Rolling it thick

I have always smoked blunts but I hate tobacco. I’ve seen “magars” (cannabis leaf wrap instead of the tobacco leaves used in blunts) and wondered if this would be a better alternative. I haven’t seen many brands or info on them. Just a couple of novelty items, really. Would it be worth looking into making a brand of magars?

—W.V.

Of course, I think marijuana is a better choice than tobacco when it comes to deciding what to put inside your lungs. “Magars” (I guess that means “MArjiuana ciGARS”?) are an awesome, albeit stinky and slightly wasteful, way to smoke pot. They are also very time-intensive to make. You have to gather the big fan leaves, let them dry (but not too much!) and paste them together with hash oil. Then you fill it with a bunch of pot.

Seriously, a medium-sized cigar weighs about 9 or 10 grams. If a gram of great marijuana (and there is no earthly reason for putting shitty weed in your fancy-ass magar) goes for 15 to 20 bucks retail, you are looking at paying $150 for just one magar. So while a magar is awesome at a party or as a conversation piece, I am not sure if there is a giant market for this type of product. I am down to come over and smoke one with you, though. In fact, I will bring a “Mendocino Cigar” (cold-water-extracted hash pressed and rolled into a cylinder so it smokes like a joint) and we can compare and contrast. Happy smoking.

Do you know if a medical marijuana recommendation, written by a licensed California physician, will allow dispensary purchases to be deductible as medical expenses for tax purposes?

—“Render unto Caesar”

Wouldn’t that be cool? I mean, medical expenses should be covered under your taxes. Unfortunately, marijuana is still prohibited by the feds, and Section 280E of the Federal Income Tax Code prohibits people from deducting the cost of any federally prohibited substance. This law was originally aimed at cocaine traffickers, but marijuana is also a federally proscribed substance. Activists and lawmakers have been working to change this law, but progress has been incredibly slow. It looks like Caesar is still gonna get his cut. Sorry, dude.

My daughter is going away to college. She is smart and makes good choices. I want to talk to her about pot and stuff. Any advice?

—Merry Jane’s Mom

Congrats! I am sure your daughter knows a little bit about pot already. Make sure she knows the drug laws in the city and state where she is planning to attend college. And make sure she knows her school’s policies toward drug possession. I am sure you don’t want her to get expelled over weed. But really, I would talk to her more about the dangers of alcohol poisoning and all the pills these kids seem to be on these days. Smoking too much pot likely won’t kill her. Booze and pills can be way more dangerous.