Gift Guide #1: Weed Tech
In honor of the especially embarrassingly named “Cyber Monday,” let’s start with some of my favorite finds in Weed Tech.
We were never a Black Friday family. Besides the couch I bought for myself last year at half price and the year I went to Walmart with my ex-boyfriend’s mom, I’ve never had my shit together enough by the day after Thanksgiving to clear my list in any significant way. Also, as an aunt to seven (with an eighth on the way) children under the age of 10, most of my gifts consist of Squishmallows.
That being said, I’ve decided to release a few different gift guides over the next month — not just for the high, but the high-minded (and poor planners) — with ranging themes for all the many different types of people we love to smoke with.
In honor of the especially embarrassingly named “Cyber Monday,” let’s start with some of my favorite finds in Weed Tech.
There are quite a few different perspectives when it comes to incorporating technology into your smoke session. For some, the analog method of pipe meets lighter holds a virtue, while others are looking to optimize their experience with all of the wonders that modern technology has to offer. Here are my picks for the latter.
For Those Who Can’t Roll — Or Just Don’t Want To
BEED Machine - $100 off today (the best deal on the list)
Many products attempt to be “The Nespresso of ____,” but few can actually claim it. Actually developed with the minds behind Nespresso (the pods might look familiar), this one-touch system brings you from pod to puff in 20 seconds. Just pop in a cone of your choice and allow the machine to pierce your pod and perfectly fill your joint. Even better, it comes in red, mint, pink, grey, blue, and black for any sensibility.
What's the advantage over pre-rolls? The nitrogen-sealed pods of pre-ground bud stay as fresh as the day they were packed for a full year, while pre-rolls start going stale the moment they’re rolled — long before they’ve ever gotten to you.
For the Bong-Shy
Zenco Flow - no discount today
Consider the Zenco Flow an electronic bong that does the work of pulling for you. With the press of a button, smoke fills the container like milk (the brand’s to-go cup model especially embraces this concept) to slowly sip from at your leisure. This not only simplifies the process for the non-bong inclined but offers a smoke-free, water-filtered option that’s easier on the lungs — and more discrete.
For Parents, Shitty Roommate-Havers, or Forgetful Med-Takers
KEEP - 25% off today
Despite the fact that even I struggle with child-proof weed packaging, the concern remains for parents of dogs and kids alike that the little critters can get into your stash. Perhaps even more concerning is the idea that your shitty roommate can grab a couple of nugs while you’re away. Meet KEEP: a digital safe that looks like an Apple product. Keeping in theme, you open it with your phone.
As a childless woman with a cat and a live-in boyfriend, I luckily don’t face these issues. I do, however, take an SSRI and overpriced mint-flavored multivitamin (IYKYK) daily, and, as you can probably imagine, my short-term memory is not exactly in fighting shape. I find myself questioning if I’ve taken my meds yet or not more often than I’d like, so I’ve been using KEEP to keep me on track.
When I first started using mine, I found that using the app to open it was more trouble than it was worth. Thankfully, there’s an option to switch the unit to open with two taps of a finger, while still keeping a log of each time it’s opened. Ideal whether your recipient has a little one or can’t remember when they took one.
For the Dab-Curious
Carta 2 - colors Grape, Mint, Midnight, and Forest are discounted
Like most people in Los Angeles, I’m headed back to the East Coast for the holidays this year. While my side of the family has made peace with the fact that I may disappear for a bit only to emerge with a spring in my step, a song in my heart, and a pink tinge to my eyes, my boyfriend’s family, understandably, operates on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy when it comes to what I do for a living.
While we typically just bring a dab pen, I’ve become deeper entrenched in the world of concentrates this year, and I’ve learned there’s a better way to take a perfect hit with no one the wiser.
Electronic dab rigs are all the rage these days. While I’m famously a flower girl, I’ve recently spent some time going deep on exactly which rig would work best for me, From the overpriced but very pretty to the just a bit too masc, (side note to industry friends: does anyone know why they’re not making the Ispire Daab anymore?), I think I’ve found my perfect match in the Carta 2. At a reasonable price point with an array of color options and a great little digital screen, it has seemingly everything you need without too many customization options as a new dabber.