Back when we first started talking to Bellacures we knew Canna-Cure was going to be big but this is HUGE!

We are so honored to have had US Weekly’s Carly Sloane write such an honest and kind review of Canna-Cure and The Kush Queen products! We have highlighted some of our favorite parts below…

canna-cure: november special @ all California Bellacures locations

Chill out! Treating yourself to a manicure/pedicure after a long work week is always a treat, but if you can’t seem to fully de-stress and put down your phone at the salon, a nail treatment spiked with CBD (A.K.A. Cannabidiol, a compound found in the Cannabis plant) is for you.

“Bellacures, the celebrity loved nail spa, is introducing a new partnership with Kush Queen called ‘Canna-Cure’ launching on Monday, November 1, at their California locations to provide people with the ultimate relaxation experience. ”

— US WEEKLY: CARLY SLOANE

While the ‘high-dea’ isn’t psychoactive and won’t get you high, the CBD-infused products are certainly therapeutic and calming. Get the details!

“I’m never one to pass up on any sort of dessert, so naturally, the CBD chocolate was no exception. I was greeted with a Perrier Sparkling Mineral Water and chocolate treat that started my day off on the right foot.”

— US WEEKLY: CARLY SLOANE

Not only was it delicious, but I felt as if I was able to completely chill out from the inside out after eating it. (It might have been in my head, but hey, it worked!)

“The next step included a pure CBD soak where Kush Queen’s 100% organic bath bomb was dropped into water.”

— US WEEKLY: CARLY SLOANE

If you’re sore from a SoulCycle class or have any sort of pain, this is the perfect remedy. The bath bomb is made with essential oils that are extremely nourishing and left my skin feeling hydrated and smelling fresh.

“After ridding myself of aches, my legs and arms were massaged with sugar-cane based CBD scrub infused with lavender, rosehips and borage oil. Any dry skin was completely buffed away and was left super smooth in a gentle but effective way.”

— US WEEKLY: CARLY SLOANE

The Kush Queen CBD pain relief lotion was applied next and made my muscles feel strong and ready to go back to a workout class. It’s made with an organic aloe juice base and blended with powerful botanicals, so it glides on your skin easily and doesn’t leave any stickiness. Even better? It also provided an icy hot sensation because of the cooling menthol and warming capsicum that’s also in it. The tingly feeling was delightful and I was finally ready to get some color on my nails and toes!

I opted for a nude shade for my nails and toes that came out beautifully. As I sat and let the colors dry, I felt calm, cool and collected.

“I was ready to take on the day with a stress free mindset and vibe, not to mention, my nails and toes looked pretty beautiful too! Another plus? I noticed that I was even more relaxed at the end than when I have a normal service!”

— US WEEKLY: CARLY SLOANE

Read about Kush Queen in the New York Post

Dreams come true! Kush Queen was featured in Harpers Bazaar!

Check it out!

Give the gift of relaxation with this yummy-smelling bath bomb that contains CBD oil to make baths suuuper relaxing.

By: Olivia Alexander

Image Via CBS

As Pride season kicks off, its the perfect time to celebrate the shared history of cannabis and the LGBTQIA+ community. With weed being so hot right now, we never want to forget that this progress was hard fought by some of the most marginalized people in society: the activist and leaders of the LGBT movement. It was the fight for LGBTQIA+ liberation and against HIV/AIDS that led to what we know as modern legalization. We don’t believe we would have progress without the work of these often overlooked heroes. It’s our hope to honor their spirit and keep their passion for medical cannabis access alive.

The Spark

Our modern Pride celebrations commemorate the Stonewall riots, which were only 12 years after the AIDS epidemic had first flared. This was only 3 years after the 1979 White Night Riots in San Francisco. These riots were triggered by the lenient sentencing of ex-cop and ex-supervisor Dan White for the assassination of openly gay Harvey Milk and his political ally, city mayor, George Moscone.

Harvey Milk was the first elected Queer in America, he pioneered decriminalization laws in his brief time in office. Milk was influential in the passing of Proposition W, the first initiative to decriminalize marijuana in San Francisco.

