Budtender Picks !
Sunshine Greens
New Products to Heat Up Your Summer
by Sean Keast , contributing writer
As the summer heats up , Missouri cannabis has reached a hot and steady pace , and quality products are the norm across the state . In the past couple of months , every dispensary I have visited now carries a growing variety of products . Almost every type of cannabis product is available somewhere in the state . I tend to gab with budtenders on my visits . The amount of knowledge available at your local dispensary is genuinely astonishing , especially in this fast-growing Missouri market , and budtenders have truly stepped up to the plate — they do a fantastic job of relaying educational information to patients .
A constant recommendation from budtenders are pre-rolls , and it ’ s easy to see why . They are very convenient , and on a hot day , with a cold beverage , a pre-roll on your back porch can be a real treat indeed . One of my go-to ’ s has been the SFV OG from Illicit , a smooth , relaxing , and uplifting hybrid that pairs great with a sunny afternoon .
With all the different forms of concentrate smoking — temperature is the “ number one ” thing to consider . With too high of a temperature , concentrate will burn and char , and terpenes will break down into dangerous chemicals . Over time , I ’ ve found that between 450- and 500-degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot , effectively vaporizing the concentrate without burning it . To keep track of your temperature , I highly recommend an infrared thermometer , which can be found at your local hardware store .
Missouri ’ s market is hot . Competition is everywhere , and concentrates are one of the sharpest points of contention . In its concentrated form , small details of different strains become much more noticeable , and the production process can greatly affect the end product . Most concentrates in the state are excellent sugars , waxes , live resins , and distillates for cartridges , all of which are traditionally produced through butane hash oil extraction methods .
Noticeably absent from the state ’ s commercial market is solventless rosin , which is a much newer method of extraction involving heat pressing freshly frozen hash or flower . Rumblings from manufacturers give hope , however , and many are already looking toward adding rosin to their portfolio .
Just as concentrates can vary , so too can the methods of smoking them . I ’ m a bit of a glass art nut , so a small collection of funky rigs is growing in my house . When using a nail and rig , typically , there are two types of nails : quartz and titanium . Outside of that , many different electric rigs exist , such as Puffco ’ s , Dr . Dabbers , etc .
With the right temperature , the flavor of concentrates is unmatched , and three have been standouts for me recently . Starting with the Bubblegum Gelato Live Sugar from Illicit , it came in with a strong terpy flavor that heavily relaxed the muscles and washed pain away into a deep and restful bliss . The Bourbon St . Badder from Proper is next and by far had the most unique flavor of the three . It was almost chocolatey , with a strong hybrid effect that wasn ’ t too