4/20 is just around the corner, so it’s time to start thinking of ways to celebrate. Whether you’re looking to spend the entire day in a haze or simply give a respectful nod to tradition, we’ve got what you need when it comes to ideas.

Stock Up Your Stash

Before the big day rolls around, we recommend stopping by Doja to grab what you need. The last thing you want is to find yourself empty-handed the morning of – and, you’re likely to find a whole bunch of great sales the week leading up to the holiday. Of course, there will be special deals specifically on 4/20 too, so if you don’t stock up ahead of time, we’ll have plenty for you day-of too.

Try Something New

Is there a day better than 4/20 to try stepping outside your comfort zone? We don’t think so. Take advantage of the sales to purchase something you’ve never considered, and you just might surprise yourself and find a new product or strain that you love.

Head Outside

The great outdoors is all the more magical when you’re high, and April is when the earth starts to come back to life after a long winter. Make the most of the day and take a hike while high – just make sure not to stray too far and bring plenty of water with you.

Pop In A Movie

We’re not sure if there’s any tradition stronger than getting high, grabbing your favorite munchies, and finding a movie to stream. Whether you’re looking for a goofy comedy or a mind-bending thriller, films just have a little something extra when you’re in the clouds.

A few of our favorite stoner movies (that you won’t find on most other lists) include M3GAN, The Master of Disguise, and Premonition.

Make Some Edibles

There is no better pairing than marijuana and food, and 4/20 is the perfect time to try your hand at making edibles. You can go the tried-and-true route and bake a batch of brownies with cannabutter, or switch things up by infusing coconut oil with cannabis (this oil works well since coconut oil is fatty and can become pretty dang potent).

Or, take a peek around the internet to find a recipe that sounds good. The options really are endless.

Not to bring down the mood, but we have to remind you: don’t smoke and take edibles simultaneously unless you know what you’re doing. Edibles can take a while to kick in, so be patient while waiting for their effects instead of toking up right after. If you choose to partake in both, prepare for the world to be hazy for quite a while.

Hotbox The House

Okay, it might not be possible to hotbox your entire house, but what better day to try than 4/20? If you can’t do the whole house, you can at least try to make it happen in your most-used rooms, like the living room, bathroom, and bedroom. And if that’s still too much, try building a blanket fort and smoking yourself out in there. It’s an awesome experience.

Pamper Yourself

Self care is all the rage, and you can make it even better by using cannabis. To have the most relaxing 4/20 ever, put on your favorite music, kick back, and use those topicals you’ve been saving for a rainy day. Or, if you don’t have any topicals handy, just make an avocado/cannabis face mask. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 ripe avocado
• ¼ cup cannabis oil
• 2 teaspoons spirulina powder
• A few drops of your favorite essential oil (lavender, tea tree, and chamomile are great for the face)
• A makeup brush that you don’t mind using for the mixture
• A blender

After that, simply combine the avocado, cannabis oil, spirulina powder, and essential oil in the blender – once the mixture looks like green frosting, you’re all done.

Steam your face for a few minutes to open up your pores, then use the makeup brush to apply the face mask. Leave it on for 20 minutes (and use that time to smoke a joint!).

Put Some Music On

There’s a reason you tend to smell weed while at a concert. Marijuana makes music sound so much better. If you thought you loved your favorite song sober, just wait until you hear it performed live while high. Pick out your consumption method, turn out the lights, and let your favorite album play through. It’ll be amazing.

Or, if you’re feeling up to it, head out to a concert on 4/20 – especially if the venue is outdoors. There’s something euphoric about listening to music while surrounded by like-minded people, the sun on your back and not a care in the world.

Try Your Hand At Painting

It’s super common for people to feel creative when they’re smoking weed so, even if you’ve never tried painting before, 4/20 is the perfect day to start. Get a few of your stoner friends together and have a painting party while passing around a blunt, and you just might create a masterpiece. And, even if you don’t, it’ll still be a fun time.

Listen To A Weed Podcast

4/20 falls on a Saturday this year, but many of us might still have to work. To make the time pass more quickly, try listening to a podcast about weed (or, as they’re fondly called, “potcasts). It’ll put you in the right mood and you just might learn something new. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Broccoli Talk
• Blunt Blowin’ Mama
• How To Do The Pot
• Cannabis Coffee Hour
• A Slice Of Cannabis

Host A Fancy Dinner

Who says we can’t be classy on 4/20? This holiday is the perfect excuse to invite some friends and family over (ones that partake, of course) and cook a nice dinner for them. After the food is gone, debut some ‘special’ desserts. You can dress down or make it an all-out event that calls for some high-class attire, just as long as the vibes are there!