Image via PBS

The Shift

The death of Harvey Milk would lead to a more fervent community activism machine that would eventually mobilize local funds for AIDS care and research. It would also build momentum and agitate for statewide medical cannabis access. The outrage over Milk’s death would energize a community unknowingly on the brink of an emergency. It would lay the foundation for lifelong activists out of many LGBTQ individuals in a time they would need it most. Activist like Cleve Jones, who was elected in 1982 to the San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee where he served three terms. He was crucially in a position of power,  as the community demanded funding for AIDS research and care. Patients and activists were lucky to have Jones and the board of Supervisors in San Francisco during this time who allocated millions to AIDS programs in the early ’80s. The city of San Francisco allocated millions more than the National Institute of Health did for the entire country.

While San Francisco managed to deal with the epidemic in a compassionate and swift manner, AIDS funding and the search for treatment hit federal roadblocks. Ward 86, founded in San Francisco General Hospital, was known as the worlds first AIDS clinic, established with the board of supervisors investments. The FDA and NIH would drag its feet for years when it came to testing and making available promising treatments from overseas. But with AIDS, people could not wait for federal help.

As the epidemic spread and the Federal government did nothing to act, aids patients wondered if they would die from AIDS or from the side effects of AZT. To compound the issues, the Regan Administration began its war on drugs, denying AIDS patients access to Cannabis which helped to combat the painful side effects of treatment. Thousands with AIDS died alone and many were cast out by their own families.  

Image by Maureen Hurley

The Activists

While many watched and ignored as these injustices were unfolding, there were people like Mary Rathbun who refused to sit idly by. Mary was a volunteer at San Francisco General Hospital, also known as “ Brownie Mary” because would hand out cannabis-infused brownies to the patients.

Dennis Peron, a friend of Harvey Milk’s would rise to be the father of medical marijuana. Peron was part political activist, part outlaw. He was a local dealer previous to the epidemic but quickly saw the plants healing properties helped with the side effects of AZT. Peron’s lover, Johnathan West would long inspire his work around medical cannabis access and compassionate care.

Peron told the LA Times “Marijuana made me the person I am.” and shared how it felt when his lover lost the battle with AIDS. “At that point, I didn’t know what I was living for. I was the loneliest guy in America,” Peron said. “In my pain, I decided to leave Jonathan a legacy of love. I made it my moral pursuit to let everyone know about Jonathan’s life, his death, and his use of marijuana and how it gave him dignity in his final days.”

Image by Andy Kuno via The New York Times

The Change

It’s from these roots of activism and compassionate care that Peron and “Brownie Mary” would found the San Francisco buyers club, arguably known as one of the first dispensaries in American. Peron and Rathbun would help pass Proposition P in 1991. They would then go on to ultimately write Proposition 215 in 1996.

Sadly, Dennis Peron passed in early 2018, but the legacy he left behind will not be forgotten. It is thanks to him and the many other activists that committed their lives to supporting the medicinal use of Cannabis, that we are able to openly and passionately share this plant. This is why it is so meaningful to celebrate the LGBTQ communities work from the lens of a cannabis company. Our roots are deeply intertwined with LGBTQ history and now more than ever we believe in the importance of standing up for equality.

This year proceeds from our Pride Collection will be donated Trans Life Line as we stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community.

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Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instagram posts and stories.

 

Shop Kush Queen CBD Products and the Limited Edition Pride Collection below!

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By: Ben Mervis

Since the clock struck June the commercial color of the season seems to be rainbow. So far the reviews have been mixed, and I get it. In the grand scheme of things, I’m proud of corporate America’s rush to embrace the LGBT audience, although I’m also skeptical.

The marketing world has placed a high value on “their” LGBT audiences. Most pride campaigns paint a picture of highly educated men and women on a socioeconomic level akin to our straight counterparts — and that’s great, aspirational, inspirational and something we can’t take for granted. When I was a kid, I would have felt so much relief by seeing today’s marketing campaigns.

That being said, commercial advertisers paint this picture because it’s their ideal customer – someone who can actually afford to go shopping and will participate in the free PR that comes along with our overly social, super-documented lives.

