Dear Stoner: I've been an everyday smoker for many years. It was always sniff, taste, then buy. But you can only do two of those things in a dispensary nowadays. There are many strains, and I'm kind of lost. I like kick-ass sleepy; what should I look for around $200, and where?
Old-timer Toker
Dear Old-timer: First of all, thanks for paving the way for us young tokers. Second, I hear you: It can be overwhelming staring at dozens of different strains. If "kick-ass sleepy" is what you're after, though, you can begin by narrowing it down to indica-heavy strains. I suggest seeking out strains like Hash Plant, White Rhino, Master Kush, Blueberry, anything with "purple" in the name, and pre-98 Bubba Kush. Those always put me down into the couch and provide that perfectly mellow buzz I want in the evenings. Unfortunately, you'll be paying more than $200 for ounces at most recreational shops. LivWell, Back to the Garden, CannaMart, Golden Meds and GoodChemistry in Denver have discounted herb for recreational customers — though, from our experience, quality can be hit or miss. The best pricing-to-quality ratio I've found so far on recreational buds was at Terrapin Care Station, where ounces do go for $200. If you're headed there, check out the Lavender and the Rectangle.
Dear Readers: Last week I talked about how slowing down my usage and decreasing my tolerance actually helped to increase my enjoyment of ganja and made getting stoned that much more fun. The response from fellow tokers who have done the same has been great — most notably, this voice-mail message left on our potline by a self-described old hippie named Easy Money:
"Yo, Willie, what a nice-written article about chippin'. That's what I call it when you slow down to increase your enjoyment. That was good advice, and I followed through with it. My name is Easy Money. I've been a stoner since the moon came up, man. Matter of fact, I was the first person to pour bleach on my jeans, and turned out people started calling it tie-dye. I'm the freak that did that shit, man! Anyhow, I'm up here in Rockytown — better known as Wellsville 'cause everyone is eating tofu and jogging. Ribbit! Yeah, man, I love these dispensaries a lot. I got a lot of girlfriends at these dispensaries. I got one I go to and spend beaucoup bucks at — the one up by the coffee shop up there, Helping Hands. They got a special deal for a freak like me. Keep me right, man, you know? I play a lot of Rolling Stones. 1972, fool! I was there, man! I know what I'm talking about! Okay, I gotta go. Give me a ding. We'll meet and have some coffee. I love life, man. Ribbit!"
