Vapocalypse: 2020

Just one month in, 2020 has proved to be a... challenging... year on many fronts, but some small comfort can be taken that the EVALI crisis seems to have substantially abated. New cases have slowed to a trickle, and the educational campaign strongly encouraging people to cease purchasing and consuming vape

Canada Consumes Copious Quantities of Cannabis Edibles

A woman looks out over a lake, mountains and trees, her back is to the camera, and she wears a hat. She is wrapped in a Canadian flag.

To the North, the people once again doing a better job with virtually every aspect of their society than we are, Canada, continues the development of their nationwide cannabis program with new product categories coming to market, resulting in what the Toronto Sun dubbed “Edibles Madness.” Cannabis flower has been legal

Portland’s Shadowbox Farms Was Robbed of Cannabis, Carts

Stealing isn't cool. It never has been, and never will be. Be it a candy bar or an election, you shouldn't take things that don't rightfully belong to you. Of course, dear reader, this is something you already know, nor do you need the admonishment that you should not purchase

The Volcano Returns As A Hybrid

Volcano Vaporizer

If you’re a regular cannabis user, you’ve probably tried a Volcano vaporizer at some point. It could be argued that the company that makes it, Storz & Bickel, set the platinum standard for precision vaporizing. In 1996, a German graphic designer named Markus Storz used a heat gun to develop the

Ban On Flavored Vape Products Stayed by Oregon Court

On October 4 2019, Governor Kate Brown announced plans to implement a temporary six-month ban on flavored vape cartridges, which went into effect two days ago, on October 15. Today, a state appeals court put a halt to that ban. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) released a statement this afternoon on

October Vapocalypse Update

I know it’s as grim for you to read these updates as it is for me to write them, but this is a huge story that just keeps growing in scope and seriousness, so here we are. Grab some indica, and let’s take another look at what’s up. Diagnosed cases and

A Great New Portable Vaporizer and Auto Grinder from Cloudius9

Cloudius

The Cloudious9 company has released two new products since unveiling their Hydrology9, a portable water filtration vaporizer that still reminds me of a lightsaber base. I reviewed it here a while back, and have been interested to see what Cloudious9 would come up with next. Their first new item is a

Is This The Vapocalypse?

This has been a scary time for people who vape, and for the companies that make vaping products and equipment. Every day provides more information about what’s happened, and the potential reasons behind this increasingly deadly health crisis. We still don’t have all the answers, but we know more than

Vapocalypse 2019: Avoid Illicit Cartridges

We still don’t have all the answers about the recent rash of vaping-related hospitalizations and deaths, but among the information recently emerging is that some of these cases are related to illicit THC cartridges, AKA products from the black market. Such markets thrive in states that do not have a regulated

Five Cannabis Brands You Should Know

Corporations suck, and so does corporate cannabis. Buy and get high locally with these stellar Oregon brands. 7 Points Oregon Cannabis The first time I heard of a “veganic growing” method, I thought was being punked for an episode of Portlandia. But the choice to forgo all animal products, such as manure or

Vaping Crisis Update, and Don’t Fuck With Fake Cartridges

At a party this weekend, I set up a vaporizer station with different kinds of flower. A woman came up and asked if it was safe. “Because I keep hearing about hundreds of people vaping and ending up in the hospital, and I understand one just died, so I’m concerned…” Yes,

“Beyond Buds: Next Generation” Sets The Bar For Cannabis Books

There’s no shortage of books about cannabis, and the groaning, overstuffed top shelf of my ancient IKEA bookcase speaks to that in... volumes. Grow guides, histories of cannabis, reference sources, cookbooks, cannabis spa guides, how-to-roll-a-joint handbooks—when the Great Cascadia Earthquake hits, I will likely die crushed by a quarter ton

Pax Has A Pod For Pride Month

A PAX Era Vape pen rests against a box with a PAX Pod designed for Pride Month. The Pax Era is engraved with the words Everybody is free to love

June is Pride Month, and under the administration of President Ragin' Cage 'Em, it's become more important than ever to be a strong ally, and to stand and support your friends, family, and neighbors in LBGTQIA+ communities. Let them know you see, love, and hear them, and you fight like hell

The Great Vape Off 2: Electricvapaloo

In the spring Cannabis Issue ["The High Life," April 15], we reviewed a selection of vaporizers using Mercury staff and friends as testers, most of whom are light to moderate smokers ["The Great Vape-Off"]. To switch it up, this time we opted to focus specifically on handheld, cord-free vapes, and selected three

Dabcathalon: This Was A Very Bad Idea

A statue of the five Olympic Rings sits above the ocean at sunset

Ah, the mighty Decathlon. The name comes from the Greek words for "10" and "feat," and Olympians from around the planet gather every four years to partake in the competition that many deem to be the greatest challenge for any elite athlete. But fuck that. We decided to undertake an athletic feat that