Strains Users Say Bring Better Sleep

Getting the proper amount of sleep is crucial for your overall health and your ability to participate in your work and the activities you enjoy. But according to the Cleveland Clinic, as many as 70 million Americans report having some kind of sleep disorder, with an estimated 10% to 15% suffering from chronic insomnia.

There are plenty of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to choose from when it comes to treating insomnia. But, for those dealing with a chronic problem, there are concerns over the potential side effects of taking these drugs for an extended period.

Fortunately, cannabis can provide relief for people who have insomnia without all the harmful side effects. Cannabis compounds offer relaxing effects that naturally lead to better sleep without the risk of headaches, mental fuzziness, digestive upset, or dizziness that can result from taking typical sleep aids.

We sat down with Bret McGee, general manager of Clear Choice Cannabis, to learn more about the experiences his customers have with using cannabis to treat insomnia.

Many people say marijuana helps them sleep better. Why is that?

Research shows THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, has sedative effects and can make it easier to fall asleep. Emerging evidence also suggests that THC may improve breathing, which makes THC a potential therapy in treating obstructive sleep apnea.

When a customer enters a Clear Choice store and asks if marijuana will help them sleep, what do your expert budtenders tell them?

We see many people with that issue who report finding some relief with a number of products. Of course, our budtenders are not physicians, and everyone should check in with their doctor about what kinds of treatments are right for them. But once a customer has decided that marijuana is a treatment they’d like to try, we recommend trying products that are a 1:1 ratio of cannabidiol (CBD) and THC. CBD is another compound in cannabis that can help with sleep. It’s non-psychoactive but less potent. Some of our customers report success with a lesser-known cannabinoid called CBN. Clear Choice stocks many different products that would be great to try and see if they work for your sleep issues.

What are some of the most popular sleep-inducing strains sold at Clear Choice dispensaries?

Strains that people often report helped them with sleep are Grand Daddy Purple, Northern Lights, Ogre, Gorilla Glue, White Widow, Vanilla Kush, Platinum Bubba, and more. Of course, these all have varying effects beyond aiding in sleep, so our budtenders are there to help everyone make the right decision for their needs.

What options are available for people who don’t smoke marijuana?

Flower and vape cartridges work well for some people, but not everyone wants to smoke or vape. So, Clear Choice offers many other products such as tinctures, capsules, drinks, and solid edibles that can have similar effects without the need to smoke or vape.

What’s the success rate with your products?

We cannot promise that any product will have a specific effect for an individual, but we do see customers return and purchase the same products again and again and report success with their experiences.

Insomnia is a frustrating and even debilitating problem that can snowball and impact all aspects of your life. But you don’t have to keep dealing with its effects or take potentially harmful pills every night. With Clear Choice Cannabis, there’s a natural option that can help you sleep and feel great the next day.

Take It From This Veteran: Cannabis Is More Than Just a Good Time

In the minds of many, cannabis is a mind-altering substance that’s just for fun. Throughout the years, it’s been the subject of countless pop culture jokes and has a reputation for being the substance of choice for people seeking a laid-back lifestyle filled with relaxation.

But the truth is that cannabis is enormously helpful as a therapeutic treatment for people experiencing a wide variety of physical and mental ailments. Among the people most helped by cannabis are our nation’s veterans, many of whom struggle with pain from injuries, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other challenges when they return home from deployments.

Clear Choice Cannabis is proud to work with those who served, including Sgt. Carlos Mullen, a former infantryman who suffered severe injuries in a homemade explosive detonation in 2010. He was subsequently discharged from the military in 2014 and struggled to manage his physical and emotional symptoms, eventually turning to alcohol.

We spoke with Carlos about how he vastly improved his well-being and outlook on life with Clear Choice Cannabis.

Tell us about yourself and your military service.

I served from 2009 to 2014, when I was medically discharged. I served in the infantry, which means that I directly engaged with people on the ground during my deployment, civilians and soldiers. This often leads to very dangerous situations. I lost friends and had to put some of them into body bags myself. You don’t forget things like that, and it’s not easy to live with.

I also saw disturbing sights among the locals where I was deployed, including a woman being stoned to death. You don’t forget that scene, and it pushes you to want to rid the world of evil and defend the good and righteous. We weren’t supposed to get involved with the locals, but we felt strongly that the things we witnessed weren’t right and did what we could to help.

