Happy 710 to CAC's Cannabis Connoisseurs
You most likely know about 420 right? For decades cannabis enthusiasts have been celebrating 420 with a good long toke. The origin story of 420 is a little hazy, pun intended, but it centers around the act of smoking marijuana, but do you know about 710?
7/10 is a holiday celebrating the consumption of cannabis oils and if you flip 10 upside down it spells the word OIL! Since around 2012 cannabis enthusiasts have been celebrating 710 OIL Day, and many have called it International Dab Day!
Cannabis oils and concentrates come in all different forms; from shatter and rosin to tinctures and vape oil. Cannabis concentrates have gained so much popularity in the past 5-10 years because the legalization of marijuana in Colorado made it possible for dispensaries to start creating these oils/concentrates safely and efficiently. Extracting at home is illegal and very risky business. Highly combustible and flammable solvents, such as propane or butane, are used to make concentrates like wax, isolate, distillate, etc. In a dispensary, these concentrates are heavily regulated and quality assurance is a necessity. Dabbing and consuming oils has not only become normalized but very popular in legalized states.
Consuming Concentrates
Dabbing
Dabbing is a form of consumption that combusts oils that usually have a much higher concentration of THC. Dabs or concentrates are heated to a very high temperature with a torch and then inhaled through a water pipe called a dab rig. Dab rigs are just like bongs, but with attachments made specifically for concentrates. A nail is the dab equivalent to a bowl and they come in many shapes, sizes and can be made of titanium, quartz or ceramic (There are also electric or e-nails that cut out the need for a torch). You may also need a dab tool, which is a ceramic, glass or metal tool that helps apply the concentrate to the nail, a carb cap, which helps regulate airflow by directing smoke through the rig more efficiently. And a silicone dab mat so that concentrates don’t stick to any surfaces.
Steps to dabbing with a rig:
Turn on your torch and place the flame on the nail or tip of your dab straw. Once it starts getting red hot take the torch off the nail and let it cool for about 30-45 seconds.
Place the concentrate (start out with the tip of a grain of rice, dabs are extremely concentrated) directly onto the nail with your dab tool. Take it slow.
Cover the nail with your carb cap and continue inhaling. Continue to take it slow!
Dab straws are another form of consuming dabs and are heated at the tip with a torch and placed near the oil itself and inhaled through the straw. Straws are simple and take up much less space than a dab rig or bong. There are also many kinds of vaporizing devices now that make it very simple for anyone to dab without the hassle or anxiety of using a torch. For example, dab pens like the Yocan, G Pen or Pax are vaporizers that you can place a dab in a little oven and concentrate heat to the right range of temperatures.
Above are some examples of concentrates used to dab. This and other pictures/resources like it can found at leafly.com
Vapes have gotten a bad rap in the past year because there were people buying black market cartridges and passing away due to the inhalation of toxic chemicals and additives that were put in the oils, such as PEG and vitamin E oil. In Massachusetts, governor Charlie Baker ordered a temporary ban on all vaping products and e-cigarettes which took effect on Sept. 24, 2019 and lasted into December 2019. This was to stop the sale and test all products from retail stores yet none of the deaths actually occurred due to legally sold products (i.e. from a dispensary as well as vape and e-cig retailers).
Dispensaries are very regulated and get tested by a third party laboratory that has to approve of every component in our distillate oils that go into our cartridges. There are no studies that show the long term effects of consuming vape cartridges but you won’t find a safer, more organic, and highly regulated product than from a dispensary. We always encourage you to do research and make an informed decision on whether vaping may be something you are interested in.
That all being said… vaporizers are a discrete and valuable form of consumption. All you need is a pen and cartridge and usually is as simple as knowing how to turn it on and take a hit. They are portable, can be affordable and there is no inhalation of burnt plant matter (unlike smoking). We, at CAC, pre fill our cartridges with our distillate or you can even “One Fill” an empty, reusable cartridge with our refill applicators, which are on sale today!
Our 710 Promotion!!!
