Happy 4/20! This holiday, once underground, has gone mainstream. MTV lists quite a few celebrations and legalization demonstrations in San Francisco, Seattle, and even Topeka, Kansas. (Willie Nelson is performing.)
At 4:20 p.m., thousands of people are expected to "light up" in solidarity.
Since we at Short Order can't condone the use of illegal substances on our blog (Okay, attorneys? Happy now?), we suggest a few legal ways to get you in the spirit of the holiday with some tools to help mellow you out -- even at the office.
Hydropops/Weed World Candies
These cannabis-flavored pops are
the brainchild of Atlanta entrepreneur Andre Rivers, who wanted to
perfect a candy that had the distinct taste of, well, pot. So Andre,
along with his partner Michael, turned to some of the best candy making
experts in the world -- the Amish. The team spent months in (seriously) Hempfield,
Pennsylvania, perfecting their craft.
The hydropop comes
in three different colors: purple haze, bubba kush, and AK-47. They're
flavored naturally, and contain no THC. The pops aren't sold in stores.
Rivers told Short Order that the usual place you'd expect to find the
pop (head shops), can't carry anything marijuana related. Instead,
hydropops come to you. Rivers sells the pops at festivals (his Weed
World van and "candy girls" were at WMC in Miami), concerts, and through
mail order. The pops run from $3 to $5 and are a sweet little way to
get a taste of 4/20 if you've got to operate heavy machinery or take a
drug test later.
Marley's Mellow Mood
Close your eyes
and picture a face that's synonymous with marijuana. Did you come up
with Bob Marley? The musician who brought reggae music out of Jamaica
and into mainstream culture, smoked ganja for religious and creative
reasons. In fact, take a tour of the Marley Museum in Kingston,
Jamaica, and you'll find a distinctly recognizable "weed" growing in
wife Rita Marley's herb garden.
We're sure the Marley family would approve of Marley's Mellow Mood drinks
making our list of alternative ways to chill on 4/20 day. The opposite
of an energy drink, these beverages contain valerian root, chamomile,
melatonin, passion flower, lemon balm, and hops -- all found to improve
sleep and relieve stress. We tried the berry, which wasn't too sweet
and mildly carbonated. Seeing Marley's picture on the label chilled us
out before we opened it and, frankly, it was good to drink something
carbonated and not have your heart beat out of your chest. Enjoy one in
your office today and mellow out ($2.50).
Sleep Sheets
These
little individually wrapped sheets that dissolve on your tongue are
designed to promote a good night's sleep, but they're also good for a
little evening-out on 4/20. The sheets contain melatonin, I-Theanine (a
supplement used for stress relief), goji berry, and chamomile. The
only product on our list that comes with a warning not to operate
machinery or drive a vehicle after use, a box of 10 sheets sells for
$6.95. We tried one last night after watching a documentary on that
German cannibal and slept like a baby -- we think that's a great
marketing campaign!
Potheads
There was a lot of ruckus last year when the crazies came a-callin' just because some sour apple gummy candy was shaped like pot instead of something more socially acceptable like worms or little kids. Luckily, they're still available at novelty stores and still yummy. Though they won't mellow you out, they will cause a stir when you fill up the office candy jar with these babies ($5-7 a bag).
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