Month: April 2020

The Golden Goat strain serves to remind us how nature can still surprise us, no matter how hard we try to control it. Some time ago, in Kansas, a male hybrid plant accidentally fertilized a female Island Sweet Skunk. The result was a sweet and smooth Sativa-heavy strain, which quickly found its way to dispensaries across the United States and into our hearts. It got its name after old aluminum can recycling machines, which smell like soda syrup in the summer.

Since the Golden Goat strain remains popular mostly in California, people assumed it’s just another crazy Cali strain. However, I’d like to point out its Midwestern heritage, which definitely left its mark on today’s versions. Unfortunately, its creators remain anonymous to this day.

Golden Goat Strain Review

Appearance and Aroma

Starting with the looks, Golden Goat usually comes in medium-sized light green buds, with a lot of orange pistils. The trichomes range from milky off-white to golden. Once in a while, I find an almost pink-looking Golden Goat bud. The pistils look more red than orange, and the trichomes make it look pinkish.

Personally, I love Golden Goat’s aroma. It’s sweet, smooth, and not too pungent. Unlike some Sativa strains, such as Cheese or Diesel, it doesn’t tickle your nose or make you cough. However, I can single out a slight citrus flavor among the sweetness, sort of like lemon zest, which is refreshing.

Effects

Much like the aroma, the Golden Goat strain provides you with a strong but quite manageable high. It comes on slow and steady, rather than hitting you hard and mellowing out later on. Even though it has mostly Sativa genetics, I can feel much of its Indica influences. Not so much that it makes me sit down, but just enough to relieve any pain and muscle tension I may have. In addition, it has a decently high CBD percentage, which explains the pain-relieving properties.

On the other hand, the anxiety-prone among you should be careful with the amount of Golden Goat you take at a time. Don’t let its smoothness fool you into believing it’s not strong.

Growing Suitability

Unfortunately, the Golden Goat strain’s accidental genetics make it impossible to fertilize. Since the male plant doesn’t exist, we only have two options — cross-breeding and cloning.

If you want, you can find Golden Goat cuttings to grow into a full plant. However, you have to do it indoors, preferably using the hydroponic method. Oxygenated water is perfect for promoting root growth. You can also enrich the water using some kind of root-growth hormone. And once it starts growing, your part of the job is pretty much done. The plant is bushy by nature, so it requires no topping or bending.

Conclusion

A happy accident, the Golden Goat strain found its home in California, far away from its Kansas birthplace. Much like a scruffy kid from the Midwest making it big in Hollywood, Golden Goat packs a stronger punch than you’d think at first. However, when you get used to it, you’ll grow to appreciate the uplifting, racy, but smooth high it provides you. I know I did!

The Northern Lights strain has only recently begun to spread in the U.S. market. Its exact origins are unknown, but it is believed to be a descendant of Thai and Afghani strains. However, the Northern Lights strain as we know it today wouldn’t have existed if it weren’t for Dutch scientists who perfected it.

Today, Northern Lights is in high demand, and it can be seen in most dispensaries in the United States, especially along the West Coast. It’s one of the purest, most Indica-dominant strains I’ve ever seen. In other words, it can have strong sedative effects, so you might want to consume it in the evenings or before bed. Naturally, it’s also quite potent, and it can contain more than 20% of THC. It’s also one of my personal favorites, so I can’t wait to tell you all about it.

Northern Lights Strain Review

Appearance and Aroma

The leaves of the Northern Lights strain are resinous, big, and dark green. Frosted with white trichomes and purple streaks, this strain resembles a gorgeous Aurora borealis, much like its name suggests.

Still, in my opinion, the most captivating thing about this strain is the aroma. It has a piney, fresh smell, but it tastes kind of sweet. It’s quite opulent, and it will probably leave you wanting more. Most people simply go for snacks, though.

