Don’t be fooled by the name of my blog. I’m actually pretty straight-laced, apart from the occasional cocktail. So when I decided to write this story for LA Weekly‘s Squid Ink about the types of edibles (food products containing marijuana) available in medical marijuana dispensaries, I knew zero about the subject. I figure I’d just take pictures of cookies, brownies, etc. and do a little roundup showcasing their funny names like “Peanut Budder Cups” and “Not Your Mama’s RCT.”

However, since I don’t have a doctor’s recommendation, naturally I wasn’t allowed in any pot shop. And no way would they let me take pictures of the products. But I did get to interview the manager of the Venice Beach Care Center, a medical marijuana dispensary which has been around since before the moratorium was placed on pot shops in 2007. He basically schooled me on edibles: how there are different strains of cannabis that provide different highs, there’s a wide range of edibles that spans beyond brownies, and even what’s the right temperature to cook with THC.

Suffice it to say, it’s a fascinating subject and one that will hopefully one day no longer be taboo. As it was, since I couldn’t get in the store to photograph the ganja goods, I had to ask someone I knew had a doctor’s recommendation if it was OK for me to take pictures of their purchases. Fortunately they said yes!

For my LA Weekly post, I even included the volunteer patient’s tasting notes on particular edibles.