For 710 OIL Day at CAC, we are doing a sale on our Litt, Cold Press, and Spiked One Fills starting Friday 7/10 and going through the weekend. Buy 1 fill for 5% off, buy 2 fills for 10% off, buy 3 fills for 15% off, buy 4+ fills for 20% off!
Check out our website and Instagram for more pictures, product descriptions and so much more! Our budtenders and managers are also always happy and ready to answer any questions you may have, so give us a call, put in an order and pay us a visit! Just don’t forget your face mask ;) Again, Happy 710!
Cheers!
Sources:
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/how-to-dab-cannabis-concentrates
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/guide-to-710
https://dutch-passion.com/en/blog/7-10-international-dab-day-celebrating-cannabis-oil-and-cannabis-concentrates-n912
https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/what-are-pre-filled-cannabis-oil-vape-cartridges
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/11/27/vaping-ban-end-early-december/
Happy Pride Month from CAC!
Happy Pride Month Everyone!
This month is a time of celebration, education, and remembrance. We’ve come so far, but we’ve got so far to go.
History of Pride
Marsh P. Johnson, a black transgender woman, and Sylvia Rivera, a latina transgender woman, are credited for leading the uprising at Stonewall, starting the modern wave of the gay rights movement!
June is a very significant month in the LGBTQ community. On June 28, 1969, a series of turbulent demonstrations called the Stonewall Riots, or Uprising, began. These demonstrations were initiated due to a police raid in the early hours of the morning at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village, New York. This issue wasn’t uncommon, in fact police raids were happening very frequently in gay bars all over the country, but that night at Stonewall Inn in 1969 became a catalyst for major changes in the fight for human rights.
In Recent News…
Now, 51 years later in 2020, even though lots of progress has been made, many queer people are still fighting for their right to express themselves without fear. And along with other oppressed communities are still fighting against police brutality. The new rush of Black Lives Matter demonstrations began due to the loss of George Floyd, a man who was pinned down at the neck by a police officer who didn’t let go until it was too late and George ultimately passed away. Again, these are not uncommon occurrences in oppressed groups. We need not forget that Black Lives Matter also means every black life, including queer lives:
Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salaudead, was a black trans woman and Black Lives Matter activist. Rest In Peace Toyin <3
Ever so recently, we lost a young, 19 year old, transgender, black woman and Black Lives Matter activist. Oluwatoyin “Toyin” Salaudead was abducted just after tweeting that she had been sexually assaulted on June 6, 2020. In Tallahassee, Florida, they found her body several days ago on June 13, 2020. An absolutely tragic death of a beautiful young black and trans activist, with a strong social media following, who was willing to do anything she could for her communities. The investigation is still underway.
Occurrences of sexual assault, police brutality, and murder of queer people have been written in our history, and we have a responsibility to educate ourselves so that maybe we can change even one person’s perspective.
Not Uncommon
Chapter 6 of Blueprint for Equality states “Trans people who have done street economy work are more than twice as likely to report physical assaults by police officers and four times as likely to report sexual assault by police.”
All the fear that people believe they have of LGBTQ community is misplaced and on the flipside is a very real fear for queer people everywhere because their lives are the ones at stake on a grand scale. Below is a chart that states that nearly half of the LGBTQ youth is not accepted in their communities. However, even more disheartening is the fact that this is only the children that are brave enough to mention they are queer.
With all that being said, we are halfway through 2020, and it has been a very frightening year but let us celebrate through all the adversity. Pride Month is here and everyone who has sacrificed their lives to make it safer for queer people everywhere is to be commemorated and honored with cheer! We are going on 16 years since Massachusetts made gay marriage legal! Yay Massachusetts! It has also been 5 years since the whole country was legalized! There is a light at the end of the tunnel, it just needs to be seen by everyone, so educate yourself and spread love, not fear. Let’s learn from the past, celebrate the progress and appreciate how much beauty and color the queer community brings to our world!
