4/20 at Gorge Greenery

It's the day of the year we've all been waiting for. April 20th (4/20), the official marijuana holiday, is nearly upon us!

The counter-culture holiday takes its roots from the "official" time of the day cannabis lovers gather and smoke with one another: 4:20 pm. Many different urban legends tell us origin stories of why this time in particular was chosen; some say it was the police code number for marijuana use, though the most accepted story of origin refers to a group of friends, the "Waldos", who had a set meeting time of 4:20 pm to gather together and search for a hidden marijuana crop. 4:20 pm has since become the de-facto marijuana smoking time for cannabis lovers across the world.

It was only a matter of time before April 20th became a holiday in and of itself. When the calendar strikes 4/20, marijuana enthusiasts rejoice and dedicate the entire day to the plant they know and love.

Gorge Greenery™ will be doing the same. On Thursday, April 20th, the Greenery will have sales all day long. Here are just some of the specials we will be offering:

• Clean Green Certified grams starting at $5
• $4 Pre-rolls from Otis Gardens and sofresh farms (Clean Green Certified Grower)
• $20 dab specials from Dab Society
• Edible specials from Peak Extracts
• Giveaways and GG swag all day

Come and join us for our favorite day of the year. And remember: always pass it to the left.

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Life with plastics, and how to move away from it

Plastics have transformed our world. They revolutionized manufacturing. They triggered an explosion of economic development. Plastics helped with the advancements in technology and medicine that reached every corner of the globe. Plastics helped make the world what it is today. Without them, modern life would not be the same.

But at what cost?

We have a plastic use for just about everything. It’s used to preserve our fruits and vegetables, it makes for convenient and disposable carry-out bags, and even the keys on this keyboard are made of plastic. Hospitals were modernized with plastics, creating cheaper medical necessities such as syringes and sterile bandages. Many modern automobiles have plastic chassis. There is no doubt that plastics have provided countless uses and advantages to living comfortably in this world, but at what point does it become wasteful and harmful?

Plastic’s positive trait is also its negative: it lasts virtually forever. Plastic products can take, on average, 450-1000 years to biodegrade, and this leads to a buildup. The more plastic you make and use, the more of it, inevitably, ends up in the environment, and that’s where the most damage is truly done. “Single use” plastic products have the most lasting and damaging effect on the environment. Things such as plastic bags, plastic utensils and cups, plastic and Styrofoam takeaway containers, and plastic bottles serve only as a single use item before they are disposed of. This results in a high amount of waste generation, and is often completely unnecessary.

Take a look at this article out of the South China Morning Post. Hong Kong locals are lamenting over the excessive amount of trash that is washing up on their beaches. A local videographer points out that much of this waste comes from excessive packaging.

Do you see any similar patterns in our grocery store with the repacking of bulk fruits and vegetables?

Single use plastic cling wrap. Single use styrofoam trays. Why not chop your veggies at home?

This is an unnecessary and wasteful amount of plastic packaging. And while packaging products for transport and a prolonged shelf life does make sense in terms of preserving the product, there is such a thing as too much packaging. Chopping up vegetables and sticking them in yet another plastic package as a means of selling a product is an unnecessary waste. Why are we repackaging bulk fruits and veggies to entice the consumer to purchase? At what point do we stop putting profits ahead of generating avoidable waste? Do we have to sacrifice profits to prevent generating new waste?

The art of reusing and repurposing plastics is a growing trend. Again, the buildup of plastics continues and landfills are reaching capacity with plastics. They inevitably spill over into our environment, thus polluting it. Marine life is often poisoned, stunted or killed by plastic products. Public lands grow more polluted with plastics every day. All of this pollution creates incentive to curb it and roll it back, and when large organizations get behind this movement, much can be achieved. Take Ikea, for example.

Ikea is pioneering a new movement of recycling plastics and completely repurposing them, in this case for furniture, cupboards and countertops. If there is an abundance of a resource that isn’t going anywhere for a millennium, why not use it? This sort of environmentally friendly business practice makes a measurable difference in the world. Ikea also announced that it sent zero waste to landfill across all of its UK and Ireland facilities in 2016, achieving a 90% recycling rate in the process.