Prepare For 4/20 With Doja

A stoner’s worst nightmare is being caught without a stash on the best day of the year. Make sure you’ve got what you need for this year’s 4/20 by stopping into Doja for flower, edibles, carts or other cannabis goodies!

Let’s say you’re breaking into the cannabis scene and you want to understand how to make the most of your flower. Or maybe you’re a marijuana connoisseur, but you’ve stuck to vaping and edibles for quite a few years and you want to try something new. When it comes to flower, the question that arises is – to grind or not to grind?

We have a simple answer to that question: yes, you should grind!

Beyond just a simple ‘yes,’ there’s a lot to learn about grinding your weed. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place to find it all out.

Why Should I Grind My Weed?

When you smoke flower, you want the cannabis to be shredded and broken up into small pieces so that it will all burn evenly and completely. The cannabinoids in marijuana are released when it burns, so it should be done thoroughly.

So, now it’s clear that marijuana should be ground up. But why should it be done specifically with a grinder?

It all has to do with the way a weed grinder is constructed. It has sharp teeth that shred the flower quickly, neatly, and easily. You don’t lose any part of what you want to smoke, and you don’t make a mess. You’ve got the best of both worlds.

Why Not Use My Hands?

If you’ve never ground your weed before, you might be tempted to just use your hands to save a little money. And we don’t blame you! But, at the same time, we’re here to let you know that using your hands won’t achieve the same end result as using a grinder would.

If you use your hands to break up your weed, you will A) end up with sticky weed-smelling fingers that won’t let you roll a joint easily B) create inconsistent weed C) waste valuable kief (the strongest type of unprocessed cannabis in the form of a fine powder) that your grinder would’ve caught.

Resist using your hands. The grinder will go much more smoothly and you’ll enjoy the process a lot more.

Benefits of Grinding Weed

If you’re not quite convinced, check out the benefits that come with grinding weed:

Saves You Time

If you’ve ever tried to grind your weed by hand before, you know how annoying the really sticky buds are to try and break apart. Grinders don’t have that problem – especially electric ones! If you roll joints throughout the day, or if you want to roll more than one in a single sitting, a grinder makes quick work of it.

Joints Burn Slowly

The consistency of flower after it’s been in the grinder is fine and uniform. After you use it to roll a joint, that joint will burn more slowly and evenly. With finely-ground flower, you can pack a joint more tightly, which makes it burn longer.

Easy Transportation

If you’re on the go, you can store your weed in little containers and bring it with you – but first, that weed should be ground. Even better, your grinder can act as a nice storage space for cannabis too.

Preferable To Bakers

You always want to use ground weed when you’re baking, because it incorporates into the recipe more evenly and without clumps. When in the oven, it also heats up more consistently. It’s also baker-preferred because ground weed is known to taste better thanks to the terpene profile that emerges during the grinding process.

Dos And Don’ts Of Grinding

Grinding your weed involves more than knowing how to work the grinder. There’s an etiquette that goes along with it.

Do:

• Clean your grinder regularly and thoroughly to ensure it works properly and does the work to make your weed taste better.
• Lubricate the moving parts once in a while.
• Grind in moderation.
• Apply gentle pressure while grinding.
• Store your grinder in a safe place.
• Respect your grinder’s limitations.

Don’t:

• Overload your grinder.
• Use unnecessary force when grinding.
• Neglect regular cleaning.
• Grind in big batches that cause wear and tear on your machine.

Enjoying The Grind

At Lake Effect Cannabis, we want you to enjoy smoking flower – and that’s most likely to happen when you’ve done a good job grinding your weed. Now that you know why flower is ground and all the benefits that come along with it, we can’t wait for you to get comfortable on this new branch of your cannabis journey.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out or stop by and chat with us; we’re located at 5216 S Westnedge Ave, Portage, MI 49002 and we look forward to seeing you!

Cannabis is pretty easy to understand on the surface. But as soon as you look a little deeper, you might have a few more questions. For example, what are budtenders (and other cannabis experts) talking about when they mention “terpenes”?

