Cannabis

Truly, we are living in a golden age of cannabis innovation. First, they put THC into beverages. And now, Sweet Dreams Vineyard has taken the alcohol out of typically alcoholic drinks and swapped it for THC. The Scottsdale-based company offers two products, Cannabernet and Marijuarita, that mimic the taste of wine and margaritas, respectively, but without the alcohol that some consumers don’t want. Instead, the two items are each sold in two sizes — 6.3-ounce and 25.4-ounce bottles — and each bottle comes in strengths ranging from 10 to 100 mg for the small size and 25 to 100 mg for the large size. The blueberry and pomegranate flavors shine in the Cannabernet, and the tartness of a margarita is on full display in the Marijuarita (that one is best served over ice). Both varieties are a great way to have a drink and achieve a relaxed state of mind without the booze.

In the world of weed, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong are like the president, Mr. Rogers, and Beyoncé wrapped into one iconic duo. And for proof, we point to the amount of love the pair received when they made a series of appearances at Nature’s Medicines dispensaries in Tolleson, Phoenix, and Glendale in May. The point of the visits was to promote Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis products, a lineup that includes flower, cartridges, edibles, and concentrates. But the crowd came to see the men that have making them laugh for more than 40 years. Displaying patience, kindness, and their legendary quick wit, Marin and Chong made some introductory remarks at the Glendale Nature’s Medicine location, then settled in for a lengthy autograph session in which generations of fans showed up for the chance to see cannabis’s funniest ambassadors.

In April, the Phoenix Events & Entertainment Complex was home to Cannaval, a music festival with designated cannabis consumption lounges where attendees could watch local musicians perform while they partook in, well, you know. Authority Zero, The Black Moods, Mouse Powell, Black Bottom Lighters, and other musicians were part of the lineup. And that wasn’t the only entertainment happening during the half-day festival modeled after los carnavales in South America; elsewhere on the 13-acre grounds, there was pro wrestling, samba dancers, rotating aerial acrobats, jugglers, stilt walkers, fire performers, master balloon artists, unicyclists, and glassblowers. Sad you missed it? It’s happening again on November 12, and Executive Director David Fowler says this one will be even bigger and better.

The already-hip Clarendon Hotel and Spa got even cooler last year when the four-star establishment became Arizona’s first pot-themed overnight destination. It’s been going strong for a year and is now on the map with the likes of Bud-n-Breakfast, pot news outlets, and websites such as Trip Advisor. The Clarendon boasts a rooftop bar with great views of the city, a full lounge bar, a spa, the tasty Fuego Bistro, and a pool with cabanas. Currently, pot smoking is allowed in 15 rooms, with plans to expand to 40. The Elevations Lounge is open to guests and members and is a relaxing space where folks can smoke and check out new products. The Clarendon also hosts marijuana chefs and events; just in August, the hotel put on a budtender appreciation party and a pot-infused Spanish cuisine tasting.

If you’re more of a casual consumer of marijuana, you may not be on top of what’s going on in the burgeoning Arizona cannabis industry. So if you want to learn, consider familiarizing yourself with Cannabis Cactus, a magazine with national reach that’s published right here in Scottsdale. Because it’s Arizona-based, Cannabis Cactus has lots to say about the local marijuana industry — think profiles of business owners, reviews of Arizona-made products, and more. It also routinely publishes recipes for infused foods and beverages, articles about how cannabis can help with various medical conditions, travel pieces, marijuana news from around the world, and more. Every time we open the magazine or visit the website, we learn something new about the fascinating world of cannabis.

When local artist Sladjana Ahmetovic injured her foot during the pandemic, she found that smoking cannabis while painting (and inviting friends over to do the same) was an excellent way to cope with cabin fever. It proved to be so popular that she turned it into a business. Pretty Dope Paintings is like those wine-and-paint nights you can find all over town, except instead of raising a glass, you’re lighting a joint. Pretty Dope Paintings offers classes about once a month, and subjects have included fireflies in jars, desert sunsets, and holiday-themed art. The classes last about three hours and it’s BYOC (bring your own cannabis). Ahmetovic says that her classes draw all skill levels, and she usually keeps the session’s project pretty simple since marijuana is in the mix. She holds classes about once a month, and there are usually about 20 people who show up for a little puff and paint.

