Weed gifts to spice up your holidays: Pipes, grinders, more

This is part of the L.A. Times 2021 gift guide. See the full guide here.

Thanks to California's maturing recreational cannabis market (it's been a thing since January 2018) and the ever-quickening pace of technological advancement, this holiday season arrives with a bumper crop of ganja-themed gifts and gadgets. From old-school tools and high-tech toys to stow-and-go low-dose edibles, there's something for practically every pot-loving person you’re planning to pick up a present for.

Willits, Calif.,-based Proto Pipe gave the world the Swiss Army Knife of pot pipes back in 1970. Practically indestructible, it's a perfectly palm-sized, hand-machined piece of brass that features a lid that swivels closed, a permanent screen, a stash pod that holds about five bowls worth of herb (the closed end can be used as a tamper) and an onboard poker that holds the whole shebang together — when it's not being used to clean the screen or bowl. In addition to the classic model (virtually unchanged since the 1976), there's also the newer Rocket (pictured) with a rounder bowl and a resin trap that swivels open for easier cleaning.

$98.95 | 👉 Purchase here

Sure, it's got a pot-related pun (lazy Susan + blaze = Blazy Susan, get it?), but the cannabis-minded tweaks made to this old-school table-top accessory — two joint-rolling areas, a silicone slap (for concentrates), dedicated slots for stash jars, grinders, lighters and other smoking accouterments — make it as functional as it is funny. Available in a variety of painted and natural-wood finishes (including pink, pictured here with modular silicone ashtray and dab-station inserts and other accessories sold separately).

$99.99 | 👉 Purchase here

If a can of Red Bull had a lovechild with a flashlight, it would probably look a lot like Staze's sleek plastic stash jar thanks to a chunky screw-off cap that holds a built-in vacuum pump. Simply unscrew the top, stow up to a ¼-ounce of weed inside, twist it shut and pump until you hear a satisfying click. Boom! You’ve created an airtight vacuum seal that will prolong the life of your bud. There's also a carbon filter under that cap, which makes the lightweight, stow-and-go jar odor-proof too. Sold individually or in sets of three (pictured).

$15 each; $40 for a set of three | 👉 Purchase here

The standard-issue cannabis herb grinder is a squat, utilitarian affair that feels better suited to a research lab than a living room. Not so with the two grinders that are part of the Serra dispensary chain's collaboration with Hemson Collection. (Other items include a rolling tray and preroll tips.) Crafted of pale beechwood, the collab includes the Bobb (which resembles a stylish egg timer) and the Pillar (pictured), the latter of which totally gives us artisanal salt cellar vibes.

$70 | 👉 Purchase here

Since the humble rolling tray is the launchpad for many a successful smoking sesh, consider a gift that will make the first stop on the voyage to inner space truly memorable — and personal — by ordering up a custom tray from this San Fernando-based company. All you need to do (besides plan ahead — the turnaround time is up to three weeks) is upload your own artwork, photo or logo, tweak the image on a tray-shaped template and click a few buttons. Before you can say "high holidays," your best bud will be packing bowls off a personalized piece that could be anything from a favorite family photo to the last dope-fueled doodle you dashed off.

$34.95 | 👉 Purchase here

Giving an ashtray as a holiday gift — even to a hardcore weed head — might sound like a ridiculous suggestion, but hear us out. Thanks to the pandemic, those who socially consume cannabis have had to figure out how — and where — to fire up in a way that minimizes the risk of transmission. And, according to experts, that means setting your sesh outdoors whenever possible. That, in turn, means having an ashtray at hand to stub out the joints you’re totally not sharing or empty those pipes you’re not passing. And that is why (see, we told you we’d get there) Session's smoked-glass ashtray is worth considering. Not so much for the no-slip silicone footer, removable tapered debowler in the center or the two notches to rest your prerolls on (though those are all thoughtful touches that add to the overall appeal), but for the silicone lid that makes it perfectly portable even when half-full of ash. (Anyone who's tried to carry a dirty ashtray more than a few feet knows the potential for catastrophe.)