It’s definitely not a word you hear every day, but terpenes play a major role in the quality of your cannabis and what kind of experience you’ll have when you partake. In order to get the best experience possible (and understand marijuana on a deeper level), you should get to know them a little better.

What Are Terpenes?

Cannabis is far from the only living thing that contains terpenes. This compound is also present in other plants and even animal tissue like fish scales, egg yolks, and feathers. All in all, terpenes are responsible for the unique scents found in nature.

The terpenes of a cannabis plant are what gives it its distinct smell. Different strains have different terpenes.

The Role of Terpenes

Humans have been harnessing the power of terpenes for centuries. They’ve been using them for aromas and for medicinal purposes, as different terpenes have different effects on the body and mind. More research is needed on the topic, but the way terpenes interact with the human endocannabinoid system may have antibacterial, antifungal, pain relieving, and even anticancer effects.

Can I Get High Off Terpenes?

The terpenes in cannabis plants won’t get you high on their own; they need to be paired with THC to produce psychoactive effects. But just because cannabis terpenes can’t get you high doesn’t mean they don’t influence the way you feel. Terpenes might help you feel sleepy, more alert, less anxious, or uplifted.

Take lavender, for example. If you’ve ever used that particular scent to feel relaxed or to fall asleep, you’ve taken advantage of terpenes.

Different combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes have an effect on the high you experience when consuming cannabis, and some people say that terpenes help them prevent anxiety or paranoia while they’re high. There’s also some evidence that terpenes can increase the feel-good effects of cannabis, like those related to pain relief or mood improvement.

How THC, CBD, and Terpenes Differ

The short answer is that THC and CBD are cannabinoids and terpenes are not – they are two different compounds. But both of these compounds give you a good idea of what to expect from the cannabis product you’re consuming.

When cannabinoids and terpenes interact, it’s called the ‘entourage effect.’ The entourage effect is when all the compounds of cannabis work together to create the best experience possible.

Effects of Common Terpenes

There are over150 terpenes in cannabis, but only a handful are known for their specific effects. Those include:

• Beta-caryophyllene: This can be found in rosemary, cloves, and hops and it is commonly linked to managing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
• Beta-pinene: You’ve smelled beta-pinene around Christmas and if you’ve walked through a pine forest. This terpene is linked to anticancer effects and antidepressant qualities.
• Humulene: This can be found in ginseng, and is linked to energizing effects.
• Limonene: With its citrus notes, this terpene may be linked with anticancer and anti-anxiety properties.
• Linalool: If you like lavender, you’ll love this terpene known for its stress relieving qualities.
• Myrcene: This terpene has a sedative effect and is found in mangoes. It also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.

The study of terpenes is still in its infancy, so much more research is needed to figure out the extent of terpenes’ effects on humans.

Are Terpenes Good for You?

There’s not a straight answer to this question because there are so many types of terpenes, and whether or not they’re good for you depends on what plant they are found in. Many exist in plants you can find in your garden or in the grocery store, but there are also terpenes present in toxic and inedible plants in the wild.

When terpenes are consumed or applied topically in their pure, unaltered form, they may cause undesired effects like dizziness and irritation. This is why essential oils containing pure terpenes have not been approved. But when they’re diluted (5% or less), they are safe to use.

The Role of Terpenes

Terpenes play an interesting role in how cannabis makes you feel. There are plenty of other important components, like the strain, your physiology, and your history with cannabis, but terpenes are a great place to start if you’re looking to tailor your cannabis experience to something unique to you and how you like to get high.

To learn more about terpenes, stop in and talk to one of our budtenders. We’re located on Westnedge, at 5216 S Westnedge Ave, Portage MI 49002. Or, if you’d rather shoot us an email, just fill out this contact form. We can’t wait to welcome you into the scent-filled world of terpenes!

Try Our New App!

Welcome to Lake Effect, your go-to destination for all things cannabis. Our app is designed to elevate your experience, providing a seamless way to connect with our dispensaries, explore our product offerings, and enjoy exclusive rewards.

Exclusive Deals and Promotions: Receive notifications about exclusive in-app deals, promotions, and flash sales. Be the first to know about limited-time offers, ensuring you never miss out on fantastic savings.

Earn and Redeem Points: Join our loyalty program and earn points with every purchase. Track your points and redeem them for discounts or special offers on future purchases, making your cannabis shopping even more rewarding.