Ultimately, the best way to reduce plastic trash in the short term is ending the use of unsustainable single-use plastics entirely. One of the most harmful and common forms of plastic waste are plastic bags that you find at large retail outlets or grocers, and people are pushing for a complete plastic bag ban. The state of California voted to approve Proposition 67, enforcing a statewide ban on carry-out plastic bags. There is a similar sentiment in our own town of Hood River. On March 1st, all retailers with more than 50 employees (Walmart, Safeway, Roseauers) are now prohibited from using plastic bags, and retailers with less than 50 employees have until July 1st to comply with the new city ordinance. Here at Gorge Greenery, we package all of our cannabis in reusable glass jars and use reusable fabric exit bags.

Plastics aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. However, we can curb some of the adverse impacts, and even reduce the negative impact it has on our environment. All it takes is a little effort in reducing personal use, and some creative thinking to repurpose waste that is already here to stay. It can be done, we just have to change a few comfortable habits!

Terpenes of Cannabis: Linalool and Beta-Caryophyllene

Everybody who’s tried marijuana before is familiar with the fact that it is one of the more pungent plants out there. So what causes this anyway? Why does cannabis smell the way it does, and why is there such a variety to these smells? The answer: Terpenes.

Terpenes are essential oils, found throughout nature in just about everything worth a smell. From sage and lavender to oranges, mangos, and hops, terpenes are found in just about everything with odor, including Cannabis.

Terpenes are more than just smell, however. Independent studies have revealed that there may be some therapeutic value to the molecules when either ingested or inhaled. Think about this: how do you feel when you take a smell of fresh lavender? Generally, the pleasant smell leaves you feeling very relaxed, an excellent de-stressor. Another example: What happens when you bite into a lemon? Odds are the sour taste and smell will leave you awakened and invigorated. Well, there are terpenes associated with these feelings: Linalool in Lavender and Limonene in Lemons. And both of these terpenes, along with many others, are found in cannabis.

 This week we are going to dive in to two lesser known yet ever-present terpenes: Linalool and Beta-Caryophyllene.

Linalool

One of the minor terpenes found in cannabis, Linalool conveys a soothing floral aroma, similar to that of Lavender. In fact, Linalool is found in lavender, along with more than 200 species of plants, including a variety of mints and herbs, such as the Indian Bay Leaf and Basil.

And while this terpene may not be as dominant as others, like Myrcene and Limonene, this doesn’t negate the medicinal properties associated with it. Linalool has a number of therapeutic traits.

It has natural analgesic properties, which can be helpful for such conditions as multiple sclerosis, dystonia, arthritis, post-operative pain and chronic pain. Linalool is also known to have Anti-Consultant properties, which can be very desirable for those who suffer from epilepsy, nerve damage, or another convulsing condition.

Linalool can also be an effective sleep aid. The terpene possesses natural sedative qualities, so those looking for a good night’s sleep may wish to find a strain of cannabis that has higher levels of Linalool. Remember to follow your nose! Smelling multiple strains of cannabis is key to detecting a strain that may aid in your sleep.

Beta-Caryophyllene

Chances are, you’ve already been exposed to large amounts of Beta-Caryophyllene in your lifetime without even realizing it. Beta-Caryophyllene, or BCP, is found in many spices, such as oregano, cloves, hops, rosemary, and common household black pepper.

One trait that sets BCP apart from other terpenes is how it reacts with your body’s endocannabinoid system. BCP is often categorized as a cannabinoid because of how it binds to CB2 cannabinoid receptors, which causes no alteration in perception or motor skills. The body’s CB2 receptors control immune-regulatory proteins that are linked to inflammation and immune function throughout the body, giving BCP anti-inflammatory properties.

Like many of the other terpenes, such as Limonene and Pinene, BCP has been known to reduce anxiety and fight depression. This may yet be another feature of what is known as the “entourage effect”. One of the troubles with isolating the medicinal properties of cannabis is that there are so many medicinal traits associated with several different parts of the plant on several different levels of the plants biology. The prevailing theory is that all of the properties work best when taken together at once, rather than isolating a certain terpene or cannabinoid, since each terpene has their own special molecular trait that sets them apart from the rest. When working together, the medicinal value only increases, and Beta-Caryophyllene is very much a part of this entourage.

