Know Your Herbs

What is the G Pen? Everything you need to know.

If it feels hard to imagine a time in vaporizer culture before G Pen products, that’s because the brand has had a huge hand in shaping the industry itself. Before G Pen burst onto the scene in 2012 with the first tank system specifically designed for “personal aromatherapy regimens,” the vaporizer industry (as well as the concentrate game itself) was in its fledgling stages. It was an opaque, sticky time. 710 cartridges overflowed with questionable quality distillates, and everyone was pretty confused about how this whole vaporizing thing even worked. 

Flash forward to 2020. With their slew of game-changing, blockbuster products like the Elite flower vape, the Connect concentrate attachment, and the Roam (basically a fully portable dab rig), G Pen still wears the crown. 

Known for sleek, user-friendly designs, high-quality products, and effective marketing techniques centered around celebrity collaborations, G Pen managed to maintain a reputation for putting out some of the best vaporizers in the biz. 

Whether you’re looking to invest in a new vape or just curious as to what all the hype’s been about, here’s our guide to all things G Pen. 

Is the G Pen good? 

G Pen products showcase a winning combination of being user friendly, innovative, and on-trend. Their vapes are extremely easy to use, as they have simplified the process of vaping while providing easy-to-use temperature control much like how Apple simplified the process of computing. Products require little more than the push of a button to deliver high-quality flower and concentrate vapor in seconds.

G Pen maintains brand visibility and a handle on pop culture with constant brand and celebrity collaborations. Whether it’s recording artists like Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, or The Game, big brands like The Fader, Burton, and HUF, or street artists like Natalie Wood and Claw Money, G Pen shines in their product collaborations with the tastemakers of today.  

How much is a G Pen? Is it worth the price?

At the end of the day, the most pressing question when it comes to weed tech devices is “is it worth the price?”

It depends on where you are in your experience level and weed consumption. But depending on your preferences and whether you’re looking to up your weed game, buying a G Pen device can be a wise investment.

Below, check out a little of each of the vaporizers currently available from G Pen. 

The Gio Battery (Liquids) 

The Gio Battery is G Pen’s answer to the pod systems hitting the market like Pax Pods and Dart Pods. Designed for exclusive interface with G Pen Gio Cartridges, which have been created in partnership with brands like Cookies, Caliva, and Humboldt Farms, the Gio Battery breaks down the concentrate vaping platform to its simplest form: insert cartridge and inhale. 

Because each cartridge has been designed to burn optimally at the same temperature and voltage, there’s no need to adjust temperature control. Each hit is formulated to be a perfect — even hands-free — vaping experience. 

Price: $19.95 

The G Pen Pro Vaporizer (Flower)

Sleek and easy to use, the G Pen Pro is a flower vaporizer existing at the intersection of fashion and function. Single-button controls offer three temperature settings that vaporize your “ground material” in a mere 30 seconds. And at a price point below $100, it’s a feasible buy no matter how hard coronavirus hit your bank account. 

Price: $89.85

The G Pen Elite (Flower)

The G Pen Elite vaporizer is like the G Pen Pro on steroids. While they both do the same thing fundamentally, which is vaporize flower, the Elite is tricked out with all the bells and whistles a future-forward stoner could want or need. Complete with an LED display with temperature control, battery life indicator, and the largest fully ceramic chamber on the market, the Elite is perfect for the health-conscious techie in all of us. 

Price: $119.95

The Nova (Concentrates)

The Nova is G Pen’s easy to use concentrate vaporizer pen. Unlike many similar pens from G Pen competitors, the Nova replaced antiquated coil technology with a full-ceramic atomizer, where a patented reverse airflow and ‘check’ ball valve system generate balanced heat to the concentrate heating chamber, providing the most vapor production of any pen on the market. To put it simply, it works much better than other concentrate pens, and at a significantly lower price point than most. 

Price: $34.95

The Connect (Concentrates)

The Connect is one of G Pen’s most innovative (and successful) products to date, revolutionizing the concentrate consumption market with their take on an electronic heating source for a traditional dab rig. Heating to temperature settings within five seconds of activation, a ceramic heating element fits onto any preexisting bong or dab rig, offering the same high-density vapor as a normal dab would, without the hassle and danger of a torch and exposed nail as the heating element.  

