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WM Strains Madness: Let's take a look at the Dank Sixteen

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The 1st round has come to an end and WOW have the mighty fallen. Only one 1st seed (OG Kush) made it out of the first round, the rest were upset by the 8th seeds, including both wild card write-ins. Here’s a look at how all the matches ended:

The field now looks like this: 

Before we jump into the second round matchups, we want to give a big thank you to everyone who voted. Nearly 62,000 votes were submitted in total through Weedmaps’ Instagram stories. 

Quick thing: don’t forget to vote on Weedmaps’ Instagram stories. Polls will stay open until Thursday 4:20 p.m. PST. 

And with that, let’s dive into the 8 second-round matchups and the 16 strains competing.  

Shelf 1

(8) Purple Punch v. (2) Sour Diesel

In a surprising upset, the wild card Purple Punch pummelled 1st seed Biscotti, taking in 64% of the votes. Purple Punch is going up against Sour Diesel, a classic strain that easily dismissed Kush Mints in round one. I think this is where Purple Punch’s luck ends and expect to see Sour Diesel advance, but we could have another upset in the making. 

Winner: TBD

(3) Green Crack v. (5) Gelato

Green Crack and AK-47 tied the on the first vote before Green Crack took the match in a shortened second vote. Gelato came up victorious in its much-publicized first-round matchup with Blue Dream. Green Crack is a utility strain going up against Gelato’s higher profile. The winner should be a good indicator of what kind of weed you all favor. 

Winner: TBD

Shelf 2

(1) OG Kush v. (7) Northern Lights

The most dominant performance in the first round went to OG Kush, which crushed Pink Panties. OG Kush was one of only two strains to get more than 3,000 votes, so it’s safe to assume it should handle 7th seed Northern Lights with ease. But we’ll have to see. 

Winner: TBD

(6) GG4 v. (4) Wedding Cake

GG4 escaped a fairly close skirmish with Forbidden Fruit winning by just 281 votes, the closest contest (besides the tie). It will face Wedding Cake, which had a breezy first round against Cherry Pie. I don’t think Wedding Cake is going to have it as easy in the second round considering how battle-tested GG4 is. Whoever advances should have a tough, but a winnable matchup with OG Kush. 

Winner: TBD

Shelf 3

(8) Jack Herer v. (7) Godfather OG

I had a feeling Jack Herer was going to stomp on Acapulco Gold. You all loved Jack, but you also loved Godfather OG nearly as much. Jack Herer got 2,376 votes to Godfather OG’s 2,300, a mere 76 vote difference. Fingers crossed this one comes down to the wire. 

Winner: TBD

(6) Granddaddy Purple v. (5) Pineapple Express

Granddaddy Purple didn’t break much of a sweat against 24k and easily advanced to the next matchup. Unfortunately, it will be facing up against Pineapple Express, which was the other strain to get more than 3,000 votes. Pineapple Express has a ton of momentum, we’ll see if it continues in this second-round matchup. 

Winner: TBD

Shelf 4

(8) Alien OG v. (2) Sherbet

It proved to be a respectable matchup, but Alien OG ended up knocking out GSC fairly decisively, 58% to 42%. But Sherbet comes out of the first round looking strong. While Alien OG took in 2,226 votes, Sherbet brought home 2,462 votes in the first round. Perhaps Sherbet had weaker competition (sorry Harlequin), but if momentum stays the same this should be a close matchup to watch. 

Winner: TBD

(3) Afghani v. (4) GMO Cookies

Afghanistan v. GMO Cookies is a solid matchup. GMO Cookies had a little bit more momentum once the first round was all said and done, but this should stay a close matchup. 

Winner: TBD

The post WM Strains Madness: Let's take a look at the Dank Sixteen appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

Weed & Coronavirus: Guide to Saving Money While Stocking up on Weed

Herbs

Since social distancing and quarantine have been widely enacted, many have been advised to work from home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). But because so many other places are closing down that don’t offer any kind of work from home options — such as restaurants, gyms, and retail shops — many aren’t seeing paychecks coming in as the government figures out a plan to ease the burden.

