Pride Month at Gorge Greenery!

Gorge Greenery is LGBTQIA2S+ friendly!

In celebration of Pride Month, we have created three custom Gorge Greenery pride hats celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. Gorge Greenery will be donating all profits of our pride hat sales to the Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance. The Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance is a local Hood River Oregon non-profit program. Donations collected will go towards, but not limited to, gender affirming clothing, youth services and programs. These proceeds cover the areas all throughout the Columbia River Gorge including Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon and Bingen Washington.

Help show your support for our LGBTQIA2S+ community members.

"When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free." - President Barack Obama

What does LGBTQIA2S+ mean?

LGTBQIA2S+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Two-Spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify.

Checkout our New Instagram! @ggroodriver

We have a new Instagram account! Check us out HERE

Unfortunately Instagram has closed our long standing @gorgegreenery account. Due to cannabis not being federally legal Instagram will occasionally close cannabis related business accounts down. We are doing our best to keep you informed of All Things Cannabis so we have crated a new Gorge Greenery Instagram account! Please follow us and give us a like for our locally owned Cannabis Dispensary in Hood River Oregon! @gghoodriver

Gorge Greenery's Recycling Program

How amazing is it that we can simply walk into a dispensary and purchase any marijuana products we desire?! While we love this modern shopping experience, convenience comes at a steep environmental cost. An unfortunate side effect of the legal cannabis industry is the waste it creates. By law, each item must leave the dispensary in clean, child-resistant packaging. This means that there has been a significant increase in the amount of plastic filling our landfills. While much of this plastic packaging is technically recyclable in most areas, consumers often neglect to put it in the recycling bin or it is even sorted out during the single stream recycling process. In Hood River, plastics that can be recycled are especially limited. 

Gorge Greenery is committed to promoting sustainability and reducing the waste created by our beloved products. Therefore, we started a new program encouraging responsible recycling! Customers now have the opportunity to return their plastic packaging containers to Gorge Greenery in exchange for filling up a GG punch card for sweet discounts ($5 off any purchase and 20% off non-cannabis items). We will accept plastic joint tubes, edible containers, and other plastic items in addition to our glass jars and cloth exit bags. The returned plastic containers can be from any dispensary, not just Gorge Greenery. We have partnered with a reputable local Columbia River Gorge recycling company to make sure this marijuana packaging does not end up in a landfill. 

Thanks for doing your part to keep the cannabis industry green!

Cannabis in Hood River: Our Top 3 Outdoor Spots to Enjoy Marijuana

On a beautiful summer day there’s nothing better than smoking cannabis under the beaming sun. Here’s our top three picks for locals’ favorite outdoor toking spots in Hood River.

Our first choice is a convenient local gem, treasured by Hood River residents. Enjoy a relaxing hike on the pipeline walkway along the rushing Hood River, just minutes from downtown. To access the trail, take highway 35 south for 0.2 miles. Look for a turnoff to the right that leads downhill. Once parked, there is an unmarked but obvious trail to follow west.  Explore along the scenic Hood River on the unique walkway set atop an inoperative pipeline. Look out for ladders leading down to the beaches to discreetly enjoy your cannabis while basking in the sun. If it’s the height of summer and the berries are ripened, pick a few for a light snack to enjoy with your marijuana. You can walk to the end of the pipeline walkway to savor your organic weed with a spectacular view of the Hood River. 

Our second choice offers a view of the Columbia River while relaxing on a soft, sandy beach. On windy days the east end of the sandbars provides entertainment by windsurfers, kiteboarders, and sailboats zipping across the river. To access the Hood River Marina Sandbar, take exit 64 from I-84 and turn left onto East Port Marina Drive. Simply follow signs directing you to the Marina Beach and walk out to the end end of the Sandbar for some privacy. 

Another fantastic location in Hood River to enjoy your recreational marijuana is the Hook at sunset. We recommend visiting on days when the wind is gentle, because it will be less congested with water sport enthusiasts, plus it will be easier to light your joint. Relax on a rock or log on the water’s edge and take in the scenery provided by the picturesque Columbia River Gorge. To access the Hood River Hook, take exit 63 and head west towards the waterfront park, turning left on Portway Avenue. Keep following this road until it ends.  

Enjoy your summer!