Price: $149.95

The Roam (Concentrates)  

Brand new and ready for summer adventures, The Roam is G Pen’s first totally portable concentrate vaporizer with a self-contained water filtration system. Basically, this device is a fully functional electronic dab rig in the form of a large, water-filled vape, and it’s compatible with any concentrate you can imagine.   

The first of its kind, The Roam features a spill-proof, self-contained borosilicate glass hydrotube, a full quartz tank, and a 1300mAh lithium-ion battery that heats to temperature within seconds of activation, making for optimal temperature control and delivering perfect dab hits every time. 

Price: $249.95

Where to buy G Pen products

Find G Pen products on their website, with free shipping in the US on orders over $75, or at your local dispensary. All Grenco Science electronics (chargers and batteries) are covered under a one year warranty. 

The post What is the G Pen? Everything you need to know. appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

12 of the most popular strains on Weedmaps

When it comes to cannabis, “what’s the best weed?” is one of the most asked questions of all time. Truth is there is no answer because weed is such an individualistic experience. Whatever cannabis strains make your body feel great may make someone else’s head hurt; just like whatever cannabis strains make you feel sleepy could make someone else feel energized.

Though the best weed will forever be subjective, the popularity of weed strains is answerable through data and cultural impact. Here are the 12 most popular cannabis strains on the Weedmaps Strains platform, our database of strain information, including genetics and growing conditions, top reported effects and flavors, and retailers carrying strains near you.

Did your favorite make the list?

OG Kush

OG Kush is the world-famous California legend that was first propagated in Florida but popularized in Los Angeles. It has a complex mix of sour, skunky and citrus aromas and flavors, thanks to its myrcene, limonene and caryophyllene terpenes. While its flavors are well-known, the effects are what really made OG Kush famous. 

OG Kush is the original hybrid with potent, heavy and long-lasting effects that leave you super stoned, yet not exactly stuck on the couch. Many of the strains we love today come from OG Kush, whether they be crosses or phenotypes, including Kosher Kush, Triangle Kush and SFV OG.


Pineapple Express

Recently, Seth Rogen confirmed the strain Pineapple Express didn’t exist until they made the movie, so there’s your chicken and egg. 

There are plenty of strains with all kinds of genetics being sold as Pineapple Express these days. The most-known variation is from G13 Labs, who crossed Trainwreck and Hawaiian to produce a cannabis cultivar with citrus and tropical flavors, backed by a Kushy earthiness (you can thank Trainwreck for that one). 

The high gets you high and a little in your head, but overall you’re just stoned and happy.


AK-47

AK-47 is one of those super popular strains that people don’t know too much information about, other than the buds are usually dense and flooded with orange hairs. The lineage is thought to be a mix of Colombian, Mexican, Thai and Afghani genetics. One of those under-the-radar popular strains, you know?

Regardless of where and how we got AK-47, the high is well-known for being strong, long-lasting, and mentally stimulating.


Blue Dream

Blue Dream is the single most well-known cannabis strain in the world. So much so that there are various genetics and strains that claim to be the real BD. With that in mind, the majority of us know Blue Dream as a cross between a Haze and a Blueberry.

The lovers of Blue Dream champion its sweet flavor and mood-boosting effects that make it the perfect example of a feel-good cannabis strain. It’s reported mood-boosting and head effects are so widespread they have made their way into the mainstream.


Gelato

Gelato came out of nowhere and set the game ablaze years ago. It’s the most viewed strain on Weedmaps Strains. Californians especially love it. Named after the dessert, this strain has a variety of flavors. Some cultivars are grapey and gassy; some are berry and earthy; some are just straight-up sweet and floral.

Regardless of how your Gelato smells, those potent effects are coming through and fast. Most people reserve Gelato for the latter parts of the day due to its ability to couch-lock you for a few hours. 


Green Crack

While there’s no doubting the popularity of Green Crack, it may come as a surprise that it’s the second most viewed strain on Weedmaps Strains. 

Green Crack is one of those cultivars that people always suggest for daytime consumption because of its cerebral effects. It usually hits you with an “Oh, HELLO, yup, I’m up” kind of high. The buds are pretty with light green and orange colors and the aroma is usually sour and citrusy.


