Pubdate: Thu, 24 Dec 2015
Source: North Coast Journal (Arcata, CA)
Column: The Week in Weed
Copyright: 2015 North Coast Journal
Contact:  http://www.northcoastjournal.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2833
Author: Thadeus Greenson

MERRYJUANA

Christmas Shopping and Pot's Pop Culture Saturation

'Tis the season... to commercialize just about everything in the 
world. And, as we, as a state and a nation, collectively re-examine 
our pot laws, that includes marijuana, or as one savvy retailer 
recently rebranded it, "merryjuana."

In the umpteenth sign that marijuana has now fully crossed over into 
the United States' cultural mainstream, scores of publications - 
including buttoned up, respectable types like Forbes and the San 
Francisco Chronicle - have released marijuana Christmas gift guides, 
helping you decide what to get for that stoner in your life who has everything.

Many of these gift ideas aim either to hide or promote one's pot 
consumption. The Forbes list, which notes "Christmas is the time for 
glitz and luxury," includes the Pax 2, a "sleek and stylish" gold 
plated vaporizer ($279.99). It fits in the palm of your hand, making 
it perfect for when you need to sneak a toke at your family holiday 
party and want to look stylish doing it. Then, there's the "Cannabis 
Killer" candle, specially crafted with enzymes that get rid of smoke 
odor, replacing it with a "mint/pine/menthol" scent ($14.99). Gone 
are the days of Nag Champa and fabric-softener stuffed tubes. The 
candle boasts a 90-hour burn time, so toke up - "your gift will keep 
on giving."

On the other end of the spectrum, a quick web search for the words 
"marijuana" and "Christmas" brings up a plethora of shopping options 
for the less inhibited marijuana enthusiasts among us. Our personal 
favorite: a gray hoodie emblazoned with the words, "ALL I WANT FOR 
CHRISTMAS IS SOME DANK ASS KUSH" ($35). If that's a little too blunt 
for you, rapper 2 Chainz - that stylish demigod formerly known as 
"Tity Boi" - has you covered.

He of the double-chain fame just released a line of marijuana themed 
ugly Christmas sweaters, which come emblazoned with weed leaves, 
bongs and images of Santa doing the dab, the popular dance move that 
mimics someone falling prey to THC-induced narcolepsy ($25-$50). If 2 
Chainz is just one too many for your sensibilities, there are other 
pot-themed holiday sweaters out there, like the one with a 
happy-looking gingerbread man under the slogan "Let's Get Baked," or 
a simple pine tree that notes "the tree isn't the only thing getting 
lit this year," amid a sprinkling of pot leaves, just in case the 
sweater's meaning was unclear.

If a simple pot-themed sweater just isn't creepy enough for you, 
check out the green cannabis leaf contact lenses from spookyeyes.com 
($23.95). Or, there's the limited edition coffee table book Naked 
Girls Smoking Weed, which the publisher warns will not be reissued 
and is now a collectable ($99.99). The book's eBay blurb boasts that 
"minimal text leaves plenty of room for lots of pictures." But don't 
worry, the blurb goes on, the book's written by Rob Griffin, founder 
of www.420Girls.com, "not just some sleazy guy who has spotted a gap 
in the market."

But amid all the ridiculous, weed-themed commercialist crap the 
holiday Interwebs have to offer, there are a few gems, things that 
can truly revolutionize a weed enthusiast's life. If you're in the 
market for one of these, look no further than the Pipemug from ZANG!, 
which comes billed as the "world's only" hand-made, ceramic coffee 
mug with a pipe in it. Yes, you got that right: a single tool that 
allows whoever's wielding it to simultaneously wake, bake and 
caffeinate. The thing's dishwasher and microwave safe, so all you 
need to do is "sit back, rip it and sip it."

If you want to snag one of these babies, though, you'd better act 
fast: About half the company's Pipemug offerings are currently out of stock.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom