Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jul 2014
Source: Westword (Denver, CO)
Copyright: 2014 Village Voice Media
Contact: http://www.westword.com/feedback/EmailAnEmployee?department=letters
Website: http://www.westword.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1616
Author: William Breathes

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EARWAX AND SHATTER?

Dear Stoner: Can you just brew up cannabis like tea and drink it to
get stoned? I figure a bud in a teabag in the morning is much easier
than taking an afternoon to make myself butter and then all those fatty treats.

T Sipper

Dear T: Yes, you can make tea out of cannabis - though if you want to
actually get stoned off it, you'll have to add some creamer. That's
because marijuana's main get-you-high ingredient, THC, is only soluble
in alcohol and fat. In other words, you can't extract the buzz from
the bud just by soaking it in hot water. For that you need something
for the THC to bond with - and in this case, your best bet is a
spoonful of creamer. The fatty milk will draw out the THC and allow
your body to get more of the good stuff. By dispersing the THC in the
fat, your body can absorb more at once. Otherwise, you're not going to
get high unless you eat the bud that you've been soaking - and even
then, you're likely to catch only a minor buzz and be left with a few
green flakes in your teeth for later.

Dear Stoner: What is the difference between earwax and shatter, other
than the look?

Concentrating

Dear Concentrating: Both wax and shatter are forms of hash oil, most
often extracted with butane (or some other alcohol-based solvent).
That process also pulls out a lot of actual waxes, not unlike beeswax
or other plant-derived waxes used to make everything from lip balm to
candles. Earwax is simply extracted hash oil that still contains those waxes.

Dear Readers: A few weeks back, we tackled the issue of how to talk
to your kids about legal pot. After reading our answer, MikenAmys
accused us of a double standard. Here's what they had to say:

"Stop lying to your kids! You are so hooked on all the false negatives
you are essentially destroying the truth to instill fear into them.
Keep doing that and you might as well prepare to hold the door open
for them in a few years! Hope you don't drink ANY alcohol. ALCOHOL IS
A DRUG THAT STATISTICS CONTINUALLY LIE ABOUT!

"If you believe in the Gateway Drug Theory, then first we need to
remind people of this FACT FIRST! Guess what, I'd put money on the
fact that more people used alcohol FIRST, even before weed. So just
because it is legal does not make it less dangerous." 
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D