a month.”
On the new CNN documentary special “Weed 7: A Senior Moment”, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta interviewed seniors who use cannabis. He changed his mind and went from being a skeptic to openly talking to his teetotaler Indian mom about cannabis.
“And I guess that may be the biggest thing that has changed over the past 10 years. I would’ve never imagined a time when I would openly recommend cannabis to my own parents – or a time they would openly consider taking it.
“Why not? It can be a medicine, right?” my mom said when I raised the issue one day. My typically taciturn dad just smiled and nodded.” – Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Vol. 26 // In This Issue:
How to Celebrate 8/20 Drink Cannabis Day
5 Must-Try Cannabis Beverages
Recipes: Make Catnipped Drinks at Home
420 🥦 Events
Pour One Out for the Homies
It’s National Drink Cannabis Day
8/20 is officially declared National Drink Cannabis Day by the Cannabis Beverage Association and the Cannabis Media Council to raise awareness for the most approachable and socially acceptable method of consumption for cannabis – beverages! This week’s post is dedicated to all the different ways to drink your weed.
Thanks to a loophole in the 2018 Farm Bill which allows low amounts of hemp-derived THC*, we’re seeing low-dose beverages (and other products) that contain THC available to buy at the corner grocery store in cities across the U.S. (in legal and non-legal states!). In Minnesota, cannabis beverages are served at craft breweries and restaurants alongside beer, wine, and other drinks.
I love cannabis drinks because low-dose drinks are less intimidating than edibles. You can feel the fast-acting effects within 10-20 minutes after drinking. It feels more sessionable and akin to drinking a cocktail or glass of beer or wine.
🥂 How to Drink Weed
READ // Cannabis Drinks Guide: Part 1 | Cannabis Drinks Guide: Part 2
READ // Rise of Cali Sober: Why Gen Z Prefers Pot or Shrooms to Alcohol, via Bloomberg
WATCH // The Crossfade: How to Combine Cannabis and Weed with House of Puff. Make a cannabis Paloma cocktail with Kristina Aducci.
PARTY-ON // How to Throw an 820 Dinner Party, via The Clever Root
LISTEN // Cannabis Beverage Trends with Diana Eberlein of SōRSE on To Be Blunt Podcast.
FIND // Award-winning cannabis beverages: Winners from the first-ever High Spirits Awards.
*Note: I’m highly wary of most hemp-derived THC products because there is currently no oversight, regulation, or oversight on quality control. Unlike state-regulated legal cannabis which has testing, track and trace, and quality systems in place. That doesn’t mean it’s all bad, there’s just too much unknown for me to feel confident about recommending these products if/when there are other options available. Vet your products and brands throughly and enjoy responsibly.
5 Must-Try Cannabis Beverages
A few of my favorite cannabis beverages that you need to try.
Malus Apple Cider, a crisp, dry non-alcoholic apple cider infused with Sour Diesel live resin, from Harmony Craft Beverages. 2023 High Spirits Awards winner, Best Cannabis Beverage. (California)
Herbacée Sparkling Rosier, a non-alcoholic cannabis wine from Jamie Evans The Herb Somm. (California)
Artet x Solful Maracuya Strawberry Basil Spritz, rich berry balanced with sweet basil and hint of pink peppercorn infused with Marcuya live resin sun-grown by Esensia Farms. (California)
Not Your Father’s Root Beer, tastes exactly like root beer, add a scoop of ice cream for a catnipped root beer float! (California)
High-Dose Pick from @smokesipsavor: Wunder Godspeak, a 125mg THC per can sparkling beverage in Watermelon Punch, Blackberry Lemonade, and Orange Soda flavors. (California)
5 Must-Try Cannabis Spirits for 🍃 Mocktails
Squier’s Specialty, hash rosin infused elixirs made from real fruit, from Chef Zach Squier. (Maine)
Pamos Spirits, a fruity cannabis-infused botanical spirit for making cocktails (California)
MXXN, non-alcoholic spirits for a cocktail mixing experience offered in Kentucky Oak, Jalisco Agave, and London Dry (California)
Nowadays, nn easy-drinking spirit replacer with tropical fruit notes and a smooth finish that makes it a great alcohol-free swap in any recipe calling for tequila. (National - hemp derived THC)
Maison Bloom, garden-to-glass botanical seltzers in herbaceous fruit flavors that shake up elegant cocktails (California + Minnesota)
Hive Mind: What cannabis beverages have you tried and liked?
