So, we’ve been running this column for the last few months, and every time we publish it we’re astounded with the response. Y’all really love to pick the brains of these two nerdy potheads, eh?
We’re stoked with the response we’ve been getting, but don’t let that cause you to slack! Keep all your weird, unusual, or just plain silly pot-related questions coming. We’ll do our best to answer them. As long as y’all quit texting us in the middle of the night asking what a dime bag is, anyway. If that starts happening again, we’re hitting block on both the phone and your inquiries.
Just kidding! Send us all the questions by phone, email, or carrier pigeon and we’ll be happy to answer them for you.
Now, onto this week’s big questions. This round includes some advice on tipping etiquette, an educational overview on popcorn nugs, and a little bit about that old friend called stoner paranoia. Light one up and join us, won’t you?
Every time I go to a dispensary, I’m never sure whether I should tip my budtender or not. Should I be tipping?
Blaze: When it comes to deciding whether it’s appropriate to tip or not, it usually comes down to customer service for me. I know lots of people have lots of different opinions on this, but that’s just how I feel about it.
In this case, however, I am a strong advocate for always tipping your budtender, if you can. Not only do budtenders do the very important task of getting you your weed, but a good budtender will take the time to make recommendations and educate customers on cannabis. Also, anytime you have to work a customer service job with a smile plastered on your face all day, you have my pity. So, yes! Tip your budtender, tip your barista, and tip your waiter.
Puf: Gurrrrrrrl (or boooooooy) — you better be tipping! You know how bartenders slang dranks for you in normal times when we’re not all stuck inside hating life? Yeah, it’s pretty much the same type of situation here. No, your budtenders aren’t using shakers to mix up your edibles (that would be cool as hell tho, right?) but they are offering you a service that you can’t get without them. Like, good luck getting the right dosage if your DIY-ing edibles. See you on the other side of that overwhelming trip, I guess.
And, you’re also really rewarding your budtender for their knowledge bank with your tip, too. Think about it. They’re the ones who know the answers to all your weird, noob, frustrating, out-there, or status quo questions when you aren’t sure what a strain is or what would be best for easing muscle soreness. They’re weed experts, man! Don’t you want to make sure they’re taken care of?
That said, I’m sure tipping isn’t **required** of you at any dispensary, but if you want to do the neighborly thing (and the good customer thing!) you best be tossing some dollar dollar bills their way when they ring you up.
And don’t just make it drizzle in the dispensary; make it raaaaaaain! If your budtender took a ton of time out of their day to tell you about the differences between Cheeba Chews and Ripple gummies, or if your budtender was extra patient while you counted out your cash roll, why not do them a solid and tip them out with a phat stack? You’d want someone to do the same for you, right?
I notice that a lot of dispensaries sell popcorn nugs. What is this and are they worth it?
Puf: Man, don’t you dare discount the popcorn nugs! These tiny little nugs aren’t cast-offs! They’re still the same weed you know and love. They’ve just had the unfortunate reality of landing lower on the cannabis plant’s branches as it’s being grown and cultivated.
Because these buds are usually found on the lower parts of the plant in areas close to the soil, they tend not to get the same amount of light, water, space, or nutrients that the buds that are higher up on the plant do. The lower location of the branches causes them to produce smaller, more airy buds with fewer trichomes. These buds, technically known as larf, are colloquially known as popcorn buds when you’re in the weed shop.
Think of it like this: Popcorn nugs are like the runt of the litter. They’re lovable, cute, and best of all? They’re cheaper than some of the more phat nugs that are hand-picked for their stellar qualities.
Because these little buds don’t have that WOW factor that you’d get with full-price bud, they’re usually discounted and sold for a cheaper price than you’d get on those thicc bois from the top of the plant.
But considering that you’re freaking smoking the darn things or making edibles or concentrate, do you really need Instagram-ready bud to show off to your friends? Maybe, and that’s your call, but the popcorn buds on the plant can be a great way to score some stellar weed for cheap. And who doesn’t love a goddang deal?
So again, don’t you dare discount my little friends the popcorn nugs. They’re the real MVPs of the weed shop if you’re broke. Remember that.
Blaze: I personally love, love, love popcorn nugs. They’re just innocent mini nugs waiting to be smoked! Yes, they’re smaller and not as potent as normal bud, but they’re still just as lovable.
