Many new laws and policies have made marijuana more accessible like Pennsylvania s medical cannabis law passed in 2016 and less punitive, such as the decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana enacted by several cities, including Pittsburgh. These smaller marijuana victories have been championed by advocates, but despite efforts leading to legalization of marijuana in neighboring states near Pennsylvania, including both New York and Virginia just last week, weed for recreational use is still illegal in the Keystone State. Patrick Nightingale, director of cannabis advocacy group Pittsburgh NORML and a criminal defense attorney, wants to remind marijuana users, both medical and recreational, of these hard facts. He still has many clients in the Pittsburgh area facing marijuana-related charges.
Branded merch at Curated Flame Curated Flame owner Anthony “Mo” Rabinovitz set out to open a shop selling everything a smoker could possibly need, ranging from artful pipes to fun snacks, as well as CBD and Kratom. That effort also extends to making and selling creative, custom branded merchandise featuring special designs. Since its opening in July 2020, Curated Flame has sold limited-edition sweatshirts and hats featuring a smoking nun created in partnership with Maria Coughanour of Ethereal Studio and stickers by Kira Hovanec most notable for the @celebfoodiesonthebreadcarpet Instagram account where she posts punny drawings combining celebrities and food. An irreverent Bong Dxck Energy/Statue of David sticker, conceived with Curated Flame’s in-house artist Single Spirit, reimagines Michelangelo’s famous sculpture holding a joint, with his private parts replaced by a bong. Rabinovitz has also worked with tattoo artist L. Hammel, aka Math Goth, multimedia arti
Photo: Nick Prezioso, courtesy of Ashley Bianca Corts Ashley Bianca Corts Ashley Bianca Corts is best known for Black Forge Coffee, her metal-themed coffee shops located in Allentown and McKees Rocks, but now she is expanding her expertise to weed. In January 2021, her business went mobile when she kicked off a nationwide Save Our Stages tour, focused on raising money for music venues struggling due to the pandemic. While on the road, she found another calling: reviewing different kinds of marijuana products and dispensaries as The Traveling Bud. Back in Pittsburgh, Corts put that expertise into her business, releasing a Black Forge “Wake & Bake” box a few weeks ahead of 420. Each box contains cannabis-themed products including a custom coffee, tea, and various handcrafted, locally made marijuana paraphernalia. The shop is
“Jurassic Spark” Grinder Pennsylvanians can still technically get jammed up for owning paraphernalia related to marijuana use, but it’s not always heavily enforced, especially in Allegheny County. (Read more about enforcement in our story “Marijuana Misdemeanors.”) And Pennsylvania medical marijuana users are technically not allowed to smoke the dry leaf they order, either; legally, it’s available for vaporization only. With that in mind, use the following gift guide recommendations at your own discretion. But also remember that purchasing CBD flower is legal and can also be smoked, and glass pipes make pretty artwork too. ;)
“Jurassic Spark” Grinder
Curated Flame, 505 Grant Ave., Millvale. curatedflamepgh.com
Pittsburgh City Paper staff writer Kimberly Rooney and her cat Toaster got to test out some CBD cat treats this week, and we can’t let felines have all the fun. These local stores offer CBD-infused products for hyperactive pups in need of some chillout time.
Zen Dog Pumpkin Dog Treats These organic, gluten- and grain-free biscuits contain a list of ingredients, including pumpkin, molasses, oats, and 4 milligrams of CBD with the goal of helping dogs with “pain, anxiety, epilepsy, inflammation, and immune function.”
Available at Total Peace and Wellness, 4213 Butler St., Lawrenceville. totalpeaceandwellnesscbd.com
Broad Spectrum Hemp Oil “We tried an expensive prescription separation anxiety medication, but the results were just fair. We switched to LabNaturals CBD, and it has made a world of difference!” This dog owner’s testimonial is referring to products like LabNaturals’ CBD pet tinctures available in 50 and 250 milligrams, depending on the animals’