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At time of writing, my Christmas shopping is far from complete (read: not yet started) but I feel there’s still plenty of time. Preferring to avoid the crush of crowds at the local mall, I’m doing all of my shopping online this year, and I’m pleased to share some cannabis-inspired gift suggestions that will please even the most discerning enthusiast on your list. Enjoy!
Like many of you, I’m quite particular about the shampoo and conditioner that I choose for myself, and even more picky when selecting them as a stocking stuffer. In this arena, my purchasing decisions are always based on a few key factors: it must be sulphate and paraben-free, it must NOT be tested on animals, and gee, it’s gotta make my hair smell terrific. Welcome to my shower caddy, Upothecary!Upothecary is the sister company of Up Cannabis, a licensed cannabis brand based in Ontario, best known for its association with The Tragically Hip. Formulated by Up’s in-house plant biologist and horticulture expert, Katie Iarocci, this collection of terpene-inspired personal care products includes the “Wake Up” shampoo, featuring limonene (citrus), terpinolene (lilac) and pinene (pine needles), chemicals commonly associated with refreshing sativa strains. The “Ease Up” conditioner includes more relaxing aromatics such as bisabolol (chamomile), caryophyllene (cloves) and linalool (lavender), terpenes that are often abundant in indica-dominant strains. Perfect stocking stuffers.
Confession time: I suffer from a rare (and self-diagnosed) condition known as “compulsive ultra manic incurable nerdism,” or CUMIN for short. It’s true. For years, as a dedicated food & wine-lover and armchair chef, this condition has forced me to devour numerous mid-century cookbooks word for word, from cover to cover, drooling uncontrollably over lengthy articles that detail in minutiae the history and uses of obscure salad greens from central France, among other fabulously fascinating subjects.This condition has, for better or for worse, crossed over to my passion for cannabis, obliging me to consume cannabis books, magazines and articles with increasing abandon. My latest obsession, and another great gift idea is The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life (Greystone Books). Written by award-winning, Vancouver-based journalist Amanda Siebert, and featuring interviews with many acknowledged experts in the field, she offers thoughtful insight about how cannabis might improve your sleep, decrease stress and anxiety, and how it could spice up your sex life. I was particularly intrigued to read more about the history and potential of cannabis as a superfood, considering its underexplored therapeutic potential. So delicious. I bought four copies.
Legalization means that we don’t have to keep our cannabis in a dog-eared shoebox in the back of the closet any more. As long as it’s kept safely from children and pets, we may feel emboldened to store our weed a little more out in the open, in an elegant manner, of course. For the connoisseur whose tastes (and budget) can afford them only the very best ultra-premium cannabis, one must have a storage device to match. Need to impress someone of that caliber this holiday season? Look no further than the Cannaseur.The company, founded by a group of talented woodworkers in Toronto, focuses on producing ultra-premium cannabis humidors that are designed and manufactured in Europe out of sustainably-sourced mahogany and walnut. Storing one’s cannabis in a dark, airtight, temperature and moisture-regulated container is critical to maintain peak freshness and flavour. To achieve this, each humidor is lovingly crafted by hand and includes glass jars to hold dried flower, a precision hygrometer to measure humidity, and an optional lock for safe keeping.
A hard day of selflessness and gift-giving may leave you feeling drained. It’s time for a little pre-Christmas treat just for yourself. I suggest you try a new favourite strain of mine, the recently-released Skunk Haze from BC’s very own Tantalus Labs.A sativa-dominant and high-CBD (11.4%) chemovar, the ladyfinger-shaped, medium-sized buds were a deep forest green, glistening with tiny beads of sticky trichomes. It offered a complex bouquet of aromas that included coconut, red grapes and black pepper, which continued through the palate when inhaled. With a low THC content of just 5.9%, the experience for me was perfectly relaxing, while still leaving me brimming with holiday cheer. Merry Christmas to me.The breakdown: Upothecary terpene-infused shampoo and conditioner ($15 each via upothecary.ca); The Little Book of Cannabis: How Marijuana Can Improve Your Life ($14.95 via greystonebooks.com); Cannaseur cannabis humidor (from $299.00 via cannaseur.io); Skunk Haze, high-CBD, sativa-dominant hybrid ($41.99 / 3.5 grams via bccannabisstores.com)
