Luxury cannabis products to take the edge off death by sinus infection

Hi readers,

A little pillow talk for you from the depths of my weighted blanket, comforted only by a pack of decongestants and a youthful Jeff Goldblum in the 1985 film, Transylvania 6-5000, as I quickly approach the edge of death: nursing a slight head cold after whirlwind week of events, including the biannual Luxury Meets Cannabis Conference (LMCC) in New York City and an overnight upstate jaunt to Syracuse where I visited New York State’s first legal cannabis harvest at Beak & Skiff—a 1,000-acre apple orchard, cider house, distillery, bed & breakfast, and now a hemp research facility. More on that soon, and a repost of my grandmother’s famous Jewish chicken soup recipe below. Feel sorry for me.

LMCC is my favorite B2B conference because it’s mostly a product show, which means I always end up with no less than five bags of cool under-the-radar cannabis beauty, wellness, or edibles brands, as well as the latest wares from solid returnees. Plus, everyone got a copy of the latest issue of Different Leaf’s annual edibles issue (get yours here)!

Admittedly, it is taking my last bit of strength to try to write this newsletter, so first order of business is to thank woman/BIPOC-owned brand, LumiBloom, who rolled into the conference with samples of their peppermint CBD shower steamers. This came in handy as soon as my respiratory system started giving out on me, serving as a nice aperitif for a traumatizing Neti pot waterboarding experience. If you’re the kind of person who is not super into weed, but down with a spa-like vapor bath experience, this might be your jam.

Next, I’d like to give a shout out to the Stone Road, a brand that (crossed fingers) should be operational in New York State as soon as they get licensing and dispensaries exist. I really would like to enjoy your orange-apricot pre-rolls grown on your family-run biodynamic farm in your future home in Red Hook. I know you would, too. Also, they now have cool roll-your-own flower packs, essentially a dreamy design-centric version of classic tobacco rolling pouches with built-in papers. Not only is this such a genius way to package cannabis, but also they have tangible sustainability efforts:

“Our packaging is currently 99% recyclable and made from 100% post-consumer recycled goods). We’re also developing a new sugarcane-based biodegradable bioplastic to shrink-wrap our joint boxes. We are constantly looking for ways to lessen our footprint.”

THANK. YOU.

The general consensus among out-of-town visitors attempting to interact with the New York’s flourishing cannabis market has been described somewhere between “a shady thing in an alley” and “a murky gray area,” with a lot of heavy sighs and shrugs from operators regarding their expectations or plans for state expansion, be it legacy operators or MSOs (multi-state operators), both entrenched in the same wait-and-see game. This isn’t to say it will necessarily be bad, but the Northeast has been generally inconsistent across state-lines with substantial lag time for licenses and high expectations for reparative justice programs intended to benefit small businesses and those formally impacted by the war on drugs. So, everyone is both upbeat that at least it’s not California, while on edge that it might be.

Still, that isn’t stopping people from pursuing their dream businesses, while being forced to reckon with elevated competition to step up their game—my priority, as someone both anticipating extremely high mark-ups at the dispensary like every other state and also invested in how closely this will follow New York’s Farm Bill Law (something I mention ad nauseam because I just don’t get why every state doesn’t do this).

The shorthand of this is that the bill essentially empowers small farms with a tax break incentive for cooperative business, lowering the carbon footprint, increasing the production of (really good) produce and artisan-made products, retaining the state economic income, and also creating tourism byways for folks charmed by places like Hudson Valley, the Catskills, Finger Lakes, Adirondacks, and even Long Island, if you can believe it.

Anyway, back to the conference. Here are a few brands that stood out:

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The Weed Witch Hit List

Sass: Pleasantly surprised—albeit, somewhat embarrassed—to discover this brand given that they are apparently all over New York City at Hester Street Fair, Greenpoint Terminal Market, Grand Army Plaza, and Hekate. Their fine infused bon bons and chocolate bars are infused with our favorite magical ingredient, cannabis, as well as fun flavors like kettle chip and rose coffee cardamom. For those interested in dabbling with psychedelics, you can learn more here.

Kiva: This brand hardly needs an introduction considering they’re internationally recognized as the gold standard of edibles, leveraging locally sourced cannabis and sustainably sourced cacao for their extremely potent cold water hash chocolates that are sealed with a chef’s kiss: biodegradable, fully recyclable packaging. Take that, big plastic! However, I did receive a tip: limited edition infused powder gravy packets for Thanksgiving (sadly, only available in California at the moment).

oHHo: New York’s oHHo came onto my radar during the pandemic, when I received a nice little care package of their Vermont CBD oil, made with organically, sustainably grown full-spectrum cannabis hand-cultivated in Battleboro. I thought that was really good, until I was completely blown away by their swoon-worthy Dream Cream laced with bergamot and neroli aromatics, and their full-spectrum Repair Balm—among my favorite topicals. The balm was incredibly helpful for speeding up my recovery when I scraped up my hands and knees after taking a tumble earlier this summer in Hudson. But get this: they now have a second formulation of the Dream Cream coming out, and it smells like a magical Hudson Valley forest, as well as premium CBD single-origin chocolates.

Chef for Higher: “Hawaii” Mike Salman has a pretty substantial footprint on New York’s cannabis culinary scene, making the rounds with his stoned supper clubs. From the outside, I can sense it’s been an awkward dance for legacy operators trying to transition into the mainstream and appreciate when I see underground brands surfacing at these events. Presently, Chef For Higher does private events for two to 200, and has a Dinner Is Dope event coming up on 11/11 (make a wish!).