Cheba Hut is the ultimate stoner grub and hangout spot. Bob Marley music? Check. A menu that calls its 4-inch sandwiches “nugs,” 8-inch sammies “pinners,” and footlong subs “blunts”? Yes. Fellow stoners vibing out and noshing on toasted subs? Of course. And house-made Rice Krispies and Fruity Pebbles treats melded together by plenty of marshmallows? Absolutely. The subs may sound familiar, as they’re named after cannabis strains, like the White Widow with chicken, bacon, and ranch, and the Griefo with cream cheese, guacamole, pepper jack cheese, and lots of veggies including mushrooms, cucumbers, and black olives. Valley locations are spread out from central Phoenix to Glendale, Ahwatukee, Mesa, and Chandler, and some are even open until midnight for those late-hour munchies.

Every First Friday, we make it a point to stop in at the two locations of Bud’s Glass Joint. Sure, they’re not art galleries, but they’re located in the heart of the two primary First Friday hubs and there’s always something going on — glassblowing in the courtyard of the Roosevelt Row location, or maybe a drum circle at the Grand Avenue outpost. While we’re there, we can’t help but check out everything Bud’s has to offer, which is pretty much all that you need to indulge in a smoke session, from bongs and vapes to grinders and papers. There’s also plenty of what you might call “hippie stuff”: incense, tie-dyed clothing and accessories, and more. It all adds up to Bud’s being our go-to spot for ganja-related goods.

“Although realistic — it’s not consumable.” That’s the disclaimer at the top of the Nug Jewelz website. The local jewelry company makes pieces from recycled hemp and resin that are then dyed and shaped to resemble real-life marijuana nuggets and diamond-shaped jewels. The custom pieces are then hung as pendants, attached to necklaces, embedded into rings and beads on bracelets, dangled on earrings, and pinned onto garments. And besides the realistic-looking pieces, Nug Jewelz sells little bong-shaped earrings, chakra bracelets, logo T-shirts, and more. The nugs are handmade here in Valley, sold at local dispensaries, popups, smokeshops, and cannabis conventions, and distributed throughout 50 states and eight countries.

#MSW is the hashtag for Mary Jane SmokeWear, the local apparel company outfitting the 420 movement since 2009. MSW’s mission, according to its website, is to spread peace, love, and cannabis via dope art and chill vibes. One of their latest T-shirt designs depicts two joints that form a cross; another is a tank top that reads #dopesquad. On the company’s Instagram and Facebook pages, where they’ve garnered over 10,000 followers, a model sports the company’s new headgear in bright tie-dye patterned colors; the text underneath the brand name reads “POTHEAD.” Mary Jane Smokewear isn’t just splashed all over the internet; at a recent Marijuana Industry Trade Association event in Phoenix, one guy rocked MSW’s new Ganja Turtles tee, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles parody that pictures four turtles smoking up in a van.

Stoney Chicken makes Sherlocks, the calabash-style pipes known for their dramatic curves and made popular by depictions of fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Stoney Chicken, who likes to keep his given name private, makes the funky pipes out of glass artistically formed via fire and a set of shaping tools. Stoney’s last few Sherlocks, which take him about three hours each to create, resemble ornate woodgrain. Stoney then posts the Sherlock photos on Instagram, drawing hundreds of interested stoner fans. Some fans become artistic collaborators who adhere their glass sculptures to the Sherlock. Earlier this year, Stoney Chicken won a People’s Choice Award at the World Series of Glass in Las Vegas. Want one of your own? It’s best to message Stoney on social media, as he travels all over the U.S. to sell his Sherlocks for $60 to $120 depending on size, and double the price if a glass frog is attached. And the Sherlocks are by no means his only glass creations — check out his Instagram to see everything Stoney Chicken is capable of.

Local artist Desi B. Glass makes space-age type glass rigs to consume wax, concentrate, or oil — a.k.a. cannabis concentrate. He utilizes propane and an oxygen torch to heat the glass and a kiln to anneal the pieces and keep the pieces warm between steps. He creates a Dab Bot rig, a 7-inch glass sculpture that resembles a robotic monkey. He also makes an Abduction rig, a glass diorama depicting an alien in a spaceship hovering above a glass cow floating in mid-air, it would seem. The glass work is so detailed and out of this world that it commands between $1,500 to $2,500 per piece, and Desi still can’t keep them in stock.

