Category: Industry

For as long as cannabis has consumed the minds of prohibitionists, politicians, and lawmakers, there have been influential cannabis icons that have popularized the drug, bringing it into the mainstream.

These icons play a momentous role in cannabis legalization for states nationwide. Their continued support for cannabis use and the cannabis industry is only creating a brighter future for cannabis in the U.S. and those who use it.

Keep reading to learn about some of the most influential cannabis icons.

Jack Herer

Herer is known as the “father of marijuana legalization” and “the emperor of hemp” and even has a cannabis strain named after him.

In 1973 he opened his first head shop, called High Country, and began compiling information about the Cannabis plant, including its uses as hemp and as a drug.

After a dozen years of research, in 1985, he published his non-fiction book “The Emperor Wears No Clothes.”

Many mark the release of this book as the beginning of the cannabis legalization movement, and the text is still used today to promote legalization and cannabis law reform. Herer was so confident in the claims made in the book that he included an offer of $100,000 to anyone who could disprove them.

Wanting everyone to have access to the book, Herer published it online for free. However, editions are also available for purchase on Kindle and paperback.

Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong

These two are easily the funniest cannabis campaigners in history. The comedians performed together in the 1970s and 1980s when cannabis was considered taboo among general audiences.

In 1978, they released their first featured film, “Up In Smoke,” which is widely credited as the first stoner comedy film.

The characters they played while performing standup, acting in films, and recording comedy records were major successes with audiences.

The two created hyperbolic versions of the people the audience was already seeing in the growing hippie counterculture. They were trailblazers for the stoner tropes still portrayed in media today.

Both run independent cannabis companies, Tommy Chong’s Hemp and Cheech’s Stash.

Willie Nelson

“Roll me up and smoke me when I die.”

This iconic opening line of Willie Nelson’s 2012 song “Roll Me Up” is an excellent example of just how big a role cannabis plays in Nelson’s self-identity.

Throughout his career, Nelson has promoted cannabis and its uses. When touring from gig to gig, he was notorious for swapping his stash with fans who offered him some of their Mary Jane. For him, cannabis culture is a way of life, and he lives by the philosophy, “my stash is your stash.”

In 2015, he released a line of cannabis called “Willie’s Reserve,” By 2016, he had stores in Colorado, Washington, Las Vegas, and Oregon. True to his philosophy, Willie’s Reserve® “pays tribute to the tradition of sharing, caring, and toking.”

Beyond his love for cannabis and the community, Nelson is also one of the cannabis revolution’s most passionate and dedicated supporters. While he is undoubtedly a renowned and timeless American country musician, Nelson is also Co-Chair of the National Organizational for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).

Snoop Dogg

Snoop Dogg has always been very open about his cannabis use. Countless references to cannabis are found throughout his discography, from his earliest work to newer hits.

Allegedly, Snoop was introduced to cannabis by Tupac Shakur at a 1994 party for the movie Poetic Justice. That night he smoked his first blunt. Ever since he has preferred blunts over any other consumption method.

By 2015, the rapper entered the world of cannabis education and business:

• April 2015 – invests in Eaze, the Uber of weed delivery that advertises delivery within ten minutes; delivery is currently available in California and Michigan
• September 2015 – launches the cannabis-focused digital media platform MERRY JANE; the platform features a database for identifying cannabis strains and dispensaries, an original video series, and editorial content on the business and politics of the cannabis industry

• November 2015 – launches his line of cannabis products, Leafs by Snoop (rebranded as LBS in the Canadian cannabis market)

Snoop also partially owns Canopy Growth, the largest global cannabis and CPG organization in the world.

North Dispensaries

At North, we know we wouldn’t be where we are today without the cannabis cultural icons that have paved the way for cannabis legalization and industry.

Even though we did our best to include some of the most notable cannabis icons in our list, many others have and continue to work to decriminalize and destigmatize cannabis.

There are so many ways that cannabis can benefit individuals. That’s why we sell only premium medical cannabis products at our Pevely and Hillsboro locations.

If you need medicinal cannabis, check out our locations and hours.

Now that more states are legalizing cannabis for medical and recreational purposes, it’s time we take a hard look at why legally purchasing cannabis is better for you and those around you.

Cannabis has long been controversial, but it doesn’t have to be. Forget about the black market and illegal deals and opt for something that even the most strait-laced all of us can get on board with! Keep reading to learn the benefits of buying legal cannabis.