Effortless Shopping: Browse and shop for a diverse range of products right from the app. Explore our carefully curated selection of strains, edibles, concentrates, and more. Detailed product descriptions, reviews, and pricing make it simple for you to make informed choices.

Discover Store Locations: Easily locate Lake Effect dispensaries near you. Plan your visit and explore the diverse range of cannabis products we have in store for you.

Stay Informed: Access a wealth of knowledge about cannabis through our app. Learn about various strains and consumption methods. Stay updated on the latest trends!

Lake Effect is committed to providing an exceptional cannabis experience for our customers. Download our app now and elevate your cannabis journey to new heights. Explore, shop, and reward yourself with Lake Effect.

If you’re equal parts excited and nervous to try cannabis, take comfort in the fact that trying anything for the first time is daunting! Cannabis itself is usually very fun, but the process of getting high can be intimidating if you’ve never done it before. We’re here to help.

We want your first time trying cannabis to be a positive experience, which is why we’re going to share some tips and how it feels to be high.

First Time Insights

You might already know a little about cannabis, but we want you to be experts before you toke up.

Start Small and Build

Before you dive in, get your toes wet by starting with a small amount of THC – that way, you can see how it affects you (after all, everyone is different).

For extracts, look for >10% THC and for edibles, look for >2.5mg of THC and be careful when consuming anything between 2.5 and 10mg. If you can’t find anything that dose, cut a 5mg edible in half or a 10mg edible in quarters.

It’s best to start off slow, and then you can eat another small piece after about 45 minutes if you wish. For your first time, we don’t recommend consuming more than 10mg total.

If you’re smoking, take just a couple of hits of the joint or bowl and then wait a few minutes to see how you feel before continuing.

Trust Your Source

There’s a big comfort that comes with knowing the cannabis you’re consuming comes from a safe place. That’s why we recommend Lake Effect for experts and newbies alike!

Cultivate a Safe Setting

Trying cannabis in a brand new place with brand new people is a recipe for disaster. Instead, plan for your first time to happen at a place you know well (home is always good) with people you feel safe and comfortable with.

Prep Your Mindset

Your surroundings aren’t all you have to concentrate on. You should also concentrate on what’s going on inside, man.

When you consume cannabis, your good feelings get better and your bad feelings get worse. So, try to get into a good headspace if you can. What a lot of people value about cannabis is the fact that it can help you process emotions by getting you to look at them closer and through a clearer lens. But for your first time, if you don’t start out with your mind in the right place, you could end up on an unpleasant road.

To avoid becoming anxious or paranoid during your first time (it does happen), take a deep breath and remember that consuming cannabis is safe to do. You’re not in danger and you’re not in trouble. And here in Michigan, you aren’t doing anything illegal! These feelings always pass.

Drink Water

If you don’t drink water, the morning after you get high will be a parched one. You’ll want to drink plenty of water to avoid becoming dehydrated and feeling kinda ick all around.

Make a Backup Plan

Things don’t always work out the first time. That’s just the way life goes. If things go sideways the first time you try cannabis, if you start feeling uncomfortable mentally or physically, know what you’ll do to remediate the situation. Put on your favorite show, ask your group of safe people to distract you, or just go to bed. Things will be fine with the morning, we promise.

You Might Not Get High The First Time

When you consume cannabis the first time, there’s a chance you won’t get high. This might be because you didn’t inhale (if you’re smoking, you definitely need to inhale to get the effects you’re looking for), you weren’t sure what a ‘high’ felt like, or because it was a fluke session. No matter the reason, practice makes perfect. Your second time will undoubtedly be better than your first; don’t give up.

Cannabis Isn’t a Gateway Drug

If you already have weed enthusiasts in your family, “marijuana is a gateway drug!” is something your great aunt has probably said over a holiday meal (and it probably earned her a good dose of eye-rolls). Don’t let this statement put you off.

Cannabis is not a gateway drug. The reason people think it is is because they’ve been misguided about cannabis and its effects – now that the general public is becoming more educated on the topic, this rhetoric is fading. But it’s something you’ll still hear now and again.

What Does “Being High” Feel Like?

If you’ve never been high before, it’s difficult to know what to expect. But we can do our best to describe how it feels to get high off cannabis.

There’s a reason why people consume cannabis to get high. It feels good! The perfect high is a nice mix of euphoria and relaxation. You might feel a little unsteady with these new sensations at first, so give yourself time to get used to it all.

