Know Your Herbs

The 8 best strains for laughing, according to comedians

Ever wonder why you get the giggle fits over something as simple as a cat in a YouTube video when you’re high? Well, there’s actually a science behind this phenomenon. Luckily for comedians, cannabis also lowers the inhibition of the laugh reflex, so when an audience smokes before a show, they tend to embrace almost any kind of humor. Though many comedians agree that crowds consuming cannabis can cause them to switch up their delivery to match the stoney atmosphere.

“You can’t be as subtle in your delivery in a room where the audience is smoking weed,” explained comedian Niles Abston. “You have to be a little more matter of fact and sometimes act out your dialogue for the set to be successful.”

Outside of audience consumption, comedians themselves often utilize cannabis to write, punch up, or even perform their jokes in front of crowds. Their preferences vary across the indica, sativa, and hybrid domains depending on their end goal and the type of crowd they are performing to.

While your results will likely vary, here are eight favorites from some of the most talented performers in the cannabis comedy community.

Wedding Cake

Kicking off the list is Wedding Cake, which is a personal favorite of comedian and writer Ashley Ray. This indica-dominant strain is made from a cross of Cherry Pie and GSC and consumers report relaxing and euphoric effects.

“Almost everyone makes their own version of Wedding Cake and I’ve truly never had a bad one,” said Ray. “It gives me a really wonderful body high where I can think about or watch comedy and be completely entertained.”

The strain is sometimes referred to as Pink Cookies and is said to produce a rich and tangy flavor with earthy pepper tones.



GG4

This indica-dominant hybrid was a top favorite across the board for writing jokes, tapping into creativity, and even performing on stage. While the name is associated with being “glued” to the couch after a few hits, many comedians find that this strain gives them the performance edge they need while not feeling “too high” to land a punchline.

“While I was at the Adult Swim Festival, I was smoking the GG4 strain the entire time,” explained Ray. “It was perfect for when you had to be ‘on’ for the crowd performing, and then the rest of the time relax and mingle with attendees.”

Abston agrees that Gorilla Glue is one of the only strains he’ll smoke before performing, while comedian Rachel Wolfson found the strain more helpful for writing comedy intended for her stand-up sets.



Blue Dream

Wolfson and Abston also utilize Blue Dream to get their creative juices flowing, and comedian and writer Sara Weinshenk couldn’t agree more. She consumes this sativa-dominant hybrid to “find the silly in things.”

“I’ll often write some of my jokes in a sober state of mind and then utilize Blue Dream to punch up my material later,” explained Weinshenk.

Fans of Blue Dream reported increased motivation and heightened focus, along with delicious flavors of blueberry and sugar when vaped or smoked.



OG Kush

OG Kush is excellent for almost any form of comedy according to Wolfson, “the sativa portion gives me that more giggly-induced feeling and I love to watch my favorite stand-up special or funny movie while smoking [it] … On the other hand, it is also great to combat my performance anxiety without coming across as too low energy on stage.” 

OG Kush typically tests at 55% sativa and 45% indica, making it the perfect culmination of a hybrid. Users can expect long-lasting, heavy, yet versatile euphoria through a skunky-citrus flavor and aroma.



Pineapple Kush

 Across the board, most comedians agreed that sativas are better for watching comedy while indicas are better for performing. For getting onstage, Pineapple Kush was favored by Abston.

“I often think too much when smoking sativas, but indicas can really help me clear my head to write and perform comedy,” he explained. “If I’m going to smoke before performing, I’ll typically only go with an indica before I get up on stage.”

Pineapple Kush users reported cerebral effects accompanied by a light body sensation from this hybrid strain. Flavors have been described as subtle and sweet pineapple tastes with minty undertones.



MAC, a.k.a. Miracle Alien Cookies

MAC is an equally balanced hybrid strain and a personal favorite of comedian Mat Edgar. A cross between Alien Cookies, Starfighter and Columbian, users report creative effects that are happy and uplifting.

“I usually don’t smoke before I perform but will always smoke after to decompress,” said Edgar. “There’s nothing like that first high of the day so smoking is such a treat for me after I’ve finished a performance.”

Edgar said he’s been enjoying Miss Grass pre-rolls, and gets his fill of MAC strains at The Higher Path in Sherman Oaks, a dispensary with a focus on helping provide patients with the knowledge and medicine they need.



GMO Cookies

GMO, or Garlic Cookies, is an additional favorite of Edgar’s. This hybrid strain is made from Chemdog and GSC, and is reported to produce relaxing effects that you can feel through your body while simultaneously focusing the mind.

