Tips of the Trade: Cannabis Pro Tips

Who wants to learn about simple, yet effective tricks of the trade, important tools, cleaning solution recipes and anything else that can prove to make your stoner life easier? If you said yes, you're in the right place! I will try to cover some great "Stoner Pro Tips"

Cleaning:
If you own any kind of smoking/vaping piece it will eventually get dirty. Getting that sticky resin off of everything can be difficult with just soap and water so I’ve come up with a very good cleaning solution recipe to get the toughest gunk off of your glass. There are many products in stores but they are way overpriced considering you can make it yourself at home with a little experimenting. For those of you who don’t like to experiment, don’t worry, I’ve done the hard work for you.

Strong Cleaning Solution*:
2 parts 91-99% Isopropyl Alcohol
1 part Acetone Nail Polish Remover
Abrasive Sand or Salt or small beads/PVC Pellets
1-2 Drops of Dish Soap
*Will dissolve most plastics. Use with glass only

Alternatively, if you have acrylic pieces or ones that aren’t all that dirty, you can use Isopropyl Alcohol (91-99% preferred) and some Kosher salt or food-grade rock salt.

Now as far as cleaning tools, bristled pipe cleaners (with one tapered end if you can) are probably one of the best things to have. Bottle and bottle nipple brushes work well for some pieces as well. You can invest in special pipe cleaning brushes but a box of pipe cleaners are cheaper and much less maintenance. Q-Tips should be part of your cleaning kit, as well as small brushes like you find in with men’s electric shavers. They are great for scrubbing your grinder before you clean it and other pieces too.

Odor Control:

It should come as no surprise when I tell you that cannabis has an odor. While most cannabis enthusiasts enjoy the smell, those around you may not. There are many ways to reduce and even eliminate cannabis odors and below I will go into more detail.

Every experienced smoker will tell you to go with incense usually. However, I know this isn’t always something people like because it can be overpowering. If you’re into them though, go for it. They work great.

Oil warmers/Wax melters have got to be one of my favorite ways to eliminate odors. I love candles and good smells and this combines both into a nice table piece. You light a candle below a reservoir of scented oil and just let it burn while you smoke. The fragrance is strong but not overpowering and reduces the smell almost completely.

Air neutralizers are another way but they can be pricey. Good products like “Hogwash” have no odor to the spray and just neutralizes the smell to eliminate it. Products like this can get pricey though.

Air it out! Open your top and bottom halves of the windows in your house. The top being open allows circulation to take place. The top will suck hot air and smoke out (smoke rises) and the bottom half will bring in fresh air. This won’t eliminate odor right away but it will keep the smell from lingering after you’ve finished smoking. You can add an exhaust fan to the window as well.

Odor Eliminating Candles are another good one. They range from 4-8 dollars and are sold in smoke shops and pet stores. Pet stores have them labeled as Pet Odor Eliminators but they are the same candles. They actually work quite well to reduce the smell as you smoke.

If you rent and you have a surprise visit and need to mask the smell right away, burn popcorn, burn bread in the toaster or cook/burn bacon. Those smells quickly overpower the smell of cannabis.

Dual draft door guards work great at keeping your apartment/room insulated and also keep the odor in your apartment/room and not outside of it.

“Sploofs” are a name for a homemade device (and now actually made commercially) for masking the smell of the smoke you exhale. Essentially you would take an empty paper towel roll and attach a fabric softener sheet to one end and exhale through the other end to create a fresh smell without the odor. There are variations on sploofs. Commercial ones use activated carbon in a breathable chamber so it naturally gets rid of the smell. You can make your own with activated carbon by filling a soda bottle with the carbon (get from a pet store) and poking breathe holes on the bottom of the bottle for smoke to exit. Make sure you wet the charcoal though. It makes it work better.

Misc. Pro Tips:

If you have a 1-hitter/bat, use it as a roach clip for joints and blunts. If you don't have one, alligator clips that you can buy at Radio Shack and similar stores work very well too.

If you like rolling joints, make sure you use slow burning papers made from hemp like Skunk brand, Raw, and Elements to name a few. Skunk has non-flavored papers as well as sweet hemp (skunkalicious), blueberry, strawberry, and Piña colada. Skunk brand are my favorites personally.

The best way to keep your cannabis fresh is by keeping it in an air-tight jar like a mason jar. It will help keep the odor down as well too.

If your cannabis is too dry, adding an orange peel to your storage container for a day or two should revive your herb and give a nice flavor to it.

