Glenn DanZig-Zag Rolling Paper Man by Hubba Hubba - Stoner Living

Here at Stoner Living, our hearts warmed like a fresh serving of corned beef hash when we saw this piece of tattoo flash from Hubba Hubba, hide-etcher extraordinaire at the Seattle Tattoo Emporium. The STE artists roared with laughter (after the warbling wails of 'Mother' died down) so a whole sheet is rumored to be in the works, with a possible DanZigfield and Roy centerpiece with hungry white tiger. Hubba says he isn't a huge Danzig fan, but here at Stoner Living we fondly remember blowing out our speakers in high school with a bootleg cassette of EvilLive.

Zig-zag rolling papers transport me to Richmond, Virginia, where I went to buy rolling papers at Costco many years ago. Two college kids came into the amble tobacco section, grabbed their cartons of Marlboro Lights and laughed at the Zig Zags saying, "who buys a carton of these?"

Well, kiddos, now you know.

DanZig-Zag Man by Hubba Hubba 

Hubba tattoos full time at The Seattle Tattoo Emporium, located between Pike & Pine on Boren, near the Seattle Convention Center. It is right around the corner from the Starbucks Reserve joint, so a trip to Starbucks Reserve deserves a stop at the Emporium - just to check out their tattoo museum and buy a t-shirt, even if you don't get ink.

If you got tattooed at some point since 1990 in Seattle, there is a chance you already know Hubba. With far more than the 10,000 hours required to make somebody an expert at something (according to author Malcolm Gladwell), Hubba is proficient at his craft of old-school, American tattooing. You can see more of his non-flesh art at his website HERE and you can follow him on Instagram at @weirdoartofhubbahubba.

(C) 2019 Stoner Living

Vape Pen Update - 2019 - Stoner Living Revisits the Category 5 Years into Legalization

In 2014, Stoner Living enthusiastically wrote about Vape Pens in an article that still draws readers almost five years later. So we're back with an update an update because much has changed.

Vape pens with cartridges have blossomed into a huge and exponentially growing category in the legal cannabis market. Stoner Living believes that cartridges will go on to dominate the cannabis market in the way that rolled, filter tipped cigarettes dominated the tobacco cigarette market during the 'golden days' of tobacco. Further refinements and enhancements in the systems for vaporizing cannabis are the single biggest commercial opportunity in the nascent legal cannabis industry.

Vape pen set up w/3 temp settings & USB charger, ~ $15

Simple, re-chargeable vape pen set-ups are widely available for about $15 as of early 2019. Most come with a USB charger and have three temperature settings. Some have a pre-heat feature which can be turned on or off. Cartridges filled with cannabis extracts are sold separately, starting at about $20 and varying widely in price, potency size and flavor.

And flavor - there's a lot going on in the world of flavors. On a positive note, the naturally occurring aroma active compounds -terpenes- coming out and having their moment to shine. Some renegade flavorants are joining the scene straight from the flavor chemist's bag-o-tricks, like the wacky Peppermint Stick pictured below. And some product occupy muddled middle ground. Look for Stoner Living's big flavor article, coming soon.

Single Use Vapes - at junkyard w/gas in the tank

Disposable vape pens are available at some outlets but are suffering from a bad reputation they cultivated out of the gate. Many retail outlets in Washington State choose not to carry single use pens. Disposable/one-time vape pens are of limited value in the experience of Stoner Living. Because re-chargable vape pen set ups are so cheap, and cartridges are available from $20-30, most customers opt for the cartridge and separate vape unit. Single-use vape units generally start at around $40 and contain .5g or less (some have .420g, some .34g). 

The single use pens often run out of electric charge before they run out of cannabis oil, leaving the disappointed user with visual evidence of tantalizing hash oil in the cartridge, and an annoying pen vape that just flashes when you try to take a puff. Attempting to recharge a non-rechargeable vaporizer unit could lead to it exploding in your face during subsequent use. No possibility of recharging these safely make the only option to somehow scavenge the oil from the dead vape pen.

