Will flavored vape cartridges return to Washington's recreational marijuana market?

Flavored vaping ban to expire Feb. 8

/in /by

Missing your Skittles and Fruity Pebbles flavored vapes? Good news – the flavored vaping ban is expected to lift in Washington state on Feb. 8, 2020!

We pulled nearly all our vape cartridges at The Herbery this past fall after Gov. Jay Inslee and the WA State Board of Health enacted an emergency 120-day flavored vaping ban on most vaping liquid additives. This was in response to the outbreak of severe lung injuries that caused major illness and even death among vape users across the United States. Flavorings and botanically derived terpenes were among the substances that were banned from vaping juices for both nicotine and THC vapes. Only cannabis-derived terpenes from within the I-502 market are currently allowed as additives in THC vape cartridges available for legal sale in Washington state.

Another emergency rule was enacted a few weeks later specifically banning the additive vitamin E acetate. This substance has been directly linked to severe cases of lung injury, especially in THC vape cartridges that were bought illegally outside of the regulated market. The emergency rule banning vapor products with vitamin E acetate will remain in effect until March 19.

Recent updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the national outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury has waned, and it is expected that Washington authorities will allow flavors in vaping liquids again after the ban lifts on Feb. 8, 2010. However, the WA state legislature is currently in session, and there are bills on the table that address whether to fully ban certain additives, such as vitamin E acetate and all flavorings, except tobacco flavoring, in non-THC vapor products.

At The Herbery, we are awaiting further direction and clarification from the Liquor Cannabis Board for when flavored vaping products may grace our shelves again. We are aware of the situation, and will alert our customers to any changes to the availability of flavored vape cartridges as accurate information comes in. Stay tuned!

The Herbery - 164th to close Nov. 30

The Herbery – 164th to close Nov. 30

/in /by

Dear Clark County,

Nearly five years ago, we opened the first Herbery in East Vancouver on 164th Ave. At the end of November this year, due to current federal banking regulations, our landlord has been informed they cannot renew our lease. Sadly, we must close our doors on our flagship store. Our last day of business at that location will be Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019.

We’ve had such an excellent run on 164th Ave., but with cannabis still illegal on a federal level, financial institutions do not look favorably on our industry. This is a major talking point in Washington, D.C., right now, and with the approval of the SAFE Banking Act in the House of Representatives this fall, we are hopeful for major changes to how our industry is allowed to handle finances. Next, the Senate must review and approve the act, and we are taking active steps to inform senators of the importance of the SAFE Banking Act for Americans working in the cannabis industry.

We hope you’ll take the time to reach out to your senators to let them know that this issue is important, and that cannabis businesses should have the same reliable access to banking resources that other businesses enjoy.

Coming soon to Hazel Dell

Despite this, The Herbery has some great things coming on the horizon. We have secured the location for our next store in Hazel Dell and are in the middle of renovating what may be our biggest store yet! It has always been our intention to share our unique strain of fun and professionalism throughout our community, and we will continue to do so when Clark County lifts its cannabis moratorium in the new year. For updates on The Herbery – Hazel Dell Grand Opening, click to sign up for our email list.

To our wonderful regulars at 164th Ave – thank you all so much for your continued business. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. We know you love the efficiency, product selection, and customer service The Herbery provides, so less than three miles west down Mill Plain, just before the I-205 on-ramp, near the Burger King and Elmer’s, The Herbery – Chkalov is ready to serve. We plan on retaining all our employees, so the same fun and familiar faces will be there to greet you.

How can I help?

With cannabis still considered illegal on a federal level, businesses within the industry are not allowed access to typical banking resources available to all other businesses. That’s why we can’t accept debit or credit cards, why some companies can’t direct-deposit payroll to their employees, and why our landlord is not being allowed to renew our lease at 164th Ave. The SAFE Banking Act is a bill presented to the legislature that would give cannabis businesses access to financial services that all other businesses enjoy. It passed the House of Representatives this year, and now, we must ask elected officials in the Senate to approve the act to protect hard-working Americans in the cannabis industry.

Please ask our Wash. senators, the Honorable Maria Cantwell & Patty Murray, to support the SAFE Banking Act so legal cannabis companies may access banking resources without fear of losing them. Contact our senators at the links below.

