Farm-to-toke

Hey man. Are we gonna get farmers’ markets or what? Clubs are cool, but I like talking to the farmers and stuff, you know?

—Ivana Schmoke

Yeah, well I have some bad news: Assembly Bill 2641, which would have allowed sales at special events like farmers’ markets, has been held in committee. This means that a legal farmers’ market is not gonna happen until 2019 at the earliest. This is a drag. Folks get to visit wineries and meet the vintners or visit craft breweries to talk to the beer-makers. There is no reason for cannabis to hold to a higher (sorry) standard than booze. I would argue that refusing to regulate things like farmers’ markets, fancy, private cannabis-dinners and other small-scale cannabis events does nothing to eliminate the gray and black market. You can still hit a few gray market, smoke session-style events happening all over the state. Just go to Instagram and look up #smokesesh and I’m sure you will find something. While cannabis is more legal than it has ever been, it is still over regulated almost to the point of prohibition in some areas. If California truly wants to maximize profits in the cannabis industry, it really needs to recognize how the culture is already set up. You would have thunk that the state has finally realized that prohibition never works, but they refuse to accept reality. People are gonna have farmers’ markets and fancy tasting parties. The state might as well get in on it.

Hi, Ngaio! I’ve been doing research and trying to figure out what exactly happened the last time I smoked cannabis. Five months ago, I was smoking with friends and I passed out. I had low blood sugar, but that was the only thing. Ever since then, I can’t enjoy smoking cannabis. I’ve tried, but every time I get a massive headache, I get pale and lightheaded. Do you know any reason for these side effects?

—Indo Crin-Sistemm

Yeah. These things happen. Apparently, cannabis use can lower your blood sugar pretty quickly. All those symptoms are signs of low blood sugar. According to the website for the seed bank Sensi Seeds, you shouldn’t smoke weed on an empty stomach. Sorry, all you wake-and-bakers. Clint Werner, the author of Marijuana: Gateway to Health, pointed out a study that says cannabis users tend to have lower blood glucose levels, in general. They aren’t sure why. Werner suggests that if you’re using cannabis medicinally, you should try a low-THC, high-CBD tincture. It sounds to me (and I am not a doctor) that your body is remembering the time you passed out and doesn’t want to relive the experience. I suggest you think about leaving weed alone for awhile.