Purple Haze

Purple Haze is one of the strains that people who don’t even smoke know about, largely thanks to the namesake song and 60s psychedelic culture.

Thankfully, it’s such a great bud that it deserves to be celebrated for its influence in weed culture.

The high is potently relaxing, exactly like the experience people attribute to any substance with this name — thanks to Jimi Hendrix.


Sour Diesel

Sour Diesel, also known as Sour D, Sour Dies or East Coast Sour Diesel, is another strain that has surpassed cannabis culture and is now known in general pop culture. The name comes from its sour and citrus flavor. The diesel kicks in on the aroma when you squeeze the buds, but overall this strain is more lemony and earthy than gassy. 

Sour Diesel lineage is thought to be Chemdog 91 and Skunk, though there are now so many Sour Diesel strains on the market that there’s truly no telling if what you’re buying is the true Sour.

Effects-wise, people seek out Sour Diesel to help propel them through the day. Many say it’s energIzing and focusing, others say it’s calming and euphoric. 


Wedding Cake

Wedding Cake is one of the more popular strains of the new age. Thank Seed Junky for that. 

Wedding Cake is named for having a sweet and dough-like flavor and thick smoke. It coats your mouth, leaving a lasting aftertaste that hits exactly like a slice of vanilla-flavored cake. Though the aroma holds strong, the flavor falls through with more earthy and floral notes than sweet icing when you smoke it.

Wedding Cake is a high THC strain with content usually averaging around 20 percent or better. Effects come on slow, starting in the head before gradually hitting the body with a floaty feeling. Wedding Cake is the definition of being on Cloud 9. 


Biscotti

Another in the line of sweet, cookie-focused strains is Biscotti, the third most viewed strain in our lineup. Biscotti is a Cookies cross of GSC, Gelato #25 and South Florida OG with a sweet and buttery aroma.

Truthfully, Biscotti looks and smells great, but the effects are a little middle of the road. You’ll be stoned, but it’ll be mostly in the head, which isn’t what you’d expect from a brand that’s known for producing heavy hitters like Runtz and Gary Payton.


Kush Mints

Kush Mints is fairly new to the world of strains, and because of that, there isn’t much information about it. All that’s known is that it was bred by Seed Junky, who gave us Wedding Cake, so you already know it’s some fire.

Kush Mints is said to have a strong minty flavor and produces relaxed and calming effects.


Forbidden Fruit

Forbidden Fruit is one of the tastiest strains out there. It has a mix of tropical, berry, fruity and slightly gassy flavors. It almost like pouring out the blue bag of Skittles into a rolling paper and lighting up. No, better yet, it’s like smoking a glass of Berry Medley V8 Splash.

Forbidden Fruit was bred by crossing Tangie and Cherry Pie, and if you can find it as a concentrate, definitely snatch it up for one of the most terpene-forward weed experiences possible. Cannabis flavors get no better than this.


Find hundreds of strains and where to buy them on Weedmaps Strains.

The post 12 of the most popular strains on Weedmaps appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

New Study From UNM Shows Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Effective in Treating Chronic Neuropathic Pain

Researchers at The University of New Mexico (UNM) have conducted a series of recent studies testing the effectiveness and safety of consuming cannabis, but this is the first study they have conducted measuring the therapeutic potential of hemp oil with low THC levels.

The UNM researchers set out to examine the effectiveness of consuming “legal” hemp oil extracted from the whole Cannabis plant. The results showed that whole-plant hemp oil reduced mechanical pain sensitivity 10-fold for several hours in mice with chronic post-operative neuropathic pain.

A chronic neuropathic pain model was used that exposed mice to post-operative neuropathic pain equivalent to several years of chronic pain in human patients. This allowed the researchers to examine how “full-spectrum” whole plant extracted hemp oil influences brief episodes of pain sensitivity to an affected region. For several hours after the mice consumed the hemp oil, they demonstrated effective pain relief.

This investigation was supported in part by private donations from individuals to The University of New Mexico Medical Cannabis Research.

Study: The Therapeutic Effectiveness of Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Using a Chronic Neuropathic Pain Model

In the present study, the Foramen Rotundum Inflammatory Constriction Trigeminal Infraorbital Nerve injury (FRICT-ION) model was used to measure the analgesic effects of “full-spectrum” whole plant extracted hemp oil, using ethanol and evaporation-based procedures commonly employed in the legal cannabis and hemp industries.

