Corona Virus, Covid 19, and Cannabis – A Cannasseur’s Guide
It’s at stressful times like these (as long as you’re not experiencing bronchial issues) that the relaxing and medically therapeutic uses of cannabis are particularly helpful. A big part of our mission is giving people a safe environment to enjoy cannabis while enjoying the beauty and culture of The Emerald Triangle. We discuss safe consumption for anyone who is not an experienced cannasseur and trying weed for the first time on our drive up from San Francisco to the pot farms in California’s Emerald Triangle, so we thought we’d extend our safety conversation from our weed tours to the world on our blog.
So let’s have a “safety meeting” about cannabis and Covid 19:
- Pretend you’re European: I remember when Pot was illegal in all 50 of the United States, and going to Amsterdam as a cannasseur to enjoy the freedom they had there. I loved that a cop would happily give you directions to the nearest coffee shop, where you could choose from a menu of Europe’s best buds for imbibing. The thing I didn’t like was that everyone smoked their own joints, as if they were cigarettes. Nobody shared. One of my favorite things about smoking weed has always been the feeling of communion when you pass a joint around. Well, for now, we’re going to have to be like Europeans, and not share joints.
- Use pre-rolls or cones rather than rolling papers for your joints: This doesn’t apply if you’re rolling and smoking your own, but if someone else, even if they’re keeping the joint to themselves, is smoking a joint an infected person has licked, it defeats the purpose of each person smoking their own joint.
- Avoid bongs, dab rigs, and pipes: Again, unless you’re smoking solo, avoid these often shared delivery methods. Even if you are smoking alone, when was the last time you cleaned the mouthpiece? Studies now show that the Novel Corona virus can last up to 72 hours on some surfaces. It’s a good idea to keep these things clean in general. Use a 60-70% solution of isopropyl alcohol to clean the mouthpieces of your smoking apporati, Less than 60% isn’t effective, but more isn’t necessarily better. The water that dilutes the alcohol actually gives it access into the virus cell. A recent episode of NPR’s Science Friday explains how this works.
- It’s okay to smoke alone: We all love the camaraderie of the cannasseur stoner circle, but until things get better, it’s best to smoke alone. You can always create a virtual stoner circle on Zoom or FaceTime or Skype if you miss your friends. If you are hanging out with friends, keep about 6 feet apart – easy, because you’re not passing the implement around – right? When you hit and when you exhale, face away from the circle, and if you cough, make sure you cough into your elbow. Yes, it’s the weed making you cough, but if you’re carrying the virus, you can spread it through weed coughing.
- Get your weed delivered: Until this blows over, we all need to avoid public places. Fortunately, many dispensaries deliver. Call your favorite dispensary to see if they offer delivery. In San Francisco, SPARC offers delivery. In the East Bay Harborside offers delivery. If your favorite dispensary doesn’t offer delivery, there are several delivery only dispensaries, that are probably even a safer bet. In the North Bay, TreeHouse Delights has no brick and mortar location and is solely a delivery dispensary direct from the pot farms in California’s Emerald Triangle. They’ll have bud to your door within an hour.
It’s up to all of us to do what we can to reduce the spread of Covid 19. Stay safe, and stay positive! This, too, shall pass. Before long we will all be enjoying our cannasseur stoner circles, and even weed tours and wine tours to pot farms in California’s Emerald Triangle once again!