Effects

Like I said, Northern Lights will make you want to munch on everything you have in the house. That’s why many people with anorexia use it to increase their appetite and gain weight. However, it can sometimes cause dry mouth, so you’ll need to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Aside from the munchies, this strain can turn anyone into a couch potato. After smoking Northern Lights, I have an instant urge to sit down, and I begin to despise the sheer thought of getting off the sofa. Of course, those with nine-to-five jobs should definitely avoid this strain during the day. On the other hand, it’s perfect for those evenings when you just want to relax, unwind, and shut off for a bit.

Growing

If you’re a beginner at growing cannabis, Northern Lights is an excellent choice for you. Thanks to its resistance to pests, mold, and disease, this strain is incredibly easy to cultivate. In addition, it grows quite quickly — the indoor flowering time is only about six to eight weeks. Also, you don’t have to do much work, as the plant grows in a single cola. One plant will yield about 100g of the product.

Conclusion

Although some experienced tokers claim that they feel focused and euphoric after smoking Northern Lights, that’s not usually the case. I found myself becoming sleepy and lazy from it. As it’s an Indica-heavy strain, you will get the most of it if you consume it before bed. Some people even say that it enhances their dreams — I know it did mine.

I’ll admit, the Northern Lights strain is not for everyone, but it can undoubtedly do wonders for people who have trouble sleeping or struggle with anorexia. And even if you don’t have a medical issue, Northern lights can help you get a good night’s sleep!

With the rise in cannabis consumption across America, numerous drug screening tests have emerged. They range from standard urine tests to slightly less common blood and hair tests. But in recent years, the go-to screening method is testing the saliva for the cannabis compound residue. Advancements in technology have made saliva drug tests the quickest and the least invasive method for both administers and test-takers. They are widely used for testing anyone from suspected drug users to job applicants and existing employees. If you enjoy using cannabis every now and then and you worry about an upcoming screening, here are my tips on how to pass a saliva drug test.

How a Saliva Drug Test Works and How Reliable It Is

The saliva drug test, aka oral fluid test or simply a mouth swab, is incredibly easy to administer, which has contributed to its popularity. It can be done on the spot, doesn’t require a professional medical examiner, and produces immediate results. Once you take the test, it’s practically impossible to interfere with the results. That means it can be performed without notice, for example, by your employer or police officers when they pull you off the road.

As opposed to traditional urine, hair, and blood drug tests, a mouth swab screens for THC residue on the lining of your mouth rather than its presence in your organism. Many people are in favor of saliva tests because they supposedly give the most accurate results. But, luckily for test-takers, they have a very narrow window for picking up the traces of THC, usually around 24 hours. That means that if we abstain from using cannabis for a day or so, we are likely to get away with the test. The cannabis compounds will become metabolized in our system and disappear from the mouth.

How to Pass a Saliva Drug Test — Here’s What You Can Do

Owing to such a short testing span, we can take the necessary precautions to ensure we pass the test. That is handy if we know in advance that we will need to undergo a drug mouth swab. Even if you have to take the test without prior notice, some of my tips on how to pass a saliva drug test may come in useful.

Refrain From Smoking for at Least a Day or Two

A tolerance break is a foolproof way to go. If you wait for 24 hours or more, if you can help it, the chances are that all THC will be absorbed in your metabolism, and none will remain inside your mouth. If you don’t want to risk failing the test, try to hold out on smoking weed for longer. A couple of days will undoubtedly put you in the safe zone. The same applies if you are a heavy user. It may be challenging, but it trumps suffering the consequences of a positive test result. If you have to use marijuana for some reason, give edibles a go in the days leading to your test. It’s easier to get rid of their trace, which is exactly what I explain in the tip that follows.

Wash Your Mouth Meticulously

Make sure that you brush and floss your teeth thoroughly and clean your gums with care. If you remove residue of food and drink from your mouth, the test will have fewer traces of cannabis to pick up on. In addition, you could use a mouthwash or an antiseptic, like hydrogen peroxide or Listerine. Use them right before you take the test, if possible, as their effect lasts for about 30 minutes. This tip could particularly come in handy if you need to take a surprise test.

