LA Weekly: HOLIDAY CANNABIS GIFT GUIDE 2020
Check out Philter Labs in the article below!
By Jimi Devine
LA Weekly- November 25, 2020
It’s been another year of innovation in the cannabis space but this year the classics are getting a second look as well on our annual Holiday Season Cannabis Gift Guide.
On this year’s list, you’ll find a full spread of options to add a little THC to the presents you’re grabbing for family and friends. Whether you’re looking to secure the edible for that finicky eater, or papers for someone that can’t even roll their own joints, we’ve got you covered.
Runtz x Compound Genetics Seed Drop
The Gods of Clout do not skip out on the holiday season. This year they are blessing us with a massive new seed collaboration from Runtz and Compound Genetics. Why the excitement? Runtz was the last great strain of the 2010s and Compound Genetics’ sensational recent drops have really got cultivators to take notice. The drop features a wide selection of Compound’s heat paired with White Runtz. Some of the ones that scream potential to us include the Yoyoz, which pairs The Y and White Runtz. Another is Rose Gold Runtz, which is Apples and Bananas x White Runtz. Keep an eye out for these to start blowing up by summer. compound-genetics.com (Photo courtesy of Compound Genetics)
Raw Hands Free Smoker
While the Raw Hands Free Smoker might seem like one of the more absurd accessories to drop this holiday season, it’s shockingly functional and well thought out. I admit when I saw the announcement I thought it was a joke, but once I stuck a backwoods in it I was sold. Now it’s certainly not for everyone, but if you have someone in your life who struggles to try and burn one down while playing video games this may be the answer. Raw notes on their website you can now smoke hands free while “gaming, typing, giving your partner a foot massage, or making brownies!” Rawfoundation.com (Photo courtesy of Raw)
Dr. Norm’s Hanukkah Cookies
While Christmas-themed pot edibles are now par for the course in our third holiday season into legal cannabis in California, the homies in the tribe have not always had as many selections to enjoy eight nights in a row. Fear not! Dr. Norm’s just announced it will release the world’s first Hanukkah cookie edible. The company’s brother and sister founders Jeff Koz and Roberta Wilson figured helping people get stoned and enjoy the holidays with their own families was the perfect way to honor their family and heritage. doctornorms.com (Photo courtesy of Dr. Norm’s)
Vibes Cubano Cones
For those people in your life that are basically a walking incinerator that can’t roll a joint, a box of Vibes Cubano Cones is one of the best gifts you can give to complement their oversized love of marijuana. Each Cubano Cone can hold over 8 grams of pot. This makes them great for weekend group activities or smoked to the face on a random Tuesday afternoon. The cones have no added calcium carbonate and feature an all-natural sealing gum from the Acacia tree. vibespapers.com (Photo courtesy of Vibes)
Kiva Lost Farm Strain Specific Live Resin Infused Edibles
The era of strain-specific edible dosing is quickly dawning. Kiva, one of the state’s original players in the microdosing phenomenon that would eventually become law, plans on keeping its seat at the cutting edge table with live ren infused fruit chews and gummies. Both the chews and gummies come in 10MG THC per dose and 100MG THC per package – five times stronger than that chocolate blueberry that convinced grandma she was seeing dragons. They’ll be available all over town, but you can hit Kiva’s website if you want them delivered straight to their door. KivaConfections.com (Photo courtesy of Kiva)
Holiday White Chocolate with Ginger Bread Cookie Delight Punch Bar
Punch Bars have been found on some of California’s most reputable cannabis dispensary shelves for years, and their holiday offering for 2020 is on par with that pedigree. The limited edition bars feature 90mg of weed and creamy white chocolate on top of a homemade gingerbread cookie. Punch Bars are designed to be small enough to eat a high dose conveniently. They will be available for purchase throughout licensed California shops and on Eaze.com by November 23rd. Punchedibles.com ((Photo courtesy of Punch Edibles)
Kushmore Cleaner
There is a real run on isopropyl alcohol thanks to the pandemic. Finding other options for cleaning glass is now a timely thing. With the Kushmore Cleaner you’re basically looking at a dishwasher for smokeware. Once you get the full kit and cleaning solution, it only costs about a dollar per run to clean your glass using ultrasonic waves. And it only takes five minutes compared to however long you’ll need to leave your bowl or bong slide in a cup of alcohol on your counter. And you won’t feel like you’re the guy stealing all the 99% ISO from the sick people. kushmore.co (Photo courtesy of Kushmore)