Getting the Most Out of Your Weed

Feel like you go through your cannabis too quickly no matter how much you buy? Don't worry, there's many ways to get the most out of your cannabis without sacrificing your high. Below I will go over some of the best ways I’ve found thus far.

One of the best ways to conserve your cannabis is to vaporize. When you vaporize cannabis you heat the herb just below combustion point and extract only THC vapor (depending on your temps you extract CBD and other cannabinoids as well). As long as you vaporize and not burn your herb, you can save what is left over after there is no more vapor and save it for edibles. “Vapor poo” as I call it is great for making cannabis butter and tinctures. However, with thoroughly vaporized herb, you do not get as much THC so you will experience more of a “couch lock” high with those edibles. Once you’ve made your edibles, save the herb you strain from whatever mixture you make and you can place some in empty pill capsules, add it to food . That right there just gave you 3x the amount of use from one batch of cannabis!

Every time you buy at least a 1/4 oz. save at least one decent-sized bud and label its strain if possible in a separate baggie, in a stash jar. After a couple restocks you will have built up a great stash for a rainy day jar or for whatever occasion. Not only will you likely have a lot of stashed away, but you will have a great variety to do a tasting, much like wine tasting but with more munchies, laughter, and fun.

One of the most important things to have when you smoke, isn’t a piece to smoke or vaporize it from, it’s a good grinder! Having a good grinder is key to conserving your cannabis. The finer the grind, the more surface area your herb has and the less you need to use to fill a bowl or smoke. A good grinder will grind finely and have at least 1 pollen catcher under the herb chamber. That pollen chamber is where all of your trichromes collect and as long as you learn to forget about it for a while, you will be pleasantly surprised when you open it on a rainy day to find it packed of that yellow/green goodness. The pollen, or kief as it’s typically called is THC in one of its strongest forms. This is what hash is made of and will get you very high. Buying efficient pieces also helps save your herb but that will be talked about more at a later time.

Remember children, be wise and use all of the buffalo!

DIY: Hash/Hashish

Hash is a very potent cannabis product. It is THC in one of its highest concentrated forms and very little is needed to have you feeling its effects. It is made using the pollen or kief or trichromes of the cannabis plant and forming it into a solid mass. It is then easier to burn and a lot more potent than the buds are. There are many, many different ways of making hash, each producing a slightly different type and quality of hash. Today I am just going to go over simple "5-minute hash". Now don't let the name "5-minute hash" fool you. I had someone pass out right after a hit of it and smash right through a glass table. Know your limits and take little bits at a time.

Where do you get the kief? The easiest way is to get a 4 piece grinder with a keif catcher chamber in the very bottom. As you grind your herb and move the contents about, it will naturally lose some of the kief and it will then collect in the bottom chamber. In addition to that, many people add nickels or small items of similar weight and size into the herb chamber of the grinder and shake it up a bit to knock even more kief off.

What you need:

• Kief
• Small pot of water 
• Foil 
• Wax paper or heat resistant plastic baggie
• Hard book or other hard object to press

Step 1: Get the kief collected and put it into a foil/wax pouch Seal well!
Step 2: Bring a pot of water on the stove to a boil.
Step 3: Dip bag into the boiling water( holding it with tongs) for about 7-15 seconds. Then take it out.
Step 4: Immediately after you take the hash out put it under a book and squish it.
Step 5: Repeat this as many times as you want depending on how pressed you want it.
Step 6: Take out the hash from the bag and there you will have a little hash patty :)
Step 7: Waving foil pouch quickly over open flame and repeating steps 4 & 5 until desired consistency is reached

Edibles Continued: Vegetable Glycerine and Alcohol Tincture Recipes

Vegetable Glycerine Tincture

What you need:

• Cannabis (1g+ cannabis /oz glycerine)
• Food-grade glycerin
• Flavorings (optional)
• Crock Pot
• Cheese Cloth
• Rubber Band
• Measuring cup
• Bottles - dropper bottles, roller bottles, amber dropper bottles, etc

Directions:

Step 1:
Pour your glycerin in the crock pot and mix in cannabis as well as any additional flavoring you may add

Step 2:
Cover, turn pot on low and cook for 8 hours stirring occasionally

Step 3:
Turn off crock pot. Once the mixture is cooler, take your cheese cloth and rubber band and secure it over your measuring cup.

