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Long ago, a visiting politician from Europe saw all the free-flowing booze in New York City and asked when Prohibition was set to take effect. Ironically, the ban on alcohol was almost a decade old at the time. Someone could say the same thing today about cannabis, which eight more states legalized on some level in November despite the ongoing federal prohibition.
Embracing the green rush involves some measure of risk, but quasi-legalization has sparked an innovation boom characterized by everything from THC-spiked gourmet cuisine to Steve Jobs–worthy technology and design. The days of bongs and bowls are over for plugged-in consumers who want to modernize their stash with the latest vape pens, edibles, body lotions and lovemaking lubricants. When properly paired, these tech-savvy lifestyle products can enrich a wide range of activities, from concert-going and camping to pool partying and jet-setting. But what goes best with what? Find out here.
Having Sex With Your Girlfriend
Foria Pleasure lubricant
Whoever thinks academia is boring missed the Journal of Sex Research study that claims marijuana smoking “enhances sexual pleasure and increases sexual desire.” Sure, a full-body edible high does the trick, but Foria Pleasure lubricant takes it to the next level, getting your girlfriend’s very specific body part stoned. No, it’s not voodoo; that part of her anatomy can actually absorb cannabis into the bloodstream, which promotes relaxation and heightened sensation.
A 10-milliliter bottle goes for $38. foriapleasure.com
Camping in Joshua Tree
Canndescent Connect 108
If you’re looking to commune with nature, head to Joshua Tree, California for desert landscapes, surreal rock formations and inspired campfire conversation courtesy of Canndescent Connect 108. This award-winning flower wants you to “connect with the world around you.” Farm-to-vape fans will be pleased to know Canndescent has a grow site in nearby Desert Hot Springs.
Prices vary by dispensary. canndescent.com
Playing Basketball With Your Office Mates
Lord Jones’s Pain and Wellness Lotion
Smoking too much before a game can leave you playing like draft bust Anthony Bennett, but modern cannabis innovation can elevate your skills in ways you’d never expect. Before suiting up, apply Lord Jones’s 5:1 Pain and Wellness all over your body. This nonpsychoactive, CBD-heavy lotion eases sore muscles and joints for more fluid playmaking action, and fragrant herbal notes help cover up locker-room stank.
Fifty-milliliter bottles start at $60. lordjones.com
Making Lollapalooza Feel Like Woodstock
Mindy’s Hard Sweets
Security can be tight at music festivals, so discreet edibles that don’t melt (sorry, chocolate) are key. If you’re heading to Lollapalooza, bring tasty sweets from Chicago’s own Mindy Segal, the James Beard Award–winning pastry chef behind Mindy’s HotChocolate. Each artisanal hard candy contains 10 milligrams of odorless extract—an ideal amount for cannabis rookies—combined with deliciously rich vanilla, butterscotch and bourbon flavors.
Ten-candy tins start at $35. mindysedibles.com
Watching Reruns of Early-1990s Simpsons
Chong’s Choice
In a 1991 Simpsons flashback episode, a high school principal catches Homer and Barney smoking in the bathroom and calls them “Springfield’s answer to Cheech & Chong.” Seasons later, Homer actually convinces Cheech and Chong to reunite. When binge-watching the series’ golden age, make Homer proud by smoking Tommy Chong’s solvent-free oil in your vape pen.
A half-gram cartridge of Chong’s Choice starts around $40. chongschoice.com
Going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Défoncé Chocolate
You want to fly higher than Harry in a Quidditch match but without an invisibility cloak? You need to get creative. Bring a small snack bag filled with peanuts, raisins and a few pieces of infused chocolate from Défoncé, an artisanal chocolatier started by an Apple vet. If you’re surrounded by enough little screaming wizards, any parent who recognizes the brand will probably ask you to share.
Available in several flavors for $20 a bar. defonce.com
Making a Splash at a Pool Party
JUJU Joint Vape
Firing up a Zig-Zag at a poolside soiree feels so 1980s frat party, but taking draws from a sleek JUJU Joint says style and sophistication. The “iPod of vaporizers” requires no lighter and emits only a small amount of nearly odorless smoke. This disposable vape is perfect for hotel rooftops and Vegas pools, where a snitch may necessitate that you drop the small black pen in your Jack and Coke. The vapes come in different strains, but if it’s a pool party, go with California native Blue Dream.
JUJU Joints go for $20 and up. jujujoints.com
Meeting Your New Girlfriend’s Best Friends
Calm CBD Vape
Meeting the skeptical parents can be tough, but meeting your girlfriend’s inner circle can be worse, especially if (a) one of them just got dumped, (b) you’re a better catch than their beaux or (c) your girl has a bad track record with men. For a night like this, make sure you have plenty of room on your credit card and pregame with hmbldt calm. The formula inside this vape pen delivers a strong dose of cannabidiol, or CBD, a cannabis compound known to keep people calm and cool in the most uncomfortable situations.
Calm runs a worry-free $100. hmbldt.com
Sleeping Through a Red-Eye Flight
Kushy Punch Gummies
Did you know Cathay Pacific has a 16-hour nonstop flight between New York and Hong Kong? If you ever needed an excuse for a sleep aid, this 8,000-mile crossing would be it. Kushy Punch gummies can help. One of the red-colored squares takes about an hour to activate. Eating a single gummy piece during the in-flight meal means you’ll be dreaming of dim sum in no time. Pro tip: Go for the indica gummies, as they help with insomnia.
Four-piece gummy squares run $12. kushypunch.com
Having Sex With Someone You Just Met on Tinder
Loosey Lu’s Aphrodisiac Delight
A bong, no matter how impressive, just doesn’t produce the right vibe when you’re trying to close a sale. Set the mood with Loosey Lu’s Aphrodisiac Delight (pictured here rolled and ready to smoke). This herbal blend literally puts the pot in potpourri by combining a hybrid strain such as White Widow with handpicked herbs such as blue lotus, sage, lobelia, damiana and motherwort. Who needs oysters and champagne?
A 10-gram tin starts at $36. looseylulovesyou.com
Mary Jane on the Menu
Weed eaters can finally come out from the shadows
POT POP-UPS
There’s a whole world of gourmet edibles that explore the savory, sit-down side of cannabis cuisine. Much like Roaring Twenties speakeasies, cannabis pop-ups are social places to enjoy federally forbidden treats. Colorado-based Mason Jar Event Group does seasonal pop-ups with the likes of Top Chef champ Hosea Rosenberg, Eleven Madison Park alum Chris Sayegh crafts Michelin-worthy eats at events nationwide, and properly vetted New Yorkers have a shot at tasting cannabis comfort food at Dinner Is Dope.
CANNABIS COCKTAILS
Jason Eisner, who oversees the beverage programs at Gracias Madre in West Hollywood and Gratitude in Newport Beach, California, made international news last year when he put cannabidiol cocktails on the drinks menu. The cannabis compound in the stoney negroni, rolled fashioned and sour t-iesel won’t get you high, but the DEA still classifies CBD as worse than meth.
WEED PIZZA
Fast-food chains are finally picking up steam in Cambodia, but Ronald McDonald may need to rename the Happy Meal. In the mid-1990s, a forward-thinking gourmand opened Happy Herb Pizza in Phnom Penh, and soon the pot pies that make you “insane in the membrane,” as Anthony Bourdain put it, started popping up all over the country. Just look for the word happy, sit down, and be prepared to not get up for a while.