Throughout history, Cannabis and hemp have had their fair share of unsung heroes. Still, many of these heroes are forgotten by time for the most part, but without the unsung heroes, medicinal research of cannabis and hemp may not have happened and without the increase in the medicinal space, legal recreational use by adults would have been slowed greatly, if not stopped all together. In this article, we will cover 3 of those heroes today: a Victorian doctor who introduced Cannabis to western medicine, an organic chemist the government had no choice but to accept, and possibly the most famous name in Cannabis. These are 3 unsung heroes of weed. 

W.B. O’Shaughnessy 

A young Irish assistant surgeon set out for India in 1833 and ended up being the first noted cannabis researcher while introducing cannabis to western medicine.  The 24-year-old O’Shaughnessy had failed to acquire his license to practice medicine from London College of Physicians and Surgeons and turned his focus to medical research. While in India, he would notice cannabis being used as an intoxicant by the natives. He witnessed the effects it displayed and started experimenting with the plant in hopes of using it as an anesthetic. In 1839, he published his findings in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 1. That article introduced cannabis as a medical treatment and set in motion the curiosity and love for the plant that has led us to where we stand today. 

Roger Adams 

In 1889, 50 years after O’Shaughnessy published his first medical findings on cannabis, Roger Adams, our first respected modern cannabis researcher, was born in Boston. Adams quickly rose in the ranks of organic chemistry. He and his team were the first to identify, isolate, and synthesize many of the compounds we all know and love today.2 Like O’Shaughnessy, he wanted to use these compounds as forms of anesthetic to be used in field combat. This didn’t come without adversity of course. Adams witnessed the tragedy that comes with world war and the second one was on the way. North America was gathering its top scientists for the war effort and Adams was near the top of that list. However, J Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI as a “Suspect American Citizen” and advised the Navy to refuse him security clearance. In the end, Adams would develop a synthetic rubber compound that helped win the war, he was granted security clearance, and allowed to continue his research as he saw fit. 

Jack Herer  

Most cannabis consumers have heard the name, but few know why. Jack Herer is known more for the strain of cannabis that bears his name than the deeds that inspired growers to name one after him. Commonly referred to as The Emperor of Hemp, Jack’s vocal activism for cannabis law reform made him legendary. He was a founding member of the organization Help End Marijuana Prohibition or simply H.E.M.P. In 1895, he published his book The Emperor Wears No Clothes.3 It shined a light back on other uses of the plant aside from medicinal and recreational. He stressed the importance it could have in textiles as well as alternate fuel consumption. The Emperor Wears No Clothes reinvigorated national talks of cannabis decriminalization for the first time since the early 70s. Jack would live to see the medicinal marijuana market be born and grow but passed just two years before his dream of recreational marijuana became reality. 

Summation 

These are just 3 of the unsung heroes of weed. There are so many more (if you guys enjoy this maybe we’ll do part 2). Or maybe we will look at the villains of marijuana in the next profile. Who knows? From the plant’s humble beginnings, there have been voices demonizing the plant and voices praising it. Only one thing is certain today. The good guys are finally winning. 

Like the chicken and the egg, which came first, the soda or the pop is a question that rattles around some of our brains. We don’t know why we want to know, but we know we want to know. With the recent release of our outstanding RiverBluff soda pop, we set out to answer that question and look deeper into why some people call it soda, some people call it pop, and some people call it soda pop. So, kick back in the cut, fill one up, and let’s learn about soft drink stuff. 

Spoiler: It was the Soda 

Early methods of carbonating water consisted of adding sodium bicarbonate to water to create a fizzy drink. Hence the name soda. They first came in seltzers and tonics as they were believed to calm the stomach. That is why many early soda fountains were in pharmacies and why your parents told you to drink lemon/lime soda when you were ill. This dates back to when ginger was a common ingredient in sodas as ginger is believed to help relieve stomach discomfort. The term soda water dates back to 1798 2. 

How Did it Become Pop? 

By 1812, bottled soda water started to become available. In that year, English poet Robert Southey is credited with creating term Pop 1. in a letter he wrote saying, “drank some most admirable cyder, and a new manufactory of a nectar, between soda-water and ginger-beer, and called pop, because ‘pop goes the cork’ when it is drawn .” Early soft drinks contained all sorts of wild ingredients, so who knows what was in that mystical drink Robert Southey consumed…but Coke was named Coke for a reason. 

What About Soda Pop? 

Around 1863, the terms soda and pop had started to be connected when ordering a soft drink. By this time some companies had started using other methods than cork to seal their products, so no more pop. They were also now carried in saloons, a far cry from their early days in pharmacies. New sealing methods and the introduction to the saloon were a direct result of America’s westward expansion. The product needed to travel farther to the consumers and not every town had a pharmacy but almost all of them had saloons. The cultural crossover in the west made soda pop the standard for the time. 