Rel Vape - Adorable dispos-a-vape from Oregon, $42 for 420mg, purchased 2017

Graduation speeches sometimes include the cliché about 'making it to the junkyard with no gas left in your tank'. This is why disposable vapes are a bit soul crushing in addition to being environmentally abhorrent. Single use vapes without enough 'battery juice' to go through the 'cannabis juice' are a technological turd and a total bummer. Product developers would be wise not to have a visible tank for the cannabis extract until they are able to improve battery life. But maybe it is good these single-use products suck, so we can pre-emptively minimize the damage from the waste stream that could result from widespread adoption.

Regulator 1g Cartridge, available in WA

Cartridges are available in varying sizes, but are generally 500mg and 1000mg(1 g). Prices vary widely, but overall, competition and product availability has dropped the price of extracts including cartridges, particularly for value shoppers. The past 5 years allowed tremendous product development in terms of process optimization in the world of cannabis extracts, particularly with the introduction of a few decent sized CO2 extractors in the Washington State scene. A wide variety of different types of extracts sold in disposable cartridges have flooded the marketplace, and are available starting at $25/g of premium cannabis distillate with cannabinoid concentrations north of 80%.

Stoners who enjoy nicotine may own a JUUL already, and lucky for them, there are nifty little pods that work great with the JUUL system. Keep your eyes peeled for our Stoner Living review of the new (cannabis) pods from Optimum Cloud Pods, with .5g for $20 and 1g for just $35 at Dockside cannabis (pricing via opt-in  text message on January 31st, 2019, current prices and availability will vary).

Thank you for reading Stoner Living and follow us so you don't miss our upcoming articles on weed pods for JUUL and our big flavor article.

(C)2019 Stoner Living Blog.

How to Vape with Impunity - Stoner Living's Guide to Puffing Privately in Public in Desperate Times

The ExHaler - make it yourself!

These are dark days for decency and light hearted puffers like the readers of our illustrious blog know it's hard to hold your head high and keep smiling. But through tough times, most cannabis aficionados are hard working folks who get on with life and double down when the going gets tough. It's snowing outside? Stoners are the kind of folks who get up 15 minutes early to whack the snow off their sweetie's car. These days, Stoners are the responsible members of society while politicians disappoint and corporate titans shaft their employees.

But, enough with the gloom and doom! One sure fire way to pick up your dull day (wherever you are) is to have a puff of your favorite vapor. Me, I'm vaping a Regulator cartridge on my pen vape. Perhaps you are a JUUL aficionado. Whether it is nicotine or cannabinoids (along with their requisite flavorants and smoke enhancers), a little mid-day dose can boost your dreary day.

So if you want to vape or JUUL without offending the people around you, here's a helping hand from an old friend, the Ex-Sailor brand ExHaler brought to you by Stoner Living. You can make it yourself for free with stuff you (probably) have around your home.

The ExHaler

The biggest concern of would-be puffer/vapers is the concern that people around you smell or seeing the vapor you create. This is where a lit-end cigarette or joint (or blunt) is NOT a good choice if stealt is your goal. A lit cigarette or blunt or joint has sidestream smoke - as it burns, smoke continues to stream from the lit end even when the smoker is not puffing. With a vape unit, 'smoke' is only created when the device is puffed. The residual vapor will contain water vapor, CO2, flavorants and traces of the active ingredient, usually nicotine or cannabinoids.

For the sake of subtlety, vaping beats smoking hands down. The best strategy to minimize the size of your vape cloud is to limit the size of your puff and to hold it in as long as possible before exhaling. With practice, a stealthy puffer may learn to 'zero' out the puffs through this strategy. But don't stop there - if you are vaping in the bathroom at work or university for instance - you need a second layer of protection. That is where the Ex-Sailor Exhaler comes in to play.

After taking your thoughtfully rationed pull on your vapo-device, and holding it in until you can't hold it any longer (at least 30 seconds), exhale slowly through your ExHaler. Be sure you vent everything down into your clothing - down your shirt- or into a sweatshirt or duffle bag. This will deodorize what you exhale, but it will still look like vapor unless you blow it into something and you wait a minute before leaving the area.