When I got back, I didn’t have a lot of responsibilities and was struggling to get control of my mental health, including combating my PTSD.

How did you eventually find relief?

I found Clear Choice when I hit rock bottom with my alcohol addiction, trying to erase my dark memories. When I was discharged, I didn’t have work commitments to encourage my sobriety. With the loss of friends and responsibilities, I was drinking a lot. A good friend who also retired from the military told me to stop drinking so much and try cannabis. Clear Choice was the local store in the area, so I checked it out. The environment was unbelievable! It was clean and organized, and I met great people that cared. I found products that worked for me immediately.

That’s great! How has your life changed since you found Clear Choice Cannabis?

I got inspired to help people again, and I stopped drinking alcohol. I pitched to the business to fund a petting zoo for local youth. I shared the idea with the owner, Adam, and he responded by offering to give a check the following Tuesday.

After that, we did a relay for life, and kids earned the donation money sponsored by Clear Choice by doing laps around the track. I’m not sure if Adam knows this, but those events changed the way thousands of local people think about the stigmas surrounding cannabis. I had to have meetings with superintendents who, back then, were nervous about taking donation money from this source. But after explaining the program and motive, it was clear it would be doing a disservice to these kids not to use this donation money for good.

What did you learn from your experience?

I learned that there are people who need cannabis, and some benefit from it more than many people understand. I see it helping people with trauma like me. I understand now how much it can help people get adequate sleep and live their lives with joy, even when they have been through traumatic events.

Which products do you use, and how do they help you?

RSO helps me with sleeping, IBS, and my pain. It has helped me greatly with night terrors. I don’t get them much anymore. I like smoking flower socially, and I believe smoking flower can bring people together. I’ve met some really great people, and those relationships help me mentally. I also enjoy distillate dabs.

What was most surprising to you about how cannabis use assisted you?

I was surprised by how effective it was at helping me sleep. I didn’t know cannabis was so impactful to sleep. I thought alcohol had helped me sleep but realized how the quality of sleep is [poor] when you’re drunk. I also was destroying my chance at a good tomorrow almost daily, living my life constantly hungover and in a fog.

Why would you recommend Clear Choice Cannabis to others?

This business is compassionate, patriotic, honest, and dedicated to helping others. The owner truly cares about the community and constantly does things to support the local community.

Clear Choice’s selection is also the best around, and they focus on caring for medical marijuana patients. Nobody else is doing that or seems to care about people. For the competition, it’s all about the money. Clear Choice is different.

Overall, people like Carlos have sacrificed so much and deserve to live lives that are filled with purpose and joy. With the help of medical marijuana and products from Clear Choice Cannabis, Carlos and others like him can find the relief they need.

Clear Choice’s Best Cannabis Gifts for This Year

The holiday shopping season is upon us once again, but rather than join the rush to the mall for another generic sweater, consider giving the cannabis lover in your life something they’ll really enjoy from Clear Choice Cannabis in Tacoma and Bremerton. The incredible selection of cannabis products has something for everyone, regardless of their delivery method, strain preferences, or taste buds.

The holiday shopping season is here, and for many of us, this year will be extra special because so many of us had to stay home in 2020 rather than celebrate with family and friends.

To add to the festivities for your 420-friendly loved ones, consider the wide selection of products from Clear Choice, which operates dispensaries in Tacoma and Bremerton and is sure to have the perfect gift for marijuana lovers on your list.

“Both locations will have great specials throughout the holiday season,” said Owner Adam Schmidt. “This will include specials on cannabis items as well as glass and vaporizers.”

Schmidt added that the holidays are usually a busy time of year for the dispensaries due to their specials, so it’s a good idea to get your loved ones some of Clear Choice’s many products (some that are up to 20% off!) sooner rather than later.

Flower

Clear Choice has an incredible selection of flower for cannabis traditionalists who prefer to carefully select their strain and either roll it or use it in a bong or a pipe. With sativa, indica, and hybrid options, Clear Choice offers a flower for everyone. Some of the most popular offerings include Apple Fritter, a hybrid that brings an uplifting high, Gold Leaf Gardens’ Peppermint Cookies for a holiday theme, and Wedding Cake, an indica with mood-boosting, calming effects thanks to reasonably potent THC levels.

Plus, Clear Choice carries a large selection of Lifted Cannabis. The company’s exclusive strains and presentations make a heck of a gift!

