It’s time to talk about something serious: equality. I know this is a weed review, but it ain’t all fun and games (… yes it is, but but still).
While the legalization in Colorado and other states has helped to temper some of the racial disparities related to marijuana, the playing field still isn’t level for people of color. There aren’t nearly as many Black-owned cannabis businesses as there should be in any state, Colorado included. We’re talking a fractional percent, you guys.
Don’t believe me? According to stats released last year on the state of the cannabis industry, less than one-fifth of the people involved at an ownership or stake-holder level in cannabis businesses were people of color. Black people made up only 4.3 percent.
I say all of this because while we’re making headway, we still have a long way to go. And that, my friends, is why I freaking love this week’s product from Prohibition Herb. This dispensary has stuffed their shelves full of a ton of new products, but the one they asked me to review? It was the Aware-N-Us cartridge from Batch.
If you’re not familiar with Aware-N-Us, this group is working to bring social equality to cannabis. They’re partnering with organizations that represent a variety of culturally diverse backgrounds within the cannabis community.
Anyway, so Aware-N-Us recently partnered with Batch to release this high-testing banana-flavored cartridge called Banilla, which not only gets you stoned, but also gives back. About $2 from each cart goes to promoting the mission of working toward equity, diversity, and inclusion in Colorado’s cannabis industry.
Only about 30 dispensaries are able to carry this product, and Prohibition is one of them. Given the mission and the relative exclusivity of the cartridge, I was super excited to try it.
The cart warmed up quickly in some crappy old battery I had laying around. It took maybe one or two clicks to get it to the right temp. I took a huge ass inhale of the vape, expecting it to be status quo.
Oh my dear god, it was not. It was not status quo. That thing tasted like banana and vanilla heaven, but it punched me in the lungs so hard that I coughed for what felt like an hour straight.
It will also get you super freaking high. Shortly after my first puff I started going down a weird rabbithole about money. Like, I don’t know why, but I became super freaking fascinated with the concept of money.
To be fair, I guess the idea of money is still trippy while clear-headed. We basically live in a live version of Monopoly, with all the jerks in charge screaming that they own the Boardwalk property and bought it with the money they just printed (which truly has no real value other than someone said it did), but I know I spent way more time pondering it than I would have normally.
I also tried to talk to anyone and everyone about my thoughts. This vape did not make me sleepy; it made me chatty as hell. So if you’re a fellow introvert, grab this one.
Other than that, it was a super smooth ride. I felt pretty engaged and happy, and I wanted to converse with other humans, which ain’t usually my thing. And it’s been that way every time I’ve warmed this bad boy up. I love it.
I also love the mission behind these carts, which is a huge added bonus. If I can buy into something that does some good while getting me stoned, I am all for it, and you should be too. We all need to do our part to promote equality and undo the messes we’ve made, and while this may seem like a small step forward, I hope it has a wide impact on the industry that I love.
DGO Pufnstuf
