2016 Archives

The best nail for your dabbing experience depends on what you’re looking for. Some nails heat up quicker than others and some provides users with better flavor. So choose your nail by deciding how much you’re looking to spend, whether flavor matters, and how hot you like your dabs. Here we go through the main differences between the most common nails to help you find the best nail for using your concentrates.
Titanium Nail
Titanium nails are known to heat up the quickest and also cool down the fastest. So if time saving is a key factor in why you do dabs then a Ti nail might suit you. Titanium comes in different grades so make sure you know what you’re paying for. Titanium comes from grade 1 to 5, the lower the number the purer the titanium. This is why Grade 2’s are the most expensive, safest, best tasting titanium nails currently available on the market. If your nail turns white instead of red when being heated, that is a sign of titanium oxide being released in the form of white flakes that are unsafe to inhale. The lower the grade of titanium the less chance of titanium oxide or other contaminants to flake off of the nail. It’s also worth noting that being grade 2 doesn’t necessarily mean the nail is safe for use, make sure it’s MEDICAL grade 2 titanium. Two companies known for using grade 2 titanium are Santa Cruz Shredder & Highly Educated.
Ceramic Nail
If you’d like a less hot dab you’ll need a nail that can retain heat. Ceramic nails hold heat for longer than titanium and many quartz nails. Users report better flavor from concentrates when using ceramic over titanium. Since ceramic holds heat better you will want to let the nail cool after heating or your oils will burn instead of vaporizing, wasting precious THC and any ruin the flavor while burning your throat and lungs. Ceramic doesn’t come with grades so if you want a quality ceramic nail you should just go with a company known for quality like Hive Ceramics.
Glass Nails
There are many different types of glass nails but the most 2 common are quartz bangers and the glass nails used with domes that usually come with rigs. Quartz bangers have become the favorite among concentrate users because it maximizes flavor. The heat retention of Quartz bangers depends on how thick the quartz is. A 2mm quartz banger will probably only hold heat for about 10 to 15 seconds before coming too cool to vaporize thc. A 4mm thick banger on the other hand, will need to be heated for longer and cooled for about 40-60 seconds before dropping the dab. The two main types of quartz bangers on the market are American-made and Chinese-made. American brands like Quave Club Banger and Sugar Cube Banger use pure quartz. Some Chinese-made bangers consist of quartz mixed with other glass and since there’s not usually a name attached you may be gambling on that quartz banger purchase. However, China made bangers can come close to the quality of American-made at a fraction of the price due to the fact that they are mass produced.
In Conclusion
The best nail for your concentrate experience depends on your preference but lately quartz has gained the most popularity because thick quartz can both retain heat and provide more flavor than metal and ceramic but to each his own.

Recently the streets of bed-stuy, a neighborhood in Brooklyn was left looking like a scene out of a zombie movie. 33 people were hospitalized in Brooklyn for K2 overdoses. K2 is also known as synthetic marijuana or spice and it has been known to cause hallucinations, rapid heartbeats, and seizures. Some have also died from synthetic marijuana unlike the drug it was named after.
It’s legal
K2 has only recently become banned in some states recently but it’s still legal in many parts of the U.S.
It’s cheaper than weed
Bags were being sold in pre-packaged glycine bags for as little as $3 so it comes as no surprise why K2 was so popular in one of the cheapest neighborhoods to live in in NYC. Online grams can be found for $7 when on average a gram of weed is sold for $20. Some of the K2 bags are filled with nothing more than herbs sprayed with chemicals that adversely affect the brain. Even though K2 was outlawed in NY last year the penalties associated with selling and possessing synthetic marijuana are much less severe than the ones associated with actual marijuana which is less harmful.
They can’t find weed
Some people just don’t know anyone who sells weed so they try to replace marijuana with its more deadly synthetic counterpart. People in states that don’t have recreational marijuana are forced to socialize and meet pot dealers but not everyone is fortunate to come across one but K2 can be found on the shelves of grocery stores and delis.
They need to pass drug tests
K2 does not appear on most standard drug tests. K2 would require a separate more expensive drug test so most places end up not testing for the substance and drug users are aware of this flaw in the sytem. People who are on probation or feel the need to get buzzed beyond alcohol but get drug tested at work may turn to K2 for a good time. Tyssen Walker, a K2 user, said “I am on probation and I didn’t want to come up with a dirty urine but I didn’t want to stop doing drugs.” This is one of the main reasons people use K2 despite the harmful side effects.
Underage teens
K2 is sold as incense or potpourri which are not sold for smoking and do not require an ID. This has made the drug alluring to teens between the ages of 15 to 18 who can’t even buy cigarettes yet but can legally purchase and smoke these “incense” packets that make some teens and even adults feel like they’re dying.
The bottom line
Even in places like New York where K2 is banned, spice use is still popular due to the low costs and inaccessibility of real marijuana. The K2 epidemic is one that might see it’s end if legalization ever hit the federal level. Until then some folks in states without recreational marijuana will turn to more deadly alternatives when chasing their highs.
image credit: avvo.com