Pre-Roll

For those who prefer to let others do the rolling, Clear Choice offers a line of pre-rolls that are sure to please any cannabis lover. Clear Choice’s selection includes single pre-rolls for those who want to sample several different strains, as well as two-packs and five-packs for those who know what they like. Perfect for the newbies, Clear Choice also carries Northwest Cannabis Solutions’ joints, an excellent, hassle-free way to enjoy cannabis. And like the flower selection, pre-rolls come in many different strains, including Cookies and Cream, a sativa, and Blackberry Kush, an infused pre-roll.

Plus, Clear Choice offers exclusive and upscale Liera Cannagars, including options wrapped in 24 karat gold, perfect for a classy holiday celebration for the seasoned cannabis lovers in your life.

Vape

Vape fans love Clear Choice for the incredible selection that includes different strains, cartridge types, and flavors. Vapes are increasingly popular because they allow for more discreet marijuana use without smoke or smell. Clear Choice offers live and cured resin cartridges, pods, and distillate cartridges, ensuring compatibility with many different vape flavors and brands. With choices like the leading brand in vapor technology, Puffco, Pax Dry Flower vaporizers for those who don’t want to smoke the flower, and TwoHeads for newbies, there’s an excellent gift for any vape fan!

Edibles

Those who prefer to eat their cannabis are sure to find something that pleases their taste buds at Clear Choice, where more than 180 edible products await. Chocolatey offerings like Evergreen Herbals’ 4.20 Minis and fruity choices like Molotov Mystery are available in sativa, indica, or hybrid strains for those who prefer to ingest their THC and as CBD edibles for the relaxing effects of cannabinoids without the high. Clear Choice also offers capsules, drink mixes, candies, cookies, and pretzels, to name a few.

Clear Choice recommends cannabis newbies start with 10mg increments and wait 1-2 hours before consuming more to determine the proper dosage. Its Lush products from Verdelux even come in 10mg servings!

Concentrate

Dabbers delight in Clear Choice’s selection of concentrates, which includes everything from resin and wax to butane hash oil and diamonds. These high-quality concentrates ensure a fantastic experience from beginning to end, with reliable dosing. Clear Choice offers premium resins like Xtracted’s Loud Resin. Clear Choice resins are made in a state-of-the-art laboratory with no fillers, flavors, or additives, and partnerships with local providers mean that you and your loved ones can trust the products.

Topicals and Tinctures

Clear Choice offers a wide variety of premium CBD topicals and tinctures perfect for the athlete or chronic pain sufferer in your life. With lotions, creams, gels, and patches, relief from pain and inflammation can be applied directly to the affected body part. Ceres Dragon Balm is one great option for loved ones, especially those who are on the fence about cannabis and new to the various pain relief benefits.

At the same time, bath salts and sublingual tinctures offer anxiety-reducing benefits to the whole body at once. These products come in various flavors and scents and are great for those who want to access the benefits of cannabis without smoking or ingesting THC.

With the perfect present from Clear Choice, you can give your loved ones a unique, high-quality cannabis gift that perfectly fits their preferences.

“Clear Choice Cannabis is always striving to provide our community with the best options for their cannabis needs along with exceptional customer service,” Schmidt said. “We are always willing to take our time with our customers to make sure they are getting the right product for their needs!”

A second-to-none selection makes Clear Choice a one-stop shop for all your cannabis holiday shopping. Visit a Clear Choice dispensary in Tacoma or Bremerton to take advantage of holiday deals today!

How to Use Rosin

Rosin is a cannabis concentrate that is prized for its purity, potency, flavor, and simplicity. While most people prefer to dab or vape rosin, there are actually several different ways to enjoy it. Keep reading to find out more about how to use rosin!

What Is Rosin?

Rosin is a clean and potent cannabis concentrate that can reach potency levels of over 80% THC. It really hit the mainstream after being popularized by cannabis connoisseur Phil ‘Soilgrown’ Salazar in 2015. However, the extraction method used to produce it is believed to have actually been around since the 1990s or early 2000s.

It is considered to be purer than other cannabis concentrates because it is solvent-less. Unlike concentrates produced through BHO extraction (shatter, etc.), rosin does not require a solvent to produce, and thus cannot contain any traces of potentially harmful chemicals (if produced correctly!).