There it is! Knowledge of two more terpenes for you to keep under your cap next time you go cannabis shopping. Remember, higher-quality, responsibly and organically grown marijuana will have the highest yield on terpenes and cannabinoids, so keep this in mind next time you look for a natural remedy to whatever it is that ails you.

Next edition of Terpenes of Cannabis we dive into two very unique terpenes: Pinene and Humulene.

Sources:

https://www.whaxy.com/learn/linalool-cannabis-terpene?utm_source=mantis&utm_medium=recommend&utm_campaign=mantis&muuid=2cce4636XXX0b9cXXX45beXXX9e4fXXXa70bbfafc9c1

https://www.whaxy.com/learn/beta-caryophyllene?utm_source=mantis&utm_medium=recommend&utm_campaign=mantis&muuid=2cce4636XXX0b9cXXX45beXXX9e4fXXXa70bbfafc9c1

Organic Marijuana: Fiction vs. Fact

Alright team, it's time to talk about Organic Marijuana. In the age where people are particularly concerned about the quality of what they eat or drink, it's no coincidence that the same concern applies to the quality of cannabis they smoke or ingest.

The term “organic” isn’t thrown around lightly. Food and beverage manufacturers go through arduous procedures and regulations when it comes to producing a product that can be deemed organic. An organic orange is by and far different from a normally produced orange. Now this isn’t to say that a non-organic orange is “unsafe”, but the quality of the product is noticeably different. Think of it this way; a Chevy Impala and a Ferrari 458 Italia are both cars that will get you from point A to point B, however there will be a difference in what you experience during that drive.

                       I’ll take the red one…

So it's no wonder that the same level of concern over quality applies to the booming marijuana industry in Oregon. As recreational use rises, so has the demand for high quality or “organic” marijuana. Dispensaries all over Oregon have begun to offer “organic” marijuana, and much to the users’ delight. High quality cannabis usually results in a high quality experience.

That said, “Organic” marijuana is not actually a thing. At all. It’s not real.

Now that’s not to say that high quality cannabis isn’t out there; quite the opposite. The Clean Green Certification and Certified Kind program is a new means of ensuring quality cultivation practices from growers, ensuring a high quality product for the consumers to enjoy. Their basis of testing for high quality cultivation is nearly identical to the practices of the USDA: Soil quality, pesticide use, environmental impact, etc. Plus, most smaller farming operations take care to produce a crop that they are proud of, something that they would enjoy consuming themselves.

No there is a different reason why “Organic” marijuana is not a thing. In order for a product to receive the Organic label, it must first go through a series of tests and certifications through the USDA. In short, to receive the Organic label, the producer must ensure that the product is:

• Produced without excluded methods, (e.g., genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge).

• Produced using allowed substances. (No synthetic soils, no harmful pesticides, etc.)

• Overseen by a USDA National Organic Program-authorized certifying agent, following all USDA organic regulations.

So why can’t these regulatory practices apply to marijuana? The USDA is prohibited from working with cannabis.

The USDA is a federal agency that oversees all organic labeling requirements, setting the standard across the US for producing Organic products. Now, being a federal agency, do you think the USDA is in a position to apply the same Organic labeling practices to marijuana? No way. The federal government still classifies marijuana as a schedule 1 narcotic, and as long as cannabis stays on as schedule 1, we will never see “Organic pot”.

So what does this mean for the consumer who seeks out only high quality cannabis. What about the driver who wants the Ferrari 458 and the 458 alone? This is where the Clean Green Certification and the Certified Kind program comes in. Independent from federal and state governments, these organizations provide the standardization and regulation processes similar to the USDA’s Organic labeling in order to ensure a high quality marijuana product produced under sustainable and “clean” practices. These programs check for:

• Use of organic cultivation methods

• Prevention of soil erosion and nutrient runoff

• Water conservation methods from a legal water source

• Carbon Footprint Reduction (CFR) program

• Fair trade/fair working conditions

• Legal compliance/non-black market

Each of these programs go above and beyond what the USDA requires for the organic label, and provide both standardization to the quality of cannabis products as well accountability to the grower. So those looking for “Organic” pot should seek out Clean Green Certified and Certified Kind strains and dispensaries (like Gorge Greenery!)

