November 2019 – Page 2 – r33fermadness

NETA Brookline

I was finally able to make it to a recreational shop in MA. MA’s recreational roll out is less than ideal. With only one store operating 15 minutes outside of downtown Boston, it is no wonder that MA’s sales numbers and tax revenues have not met projected goals. Recently, the Federal government has issued subpoenas to look into possible corruption involving the approval and zoning schemes municipalities were engaging in.

NETA is housed in an old bank building. The building has very awesome architectural concepts.

When we first pulled up to NETA we noticed a severe lack of parking and a line outside of the building. Here I am thinking “oh great, of course the only open rec shop has a long line; this will take forever.” We circled the block and managed to find a parking spot to go inside.

We were not in line long. Turns out, the longest line was for those who placed an order ahead. We got into the walk-in line and were inside the building within 5 minutes.

I had been keeping an eye on the order-ahead website for the previous week. With the vape ban in place, items such as flower were in short supply. To my surprise, they actually had flower in stock! I ended up grabbing the hybrid tincture and 1/8th of Triple OG.

For as busy as the store was, the budtender was very patient and helpful. Looking around inside the building, there were customers from all walks of life. People just getting home from the office, tourists, and locals. Everyone being very polite and generally in a good mood.

Reviews of the purchased products will be upcoming.

Sunbeam Haze Review

As noted in my previous post, Sunbeam Haze is another Hemp strain ordered from Upstate Hemp Co. Sunbeam Haze was grown in a greenhouse and was only afforded wonderful Western NY sunlight. Sunbeam Haze has a whopping 21% CBD content and a very low 0.04% THC content.

Sunbeam Haze is slightly darker in color compared to Deschutes. The bud structure is very light and airy. It almost appears as if there is more in the package than should be due to how much larger the buds are. Sunbeam Haze gives off a very pleasant earthy, familiar smell that is not overpowering. There are far less trichomes on Sunbeam Haze compared to Deschutes. Given how dry the flower is, Sunbeam would be a good candidate for a joint or a bowl.

Using my Hemp-only bowl, Sunbeam Haze burns through very quickly. The smoke is also not harsh and carries through the earthly flavor. In some sittings, I ended up packing two bowls to get an equivalent quantity smoked due to how airy the buds are.

Sunbeam Haze has a remarkably different affect when compared to Deschutes. Sunbeam Haze provides a bit of a headrush, more akin to what a Sativa would do. My usual morning headache went away and my mind seemed a bit “clearer” than before. Sunbeam Haze is best suited for a morning or mid-afternoon smoke. It gives a sensation of a mild “pick me up” while providing focus on activities.

I’ve also noticed with Sunbeam Haze that it provokes a slight bit of hunger afterwards. Not a full-bore munchie attack like encountered when consuming a higher THC product; but enough to make a quick trip to the fridge.

There is no Peter, only Juul.

Juul has swept the public consciousness as synonymous with vaping. Vaping has been around commercially since 2006 and the technology has existed since 1960. However, the explosive growth of Juul with brand recognition has gathered ire from the prohibitionist crowd.

Juul has taken bad press recently with the vaping “crisis.” Their popularity has become a lightning rod for prohibitionists to spread more fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD).

The prohibitionists continue the tactic of conflating other substances with marijuana. They bring up issues like Juul being investigated by the FDA for marketing practices and state “do you want this to happen with bIG mArIjUaNa!?!?.”

Yes, actually we do. If cannabis becomes federally legal, the federal government will have oversight on industry practices and policy. No one is advocating children should consume recreational cannabis. Having advertising regulations at the federal level will allow the federal government to investigate these companies when they are in violation.

We have learned a lot from alcohol prohibition and reeling in Big Tobacco. We can use what we have learned to craft sensible policies on cannabis to allow safe, regulated, and tested recreational cannabis.

It is sad to see prohibitionists focus on this boogeyman. The forest is much bigger than the few trees prohibitionists focus on. This issue is complex and requires careful consideration. However, the prohibitionist tactics always drive issues to the extreme and focus on tugging on certain emotions in order to continue their outdated mindset.