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It's a tradition to celebrate Memorial Day by eating a pile of food from a paper plate in somebody's crowded backyard. But just because your auntie's BBQ is canceled and the economy is tanking doesn't mean you can't take a moment to smoke a joint in honor of our fallen military servicepeople.
I propose that celebrating the same day in isolation with the right strain of cannabis can be just as gratifying—if not more. Gathering around a 'cue may be the most popular way we honor our casualties of war, but cannabis is prized in the veteran community for its therapeutic effects, particularly related to trauma. If you ask me, lighting up the reefer rather than loading up on potato salad is a perfectly appropriate way to celebrate the day.
Bottom line, there's no one way to spend your Memorial Day. But whether you're loudly celebrating with beer and hot dogs or choosing a quiet day of somber reflection, there is a strain for that.
For the Inconsolable, Three-Day Weekend Bargain Hunter: Northern Lights Live Resin (Oregrown)
In the absence of economic security, regarding Memorial Day as a three-day shopportunity is absurd. Instead, let's consider how military families who have experienced loss are affected by this crisis. If you simply can't identify, maybe this is a good time to reflect on what separates you from those families, and how those separations inform your life now. Start by opening your mind with Northern Lights, the classically hypnotic strain with a syrupy head high that allows for premium contemplation before putting your uppity ass to sleep.
Find it at: Oregrown, 111 NE 12th Ave., 503-477-6898, oregrown.com.
For the Authentic Patriot: God Bud (Sasha Gardens)
Nothing's going to stop you from getting loud and proud on this day, and bless your heart, I salute you. For the sake of the nation you hold dear, calibrate that celebration appropriately with God Bud, a formidable, indica-dominant strain that will simultaneously level up your revelry with a buzzy, giggly head high and keep your body way too stoned to leave the house. Your star-spangled enthusiasm will remain intact and that's what counts.
Find it at: Nebula Cannabis, 11605 SE Powell Blvd., 503-477-5799, nebulapdx.com.
If You’re Mixed Like Your Emotions: Mandarin Cookies Hash Rosin (Oregon Genetics)
As a member of a multicultural military family, it's sometimes hard for me to reconcile my relatives' experiences in the service with the pride with which they performed their duties. If you've ever sat at Grandpa's knee and heard wartime stories involving both terrible racism and righteous equity, you may feel the same. Let's dab some Mandarin Cookies—a rosy, uplifting hybrid with a space-cadet head high—and maybe we can dissociate enough from our inherited trauma to get a proper celebratory vibe going. Do it for the military personnel that broke down barriers then and continue to do so today.
Find it at: Roseway Organics/Eden Cannabis, 7420 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-477-4368, edencraftcannabis.com.
To Support Reflection and a Gentle Mood: ACDC Distillate (Evolvd)
For many people, this is not a backyard barbecue day—it is a day of reminiscence and comfort, but also of loss, grief and trauma. For the survivors of war and surviving family members navigating actual memorials today, ACDC is a therapeutic strain known to ease the bitter melancholy of loss and smother the associated anxiety without the burden of an unmanageable high. Add a dose of this tincture to herbal tea to maximize the soothing effects.
Find it at: Rose City Wellness, 214 NW Couch St., 503-206-4781.
For the Lonely BBQ Champ: Cheese Distillate (Select)
Your New Balances are sparkling clean, and so is your Weber grill. Your tongs are already hanging from the loop of your signature summer barbecue apron. Your ribs are defrosted. You may not be feeding the whole neighborhood this year, but that doesn't mean you can't amp up your personal appetite for BBQ madness with Cheese, a strain that inspires ecstatic munchies after a lazy wave of creativity mellows you all the way out. Go ahead, get high, and eat all your ribs. Do it for America.
Find it at: Virtue Supply Co., 510 NW 11th Ave., 971-940 6624, virtuesupplycompany.com.