By creating a continuous state of irritation in the infraorbital nerve, the FRICT-ION model of chronic orofacial neuropathic pain can initiate mechanical allodynia in the mouse whisker pad for pharmaceutical investigation. Researchers used a standard von Frey test for mechanical hypersensitivity at 7 weeks post-surgery to measure the effects of orally administered hemp oil over a 6-hour observation window, in comparison to vehicle only and naïve control mice, to estimate the general efficacy of commonly used hemp-based products.

Animal studies are not only valuable, they can also be superior to clinical trials in some cases because they can circumvent human biases and expectancy effects, or perceptual and cognitive reactions to participation in cannabis-based experiments. For example, there are several studies measuring the effects of cannabis in humans reveals patients reporting psychedelic experiences, whether or not they actually received the active cannabis agent. This disconnect is commonly referred to as the placebo effect.

“Our lab utilizes a unique nerve injury model mimicking human neuropathic pain that has allowed demonstration of hemp’s reversal of the pain related behavior” said one of the lead investigators, Dr. Karin N. Westlund, Department of Anesthesiology.

The study provides evidence that phytochemical extracts from the Cannabis plant, even with relatively low levels of THC, can significantly improve mechanical pressure pain in animals with established chronic neuropathic hypersensitivity.

The team’s article, “The Therapeutic Effectiveness of Full Spectrum Hemp Oil Using a Chronic Neuropathic Pain Model,” is published in the journal Life, Volume 10, Issue 5.

The Hemp Farming Act of 2018

The enactment of the Hemp Farming Act, effectively beginning in 2019, was a monumental milestone in the history of marijuana prohibition. Hemp is now federally legal to produce and consume in most regions throughout the United States as a result of this Act.

“Hemp” is defined in the Act as “the plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis.”

Most people forget or are unaware of the hundreds of additional phytochemicals found in hemp, including cannabinoids, terpenes, terpenoids, and flavonoids that may offer potent therapeutics, both individually and synergistically.

“Cannabis plants with low THC are still psychoactive, but tend to result in less psychedelic experiences, while still offering profound and often immediate relief from symptoms such as pain, anxiety, and depression,” says co-researcher, Dr. Jacob Miguel Vigil, associate professor in the UNM Psychology Department.

“Hemp plants contain numerous therapeutic constituents that likely contribute to analgesic responses, including terpenes and flavonoids, which in theory, work together like members of a symphony, often described as the entourage effect,” says one of the researchers, Jegason Diviant.

Several clinical investigations have shown that medications based on synthetic cannabis analogues and isolated compounds tend to offer lower reported symptom relief and a greater number of negative side effects as compared to whole plant, or “full-spectrum” Cannabis flower and plant-based extracts.

The takeaway here is that more research need to be done to ascertain how whole plant extracted hemp oil affects multi-sensory and cognitive-attentional systems that process pain.

Source: mjcooking

Dispensaries Plan To Open Soon Despite Medical Marijuana Mess In Missouri

Although medical cannabis has technically been legal in Missouri for over a year and cards have been issued, patients are still waiting desperately for dispensaries to open across the state.

On November 8, 2018, Missouri became the 31st state to legalize medical marijuana.

Missouri residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 2, with 65.59% of the vote — more than 1.5 million votes. In fact, the amendment garnered more votes than any other measure on the ballot, including the vote for Governor.

Amendment 2, which became effective on December 6, 2018, legalizes marijuana for medical purposes, allows home growing, and imposes a 4% marijuana sales tax.

Since its legalization, more than 45,000 Missourians have been approved for medical marijuana identification cards — and about 1,000 new registrations are approved each week.

Problems plaguing the medical cannabis program in Missouri are three-fold. First, Missouri implemented a seed-to-sale system which added many unnecessary layers between growing the plant and selling product to patients. Second, the program has experienced controversy and claims of disparities from its inception. Lastly, lockdowns and restrictions imposed by COVID-19 have resulted in unpreventable delays and setbacks.

