Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at a holiday gift guide, thoughts on legalization from a guy in a duck suit, a new cannabis beverage from a familiar name and more. Have a great holiday. See you in the new year.
Holiday Gift Tips
If you are looking for a last-minute holiday gift for the mature consumer in your life but don’t know where to begin, be of good cheer. The folks at Ganjapreneur have put together a holiday gift guide that features a selection of suitable presents at various price points.
For example, if you are looking for a stocking stuffer that combines practicality and personality, but won’t break the bank, they suggest rolling papers, such as RAW Ethereal Papers.
Described as “ultra-thin papers” that are designed to “enhance the pure flavor of your smoke with as little interference as possible,” they’re available in size 1 1⁄4 with 50 leaves per pack and King Size Slim with 32 leaves per pack.
A pack of papers will set you back a very modest $1.99 and a full box of the King Size Slim goes for about $95.99. Both should be available in dispensaries and smoke shops near you.
https://rawthentic.com/prawducts/papers/raw-ethereal/raw-ethereal/
A step up in price, but still practical and stylish, the next gift on their list is the NoblePuff Wooden Spoon Pipe. Handcrafted with premium wood and glass, the NoblePuff Wooden Spoon Pipe is described as “combining elegance with functionality.” Its sleek design and smooth finish make it a stylish accessory for any enthusiast.
Compact and easy to use, it’s said to be the ideal gift for those who appreciate artisanal craftsmanship. The company, Noble Puff, makes a wide variety of paraphernalia, from pipes to odor-free pouches for storing aromatic substances.
Plus, Etsy has a holiday sale on, so the spoon pipe, which normally retails at $49.99 from the NoblePuff shop, is currently available at Etsy for $27.49 until December 31st.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NoblePuff
Wait, there’s more.
For a modest increase in price, you can give a gift that is designed to help mature consumers and others avoid unwanted attention. We’re talking about odor-proof bags made by hand in North America from a company called Abscent.
Using what it calls “advanced odor-locking technology,” the company makes bags that are designed so you can transport herbs and accessories without attracting the curiosity of lookie loos and nosey Nellies, official and otherwise. Plus, their bags are available in various sizes and styles, and according to the folks at Ganjapreneur, “they make practicality look good.”
And they’re affordable. For instance, a Smell-Proof Toiletry Bag in Camo is available at their website for $55.00.
For more seasonal gift ideas, we heartily recommend visiting the gift guide published in the December 6, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/2024-holiday-gift-guide-for-ganjapreneurs/?
Cannabis Quote of the Week
“Legalising marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.”—Reginald Kenneth Dwight
An aging libertine who at one point in his career was often seen in public decked out in a duck suit, Mr. Dwight is better known to many as Elton John. On his Wikipedia page he describes himself as a, “Soulful English singer who moved from simple, sensitive piano rock to become a glamorous music superstar.”
Be that as it may, his opinion on the legalization of cannabis comes from an article that was published in the December 11, 2024 issue of Telegraph.co.uk. and appeared in various news outlets.
In the article, which carries the byline “Telegraph Reporters,” Mr. Dwight also offered the opinion that cannabis is addictive and said, “It leads to other drugs. And when you’re stoned – and I’ve been stoned – you don’t think normally.”
Aged 77, Mr. Dwight also disclosed that he experienced throat problems midway through an Australian tour in the 1980s that he believes were caused by marijuana, and said he had given up using the drug after advice from doctors.
In the article Mr. Dwight neglected to disclose just how using cannabis becomes addictive, nor did he offer his definition of addiction.
And while we are on the topic, would anyone give a good gosh darn if some other bloke named Reg Dwight offered a hyperbolic opinion about the legalization of cannabis? Would anyone print it? Asking for a friend.
To learn more, click on the following link.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/12/11/elton-john-legalising-cannabis-one-of-the-greatest-mistakes/
Notable Numbers
Building on the notion that if you legalize it, they will come, this week’s “notable number” is 2,200, give or take. According to October data obtained through a public records request from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, that’s how many folks from Kansas are medical marijuana patients in Missouri.
That’s the word from Anna Kaminski, reporting for the Kansas Reflector. In her article, Kaminski notes that sales of medical and recreational cannabis in Missouri in 2024 have totaled more than $1.3 billion combined as of October. Most of the sales, about $1.1 billion worth, were recreational, which began in February 2023.
She also makes the point that taxes generated by marijuana sales—4 percent on medical and 6 percent on recreational—have funneled millions of dollars to Missouri’s veterans commission, public defense system and a substance use treatment program within the health department.
In her article, Kaminski notes that the situation is not likely to change in the short term. State legislators in Kansas have been reluctant to legalize medical cannabis, tabling a medical marijuana bill in March, 2024. They promised to revisit it at the beginning of the 2025 session, which begins January 13. In October, a majority of medical marijuana committee members declined in a 5-4 vote to urge the Legislature to pass a medical marijuana bill.
In the meantime, tax dollars that could be collected in Kansas are being collected in Missouri.
All of which has the attention of the Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, an industry trade association that provides networking, education and consultation to the cannabis industry in Kansas. That’s right, cannabis is not legal in Kansas, but the industry has its own trade association there.
Said Erren Wright, the chamber’s board president, “We’re really unhappy with the way Kansas is going about this.” The “this” she is referring to is the policy that has a significant number of people crossing state lines, taking Kansas dollars to Missouri.
Anna Kaminski’s reporting on the issue is clear and concise. Her article was reprinted in the December 10, 2024 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
The Shape of Things to Come
The latest example of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” comes from the Boston Beer Company, the makers of Sam Adams Beer.
According to TG Branfalt, reporting for Ganjapreneur, the company has launched Emerald Hour, a line of non-alcoholic, rosin-infused cannabis beverages in Ontario, Canada. The cans contain regionally sourced ingredients and 10 milligrams of THC.
Branfalt notes that in addition to the Samuel Adams beer brand, Boston Beer Company, also makes Truly Hard Seltzer, and Twisted Tea. In Canada, the company launched TeaPot, a cannabis-infused iced tea in 2022.
Said Paul Weaver, director and head of cannabis at Boston Beer, “We know many folks want great-tasting and premium alternatives to alcohol, and Emerald Hour is the solution they’re looking for.”
In a statement, Weaver underscored the fact that the 10mg THC content in a 355 milliliter can means the “cocktails are not for the uninitiated.”
Branfalt also reports that from 2022 to 2023, cannabis-infused beverage sales in Canada neared CAD$75 million, while in the U.S., sales of cannabis-infused beverages totaled $203.6 million in 2022, according to data published on Statista.
As always, Mr. Branfalt’s reporting is first rate. You can learn more by reading his article in the December 11, 2024 issue of Ganjapreneur.com.
https://www.ganjapreneur.com/boston-beer-company-launches-10mg-emerald-hour-brand-in-ontario-canada/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com.