Substance abuse has been linked to a greater link for divorce but how about in the case of marijuana? New research has found that frequent marijuana use by couples is associated with less domestic violence.
This information comes from research performed at Yale, Buffalo, and Rutgers Universities. Hundreds of couples applying for marriage licenses were studied to measure the effects marijuana use can have on intimate partner violence or IPV. According to the study, acts of physical aggression like slapping, beating, and choking are considered IPV.
Since other substances like alcohol were known to increase domestic violence, the hypothesis in the study was that marijuana would also increase domestic violence. However, this was not the case and the more frequent marijuana was used the cases of IPV were decreased for both men and women within their first 9 years of marriage. 37 percent of the men studied had domestic violence incidents within the first year, it was the ones that smoked that fought the least. The study found that couples who BOTH used marijuana were at a lower risk for IPV than couples that only had one smoker in the relationship.
Besides decreasing violence at home, weed has also helped couples better their sex lives. Users have reported being able to orgasm easier when high. Others have reported intensified orgasm and more endurance in bed. Participants in a series of studies from the 70’s and 80’s reported “enhanced touch, heightened intimacy, stronger orgasms and better sex in general.”
If both partners smoke weed that’s automatically a common interest. It’s a lot more fun having someone to spark up with than to keep someone waiting because you want to spark up before you go. According to a study from 2013, having common interests is viewed as a “key connector” in relationships.
Another survey suggests that marijuana smokers are moral and selfless in romantic relationships. There are dating sites for pot-smoking singles and one did a survey to gauge the moral compass of its users in their relationships. According to the, “Do weed smokers ‘do the right thing?’” survey was presented to about 25 percent of the sites 4,500 registered users. All age groups were represented in this survey. The majority of responders were against cheating in relationships. A small 2 percent claimed they would cheat even knowing they would get caught. 77.8 percent of respondents claimed their partner’s pleasure was more important than their own. If you’re tired of selfish partners it might be time to date a stoner. These 420 dating sites provide people with a way to connect with potential spouses who they already know are okay with their lifestyle choices.
So smoking makes sex better, makes couples fight less, and it makes couples more moral and selfless in romantic relationships. More research may need to be done to be certain but cannabis appears to help couples connect and stay together so you shouldn’t be afraid to pass the jay your significant other’s way.
image credit: BARCROFT

Marijuana use has been legalized in half of the country – in 4 states with recreational and medical use, and in 21 states with only medical legalization. It seems that public opinion of the herb is headed towards one of acceptance, especially for its healing properties and its reputation as a safer recreational substance. However, this view has not been welcomed in the workplace, even in states that have been recreationally legalized like Colorado. Interestingly enough, some companies have made their drug-testing policies even stricter since legalization.
Why?
Companies fear of a workforce full of stoners. Employers fear that marijuana will affect work performance. There have been many cases where people who were treating certain conditions and injuries with medical marijuana, and were fired from their jobs after failing a random drug-test. Efforts to explain to their employers that they are patients with a prescription or a medical marijuana card were ignored, with the argument that it could not be determined whether employees are abusing the substance that they are prescribed. An employer may decide to drug test a worker who was injured on site and they would test positive for marijuana even if they didn’t smoke at or before work. This would then prevent the employer from having to pay for the work-related injury even if the worker wasn’t high when the injury happened.
Is Marijuana discrimination legal?
Some states such as Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine and Rhode Island have ruled it to be illegal to discriminate medical marijuana users in the workplace. On the other hand, some states such as Florida have made it totally legal to discriminate. Because marijuana is not legal on the federal level, its position remains in a legal grey area even in legalized states, giving employers the ability to discriminate against users.
The Problem of Drug-tests
It has been estimated that a whopping 90 percent of Fortune 1000 companies and 62 percent of employers throughout the country administer mandatory drug-tests. These numbers are striking due to the fact that drug-tests are not always accurate or reasonable.
Studies have actually proven the urban myth that even a small amount of poppy seeds, such as the sprinkle of them you can find on your bagel, can trigger positive results for opiods. This suggests that drug-tests aren’t always accurate.
Drug-tests target marijuana way easier than other illicit substances. The human body can get rid of traces of amphetamines, cocaine, morphine, LSD, and even more substances well within 48 hours. Marijuana or THC on the other hand, depending on how often one consumes it, may take between a week and as long as 30 days for the substance to leave the body. THC may also come up on hair follicle tests even if you haven’t smoked in months.
Due to the long time that marijuana stays in one’s system, stoners who quit looking to pass a test are less likely to pass than someone doing heavier drugs only a few days prior to testing. Based on the facts do you think drug tests unfairly target marijuana users?
image credit:  GORD WALDNER / SASKATOON STARPHOENIX