Cannabis and Pride
Queer rights have a long history alongside cannabis legalization. Dennis Peron, an openly gay vietnam veteran and activist, snuck 2 pounds of cannabis back home with him from war. He had several altercations with the police, vulnerable for being so open and vocal about his continued activism in the gay rights movement and believing that cannabis was a powerful medical plant.
In the 90’s, the AIDs crisis sadly hit the queer community hard and Peron noticed that people were seeing relief of many symptoms that AIDs treatments were causing. Mary Jane Rathbun, or Brownie Mary, met Peron while trying to get involved in helping with the AIDs epidemic. She started selling pot brownies to AIDs patients in hospitals. She had a bunch of arrests due to cannabis but never stopped selling. Peron ended up being one of the co-writers of Proposition P and Proposition 215, causing the legalization of medical cannabis in the state of California. Brownie Mary helped Peron open Cannabis Buyers Club in San Francisco, the first cannabis dispensary in the US! Others involved in the founding the company included Dale Gieringer, Beth Moore, John Entwhistle, Jason Patrick Menard, Gerry Leatherman, Richard Eastman and Tod H. Mikuriya.
Brownie Mary (Mary Jane Rathbun) and Dennis Peron
With ⅓ of queer people consuming cannabis affirming they use cannabis and less than 20 percent of the heterosexual population indicating they use cannabis, the LGBT community has seen profound results in the treatment of mental health. Due to the history of oppression, violence, and constant repression of queer people’s true selves, mental health has become high risk. Cannabis has been shown to help lower anxiety, depression, PTSD and many other illnesses on the mental health spectrum.
The cannabis culture encompasses all other cultures: LGBTQ community, minorities, women, veterans, disabled, etc… Consuming cannabis is an inherently human thing to do, find something helpful to our existence and use it to flourish in this world. We are all on this planet trying to thrive and be happy and wishing or causing ill of others makes no sense for the bettering of society.
The queer community pushes through all the adversity and refuse to hide. We in the cannabis industry have a responsibility to constantly educate ourselves and our employees on the issues and participate in the health and safety of our fellow humans. We wouldn’t have gotten this far in the industry if it weren’t for the queer community.
At CAC, it is our commitment to do better all the time, to learn from our mistakes and educate others. Below are some wonderful resources on all things LGBTQ. We urge you to keep learning as well! Happy Pride Month from Commonwealth Alternative Care!!!
Love has no gender. Love is love.
Sources Used:
NCTE Federal Blueprint of Equality: Reforming Police and Ending Anti-Transgender Violence
Human Rights Campaign: Growing Up LGBT in America
Meet Josh, one of CAC’s Delivery Drivers!
Name: Josh
Hometown: Carver, MA
Years in Cannabis: 1.5 years
Nickname: Redbeard the Pirate
Interesting fact: I am a photography, videographer, and audio engineer outside of work. I can also do a split!
Official Job Title: Delivery Driver
What is your cannabis origin story?
I began smoking in 2013 to help with anxiety and depression. After realizing how much it’s helped me, I found myself learning as much as I could about cannabis, and eventually that led me to working in the industry with CAC today!
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?
Before joining CAC I was working as pizza delivery driver while running my own photo/video side business. Because of that I learned how to efficiently organize deliveries and communicate with clients/patients effectively. On top of that I’m more accustomed to planning projects with a team in mind, organizing timing to get products where they need to go.
What is your strain of choice?
Blue Dream or Jack Herer
What is your favorite edible?
I really like anything chocolate, but our chocolate-covered coffee beans are so tasty I almost always go for them!
Favorite delivery method?
I prefer to smoke flower, though recently I’ve been trying more dabs and finding out what I like.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?
That THCA crystallizes readily when isolated, but Delta-9-THC will not. That, and the fact that there’s a Delta-10-THC cannabinoid that we know barely anything about!
How do you ensure first time visitors are comfortable with their first dispensary experience?
By helping them learn about the products they’re interested in, and guiding them to products that might help them with whatever symptoms they might be experiencing.
What do you do for fun?
