It’s that time of year again: flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, and folks are Marie Kondo-ing their homes with fervor. But spring isn’t just an excellent time to organize your closet and clean out your garage, it’s a great time to reevaluate your everyday habits—and that includes your cannabis routine.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to tell you how, when, where, or how often to consume cannabis. If you’re anything like me, then you’ve probably had years to figure out which strains work best for you, whether you prefer edibles or smokeables, how to microdose when you need to, and where to purchase your time-tested cannabis favorites.
But even the most finely-tuned cannabis routines can get stale sometimes.
From deep-cleaning your glassware to rethinking your cannabis budget to trying one of Leafly’s top strain, product, and brand picks of 2018, here are just a few simple ways to spark more joy in your cannabis routine this spring.
Spring Clean Your Bongs, Bowls, and Bubblers
Cannabis resin isn’t just stinky, sticky, and unpleasant to look at—its tar compounds include carbon and carcinogens, and continuing to burn them can negatively impact your health over time. Plus, water-based pieces can grow mold and attract bugs if they aren’t cleaned frequently.
So if you haven’t already, order yourself a set of pipe cleaning brushes and take some time to spring clean your glassware. Just be sure to stick with non-toxic cleaners, like Mile HIGH Cleaner or Formula 420 Pipe Cleaner. Isopropyl alcohol and salt also provide an inexpensive and effective method.
Rethink Your Cannabis Budget
Even with Portland’s $6 eighths and Flower Co. dubbing themselves the “Costco of Cannabis,” maintaining a solid stash isn’t cheap for most cannabis consumers—especially if you partake several times each day, like myself.
Still, rethinking your cannabis budget could help you spend less at dispensaries each month. If you’re located somewhere in the Mountain West or you’re living on the West Coast, these 23 dispensaries are celebrated for their fantastic cannabis prices and deals.
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Whether you opt for bowls over blunts, or you start buying your cannabis in bulk so you can separate it into daily doses, there are plenty of ways to conserve your bud that don’t include taking an unwanted tolerance break.
Here’s a handy guide to get you started.
Read Up on Whole Plant Medicine
A growing wealth of research suggests that cannabinoids and terpenes are most effective when consumed simultaneously, and “whole plant medicine” is a term used to describe that ideal medicinal partnership. It explains why CBD products typically work best when they contain a little THC, (even if your goal isn’t to get high) and why CBD products should be part of your cannabis routine (even if your goal is to get high).
For a deeper dive on the topic, start with this piece on cannabis’ “Entourage Effect.”
Learn More About Cannabis Testing
Cannabis testing might not be the most riveting area of study, but it’s worth your time to learn more about the overall safety of your products. (Fake vape pens abound, Oregon’s cannabis lab testing system recently flunked its state audit, and California Cannabis labs have reportedly been finding toxic metal in vape carts.)
To get you started, check out this article explaining the basics of cannabis testing. Then check out Leafly’s state-by-state guide to cannabis testing regulations.
Try a New Cannabis Product
We all have our finely-honed mental lists of the tried-and-true cannabis products that never let us down, but there couldn’t be a better time to try something new. Whether you’re curious about CBD dabs, hankering to try vegan edibles, or stoked to check out your state’s top-rated cannabis products, there’s a whole wide world out there to explore.
Create Your Own Cannabis Garden
Cultivating your own home grow from scratch might seem like a daunting task—but you don’t need much space, money, or expertise to become your own cannabis provider. Whether you’re working with a closet, a small room, or an entire garage, there’s a garden setup out there to fit your lifestyle.
This handy guide will teach you how to build a simple home cannabis garden for $100, $500, and $1,000. And you can check out this guide to learn more about your state’s home cannabis cultivation laws.
