Stoner Guide; Cannabis And Hops
Beer and cannabis are constantly being compared. While most stoners would prefer a bong to a beer, there are still some people who do enjoy the occasional (or multiple) cocktail to unwind after a long day! And in the US, there are plenty of holidays that are celebrated that seem to have evolved to be solely about drinking multiple drinks in a very short amount of time. St. Patrick’s Day has turned in to one of these holidays, where people get crazy drunk. While celebrating definitely isn’t a bad thing, there are just some stoners who don’t like alcohol. But since both substances involve plants (cannabis just being a plant and beer containing hops), the two are actually more similar then people think.
Cannabis Sativa and Humulus Lupulus both share similar properties, such as taste and smell but this isn’t enough to declare that the plants are actually related. There are many plants that produce similar smells but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re related. The smells are created are known as terpenes and terpenoid compounds. Terpenes are organic compounds that are synthesized by cells. They state with a singular base molecule called isoprene. The isoprene builds up, creating terpenes. In hops, there are a couple main compounds that appear such as myrcene, betapinene, and alpha-humulene, which are similar to the terpenes that give cannabis plants their telltale smell. Apologies for all of the confusing science speak; the genes of plants is an extremely difficult field of study and the information available basically all looks and reads like this!
The two plants have been grouped together in the same family, while at the same time being at opposite ends of the plant spectrum. But the two definitely do share similarities, whether potheads want to admit it or not. There are even ways to combine beer and weed (in the same drink) if you know how to brew your own beer (the process is quite complicated so be sure to do your research before starting this venture). There are breweries out there that are based completely on making marijuana beer as well, so if you’re interested in attempting to purchase some, it’s surely to be available in the legal states soon!
St. Patrick’s Day is a day that has become famous for the drinking antics that take place during that day/night. For stoners who don’t share the passion of drinking, you can instead hang out with some good friends, make some green food (ahhh food coloring!), and just get stoned. And if you do decide that going out is the choice for you, please remember to BE SAFE! If you plan on drinking, get one of your sober friends to drive you around. Make sure to either tip them with some buds or cash as well, for putting up with your drunk self and remember that cannabis and beer may be far more close then you think! Happy St Patrick’s Day!