Recreational and Medical users alike need to be vigilant when they purchase their marijuana. Oregon is home to 400+ legal marijuana dispensaries, but any dispensary that claims they sell “Organic” marijuana should be given a second thought. This isn’t to say that their quality of cannabis is sub-par (quite the opposite; it’s probably pretty darn good if they call it “Organic”), but to call the product “Organic” is false advertising. The USDA will never put the true Organic label on cannabis, not until major change at the federal level is achieved. So when you’re shopping for your high quality bud, anybody claiming to have “Organic” weed is pulling your leg. If you want the quality experience, look for the Clean Green Certified or Certified Kind logo, and you’ll be on your way towards high quality elevation.

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Women in Weed

The Cannabis industry is thriving. Thousands of small businesses, from farms to storefronts, have popped up all over the states of Colorado, Washington, and our very own Oregon.

But there is one thing that is standing out in this budding industry setting it apart from the rest of the corporate world: Women hold 36% of executive-level positions. Breaking down that average, 63% of executive women are found in testing labs whereas 28% of women hold executive positions in investment firms.

Now why are these figures important? When compared to all U.S. businesses, the cannabis industry stands above the national average of executive-level positions held by women, which sits at 22%. This is big news for women who have long since faced the struggle of competing in a business world that is almost entirely dominated by men. Legal marijuana could be the first billion-dollar industry not dominated by men.

With the cannabis industry in full growth, a unique opportunity is presented to women who find themselves in a state with legalized cannabis. This industry is new and it changes every month. Who knows what the future may hold, but there is an immense amount of opportunity in this new sector that has yet to be conquered by men. Finally, we may see an authentic emergence of equal opportunity in the workplace through the cannabis industry. The glass ceiling is cracking.

Listen to our very own Kirsten Cook talk with Justin McDonald about women in weed here:

https://soundcloud.com/cannacast420/cannacast420-episode-9-kirsten-cook-gorge-greenery

Also be sure to check out the Weediquette episode “Mary Janes” as Krishna Andavolu explores the world of women in weed.

Source articles:

http://mjbizdaily.com/chart-of-the-week-women-holding-more-seats-in-the-executive-suite-at-cannabis-companies/

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/06/women-turn-to-the-marijuana-industry-to-escape-stubborn-glass-ceilings/489008/

Strain Spotlight: Jack Herer

Jack's Trichromes

Strain Spotlight: Jack Herer

The world of cannabis is full of many different strains. Today we are going to spotlight a classic Sativa-dominant strain who’s name carries a great deal of notoriety: Jack Herer.

First off, lets talk a little about the strain itself. Here’s the Strain Highlights from Leafly:

Jack Herer is a sativa-dominant cannabis strain that has gained as much renown as its namesake, the marijuana activist and author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Combining a Haze hybrid with a Northern Lights #5 and Shiva Skunk cross, Sensi Seeds created Jack Herer hoping to capture both the cerebral elevation associated with sativas and the heavy resin production of indicas. Its rich genetic background gives rise to several different variations of Jack Herer, each phenotype bearing its own unique features and effects. However, consumers typically describe this 55% sativa hybrid as blissful, clear-headed, and creative.

Jack Herer was created in the Netherland in the mid-1990s where it was later distributed by Dutch pharmacies as a recognized medical-grade strain. Since then, the spicy, pine-scented sativa has taken home numerous awards for its quality and potency. Many breeders have attempted to cultivate this staple strain themselves in sunny or Mediterranean climates, and indoor growers should wait 50 to 70 days for Jack Herer to Flower.

Given the information provided by Leafly, Jack Herer makes for a great daytime and clear-headed experience. Medicinal patients may be fans of this strain as it would not cloud the mind as much as a potent indica strain. Recreational users may enjoy this strain for its creative factors, or perhaps the uplifting effect associated with sativas to energize oneself for a full day ahead.

But who was Jack Herer? Why did he become so revered in the cannabis community?