And as some wait it out, others have stocked up on more than just toilet paper and hand sanitizer: according to Headset, a data analytics service for the cannabis industry, last week, “sales of Adult Use cannabis in Washington State were up 23% on Friday, 14% on Saturday, and 33% on Sunday.” Additionally, “average baskets on Sunday were $33.70 before taxes, up 22% over the prior week and 28% compared to baskets in January and February of this year.”

So whether you’ve bulked up your stash this past couple of weeks in preparation, or you’re just planning on stretching whatever nugs and buds you have left, follow our guide to making your dollars last without completely depleting your favorite cannabis products.

What do quarantine and social distancing mean?

What’s the difference between quarantine and social distancing? Vox recently reported on the coronavirus outbreak and the utilization of social distancing to help quell the spread of the virus:

  • Quarantine: to separate individuals completely from the public if it is believed that they have been exposed, but aren’t yet showing, symptoms of sickness.
  • Social distancing: requires the public to refrain from social gatherings and maintain a conservative and clear radius around oneself and others when out and about.

Including these practices in your plan to help fight the virus will greatly and positively affect your community. Protecting those who are immunocompromised or most susceptible to the virus is the number one priority throughout this pandemic.  

Even if you are symptom-free, you can still be a carrier of coronavirus. According to various experts interviewed by The Atlantic, you should be avoiding social interaction as much as possible at this time. This includes skirting the gym, canceling non-essential appointments such as beauty treatments, stepping away from birthday parties and large family or friend gatherings, and keeping a healthy separation between you and the public when grocery shopping or running errands. 

Basic tips for cannabis shopping

Depending on your state, some cannabis retailers have closed their doors to adult use consumers but may offer delivery or curbside pickup to patients at this time. If you still haven’t made it to your local dispensary before total lockdown, but have access to goods or services, consider our shopping tips for the busiest times of the year. 

Once you find a retailer that does curbside pickup or delivery, see if there are any deals they are running. Typically, retailers will promote buy-one-get-one-free deals and specific discounts on certain items on their Weedmaps listing page under the Details and Deals sections. You can also take advantage of the Weedmaps Orders platform to order pickup and delivery online. 

And before you go out, follow our suggestions for avoiding germs and staying safe.

Save big with moon rocks

Want to get super elevated the cheapest way possible? Consider investing in a few nugs of moon rocks. These little devils are flower buds dipped in concentrate and then rolled in kief.

You won’t have to smoke an entire bowl to feel the effects, just one or two puffs should get the job done.

Consider crumble

If you’re big on concentrates yet falter on the high price tag, think about picking up some crumble. Unlike regular concentrates that are usually fluid or sticky, crumble is a type of concentrate extracted using a solvent and maintains a “crumbly” consistency.

You dab it just like you would any other concentrate while saving a few bucks since “a gram of shatter costs a median price of $40 compared to a median price of $37.50 for a gram of crumble,” according to WM News data.

Shake out your kief

Has it been a while since you’ve cleaned out your grinder? Is there a pile of kief in the trapper that’s just waiting to shine? Well, now’s the time to shake out your kief.

Kief can make any smoke session just a bit stonier — all you have to do sprinkle any leftover particles over fresh bowls of cannabis and you’re good to go. It’s one of the simplest ways to stretch your stash, even when you’re down to the bare bones. 

If you don’t have a large amount of kief at the bottom of your grinder, some retailers sell it by the gram at a cheaper price than other concentrates and some flower. 

Look for high THC strains

If you usually stay away from high THC strains, it may be worth your while to look at some of our picks in order to save some money. While low THC products definitely have their place in stash boxes everywhere, during times of financial distress, you may be able to get more for your buck with less when it comes to powerful strains.

Instead of going through a full joint, one, two or three puffs of high THC strains could be all you need to get the same effect.