Step 4: Strain your mixture through the cheese cloth. Once it drains squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can

**Strained plant material can then be put into capsules for even more use from the cannabis.

Alcohol Tincture

What you need:

• A flat pot that can hold about 2 inches of water
• High proof alcohol, the higher the better. (consumable alcohol)
• Cannabis (3.5 grams fresh) or vaped remains (7 grams)
• A small jar or bottles
• A cooking thermometer
• A filtering device – coffee filters work great
• Something to dump the filtered liquid into (jar, bowl, etc.)

Green Dragon Tincture (Fresh Cannabis)
For Green Dragon, it is best to use about an eighth of cannabis (3.5 grams) with 2 ounces of your high grade alcohol. You’ll need to decarb the cannabis before continuing. Once decarbed, continue with Golden Dragon steps.

Golden Dragon (Vaped Cannabis)
Step 1: Fill up the pan with about 2 inches of water and begin to boil it

Step 2: In the jar, mix about 7 grams of vaporized remains with 3.5-4 ounces of the alcohol

Step 3: Place the jar in the boiling water and maintain the temperature of the Cannabis/rum mixture at 170°F for 20 minutes – you want the mixture to simmer but not boil fast

Step 4: Remove mixture and strain out the liquid into a bottle or jar

Introduction to Edibles: Effects and Butter Recipe

Everyone's familiar with the concept of edibles, even if you don't consume cannabis. If there's a stoner movie, there's bound to be edibles in it. What's so great about them? To start, they are great for those that need cannabis to medicate but cannot smoke it, they can be VERY potent, and they can be quite delicious if made correctly. Edibles can come in the form of capsules, baked goods, butter, candies, mixed with any kind of food or in alcohol or vegetable glycerine tinctures. Edibles are powerful and it is recommended to start out with small amounts and increase every half hour to an hour until desired effect is achieved.

Pros: Slow approaching, steady high, and powerful high when dosed properly.

Cons: Slow approaching, creates strong odor throughout house/apartment while cooking, time consuming, varying effectiveness when homemade. Easy to have TOO much.


THC is fat and alcohol soluble which makes it a great medium for cooking. Edibles can be made in an infinite amount of ways but they all stem from the same initial process. In order to make proper edibles you cannot just put cannabis into a batch of brownie mix and get "baked". You can grind up fresh cannabis and lightly toast it in the oven at 325°F for 5 minutes until it is very lightly toasted. This is called "decarbing" and is simply the process of activating the THC. You don't have to do this step but it definitely helps make it more potent. Once your cannabis is activated you can now make your oil, butter or tincture. Alternatively you can use previously vaporized cannabis or as I call it, "Vapor Poo". Using vaporized cannabis will create a much less potent butter and will give you more of a body buzz/high due to the activation of other chemicals present in the plant.

Left: 4-dose chocolate chip cannabis cookie Right: Cannabis Indica tincture to treat insomnia 

Cannabutter Recipe

What You Need:

• A large saucepan or double boiler/crock pot (crock pot is the best)
• Spoon
• Butter (Its about 1lb. of butter to every ounce of cannabis so make sure you do the math).
• Cannabis 
• Cheesecloth
• Rubber bands
• Tupperware/storage containers (for finished product)

Crock Pot Directions:

Step 1: Add Cannabis and butter to Crock Pot. Set on low setting and cook for 4-8 hours

Step 2: Follow Stove Top Cooking Steps 5 and 6

Stove Top Directions:

Step 1: In a saucepan add water until about 1-2 inches deep and bring to a boil

Step 2:
Add desired amount of butter and heat until melted. Then put heat to low

Step 3:
Add your cannabis and keep on low setting. Stir occasionally and let simmer for 3 hours

Step 4:
Prepare your tupperware containers by folding your cheesecloth over several times (may need 2 cheesecloths) and placing it over the top of the tupperware and securing it with rubber bands.

Step 5:
When the water has turned glossy and thick on top you are now ready to strain the cannabis out of the butter. Slowly pour the contents through the cheesecloth. Once you're done pouring, carefully tie up the cheesecloth and squeeze out the remaining butter. Remaining plant material can be put into a meatloaf/food or capsules to get further use from your cannabis. CONTENTS MAY BE HOT! USE CAUTION!

Step 6:
Place the normal tupperware lid on the container and store in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified

Step 7:
Now that the butter has solidified, the water we used must be drained. Poke around the edges of the container with a butter knife to loosen it from the sides and allow the water to drain out. Now enjoy!