Plus – Sugar Plum Gummies
Plus is releasing a special edition Strains flavor, Sugar Plum. The new Strains line celebrates the natural properties of strains by highlighting different terpenes and their effects. The Sugar Plum is a celebration of Berkeley Blues and Hawaiian Haze Plum but the line is also available in homages to Lemon Jack, Pineapple Express and Grandaddy Purple. With the Sugar Plum, you can expect flavors similar to blood orange citrus and toasted cinnamon. Plus are widely available all over. plusproductsthc.com (Photo courtesy of Plus)
PBR Cannabis Seltzer
Cannabis seltzers are blowing up. As we stand at the precipice of the Age of Weed Claws, some giant names in the beverage space have eyeballed it as their entry point into the legal marketplace. One of the biggest yet is Pabst Blue Ribbon. PBR represents the second big-name beer company to get in the weed drinks mix following Lagunitas. PBR’s new beverage was developed by Pabst Labs, with Pabst Blue Ribbon granting them the use of its brand. Each can contains 5mg of THC. pabstlabs.com (Photo courtesy of Pabst Labs)
Philter Labs – Philter Phreedom
Don’t you wish you could rip fat clouds from sauce pens everywhere? Planes, restaurants, court? Regardless of your location, the new Philter Phreedom is here to stealth up your vaping. You put the Phreedom over your vape pen and then rip it through it, when you exhale the Phreedom’s carbon filter eats up the vapor. Each one is said to be good for about 100 rips, but if you have a cousin in the flyovers where they haven’t caught up with us on pot policy yet this is a fantastic and thoughtful option. philterlabs.com (Photo courtesy of Philter Labs)
Moose Labs MouthPeace
Back when The Sesh Scene ruled the cannabis event space before being crushed under the boot of Sacramento’s regulatory might, Moose Labs MouthPeace helped prevent many folks from catching the dreaded Wook Flu. The body count for COVID-19 is certainly higher than wook flu at this point, so it’s no surprise to see the MouthPeace making a comeback. If you don’t want to carry around a box of disposable alcohol wipes – if you can even find them given the circumstances – the MouthPeace is an excellent option for being as sanitary as possible in a rotation with friends. MooseLabs.us (Photo courtesy of Moose Labs)
Volcano Gold Classic 20th Anniversary Limited Edition
While many a PR company would try and convince you what the finest vaporizer on the market is, Storz & Bickel’s Volcano Vaporizer has reigned supreme for 20 years. I was first introduced to them in 2005, and in the 15 years since I’ve never come across a more effective tool for using cannabis in a healthy way with instantaneous results. The company is doing a limited release of 100 24-Karat gold-planted Volcano Classics commemorating the 20th anniversary of Storz & Bickel. In addition to the special editions being numbered, they include exclusive packaging, limited edition merchandise and a USB containing a commemorative documentary released in collaboration with Rolling Stone magazine. The official drop date is December 3 at 7 a.m. EST, and it will set you back $999. www.storz-bickel.com/signature-volcano (Photo courtesy of Storz & Bickel)
Exotic Backwoods Flavors
We’re not totally sure there is anything more fun than finding a box of exotic flavored backwoods in your stocking on Christmas morning. They’ve even created their own underground economy of random dudes getting boxes shipped in from Russia then hustling them on Instagram. The things we’ll do to smoke a cigar that tastes like gasoline and bananas. According to Ranker, Russian Cream is the most popular flavor these days with vanilla and grape biting at its heels. The lower the humidity where you live, the better off you are going to a proper cigar shop so you don’t end up with a stale pack. And if you’re reading this thinking you can’t roll a blunt, just try. I bought a pack one day and taught myself years ago. It’s not that hard if you’re willing to screw it up a few times, just like making lasagna. (Photo courtesy of Julian Colton)
Blazer Big Buddy Turbo Torch
In the headiest of headie concentrate circles where the world’s best hash is getting thrown down on the table, one of the most common items you’ll see is a Blazer Torch. But for the exceptional timeless quality of their design, they are a little bulky. For the road warriors dabbing on the go, Blazers Big Buddy Turbo Torch is a smaller version than the original that still gets great results. A lot of people swear by clean quartz as the best way you can take a dab to maximize flavor and experience regardless of how it may look. They’re probably right, so you might as well get the smallest torch you can that will do the job and travels well. blazerproducts.com (Photo courtesy of Blazer)
Stoned Age Edible Company – Cannabis Infused Beef Jerky
We are always excited about cannabis edibles that take a different route. As the list shows we’re big fans of cookies, chocolate and gummies, but beef jerky is one of those things we always hoped for to be done well. Back in the early to mid-2010s there were some attempts, but they were also the messiest edibles of the era covered in THC BBQ sauce. We wanted a more traditional beef jerky to feel with our dosing, and the folks at Stoned Age Edible Company have certainly delivered. stonedagejerky.com
Big Pete’s Holiday Sugar Cookies
The father and son team from Santa Cruz are at it again this holiday season. When they aren’t organizing beach cleanups, Big Pete’s is absolutely pumping out cookies for the masses. As the edible space consolidated following the dosage restrictions of Prop. 64, Big Pete’s cookies continued to shine while the competition fell off one by one. While we went for the Sugar Cookies for the sake of the holidays, all of the flavors are banging, and the Peanut Butter ones have a special place in our hearts. bigpetestreats.com (Photo courtesy of Big Pete’s)
Frosty’s x Str8organics – Str8Papaya Rosin
As Str8organics flower is returning to the marketplace this year, their famous Papaya pheno quickly popped up on everyone’s minds when news of the return got out. Especially in regards to the solventless hash collaborations they’ve done in the past with Frosty’s. We are certainly in luck this holiday season as Frosty’s has recently posted shots of the team preparing this year’s batch for the market. These will be some of the most coveted dabs out there in the months to come. Keep an eye out on fine hash menus and their Instagrams for a shot at it. Feelingfrosty.com (Photo courtesy of Frosty’s)
Pop-Up Sea Salt Potcorn
For those who don’t like sweets and baked goods, popcorn is a great way to get your family high. The folks at Pop-Up Potcorn have it all figured out and as a result you can now find their products on over 60 dispensary shelves across California and Eaze just started carrying them a couple of weeks back. They’re all enjoyable, just make sure you don’t accidentally buy it for your hippie cousin with no microwave. Also, the Jalapeno Cheddar option might be a contender for spiciest weed food because there so few that any dash of heat is gonna get you on the list. popuppotcorn.com (Photo courtesy of Pop-Up Potcorn)
Wonderbrett Half Ounce Deals
The gift of bulk marijuana is always in style. While you may question if ugly sweaters are really going to be in this year, you’ll always be safe with above-average quality large marijuana purchases. They’ll never have that in their closet, and if they do they’ll just move on to yours after they smoke it. Making this eternal Secret Santa softball even easier this year is the fact that local legends Wonderbrett are putting out some killer half ounce deals. Wonderbrett.com
Puffco Peak Pro
As we covered in our exclusive launch interview with Puffco on the Peak Pro, the latest generation of electronic dabbing is really something to behold. Now over 220+ dabs in on mine, I’m really impressed with how sturdy the atomizer build feels when I’m cleaning it out after each rip compared to the original. And in recent news since the launch, Puffco had received Apple App Store approval and optimized its companion app for iOS users but Apple rescinded the approval so they need to use a web app. Android users can use a regular Google Play Store app. I plan on using the new Peak Pro to judge The Emerald Cup’s solventless division in the next couple of months. It’s a fantastic piece of technology. puffco.com (Photo courtesy of Puffco)
Flav Drink Mixes
Flav has been popping since the medical era. Their drink mixes predate the recent wave of Weed Claw hype, and for a while, they were basically one of the only options for people who wanted to drink their weed. While there isn’t an eggnog, there are plenty of other options to spread the cheer this holiday. Some people find them a little sweet, but nobody ever complains about how effective they are at what they’re supposed to do.