$40 | 👉 Purchase here

Earlier this year local cannabis brand Drew Martin, whose flagship product is a line of botanical-infused prerolled joints (think rose petal and peppermint or lavender and passionflower), partnered with L.A.-based Heretic Parfum to create the Herbalist, an eau de parfum that Drew Martin co-founder Andrew Freeman says might be the first THC-infused fragrance to hit the market. (Most cannabis-themed scents try to replicate the skunky terpene smell often associated with cannabis by using THC-free terpenes extracted from the plant.) The combination of lavender, hinoki, yuzu and the Jack Herer cannabis cultivar makes for a unisex scent that's spicy, citrusy, lively and light. The bad news? Although it's not mind-altering (at least in the amount you might dab on each wrist), it does contain THC, so you’ll need to pick it up at a licensed dispensary. The good news? After launching with a 50-milliliter ($180) bottle on 4/20, the collaborators rolled out a 10-milliliter roll-on size that’ll fit perfectly in the toe of that special someone's stocking.

$51 | 👉 Purchase here

If your gifting list includes a pot purist who prefers potables, consider purejuana's line of cannabis-infused soluble powders to tuck under the tree. Designed to turn any beverage into a THC-enhanced beverage, what makes this L.A.-based company's marijuana mix-in stand out is a manufacturing process that manages to preserve the pot plants’ natural flavor profile (it involves flash-freezing sustainably grown flower sourced from two Northern California farms), which gives the resulting beverage (especially if it's a neutral one like water or club soda) a weedy, terpene-packed punch. Vegan, gluten free and low calorie, what purejauna is positioning as a "dry spirit" — as opposed to "wet spirits" like gin, tequila or vodka — is available in three THC doses (2.5 milligram, 5 milligram and 10 milligram) and four strain-specific flavors (Venom OG, Blue Dream, Super Lemon Haze and XJ-13) in 10-count boxes with more flavors coming soon.

$19 to $22.50 | 👉 Purchase here

It may look like the kind of run-of-the-mill unisex fanny pack you — and the crowd you run with — might port your pot in while you’re out and about, but no matter how much sticky icky you stuff it with, it won't smell like a weed-filled crossbody bag. That's because this is a joint project by upscale smoking-accessories maker Higher Standards and bag brand Revelry Supply that's designed specifically to absorb odors. Details include a carbon filter, a rubber-backed lining, and waterproof zippers and hardware. The latter two features help give the bag its other important characteristic: It's also water-resistant. Hello, Splash Mountain and goodbye, soggy stash!

$55 | 👉 Purchase here

Chef and entrepreneur Nicholas Pritzker (one of the Drew Martin founders) and former Eleven Madison Park pastry chef Manuela Sanin have partnered to create a line of exquisite-looking, palate-pleasing and mood-elevating cannabis-infused confections that are almost too beautiful to eat. Called Cloud11 (as in two better than cloud nine), the Culver City-based haute confectionary launched late this summer with three melt-in-your-mouth flavors that incorporate gourmet ingredients: Salted Peanut (a riff on the peanut butter cup that includes peanut butter ganache and a touch of sea salt from Amagansett Sea Salt Co.); Black Sesame and Yuzu (made using Wadaman sesame paste sourced directly from Japan); and Strawberry Pink Peppercorn (pictured) that uses Harry's Berries — the Cadillac of SoCal strawberries. Each flavor is available in 11-piece tins with two dosage options: 2 milligrams of THC/2 milligrams of CBD or 4 milligrams of THC and 4 milligrams of CBD. A single tin (one flavor and one dosage) is $90, a double tin (two flavors and two dosing levels) is $170.