But when you’re addressing pride — which I’ll remind you, started as a riot — you can’t just stop at the parts of our population that are doing well.

• The Williams Institute does some of the nation’s leading research on LGBT topics and estimates that 40% of homeless youth served by agencies identify as LGBT

• According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) so far in 2019, seven transgender people have been violently killed: all black trans women. Additionally, trans women of color make up four out of five anti-trans homicides, the HRC has said.

• The Transgender Military Ban is still an ongoing issue, which even if it has not removed people from their posts, has certainly caused stress for our armed forces, and could keep some of our nation’s brightest minds from joining their ranks.

It’s easy to understand why those at either end — from the most disenfranchised to the trailblazers — are quick to feel like rainbow logos and two boys holding hands isn’t quite enough to call your company supportive. It doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate it… it’s just hard to take it as seriously.

I was recently in a pride event-related meeting where one of the organizers had a hard time saying the acronym “LGBT,” and nobody was throwing them a bone. Not only could this person not get the letters right, but when one of their peers offered something almost right, they still resolved to a default “whatever” to end the sentence. I was honestly offended that this person had probably put more thought into their celebration outfit than the community they were celebrating, but I helped them find their words, and I always will in these types of situations.

via GIFER

I’d like to think that when one group within our LGBTQ+ communities gains representation and more of a voice, we all win. I recognize that as a cisgender white gay male, I’m one of the “easier” concepts for the simple mind to grasp; I feel and act upon the weight of that responsibility. I certainly can’t speak for other gays, but with this voice of mine and the spotlight I’ve been given, I will use it to raise up my less represented peers no matter their gender, race or religion.

Among the variety of progress displayed by big brands this year – the ads, logos, icons, packaging, shelf designs – there’s a big difference between pandering and representation. Here are some organizations that did it RIGHT this year.

• Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s pride gear incorporated black and brown into the rainbow, which is inclusive AF.

  • Bonus points for Pete(‘s social manager) adding his preferred pronouns to his Instagram bio

• Calvin Klein – a brand synonymous with bodies and sexuality — featured a variety of homosexual and gender non-conforming models in their pride campaign.

  • This is huge in a world where we’re beginning to learn more about the ethos behind a brand, and it’s not always in alignment with our own.

• Kush Queen’s Pride 2019 Collection hit the trifecta.

  • Kush queen put actual history on the pride collection packaging, educating consumers of the intersections between cannabis and LGBT progress.

  • Donating 20% to the Trans Lifeline is a generous donation by most corporate standards. This is an organization that puts boots on the ground and helps people every day – they need cash!

  • Kush Queen’s Pride campaign is 100% queer-produced creative.

I’ve been working with content producers/photographers/ directors/models for 6+ years, and the majority of that work focuses on our LGBT communities. I have two simple rules when it comes to this:

• Only LGBT photographers should shoot LGBT storylines

• Only LGBT talent should star in LGBT storylines

I’d like to take this moment to thank Courtney Charles for bringing queer creatives together to produce a beautiful, conceptual shoot for Kush Queen. I also want to thank our CEO Olivia Alexander for being one of the truest allies our communities could ask for.

It’s easy to be a hater, but easy isn’t the name of this game. I’m proud of everyone for speaking their feelings and not settling for what we’re given, but make sure you’re talking about the things that matter, not just shouting into the void.

I’m also going to take this moment to remind everyone that Ignite is Kush Queen’s INCREDIBLE water-based CBD Lube, which is condom safe. Health is wealth! STD’s are everywhere, and not always treatable. You can take care of yourself and have a good time. So do that.

Happy Pride, everyone.

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Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instagram posts and stories!

 

Kush Queens Pride Collection is Limited Edition and going fast! Grab yours before their gone and we will donate 20% of your purchase to Trans Lifeline!

Shope Pride!