What Is Black-Market Cannabis?

When looking at why the United States should legalize cannabis, it’s helpful to look at a nation that already has. One of the reasons Canada legalized recreational cannabis use was to reduce black-market activity in the country.

The black market is any underground transaction where goods and services are illegally exchanged.

By legalizing cannabis, they were able to add more retail stores and increase quality control measures to ensure customer safety and satisfaction. These changes seem to be working because, as of 2020, the black-market supply dropped 21% since legalization in 2018.

Black market cannabis is typically obtained through the following channels:

• Illegal websites that are selling cannabis
• Unlicensed brick-and-mortar dispensaries
• Street dealers

The suppliers of black-market cannabis often have strong ties to gangs and organized crime. Black-market cannabis also does not pay any taxes, meaning there is no public gain from its sale.

Why Should You Promote Legal Cannabis?

There are many reasons why you should legally obtain your cannabis products. These include:

• Testing your products – there are regulations that legal cannabis providers must follow to make a profit. The legal market must test all cannabis products for molds, heavy metals, pesticides, fungus, and other microbials.
• Maintaining product consistency – The testing on the product helps maintain its consistency and supply chain transparency.
• Promoting socio-economic development – Illegal operations do not pay taxes on their profits. They do not participate in or help provide education, advocacy, social equality, living wages, or community programs.
• Breaking the stigma – Not only does buying legal help cut down on crime, but it also helps ensure safe access to cannabis and propels cannabis research. The stigma is also broken when more and more people promote and train for cannabis careers.

Along with undergoing testing for safety purposes, legal dispensaries will indicate potency and other information like cannabinoids and terpene content on the label of your products. Now, you don’t have to second guess how much THC or CBD is in your cannabis, which is critical, especially for medical cannabis patients.

Legal Cannabis’ Largest Threat

The most significant threat to the legal cannabis industry is the illegal market. California collected 55% more tax revenue from legal cannabis sales in 2021 than it did in 2020. Yet, California is struggling compared to other states primarily because the illegal market in the state is at least twice the size of the legal market.

Some think the answer to this problem is to gut regulations and cut taxes on cannabis. However, all that will do is make it harder for people to obtain safe cannabis and take away money from schools, healthcare, equity programs, environmental programs, and essential childcare.

“The answer is to enforce laws against illegal growers, dealers, and unlicensed dispensaries,” according to Timmen L. Cermak, MD. If the United States can successfully regulate the production and sale of illegal alcohol, there is no reason it cannot protect the legal cannabis industry.

North Dispensaries

North Dispensaries provide medical cannabis to the individuals of Pevely and Hillsboro, Missouri. We have dedicated ourselves to providing high-quality products to those who need them most.

The illegal cannabis market only adds to the negative stigma surrounding cannabis use and delegitimizes those who legally provide cannabis. Promote legal cannabis sellers today to ensure that cannabis continues to impact our communities positively!

Don’t have a medical cannabis card? No problem! Follow this link to learn how you can obtain one today.

Concentrates are the products of extracting plant matter from cannabis, leaving behind cannabinoids with unique properties. This includes THC, which is known for its euphoric experiences, CBD, which is responsible for healing, and terpenes, which provide the aroma. The whole goal of creating concentrates is to keep the desirable elements of the plants but to eliminate the plant matter.

Why Go with Concentrates?

Concentrates are known for their flavor, potency, and wide variety of products. They are great for medical cannabis users looking for immediate pain relief, experienced cannabis users, and people looking to try something new.

The versatility of concentrates is a great reason to give them a try. For starters, you don’t just have to smoke concentrates; there are many ways you can consume them. They are also very effective, meaning a little goes a long way. And, finally, the extracts that concentrates are made from are refined. This creates a smooth, clean inhale when vaporized.

So, just how are cannabis concentrates made?

How are Concentrates Made?

There are two categories that concentrates fall under. These are solvent or solventless. However, each category has a couple of subcategories that you need to know about.