Instead of being run through with solvents like butane or CO2, rosin is produced by applying a mix of heat and pressure to high-potency plant material like fine-pressed hash. The result of this process is a thick, gooey whole-plant extract containing a healthy mix of terpenes and cannabinoids. Thanks to its abundant terpene content, it is not only potent but also delicious!

How To Use Rosin

Rosin is a very versatile concentrate that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Here are the 5 most common ways that it's typically prepared and used!

Dab It

Dabbing concentrates really brings out the terpenes and lets you enjoy the myriad of flavors and aromas that each strain contains. Since rosin already has a robust terpene content, you can be sure that your dabs will be extra delicious! If you are looking to maximize flavor and taste, dabbing rosin is the way to go.

Vape It

If your vaporizer is designed for use with cannabis concentrates, you can simply load up your rosin and vape it. If you prefer, you can also prepare your own rosin-infused e-juice at home in just a few steps. Whatever kind of vaporizer you choose to vape it out of, just make sure it is safe to use with concentrates. Vaping rosin out of a dry herb vape could lead to a sticky mess and irreparable damage!

Roll It

It may seem counter-intuitive due to its sticky nature, but rosin can also be crushed up and rolled into a joint, blunt, or spliff. Just remember to dry it out first so you don’t end up with a sticky mess. Alternatively, you could heat it up and spread it across your rolling paper with an applicator tool. You may find that the added stickiness may make the rolling process easier for you (or harder!).

Add It to Your Bowl or Bong

Too lazy to roll one up? Not a problem! Rosin can also be sprinkled on top of your favorite bowl. Just place some of it on top of the ground bud in your bowl (or bud + kief!) and light it up. When exposed to heat, it will turn into a sappy oil that melts into your bowl and covers your bud with a glistening glow. Just be careful! Adding a concentrate to your joint or bowl is sure to boost its potency by a lot!

Bake It into an Edible

Lastly, you can also bake rosin into a cannabis edible. Some people prefer to decarboxylate their rosin before infusing it into something else but others do not believe it to be necessary. A good rule of thumb is that if you wish to maximize the potency of your edible, it is probably a good idea to decarboxylate it before infusing it. But if you are just looking for a quick edible fix, adding it raw directly into your recipe or into other foods and liquids can also get the job done!

Dosing Edibles: How Much is Enough? Our Tips to Stay Safe and Happy

It’s a thrilling time to be involved in the cannabis industry. So many new products, trends, and research arrive seemingly every day. If you’re a regular visitor to our dispensaries, you’re probably already aware that cannabis-infused foods and beverages are among the hottest and fastest-growing sectors of the cannabis world. From CBD-infused coffees to refreshing apple ciders to irresistible chocolates, caramels and more, there’s an incredible array of products to sample.

But with all this yumminess around, it raises a very important question: When dosing edibles, how much is enough?

We all know the phrase “too much of a good thing,” and it has never been more appropriate than when we discuss the effects of cannabis edibles. Because the cannabis in edibles takes much longer to take effect—and then that effect tends to increase over time—it’s important to be aware of your tolerances and exercise real care when dosing edibles. Let’s look at a few of the reasons why, and then share some guidelines to help you get to maximum benefit (and the minimum heartache) from cannabis-infused edibles.

Dosing Edibles: A Different Way to Ingest Cannabis

Unlike smoking, vaping, or even taking tinctures, the way the body accesses the cannabis in edibles is different than all the others. For a host of reasons, when we eat or drink cannabis, our bodies formulate a compound called 11-hydroxy-THC.

As you might guess, the fact that it has “THC” in the name is a hint to its potency. The upshot is that we’ll tend to feel much higher than we would if we had smoked or vaped the same amount of cannabis.

Another factor to consider is the time-delay effect. Edibles typically take a long time to take effect; at the very least 20 minutes, but sometimes up to 3 hours depending on your physiology, what you’d eaten previously, and other factors. It’s not uncommon for folks who aren’t aware of this to ingest an edible, decide it’s “not working” after five or ten minutes, and then consume more…and more…and more. The results, as you might guess, are not pretty.

Dosing Edibles: How Much Is Enough?

So, knowing that edibles have a stronger effect than other forms of cannabis—and that they take much longer to come on—what are some best practices to ensure you get the effects you desire?

To help you make informed decisions, edibles are marked or measured in convenient and easy-to-understand servings: Ounces from a bottle of cooling mint tea, for instance, or squares from a luscious bar of chocolate. Each serving will contain a precisely measured dose of THC—the only psychoactive cannabinoid, as you’re aware—measured in milligrams (mg).