By: JS Brunson

Let’s talk about abortions. I’m going to be blunt with you because I don’t want to be deceptive. One of my best friends in college had an abortion. I didn’t find out about it until two years later. When I asked her why she kept such an important secret, she said she felt scared and ashamed and didn’t want to be judged. She said she knew it was the right decision for her, but feared if she was open about it her parents and friends would disown her. I remember looking at my friend as she was crying and pouring her heart out to me, and I told her that I would never judge her. That wasn’t my right to do so. I became so upset that she felt she had to defend her decision to the world. She felt she was alone in this. So much so that she went to the clinic by herself.

That moment forever changed me. After all that women have done for this world, including literally birthing it, I believe it’s shameful that we are still discussing what a woman is allowed to do with her own body.

Now in case you missed it, this is a loaded statement. Before I break it down, grab a CBD PreRoll and drop some Kush Queen Bare CBD Tincture into your coffee because, hunnie,… it’s going to get deep.

Before you go off on me claiming that I want to kill human beings, let me be clear. I’m not discussing that. Literally not at all. I am solely talking about the policing of women’s bodies. Whether that policing comes from the Bible, the Quran or the United States government, it’s wrong because it places the power out of the hands of the individual and into the opinion of the masses.

Every single person on this planet has been birthed by a woman. Yet, we have been policing women’s bodies since the beginning of time. Women have been called unfit, weak, useless, less than, etc. Women in the past have been regulated to wearing multiple layers of clothing so that their natural shape wouldn’t entice men. During the days of slavery, Black women’s bodies were stripped naked and put on display in traveling circuses because white men and women couldn’t understand how their bodies became so curvaceous. Women, and especially Women of Color, have been fighting for equal rights since the dawn of patriarchy. To sit here in 2019 and still have to fight for the choice of what I am allowed to do with my own body is insulting. Yah, I’m gonna need some more CBD (and maybe some controlled breathing)!

At the end of the day we aren’t talking about lives here, we’re talking about who holds the power over human beings. Is it not odd that Alabama, the same state that created the strictest abortion laws in modern history, executed a prisoner one day after declaring their heinous abortion laws. I’ll say that again. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey enacted a near total ban on abortions saying that a woman cannot legally abort her fetus once she finds out she’s pregnant even in the cases of rape and insest. That was on May 15th. On May 16th Alabama executed a convicted murderer. Which tells us that it isn’t about all lives but rather our perception of that person’s value in life. Where is the logic in that? Neither should be our choice. Should there be consequences in life? Absolutely. But those consequences should not be controlled by a person who has no real stake in the game.

HEAR THIS: If you have never been a woman, if you have never bled from your uterus multiple times a year, if you’ve never been faced with the decision of having to have an abortion or potentially living a life you aren’t prepared for, if you dislike people of color for whatever self-hating reason you have, then you should not have the authority to tell me what to do with my body.

If you’d like to learn more, including how you can get involved, I encourage you to visit: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/issues/act.

There, you will be able to:

• Find an event near you

• Sign a petition to fight back against 6-week abortion bans

• Speak out to oppose the gag rule

• Find out how to contact your local lawmakers

No matter what side of the issue you’re on, one thing remains true. If we take away a women’s right to choose what she does with her own body, we give up our power to those who have the potential to use it for their own personal gain. Let’s keep our life given power of choice. Let’s stand in our truth and tell the world “Get Your Hands off My Womb!”

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Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instagram posts and stories.

 

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By: Ben Mervis

As a person who is alive and woke in 2019, I find that there are far more natural triggers for stress than there are for endorphins. This might also explain why we’re also a generation that’s honing the skills and therapies for self-care – which is great because we all know things aren’t going to be easier for today’s children.  

I don’t mind admitting this, but Elle Woods inspired me in many ways; if I work hard there’s almost nothing I can’t do (what, like it’s hard?), the bend and snap will always work if you’re trying to get a man’s attention, and exercise is a great way to naturally create mood-enhancing endorphins.

Admittedly, the title of this piece is misleading – this is not a step by step guide of exercises to practice when you’re feeling on edge. Rather some reminders that helped me find my own footing in the fitness world, which in turn has really been a great tool in my handling of stressful times.

It’s also worth noting that there are some really strong connections between exercise and CBD. Yes, a CBD topical (or ingestible) can help with relief and recovery – but CBD can also help make your workout more impactful. By reducing tension ahead of exercise, our bodies are better able to circulate blood carrying nutrients, energy, and endorphins.

