Q: I don’t like the idea of ingesting any kind of smoke. Brownies are wondrous, of course, but I try to avoid sugar. Could I make a tea, or cook the weed in with some veggies or something?
A: You sure can. As far as tea goes, THC isn’t water-soluble so you’ve got to add milk, cream, butter … something with high fat content to make it work. (If you use just water, you might as well flush your weed down the toilet right now ‘cause you ain’t gettin’ high off it.)
In India they’ve been gulping down a drink called bhang for centuries, and that’s just a milky, THC-infused tea of sorts.
As for solid foods … once you cook up a batch of pot butter or pot vegetable oil, it can be used in any dish that you would normally use regular, boring old butter or oil. The options are limitless. I once attended a Pot-sgiving party where we ate an entire Thanksgiving dinner, and every dish had something in it to get us high (the gravy was green). So yeah, you can make herbal-hollandaise sauce and throw it on some asparagus. Drizzle bud-butter on your broccoli. Mix the oil in with your quinoa. Knock yourself out.
Q: What are the main characteristic differences between indica and sativa strains of marijuana, and is it possible at all to tell when buying?
A: Indica and sativa are the two basic classifications of pot, and it’s kinda like comparing red and white wines. They’ve got some things in common, but they’re also intrinsically different.
Has anyone ever complained to you that they don’t smoke weed anymore because they just get tired and lazy and become glued to the couch? Well, that’s probably because they were smoking an indica. And your hyperactive friend who smokes before going to parties and doesn’t seem to have any problems keeping his shit together? That’s most likely a sativa.
Each of the countless strains of both indicas and sativas, and blends of the two, have their own subtleties, so generalizations can be misleading. It’s like saying that red wines go well with marinara sauce and white wines go with seafood. It’s a gross over-simplification, but it’s more or less true.
Similarly, sativas go well with being productive, building things, and maybe writing the great American novel. Ambitious things. Social things, too. Indicas, on the other hand, are good for watching bad TV during a snowstorm and capping off a long day before sleep sets in. Or just sitting in a chair and staring at the wall. Relaxing things. There’s a time and a place for each.
In general, indicas have short, broad leaves, while sativas have long, thin ones, but you probably won’t be able to tell the difference when it’s dried up in a little baggie and you’re trying to be discreet, what with the illegal transaction and all. If you’ve got a good relationship with your dealer, just ask. Chances are they know the strain, or they should. To improve your own identification skills, get a book like The Cannabible (by Jason King) which has full color photos of hundreds of strains and descriptions of their corresponding highs.
Q: Is there an easy way to spot beasters when someone is trying to rip you off?
A: There are different definitions for what beasters actually are, but I’m assuming you’re just referring to lower-mid grade, mass-produced herb that was grown for high yield and maximum profit, possibly originating from Canada (some insist that it’s not a beaster unless it’s from British Columbia). Some use the term to refer to weed that’s laced with household chemicals. It can be very disappointing to think you’re going home with a bag of headies, only to give it a puff and be overwhelmed by a dirty, chemical-laden smoke.
Everyone gets screwed at one point or another, and that’s the best learning experience of all. Study your buds every time you get a new batch. Note the characteristics. Some common red flags are 1) lots of seeds 2) an overly spongy or brittle texture (meaning it wasn’t properly dried) 3) it looks and feels like a brick 4) strange chemical smells.
It’s not the most scientific way, but I usually just trust my senses. My nose in particular. Good weed tends to smell good, and bad weed tends to smell weak or bad. Give it a sniff, and maybe a squeeze too if you get the chance. Look at it up close. It’s similar to plucking out the ripest banana or melon. Pick it up. Hold it, shake it in your ear. It’s a plant, and common-sense/primal-human-instinct go a long way in telling the difference between a healthy plant and an unhealthy one.
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