“Something about indica slows my mind down just enough to where I can genuinely see the funny in things,” said Edgar. “I’m not overthinking and am truly in the moment.”

GMO consumers report feeling relaxed, happy, and uplifted while enjoying earthy, pungent, and diesel flavors.



Baklava

 Created by Alien Labs, Baklava is made from a healthy mix of Kosher Kush and Gelato 41, and is a personal favorite of comedian Frank Castillo

“I love to take this strain on the road with me when I’m going on tour,” explained Castillo. “They [Alien Labs] don’t make it often, but when they do drop it, I always try to stock up. It’s nice to smoke before I go on stage when I just want something light and don’t want to be too stoned before a regular performance.”

Baklava distinguishes itself with a pure OG gas nose and creamy back end on the smoke. A few hits of this may leave you with feelings of relaxation and euphoria.



Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post The 8 best strains for laughing, according to comedians appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

How To Make Cannabis Coconut Oil In 15 Easy Steps

Tropical coconut at the beach

At Honest Marijuana, we love cannabis coconut oil. It’s so incredibly useful; we don’t know how we survived without it.

We’re sure you’ll feel the same way once you give it a try.

In this article, we tell you everything you need to know to whip up your own batch of this oil lickity-split.

We also give you the secret to great — some might even say the best — cannabis coconut oil so that you learn to love the stuff the way we do.

What Is Cannabis Coconut Oil?

Cannabis Coconut Oil In Jar

As the name suggests, cannabis coconut oil is a mix of cannabis and coconut oil.

More specifically, it’s the terpenes and cannabinoids of the cannabis plant combined with the delicious fatty goodness of coconut oil.

Sound good? It really is!

And you can cook up a batch of the stuff right in your very own kitchen — or any kitchen, for that matter.

Before we get to the actual how-to of this oil, let’s discuss a few more pertinent issues first.

Will Cannabis Coconut Oil Get You High?

Someone picking weed for cannabis coconut oil

The first thing everyone wants to know when we start talking about cannabis coconut oil is whether or not it will get them high.

We know they — and you — want a straightforward, one-word answer, so here it is: maybe.

This oil may get you high. It all depends on what type of cannabis you use.

If you use a strain that contains THC, yeah, you’ll get high (to varying degrees as you’ll see below). If, on the other hand, you use a CBD-dominant strain, you won’t feel anything but relief from pain, anxiety, and other medical symptoms.

To help you discern whether your product will get you high, here’s an incremental guide:

  1. If your cannabis coconut oil contains one percent THC or less, you won’t feel a thing (because, most likely, this is hemp).
  2. If your cannabis coconut oil contains one percent to five percent THC, and depending on your pot experience, you might start to feel something (Cannabis ruderalis falls in this category).
  3. If your cannabis coconut oil contains five percent to 10 percent THC, you’ll probably hear a shape or two.
  4. If your cannabis coconut oil contains 10 percent to 15 percent THC, you’ll be well on your way to Psychedelic City (we own property there, so look us up when you arrive).
  5. If your cannabis coconut oil contains anything above 15 percent THC, kiss reality goodbye.
  6. If your cannabis coconut oil is (made from) a CBD-dominant strain used for medicinal purposes, you will not get high.

Now you see why we answered the question with a maybe?

There are a lot of variables to parse before we can say conclusively whether or not you’ll get high.

There’s a good bet you will if you use any of the THC strains from your local dispensary, but unless we know your full history with Mary Jane, your body composition, your THC tolerance, and a handful of other variables, there’s just no way to tell.

Try it for yourself and find out. What have you got to lose?

Cannabis Coconut Oil And Decarboxylation

Jars of marijuana

Yes, decarboxylation is a big word, but once you get to know a bit about it, it’s less of a scary monster and more of a cute, cuddly kitten.

Plus, it’s super important for the success of your DIY cannabis coconut oil.

Decarboxylation basically means to heat dried and cured cannabis in order to 1) make it more digestible, and 2) activate the cannabinoids so you feel more of the psychoactive and medicinal effects.

If you just dumped a zip of weed in a jar of coconut oil, you wouldn’t get anything but an upset stomach — no trippy high, no medicinal relief.

To feel anything at all from your product, you have to decarboxylate.

Some recipes will say that the long heating process used to make cannabis coconut oil is good enough to decarboxylate.

That’s partly true — the low heat does activate some of the cannabinoids, but not all (there are some highly technical reasons for this that we won’t go into here).

If you’re like us, you want to get everything out of the pot plant you can, so some of the cannabinoids just isn’t good enough. You want them all (or as close to all as possible).