**Medical disclaimer** by no means am I an expert here. These tips are based on my lived experience, and advice that I’ve gotten from fit friends like Aaron Marcotte over the years.

1. It’s all about the timing

We’re all usually trying to fit more into a day than we should – and I’ll speak for myself when I say that being overscheduled is a habit. So when I’m fitting in a workout, I make sure to know how long I can commit to it. I recommend that anyone who is not already on a regular workout routine, give this a moment of planning and save yourself some stress. Make sure to include time for warming up, exercise, cooling down/stretching, showering and refueling.

I give myself 2-hours from the minute I walk out my door, to when I finish my post-shower protein shake. This is usually 5:30 am – 7:30 am, but that’s just what works for me. There was a time where I’d fit the whole shebang into a 1-hour lunch break… but I found myself skipping my stretches, straining my muscles, and generally feeling more anxious than before I left the office.

2. Practice mindful breathing – your body can’t do anything if you’re not breathing.

This is something I often forgot when I first started lifting, but I really learned the importance of breathing through yoga and spinning classes. I found it incredibly helpful to have a coach/teacher reminding me to breathe, and actually connecting my movements to my breath and the beats. It’s become a form of active meditation for me.

3. Stimuli

From the get-go, I began working out with headphones in, and something full-blast. Whether I was listening to music, podcasts, or something else… it felt like a given that I should be plugged in during a workout.

It was only about a year ago that I realized the audio inputs can be distracting in and of themselves. What’s coming on next? Why don’t I have better playlists? Am I dancing and lip syncing without even realizing it? Is the cute guy on the treadmill next to me interested in chatting?

I’ve worked on understanding when I’m already overstimulated, and I make those days no-headphone days.

4. Stretching and recovery

The number one way to take the edge through exercise, in my experience – is a good stretch at the beginning and end of my workout. I find so much peace in reconnecting with my breath, and taking a moment to appreciate my body for the work it’s just done. This is another opportunity to work some CBD into your routine; I recommend a CBD tincture like Bare or one of Kush Queen’s CBD nano topical such as Soaked. In these cases, the CBD should help to fight post-workout aches, and keep your blood flowing and feeding your body’s recovery.

So the next time you feel a wave of triggers coming, or anticipate an anxious day/week/month – make sure to set aside some time for exercise – but don’t let it add to your stressors. Even a walk around the block should be enough to get your blood and endorphins flowing, you’ve just gotta give it a chance.

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Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instagram posts and stories!!

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By: Maria Spiridigliozzi

Let me be totally honest, large crowds sometimes freak me out. Loud sudden noises, and even loud sustained noises, sometimes freak me out. Waiting for many hours in a large crowd, sometimes freaks me out. 

So I choose to celebrate pride in other ways. Some things that are fun are supporting LGBTQIA+ artists, seeing a concert (Hi Mitski!), going to an event (QueerFest in Silverlake is a chill alternative to the Pride parades in West Hollywood). What always makes me feel connected to the community is outwardly showing my pride through my craft projects.

How to Tie Dye Your Way to Pride

• Pick your shirt!

  • This can be any type of white or light (the closer to white the better) colored shirt. Above are the shirts I used today.

  • A great way to show your pride before even touching any dye is to pick up some Pride swag from your local shops. Check out any LGBTQIA+ owned businesses in your area. If that’s not an option, some of the big stores have a line of Pride clothing that is A+ (Saturday School, Ralph Lauren will even put your name on this sweatshirt, Madewell, H&M)

• Prep your area!

  • There aren’t many things you need to tie-dye. If you’ve got a tarp or giant plastic sheet ala Twin Peaks then you can lay them down inside and have this party in your bathroom or living room. I don’t have such things so I cut up a trash bag and used that to cover my coffee table. Who says luxury isn’t possible on a budget?

  • It’s also a good idea to use gloves when working with tie-dye. Dye is right there in the name, so if you don’t use gloves expect some colorful fingers for a day or two.