If Soda Pop Became the Standard, Why Do We Still Say Pop or Soda? 

Chances are if you are on one of the coasts, you call it soda. If you live in the middle of the country, you probably call it pop. If you live in the south, you probably call it Coke because of brand loyalty (Coke was founded in Atlanta, GA). So why not soda pop anymore, given the chance to say something quicker, most people will air on the side of brevity. Why would you use two words that most people understand mean the same thing when you can say one? To that we say, “We are bringing soda pop back! 3” 

What Did We Learn? 

It doesn’t matter what you call it. People have loved soda pop for centuries. It is in many of our first memories. It is as American as apple pie and baseball. Some of the most recognizable brands in the world produce soft drinks. We strive to be the most recognizable brands in cannabis world. With that in mind, in partnership with 7 Hills Brewing, RiverBluff set out to develop our hemp-derived THC soda pops. A traditional soda pop taste with a lift! The result gave us three soda pops we are proud of and delighted to be able to offer, don’t wait purchase them today! 

Hexahydrocannabinol (Who was time to say it like that?) or HHC is a relative newcomer to the hemp-derived market. It keeps popping up in more blended products as well as products on their own such as HHC edibles like caramels and gummies. People have had questions about the compound. So, we’ve gathered some of the most asked questions and will try to shed some light on HHC, the forgotten cannabinoid. 

1. Will It Get Me High? HHC is psychoactive and can most definitely get you high. Most consumers report feelings of euphoria, elevated mood, relaxation, and stimulated appetite. Some consumers claim it heightened their sense of taste and smell. If you are a foodie, this may be the compound for you 1. 
2. Does It Feel More Indica or Sativa? HHC is most commonly found in Sativa 2 and offers more of a Sativa feel than an Indica feel but has characteristics of both. HHC can be great socially, the elevated mood and euphoria make even the shyest people perk up in conversation. Yet, it offers enough relaxation that it can be used like a mild Indica. 
3. Where Do These New Compounds Come From? Few of the compounds that show up in modern hemp-derived products are new. Most of them were first identified in the 1940’s by Roger Adams (Keep an eye out for an article on him) including HHC 3. The reason most people haven’t heard of these compounds is until the recreational market started to boom so did the knowledge base of the consumer. They discovered that many compounds that may prove helpful in their daily lives were not available at their typical dispensary. That is where hemp dispensaries stepped up and companies like ours were born.
4. What is the Best Way to Consume It? This boils down to personal preference. We carry in it stand alone edibles as well as blended concentrates. More and more people are avoiding smoking due to personal health concerns so most of our HHC offerings are edible. Still, we know the ritualistic side of smoking is big part of cannabis culture which is why we included it in some of our blends.
5. Will I Fail a Drug Test? The rumor that you could take HHC to get high and still pass a drug test has persisted for years. Is it true? Maybe. Should you test it to find out? No! While most drug tests only test forms of THC cannabinoids and HHC is not THC, that doesn’t mean you should try your luck. Anyone who sells you a psychoactive substance and claims you will pass a drug test is just trying to sell you something. They do not have your best interest in mind. 

That is our brief introduction to HHC. Now, you have the information needed to make an informed decision or at least more informed than before. As always, we encourage you to do your own independent research, or stop into one of our 2 locations so our budtenders can help further guide you. Everyone’s experience is different. HHC might not be right for you, but it may be right for your best friend. Don’t yuck their yum just for the sake of doing so. HHC is just another part of a plant we all love different parts of, so always keep an open mind. 

What are Dabs? 

Dabs has become the catchall term for most concentrated THC products (These products contain a THC level over 40% though most are between 60-90%). Though concentrated THC products date back to the 9th century with Hashish, the practice of dabbing has evolved rapidly over the last 30 years or so and gained massive popularity amongst the most hardcore cannabis consumers. The concentrate market is poised to grow by over 50% in the next 6 years. Dabs are referred to as such because early extractors would place them in a small blob or “dab” on wax paper, a practice still used by some. In this article, I will cover the different types of dabs, the different methods of intake, the perceived benefits and short falls of dabbing, and the amazing concentrated THC products we offer at RiverBluff. So, kick back in the cut, fire one up, and let’s learn about some weed stuff. 

So Many Types of Dabs, So Little Time! 

There are far too many concentrated THC products to cover them all, but I will do my best to cover the most popular forms and explain the subtle differences. Here is the list. 

Badder/Budder– Has a whipped consistency, soft and spreadable, hence the name and belongs to the subgenre Live Resin  

Crumble- Looks like dry crumbs and belongs to the subgenre of Live Resin. 