I learned the ExHaler technology from college friends who attended fancy prep boarding school on the East coast. From college dorms to Amtrak cabins of yore, the ExHaler (a simple card board tube from an empty roll of toilet paper stuffed with a few rumpled up dryer sheets) has served me well in pursuit of private puffing. The beauty of the exhaler it is that it smells like you are doing laundry - pretty innocuous in the grand scheme of things.

Everything you need to make you own ExSailor ExHaler!

Everything You Need to Make Your Own ExHaler Summarizing the Ex-Sailor's Exhaler Private Puffing system (Vape with Impunity):

0.) Make your ExHaler by stuffing an empty toilet paper tube w/ multiple crumpled dryer sheets, decorate as desired

1.) Limit your puff or vape size to a small to moderate amount

2.) Hold your puff or vape in for as long as possible, but at least 30 seconds

3.)Exhale your puff/vape through your ExHaler, but

4.)Vent your ExHaler by exhaling into own your shirt or into a sweatshirt

5.) Wait a while before leaving area (at least a minute)

Remember that if you are following the system described above and hold in the vapor, you will probably absorb more of the active ingredients (whether it is cannabinoid or nicotine), so adjust your dosage accordingly. If you are not exhaling a big cloud of vapor because you are holding it in for a long time it goes to figure that the volume of the cloud you are not seeing exhaled remains in your body. So think about THAT before deciding to try the Ex Sailor's ExHaler system.

If you are asking how to get away with JUULing at school, ask yourself if it is worth the hassle of getting busted, the indignity of having your parent or guardian informed because that is probably the worst thing that will come of it. The new nicotine delivery systems like the ones sold by JUUL appear to be 90-95% better for the user than conventional cigarettes, like Marlboro. That is according to peer reviewed studies in various medical journals. Beyond the embarrassment of getting in trouble, the enslavement to the nicotine dealers is probably the worst part of nicotine addiction. Baring a few adverse cardiovascular effects, nicotine does have some positive effects on attention and cognition, including this 2004 study that found nicotine gum improved handwriting in terms of faster and more fluid handwriting. If a JUUL lasts you a day and costs $4, that is a solid used car every 5 years or so (at $4/day, a 5 year habit costs $7,300 if you go through a pod a day).

The Ex Sailor - Origins

Back in 1999 I lived in an apartment building in Corvallis where I met my upstairs neighbor Serai and invited her over to hang out. My apartment had a cigarette smoking outside rule so when I pulled evening bong hits indoors while we got to know each other, it seemed polite to exhale through an ExHaler. I hung out with my new pal and exhaled all night through my lil frayed home-made device that made me imagine the neighbors thinking I did a lot of laundry. Then Serai pointed out that she was 'the neighbors'.

The next day I came home from the lab to a nice wrapped present on my porch! I opened it up, and Serai delivered a thank you note and made me a shiny new Ex-Sailor complete with flame detailing. Imagining some poor sucker kicked out of the Navy for a bum pee test, Serai thought my flimsy invention was pretty cool but in need of an upgrade (Serai was not a cannabis person then or today). She heard Ex-Sailor, all night instead of 'exhaler' and I treasure the resulting Ex-Sailor she made me, along with our friendship, some 20 years after the fact.

Serai has a popular cleaning business in the Corvallis area as of 2019 but I won't sully her professional image by linking to her popular service for homes and offices - but a shout out from SL all my love!

Never try to vape on board an airplane - any problem or funny stuff with the restroom smoke detectors can get your flight re-routed to the nearest airport big enough to land your aircraft. Think of the inconvenience you would cause so many people - the horror and shame (and probable criminal charges)! So never, ever on the plane. But if you are in the airport waiting interminably, well, it's not a good idea but at least you probably won't be re-routing planes.

So we offer the Ex-Sailor branded ExHaler to you for your privacy and convenience. Don't get yourself in trouble - vaping should relax and enhance your life, not add stress and trouble. Be aware of local ordinances and respect them. Also consider the many years of experience your parents have before dismissing their opinions. Be good to yourselves and make sure you are treating yourself to a little break and not creating problems for yourselves. This information is provided as courtesy to vapers being thoughtful of those around them and is not intended as encouragement to break the law.


(C)2019 Stoner Living Blog, all rights reserved. Article may be shared or re-posted as long as credit is given to Stoner Living.