Author Toke of the Town

Even before Colorado allowed the first sale of recreational marijuana in January 2014, people had lots of questions about what was in store for the state. To answer those questions, we created our weekly Ask a Stoner column. But some queries demand more time and attention, including this one that we recently received from Michael B: “Could you explain the differences — and why I should care about them — between budder, crumble, shatter, CO2 oil, rosin, live resin, bubble hash and sift?”

This question pointed up one of the major developments on the recreational pot scene: There used to be just a few varieties of concentrates, and now there are many, many more. Most budtenders are good at explaining the differences between them, but the majority of us aren’t comfortable listening to fifteen minutes of pot talk while those waiting in line get more and more impatient. So for future reference, here’s a map around the concentrate world that you can study while you’re waiting at the pot shop.

Dear Stoner: I would like to get a test for my THC levels without risking my driving privilege. If the marijuana industry is so smart and innovative, why is nothing being offered to consumers?
Steve

Dear Steve: Didn’t know the marijuana industry was responsible for your self-control or driving habits. I probably wouldn’t blame Oskar Blues if I got a DUI; I haven’t needed a breathalyzer to figure out that I’ve had too many since…ever. Still, I can see how the lack of science and clarity behind marijuana impairment is frustrating for all parties involved. Sadly, there isn’t much of a solution on the horizon, because proving marijuana consumption and actual impairment aren’t one and the same — and science can currently only do the former.

Dear Stoner: Why do you and all of the media refer to marijuana buds as “flower”? The flowers on the marijuana plant are produced by the male plant. The real magic happens when you successfully eliminate all of the males and their flowers and keep the females from getting pollinated.
Old-School Grower

Dear Old School: Some older growing guides refer to a male plant pollinating a female (resulting in a seed) as “flowering,” but that isn’t the case for the majority of cannabis literature nowadays. And while you’re defining a marijuana flower as when a seed is born, the true definition of a flower is “the seed-bearing part of a plant,” so that doesn’t mean an actual seed needs to spawn; it just has to be something that blooms, and that includes the buds we smoke. Also, most marijuana growing guides recognize the term “flower” in both female and male plants, with the female version turning into resin-coated calyxes and the male turning into a seed. That’s why so many grow guides refer to the last six to ten weeks of growing as the “flowering” stage. Some growers even refer to the stage as “blooming.”

Dear Stoner: I have bouts of nausea for days sometimes, and I’ve heard that pot tea can help. Do you know how to make it? I live in Colorado, so it’s legal here.
Blizz

Dear Blizz: You’ve heard correctly — pot tea can be a marvel for those suffering from nausea. But since water isn’t a strong enough solvent to boil for extraction, making a cup is not as simple as putting ground-up pot in a teabag with boiling water. If you’re good using milk or butter in hot drinks, you can make a chai tea or latte by whipping up your own infused butter or milk: Mix ground herb into a simmering pan of milk or butter and let it heat on low for a few hours, then strain out the pot and add the liquid to your hot beverage of choice.