Senator Maria Cantwell
cantwell.senate.gov

Senator Patty Murray
murray.senate.gov

If you vape, you need to read this!

/in /by

Important updates on vaping laws

On September 27, 2019, WA Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order to the State Board of Health to create a policy regarding flavored vapor products, including flavored THC vapor products. The health department will present their policy to the governor on Oct. 9.

We all have questions, and we will share information as the state provides it.

While The Herbery is aware of no reports of health issues related to vape cartridges from our vendors, we will remain supportive of the state’s efforts to get to the bottom of this public health crisis.

If you choose to continue to vape, our HerbTenders can point you towards cartridges that are filled with pure cannabis oil with no additives.

Jim Mullen

Co-owner of The Herbery

*This does not affect our current policy for mechanically defective cartridges.

How To Dab 101 – A Step By Step Guide

/in /by

When you’ve dabbed for as long as our HerbTenders℠ have, you tend to learn a thing or two about how to hit the perfect dab. Here’s a general How To Dab guide with a standard oil rig, plus tips from the pros!

1 – Gather your supplies:

  • Dab rig w/ nail or banger attachment
  • Torch
  • Dab tool & carb cap
  • Cannabis concentrate

2 – Prep your dab:

Using the dab tool, scoop a small amount of concentrate, approximately the size of a small nailhead, and set aside.

3 – Heat your rig:

Using the torch, superheat the nail or banger until it is red hot!

4 – Let your rig cool to the optimal temp:

This requires practice to get right, and may vary from banger to banger, nail to nail.

How do you know what the right temperature is? Experiment a little bit – if you melt the wax and it sizzles, pops, and immediately produces a lot of clouds, chances are your dab is too hot. If you try to melt the wax and it doesn’t melt or melts slowly, your banger has probably cooled too much. A great dab is a good balance of thin vapor that isn’t too hot in the throat and lots of flavor from vaporizing the terpenes at the right temperature.

5 – Melt the wax:

Press your dab to the inside of the tempered banger or nail while inhaling the vapor until none remains on the tool.

(Click for epic melt shots)

6 – Cover with a carb cap:

This helps to maintain the heat and agitate the oil. Inhale until no more vapor remains. For more cloudy vapor, melt the wax at at higher temp. For more flavor, aim for a low-temp dab.

7 – Exhale:

And surrender to the rush of cannabinoids and terpenes!

Remember, dabbing high amounts of THC can get you uncomfortably high, whether or not you have a high tolerance. Always start small and increase from there to find the best-sized hit for you. Also, don’t plan on driving or having anywhere to be within the first hour or two of taking your first dab – it might take that long for your body to process it! Smoke responsibly, y’all.

Ready for a full dabbing setup? Ask your HerbTender℠ to see our great selection of rigs, tools, and dabs!

Don’t forget to check our menus for our current inventory of concentrates!

Lemon Cheesecake Cannabis Budder

Dabbing? What is Dabbing?

/in /by

You’ve seen the 88% THC test results for the amber-colored oil around The Herbery sales floors, and you’re wondering what this whole dabbing thing is all about, how to dab, and why people do it.

Sure, dabbing can be intimidating, but once you’ve perfected the routine, you’ll have a high-powered method for getting lots of cannabinoids into your body quickly. And for our sweet customers seeking relief from a stressful day, to soothe angry joints and muscles, or simply a restful sleep, vaporizing cannabis concentrates smacks you in the face with high-octane cannabinoids that hit your system fast.

WHAT IS A DAB, AND HOW DO YOU SMOKE ONE?

If smoking cannabis flower is like sipping a beer, dabbing cannabis concentrates is like shooting whiskey! A “dab” is a small amount of cannabis oil, concentrated from parts of the pot plant that affect your nervous system, like the cannabinoids THC or CBD, for example. Terpenes and flavonoids are found in most concentrates, as well, which help inform the taste and effect of the strain.

A small chunk of oil – aka, a dab – is pressed to a piece of titanium or quartz that has been super-heated with a torch. The concentrate vaporizes, and the vapor is then inhaled. The smoker gets a potent hit with high cannabinoid percentages anywhere from 50-90% or more, inducing euphoria, relaxation, energy, or whichever effects are typical to the strain. All you need is a tiny piece to blast off, especially as a new dabber – this is where we get the adage, “A dab’ll do ya!”