Seed-to-sale systems complicate production and sale of cannabis

Licensed medical marijuana businesses, e.g., commercial grow operations, manufacturing facilities, and dispensary stores, are required to use seed-to-sale systems.

All seed-to-sale tracking systems must be able to interface with the State’s track and trace system, provide the DHSS with access to all stored data, and assure confidentiality of patient information and records. While crucial to compliance efforts, these mandatory systems significantly amplify the burden of getting product to market and into the hands of patients.

A 2017 report by the Colorado Department of Revenue says that the average time from seed to harvest is 132 days. Some indoor growers claim to be able to bring a crop to harvest in as little as 60 days.

Whether 60 days or 132 days, the point is the growing process takes time and certifications were not awarded until the beginning of the year. That, coupled with various limitations imposed by the coronavirus, means dispensaries may have a limited selection of products when they first open.

Irregularities plague Missouri’s Medical Marijuana Program

The Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) oversees the State’s medical marijuana program. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the DHSS received 2,266 cannabis business applications filed by at least 700 different groups. It awarded 60 licenses to grow, 86 to manufacture cannabis-infused products, and 192 dispensaries to open.

Claims of irregularities as to how applications for licenses were scored run rampant. Additionally, lawmakers have raised concerns about alleged conflicts of interest within DHSS and a private company hired to score the applications.

“…the adoption of certain policies, created a licensing process that is a complex, costly, opaque, inappropriate and unlawful obstacle course for the applicants, and more concerning, created unreasonable and unlawful geographic and economic barriers to Patients access to the medicine promised by a vote of the people.”

Currently, more than 800 appeals of denials have been filed by companies claiming disparities in the scoring, or potential conflicts of interest in the awarding of medical marijuana licenses.

Last month, Sarcoxie Nursery Cultivation Center and related entities filed a lawsuit against the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and several of its directors, seeking a temporary restraining order against several functions of the licensing program.

In Sarcoxie Nursery Cultivation Center LLC, et al. v. Randal Williams, et al., Case No. 19AC-CC00556, filed in Missouri Circuit Court, Cole County, Plaintiffs claim “the Defendants, through the promulgation of certain Rules and the adoption of certain policies, created a licensing process that is a complex, costly, opaque, inappropriate and unlawful obstacle course for the applicants, and more concerning, created unreasonable and unlawful geographic and economic barriers to Patients access to the medicine promised by a vote of the people, and guaranteed by Article XIV of the Constitution of the State of Missouri.”

The State claims no wrongdoing. A spokesperson for the DHSS said the allegations are simply based on a lack of understanding of the process.

Whether the claims are perception or reality, it is now a matter for the court to consider.

It is important to note that Plaintiff Sarcoxie is not asking that successful applicants be prevented from opening for business; or that patient access to medical cannabis be restricted; or that any applicant who meets the minimum standards be denied a license.

Coronavirus lockdowns have caused further delays in dispensary openings

COVID-19 stay-at-home orders have prevented state regulators and inspectors from gaining access to cannabis operations to certify that they are compliant with the program’s guidelines.

In late April, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson held a news briefing on the topic of the coronavirus crisis. During the briefing, Dr. Randall W. Williams, director of the DHSS, was asked about the launch of the medical cannabis program.

Dr. Williams implied that getting dispensaries open was not his top priority; however, he did say that inspectors should be able to perform inspections by mid-May and that he expects products to be on the shelves and ready to sell by “late July, early August.”

Dr. Randall W. Williams, director of the DHSS, said that he expects products to be on the shelves and ready to sell by “late July, early August.”

What’s the future hold for Missouri and marijuana?

Missourians for a New Approach, an organization with many of the same people and groups who supported Amendment 2, has been diligently working on getting recreational adult-use on the November 2020 ballot. Unfortunately, restrictions imposed by COVID-19 made collection of signatures impossible.

The organization is not giving up and will be targeting the next opportunity to get on the ballot.

The initiative aims to allow adults 21+ years of age to purchase and possess marijuana legally in Missouri. Retail sales would be taxed at 15%, with the funds split amongst veterans services, Missouri roadways and bridges, and drug addiction programs.

Missourians with marijuana-related offenses will also have the opportunity to have a criminal record expunged. Local communities would be able to opt out of allowing recreational sales.

Source: mjcooking