When I was growing up, my parents and all of their friends smoked pot. You know how some people smell Tollhouse cookies baking and are brought back to childhood? That’s how I feel about marijuana smoke (if that helps you understand the scale of their use). But, despite decades dedicated to cannabis use, their kit consisted of a tray and a tin can filled with rolling papers, Bic lighters, and alligator clips for roaches. That was a basic DIY marijuana set-up during a time when it was completely illegal.
Thankfully that era is over. We’re at the tail end of prohibition and innovation is booming. Part of why cannabis has gotten so much better comes from how paraphernalia has advanced. Although, the really strong bud is nice too, as is the increased sex that pot smokers have.
The gift guide below isn’t strictly limited to items that allow you to use cannabis. If you have someone on your gift list who is using marijuana — whether medicinally or just as a stress release — they have probably that figured that bit out, for the most part. Instead, these gifts enhance the experience. As the owner of many things on this list, I can guarantee you that my life is better for having them. They range in price and connection to cannabis, but they are all solidly useful (no weird decorative pot leaf apparel or decor in here).
Tasting Journal by Goldleaf Ltd.
As cannabis has become increasingly available, the opportunities to try different strains has boomed. You can really narrow the scope of what you are looking for and get the exact effect you seek through trial and error, but only if you actually remember what you like and don’t like.
You know what’s difficult when you smoke a lot of pot? Remembering.
A taster’s guide lets you track the flavors and the experience associated with the different products you try, and it helps you remember where they came from. With this journal, your gift recipient won’t end up — like me — remembering the salad days associated with some grower’s Gorilla Glue without being able to find it ever again. Because it was seriously so good, and I miss it more than most of my ex-boyfriends. If only I had a journal to help me.
Botanical Extractor Machine by Magical Butter
Buy this. Buy it for your friend. Buy it for family. Buy it for yourself. Previously complicated undertakings like cannabutter and tincture production have forever been changed by Magical Butter. You simply toss decarbed flower, butter, and lecithin into the machine; set it; and forget it. Sometimes, when I use mine, I pretend I am the after person in infomercial, and I boggle at the ease with which I can now produce marijuana coconut oil and bake it into treats. “It’s soooo easy.”
My lunacy aside, this little gem really is life changing (and simple!). To get the most out of it, look into the NOVA decarboxylator from Ardent. And, if the price of the Magical Butter scares you, it has a slightly less expensive competitor that also works well — although the Mighty Fast Herbal Infuser doesn’t come with the silicone glove and strainer. Instead, it has a sieve and a hemp bag, and the process is less convenient. Still, it works well enough, straining aside.
Nuggy Multi-Tool by NugTools
Over time, weed use can lead to the accumulation of a tiny tool kit of household items covered in resin. You lose a tiny spoon and suddently you are using a thumbtack to pick up concentrate and get it into your vaporizer. You start scraping crap out of your pipe’s bowl with the corner of an old debit card. And, if you have a Swiss Army knife, you use it in various capacities as well.
But, the Nuggy (in addition to being cute AF) gives you a dedicated set of implements designed for the purpose of assisting a person in cannabis use. Best of all, tey all remain together, so you won’t have to hunt for them.
The Stoner’s Coloring Book by Jared Hoffman
It is perfectly possible to be a high functioning pot smoker. Every time you get stoned doesn’t have to end in couch lock and munchies from Hell. But, sometimes, you are looking to push away the worries of the world and to just veg. The Stoner’s Coloring Book is perfect for those times when it is you, some shatter, and every season of Psych. If that sounds like a routine someone in your life enjoys, enhance it by giving them an opportunity to ride out their creative instincts without having to get out off the couch.
Throw in some great markers or colored pencils and you have given someone months of additional entertainment when they need to shut out the world. Best of all, you might even be the recipient of some colorful images perfect for posting on your refrigerator.
Wood Grinder by Twisted Bee
A grinder is a staple, and it’s likely anyone smoking bud in your social circle has one. In theory they could be ripping the flower apart by hand, but… like… why?
Even if your pot smoking secret santa has one, it probably isn’t this cool. Twisted Bee makes all of their grinders by hand from 100 percent Canadian maple wood skateboards, so every one of them is completely unique. But, they aren’t just a visual score, they also work really well. The wooden teeth are reinforced by metal pegs for a good grind and there are magnets that keep the lid closed and limit the chances of finely ground marijuana spraying across the room.
It’s recycled. It’s artisan crafted. And, it works. That’s the cannabis lover’s gift trifecta, right?
Odor Absorbent Backpack by Revelry Supply
Marijuana use can be fun, it can be healing, and it can be freaking stinky. In general, people aren’t looking to reek like a huge human nug. Let the squinchy red eyes, sloppy smile, and desire to break down the connections between Kim Possible and Greek mythology be the resounding clues to cannabis use. Not the smell.
This backpack helps limit water damage and kill odors, both of which are ideal for people hauling their stash around. The backpack has a dual carbon filter and a cotton lining, both of which are refreshed by a little time in the dryer. If only you could do that as easily with a stinky apartment.
Cannabis Cocktails, Mocktails & Tonics: The Art of Spirited Drinks and Buzz-Worthy Libations by Warren Bobrow
Every gift guide needs to have a book on it, preferably a cookbook. And, while there are a lot of cannabis cookbooks, there is only one book dedicated to cannabis cocktail craft. That’s not to say you’re being urged to gift it because it’s the only one on the market. You’re being urged because it is as close to perfect as a book like this can be.
Firstly, it’s gorgeous; the layout and images throughout are choice. The author, Warren Bobrow, is an uncontested expert in this field, and his prowess is apparent in recipes for drinks like Rose, Saffron, Cardamom Lassi and Vietnamese Lemonade. And, Bobrow includes a lot of the culinary science behind the the creation of ingredients. There’s even a section about pairing strains with liquors. As a bonus, this present comes with the chance that you will get a sweet invite to a lit cocktail night in the future.
Locking Stash Box by Hakuna Supply
A secret book safe isn’t a must for anyone, but it is fun for everyone. Who doesn’t want a stash box that is also a faux book with a pin-up on it? If these people exist, keep it a secret because 2017 has brought enough sadness already. A lot of cannabis enthusiasts end up amassing tools and weed and paraphernalia over time, only to find that their hobby had bled all over their homes — this is an easy fix.
The upside of a stash box is that it encourages gathering all of those things in a single location, limiting the impression that a person is simply paying rent for a place to hot box. Now, the lock is hardly going to keep out burglars, but it’s fun for stopping roommates, friends, and the occasional sleepover guest from rifling through your weed and helping themselves. That, in itself, is a gift.
Silicone Water Rig by Unbreakable Smoking
Artisans craft beautiful hand blown water rigs, so why would anyone want some glow-in-the-dark silicone poser? True, for the living room smoker, the silicone bong feels like the lesser of the pair. But, a lot of people who use marijuana take their rig on the go.
If you wanna go for a hike, you aren’t looking to bubble wrap the crap out of your water pipe and hope for the best when you unwrap things on a mountain peak, tossing old squishy here into your backpack is the better way to go. The same is true of taking it with you camping or even on a bus ride to a friend’s house. With this rig, a recipient is down to travel with ease. And, paired with the Revelry Supply backpack, the trip will be odor-free, too.
Doob Tubes by Koala Lifestyle
Speaking of cannabis and travel, pre-rolled can be the source of many a sad. Unless they operate with a roll-it-when-you-arrive attitude, the marijuana lover in your life knows all about yanking bits of rolling paper and shreds of flower out of their pocket/backpack/purse. Doob tubes fix that, by housing your joints in relative safety. They won’t get crushed and they won’t get wet, which those of us in rainy climates are down with.
Further, if your friend or family member doesn’t finish smoking a full rollie,they can put it back in, and the tube will hold in the scent. Give someone you care about the gift of not smelling like an ashtray. It’s a bit for the gift recipient and a lot for anyone around them with a sense of smell.