[Oregon State law does not permit smoking marijuana in public places.]

The CBD Pinnacle Vortex. Why It Feels Like CBD is Everywhere.

The Dr. Oz Show, Willie Nelson, Mandy Moore. Whether it’s doctors, celebrities, neighbors or friends, people are talking about CBD. You can now find it in dog treats, tea drops, bath bombs and chocolate candies. A mainstream panacea? A spinoff trend from legalized marijuana? A new natural miracle? Perhaps. We can’t deny it - it’s in vogue these days. But why?

We live in an anxious world. News alerts, phone addiction, 24-hour news, social media notifications. It’s no wonder why our collective consciousness is searching for something to provide some relief. Not only that, we have reached a point where natural solutions and more holistic approaches are paving the way to better health and quality of life.

As Chris Burggraeve, a former Coca-Cola and ad executive called it “CBD is the new avocado toast”. Not only that, CBD is beginning to enter the land of buzz marketing, with phrases “single origin,” “small batch” and “plant based.” Considering its similarities to the emerging and fast-expanding wellness market as well as green beauty, it comes as no surprise that women are in the forefront of CBD conversations.

According to a recent New York Times article, - women are leading the CBD movement. “Women have long felt ignored and dehumanized by the medical and health care industries. They experience longer wait times for treatment. Their pain and suffering are more likely to be dismissed as anxiety or hysteria. And the male body has typically been the model for medical research.”

So, is CBD a wonder drug? Perhaps.

According the aforementioned NYT article “CBD is the most promising drug that has come out for neuropsychiatric diseases in the last 50 years,” said Dr. Esther Blessing, an assistant professor at New York University School of Medicine, who is coordinating a study of CBD as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol use disorder. “The reason it is so promising is that it has a unique combination of safety and effectiveness across of very broad range of conditions.” This includes opioid addiction, schizophrenia, anxiety, epilepsy, and many more.

Much research is yet to be done on the drug, but little by little the public is getting exposed and becoming open to the idea of CBD and the potential it offers. According to a study from the European Journal of Pain, CBD applied on the skin (using an animal model) could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Another study demonstrated the mechanism by which CBD inhibits inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat. So far, the strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating some of the most serious childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome, which generally don’t respond to anti-seizure medications. As published by Harvard Medical School, CBD was able to reduce the number of seizures, and in some cases, it was able to stop them altogether.

They key is to understand there is much we don’t know about CBD with a lack of scientific studies to back up many claims that are made these days. Therefore, we must be careful not to fall too deep into the hype and adopt false expectations. If you read a brand touting ‘too good to be true’ benefits, they probably are. The best way to explore CBD is to buy high quality product and discuss with an expert what you are trying to achieve. More is not always better or more effective, in fact, it is often times consistent lower doses that offer the most benefit. In addition, there are many different ways to take CBD - from tinctures to edibles, topicals and more. Certain applications may be more effective for certain uses, and in many circumstances, it’s just a matter of preference.

So, remember. Buy quality. Get expert advice. And when researching, make sure you’re getting information from factual and scientifically based sources, not marketing hype, hearsay, or literature with questionable intentions. Otherwise, enjoy the incredible benefits of CBD and discover what works for you.

Combating the Holiday Blues with Cannabis

The holiday season can give way to a range of emotional states. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, less restful sleep or general feelings of malaise, cannabis as well as hemp can provide incredibly effective relief.

According to a report by Health Canada, “Evidence from pre-clinical and clinical studies suggests that THC exhibits biphasic effects on mood, with low doses of THC having anxiolytic and mood-elevating effects and high doses of THC having anxiogenic and mood-lowering effects. Additionally, evidence from pre-clinical studies indicates CBD “exhibits anxiolytic effects in various animal models of anxiety, while limited evidence from clinical studies suggest CBD may have anxiolytic effects in an experimental model of social anxiety.”

Furthermore, those who often feel stressed or anxious experience a drop in endocannabinoid production, which effects emotion and behavior. This is why supplemental cannabinoids, when reintroduced into the system, can have positive effects and decrease symptoms of stress and depression. A natural solution that makes us feel better? Many are now realizing that kind of benefit is worth a try.

