Cannabis devotees rarely need an excuse to light up, and I’m no exception. Unless you’re six, the holidays can be a real rollercoaster. The end of the year can be a time of heartwarming and cherished traditions, or it can really suck due to changes in family, personal life, and work life that can really take their toll. In a year like this one, where gatherings are expected to be smaller or nonexistent, you never know which feelings your season will bring. Songs like “What do the Lonely Do for Christmas” sum it up: the holidays aren’t great for everyone. However, wherever you fall on the holiday scale, from Scrooge to Mariah Carey, there’s nothing wrong with putting a little tree in your Christmas. So, while sharing edibles around the fire is probably a long way from becoming a holiday tradition for most, there are plenty of ways to get baked this Christmas season. There’s virtually no part of the holiday not made better by cannabis.
I decided to check out what popped up on Etsy and Shopify to find out whether anyone else was dreaming of a green Christmas. I have to be honest; I’ve really loved the explosion of creativity in the last decade around Christmas. There is a slew of holiday themed pot merchandise on the market and after the shit show of a year that was 2020, can you blame them? Pot devotees love a good pun, and Christmas provides the perfect opportunity to get baked while blazing through the snow.
You want a weed themed Christmas tree ornament? A “Mistletoke” bouquet? Looking for those last minute “Happy Chronikka” cards? Happy Kwanza pre-rolls? You can find them in abundance these days. Also there’s more to it than just gifts. In my search, I came across a recipe for pear cider spiked with cannabutter, and a Hanukkah gift set with strains to light up for each of the eight nights, which I ultimately passed on but briefly considered buying even though I’m not Jewish. I did, however, spring for a very cute advent calendar and a glittery Kurt Adler ornament emblazoned with the phrase “Happy Holi-daze” that I put onto my tree. I’m the first to admit it’s an unnecessary purchase, but it was too good to pass up. Why not have a little ornament to acknowledge my love of the green stuff? Who’s to say that “Oh Christmas Tree” couldn’t be remixed to “Oh Cannabis tree”? Or that “Holly Jolly Christmas” isn’t really about stoners?
Cannabis is the stress reliever we all could use during these stressful times. I use it every year to manage holiday stressors like gift giving, travel, and even just spending more time at home. It’s a welcome respite from the emotional strain that comes with visiting relatives (with or without a significant other), being alone, or any of the other reasons you might want a pick me up in the season of all that is merry and bright. It could even just be the catalyst for finally relaxing, taking a break from worrying about absolutely everything that has come your way this year. I might just bake some weed brownies for Santa to leave under the tree, although I can’t promise I won’t just eat them myself. There are plenty of ways to spark up the holidays this year, and I’ll definitely find my own.
