Andy Andersen

Creative copywriter and media critic, reporting from Long Beach, CA. 

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Cannabis science, culture, products, business, and entertainment.

Weedmaps News •

We tried it: Farmer and the Felon's UNLOCKED sungrown flower

It shouldn't need to be said, and yet it does: there's more to weed than THC. Much more, though you wouldn't know it on account of how tricky it can be to get a good eighth, half-ounce, or full ounce of bud clockin' in below 25% THC. As both a smokable-flower enthusiast and frequent visitor to dispensaries across Orange and LA County, I can't tell you how many times I've gone into a shop and received a backward glance at the counter because I asked for bud in the 14 - 17% range.
Weedmaps News •

We tried it: Incredibles' Pumpkin Pie Bar

Though the years have been relatively few, the post-prohibition era of cannabis has produced tectonic shifts in how we process and consume the plant. And no other corner of the modern weed market exemplifies these shifts better than edibles. What was once — and, depending on your age, still is — synonymous with high-powered, homemade pot brownies, unruly dinosaur doses of THC, and alarmingly psychedelic highs that last for days, is now associated with controlled dosing, consistency of effect, and more efficacious, non-smokable consumption.
Weedmaps News •

We tried it: Kanha Sour Cherry Belts review

You'd be hard-pressed to find a gummy shortage in any corner of the edibles market. Most edible companies use THC or CBD distillate to infuse their gummies, and typically separate them into 10-milligram pieces. “All of the bright packages and kaleidoscope of flavors could lead you to believe that infused candy possibilities are endless,” wrote Kate Ryan for Weedmaps. “But as a gummy connoisseur, let me tell you: most weed gummies are virtually indistinguishable.”
Weedmaps News •

We Tried It: Kiva Lost Farm Chews Review

Kiva Confections has been in the edible game since 2010, and over the last decade, it has secured a spot at the top of its trade in California's cannabis scene. My experience with the brand has always been overwhelmingly positive. With its flavor consistency and winning 3:1 CBD:THC ratio, Kiva's Camino Sparkling Pear gummies have become a bona fide staple in my stash, an essential treat for easing into a weeknight and drifting to sleep without overdoing it on the THC.
Weedmaps News •

6 weed products journalist Ricardo Baca can't live without

Ricardo Baca is a prolific veteran journalist and considered the first modern weed news editor (outside of the old High Times school). He was an editor at The Denver Post where he ran The Cannabist for over three years. Baca's place “at ground zero of the green rush” was the subject of the 2015 documentary Rolling Papers. Today, he's the CEO and founder of Grasslands, a cannabis PR company dedicated to championing journalism while helping cannabis brands tell their stories.
Weedmaps News •

4 weed products journalist Madison Margolin can't live without

Madison Margolin is the co-founder and managing editor of DoubleBlind, the biannual print magazine and digital media outfit that's taking the psychedelics movement by storm. Before starting the magazine, she and co-founder Shelby Hartman were both prolific cannabis journalists. Though many will be most familiar with Margolin's cannabis coverage in a wide range of publications over the last five years, she's been covering the political, cultural, and spiritual impact of psychedelics
Weedmaps News •

Why Vitamin E Acetate and Other Additives are Causing Concerns about Vaping Cannabis

After more than a thousand respiratory illnesses throughout the United States were linked to nicotine and cannabis vaping products, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched an investigation into the cause of the issue. The investigation has centered on additives in vape cartridges and additives in vape cartridges, and focusing in particular on vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent used in street-market THC cartridges made by unknown manufacturers. As of Oct. 3, 2019, t
Weedmaps News •

Your Doctor May Not Know Much About Marijuana. Here's Why.

In the 21st century, cannabis has seen inroads as a medicine for a variety of illnesses. Though more research is available to reinforce the medicinal potential of cannabis, physicians in the United States remain largely in the dark about marijuana and its medical uses. People are more curious than ever about marijuana as medicine, so it may come as a shock for many to find that their doctor is unlikely to know anything about the plant or its therapeutic benefits.
Weedmaps News •

CBD and Your Endocannabinoid System, Explained

Cannabidiol (CBD) may be the second-most-prominent compound of the cannabis plant, but these days, it's certainly the most talked about among the general population. Though slightly less dominant and historically less sought after than its high-inducing counterpart, THC, CBD has become a major trend not just in the cannabis industry, but also in health and wellness, food, and even cosmetic products. Budding mainstream interest in CBD, combined with mounting evidence detailing its therapeutic ben
Weedmaps News •

10 Highest THC Cannabis Strains You Should Know About

Every year, weed gets higher … in THC, that is. Throughout our shared history with the cannabis plant, we've slowly bred the plant to produce more of its primary intoxicating and psychoactive cannabinoid, with THC percentages of some plants now reaching the mid-30s. Though the cannabis plant contains myriad cannabinoids, with more than 100 cannabinoids identified in the plant to date, it's still tetrahydrocannabinol that reigns supreme in both the public consciousness and the plant we've bred e
Weedmaps News •

The Essential Weedmaps Guide to CBD

Among the general population, CBD is the most talked about and most sought after cannabis compound. The rising mainstream interest in CBD, along with continued research detailing its medical benefits, has the world more curious than ever about this non-intoxicating cannabinoid and its wide range of potential uses. For everyone from the seasoned CBD enthusiast to the newly CBD-curious, here's a comprehensive review of everything you need to know about this popular cannabinoid.
Weedmaps News •

'Marijuana Madness: Revolution' is a Tribute to Weed in the '60s and Today

The venue is Creatington, a 1930s brick building just outside of downtown Los Angeles in Boyle Heights. Inside the venue doors, the space is energized with bright colors, warm shadows, and a smattering of psychedelic sounds playing through the house speakers. One could get lost in a dab of Guild Extracts sauce and the stream of '60s rock moving through the air as an exciting, uncanny, and intimate merging of two revolutionary eras of cannabis — the '60s and the now — but that's the ideal state o
Weedmaps News •

Heady Tech: How Puffco's Glassmakers Contest Advanced the Artform

In the modern age of smart rigs and pocket vaporizers, what becomes of the underground art of glass bong-making? When does technology silence culture? This question prompted upscale vaporizer manufacturer Puffco to collaborate with popular independent glassmakers such as Ryan Fitt, Josh Ford, and Joachim to apply their vision and talent to the Peak, a portable dab rig, by incorporating and honoring the vivid glass culture that paved the way for new modes of consumption. Puffco has been making
Weedmaps News •

Here are the Best Bong Brands You Need to Know About

With the spread of mairjuana legalization and an ever-growing range of products on the market, there have never been more ways to consume cannabis. But that's hardly an indication that the OG methods are falling by the wayside. Yes, vapes and edibles continue to take up a growing portion of the market, with concentrate sales jumping nearly 50% from 2017 to 2018. But the classic blunts, joints, and bongs remain popular among die-hard weed enthusiasts and maintain a cultural bedrock status for ca
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