Solvent Concentrates

1. Butane- also know as BHO (Butane Hash Oil), extractors add butane solvent to fresh, frozen flower or cured bud to strip the essential oils from the plant. The final product is an extract that retains all the cannabinoids and terpenes. However, it’s not done there. This extract then must be purged in a vacuum over. During this process the remaining chemical solvents evaporate from the extract.
2. Carbon Dioxide- By exposing a combination of cannabis and gas at high temperatures and pressures, you get a crude extract that needs to undergo distillation. Distillation further refines the product and allows manufactures to isolate cannabinoids.

Solventless Concentrates

Solventless concentrates are made when heat and pressure is applied to the cannabis flower. There are two different categories of extracts that come from this process.

1. Dry sift/dry sieve- this is process of rubbing or rolling dried flower over a sieve to collect trichomes (the resin glands of cannabis). This product is also known as kief and looks like a crumbly, off-white powder.
2. Ice water hash/bubble hash- the extraction process involves tumbling cannabis flower through ice water, filtering it through fine mesh, and letting it dry. It can be dry, chalky, or greasy.

Textures

Every concentrate falls into a category of textures or consistencies. Here are the different textures you can see with different concentrates.

Sauce

Sauce is a runny, terpene-rich concentrate that occurs when the cannabinoids and terpenes are separated. Some products are labeled HTFSE (high-terpene full-spectrum extract), which means it’s a terpene-rich concentrate that still maintains a well-rounded cannabinoid profile. Sauce is thicker, stickier, and more viscous in texture than sugar, and has a more uniform structure.

Sugar

Sugar is used to describe any concentrate that has a similar consistency to a wet, sappy sugar. This texture is not uniform in nature and typically is colored anywhere between bright yellow and deep amber.

Rosin

Rosin is pure and has no solvent residue. This shatter-like concentrate retains more terpenes and flavonoids and is great for people looking for flavor and purity. It is made by heating and pressing dried flower, hash, or kief together.

Live Rosin

Live rosin has no solvent residue and is made by pressing bubble hash that came from freshly frozen flower

Live Resin

Live resin is a solvent-based (usually BHO), high-quality concentrate. The extreme flavor is achieved by flash-freezing the whole cannabis flowers and then extracting them.

(“Live” products are frozen immediately after harvest.)

Budder

Budder is an amber/yellowish concentrate that resembles butter. Its flavor, colorfulness, and aromatic properties separate it from other concentrates. The creamy texture makes it easy to consume and store. The high THC levels produce a joyful and euphoric experience.

Hash

Hash is kief compressed into a block and has been used for thousands of years by different civilizations.

Ice wax

Ice wax is a subcategory of bubble hash, this concentrate is the highest grade of bubble hash and can be dabbed. Identified by its fine, grainy, sand-like texture.

Wax

Wax has a gooey, candle wax-like texture achieved by whipping it during the purging process. Usually a yellowish-brown color, these concentrates are very potent and can be used to relieve several health issues, like chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

Shatter

This concentrate looks like glass and shatters into tiny pieces. It should be a clear-thin sheet that is amber or gold in color. Its potency (50%-90% THC) makes it ideal for medical use. It’s excellent for chronic pain and may also help with mood swings, depression, and stress.

Distillate

This concentrate undergoes a complex extraction, separation, and purification process to produce a potent oil. All that’s left after these processes is THC. This 99% THC concentrate has tremendous protentional for medical and recreational use and is often used in edibles and vape cartridges.

Crystalline

This concentrate is isolated cannabinoids in a pure crystal structure. These crystals have no flavor, color, or aroma and are very high in THC (99.9%).

How To Consume Your Concentrates

If you’re looking for something low maintenance, but still want a potency boost, we recommend you top your flower. Adding powdered kief to your bowl or wrapping wax around your joint can up the potency of your smokables with only a little extra effort.

Looking for a light high on the go? Use a vape pen! Pre-filled vape pens are a discreet and efficient way to consume cannabis concentrates. A major plus of this option is that the high sets in almost immediately.

For a long-lasting, smoke-free high, eat an edible. These don’t require any special equipment and they’re easy to consume. However, it may take up to two hours for the full high to kick in.

Finally, if you’re looking for targeted relief, we suggested you try a topical. When applied topically, concentrates may provide the relief you’re seeking, but without the head high.

Head North!

Head North for all your concentrate needs. We have a wide selection to choose from, so it’s guaranteed that you’ll find something perfect for you. Check out our website at https://north.life for all your medical cannabis needs. Also, take the time to check out some of our blogs, here, for more information about cannabis and what it can do for you.