There’s a lot I love about the new Juicy Lucy preroll: the maximalist design of the label where all-seeing eyeballs, wet lips, and leopards float around a kaleidoscopic galaxy; the pop-top tube that makes a percussive sound when you squeeze it open; and the glass mouthpiece that keeps the concentrate-infused 1.25-gram torpedo burning evenly – even while you peer into it, watching the smoke dance elegantly through the cylinder.
I experienced a notably creative high from the Texas-grown kacklesnatch flower – an energetic hybrid – infused with a creamy jet pack concentrate. I puffed all 3 inches of the joint by myself and it made me want to write: songs, witticisms, this column.
Lucy’s, an Austin-based cannabis brand that launched in the spring, ushered in their new line of three infused prerolls with a party at Wiggle Room last month. My memories of exactly what had been included in their food spread is hazy because I was smoking strong, but I recall that it consisted entirely of juicy items like Nerds Gummy Clusters and the most luscious in-season cherries I’ve had in years. Their take-home gift bag, a clear zipper purse filled with joints, gum, and lip-related accessories, also evidenced the brand’s flair for marketing itself in a fun, artistic way.
CEO and co-founder Liz Grow contends that Lucy’s is a “lifestyle brand” rather than a consumable hemp company. She views the expressiveness of their design, curation, and marketing as an immersive world. “Lucy Land,” as she calls it, is loud and unapologetic.
It’s also decidedly inclusive, according to Miranda Cummings, Lucy’s other co-founder and chief visionary officer, because the brand has an ethos of “you do you.”
“Both the feminine and the alt-girl have a place here,” she says. “For me, it’s all about unabashed indulgence – not feeling like you have to justify what you’re doing. You’re not hurting anyone else, you’re finding your passion, you’re fueling your creativity. So good for you, whether you’re wearing a floral dress or a red corset.”
Cummings, a marketing professional who’s worked in cannabis since 2015, recalls that a decade ago there were only three or four women-focused cannabis brands.
“I’m really proud of our development as an industry because there’s so many more than that now. With that being said, I felt like there’s been a detachment between what women who smoke are interested in and how a women-oriented brand has typically presented itself,” she explains. “For example, I started smoking weed in the backseat of a car on Lakeshore Drive in Chicago with a bunch of musicians while I was in college. I wouldn’t have gravitated to a cannabis product that was super pink with bows on it – I’d have wanted something vibrant and maximalist and fun.”
Readers of this column may recall Liz Grow’s memorable name as the organizer of the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup, which recognizes the craft of cannabis growers in the Lone Star State. Accordingly, all of Lucy’s releases thus far have been curated with hemp flower from Texas growers. Grow plans to continue using locally grown bud in forthcoming products, like the soon-to-be released Girl Blunts, which are 2.5-gram “cannagar”-style smokables.
Lucy’s products, which are federally legal, are sold direct to consumers online at Lucysrock.com, but also available at retail partners like Cozy Cannabis – a fittingly stylish boutique dispensary with locations in Downtown Austin, Georgetown, and Hutto.
A Tidy Bong Is a Tidy Mind
I like to keep a messy house – I just find that to be a more comfortable way to live – but my bong is a different story. “Oh, company’s coming over,” I’ll say. “I need to tidy up!” And then I’ll grab my bong, not a broom.
I just don’t feel like a good host, inviting a friend to put their mouth on a pipe that looks like a prehistoric tar pit inside.
Resin is a mystery to me – impervious to soap and scrubbing. I’ve used many aromatic alcohol-based pipe cleaning solutions in the past, like Orange Chronic and Formula 420, but my go-to technique is simple and cheap: put your pipe in a large Ziploc bag or plastic container, cover the entire glass piece with isopropyl, then toss a handful of coarse salt in there. Let it sit for an hour, occasionally shaking it, then rinse it in hot water.
One admitted oversight is that I’ve never really explored the iconic Grunge Off cleaner. Its calling card is being reusable, which always seemed gross to me – like taking a bath in the same tub-water twice – but I had an epiphany when I was cleaning the carburetor of my weedeater with the kind of solution that comes in a paint can and you just dip the components in, let them soak, pull them out with a built-in strainer, and reuse it infinitely.
I made a similar setup, filled with a couple bottles of Grunge Off, and have been using it since January. I drop a pipe or bong part in, soak it overnight, and the glass comes out so clear that, if it were a window, a cardinal would fly into it and break its neck.
I’m sharing this information with you now because I just hit my 25th pipe cleaning and, despite the liquid now looking like backwashed iced tea, the results remain spotless. Most importantly, my current setup is effortless – because the best cleaning routine – for anything – is the one that’s so easy you will actually do it.
Senate Reanimates THC Ban in Special Session
The Texas Senate wasted little time in the special session, passing a bill that’s absurdly similar to the hemp ban that was vetoed by the governor six weeks prior. The controversial SB 5 not only prohibits the sale of any cannabinoid other than CBD and CBG, it makes it a misdemeanor for citizens to possess consumable hemp products that are legal on a federal level – including nonintoxicating natural products that only have trace amounts of THC.
The Senate voted in favor of Charles Perry’s reanimated hemp ban 21-8, setting up House lawmakers to consider the bill and hold hearings. It’s possible that Texas reps will emerge with a substitute bill that aims to regulate THC products, in accordance with Gov. Abbott’s priorities, rather than ban it.
Meanwhile, Sen. Nathan Johnson filed a competing bill to regulate consumable hemp by age-gating products, restricting THC levels, and using taxes generated by the industry to fund public health programs and law enforcement.
This article appears in August 8 • 2025.