While cannabis brings about a lot of the same effects, no two people’s high is exactly the same. So, one of the most exciting parts about trying weed for the first time is learning what your personal high is like.

A few more sensations you might experience include:

• Time Warp: Being high can make time feel like it’s going a lot slower. This might be strange at first, but try to ignore the urge to check your phone or watch the clock. Just relax into the moment.
• Spatial Perception Differences: You might notice your depth perception and relation to your spatial surroundings shifting when you’re high. Move slowly and carefully, and you’ll be just fine.
• Surround Sound: Cannabis has an amazing effect on the way we hear music. So, when you’re high, turn on your favorite jams (headphones are a major plus) and listen to them at their very best.
• Munchies: You’ve probably heard of getting the munchies when you’re high, and that’s definitely a real phenomenon. Food tastes so much better when you’re high – just don’t go overboard. Eat your snacks in moderation, and your stomach will thank you.
• Bliss: Probably the best side effect that comes with getting high is the joyful, floating feeling that you get in your body and mind. It can be unusual at first, but just go with the flow and enjoy it.

Your Cannabis Journey

At Lake Effect, we want to see you have the best experience possible with cannabis. Follow these tips for your first time and, before you know it, you’ll be a pro.

If you have more questions about trying cannabis, we’re your one-stop-shop for information. Get in touch or stop by to chat with us; we love introducing cannabis newbies to a brand new world!

Photo by: RDNE Stock Project

Why Cannabis Topicals Are A Great Gift For Anyone

The holiday season is here and gift-giving is on all of our minds. While gift cards are great, we find that heartfelt, thought-out gifts mean a whole lot more (and they’re a lot more fun to give, too)!

One of the best gifts to give, whether the recipient is a cannabis enthusiast or not, is something involving cannabis topicals.

Topicals come in many forms and they’re great for those who enjoy marijuana, people suffering from chronic pain, those who value self-care, and just about anyone else.

What Are Cannabis Topicals?

Cannabis topicals have been around for a while, but they’re not as well known as, say, joints and dabs.

The good news is that they’re pretty straightforward – “topical” is an umbrella term that references any type of cannabis that’s applied to the skin, no matter what form it’s in or what it’s used for.

You can rub topicals in, roll them on, and even soak in them; as long as it’s being applied on the surface, it counts as a cannabis topical. They come in all sorts of forms, too, including balms, lotions, serums, oils, ointments, and more.

What Makes Them Great Gifts?

It’s not easy buying weed for people, since everyone has their own consumption preference and tastes. Cannabis topicals are a whole lot easier to buy because application is more generalized and they can be used for a slew of reasons. Even the non-stoners in your life can appreciate topicals because they don’t come with the psychoactive element that ingesting cannabis is known for.

A few more reasons why topicals would be great under the tree or in a loved one’s stocking:

• The anti-inflammatory qualities of topicals can help alleviate pain and inflammation, which can brighten the days of people dealing with such symptoms.
• Since cannabis topicals are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, they may reduce acne and make skin glow. Who doesn’t want that?
• Topicals can reduce the visual impact of fine lines, wrinkles, and scars, so if you’ve got someone older in your life who’s always looking for good anti-aging cream, you know what to surprise them with.
• THC oil capsules may reduce neuropathic pain that comes with cancer, which may help people enjoy a better quality of life.
• It has the power to potentially reduce the itchiness that comes with eczema and psoriasis, alleviating lots of frustration.
• It’s a great moisturizer because hemp oil is a fatty substance that naturally helps the skin become more supple.
• Not everyone feels comfortable inhaling cannabis, and there’s none of that associated with topicals. Experiencing the benefits has no impact on your lungs.
• Topicals take effect more quickly than edibles, and you don’t have to consume anything to reap the benefits.
• Topicals don’t penetrate the skin deeply enough to reach the bloodstream, they just work at the application site. That means they won’t get the user high, which is a plus for those only looking for relief and not psychoactive effects.

Types of Cannabis Topicals

Now that you know all the good things that come with topicals, let’s get into the different types so you can more easily pick what to wrap up and put a bow on.

Balms are smooth, light, and the skin absorbs them quickly and easily. They’re good for relieving inflammation and are commonly used to combat soreness, headaches, and cramps.

Lotions are highly concentrated, which means that you can decide how much you need for the amount of discomfort you’re feeling. The same can be said for transdermals.