Use terpenes to enhance cannabinoids

Terpenes are to cannabinoids as peanut butter is to jelly. They enhance the best qualities of cannabis and can expand on a certain elevation you’re gearing toward. If you’re looking to stretch the last of your weed, try a boost of terpenes to get you through the coming days of increased quarantine.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post Weed & Coronavirus: Guide to Saving Money While Stocking up on Weed appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

Weed & Coronavirus: Guide to Cleaning Your Cannabis Gear

Herbs

As our nation proceeds to navigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, you’re probably sanitizing everything around you in order to mitigate carrying or catching the virus. The Center for Disease Control even includes step-by-step guidelines to disinfecting and cleaning all surfaces on its website.

And in the midst of the deep clean, your pile of cannabis accessories should not be overlooked. Because unlike a water glass or dish which gets washed after every use, pipes, bongs, and other products may get a once-over every few weeks – though they touch your lips, hands, and mouth constantly.

So keep that bucket of cleaning supplies nearby and follow our guide to cleaning your cannabis gear. You probably have the time now that you’re social distancing.

What do quarantine and social distancing mean?

What’s the difference between quarantine and social distancing? Vox recently reported on coronavirus and the utilization of social distancing to help quell the spread of the virus:

  • Quarantine: to separate individuals completely from the public if it is believed that they have been exposed, but aren’t yet showing, symptoms of sickness.
  • Social distancing: requires the public to refrain from social gatherings and maintain a conservative and clear radius around oneself and others when out and about.

Including these practices in your plan to help fight the virus will greatly and positively affect your community. Protecting those who are immunocompromised or most susceptible to the virus is the number one priority throughout this pandemic.  

Even if you are symptom-free, you can still be a carrier of coronavirus. According to various experts interviewed by The Atlantic, you should be avoiding social interaction as much as possible at this time. This includes skirting the gym, canceling non-essential appointments such as beauty treatments, stepping away from birthday parties and large family or friend gatherings, and keeping a healthy separation between you and the public when grocery shopping or running errands. 

Deep clean your grinder

Though you may be washing your hands often and thoroughly, you most likely touch cannabis nugs with your bare hands when breaking up and shoving them into a grinder. And can you remember if you washed your hands before each and every time you used your favorite grinder this past year? Be extra safe during this time and do a deep clean on your grinder collection.  

Not only will you feel peace of mind for sanitizing your stash, but you’ll also de-gunk any old resin sticking to the teeth and end with a satisfyingly shiny and slick grinder.

Sanitize your glass

Almost every cannabis consumer I know has a pipe or bong in their possession, while concentrates fanatics most definitely own some type of dab rig.

Thankfully, when you clean glass products, you usually sanitize them against certain viruses at the same time. Reason? It is commonly recommended that you pick up a bottle of 99% isopropyl alcohol and a package of coarse salt to deep clean. According to the CDC, cleaning products that contain at least 70% alcohol concentrations can kill coronaviruses.

If you prefer the homeopathic route, it is unfortunately not recommended to go the natural way, as distilled vinegar, tea tree oils, and other natural products are not powerful enough to take on COVID-19.

Put some elbow grease into your handheld vaporizers

Just like grinders and glass, handheld vaporizers benefit from a scrub. Learn how to clean the mouthpiece of your PAX with our breakdown of the PAX III — you’ll find out how to sanitize both the device and the concentrate attachment.

Any other vaporizer mouthpiece can be cleaned the same way as the Utillian 722. As noted with the other products, vaporizers can be sanitized from the use of a few Q-tips and 99% isopropyl alcohol.

Featured image by Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

The post Weed & Coronavirus: Guide to Cleaning Your Cannabis Gear appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm

Medical cannabis advocates to governors: protect patient access amid coronavirus

Herbs

As state and local governments across the U.S. shutter businesses and prohibit gatherings in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical marijuana patients and advocates are urging policymakers not to close down cannabis dispensaries completely.

Such a move, they warn, would leave hundreds of thousands of patients stranded without access to medicine, and many would have no choice but to turn to the illicit market.

In an “emergency call to action” sent Monday to governors of legal medical marijuana states, Americans for Safe Access, a leading nonprofit medical cannabis advocacy group, asked the officials to take immediate steps to ensure that patients have access to products during a period of social distancing that has no clear end in sight.

The letter came the same day that San Francisco’s Department of Public Health ordered all dispensaries in the city closed, announcing that both storefront dispensaries and delivery services “are not considered an ‘essential business’” and will need to close as of Tuesday.

Other jurisdictions are taking more proactive approaches to meeting patient needs. In Pennsylvania, dispensaries are expected to remain open because they fall into the same classification as pharmacies. In Michigan and Illinois, officials have temporarily allowed curbside pickups at cannabis retail stores in order to allow medical patients and consumers access to marijuana while limiting the spread of the virus from person to person.

In its letter to governors, ASA recommends that policymakers take steps now to protect cannabis patients and ensure they have access to medical marijuana in coming months. It lists eight measures to put into place “immediately to ensure that patients do not have disrupted access to their medicine”:

  1. Make sure that cannabis businesses that serve patients are considered “essential” businesses.
  2. Instruct medical cannabis businesses on how they can make legal temporary changes to their business plans, including delivery and purchase limits, to accommodate patients and staff during the crisis.
  3. Give tax relief to patients and businesses.
  4. Allow cultivation and processing centers to stay open to ensure a steady supply of medicine in the future.
  5. Extend the expiration dates of state-issued cannabis identification cards so that doctors and other health care providers can focus on COVID-19.
  6. Permit authorized caregivers to serve additional patients during the crisis period.
  7. Allow telehealth visits for new and renewing medical cannabis patients.
  8. Allow dispensaries to deliver medical cannabis to qualifying patients and caregivers in vehicles parked in the dispensary parking lots.

ASA is also asking concerned citizens to write to their governors, insisting that patient access to cannabis be protected during the pandemic.

Medical marijuana patients “represent some of the states’ most vulnerable citizens,” ASA interim Director Debbie Churgai said in the letter. “We are calling on states to take precautions now to help ensure that patients have access today and that measures are taken to ensure that the supply chain is not interrupted.”

As officials scramble to determine which businesses can remain open during the outbreak, jurisdictions so far have taken a variety of approaches to marijuana availability, for both patients and adult non-medical consumers. In Massachusetts, medical dispensaries “have been advised they may consider the promotion and geographic expansion of delivery service,” the state Cannabis Control Commission said in a release last week, “and to remind patients of the ability to acquire up to a 60-day medical grade marijuana supply.

Dispensaries are to remain open in Puerto Rico, too, where the Department of Health announced on Monday that the medical cannabis industry will be excluded from the governor’s recent mandatory shutdown order there.

Parts of Colorado are also allowing dispensaries to stay open. Summit County, for example, will allow cannabis retailers to remain open, along with liquor stores, gas stations, banks, grocery stores and pharmacies.

And in the Netherlands, the country’s iconic coffeeshops are staying open, but they’re no longer social destinations. For the foreseeable future, only to-go sales are allowed.

In other areas such as Washington State, individual businesses have adopted policies designed to limit interaction between visitors and avoid spreading coronavirus. Lines have begun to grow on sidewalks as stores restrict the number of people inside at one time. To help speed transactions, businesses are asking customers to place orders in advance through online menus.

Complicating the social-distancing effort is the fact that delivery services remain illegal in the state for both medical and adult-use marijuana, forcing patients and customers to show up in person. Home cultivation is allowed only for state-licensed medical patients.

Other cannabis-related efforts have seen obstacles as COVID-19 spreads through the country.

In California, organizers behind a proposed ballot initiative to expand cannabis access (including filmmaker Kevin Smith and actor Jason Mewes of “Jay and Silent Bob” fame) have asked officials to let them seek signatures online rather than in person.

In Washington, D.C., organizers also want to be able to collect signatures online for a measure that would decriminalize certain psychedelics. And throughout the country, uncertainty and fears of prolonged quarantines have led patients and consumers to flock to retail outlets.

Featured image from Adam Melnyk/Shutterstock

This article has been republished from Marijuana Moment under a content-sharing agreement. Read the original article here.

The post Medical cannabis advocates to governors: protect patient access amid coronavirus appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Source: wm