🍹 Recipes: Catnipped Drinks at Home
GET // “Cannabis Drinks: Secrets to Crafting CBD and THC Beverages at Home” by Jamie Evans @TheHerbSomm
MAKE // My cannabis drink recipes: Blackberry Lavender Collins / Blue Hawaiian Spritzer / Boba Milk Tea/ Garden Mojito / Mango Juice / Watermelon Hibiscus Smoothie
TRY // Drink recipes by @AnnatheCannabinista (my Canadian weed sista!): Watermelon Dragonfruit Mojito / Strawberry Matcha Latte / “Whiskey” Sour / Kombucha Refresher
HIGH-ly Recommend 🥦 Events
A roundup of cannabis events with good vibes.
8/25 - The Living Room Series Speakeasy, roll up and meet new friends at this monthly community smoke sesh for the girls, gays, and theys. This month, it’s a secret garden party. | Women’s Cannabis Collective (Los Angeles)
8/26 - Yoga Park Sesh, a yoga and sesh networking event to celebrate Women’s Equality Day that’s all about empowerment, relaxation, and connection. | Kiva (Los Angeles)
8/26 - Puff Puff Pass Magazine Release Party, a new magazine that’s a love letter to the magic of words, weed and wonder. For the art-loving, book lovers, creative stoners, and everyone in between | Puff Puff + Wyllow (Los Angeles)
8/27 - Four2Zero Night Market, an elevated cannabis-friendly shopping experience with small businesses, artists, and live music. | BabinkaCake (Los Angeles)
8/30 + 9/17 - Weed Auntie Summer in the City, Rooftop Retreats with high vibes, soulful sounds, sampling, art activations, and healing experiences at this urban rooftop retreat in the city. | OHHo + Weed Auntie (Brooklyn/NYC)
8/31 - Art of Rolling Class, a 90-minute workshop with flower, papers, filters, lighter, tray, and good vibes. | MaryJAE Social Club (Austin)
9/3 - Summer Time Sesh, a celebration curated for entrepreneurs, creators, and like-minded individuals who share the same passion for cannabis. | TylerTherapy + Elevate Sesh Events (Orange County, CA)
9/3 - Mehni-cated Hike, join my friend @mehndi420, who does the gorgeous cannabis henna, on a hike to Eaton Canyon Falls. Bring snacks, water, and good vibes! | Mehndi 420 (Los Angeles)
9/14 to 9/17 - Cannamom Retreat, a 4-day, 3-night glamping trip and safe space for mothers to connect and recharge at an award-winning Sun + Earth-certified cannabis farm. | Sol Spirit Farm (Willow Creek, CA)
9/23 - Club Swami LA Cultivar Release Party, join Swami and Nikki for a private tasting of the latest private reserve release for club members | Swami Select (Los Angeles)
9/20 to 10/1 - Two-Night Elevated Retreat at cannabis-friendly Mine+Farm boutique bed and breakfast. Includes infused cuisine by Chopped 420 champion Chef Solomon Johnson, cooking class, yoga, and more. | Cannescape (Russian River, California)
9/30 - PuffCon, a block party that brings together Puffco fans for an epic event with glass blowing demos and music performances by Action Bronson, 2 Chainz, Curren$y. | Puffco (Los Angeles)
💔 Pour One Out for the Homies
Rose Mary Jane, Oakland’s first and only Black woman-owned, social equity cannabis bar and lounge temporarily closed its doors due to predatory lease terms (60k per month!), repeated break-ins, increased violence, and a rough cannabis climate which made it untenable to continue.
This is a devastating loss because spaces like Rose Mary Jane where you can sit down and enjoy a cannabis drink, just like you would at a neighborhood bar or coffee shop, serve as a third place – places that occupy a space between work and home. “A third place where people can put aside their stress and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them.”
READ // My article profiling Rose Mary Jane and the importance of the third place in High Times.
“These third places are the heart of a community’s social vitality, the grassroots of democracy.” – Ray Oldenburg in his book “The Great Good Place,” 1989
XOXO, Christina W.