Bath products are especially fun. Soaking in a hot bath at the end of the day is relaxing, so just imagine how blissed out you’ll feel in a bath infused with THC.

The type of cannabis topical you buy for the person you love depends on their preference and what they’re using it for. If you’re not sure, we recommend getting a few tester products and creating a bouquet of topicals for them to try out. That way, they can discover favorites on their own.

‘Tis the Season

One of the most important things to remember about cannabis topicals is the fact that, while they offer the relief that many are looking for, they won’t get the user high. So, if you’ve got someone in your life who could benefit from the soothing nature of cannabis topicals but isn’t interested in psychoactive properties, you’ve just found the perfect gift or stocking stuffer.

If you have more questions about cannabis topicals or cannabis in general, just reach out to us here at Lake Effect. We hope you have a great holiday and that your THC-infused gifts help your friends and family feel merry and bright.

Photo Credit: Cottonbro Studio

Can you believe that it’s almost Thanksgiving? The big day jam-packed with turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and many more staples is finally just around the corner. These foods are delicious on their own, but there’s one thing that makes them even better – cannabis.

Cannabis improves everything, so as long as you either 1.) keep your cannabis-infused food away from the rest of the menu or 2.) make sure your guests are cool to get high off your food, there’s no reason why you should skip out on weed this holiday.

Before We Get Started…

Before we get to the cannabis-infused recipes for Thanksgiving foods, we have some important information to share, especially if this is your first time cooking with cannabis.

Firstly, before you infuse your cannabis into butter or oil, you need to decarb it. When you decarboxylate your cannabis, it allows the THCA (a nonreactive cannabinoid) to convert into THC. When you smoke cannabis, the heat takes care of this process and you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself. But if you don’t decarb your cannabis before you cook with it, you’ll just consume the THCA instead of the THC, which will make for poor taste and a weak high — or no high at all.

Decarb your cannabis easily by lining it up on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and baking it at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, checking it every 10 minutes to make sure it’s baking evenly. After that, let it cool and you have cannabis that’s ready to be infused into oil or butter.

Note: if you’re working with tinctures you don’t have to worry about this process. The cannabis serum is already made for you!

Secondly, we highly recommend testing the strength of your strain before you infuse it into something. Everyone’s preference and tolerance is different, and it’s good to know what you’re working with before you turn your Thanksgiving feast into one big edible. To test it, just cook something with your infused butter/oil a few days beforehand and try it for yourself. That way, you have time to adjust (if you need to) before the big day comes.

Your Essential Cannabis Thanksgiving Recipes

We’ve gone over the basics. Let’s get into these recipes!

Cannabutter

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup (7-10 grams) decarbed cannabis
• 1 cup water

What to do:

Place your water and your butter into a saucepan/stockpot with your burner on low, and heat the mixture until it’s combined. Add the ground cannabis (with the burner still on low), stir it, and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally without letting it come to a full boil.

After 2-3 hours, remove the pan/pot from heat and strain the cannabis buds from the mixture using a fine mesh strainer. Press the buds into the strainer to make sure you’re squeezing all the butter from them that you can.

Let the cannabutter come down to room temperature, then enjoy! You can also put it in the refrigerator or freeze to save it for later use.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Making a canna-turkey for the holiday is just as simple as cooking a regular one – or not so simple, if cooking the bird doesn’t come easily to you.

All you have to do to make the special turkey is use any recipe that calls for butter during the basting process and substitute some (or all) of it with cannabutter. Make sure to get the marinade both on top of the turkey skin and under it for ultimate moisture (and ultimate effects)!

Mac and Cheese

What you’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon cannabutter
• 1 pound pasta (shape of your choice)
• 2 cups whole milk
• ¼ cup chicken stock
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sharp cheddar shredded cheese
• 1 cup smoked gouda shredded cheese
• 2 oz goat cheese
• Salt, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 340 degrees and boil a large pot of salted water, then cook the pasta for the allotted al dente time as the oven is heating up. (Even if you’re not a fan of the al dente texture, remember that the pasta will continue to cook when you put it in the oven later.) Combine the chicken stock and milk in a measuring cup.

Melt the cannabutter in a medium-sized saucepan and continue to stir so it doesn’t burn. Mix in the flour a bit at a time until a paste forms, then add the milk/broth mixture until it’s creamy.

Mix in the cheese while continuing to stir, creating a smooth blend as everything melts together. Add the salt, onion powder, black pepper, and garlic powder to your liking and keep stirring well.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer, still stirring occasionally. It will soon start to bubble and look thick – once that happens, remove it from the heat.