**NOTE** When making cookies or similar foods, weigh out portions to make sure each cookie/item is the same "dosage"

Edibles do not have to be limited to sweets. There are many great foods cannabis can be added to. It pairs well with other herb rich recipes like pastas and sauces. It could also be as simple as a slice of toast with a little bit of cannabutter. The sky is the limit or at least your pantry is *giggles*

How to Roll a Dutch/Blunt: Intermediate-Advanced Level

You've all probably seen my beginner's guide to rolling a joint so now it's time for me to show you how to roll what is commonly referred to as a blunt or a dutch. This is not for the dexterity challenged. This is a skill that comes with lots and lots of practice. People often buy cheap cigars like Dutch Masters and essentially gut out the tobacco and replace it with cannabis and re-roll it into a cigar. This can also be done with cured cannabis leaves (not the flower part you smoke) as a substitute for the tobacco leaves used in the cigar wraps. I feel the high from these is pretty intense usually and finishing one on your own may take several attempts.

Materials needed:

• Ground cannabis
• Cigar (Dutch Master)
• Scissors (optional)

First start out by thoroughly licking the cigar to loosen the outer leaf. Then find the edge of the tobacco leaf on the outer layer of the cigar. It's usually much easier to find on the round end of the cigar. Once leaf is removed, keep moist and to the side.

Now you remove the "cancer paper," as many refer to it, or in other words, remove the extra piece of paper around the rounded end as seen in the photo.

Now it's time to focus on the rest of the cigar. Locate the seam of the wrap as indicated here and split right down the center. Dispose of tobacco inside the cigar.

Then tear off the overlap of the old seam and tear (or cut with scissors) off that bottom bit that the "cancer paper" was on and you should be left with something similar to the picture to the left.

 Now it's finally time to add your ground cannabis and make sure you spread it evenly.

Grasp the paper in your fingers as pictured (use both hands) and roll the paper (in a motion similar to rubbing your fingers together) a couple times to form the cannabis into a neat cylinder that fits inside the paper. Once you've done that, roll it and tuck the one end of the paper under and continue to roll the paper to the last milimeters of paper. Lick the last bit of paper to help seal the blunt and roll it shut.

Once rolled and sealed in the first layer place it on an angle against the leaf (make sure it is still moist) and simply roll it up.

If the leaf is too moist you can run it under a flame quickly. You may also trim edges to cut excess paper. Most of all, enjoy and smoke responsibly!

Indica vs. Sativa: What's the Difference?

Sorry for the recent disappearing act. This "Polar Vortex" and insane amount of snow has had my time taken up. Not to worry readers, I'm back on track and will continue to share my knowledge and tips with you all. Today's topic is the differences between Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. These two species of cannabis both have the ability to create a "high" we all enjoy but each one has different effects.

Sativas are typically a very cerebral high that makes you more energetic and creative. It's a wonderful choice for daytime use and for those that need to lift their mood. A very good sativa will put you at one with yourself and elevate your mood and have you giggling and smiling. It really gets your brain going and helps you focus as well. I know, "weed makes you focus?" Yes it actually can, if you smoke the correct strains. Generally any sativa or sativa dominant hybrid strain will help you focus immensely. It really helps get your creative juices flowing. Some of the best music *cough*anything Pink Floyd *cough* has been the result of a few good hits of sativas. If you feel wound up and stressed or just "out of it", this is the stuff for you.

Sativas:
Sativa plants are taller, take longer to mature, have less chlorophyll and more accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Sativa strains have less chlorophyll than Indica they take longer to grow, mature, and require more light.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/mzd4x5e

Indicas are more of a body high that is more physical and sedated. That's not to say your head doesn't get fuzzy when yo consume it. When you see stoners in movies that just lay on the couch the whole time and zone out, that's typical of an Indica high. Your entire body feels very relaxed and you often experience what is commonly referred to as, "couch lock." It usually makes you really sleepy, so this would be great for those with sleeping problems. That's also why it is ideal for nighttime use.

Indica plants are short, bushy, mature early, have more chlorophyll and less accessory pigments (accessory pigments protect the plant from excessive sunlight). As Indica strains have more chlorophyll than sativa they grow and mature faster.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/mzd4x5e

Sativa Uses:

• Energy
• Pain Relief
• Headaches
• Mood Elevation
• Increases Focus
• Stimulates Appetite
• Helps Lower Depression
• Useful PTSD Treatment

Indica Uses:

• Anxiety Relief
• Sleep Aid
• Muscle Relaxant
• Pain Relief
• IBS/IBD/Crohn’s treatment
• Anti-inflammation
• Reduces intra-ocular pressure
• Reduces nausea
• Reduces seizures
• Relaxation/Sedation
• Relives headaches and migraines