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Peace in pandemic

By Carly-Rae Cooke

It’s a weird time right now and we’re all feeling some type of way.

In times like these, there’s no normal. We’re all trying to navigate our new way of life, whether it be surrounded by family or completely alone.

With all the constant fear and negativity, it’s so important to take a moment to realign with your needs and prioritize what keeps you functioning as you.

I realized I was caving to the pressure of all that is going on and needed to make a change. So, I made a list highlighting what fills me up (metaphorically and physically), what keeps me smiling and what calms me down.

Here’s my list:

  • Coffee. This is a non-negotiable for me. Just holding a warm cup of coffee soothes some of my anxious feels. Plus, the caffeine jolt in the morning is much needed, especially when working from home.
  • Music. Music keeps me sane. I find a certain song can change your mood in an instant. When I really need a break, I’ll throw on a playlist and just lay on the floor – eyes closed, headphones in. Deep breaths and dope beats (check out my playlists!).
  • Cannabis. What was illegal, only a short time ago, is now deemed as an essential. How cool is that? I am new to the cannabis world, but can’t imagine my life without it. It helps me sleep, curbs my anxiety and allows me to take a break from the wild world we’re in right now. If you’ve never tried cannabis, there’s really no better time than the present!

The cannabis world is ever evolving and there are so many ways to utilize the wonderful plant. Whether you want to calm some anxiety with just CBD or add a little THC into the mix. Not sure what the difference is?

CBD can bring a wide range of benefits, including a sense of clear-headed, functional feels, while also providing that sweet, sweet anxiety relief – no psychoactive high here!

Then there’s THC – cue some blissful feels and therapeutic benefits. THC helps with nausea, insomnia (this is a big one for me) and aids in pain relief, among many other wonderful benefits.

Still not sure about it? If you’ve never tried cannabis or had a very awful first experience (I sure did), I hope you take this time (‘cause who knows how long we’ll be here) to educate yourself and see what it’s all about. Start low and slow. It’s amazing to see what options are out there, from the typical joints to edibles and vapes, there is really something for everyone.

Here are a few of my go-tos:

Have some questions or just want to chat? You can catch me online at OrdinarilyHonest.com talking all things cannabis + yoga or on the gram @OrdinarilyHonest.

Chill away pals + wash those hands. xo

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SUNDAY SLOWDOWN
"First we blaze, then we bend"
Carly-Rae Cooke teaches an online 'Sunday Slowdown' yoga class designed to get you out of your head + onto your mat. Join to find some chill in this chaotic time.
More info here

Cannabis labs offer help

By David Wylie

Illegal less than two years ago, cannabis companies are now proving themselves to be essential in more ways than one.

Last week B.C. joined a growing number of places that have declared cannabis an essential service. That means retailers and producers can continue their operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring medical patients and recreational customers have access.

Now other sectors of the industry are being asked by the federal government to go above and beyond.

Health Canada is asking cannabis laboratories to shift into providing testing services needed in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.

Rod Szarka, vice-president of marketing and business development at Keystone Labs, said the company has been actively testing much-needed sanitizers.

“For the last two weeks, we’ve been getting calls non-stop from people that have developed hand sanitizers or disinfectants and want to have them tested,” said Szarka.

“We do have the capabilities in-house to do that.”

Keystone, based in Edmonton, Alta., does a variety of testing for the cannabis industry.

The company was one of many cannabis labs to receive a letter from Health Canada asking if they had the capacity and interest in helping with coronavirus-related testing.

Szarka said they don’t have the capability to process tests specifically for the virus. However, they can certify sanitizers and disinfectants, for example to be 99.9% effective on bacteria.

Keystone, which started in 2005 as a pharmaceutical testing company, was granted a cannabis licence in 2015. The company does a lot of production facility testing, including helping licensed producers ensure their facilities are sterile after each new production cycle. They have also been doing stability testing to help designate best before dates on oils and Cannabis 2.0 products.

Cannabis companies are also proving to be good neighbours.

With front-line health care workers facing a critical shortage of personal protective gear, such as masks and gloves, some cannabis producers have offered their own stock.

The generosity is a silver lining to the shutdown of Canopy Growth’s two massive greenhouses in B.C., as they were able to donate thousands of items.

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REVIEW: Assortment of edibles

Contributor Kelsy Charrette reviews some of the cannabis edibles available.

Houndstooth and Soda by Tweed: For all of my carbonated water friends this soda is pretty good! Just add ice.

Edison Truffles: Absolutely amazing. They really perfected the recipe. I will be buying them again.

San Rafael '71 Blasberry Soft Chews: Great taste, a little on the sour side. Will buy them again.

Aurora Raspberry Soft Chews: At first they taste like plastic, then the raspberry taste kicks in. I would buy them again, but not a first choice.

Foray Vanilla Chai Chocolate: Amazing again, great chocolate. I was given the idea of putting it in coffee; will be trying that.

Decaffeinated Peach Ginger Green Tea by Everie: Amazing product, tastes amazing hot and cold. I steeped all three bags in a kettle, drank half warm and half cold. Sweetened with honey. By far the best infused tea I have had.

Basecamp CBD Iced Tea: I had high hopes in this drink and I turned out disappointed...  It tastes like someone dipped a teabag in water for about 30 seconds. It has very little taste.

Tweed BakerStreet Mint: I'm not into the mint flavour, decent chocolate since it's made in an ex-Hershey chocolate factory.

Chowie Wowie by Highpark: Pretty decent chocolate. I love how the chocolate has he option to snap in half. I would buy it again.

Foray Salted Caramel: By far my most favourite. The flavour is amazing! Five-star in my opinion!

Kelsy Charrette is a Hello Cannabis product consultant in Ontario. Follow her on Instagram @yourgirlkelsy.

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Dad jokes

I was wondering why music was coming from my printer. Apparently the paper was jamming.
 
What is the least spoken language in the world?
Sign language
 
If I had a nickel every time I was confused, I’d be like, where the heck do all these nickels keep coming from?
 

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