Drain the pasta, then pour it back into the pot. Mix ¾ of the cheese sauce in with the pasta, then transfer it to a greased baking dish. Pour the remaining cheese sauce over the top of it, then bake for another 15 minutes.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

What you’ll need:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted regular butter, cubed and cold
• 3 tablespoons cannabutter, cubed and cold
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Black pepper to taste

What to do:

Peel your potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes, then add them to a large pot and submerge them in cold water. Over high heat, bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat and let them simmer for 12 minutes.

Then, combine milk, heavy cream, and garlic in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Once the simmering starts, remove the saucepan from the heat and strain the mixture to remove chunks of garlic.

After the potatoes have simmered for 12 minutes, remove them from the heat and drain them, then transfer the dry potatoes back into the pot. Mash them with a potato masher, then add the cubed butter, cubed cannabutter, and salt, then stir to combine it all.

Gradually add the cream mixture to the potatoes a little at a time until it’s fully incorporated, then add black pepper to taste.

Cranberry Sauce

What you’ll need:

• 12 oz fresh cranberries
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon cannabutter

What to do:

Rinse your cranberries well, then place them in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with sugar, orange zest, orange juice, and a cinnamon stick, then stir well. Place the pan over medium heat and cover with a lid, then cook for 15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from heat and take out the cinnamon stick, then add the cannabutter and stir until it’s fully melted and combined with the sauce. Allow the mixture to come down to room temperature, then serve.

Pumpkin Pie

What you’ll need:

• 1 8 oz package of softened cream cheese
• 2 cups canned, mashed pumpkin
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
• 1 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons melted regular butter
• 2 tablespoons melted cannabutter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pre-made pie dough
• Whipped cream as topping

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, place your pie dough in a 9-inch pie pan and press along the bottom and sides to ensure a good fit. You can crimp the edges to make a custom pie crust pattern if you’d like, then place it in the freeze for 1 hour.

Remove the pie crust from the freezer and completely cover the shell with a piece of aluminum foil. Fill the shell with pie weights (or dried beans/uncooked rice if you don’t have pie weights) and bake for 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven, remove the weights and aluminum foil, then bake for another 10 minutes until the crust has dried and is beginning to turn golden brown.

As your pie crust bakes, make the filling. Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer in a large mixing bowl, then add the pumpkin and beat until it’s combined. Add the sugar and salt after that, beat until they’re combined, then add the egg, egg yolks, half and half, melted butter, and melted cannabutter, then beat until it’s all mixed together. Finally, add your cinnamon and vanilla and beat one last time.

Pour your pie filling into the prepared pie crust, then bake for 50 minutes or until the center of the pie has set (you’ll be able to stab a fork/toothpick into it and have it come out clean). Let the pie cool to room temperature, then top it with whipped cream and serve.

Whipped Cream

If you want even your whipped cream to be infused with cannabis, you can make it happen. You don’t need cannabutter with already-decarbed cannabis – instead, the cannabis goes through the decarbing process as it heats up during the making of this recipe.

What you’ll need:

• ½ gram marijuana flower
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Extra cream to top it off

What to do:

Add your cream to a small pot, then break your marijuana up into small pieces (break it, don’t grind it) and add it to the cream. Slowly heat the mixture while stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot partially. Continue to steep the marijuana in the cream for about 20 minutes, stirring once in a while.

After 20 minutes have passed, take the pot off the heat and strain the cream into a different container, then let it cool. Add more cream to the infused cream (replacing what evaporated), to make a full cup, then pour it into a mixer and mix until it reaches your desired fluffy consistency.

Happy Thanksgiving, From Lake Effect!

At Lake Effect, we want you to have the best Thanksgiving possible – and, with cannabis, you’re sure to have a happy holiday.

Grab your cannabis supplies before the big day comes and remember that you can always reach out to us with any questions, especially if this is your first holiday cooking with cannabis.

Photo credit: Karolina Grabowska

These days, cannabis edibles (most often just called ‘edibles’) go far beyond your basic pot brownie. They can be sweet or savory, and there are even beverages infused with cannabis.

It’s not just the forms of edibles that have advanced, either. In recent years, dosing has also become more precise and reliable. For people who want to experiment with edibles, doing so is less of a shot in the dark than it’s been in the past.