$90 | 👉 Purchase here

Doesn't everybody have that one stoner friend whose cellphone battery seems to always be hovering around 23% when you’re about to head out on an adventure? Consider giving him or her a gift of power — and stealth — like this battery pack with a secret stash compartment just big enough to stow a handful of prerolled joints or a couple of vape pens. The flip-up lid contains two built-in pockets to hold credit or identification cards and a strap (to secure joints or gear), and the stainless steel interior tray is magnetized to keep metal objects from rolling around and making noise. It features a USB-C charging input, two outputs (one USB, the other USB-C), and comes with a three-way USB-to-Apple Lightning/USB-C/USB mini charging cord.

$99 | 👉 Purchase here

Cannabis purists tend to turn up their noses at single-use vape pens because of the way most concentrates are manufactured (industrial flavorings are added to replace stripped-out terpenes, for starters). But last year, L.A.-based startup PodTones launched a line of sleek, colorful (think stocking-stuffer-sized) line of four prefilled, single-strain, vaporizer pens (dubbed Chill, Dream, Fun and Up) that don't deliver ease-of-use at the expense of taste. The answer lies in extracting the THC-containing rosin from the cannabis plant without the use of chemicals (the PodTones folks start by freezing freshly harvested nugs and using a process called ice water extraction). But don't take our word for it (although you really should): Earlier this year, the 710 Farmers Cup in San Diego honored this gift idea with its "best smokability" award, topping a field of 25 brands. Just over an eighth of an ounce (3.5 grams) of cannabis flower goes into each 300-milligram pod.

$40 | 👉 Purchase here

If there's a kitchen cannathusiast with a DIY streak on your nice list, consider this cute-enough-for-the-countertop machine that's about as close to the late pitchman Ron Popeil's "set it and forget it" mantra as it gets when it comes to turning raw cannabis flower into THC-infused oils and butters with just a few button pushes. It's not just for the pursuit of elevated edibles either. It can be used to quickly dry other botanicals like basil, lavender and rosemary, which can then be used to kick salad dressings, dips and coffee drinks up a notch.

$299.99 | 👉 Purchase here

"The Art of Cooking with Cannabis: CBD and THC-infused Recipes from Across America" is the fifth cookbook from author Tracey Medeiros, whose previous books explored New England recipes (three namechecked Vermont, the fourth Connecticut). Here she's broadened her horizons (hence the "from across America" part of the title) and narrowed her scope to focus on recipes that incorporate THC (the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis) or its hemp-derived cousin CBD. Arranged by geographical region (most hail from the Northeast, South and West), it includes mini-profiles of the chefs and brands whose recipes are featured. The best part is it showcases all kinds of dishes that fall outside the tired pot-brownie cliche. They include cannabis-cured salmon, jambalaya and squid-ink rice crackers with poached pickled radishes and avocado purée. And the one brownie recipe that is a next-level-inducing s’mores brownie that packs chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, mini marshmallows and 10 milligrams of THC into each square.

$29.99 | 👉 Purchase here

Celebrity strains are a dime (bag) a dozen these days, but Houseplant — launched in the U.S. earlier this year by longtime friends and creative collaborators Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg ("Superbad," "The Interview," "This Is the End" and the weed-centric "Pineapple Express") — is something special. Part of it is the thoughtfully designed, perfect-for-gifting packaging: squat, stackable, brightly colored tin boxes (orange for sativa strains, pink for indicas, green for hybrids) that look like high-end tea tins. The bigger part of it is the herb itself; strains selected by the professional-level weed heads themselves and named after various weather phenomena. If you’re lucky enough to find it in stock, we recommend Rogen's go-to strain. Called Pancake Ice, it's a cross between Chemdawg and Mandarin Cookies and it's more-than-33%-THC content packs a punch. (We took one puff and watched a jewelry tree skitter across a chest of drawers. Honest.)

$60 | 👉 Purchase here

You can always count on local crafters of SoCal-cool Commune Design to head into the holiday season with a well-designed, gift-worthy piece of paraphernalia in the pipeline. Last year, it was a cast stoneware smoking vessel pipe created in collaboration with Alex Reed. This year, it's a simple, elegant borosilicate glass pipe designed in partnership with glass artisan Nate Cotterman and made in Penland, N.C. Available in three soothing colors (lilac, amber and cobalt).