How much THC is right for you? Again, that will depend on many factors. But we always return to the phrase “start low and go slow.” Start with the lowest measured dose. Wait at least an hour—preferably two—and then assess. You can always take another dose, or if you’re impatient, a hit from a vape pen.

But again, remember that edibles have powerful and long-lasting effects. We want to make sure you enjoy their benefits—and discreet convenience!—while making sure you don’t go overboard!

Looking for high-quality cannabis edibles in Washington? Check out our Tacoma dispensary online menu or our Bremerton dispensary online menu to see what types of deliciousness we have in stock!

Can Using Cannabis at Home Bring You Trouble at Work?

Initiative 502 legalized marijuana use for adults in Washington state, but there are still restrictions to be aware of, especially work-related regulations. Consuming in the privacy of your home is legal, but using cannabis at work is another story.

Quick Rundown of Consumption Restrictions in Washington:

It is illegal to consume cannabis in view of the public.
You need to be over 21 to consume anywhere.
Employers may regulate cannabis use in the workplace.
Employers may enforce drug tests and institutions that receive federal funds will be subject to federal policies.
It is illegal to take cannabis outside of Washington.

Cannabis at Work: What You Need to Know

Under Washington law, it’s illegal to open or consume cannabis in view of the general public, which includes your place of employment. Employers have the right to decide if you can consume on the job. For example, there may be allowances made for medical use. This is at the employer's discretion.

Washington public employers have a strong legal basis to discipline or discharge employees who test positive for cannabis if consistent with respective contracts, policies, and past disciplinary action. That said, confidentiality laws limit employer access to employee medical information. And employers can’t base employment decisions on an employee’s disability.

Litigation will likely determine whether exceeding the legal limit (as determined by a drug test) will put your job at risk. Frankly, employers who police legal off-duty consumption are asking to be sued. Unions may also push back against employer efforts to regulate private use.

Consumption at Home

Unlike using cannabis at work, you can generally assume it’s safe to consume at home unless you live on federal property (like a military base). However, if you’re smoking on private property and visible from a public area, you are still considered in view of the public.

Be aware of the limits allowed so you can pace yourself. It’s illegal to drive under the influence of cannabis if you have more than five nanograms of active THC per milliliter of blood. Research has shown that active metabolite levels fall to two nanograms within four to six hours of use, so make sure enough time has passed before you drive. It’s recommended that you wait even longer than five hours after consuming edibles because they can remain in your system for longer. If you’re not sure if you’re impaired, don’t drive.

Be warned, regulations in this young industry are constantly changing but laws around driver impairment will likely always be strict, as with alcohol, so know your limit.

A Brave New World

Bottom line, this is new territory for many employers and employees and adjustments to work regulations will continue to be made. Review your employer’s human resource policies regarding drug use and testing carefully. And, if you have questions or believe that your employer’s policies may violate the law, contact a lawyer with experience in employment law in your area.

Ultimately, it's important to use common sense with cannabis—just like with alcohol. Just like it's not OK to show up drunk for work, it's not OK to show up high. Does that mean you can't indulge in your own time? No, just do so wisely.

Looking for some strains to help you kick back off the clock? Check out our online dispensary menu.

Strains, Strains, Everywhere: How Cannabis Breeding Happens

We’re all grateful for the wide world of cannabis strains. From buds to get you out and moving like Durban Poison to those that make you one with the couch, like Northern Lights, to herb that sends you out of this world, like LSD – cannabis is a plant with a whole lot of variety. But why? How were your favorite strains born? And do people go about breeding cannabis?

Well, when a mommy cannabis plant and a daddy cannabis plant love each other very much…

Just kidding, but it is about love: the human love of certain cannabis characteristics, and the resulting wish for a new strain that could combine them.

It’s More Complicated Than “Netflix and Chill”

Making that wish come true is trickier than growing your average garden. First of all, most garden veggies have both male and female organs on a single plant, making them monecious plants. This means that they can pollinate themselves. But cannabis has separate male and female plants, making them dioecious; and each with a different set of demands.

Female plants are the ones who create our beloved crystal-covered and cannabinoid-rich flowers, so those are the ones that growers are after. While male plants are crucial in breeding cannabis, one can pollinate many females, resulting in seeds everywhere. Once upon a time, finding a seed or two in a bud was expected; but now seedless buds called ‘sensimilla,’ are the norm. (Saving us all with less harsh smoke that also tastes better.)

