Nov 4, 2013
On this month's episode of the Web's Favourite Cannabis Podcast, the Dopefiend and MangledMe hit the home stretch of their epic odyssey across the United States, heading out of blazing Death Valley and up through California, stopping for a night's rest on the shores of stunning Lake Isabella, where they set up camp, guzzle some extra-strength Rice Krispie Treats, and settle down for some much-needed sleep. Next, the intrepid travellers make a quick stop at San Martin, home of DopeTribers Syconot and Syconut, who fill them in on the reality of life as a cannabis user in the Golden State while allowing them to sample some of their own home-grown goodies, including Pineapple Express, Girl Scout Cookies, Blue Dream, and Sleepytime to name but a few. The tribers discuss the locally-built Vapo vaporizer and why the Dopefiend feels it doesn't quite match up to his beloved VapeXhale Cloud, as well as the rise of the ubiquitous "vape pens" in the United States, and they also talk about the legal situation in California for both cannabis and mushrooms. Hitting the road for their last leg of the journey, the Dopefiend and MangledMe are soon arriving in sunny San Francisco, where they're welcomed by DopeTriber Henri, who, after helping them settle in to their temporary home, the Perrier Lounge West, fills them in on the growth of the cannabis business in the Bay Area and the restrictions that have accompanied it, the increase in popularity of oils and concentrates and the impact of that, the rise and fall of many cannabis clubs in the area, and the associated black market. The Dopefiend draws comparisons between the cannabis market in Colorado and that in California, and also talks about the sense of community that is a part of cannabis use, and how that translates to a business environment, before pausing for a toke of some wax from Henri's vape pen, which leads the discussion into the subject of a sense of ritual around cannabis use, and whether the growth of convenience in cannabis technology detracts from a focus on the cannabis experience. The next day, we join the Dopefiend and MangledMe as they rendezvous with SF-based DopeTriber Jay Hobbes, who drives them around the sun-drenched city, telling them why San Francisco is a great place to be a stoner, and filling them in on the details of how public cannabis use is treated by local law enforcement, and how easy it is to become a medical cannabis patient and begin enjoying legal cannabis. As the tour of the city continues, the Dopefiend, MangledMe and Jay Hobbes take a breather in Golden Gate Park and talk about what makes San Francisco special. Finally, after a visit to the famous Haight-Ashbury district, the trio save the best till last, choosing to end their day by meeting the Steve Jobs of the vaporizer world, Stonemonkey, aka Seibo Shen, the prolific and inspiring creator of the VapeXhale Cloud and Cloud EVO vaporizers. Stonemonkey talks about his enthusiasm for the vaporizer industry, how he's improved his original vision for the Cloud by re-imagining it as the Cloud EVO (referred to by its working title of Nimbus here), what inspired him to create the ultimate vaporizing machine, and what makes it stand out from the competition. As they take successive monster Cloud hits the sun sets on a beautiful day in San Francisco and #dfUSA2013 approaches its conclusion. Don't miss the Dopefiend and MagledMe's access-all-areas visit to the biggest cannabis dispensary on the planet, the world-famous Harborside Health Centre, and the awesome stoner party that marks the finale to this incredible journey on next month's Dopecast! Email mail@dopefiend.co.uk, send us a voicemail, follow @dopefiend and the new Virtual VaporLounge on twitter, and check out the forum.
Download this episode here: http://traffic.libsyn.com/dopecast/Dopecast357.mp3
Watch the video of Jay Hobbes performing Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnh4MLyTI2A
Podcast Image: #dfUSA2013 hits San Francisco! Submit your pics here by email: mail@dopefiend.co.uk
Playlist: Joni Mitchell - California; Jay Hobbes - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger