Hellavated Holiday Gifts
Photo: Marcia Gagliardi. © mymilligram.
Ho ho ho hi high!
Tis the season for some fragrant, uh, garland, and special cookies for Santa! I’m also seeing some very inspired menorahs out there. Let it rip.
So, let’s be real: is there anything better than receiving cannabis as a gift? Seriously, it’s all about warm fuzzies, just like your favorite chunky sweater. Which is why I put together this hellavated holiday gift list for you, with fun ideas for your canna-curious mom, stoner sister, or your sweetie. Plus canna stocking stuffers, uh huh.
Cannabis host gifts are much cooler than a bottle of prosecco you had to pick up last-minute at the corner store. I say order a few extra goodies to have on hand for any parties you’re attending (or hosting!)—Yule definitely be invited back.
We’re all so busy these days, lawdy, so let Sava make it easy on you and deliver most of these items right to your door or at work! Much faster than Dasher and Dancer. And no dodging the DPT.
One more item to note this holiday season: don’t forget about the issues associated with mixing cannabis and alcohol since each one potentiates the effects of the other. If you’re new to cannabis, or offering someone an infused product who has been hitting the punchbowl, just do a quick check-in first. Things can swiftly take a left at Albuquerque, so watch your consumption and be sure to keep an eye on anyone who may not understand what a 10mg edible can do after a couple boozy eggnogs.
Happy Holidaze!
For the cook or “baker” in your life
There are all kinds of canna cookbooks being released right now, and here are a couple that are particularly notable and well-researched—and high on delicious.
EDIBLES: Small Bites for the Modern Cannabis Kitchen
Local badass cannabishes Stephanie Hua (Mellows) and Coreen Carroll (Cannaisseur Series) have created an inspiring cookbook that is perfect for the microdosing cook (and budding home entertainer), but is written by some well-seasoned pros. They walk you through all the important techniques you need to know for successful canna cookery, from tinctures to butters to canna maple syrup (!), and then unleash 30 creative recipes that go way beyond the brownie, like grapefruit Negroni “pot” de fruits (brilliant), roasted grape crostini (so good), pimiento cheese and tomato tea sandwiches (yes, please), and their popular duck meatball sliders. They also keep the dose to around 5mg per serving (but you can up the potency if that’s how you roll). This book will make you want to throw a party.
Order Edibles on Sava and get a free Mellows marshmallow (while supplies last) for just $20! Or here’s the Amazon link for you. Or visit a local bookseller, like Omnivore Books!
Bong Appétit: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Weed
Anyone who watches the Munchies show Bong Appétit on Viceland is going to want to add this informative and clever cookbook to their collection. Even if you don’t watch it, this book offers quite a detailed deep dive into cannabis basics, infusing (bring on the weed-infused whipped cream!), weed pairing, cocktails (including a margarita from chef Tim Hollingsworth!), and dosed recipes for dishes like coconut crab gratin and red beet pakoras, to Munchies Test Kitchen stoner-approved recipes, like sour cream and onion nachos and French bread pizza, 65 recipes in all. (I totally want to make the collard green melt.)
Find Bong Appétit on Amazon or visit your local bookseller, like our beloved Green Apple Books!
For your dear mom
Om Edibles CBD Raw Sipping Cacao
A big (non-psychoactive!) hit with everyone, and not just moms, is the Om Edibles CBD Raw Sipping Cacao. This delicious cacao is full of antioxidants and CBD (with barely a smidge of any THC at all, so Mom won’t get high); she’ll love it in her coffee or even by the spoonful to help with any aches or stress. It’s an ideal product for first-timers so they can get comfortable with consuming a cannabis product (even though it’s just CBD).
Juna Drops: Nude (CBD)
Juna: Nude. Photo: Marcia Gagliardi. © mymilligram. Styling: Christian Jusinski/Surfacehaus. Props: Jay Jeffers/The Store.
If your mom is looking to start integrating CBD into her day-to-day, the Juna line of tinctures is beautifully sourced and formulated, and the silky texture and floral flavor of Nude should appeal. (My mother is really sensitive to dank notes, and this one passed her taste test with flying colors and no wrinkled nose.)
You can read some more gift ideas for mom here.
For pops (or Santa!)
This brand-new, cannabis-infused popcorn was a hit with my parents, and would be a fun one for pops to munch while kicking it in his Barcalounger watching It’s a Wonderful Life. The bags are single-serve, and Potcorn comes in three versions: beginners should start with the CBD version, with 10mg of CBD, while the 1:1 bag has 3.9mg CBD and 4.3mg THC per bag. (If you like a larger dose, there’s the 10mg THC bag, but that’s one microdosers will definitely want to share—don’t let pops eat that one by himself.)
Be sure you have a microwave (basics, people!) and you’ll want to shake the bag to disperse the sea salt after it’s all popped. The organic corn has great flavor and pops up nicely. Sustainably sourced organic palm oil gives it a lightly buttery flavor, with no detectable notes of cannabis. Read more on how to pop it properly in the description on Sava.
For parents, grandparents (or anyone with aches/arthritis)
Sweet Releaf Comfort Plus Body Butter
Topicals are a great way to introduce any elderly relatives and loved ones to the healing powers of cannabis because no one will get high, but aches and pains can be diminished. My mother uses the Sweet Releaf Comfort Plus (a combination of THC and CBD), which really helps with her arthritis, and has a pleasant, creamy texture. (Even the regular strength is effective, FYI!) And if any of your friends are those crazy marathon types, their sore legs will also thank you for this gift.