  • Rubber bands make for the best hold, they just snap right into place. If you want to tie your shirt with string grab a buddy to help hold the shirt while you tie around it.

  • Scissors are optional. I used them to cut up one of the shirts as it was GIANT and as you can see it makes a much better tank top.

  • Prepping your shirt

    • The dye adheres better to wet fabric, so you’ll want to give your shirt a lil’ bath before you start. Once it’s nice and damp ring out any excess water. See here.

• Start your design!

  • Designs in tie-dye shirts are all based on the tie part. So however you twist your shirt will dictate how the colors show up. I’m partial to the crumple method and the traditional spiral, but you can find so many others online.

• For the spiral (see above)– pinch up where you want the center of the spiral. On this shirt, I went just above center and to one side so it kind of sprays across the chest. If you’re going to crop, take into consideration where the crop will be. Sometimes it helps to cut the shirts beforehand so you know exactly what you’re working with. But honestly, go with your gut on this one. As you can see I cut this so it’s a tank top.

• Once you’re satisfied start rubberbanding around. I used 4 rubber bands to really hold it in place.

• Crumple method (see above) is exactly what it sounds like, you crumble. This one runs the risk of coming out either all one color or very muddy if you use a lot of the dye. The basic method is, lay the shirt flat and start crumpling it up until it’s as crumpled as you like. The more wrinkles the more interesting the design.

• Then start rubberbanding. It helps to keep them in a sort of spiderweb formation.

• Get to dying!

  • Literally, this is where you lay down on the floor and wait for the imminent cold hands of death to grab you. Just kidding! It’s time to cover these shirts in fabric dye. As you can see some of my containers are already full and some aren’t. This is only because I’ve already used this tie dye set before. The dye will last a good while once you’ve mixed it.

  • To mix your dye simply add a little tap water to the bottle then shake. Once you’re pretty sure the dye is incorporated fill the bottle to just below the top and shake again to really mix that dye.

• Now is the really fun part, where you take dye to fabric. This time, as I’m making shirts to wear for Pride, I was inspired by Kush Queen’s Rainbow CBD Bath Bomb (which comes in the Relax blend).

• You will see there are these great lines of distinct color in the bath bomb and I wanted to mimic that on the shirt.

• The other shirt takes inspiration from my personal sexual identity as pansexual. In case you’re unfamiliar it means I’m attracted to people across the gender spectrum and when choosing a partner am interested in people across the gender spectrum.

  • Pride is the perfect time to support those in the LGBTQIA+ community as well as bear your (literal) flag.

• Once the top layer is completely covered in dye, flip it over and cover the back side. Here’s an example of my pansexual shirt top and bottom covered in dye.

• Let it rest!

  • Yeah, there’s an exclamation point there, because now is when you wrap these puppies in some plastic and let them marinate. It’s the perfect time to pop that CBD Bath Bomb in the tub and relax for an hour (or two).

• The dye needs to really set into the fabric so you can leave these as short as two hours or as long as a week depending on your dye.

• Most dyes suggest up to 24 hours. The longer you let it marinate the easier it will be to rinse the dye out and the more vibrant the dye will be once it is washed out.

• Unravel and rinse!

  • As you can see my shirts came out pretty damned good! Very excited to rock these around Pride all month long.

  • Once you unravel you can either rinse them in the bathtub by hand or put them in the washing machine on a delicates cycle.

    • Truthfully, this is the part I messed up on. I tried hand rinsing before switching to the washing machine and then my boyfriend accidentally included them in a load of normal clothes, so they’re extra faded now.

• Drying!

  • If you can line drying then I would highly recommend that. You don’t want a ton of heat involved in drying. If you don’t want to/can’t line dry, then you can use a normal dryer on low.

Now all thats left to do is get out there and show off your hard work! Tie-dye your way to your own Pride!

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Don’t forget to follow and tag @kushqueenshop & @kushqueenco in your Instagram posts and stories!

 

Shop Kush Queens Pride Collection and 20% of all  sales will directly benefit Trans Lifeline; a national trans-led 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of trans lives by responding to critical needs with direct service, material support, advocacy, and education.

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