Imagine this: Whatever you’re eating or drinking at the moment, it has the capacity to get you high. That’s the purpose of Sprinkle THC, a powder that turns anything into an edible. Created in Scottsdale, Sprinkle THC products are flavorless and odorless and claim to be sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan, and keto-friendly. The basic product comes in boxes of 10 tear-open packets and is available in 10- and 25-mg dosages. Plus, there’s a sleepytime version that adds 3 mg of melatonin to 10 mg of THC, a THC/CBD combo option, and a 1000-mg jar for users to measure out custom amounts. Whichever version you go with, Sprinkle does what it says: adds some THC goodness to our onion dip, strawberry smoothie, or what have you. You can find Sprinkle products at dispensaries such as Curaleaf, Harvest HOC, and Jars Cannabis.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost two years since recreational marijuana was legalized in Arizona. In that time, local dispensaries have seen an avalanche of customers navigating their way through purchasing pot for the first time. The three Jars Cannabis locations take great care of their recreational customers whether they’re newbies or veteran purchasers. Waits are generally short, and once you’re inside, you’ll have an eager budtender take your order, tell you about the day’s sales, and offer advice on product selection. We love Jars’ referral program (we get free stuff for bringing in first-time customers), their excellent selection of all kinds of cannabis products, the discounts on popular items, and the hip atmosphere.

Back before marijuana was legal in Arizona, we experienced plenty of homemade weed-infused baked goods, and none of them were what you could call tasty. So treats by Amy & Al’s Edibles are practically a revelation. Amy & Al’s has been on the local cannabis scene for a while, which has given them plenty of time to hone their baking and infusing skills. The company makes cookies, brownies, and truffles in a variety of dosages, plus other treats such as hard candies, gummies, and cannabis-infused honey. We regularly pick up the bags of mini cookies in flavors including snickerdoodle, chocolate chip, and peanut butter. At 10mg each, one is just the right dose for us, and all taste great. The chocolate brownie is the standout, though — rich and moist, we can’t even taste the cannabis in the 100mg bar. Amy & Al’s home dispensary is White Mountain Health Center, but you can find their products at dispensaries all over town by checking the website.

For an upgrade on the traditional fruity pot gummy, check out Angry Errl. The medicated candy is made and sold by the folks at The Mint Cannabis, which has three locations in the Valley. The gummies are a blend of pineapple, mango, orange, and watermelon flavors, and are tossed in a sugar and spice mix, bringing a mix of heat and tangy-sweet flavors. Each package sells for $14 and contains 10 gummies in a 100 mg pack. You also get a small pouch of the sweet-spicy sugar mix and a lollipop for dipping. If you like the Angry Errl heat, the company also sells a line of weed-infused hot sauces in varieties like mild and hot buffalo, chamoy, and Sriracha.

System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian dropped his new line of 22Red concentrates — Papago Punch, Shred 22, Portuguese Kush, and K9 — in metro Phoenix in June. The “top-shelf and rockstar-approved” live resin concentrates are created with starting material supplied by Sonoran Roots, a Tempe- and Mesa-based cultivator. Also known as dab or wax, Odadjian’s concentrates are sold in 1-gram increments in red-and-black-topped jars at dispensaries throughout the Valley, including CuraLeaf, Nirvana Center, The Flower Shop, and more. Locals say the Portuguese Kush sauce is a slightly sativa-leaning strain that provides a euphoric high perfect for just kickin’ it on the couch.

Runtz is a hybrid flower that relaxes adult rec consumers and med patients alike. Originally from California, the difficult-to-obtain strain is now available in metro Phoenix. Local concertgoers able to smoke the meld of Gelato and Zkittlez say it provides a euphoric vibe that supposedly elevates the music experience to another dimension. It not only smells like tropical candy, but it also leaves a sweet aftertaste. The Leafly app awarded Runtz as the Strain of the Year in 2020, and a year later, it took first place at the High Times Medical Cup in Michigan in the Recreational Hybrid Flower division. Runtz is available at local dispensaries such as The Flower Shop, Sunday Goods, GreenPharms, and The Mint Cannabis.

Bubba Kush kept coming up in discussions at the Phoenix Cannabis Awards Music Festival in May. The attendees, cannabis connoisseurs of sorts, spoke on the classic and popular strain, saying it destresses them and helps knock them out when feeling restless in bed; the nutty, earthy, slightly sweet taste and coffee-esque aroma add to the calming effect. That sounds great to us. Since Bubba Kush is a perennial favorite — it stems from the Bubble Gum and Kush strains and has been around since the 1990s — plenty of local dispensaries carry it, including Arizona Natural Selections, Sunnyside Cannabis, and Local Joint by Zen Leaf.