Swirl Water in Your Mouth

Drinking excessive amounts of water can lower the risk of flunking the urine drug test, so logic has it that water can help rid your mouth of pot residue as well. No need to drink an ocean to fool a swab test, fortunately. What should work is swishing the water in your mouth as if it were mouthwash. Some would recommend adding ice to the mix too. Either way, repeat several times. Hopefully, the water will dilute the THC in your saliva so that the test would yield a negative result.

Abstain From CBD

Although cutting down on CBD is more relevant for urine tests, I suggest sticking to this tip as well. CBD products contain trace amounts of THC (less than 0.3%, but it’s there), so ditching them prior to your mouth swab will eliminate the risk of testing positive.

Bottom Line

Since they are on the rise, it’s useful to know the tips on how to pass a saliva drug test. Keep in mind that the best way to go is avoiding smoking pot at least a day before your screening. If you are caught unalert, cleaning your mouth with mouthwash, an antiseptic, or plain ol’ water might do the trick as well.

As you may know, marijuana is still not totally legal everywhere. You might find yourself asking the (in)famous question — where is marijuana legal by state? Before I answer this question, you should learn a bit of history. Ever since the United States crack down on cannabis by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, marijuana remains illegal for possession, sale, use, and growing under federal law. So what happened?

The law, mostly in place to villainize the counterculture and hippie movement of the 1960s, stated that cannabis provides no potential for medical use, along with a high potential for abuse. However, after decades of prohibition, state governments realized that the law failed to hinder widespread marijuana use. Therefore, they either decriminalized cannabis for medical use or outright legalized both it and recreational use.

Where Is Marijuana Legal By State?

The Free States

So far, eleven states legalized the possession, sale, and cultivation of cannabis for both medical and recreational use. California and Colorado pioneered the cannabis legalization movement. California did it first and actually declared cannabis possession a misdemeanor all the way back in 1975. Later, it legalized medical use in 1996. Then, Colorado started the revolution in 2012, signing the Colorado Amendment 64. Besides the pioneers, cannabis is entirely legal in:

• Alaska
• Maine
• Illinois
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• Nevada
• Oregon
• Michigan
• Washington

Marijuana is also allowed in a few other places. For instance, it’s legal in D.C., but selling it is prohibited. Moreover, you can find legal cannabis in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and all the Native American reservations.

The Gray Area

Here’s where the waters get murky. In the following states, both medical and recreational use is decriminalized and widely tolerated:

• Delaware
• Hawaii
• Connecticut
• Maryland
• New Hampshire
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• New York
• North Dakota
• New Mexico
• Ohio
• Rhode Island

The next few states allow medical use, but recreational use is illegal. In other words, if you have a prescription, you can buy marijuana in these states:

• Arizona
• Montana
• Arkansas
• Louisiana
• Florida
• Utah
• New Jersey
• Pennsylvania
• West Virginia

No-Tolerance States

Finally, we’ve come to the states where cannabis still remains mostly illegal. However, in some cases, CBD oil and low-THC strains are exempt for medical use. In addition, some states tolerate recreational cannabis use, or they’ve bumped it down to a misdemeanor. Anyhow, you should still be careful if you’re in:

• Wisconsin
• Mississippi
• Alabama
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia
• Kansas
• Wyoming
• Idaho
• Indiana
• Kentucky
• Nebraska
• South Dakota
• Iowa
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia

Conclusion

Thanks to the brave states of California and Colorado, the list of places where marijuana is legal keeps growing by the day. Even though it still contradicts the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, cannabis use is tolerated in more than half of the U.S. In addition, what used to be a huge criminal enterprise, sending a huge number of otherwise law-abiding citizens to prison, is becoming a booming industry creating jobs and income for hundreds of Americans.

In my opinion, marijuana will soon be legal everywhere in the U.S. Until that happens, I hope this updated ‘where is marijuana legal by state?’ list helps you navigate.