We’ve all had one hell of a rough year. If you’re feeling a lot of anxiety about turning the page on 2021 and moving onto the next year of this (so far pretty rough!) decade, you’re not alone. We’d like to say something hopeful and uplifting like, “we’re going to make next year our year,” but who the hell knows? So we’ll spare you the uplifting chatter and leave it to Macklemore.
Long lede short, we all deserve a night, better yet a weekend, of intense unwinding, so as we head into the New Year’s holiday. So crack open that expensive bottle of whiskey, throw on your favorite record or put something on the tv that will make you laugh, order a meal from your favorite restaurant and enjoy life’s simple pleasures. And what enhances life’s simple moments better than some good herb?
To close out the year, we’ve rounded up the best brands of weed we smoked in 2021 to help you toast to the new year the right way. These anxiety and stress-reducing, munchie-inducing, giggle-enhancing strains are sure to transform your New Year’s weekend into the cheapest most euphoric vacation you’ve had all year. Let’s get baked!
22Red — Sunkissed 22AM
Strain: Hybrid
THC: 22.72%
Retail Price $38 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
If you’re all about the terpenes and into great tasting weed, you can’t go wrong picking up an eighth of 22Red’s Sunkissed line. The herb, which is exclusive to the Nevada market, is green-house grown utilizing state of the art climate controlled systems, precision lightning, organic nutrients, and the most important ingredient of all — natural sunlight, which results in a flavor-forward quality that makes this weed the perfect candidate to throw in your vaporizer.
Of the Sunkissed strains, I’ve had the pleasure of smoking 22 AM, which is an indica dominant hybrid with tasting notes of pine and citrus. The high stays cerebral with this strain, despite its Indica-dominant qualities, making this a great one to smoke when you feel like vibing out to your favorite music.
The Bottom Line:
Flavorful with a primarily cerebral high that’ll have you vibing to your favorite music.
CBX Cannabiotix — Bubblegum
Strain: Hybrid
THC: 26.59%
CBD: 0.23%
Average Price: $60 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
There isn’t a single California weed brand that hits the highs (pun intended) of CBX. Their weed is beautiful, sticky, frosty, and pungent, with a high so powerful that you’ll be able to stretch out how long an eighth lasts you. The brand’s newest strain, Bubblegum, it’s one of its best. It has an almost sweet scent to it and provides a high that immediately slaps you with feelings of euphoria.
Its indica-dominant qualities will instantly melt any stress you might be hosting and will have you feeling silly to the point of stupidity. Save a bowl of this until minutes before the ball drops this New Year’s Eve, and enter 2022 with feelings of ecstasy and glee.
The Bottom Line:
CBX’s newest strain features frosty bud with a distinctive sweet flavor that packs a powerful euphoria-inducing high.
MONOGRAM — NO.3 Heavy OG Hand Roll
Strain: Indica
THC: 28.28%
CBD:0.06%
Retail Price: $50
The Weed:
Never have I felt more luxurious smoking weed than when I’m lighting up one of MONOGRAM’s OG Hand Rolls. The luxury angle is probably why Kendall Roy smokes MONOGRAM, that and it’s Jay-Z’s brand, which seems like a reason Kendall would smoke it in itself. I’m not the biggest fan of MONOGRAM’s two-gram and four-gram flower jars (they feel a bit overpriced), but I love the OG Hand Rolls which burn slow and smooth and smoke like a cross between a joint and cigar-leaf rolled blunt.
I know $50 sounds steep for a single joint, but the handrolls are designed to burn evenly to cater to multiple smoke sessions and the high is powerful enough to knock you on your ass in your three rips. The weed has an herbal pine forward flavor with hints of mint.
The Bottom Line:
If you want a classy luxurious smoking experience, MONOGRAM is your brand.
Astro Hippie — Tie Dye Medusa
Strain: Hybrid
THC: 23.5%THC/ 25.5% THC
Retail Price: $55 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
I’m a big fan of Michigan-based DJ GRiZ’s cannabis brand Astro Hippie, so much so that when it came down to picking one strain for this roundup… I just couldn’t do it, so I’m going to suggest two, starting with Tie-Dye Medusa! This is a social strain, the type you bring out when your friends show up to the New Year’s Eve party. It has a pungent smell with a sweet sugary flavor that lingers in the back of the throat after a big rip.
Be warned, the high will hit you fast here, and suddenly you won’t be able to successfully string two thoughts together. Don’t smoke it if you’re hosting the party and have a series of tasks you need to do, because this weed will leave you feeling straight-up dumb. Blissfully high, but dumb.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and pungent with a powerful high that induces giggles and melts away stress.
Astro Hippie — Mr.B OG
Strain: Hybrid
THC: 25.5% THC
Retail Price: $55 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
MR.B OG is stinky and sticky. It has that chemical diesel quality to it that recalls heritage strains like Sour Diesel and packs a powerful high that you will feel equally in your body and mind. Unlike the Tie-Dye Medusa, which is a much more social strain, Mr. B is more fit for those solo smokers. It’s a great bag to pop open at the end of the night when the guests have left and you’re looking for a quick and relaxing way to unwind and get ready for bed.
The Bottom Line:
Mr. B OG caters to those who like heavy and relaxing body highs.
Glasshouse Farms — Lilac Diesel
Strain: Hybrid (Sativa Dominant)
THC:29%
Retail Price: $30 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
Given Glasshouse Farms’ low price, you might be quick to write this brand off as a budget weed label that is all about quantity over quality. That’s not the case here, Glasshouse’s Lilac Diesel is packed with floral and berry-forward flavors that provide a powerful high that strikes a balance between euphoric and relaxing. You’ll notice this list is light on sativa-dominant strains as indica is my preference, but I make an exception for this particular strain which gives me the body high I crave without feeling weighed down or lazy.
The strain is a crossbreed of Lemon Haze, Forbidden Fruit, Cherry Pie, and Citral Glue, which explains its distinct and fruity flavor. The diesel qualities of this weed are entirely in the scent of the dried flower, offering a surprising blast of fruity goodness once you light it up.
The Bottom Line:
The only sativa-dominant strain to make our roundup this time around, Lilac Diesel tastes a lot more pleasing than it sounds. The high will keep you focused and feeling good, while also still offering relaxing qualities that never pull you into coach lock territory.
Connected — Biscotti
Strain: Hybrid
THC: 23.47%
Retail Price: $80 (1/8 ounce)
The Weed:
If you’re looking to get blasted to the moon this New Year’s Eve weekend, you’re not going to find a better stain to get you there than California brand Connected’s Biscotti. Featuring an earthy flavor with hints of chocolate and citrus on the back end, Biscotti is all about euphoria. Smoking this strain makes you feel good almost instantly.
After holding a decent rip in your lungs, you’ll start to suddenly notice sounds vibrating with new frequencies and your sensitivity to touch enhancing.
The Bottom Line:
With terpenes of caryophyllene, myrcene, and limonene, Biscotti will have you feeling relaxed and like your best self. Not a bad way to go into 2022.