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Starting a new year with a stale stash is cannathusiast heresy. Especially in overproductive Oregon, where weed innovation is part of our cannabis culture. But not every pothead has the time or energy to keep up with trends; it’s only when exceptional products pop up on their radar that they take note. And if the past several months have been any indication, 2024 is already set to be a game changer.
Which is to say, tides are changing and new trends are emerging: Edible brands are shifting away from overprocessed isolates in favor of solvent-free concentrates like rosin and hash; renowned, age-old medicinal applications are in vogue; and accessories both extravagant and necessary are more refined than ever, appealing to novices and varsity users alike. And if these trends continue to percolate, we could see an even more inclusive, diverse and fulfilling recreational landscape emerge this year and beyond.
And, frankly, is there a better time to refurbish the stash box, medicine cabinet or stone zone than the dawn of a new year? Maybe, but that’s none of my business, so here are the products that have blown up my weed radar cruising into 2024:
Hapy Kitchen RSO Oil
Pioneered by cannabis advocate Rick Simpson, this oil is a highly concentrated, whole-plant cannabis extract heralded for its curative properties, particularly by cancer patients. Also known as Phoenix Tears, this medicinal concentrate has been a pillar of the cannabis community since long before recreational legislation encouraged its mass production. And while RSO can be (and has been for a generation or so) made in a home kitchen using light naphtha (or Everclear) as a solvent, Potlander fave Hapy Kitchen’s freshly launched variation is potentially far more accessible, especially for medicinal users without the equipment necessary to produce their own. This highly potent extract is typically used for medicinal applications, though recreational use isn’t completely out of the ordinary. Pro tip: This top-shelf RSO can be a potent addition to your medicine cabinet, but take heed—the traditional application method of this thick, tar-black concentrate is via oral syringe, which, for the uninitiated, can be a bit visually shocking.
Get it from: Weedland, 4027 N Interstate Ave., 541-904-0000. $19.
Magic Number Solventless Lemonade and Limeade
Magic Number is well known for its cannabis beverages, tincture-y syrups, and holiday-ready bottles of sparkling THC cider. As trailblazers in the canna-beverage space, it’s no surprise that the brand has started its slow pivot toward solvent-free THC products, made instead with live rosin, a pressed extract that is achieved with heat and pressure rather than chemicals. The flagship drinks in the new solventless line are a duo: perfectly chuggable, mixable and sippable lemonade and limeade that are each as appropriate for sunny-day mischief as they are for mocktail indulgence. Magic Number’s brand is a bit of a trendsetter as far as cannabis beverages are concerned, so cheers to seeing more brands adopt a whole-plant, solvent-free cannabinoid profile.
Get it from: Love Buzz, 5425 NE Glisan St., lovebuzzpdx.com. $13.
Pax 3-Piece Grinder
The contemporary herb grinder typically consists of four pieces that contain three main compartments: the grinding unit, the compartment that ground herb falls into, and the compartment that collects the dusty trichomes that fall from the ground cannabis flower. Pax, a brand synonymous with handheld vapes with proprietary cartridges, defied convention by sneaking an unexpectedly simple grinder onto the market in late 2023, eliminating the lower, kief-collecting compartment entirely and thereby maintaining the integrity of the ground plant material. Sure, kief devotees may feel the loss of the minute dust-collecting compartment, but for the discerning smoker who laments the loss of their cannabis’s active ingredient, this grinder solves the problem simply and stylishly. And who are we kidding? Those kief compartments are unimpressive most of the time anyway.
Get it from: pax.com. $55.
Pink Stündenglass Kompact
Stündenglass caught the attention of bong aficionados worldwide with its reimagining of the classic gravity bong as a kinetic hookah. Much of the brand’s fanfare, however, was won through decidedly masculine marketing, specifically led by viral posts by Wiz Khalifa and collabs with the likes of Berner Cookies and boxing legend Mike Tyson. The device is spectacular, though the exclusion of the femme perspective was not lost on the feminine flower pots among us. Which is why the newest addition to Stündenglass’ line feels a bit more newsworthy than its other flashy editions. This hot-pink variation of the familiar Stündenglass unit introduced a high femme perspective sorely missing from celebratory, party-friendly, outrageously over-the-top cannabis consumption devices. Available in both the classic XL original size and the travel-friendly Kompact, this Barbie-pink gravity bong/kinetic hookah mashup gets the maximum attention of my spotlight. Because viral-ready bong hits are also Just Girly Things™.
Get it from: stundenglass.com. $600.