These nugs tend to grow on the lower branches of a cannabis plant and have lower levels of trichomes, thus making them less potent, because they get less light than the rest of the plant. Also, they tend to be a bit cheaper than regular flower so they’re also a bit easier on your wallet.
I know CBD isn’t supposed to make me stoned, but if I ingest it, how will it affect me?
Blaze: That’s a tricky question because everyone responds to CBD a little differently. Some people claim not to feel anything at all when they ingest CBD. Other people claim to feel a lot more relaxed, even tired. Like you said, CBD won’t make you feel intoxicated like THC products or alcohol will. In fact, CBD can actually make you feel better, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping or experiencing pain. CBD can be a great alternative to make you more healthy, wealthy, and wise, particularly if you use it medicinally.
Puf: Insert the obligatory “I am not a scientist/doctor/medical professional/someone who passed microbiology on the first try” here. That said, CBD can affect you in a variety of ways. It makes some people sleepy. That happens to my mom, which is why she won’t take it. She ain’t like being sleepy, I guess. Whatever floats your boat.
It makes others relaxed and at ease but not sleepy. That can be a great fix for anxiety or high-strung personality types, but whether it will make YOU relaxed and at ease really depends on how your body reacts to it.
If we’re going on how it makes ME feel, well…that would be nonexistent. I don’t really feel anything when taking just plain ol’ CBD oil. (Don’t @ me, CBD manufacturers. It’s just the way I am!) That said, if I smoke a strain with CBD and THC in it, I can definitely tell the difference. I get more stoned and less anxious. So again, it’s all in how your body reacts to it.
My suggestion, if you’re worried about getting sleepy or too relaxed, is to try it out on a day when you don’t have much to do. That way if you’re rendered useless via relaxation, you can just hang and let it ride. But I would definitely not try it for the first time when you’re anxious about a meeting or a big presentation or something. That right there is just asking for trouble.
I’ve noticed that whenever I smoke weed now it makes me super paranoid. Why does this happen and how can I stop it?
Puf: Speaking. Of. CBD.
This happens to me sometimes! I can get paranoid on some strains! And it freaking blows. I hate it. I don’t like being able to count my heartbeats because I can hear them in my head. I also don’t like feeling like I’m having trouble breathing, which is a new (and super fun!) side effect of some strains for me.
My first suggestion would be to stop going straight up sativa with your strain choices. “Stahp it, Rahn,” to quote the best (and I mean worst) show ever, Jersey Shore. Sativas can amp up the paranoia and anxiety, and you may want to knock that crap off. Go for an indica-leaning hybrid or a straight up indica instead.
My second suggestion would be to try and pair CBD with the THC you’re intaking.
If you’re not finding strains with a good mix of CBD and THC, get some CBD gummies or tincture and try to take them when you smoke or vape. CBD can be a huge help with the anxiety from smoking weed, and I’ve tried it myself. It tends to make me extra stoned, but anecdotally, I have noticed it takes a lot of the edge off (even though I know Blaze is going to shit talk and say otherwise below).
If neither of those work, my suggestion would be to really reel in the intake. Maybe you’re overdoing it. Getting super freaking stoned can be super freaking fun, or it can super freaking suck. You never know how it’ll go, so be careful and don’t overdo it.
That alone could be the source of your newfound weed anxiety, and cutting back could be the key to like, not hating life when you’re stoned.
Blaze: Getting paranoid if you ingest weed is definitely one of the less fun aspects of marijuana. I have multiple memories of sitting in my home, getting stoned, and becoming convinced that someone was trying to break in only to pass out an hour later without a care in the world.
Unfortunately, paranoia can be one of the side effects of THC because of how your brain connects with cannabinoids. You can avoid the heart-stopping terror of a marijuana-induced panic attack by, first of all, avoiding highly potent marijuana strains.
Instead, seek out CBD heavy products with lower amounts of THC. Though, if you’re Puf, this will only make you even more stoned. You can also watch how many increments of marijuana you ingest. Try taking just one gummy instead of two and how that affects your mental state when you’re stoned.
Sir Blaze Ridcully & DGO PufnstufGot weed questions? Send them our way at [email protected] and we’ll make sure Blaze and Puf tackle them. Now go forth, send us your email questions, and remember: always pass the dutchie to the left-hand side.