For holiday partay patrol/host(ess) gifts
Are you hosting a holiday party? I certainly hope you’re at least attending one! Instead of showing up with wine or booze, let the party really get started with a 12-piece gift box of Peppermint Bark Mellows! This special holiday flavor features festive peppermint marshmallows drizzled in white and dark chocolate, topped with a flurry of candy cane bits. A flurry, I tell you! Each Mellow is 5mg each. I always recommend starting with just a half, read more in the mymilligram Mellows feature here. You’ll be able to buy them on the mymilligram page on Sava!
Kiva Peppermint Bark
These are another fun and festive canna sweet to share (and gift): Kiva Confections (who are behind the famed Petra Mints) are back with their holiday limited edition Kiva Peppermint Bark! It’s an infused dark chocolate bar topped with swirls of white chocolate and a dusting of crushed peppermint candy. Each piece is 5mg, and the entire bar is 100mg. It’s tough to eat just one tiny piece because it’s so damn tasty, but really, keep an eye on that—crack your desired dose off, and then put the bar away. No mindless munching. Also: I love the clever (and sustainable/non-plastic) childproof packaging they developed for the chocolate bar! So smart.
For your boo (or just for you!)
Oh high, look who’s back in the market! HerbaBuena is beloved for their biodynamic cannabis grown with truly high vibes, and their Quiver sensual topical oil was a favorite of many—and now it has returned to shelves! Made with full-spectrum THC and organic ingredients (coconut oil, and a “whisper” of black pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, and clove), this tasty topical will enhance stimulation, arousal, and lubrication. Massage some onto your private parts, wait about 20 minutes (there’s plenty you can do in the meantime), and then expect to start feeling some extra tingles and sensation. Hubba. It can also help ease painful intercourse and menstrual cramps. (Do note this oil is not latex safe. Sorry, player.)
More holiday gift cuteness
The Kikoko Taste of Tea gift pack. Photo: Cera Hensley.
As if the beautiful Kikoko tea tins weren’t pretty enough…and now they’re releasing a four-pack of their cannabis-infused teas (Tranquili-tea, Sympa-tea, Sensuali-tea, and Positivi-tea) in a decorative tin called Taste of Tea. It’s a thoughtful wellness gift for really anyone in your life, from your really cool boss to your bestie. Just make sure they understand the dosage of each tea is different, and a couple are a bit whooooosh.
You can also add a couple of Kikoko’s brand-new HoneyShots: made with Manuka honey from New Zealand (renowned for its antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant benefits), you can take your pick of a 10mg CBD HoneyShot (Calm) or a 2mg CBD/10mg THC HoneyShot (Buzz). The good news is you don’t have to consume the entire stick at once—microdosers, you can keep it for multiple uses, and you can compost it when you’re all done! Put some in your morning smoothie, on some toast, or in your holiday hot toddy. That holiday cheese platter just got buzzed! These are great for stocking stuffers, or buy some for yourself and use them on the go. Check Kikoko’s site for some fun recipes, from food to facials!
There’s a sale on Taste of Tea and HoneyShots on the mymilligram page on Sava (while supplies last)!
mymilligram fanny party pack
The mymilligram fanny party pack! So #hellavated. Photo: © mymilligram.
For your friends who like to party (or are sporty—I totally use mind while out on my Mondo walks!), the mymilligram fanny party pack in neon green or neon hot pink shows you know what’s up. You’ll be a hit at any holiday party with a fanny pack full of a Mellows marshmallow, a California Dreamin’ soda of your choice, and a 20-pack of Kin Slips Cloud Buster (share those with friends!).
You can also order the fanny pack on its own for just $15 here.
The perfect rolling tray in Jonathan Adler’s Druggist line.
I walked into the Jonathan Adler store on Fillmore and I basically wanted to buy errrrrrything. These weed trays would be perfect for you joint rollers out there, or a fun way to display your tinctures. But then there are the druggist coasters. And the cookie jar. (Only amazing things are allowed to go in there.)
Cannabis ornament from Smokies Toke Couture
Ornament from Smokies Toke Couture.
Oh, precious cannabis plant, we love you so. This handmade ornament from Smokies Toke Couture will really make that Christmas tree of yours extra-green. (And I think it will double nicely as a festive blingy necklace.) The gold/rose gold ornament is handmade, and comes on a green satin ribbon. Just $10, whut?
Stocking stuffers!
Somatik’s Sparks come in single-serve sample packs (both the goji berry “chill pills” and energizing coffee bean versions).
OM Edibles has single-serve gummis in four flavors (and they’re vegan!). The Lavender Honey has 10mg CBD per gummi, and the White Peach is a 1:1 (5mg CBD and 5mg THC per gummi)—the other two flavors are 10mg THC each, so go easy on those.
You can get a single Mellows marshmallow, and Sava is now carrying their black sesame flavor (so good on top of a matcha latte!).
One last idea: why not buy the cheese-lover in your life a ticket to the THCheese tasting event with the Cannaisseur Series on January 5th?! It will be cheesetastic AND weedtastic, a special kind of heaven.
Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.