R ighting WRongs • R ebuilding l ives
James R. Sweetser
THE MARIJUANA ISSUE
ATTORNEY AT L AW | since 1984 Former Elected Spokane Prosecutor
seRious PeRsonAl inJuRY Call:
509-328-0678
sweetserlawoffice.com
1020 N Washington, Spokane, WA 99201
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e n o r i Pe Prize
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Who do you think is making a difference in the Inland Northwest? We’re accepting nominations for our fifth annual Peirone Prize, a cash award recognizing passionate local people under the age of 35 who have dedicated their lives to service. Send your nominations to: GiveGuide@Inlander.com by Aug 1, telling us why they deserve recognition. Winners will be featured in our Give Guide issue on Aug 28.
Joe and Alice Peirone
30 INLANDER JULY 10, 2014
EXPERT ADVICE Dab? Vape? Indica? Sativa? A few tips for beginners BY LEAH SOTTILE
P
ot’s legal — but are you prepared for the barrage of weed terms that will come your way this week when recreational cannabis shops open? Before you step up to the counter, you might want to know the difference between an indica and a sativa, or whether you want to smoke, vaporize, dab or eat your pot. We called up Dan Skye, an editor at High Times, and asked him to break down some basics for you pot newbies out there. INLANDER: Now that legal pot is available here in Washington, there’s going to be a lot of first-timers lined up at pot shops. What advice do you have for first-time smokers? SKYE: I was there on January 1 [when Colorado’s recreational marijuana stores opened]; the funny thing is there are so many people who don’t have any experience with any types of weed. A lot of the dispensaries have 30 to 40 strains in stock. So the wait at the counters is going to be long. People don’t know what they’re doing. There’s a big learning curve: the thing for people to do is learn the difference between a sativa and an indica. If they’re going to be doing edibles, don’t buy a high dose. No, do buy a high dose, but take it in increments. And there are all kinds of different contraptions these days: pipes, joints, vaporizers. And then you get into concentrates: the very, very high-powered extractions. The nice part of [concentrates] is you can use less. Most people won’t use as much concentrates — there’s no reason to. But still, concentrates are something you approach with care. As most marijuana smokers know, everyone develops a tolerance for pot. You earn your pilot’s license, if you will. And most
people who smoke marijuana function very, very well. That’s one of the myths about marijuana: that they’re airheads walking around. That’s just not the case. You brought up indicas and sativas — what’s the difference? Indica: Basically think of it as the restful pot. It’s a very good pain reliever, because it helps you rest. People think of indica as the one that chills you out. Sativas, though, for some people, can be a very energizing strain. They can have the ability to really, really stoke your creativity. Those are the basic qualities. And edibles — they’re sneaky. I always have to remind myself that I may be able to eat an entire bag of Sour Patch Kids, but I can literally only eat ONE pot gummy candy. [laughs] That’s true. I never thought of it that way. People tend to eat things like that because they’re used to having little packages of candy. But people have to really curb their pleasure. You don’t want to wake up on the other side of the tracks, if you will. You have to exercise caution. Once again, with edibles, you have to know your dosage. When I was in Colorado [when pot was legalized], I remember asking all of these people in line, “So you’ve never tried pot in your life, huh?” It’s hard to imagine all of these people who have obeyed the law all this time, and now it’s legal, so they’ll buy it. Do you think now that it’s legal, that weed culture will change? Not to sound corny, but, for example, if you have a joint, it’s customary to