$105 | 👉 Purchase here

If there's somebody on your nice list who never quite mastered the art of rolling a joint, consider the gift that keeps on giving (well, rolling), a mill-and-fill joint-rolling robot — straight out of Culver City at that — that makes twisting one up as hassle-free as pushing a button. We’re not just blowing smoke either; we gave Otto a test-drive when it first hit the market back in 2018 (you can find the video online), and it's been rolling along on our behalf ever since. (It comes with two boxes of slow-burning, fillable paper cones, if you’re gifting a high roller, you can buy extra cones to stuff in their stocking.)

$149.99 | 👉 Purchase here

One of the marvels of the modern marijuana movement is how many different ways there are to get THC — the primary psychoactive component of cannabis — into the body; through the lungs (combustibles), the stomach (edibles) and the skin (topicals). Kin Slips is what's called a sublingual, meaning it's designed to be placed under the tongue to dissolve and be absorbed into the bloodstream. That means two things: 1) a quicker onset of the effects and 2) because it doesn't get metabolized through the liver (like an edible), the high is more akin (see what we did there?) to smoking. Each strip, which looks (and dissolves) like a Listerine breath strip is individually packaged in a wafer-thin envelope (10 to a tin), which means one or two can easily be tucked into a wallet or business-card case (does anyone use business cards any more?) and consumed as discreetly as unwrapping a piece of gum. Available in four different formulations, three of which contain 10 milligrams of THC per serving and the other 5 milligrams of CBD and 5 milligrams of THC.

$25 to $49 | 👉 Purchase here

There's high-end and then there's really high-end. Devambez, a French brand that has its roots in the 19th century stationer that provided letterhead to French presidents and European royalty, is definitely in the latter category, offering smoking accouterments like $980, 24-karat gold emerald-topped tampers and $795 molded-glass, silver-lidded ashtrays. Its flagship product is luxury rolling papers; made from organic hemp grown in the Champagne region and milled into watermarked paper in the south of France. The gum line (the sticky part that seals the rolled joint tight) is vegan, pesticide-free acacia gum collected from trees in Senegal. The Imperial, a bold, booklet of 32 king-sized rolling papers packaged in a crest-embossed cotton-paper booklet, would make a thoughtful — if transitory — gift. Think of it as getting the cannabis connoisseur who has everything something to wrap it in.

$88 | 👉 Purchase here

Remember when using a gravity bong meant deploying a cut-up gallon milk jug in your kitchen sink? Times have changed (a lot), and harnessing the power of water — and the Earth's gravitational pull — in the pursuit of cannabis consumption has gotten a futuristic, elegant makeover (well, as elegant as a stream of smoke jetting from a hookah hose can possibly be) rendered in anodized aluminum and borosilicate glass that's as easy to use as giving the contraption a spin, literally. It's as adaptable as it is fancy, because, in addition to coming with a generously sized bowl, it can connect to any smoking device (such as a vaporizer or concentrate rig) via a 14-millimeter male connector.

$599.95 | 👉 Purchase here

Select's low-calorie, vegan and gluten-free line of liquid-based, lightly flavored mix-ins make the pot-potable portable thanks to a pocket-sized bottle that measures out precise 5-milligram doses (30 per bottle) into a fill-and-pour reservoir by squeezing (hence the name) the sides of the bottle. Unlike a lot of cannabis-containing products that have distribution challenges beyond a particular state's borders (because it's illegal at the federal level, cannabis can't cross state lines), Squeeze, which launched earlier this year, is currently available for purchase to consumers not just in California but 15 other states where cannabis is medically or recreationally legal. Flavors include Watermelon, Strawberry Lemonade, Hint of Sweet and Lemon Lime.

$22 | 👉 Purchase here