Because of this, cannabis breeding must be done in enclosed areas, called breeding chambers. This means that plants with the desired traits, called ‘parent strains,’ are separated from the rest of the plants. This ensures that only one male is pollinating and that he’s only pollinating the females that the growers want to grow seeds. But the complications don’t stop there...

Getting a Consistent Phenotype

Since cannabis plants have to be bred with one another rather than themselves, they produce a variety of traits in their seeds. These ‘first generation’ or ‘F1’ seeds will probably be heterozygous, meaning that they will display a variety of characteristics – much like how people look different from their siblings. (These “kids,” if you will, are called phenotypes.)

But while pregnant couples don’t expect to have twins and generally welcome diverse traits, variety within a strain isn’t what’s desired. After all, when you purchase your favorite strain at a dispensary, you’re probably going to be disappointed if it doesn’t have the same qualities that it usually does. What cannabis breeders work to create are seeds that have identical sets of genes, making them homozygous.

After producing a plant that has all of the desired traits from the parent strains, which can take tens or even hundreds of plants; a lot of work has to be done to get plants that produce these same qualities time and again. ‘Backcrossing’ is a popular technique, where a breeder will cross-pollinate the new strain with itself or a parent. This is done repeatedly for months, or even years, before it heads to market.

Breeding Cannabis: The Shady Family Tree

Due to the historically illegal nature of growing cannabis, the extensive efforts of breeders have been largely undocumented and shrouded in secrecy. So, unfortunately, it’s impossible to know if the strains we enjoy nowadays are true representations of their descendants.

But while we have no idea if the landrace hybrids enjoyed today have the same characteristics as those our ancestors knew, we can still reap the benefits of today’s hardworking cannabis breeders and the resulting plethora of high-quality strains to choose from.

Ready to do your own experimenting? Stop by our Bremerton dispensary and find your new favorite strain!

Spark Your Creativity with These Cannabis Strains

Creativity is not a science. If anything, it’s more of an anti-science: chaos in action. Drawing out the creative genius within is a very personal process, and cannabis won’t make it magically appear (unfortunately). However, the anecdotal evidence that there’s a link between creativity and cannabis is overwhelming. Ask a cannaseur if they feel they benefit creatively from cannabis and they’re incredibly likely to say yes. But does that really mean anything? Is perceived increased creativity valid? If so, should you use an indica or sativa for creativity?

The Science on Cannabis and Creativity

Studies are far too few in number, but they’ve got leads. This study points to cannabis use increasing blood flow in parts of the brain thought to be related to creativity — interesting, but ultimately inconclusive as not much is known. And another found that cannabis increased verbal fluency, a way of saying the ability to “think outside the box,” as well as personality traits connected to creative accomplishment.

However, when tested sober, cannabis users still scored higher than non-users on those tests (divergent thinking and positive trait schizotypy, respectively); so it leads to a bit of a chicken-egg dilemma. Does cannabis improve creativity or do creative people just tend to like cannabis?

Cannabis (like Creativity) is Personal

Regardless of our ability to prove a relation, many people are reporting creative benefits from cannabis – so we might as well give it a shot. The first question at hand: indica or sativa for creativity? In short, that depends. Indicas lead to sedation in many people, so sativa is the obvious choice for getting inspired — but not everyone reacts well to sativa strains. What makes one person over the moon with ideas will make another clammy with anxiety.

It’s important to be aware of how you react to cannabis in general. If, in the past, your sativa experiences have been more “stressful mind racing” than “got me in the flow,” you’re not likely to get different results because you’re aiming for creativity this time. But we’ve got a list of strains that are most likely to do the job, including hybrids, sativas, and indicas. Also keep in mind that other factors like terpenes and flavonoids play a role.

Indica or Sativa for Creativity? Try These!

Here's a short list of indica or sativa for creativity recommendations. Let us know if there's any strains you've found to be personally inspiring!

