As seems to be the case every year, the holiday season seemingly just appeared, leaving many of us scrambling to find thoughtful gifts. When it comes time to attend work, community, and family functions, many of us have historically reached for a bottle of wine or spirits as a go-to. Luckily, this year those of us fortunate enough to live in states with legal cannabis have a different option: the gift of cannabis! While some may have reservations about cannabis gifting, my feeling is if you can gift alcohol, you can gift cannabis. That said, this is new territory for many, so I thought a few tips might be helpful.
Know Your Cannabis Gifting Audience
When gifting cannabis, try to make sure you know your audience and their familiarity with cannabis. If you suspect they might be new to cannabis, be sure to get something they can take in lower doses. Also, ensure you pick items that are clearly labeled with potency and dosing guidelines (most states require this to be on packaging anyway). Never give cannabis that is not clearly labeled and easy to dispense an accurate dose.
Potency Isn’t Everything
This holiday season, gifting cannabis should be a celebration of the abundance afforded to us by legal cannabis. Most legal states have way too much cannabis, and prices are falling accordingly. This is the year to leave your prohibition “scarcity” mindset behind. During prohibition, the notion of a “one-hit wonder” or “knock your socks off weed” might have been cool. However, we do not buy other products like alcohol in such a manner. You would not simply reach for the strongest liquor when gifting, so why would you be looking for the strongest cannabis?
When considering cannabis gifting this holiday, remember that potency isn’t the sole factor to consider. In today’s market, other factors like brand story and promise should factor in. Quality cannabis products should be evaluated like other CPG products, for example, we could ask: “Is the packaging sustainable?” “Are the ingredients of high quality?” “Does the brand give back to the community?”
Go Green And Look For Plant Medicine
Cannabis is a plant. The cannabis plant is so efficacious that over the last 100 years, people have risked ostracization, ridicule, and even incarceration for using and promoting its benefits. Finally, the voices of cannabis advocates were heard, and many states took up medical programs. We know definitively that our body responds best to whole plant formulations. This is known as the entourage effect. Embrace the spirit of plant medicine in your cannabis gifting choices, opting for whole-plant formulations that contain more than just the active ingredients THC or CBD. You will be doing the right thing for the recipient of your gift and for the industry.
When In Doubt, Go For The Topical
If you are not sure of your recipient’s cannabis experience or appetite, go for topical formulations. For those new to cannabis gifting, topicals can be an excellent, non-intimidating introduction. Cannabis topicals are a great way to have what I like to call the “First Cannabis Conversation.” Well-formulated, whole-plant cannabis topicals are very effective in relieving muscle and joint pain. They are not psychoactive, making them great for new users of cannabis.
Cannabis topicals provide an opportunity to share cannabis with friends and family without the fear of any downside. They are particularly good gifts for those recipients who are still afraid or have had little experience with cannabis. They highlight how effective plant medicine can be. Newer cannabis topicals have also been formulated to combat chronic skin issues and are proving very effective.
Concluding Thoughts on Cannabis Gifting for the Holidays
It is my heartfelt hope that more people than ever will consider gifting cannabis this year over the tired old bottle of wine or spirits. Still not sure? I leave you with this to consider: One will bring wellness to the body, and the other will leave the recipient dehydrated and hungover. One will ease stress and chill them out (often essential at family gatherings), and the other will invariably lead to conflicts. Cannabis legalization is a gift to us all, so let’s embrace it and spread the love that this magical plant has to offer. Elevate your gifting with thoughtful cannabis selections, and Happy Holidays!