Shred 22, a sativa-dominant hybrid noted for its “effervescent and motivating effects,” is based on Sour Diesel, a popular sativa marijuana strain. And when opening up 22Red’s signature jar, Shred 22 has that diesel smell. Users say the effects of the strain are cerebral, dreamlike, and energizing, making it a good choice for use in the morning prior to getting your day started. Shred 22 is part of 22Red, the cannabis business System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian’s founded in California. It has since expanded to metro Phoenix (connecting with local cultivator Sonoran Roots), and its products can be found all over the Valley, including dispensaries such as Curaleaf.

In the age of DoorDash and GoPuff, it makes sense that there’s a delivery service dedicated to getting medical marijuana patients their products. Supurb caters to med patients around the Valley, and the website is super-simple to use. Once you’ve proven you’re a valid med patient, you put in your address to find the dispensaries near you — Zen Leaf, Oasis Cannabis, Marigold, and Sunday Goods are just some of the businesses that work with Supurb. You can check out the daily deals at each dispensary, choose one to order from, then opt for immediate or scheduled delivery. It’s easy, fast, and saves us so much time. As of right now, Supurb can’t deliver to recreational patients, but stay tuned: A note on their website suggests that it could happen next year.

If you’re new to being a recreational marijuana customer, it can be bewildering to choose among the many metro Phoenix dispensaries. One way that dispensaries distinguish themselves and build customer loyalty is by offering discounts and perks to first-time customers, and in that respect, local chain Sol Flower really shines. While most dispensaries offer special savings for new customers on their second, third, and even fifth visits, Sol Flower offers a BOGO special on flower, concentrates, and prerolls for new shoppers on each of the first 10 visits. That’s on top of daily deals on popular products, including a variety of waxes, cartridges, and edibles. Or, you can stick to the classics and grab free eighths every single day when purchasing Sol Flower’s house strain. Once Sol Flower has lured you in with their new customer deals, you’ll probably want to stick around for their great service and uniquely comprehensive events calendar: They offer classes such as Cannabis 101 and Cannabis for Seniors, plus activity sessions like yoga and meditation.

Being experienced retail marijuana customers, we’ve encountered our fair share of deadpan, disinterested, and distracted budtenders. But it’s never happened at either of the Herbal Wellness Center locations. There, we always check in with a receptionist who appears to be genuinely happy to greet us. Inside the sales area, the budtenders are patient and informative, answering all our questions about the products and how to get the most for our money with the dispensary’s daily specials. Add in a wide selection of cannabis products for all types of customers, a great loyalty program, and discounts for seniors and veterans, and you’ve got a dispensary chain that truly wants everyone to leave happy.

When you walk into the Tempe location of the Sunday Goods dispensary, you may feel like you’re in the waiting room of a resort spa — the complimentary kombucha and tasteful wood paneling are both relaxing and Instagrammable. But there’s more to the local dispensary chain than the aesthetics. Sunday Goods is a solid pick for all customers — medical and recreational, new and experienced — and offers a wide selection and daily deals on their products. We love their Sunday Oil house brand of cartridges, and the fact that you can search for products on their website by how you want to feel — relaxed, creative, sleepy, etc. Add in events like the Sunday Rise, a yoga and sound meditation series, and a line of tasteful merch like sweatshirts and bucket hats, and Sunday Goods is definitely the dispensary for people who crave style with their substances.

When we first wrote this Best of Phoenix award, we were planning on hailing The Mint Cannabis Tempe for staying open until midnight, allowing us to stop by and pick up what we need until late. Then, in September, the news dropped: Starting in mid-October, the dispensary will stay open 24 hours on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. No word yet on if there will be any expansion on the hours of The Mint’s kitchen, which serves fantastic infused food like pizza, burgers, and chicken wings, but at least we’ll be able to pick up flower, concentrates, edibles, and more at any time on those days. It’s just another reason that The Mint’s award for Most Innovative Medical Cannabis Dispensary, given to them in 2020 at the international Commercial Cannabis Awards, is well-deserved.

The budtender archetype may conjure images of a tattooed, rainbow-haired youngster on the front lines of trendy legal toking. But at Harvest House of Cannabis in north Scottsdale, you’re likely to be greeted by a jovial man with a bushy white beard. He’ll tell you about his experiences smoking pot at Woodstock, then give you a spot-on personal recommendation about what flower you should scoop up that day. Harvest has long been on the vanguard of the Arizona cannabis scene; they’ve been serving medical customers since 2013. And today, they even have their own doctor on staff. Dr. William Troutt is the dispensary chain’s resident medical director, providing guidance to countless patients looking to cure what ails them with the health benefits of cannabis.