From Wikipedia:

Jack Herer was a renowned hemp activist and author of the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes. Starting in 1973, the story begins when Jack Herer takes the advice of his friend “Captain” Ed Adair and begins compiling tidbits of information about the Cannabis plant and its numerous uses, including as hemp and as a drug. After a dozen years collecting and compiling historical data, Herer first published his work as The Emerperor Wears No Clothes in 1985. The eleventh edition was published in November 2000, and the book continues to be cited in cannabis rescheduling and re-legalization efforts.

This dedication to seeking the truth about cannabis and hemp, plus his presence in the cannabis community and protests against prohibition, Herer became a legend, often referred to as the “Emperor of Hemp”. As an activist he fought for the plant to be decriminalized and argued that it could be used as a renewable source of fuel, medicine, food, fiber, and paper/pulp and that it can be grown in virtually any party of the world for medicinal as well as economical purposes. He further asserted that the U.S. government has been deliberately hiding the proof of this from their own citizens.

Jack Herer never stopped fighting cannabis prohibition up until his death on April 15, 2010. He still remains a legend among the cannabis community to this day, immortalized by his book and the strain in his name. Watch the full Jack Herer documentary below.

Sources:

https://www.leafly.com/sativa/jack-herer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Herer#cite_note-3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_Wears_No_Clothes

Cannabis Strains: Choosing the right strain for you.

Which one is for you?

Ok, its time we talk strains. Anyone who is somewhat familiar with our lady cannabis knows that she comes in some different varieties; no one plant is exactly like the other, but fortunately they tend to stay in a general family of strains.

There are three major strains: Sativa, Indica, and Hybrid. Each strain has typically different effects on the user upon consumption, whether it be smoked, vaped, eaten, or otherwise. 

Sativa strains are a generally more uplifting, energizing and active experience. Those who seek an energy boost, or perhaps a strain that doesn’t cloud the brain, tend to go for a sativa. Sativas, due to their typical clear-headed nature, are popular with those who seek an active and uplifting experience without the “stoney” feeling associated with many indica strains. Cleaning the house? Going for a hike? Maybe a sativa strain is for you.

Sativa’s are also a good choice for those who seek to treat depression, due to the uplifting nature of sativa strains. Sativas are also a good choice to help treat chronic fatigue, or ADD, due to the energizing and focusing effects of the strain. Sativas, as with most all strains of cannabis, can be an excellent appetite stimulant.

Indicas are on the opposite end of the spectrum, compared to sativas. Indica strains typically have a much more sedating effect when consumed and tend to cause a profound sense of relaxation to flow through the body, with a cerebral psychoactive effect as well. Indicas are also paraphrased as “Indica, In-da-couch”.

When it comes to killing pain, most people tend to go for indicas, as the sedating effect of the strain does wonders for those who seek to treat chronic pain. Indicas are also a great choice for those who are suffering from insomnia, since the sedating effects of the strain can calm and relax the user into a state of sleepiness, a welcome feeling for those who have had trouble getting rest. Indicas, too, are an excellent appetite stimulant.
 

Hybrids are a mix of both sativa and indica strains, bred with each other with the intent of making a strain that encompasses the best of both worlds. Hybrids can vary dramatically between users and the effects they feel. Some will have the cerebral effects of indica paired with the body energy of sativas, others will have the opposite; sedated body of the indica with a clear mind of the sativa. There are many variety of Hybrids in the cannabis world, be sure to talk to your budtender about which strain may be right for you.

Then there are the High CBD strains. What is CBD? Short for Cannabidiol, CBD is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis and is one of the major phytocannabinoids present in cannabis, second only to THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

So what does CBD do? Typically, CBD users experience little to no psychoactivity after consuming strains high in CBD. However, CBD has proven to be very beneficial as a pain reliever, anti-epileptic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic (suppresses muscle spasms), anti-psychotic (tranquilizing/manage psychosis), and anxiolytic (relieves anxiety). With the wide range of medical benefits that CBD has been seen to provide, and with the lack of psychoactivity that is seen in THC, CBD has become very popular with those who seek just the medical benefits without getting “high”.

Now that we have a little more knowledge to help guide our decision on what strain is best for us, go and try some out! Every user reacts to cannabis differently, and the only way to truly know which strain is best for you is to experience the effects for yourself. Just remember, when trying a new strain for the first time, despite your tolerance level, take it slow and steady. Manage your dosing, don’t overdo it, and most of all, enjoy yourself.