Walala: The downside about this Japanese CBD skincare line from Tokyo is that you can’t presently get it in the U.S. The interesting part of this brand, is that it’s a Japanese CBD skincare line from Tokyo—a place where cannabis is very illegal. Walala was the first CBD skincare brand to be sold in Japan thanks to a loophole: it’s made with bio-synthetic CBD. The brand was developed by Mike Eidlin, a Tokyo-born California-raised entrepreneur, who has a fascinating interview in Asian Americans for Cannabis Education on the why and how he did this.

Black Dahlia: I first spotted Black Dahlia’s CBD lollipops about a year and half ago at Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store in Brooklyn, where they had stand out flavors like bergamot, prickly pear and Paloma. At the show, I was able to get a taste of their sea salt caramel and Grand Cru CBD bonbons, which were just the most delicious little things made with 64% chocolate noir and filled with browned butter caramel ganache. They also made a line of CBD home goods now, including therapeutic massage candles.

Sackville & Co.: Anyone who has ever met me has probably seen me brag about my favorite smoking accessory: their classy gold carry case keychain. Or maybe it’s their coffee table worthy Gilded Grinder. About a month ago, I spotted their papers at Sunnyside, which might be my new favorite Chicago dispensary, even if it forces me to go into Wrigley, simply because they did a decent job on their merchandising and carry a fine selection of products. As part of their foray into the New York market, Sackville now have a Big Apple grinder and a bunch of New York-y Big Apple swag like sweatshirts, sweatpants, tote bags and those iconic coffee cups that are basically extinct here beyond ironic ceramic mugs. More so, they’ve set up a creative design studio for compliant cannabis packaging, production and sourcing, branding and art direction, which is basically every stoner art student’s dream.

Leune: This woman-owned brand got its start in California, expanded to Arizona and Maine, with high hopes of entering the New York market (pun intended!). Leune’s brand is less strain-focused and more effect-positioned to appeal to the younger and more novice cannabis user. Most of their products are on the micro-dosed side, including the baby-sized gram ‘littles’ that offer smart economic portioning for sometimes-smokers who end up wasting precious weed stored in dried-out containers they might pick up for a couple hits every three months or so. Also, they have a cute custom magazine called Honestly Grown.

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Recipe: Grandma CAT’s Jewish Penicillin x Carly’s Potza Balls

“Isn’t this just a mirepoix?” I was recently asked, regarding the one recipe that defined my understanding of holistic healthcare: Jewish penicillin, passed down lovingly from one mother to her daughter at a time.

“Yeah, I guess,” I admitted. “Also, I fucked it up and added garlic, and cooked it in an Instant Pot. Why did I do that?”

In the fourth edition of Pipe Dreams by The Weed Witch, I shared this recipe with some weed-infused kneidlach I developed on a whim while trapped in an apartment with a very lovely 57-year-old lesbian in a Kensington sublet during the first six months of the pandemic in 2020. Typically, I make a very large batch in advance and freeze it so it is waiting for me during desperate times like these. Hopefully this helps you during this upcoming cold and flu season.

Grandma CAT’s Jewish Penicillin x Carly’s Potza Balls

Grandma CAT is a legendary and highly underrated home cook whose recipe for Spanish “Tango Chicken and Rice” recipe will be forever immortalized within the annals of the local newspaper that no longer exists. Classics are always worth revisiting and reinventing to modern times, and this recipe is super easy to add to your collection. Just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and let the good times roll. 

Cooking time: 1 1/2-2 hours

For the soup

1 4-pound chicken or 4 pounds of chicken thighs (preferred)
4 quarts water
4 whole carrots, chopped
4 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
1 large onion, quartered
Fresh parsley
Fresh dill
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper (try Szechuan peppercorns for a tingly surprise)

For the potza balls

Matzo ball mix (Streit’s or Manischewitz are great—here’s a gluten-free version, too)
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp Green Fairy Butter*, to follow
Egg noodles

Directions

Wash chicken thoroughly and place in a large pot. Add water. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and skim foam off the top. Add all other ingredients and boil. Lower heat to keep the soup simmering for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain soup, discarding all except the carrots and chicken (unless you want to keep anything else for texture/color). Chill soup. Remove fat from the top. Serve hot with noodles or matzo ball or whatever. 

Pro-tip: Reserve leftover cooked chicken in separate container, which is good for chicken salad. Stock is always good for everything ever. 

For matzo balls: Take one packet of matzo meal

*DIY Green Fairy Herb-Infused Butter

Yields 60 Servings (10 mg/tsp.)

1/4 cup ground or finely chopped herb
1/2 cup butter
Metal strainer / coffee filter / cheesecloth Mason jar with sealed lid

1. Using a double boiler or a small saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Slowly mix in the greens, stirring frequently. Small bubbles at the edges will start to form, be sure to scrape the sides and continue mixing on and off for 45 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes, and continue to stir. Place the strainer of your choice over the opening of the mason jar, and pour the mixture through the strainer into the jar. Squeeze any excess butter through the top of the strainer and discard the extracted greens. This straining process can be done 2 to 3 times depending on how clear you would like your extract to be.

3. Seal with lid and immediately chill in the refrigerator.

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