My top pick for a cannabis holiday gift is an extravagant gadget that in the long run could slash your monthly pot bill. And if your holiday gift lists has lower price points, we have those suggestions too.
The device is called Levo and it simplifies the process of home infusion, making it easy to incorporate fresh or dried herbs into most recipes. If you're currently spending more than you'd like to on dispensary edibles, i.e., prepackaged, getting this machine is a no-brainer. It would also make a great gift for any friend who you know already enjoys cannabis edibles.
When the gadget is on sale you can get the latest model and a bundle of accessories for $199, normally priced at $319. In contrast, another popular gadget, the Magical Butter Machine, is $144.95 when it is on sale. These discounts pop up regularly during the year.
If you're an experienced baker the preparation probably won't daunt you.
But if you want to start making your own edibles and have been discouraged by the lengthy, tedious, and frankly, often stinky, methods of infusing butter and oil manually, consider one of these machines.
With the Levo, you'll be able to skip an hourlong process to decarboxylate the flowers, which is downright smelly in your kitchen while you're pre-heating the flowers prior to the infusion process. The oven preheat can stink up your whole house, and not with the familiar cannabis smell many of us have grown to enjoy.
The turquoise model is already the best looking appliance in my kitchen and if you decide to buy one, you can feel comfortable that it will serve you for at least three years, the length of the warranty. The Magical Butter product has a one-year warranty.
Both machines do an excellent job infusing butter or oil (I used filtered coconut oil, a favorite among canna cooks).
But if you're not planning to spend three figures for people on your gift list, think about getting one for yourself and making baked goods as gifts this year. The machine will quickly pay for itself.
Other gift ideas
For those with a smaller budget, here are some other gifts that would be fun to receive.
For your Jewish friends, Dr. Norm's has released what it claims are the "world's first" Hanukkah cookies.
Dr. Norm's was founded by the brother-sister team of Jeff Koz and Roberta Wilson, in honor of their late dad, Dr. Norm Koz, who, the kids wrote on the website, "gave special old school care to every patient." The cannabis cookies are widely available in dispensaries and online.
Since the pandemic struck earlier this year, those crowded smoke sessions where a pipe is passed around are now just a memory. And because it's often difficult to find isopropyl alcohol wipes, which are also awkward to use, Kushmore has invented a new cleaner for glass smokeware using ultrasonic waves. The company's complete cleaning kit is $35, which winds up costing about $1 for every item cleaned.
And do you vape cringe when the clouds from your pen waft everywhere? The PHreedom is a gadget that you put over the vape pen and when you exhale the device's carbon filter eats up the vapor. Each device is good for about 100 rips, the company says. I don't vape but if I did, this device would be mandatory. (The item is $17.99.)
If you would like a ready supply of skunk or gasoline to perfume your home when you're not smoking, Malin & Goetz has a line of room sprays the company says are "earthy, spiced, and rich." Cannabis eau de parfum is $95 for a 10 ml bottle.
Books are a classic holiday gift. Here's a coffee table book for the curious stoner who wants to learn more about weed culture or an explanation of the difference between an indica and a sativa. "Weed: Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Too Stoned to Ask" is $19.95 on Amazon.
And if you use one of the gay brands that make cannabis accessories, the other stoners will know where you're coming from. Pride Concentric Triangles from Higher Standards is a $35 T-shirt that will let others know you're queer.
Bay Area Cannasseur runs the first Thursday of the month. To send column ideas or tips, email Sari Staver at [email protected]
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