by Celia Lopez

At the end of December, the media we consume and the dinner parties we attend are buzzing with discussion of what even happened over the course of the past year. 

Oftentimes, these conversations center on scandalous headlines or fatalistic doom-swapping. 

Here, we're fans of dodging the paranoid turn via the gift of deliberate, mindful consumption (and we're not just talking capsules and tinctures). 

As aficionados and purveyors of cannabis products, our gift to you is the following: a stoned survey of the most enlivening and overlooked highlights of 2022 paired with our favorite products. 

Happy New Year!

Joy to the World and a Healthy, Happy Planet Earth

Many of our favorite flower products utilize natural cultivation methods, like Almora's Cherry Punch, which lands like a pure drop of California sun. 

In the news, we noted major steps being made to ensure that our plants and the environments they require to thrive, are given the best shot possible to do so.

This year, 175 UN delegates agreed to collaborate on a historical global treaty to reduce plastic pollution, which marks increased dialogue between nations to better help our Earth heal from the effects of plastic waste. 

Paris Plus, as the plan is called, commits nations to heal the planet. 

Keep it earthen with Raw Garden's Dosi Haze Live Resin, as fresh-from-the-harvest as you can get. 

One day you might be able to try it out in one of the University of Maine's first-ever "bio-based 3d-printed house," an entirely recyclable home which heralds a new frontier for affordable and environmentally-sound housing.

We'll toke to that!

You know when the high is good and you just feel… Noodled?

All right friends, take a hit of Coastal Sun's Banjo flower, let the heady bud nuzzle your brain, and spend some time with this sentence: 

Noodling has become legal in the state of Louisiana.

Now, my squiffed friends, what is noodling exactly? It is the unparalleled sport of sticking your bare arm in an underwater hole and grabbing hold of a big ol' catfish. 

While Noodlers in many states have been up to their elbows in catfish for generations, it only just became legal in the state of Louisiana on August 1st, 2022, with the passing of HB419. 

Congratulations, Louisiana. Our spliffs are tipped to you.

Mussels, Oysters, and Whales, Oh My!

Elsewhere in the aquatic realm, New York's waterways are seeing the effects of persistent conservation efforts with marine life diversity increasing (a surprising and heartening sign in the city-clogged environment.) 

Credit largely goes to groups like the Billion Oyster Project, whose work has reintroduced millions of oysters to New York's harbor, where they do the massive job of filtering water for all the other critters. 

In celebration, why not try some of Caliva's Big Apple Kush and marry the creative chaos of the city with the fluidity of marine life? 

With its terpene-rich indica, you'll be swimming in an ocean of algal bliss before you know it.

Our Resolution? More Weed, Less Worry

Artists have historically modeled freedom of the mind and in an increasingly-regimented world, they are beacons of alternative possibility. 

In Ireland this year, the government created a new initiative to provide weekly basic income to artists in an attempt to bolster support in the creative sector that waned during the pandemic. 

For our creatively-inclined folks, we recommend supplementing such supplemental income with Mirayo’s Maui Wowie – a radiant and inspiring strain . 

Open up the THC and CBD neural pathways and show us where the cultural zeitgeist really needs to land!

Three Cheers for Our Fun Uncle Sam

Last but definitely not least: 2022 marked a major shift in the perception of cannabis and the trailing impact of the War on Drugs. On October 6th, President Biden issued federal pardons for thousands of individuals convicted for possession of marijuana. 

This proclamation came in response to the efforts of citizens who connected the criminalization of marijuana with racial disparity, many of whom have worked tirelessly to legalize cannabis and in doing so, addressed these instances of inequality. 

But we still have a ways to go with getting cannabis legal in more states and enhancing education around its many applications. 

So, roll up some Fun Uncle Mosh Pit and get the party started! 

Happy New Year!

We've been through a lot this go-around but if you gained anything from this singular Stoned Survey, we hope it's an optimal buzz and excitement for the future. 

Celia Lopez is a writer and native Southern Californian who currently lives in New York. She misses the sunshine but loves the mood.