Decarboxylating your cannabis before whipping up a batch of cannabis coconut oil is the best way to do that.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s only one more step, it doesn’t take that long at all, and it can’t hurt anything (unless you burn it).

A few paragraphs from now, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide to decarb your weed, but for a deep dive into all things decarboxylation, check out this article from the HMJ blog: Marijuana Decarboxylation: Why And How To Decarb Your Weed.

And if you’re wondering why you don’t have to decarb your weed before smoking a joint, blunt, spliff, or bong, it’s because setting your weed on fire is instantaneous decarboxylation — no oven necessary.

The problem with that if you’re planning on making cannabis coconut oil is that there’s no ganja left with which to cook.

So, as you’ll see in the How To Make Cannabis Coconut Oil section, instead of naked flame, we use low-and-slow heat so we have something left to add to the coconut oil.

How To Decarb Your Weed

  1. Preheat your oven to 230 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. If you haven’t already, break up the dried buds into small pieces with your hands.
  3. Spread the small pieces and flakes on a baking sheet (one with a rim works best).
  4. Bake the cannabis at 230 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
  5. Stir the cannabis every 10 minutes to ensure even toasting.
  6. After 35 minutes, check the cannabis. It should be light- to medium-brown in color and should be very dry. If it’s not, put it back in the oven for a further 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on everything so it doesn’t burn.
  7. When finished baking, remove the cannabis from the baking sheet and let cool. Careful, it’s going to be very crumbly at this point.
  8. When the cannabis has cooled sufficiently, chop it into smaller pieces with a hand grinder.

Now, you’re ready for the main event: making your own cannabis coconut oil.

How To Make Cannabis Coconut Oil

Marijuana plant for cannabis coconut oil
Ingredients And Supplies

  • 1 cup of ground cannabis (7-10 grams)
  • 1 cup of coconut oil
  • Strainer or cheesecloth
  • Grinder
  • Baking sheet
  • Crockpot/slow cooker
  • Small tea towel
  • Glass mason jars with lids (pint or half-pint jars work well)
  • Submersible digital instant thermometer

Instructions

  1. Put the lids on the empty mason jars.
  2. Lay a small tea towel in the bottom of the crockpot (this creates a buffer between the jars and the heat source).
  3. Place the glass mason jars in the crockpot.
  4. Fill the crockpot with enough water to cover the tops of the mason jars by an inch.
  5. Remove the jars from the crockpot.
  6. Place the thermometer in the water and turn the crockpot on high.
  7. Monitor the temperature until water reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit (you can start in on the next phase while the water heats).
  8. When the water hits 185 degrees, turn the heat down to low.
  9. Scoop the coconut oil into the mason jars.
  10. Divide your decarbed between the two mason jars and seal with lids.
  11. Carefully place the sealed jars under the hot water in the crockpot.
  12. Place the lid on the crockpot and allow to steep for four hours.
  13. After four hours, remove the lid and the jars from the crockpot and allow to cool.
  14. When cool enough to handle, pour the cannabis coconut oil through a strainer or cheesecloth to separate the plant matter from the oil.
  15. Return the cannabis coconut oil to the mason jars and store in a cool, dry place.

The Secret To Great Cannabis Coconut Oil

Can of Black Dog Kush

Unless this is your first time consuming a cannabis product, you know that different strains produce different effects.

It’s for that reason that we encourage you to experiment with the strain you use in your coconut oil.

Try a sativa, an indica, a hybrid, or even a landrace strain if you can get your hands on one.

You can even get specific and opt for one of the strongest weed strains (with lots of THC) or a high-CBD/low-THC variety.

It all depends on the results you’re looking for.

Regardless of the strain you choose, always opt for the highest-quality bud you can afford. Low-quality bud, such as mids and regs, will produce a low-quality final product.

That low-quality final product will diminish any psychoactive or medicinal effects you experience.

When you cook up a batch of cannabis coconut oil, or any edible for that matter, always use the best bud you can get your hands on — the strain doesn’t matter — so that the end result doesn’t leave you dissatisfied and downhearted.

Plus, with a high-quality, organic strain like those grown at Honest Marijuana, you’ll need less cannabis coconut oil to experience the effects you’re after.

A little dab made with high-quality bud goes a long way.

Talk to the budtenders at your local dispensary to find out what strains they recommend for your needs.

If you live in Colorado, find some Honest Marijuana and discover what the purest marijuana experience on the plant feels like (hint: it’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before).

For more information on all things cannabis and to check out our 100% all-natural marijuana products, visit HonestMarijuana.com today.

The post How To Make Cannabis Coconut Oil In 15 Easy Steps appeared first on Honest Marijuana.

Source: honestm
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