Hike, go to local shows, take photos with my friends, garden, and travel :)
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I recently started growing Japanese Maple trees, I’m hoping to make a few into bonsais!
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?
Everywhere, you never know when or where you might learn something new!
What is the coolest new cannabis-related gadget you’ve seen recently?
Rosin presses!
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?
I’ve been a big fan of our Northern Purple Live Resin, it’s super tasty and the effects are really nice and balanced!
Commonwealth Alternative Care Taunton, is Re-Opened!
Good Afternoon CAC Patients. The health and well-being of our employees and patients is at the core of all of our decisions at CAC. We would like to thank you for your patience while we were closed for a period and regrouped. As of Tuesday, March 31st, we have reopened to serve medical patients. Our hours will be from 11AM to 5PM Tuesday through Saturday until further notice.
Some very important changes have been put in place to improve social distancing for patients and employees. We will only be accepting online orders placed on online as well as call-in orders; in-person orders will not be possible. Payment with a debit card is strongly encouraged to minimize cash handling. We will provide curbside service to as many patients as possible.
Curbside service is only possible when all individuals in the car are 21 or older and for orders paid by debit card. It is very likely wait times will be significantly longer than usual; please be patient with us and others.
When placing orders on online, please make sure to watch for text communication from CAC, that will be the best means to communicate with you in regards to your order. For call in orders, please review the menu on our website and contact us at (508) 738-6380 to place your order.
Meet Janet, One of CAC's PSA's!
Name: Janet
Hometown: Chicopee, Massachusetts
Years in Cannabis: One year, and two months.
Nickname: The Baby Frightener
Fun Fact: I also work at a Grateful Dead themed loaded French fry food truck during the summer!
What is your cannabis origin story?
I smoked some radioactive cannabis and I became the superhero PSA I am today :P
What did you do before this and how did it prepare you for your role today?
I was working at a family homeless shelter before I started at CAC. One of the many things I learned while working at the shelter was that sometimes you will encounter people who you are trying to help that will be mean or yell or be downright unbearable. All of those people have something going on in their lives that you don’t know about or you do know about but those outside forces are causing them to act this way. Not everyone knows how to deal with stress or pain and they can take those feelings out on you. Don’t take it personally. You have to work past that to provide the best experience and, in this case, the medicine they need so they can do everyday things that most of us take for granted. It has helped me through tough days to just know I was able to brush off that encounter and help others
What is your strain of choice?
Kiwiskunk. One of my favorite patients and I bond over our love of this strain
What is your favorite edible?
Cake pops! Chef and the kitchen crew, are constantly killin’ it!
Favorite delivery method? e.g. smoke, dab, vape, eat, topical
Dabs.
What is the most interesting thing you’ve learned about cannabis recently?
How CBD interacts with your body and other medications and the BHO and PHO extraction processes and how heat and pressure can have an impact on the final product.
How do you ensure first time visitors are comfortable with their first dispensary experience?
Listening. People come in wanting to talk about their pain or just talk about their lives. Take in that info and actively listen. Take the time to explain items. Show them how to use AND OPEN what they bought. So many people talk about their bad experiences at other dispensaries so I keep those things in mind and try to do better and be better. It's those little things people appreciate.
What do you do for fun?
Hiking, with a smoke session, and cooking/baking!
Do you have any hobbies or collections?
I have a collection of all things Bill Murray. Movie posters, T-shirts, my girl Meg just got me an ornament for Christmas and IT TALKS!! My hope one day is when we go recreational, that he comes into our dispensary. I WILL CRY.
Where do you go to learn more about cannabis?
We have classes that our Sales Floor Leads put on and they are very informative. I have been using the MerryJane.com and MJbizdaily for more industry news and Hightimes to read about fun experiences and new products. Those searches end up putting me in a cannabis rabbit hole so I see a lot of stuff.
What’s your favorite CAC product right now?
NF1, anything!
What do you like most about working at CAC?
My co-workers (dispensary and back of house) are so amazing. They are some of the best people I have ever met. I would also have to say helping out others. We have some pretty incredible patients.