Here are our top 5 tips for combating the holiday blues with Cannabis & Hemp:

Remember to keep in mind a strain’s terpene profile. Strains containing limonene (citrus flavor) are generally uplifting whereas high myrcene strains (musky flavor) tend towards the sleepy end. Additionally, pinene terpenes (woody, piney flavors) combat fatigue and promote focus while linalool (sweet and flowery) helps fight anxiety.  

If you don’t like feeling ‘high’, opt for CBD derived from hemp, such as CBD hemp tea. Teas offer a way to consume discreetly, they taste great, and offer a nice ritual to aid in relaxation. Gummies are also a fantastic alternative with many CBD/THC hybrid options.

Choose strains that provide a higher CBD to THC ratio. You can find this in edibles, flower, vape pens, and more. Keep in mind that high doses of THC have the potential to exacerbate depressive symptoms like paranoia and hyper-activity, so more is not always better. Be strategic in your cannabis use for the most beneficial effects. Generally, strains with low to moderate levels of THC, or strains with a good amount of CBD to provide a calming kick are the way to go.

Buy small amounts of strains you have never tried before in order to test-drive and then either tweak your strain preference or return for more! You may find the best relief for your symptoms is switching between a few, or perhaps you’ll find one magical strain that does exactly what you need.

If it’s mental and muscle relaxation you are going for, shoot for Indica dominant strains. Some Indica’s are more ‘sleepy’ than others, so chat with your local experts on what you prefer. Alternatively, Sativa strains will be more energizing and provide greater focus.

We hope these tips offer some help in your search to curb the holiday blues. Keep in mind, our experts at Gorge Greenery are always happy to offer more advice and guidance on this topic.

Gorge Greenery: The sustainable dispensary

In the era of climate change, more people are striving to help build a better Earth. Over-consumption and needless waste have long been burdens on our society, leading to a stronger push for a more sustainable life. With this in mind, Gorge Greenery has taken steps to be a sustainability leader in the cannabis industry. After being in business since late 2015, we can happily say that our practices are working.

The first step to sustainability is reducing waste. The easiest way to cut out waste from your life is to identify any “single-use” items used in day-to-day living. The word “single-use” is practically synonymous with plastics. Easy to make and cheap, plastics have been used widely as means to a packaging end, and the same goes for the cannabis industry. Many dispensaries sell cannabis in plastic medicine bottles, and all too often these bottles end up in landfills. Oregonians consumed 340,000lbs of cannabis last year, and most flower is sold from a gram to an ounce at a time. That’s a lot of single-use plastic bottles and bags. Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose and are toxic to the environment. This is both harmful to the environment and not sustainable.

Glass jars are returnable, which can be washed, sanitized, and reused.

In order to combat this, Gorge Greenery uses glass containers when packaging cannabis. Glass is far more versatile, recyclable and can be re-used many times without hindering the quality of the cannabis. Gorge Greenery also has a sustainability return program for our glass jars to reduce the consumption of packaging.  Our returnable glass container policy has been a notable success! More and more customers return their jars as a part of our return-rewards program. These jars are cleaned, sanitized, and re-used. This is a very sustainable practice and reduces consumption of single use packaging.  As a result of the program, Gorge Greenery receives about 85% of our packaging in returns to cycle though for another use.

Another factor of sustainability and eco-consciousness is to account for your carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is defined by the total emissions caused by an individual, event, organization, or product. For example, if you order an item off the web that needs to be shipped from across the country, your footprint is measured by the emissions generated delivering the package to your doorstep. Frequent purchasing from online stores or sourcing goods internationally generates the largest carbon footprint. In order to keep our footprint small, we source materials as locally as possible. We also receive out of state goods and cannabis packaging by freight which decreases our carbon footprint and the waste that is generated by standard shipping methods. Not only is this environmentally conscious, it also supports local business.

Reducing your carbon footprint is an important step in living sustainably, yet it is still very difficult to exist in today’s society and live a zero-footprint lifestyle. Due to this reality, we all need to take steps to help reduce our own personal footprint wherever we can.

Sustainability takes time and effort, but it is less daunting of a task than you think. Do your part in little ways and apply it to everyday life. Cut out single use plastics, say no to straws, become an avid recycler and support sustainability. Our mission at Gorge Greenery is to be a leader in sustainable business practices and lifestyle choices.