For a more detailed guide on taking the perfect dab, stay tuned for our upcoming blog post in this dabbing series!

Raw Distillate by Two Heads Co.

WHY DAB?

People dab for a lot of reasons. Smoking weed for extended periods of time builds up cannabinoids in your system, raising your tolerance so marijuana flower that usually tests at 18-28% no longer gets you as high. Concentrates that regularly test upwards of 70% can get the job done. Dabbing will continue to increase your tolerance, so tolerance breaks a couple times a year really help to reset your levels.

(Read some tips from Leafly on taking a successful tolerance break!)

Others prefer oil & wax to flower because smoking bud can be harsh on the lungs. Plant matter that gets incinerated when you roast a bowl can irritate the respiratory system on inhalation, while (good quality) concentrates have had that irritant removed. (There is an art to smoking a nice, smooth, low-temperature dab for maximum flavor and minimal coughing, and we’ll go into some of those tips & tricks in a later post.) And without the plant matter, cannabis vapor, like that which you get when dabbing, tends to be less odorous and lingering compared to cannabis smoke from bud. This is handy for people with families or roommates who don’t like the smell of pot, or who want to avoid getting smoke build up in their homes.

(Ever make a sploof? A toilet paper roll stuffed with dryer sheets to mask the pot smell? Upgrade your sploof to a Smoke Buddy filter – up to 6 months of smoke and odor filtration in each unit! Grab one at The Herbery!)

Some customers use cannabis for various wellness reasons, and after experimenting with different product types, they’ve determined that they need really high levels of cannabinoids and terpenes really quickly for the particular relief they are looking for. Dabbing concentrates helps to get them to a place where their aches are at bay, or they can sleep, or can eat despite a low appetite, where flower may not be powerful enough or fast enough to do the job.

(Read about why this Leafly writer loves CBD dabs!)

HERE IS WHY SOME OF OUR HERBTENDERS℠ DAB:

Jamin at The Herbery – 164th: Been dabbing for 4 years, loves the efficiency of the process

Aisha at The Herbery – Chkalov: Loves the efficiency of dabbing & packing a little more punch in my hits

Collin at The Herbery – St. Johns: Loves that dabbing gives less carbon, longer & stronger effects, and less smoking

READY TO START DABBING?

Explore the styles of concentrates you want to try, discuss with your HerbTender℠ what supplies you need to get started, and discover this high-powered way of enjoying weed!

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS SERIES ON DABBING:

  • Types of concentrates
  • How to dab

 

The Herbery Vancouver, WA weedThe Herbery - OPB - Molly Solomon

Clark County May Soon Lift Ban On Recreational Cannabis Sales

/in /by

Clark County May Soon Lift Ban On Recreational Cannabis Sales

by  Follow OPB July 2, 2019 12:13 p.m. | Vancouver, Wash.

View original article at OPB

Clark County is on the verge of lifting its ban on recreational cannabis businesses. Despite being across Washington and in large cities, including Vancouver and Battle Ground, marijuana shops in unincorporated areas of the county remain illegal.

But a key decision Tuesday night could change that. Clark County councilors will vote following a public hearing on lifting the ban.

“Since Clark County opted to ban marijuana, it’s been an ongoing community conversation,” recently elected County Councilor Temple Lentz said.

Washington voters approved recreational cannabis in 2012, with 56% supporting legalization. But state law allows local jurisdictions to prohibit sales. Two years after the state vote, Clark County passed a ban on recreational cannabis businesses and included a clause that the moratorium could be lifted once the federal government delists marijuana as a Schedule I drug.

Clark County has considered changes to the marijuana ordinance in the past, but never had the support from previous councils.

That changed with last year’s election of Lentz, the Council’s only Democrat. She and Republicans John Blom and Julie Olson have all expressed interest in legalizing recreational cannabis, shifting to majority support for lifting the ban for the first time.

“For the folks who want to partake, it makes it easier,” Lentz said. “It’s regulated, it’s taxable, and it just seems to make sense.”

If the ordinance passes, six retail permits would be allowed in unincorporated Clark County. Three businesses already hold licenses but have not opened storefronts. They would be allowed to begin sales, and another three permits would also become available.

Lentz said the Council sees this as an economic decision that could create business opportunities and bring in as much as $700,000 in annual revenue to the county’s general fund.