We recommend starting your journey with edibles by having a conversation with your budtender. They’re the experts, and they’re happy to tell you where to start and what type of edible suits your needs best.

If you want some more information before you have that conversation, though, we’ll get you started.

Getting the Right Dose

Cannabis is safe, but you’ve got to be a smart user to create the best experience possible. Being smart is understanding how to dose your edibles – especially while you’re starting out.

Edibles can contain anywhere from 1-100mg of THC. How much you dose yourself with depends on your experience with cannabis and your body’s tolerance for it. Taking it slow is the right idea, instead of biting off more than you can chew (literally) and regretting it later. In general, it’s a good idea to start off with a very low dose, say 1-5mg. You can always eat more if you want to!

Don’t Take Edibles on an Empty Stomach

Edibles are like alcohol in the way that they can send you reeling if you eat them on an empty stomach. If you do that, you might end up over-consuming. You don’t want to be hungry when you eat them. Instead, eat them as a dessert or along with the meal you’re having.

Relaxed is Best

If you decide to eat edibles (especially for the first time) in a place that’s not relaxing, the THC in your system can quickly lead to panic and anxiety – and that’s never fun. Have a plan for the first time you try edibles, preferably one that includes a friend present to help you in case your experience isn’t what you expect.

The Waiting Game

When you smoke marijuana, the effects only take about 15 minutes before they hit. Edibles are a little different. Since you’re eating them and they have to work through your digestive system, the effects take longer to show up. It could take 30 minutes, or even up to 2 hours before you notice any change – the amount of time differs from person to person, because everyone’s metabolism is unique.

If you don’t notice the effects of an edible, it’s important to wait at least two hours before eating more. The effects could just be taking a while to show up, and you don’t want to overdo it.

If you don’t feel the effects of an edible on your first time, you might be experiencing something called first-pass metabolism. This is when your liver is especially good at filtering out THC, so it just passes right through your system without you getting the feelings you wanted. To avoid this as best you can, prep with a small meal that includes fatty foods like avocado, cheese, or almond butter before eating your edible.

Lasting Effects

When you dose your edible appropriately, the effects can last up to six hours. If you eat a particularly large dose, the effects could even last as long as 24 hours. For most people, though, the peak of the effects happens at about the four-hour mark.

The day after you consume an edible, it’s not uncommon to feel a sort of hangover. You might experience lethargy, fatigue, and headaches, and you might feel like you’re moving through a fog. That’s completely normal and will go away.

The Taste

A lot of people are concerned that their edible will taste like cannabis. It’s possible, but not always the case.

It depends on how potent the edible is and the flavor profile of the food or beverage. If you’re enjoying something with coffee or chocolate flavoring, it’s very unlikely that you’ll taste the cannabis because those flavors are so strong.

If you’re worried about your edible tasting like cannabis, your budtender can easily find you something where the cannabis flavor is masked by other delicious flavors.

How to Buy Edibles

Buying edibles is fairly simple, and your budtender should be able to answer any questions you have during the process.

How much edibles cost depends on where you’re buying them. At Lake Effect, our edibles are reasonably priced, usually between the $10 and $20 mark.

Keep in mind that edibles are a food product, so the cost of ingredients plays a part in how much you pay for the edible itself. Some of our most popular products are edible gummies, which are about $16 and come in a huge variety of flavors.

The higher the potency of the edible, the higher the price – because there’s more cannabis in it. There’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all price for edibles, because there are so many variables to keep in mind.

Once you know the facts behind the pricing, the purchasing process is simple – especially here. Our Kalamazoo location is open 24 hours, so you can just come on in and tell us what you’d like. Even if you’re not sure about an exact product, just explain what you’re looking for and we’ll find something that suits you.

We also have options to buy online. Lake Effect makes it extremely easy, even for those who are unfamiliar with the dispensary atmosphere, and we always have deals going on!

Enjoying Edibles With Lake Effect

The days of edibles only being in the form of brownies and cookies are long gone. The world of edibles has evolved, which means we know a lot more about them now – and you should, too!

At Lake Effect, we have an extensive menu of edibles for you to choose from. When it comes to variety, we’ve got you covered. We’ve also got you covered information-wise, and we’re glad to answer any questions you might have about this fun, easy, and convenient way to consume cannabis.

Stop by and see us at our Kalamazoo or Portage location, or get in touch to learn more about cannabis edibles!