Cheers!

Cooking with Cannabis

Cooking with Cannabis is nothing new, but some of the best culinary creations involve a certain amount of creativity. From pizza to ice cream, there is no limit as to what kind of food you can infuse with Mary Jane.

VICE's food program, Munchies, explores this ever growing world of cannabis confections and culinary cuisine. The "Bong Appetite" series explores the many different recipes for cannabis, and just how good it can be. Check out this episode where Bong Appetite travels to Portland, learning all about the best way to make cannabis infused pizza.

Of course, cannabis pizza isn't for everybody. There's something to be said about the classic baked goods. Who doesn't love a pot brownie, anyway? Take a look at yellowjuanacake.com, a great home cooking blog with a wide variety of classic edibles like brownies and cookies as well as more intricate dishes such as lasagna.  http://www.yellowjuanacake.com/

There you have it! The only limit to making edibles is your imagination. That, and how much canna-oil or cannabutter you have on hand. Don't know how to make cannabutter? No worries, this article should sort it out. http://herb.co/recipes/quick-easy-cannabutter/

Happy cooking!

Why we need to rebrand the term "HIGH"

“My patients need that THC; they don’t really get a lot of benefit from CBD-only products,” says Bryan Krumm, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who currently works with about one thousand PTSD patients in New Mexico.

He has seen whole-plant cannabis heal all types of patients throughout 25 years in the psychiatry field. He has seen it relieve struggles with PTSD (including his own), as well as other psychiatric woes such as depression and addiction.

“There’s nothing wrong with that psychoactive effect,” he says. “People opposed to cannabis complain that this is a euphoriant and that it makes you high. But that’s what we do in psychiatry. We try to induce euphoria, to lift people’s moods. We don’t want people to be down and low and depressed.”

The difference between Krumm and a lot of other psychiatrists is this: he refuses to ever prescribe another pharmaceutical.

His only exception is the FDA-approved Marinol, a synthetic version of THC developed in the 1980s. A lot of cannabis physicians and practitioners frown upon Marinol because of negative studies and because whole-plant cannabis seems to be more therapeutic with its additional 100+ cannabinoids and multitude of terpene profiles.

But Krumm prescribes Marinol to certain patients when they travel out-of-state to places where cannabis remains prohibited. And some of his patients, contrary to what the studies tell us, actually prefer it to whole-plant medication.

By talking and listening to so many patients, Krumm has discovered that a lot of the studies out there are inaccurate.

In general, the term “high” is supposed to have good connotations, Krumm says.

“If you do the right thing morally and ethically, you’re said to be taking the high road. When we want to get smarter we pursue higher education. We set out to improve ourselves and lift ourselves, and we try to raise ourselves up out of poverty.”

But, like with so many other things applied to cannabis, the idea of getting high immediately gets a negative connotation, he says. “We need to change our understanding and reclaim that term as something positive – which is what it’s supposed to be.”......

Another expert I talked to, Sebastian Marincolo – a cannabis philosopher and writer who has been researching the herb for 10 years now – likes the difference between high and stoned. “When we say stoned we think of that couch-lock state of mind where you’re sedated, not thinking clearly – and for some people this is the desired effect,” he says.

“But the ‘high’ is something else,” Marincolo continues. “It is more euphoric and energetic – a different state of mind which comes with systematic changes in cognition and perception. And most people underestimate all of this and they don’t understand the full bouquet of changes.”

Where a lot of people view the psychoactive element as the adverse side effect of marijuana, Marincolo has methodically explored and laid out what he calls the bouquet of cognitive effects offered by the plant.

In Marincolo’s new book What Hashish Did To Walter Benjamin, he writes about many of these cognitive effects:

• Hyper focusing
• Episodic memory retrieval
• Pattern recognition
• Enhanced imagination
• Increased empathy
• Associative & lateral thinking
• Deeper introspection

“It doesn’t really give you a total enhancement of cognition, but there are a bunch of possibilities,” Marincolo says. “No matter what you do, you always have some functions enhanced and some that get worse.”

Read the whole article at GreenFlower Media HERE.