Blue Dream: Also known as Azure Haze, this sweet berry-tasting strain is known for providing a mentally invigorating yet also calm euphoric effect – exactly what you need for creative thinking and gathering the inspiration to get to making.
Kali Mist: This strain is reported to help clear the mind from usual chatter, creating the room for inspiration and creativity; which it’s also said to boost, as well as motivation. Enjoy the earthy citrus flavor, then watch your imagination fly.
Jillybean: If this strain were a jelly bean, it’d be orange – for both taste and the bold energy of the color. The conversant high loosens the mind and encourages creative thinking.
Jack Herer: This popular strain is a dynamic hybrid that has wanted effects on both the body and mind, the high providing cerebral clarity and the ability to be conversant – great for brainstorming or collaborating. Also, look for cross-breeds of this woodsy and citrusy strain.
LSD: Psychedelic and cerebral are two of the most common words that describe this indica, which is more mentally stimulating than most. LSD is a great strain for idea generating and creative-block-squashing.
Chemdawg: When you need something really potent to get those creative wheels a churnin’ Chemdawg (also called Chemdog) is your strain. It’s also pungent, giving off an earthy diesel smell and known for creating an energetic high.

In addition to trying different strains, try playing with the dosage. Many people find that while a little THC helps spark the creative fire, too much does the opposite. And try different ways of approaching creativity, from coloring to cooking.

Ready to start creating? Check out our online dispensary menu or stop by our Bremerton dispensary!

8 Great Tips for Using Cannabis for Wellness

Cannabis has long been trying to shed it’s “stoner” reputation. Though getting bonkers stoned off of cannabis and eating the contents of your fridge is certainly an option – there are also many healthier ways to incorporate cannabis into your self-care routine. And it’s all about intention and awareness, turning cannabis from something that helps you escape into something that helps you engage. This week, we're talking about cannabis for wellness.

How To Use Cannabis for Wellness

Not sure where to start with cannabis for wellness? Try these tips!

Get daytime-suitable strains or products.

There’s a huge range of effects that cannabis can create, and to use cannabis for wellness, you’ll want something that energizes and motivates you – not something to bond with your couch over. The line between sativa and indica is not as reliable as folks think, but go sativa if that’s the choice that’s presented. (Remember indica = in-da-couch) Ask your budtender for an energizing canna-purchase recommendation, and listen for the word “terpene.”

Know your dose.

Getting too high is not a great way to exercise self-care. You may have a negative experience and won’t be very likely to engage in wellness activities. You may find that you’re great at connecting with others and motivating when you just have a puff or two. Microdosing is a great way to employ cannabis for wellness.

Make a plan.

What will you do once you’ve had your perfect amount of cannabis? The options for cannabis-aided adventuring are endless, but nature is always a good bet. Take yourself on a nice hike, sit in nature and journal, or just watch the waves roll in whilst contemplating your philosophy on life. But your plan can also be work-oriented, taking advantage of boosted creativity. You might be surprised how ready you are to tackle your side hustle after connecting with the right strain or dose.

Treat what ails you.

Despite laws sadly limiting the amount of research that’s done, medical cannabis use is spreading like wildfire. This powerful herb works with your body’s endocannabinoid system, which is spread throughout the body, enabling it to treat a huge range of conditions. From anxiety to chronic pain, and tummy issues to depression – cannabis can provide stunning relief.

Wind down before bed.

Cannabis is a pro at crushing sleep woes. There are many products out there that are formulated specifically for helping people sleep, made with strains high in sleepy-making terpenes like myrcene or linalool and cannabinoids like CBN. Edibles are also great sleep aids but, of course, try to find something low-sugar or swallow a tincture oil instead of taking it sublingually.

Other bedtime activities.

Want to boost your love life? Cannabis can help. Indirectly, micro-dosing and using cannabis for ailments will make you more relaxed and ready to have fun. Using topicals and oils for massage is always a good option. And there are also tons of products on the market made specifically for physical connection, like lube and sexy bath bombs.

You don’t even have to get high.

Though THC is an excellent way to use cannabis for wellness, there are many options that employ cannabinoids that don’t have psychoactive effects. In fact, most cannabinoids will not get you high. CBD is all the rage right now, but also look into THCa, CBN, and CBG.

And you don’t have to smoke either.

As you’ve probably gathered from previous suggestions in this article, there are many ways to enjoy cannabis that don’t involve smoking – something generally avoided in one’s wellness plan. Nowadays there’s all kind of options, like vaping, tincture oils, topicals, edibles, or capsules.

Let Cannabis Help you Live Your Best Life

We evolved alongside cannabis, brought it wherever our ancestors moved, and even sold it in pharmacies not so long ago. Incorporating cannabis into your wellness routine can be life-changing, stop by one of our dispensary locations to learn more!