“We can choose to spend it on things that are currently underfunded,” she said.

The Council has been considering code changes to the local marijuana ordinance since a workshop session in April. The county planning commission recommends allowing retailers to stay open until 11 p.m. and prohibiting retail shops from opening outside of the Vancouver urban growth boundary.

Lentz said that decision was made to avoid saturating rural areas of the county and assured residents that, “Our rural areas are not going to see a pot shop on every corner.”

Jim Mullen, owner of The Herbery, runs three retail shops in Vancouver and is looking to open a fourth in Salmon Creek if the ban is lifted.

“We’re growing every year,” said Mullen, who wants a more convenient option for customers living in North Clark County. “Having a stake in the game is just the right decision.”

Owner Jim Mullen runs The Herbery, a cannabis shop in Vancouver. He currently has three locations and is hoping to open a fourth if Clark County votes to lift its ban in unincorporated areas.

Owner Jim Mullen runs The Herbery, a cannabis shop in Vancouver. He currently has three locations and is hoping to open a fourth if Clark County votes to lift its ban in unincorporated areas. Molly Solomon/OPB

Clark County residents narrowly rejected marijuana legalization in 2012, by less than 1%. The more rural unincorporated areas have historically been less likely to embrace recreational cannabis. But with county growth and new residents moving in, some believe opinions on marijuana are beginning to loosen.

“The sky hasn’t fallen — and frankly there’s revenue to be made,” said Vicki Chistophersen, executive director of the trade group Washington CannaBusiness Association. She said the cannabis industry is responsible for 10,000 jobs and $250 million in wages statewide. “I think folks are starting to understand that this is a legitimate, legal business and it’s safe.”

Clark County Councilor Julie Olson believes her constituents’ views on marijuana have evolved over time, including her own. Olson originally voted against legalization in 2012, but now supports lifting the county’s ban.

“I think the question to ask is what value is having the ban,” Olson said. “Does it still have an impact that matters?”

To Olson, the ban has outlived its purpose and no longer seems relevant to the community she represents.

“The county is growing, people are moving here and demographics are changing,” Olson said. “The stigma around marijuana is going away.”

CJ on 4/20 at The Herbery 164thThe Herbery

HerbTenders℠ switch it up!

/in /by
CJ on 4/20 at The Herbery - 164th

Find CJ’s signature smile at The Herbery – Chkalov!

New HerbTenders℠ at Vancouver, Washington’s best pot shop

Have you noticed a lot of new faces at your favorite Herbery? We know many of you have built relationships with them and we want you to know, we want them to get better and better in helping you explore, discuss and discover all the great variety we have at the Herbery.

Do you know that we have three stores, more than 70 employees, and are the ONLY cannabis retailer that is making the investment into training our staff who want a career in cannabis? Many of our HerbTenders℠, assistant managers, and even store managers are working in a different store and getting the training they have asked for. Our team rocks, and we are going to great lengths to hire some of the best in the business!!

We started in November 2018, focusing on expanding our team’s business and product knowledge, and aligning our stores with the same ease and service. Whenever you enter an Herbery location, you will experience the same premium cannabis – products AND service – as we strengthen our brand and our customer base. We continue to strive to be the Best of Clark County.

We have three locations, and we are ONE Herbery

We give those who enter our stores the freedom to explore, discuss and discover. If you have a favorite HerbTender℠, ask our staff which store they are learning from, and you can go say High. Explore another branch of The Herbery, and make even more connections with other HerbTenders℠ as you discuss the products you love. Ask for their recommendations, and experience cannabis from a new point of view. Who knows – you may discover a new favorite strain!

So next time you’re at The Herbery and you see HerbTenders℠ you’ve never worked with, ask them what they’re smoking, rubbing, vaping or eating right now and if they would recommend it. Explore similar vendors or stay with who you already love – either way, get to know our huge selection of premium cannabis from across Washington state. Got feedback? If you drop a suggestion in the suggestion box, leave your name and number, and one of our leadership team will get back to you. Bada bing, bada boom, your opinion helps to grow the best cannabis retailer in Clark County!

Feel like trying something new? I’m smoking on Orange Apricotz flower by Fireline Cannabis! Check out our menus to see if it’s in stock!