Diamonds– Are a crystalline concentrated form of THC that is like the gem they are named for. Diamonds belong to the subgenre of Rosins. 

Hash- Is a genre onto itself. The mother of all concentrates. It is sand in nature and generally pressed into blocks or balls. 

Sauce- Sauce or Jam has a sticky jelly like consistency and belongs to the Rosin subgenre. 

Shatter- Is a solid brittle sticky concentrate. It belongs to the Live Resin subgenre.  

Wax- Is the most solid. It often comes in cubes like candle wax. It belongs to the Live Resin Subgenre.  

I know I’ve missed many. I know some people consider carts “Dabs”. These were just the most prevalent and easy forms to convey. 

How Do You Consume These Mystical Concoctions? 

There are countless ways people consume concentrated THC products. Look no further than YouTube to see the most brilliant and foolish ways people have tried, but I am just going to cover the four most popular ways people go about it. 

1. A Nectar Collector or Straw- This is as easy as it sounds. You hit up the tip with a torch. Place the tip in the concentrate and start to draw from the other end. This is the most common form of intake for new users as some of the others seem more like a science project. 
2. The Dab Rig- A dab rig is any water bong fitted with attachments to consume concentrates. You heat up the piece known as a nail or banger with a torch, use a dab tool to place your concentrates on the nail, and then rip it like you would a bong. Dab Rigs can get very elaborate and look like a failed lab experiment of some sort very quickly. A rule of thumb to building a rig is if you don’t know how or why it functions you don’t need it on your rig. 
3. Electronics- This covers a lot of products. Most notably are E-rigs, Vaporizers, and Torchless Nectar collectors. These are the safest means of dabbing. There is no way taking a torch out of the equation doesn’t improve safety. Some of these products can get very complicated to use so always watch a review someone has done on the product before jumping in yourself. 
4. The Old-Fashioned Way- As any good stoner knows, you can always roll it up and smoke it. Now, I am not saying roll concentrate up alone and smoke it. You will need to add it to weed. The dryer concentrates work best for this, but any can be managed. Remember, a little goes a long way with concentrates. 

Benefits and Downsides to Dabbing 

One of the biggest benefits to dabbing is its high potency. For many long-term smokers, dabbing is a way to get them to where they want in a timelier fashion. With its fast on-set time and high potency, you go from 0-100 like you’ve never done before.  Dabbing always is a little more discreet as it is less pungent than flower. One of the biggest downsides to dabbing is its high potency. Most newcomers aren’t prepared for how fast you get high dabbing. It can reach into your lungs and take your breath away while leaving you in a cold sweat on the floor (Totally not talking from experience here). The other big downside is the risk of burns. Unless you are using electronics, you will be wielding a torch at some point. Chances are slim you’ve wielded a torch in the past and even slimer that you did so while high or attempting to get high. ALWAYS BE CAREFUL! 

What RiverBuff Offers 

Most of what we offer is only available in store currently, but here is what we have got to offer for concentrated THC products. 

1. 3.5g THC-A Badder ($80)- We carry three strains of badder, all of which are top notch: Northern Lights for those looking for a classic earthy indica. Blueberry Kush for those looking for a sweeter indica, and Gape Stomper for those looking for something sativa. Grape Stomper is sweet and tastes like a grape tootsie pop. 

1. 1g Live Resin ($45)- This live resin looks like a mix of crumble and sauce. We offer Granddaddy Purp and Wedding Cake. Both are indica for those looking to get truly couch locked.  

1. 3.5g Delta 8 THC Dabs ($45)- These are more of a sauce than anything. We currently offer a handful of strains to choose from. These are a great way to dip your toe into dabbing. 

1. 3.5g Blended Dabs ($45)- These are also a sauce consistency. They are a blend of Delta 8 THC, Delta 10 THC and HHC. A more balanced high than that of the concentrated Delta 8 products. We currently offer a few strains to choose from. 

Final Suggestions 

If you are considering dabbing for the first time, don’t run out and buy all the accessories to do so. It Will be expensive, and it may not be for you. Instead, if possible, dab with someone who has considerably more experience than you. If that is not possible, start with safer ways of consuming such as vaporizers. Most stoners are friendly and if you ask for help and advice they will give it to you. Dabbing isn’t for everyone and certainly not for beginners. Proceed with caution, have fun, and be safe. 

Cannabis Dabbing 101 – All You Need To Know About Dabs – RQS Blog (royalqueenseeds.com) 

What is Dabbing? A Comprehensive Guide | Weedmaps 

Cannabis Concentrate Market By Share, Size and Growth 2030 (credenceresearch.com)