caitlin@sfbg.com

HERBWISE I am not given overmuch to squealing over technology, particularly weed technology. Over the past few months I have sampled candy cane-flavored rolling papers, a cannabis aphrodisiac shot, the Ziggy Marley-endorsed Marijuana Man comic book.

Mind you, I'm not complaining. But –- minus perhaps Humboldt Hemp Wicks –- none of those products have found their way into my everyday retinue. Until, that is, the subject of last week's Herbwise, Randy Thompson of the vaporizer website Puff it Up, introduced me to a singular machine.Read more »

caitlin@sfbg.comRead more »

VALENTINE'S Whether you're hopelessly in love, completely philophobic, or somewhere in between, here's a sweet slew of events on the horizon that won't tap you dry. We've chosen our favorites that are all less than $20 (except for a couple worthwhile charity fundraisers). Now go out and get starry-eyed, you kid.  

-------

WEDNESDAY 8Read more »

I was pretty excited to hear about Heliotrope (www.heliotropesf.com), the new line of locally sourced, all-natural, unisex, essential oil-based, mostly fragrance-free beauty products launched by Bay Area style maven Jonathan Plotzker. I got more excited when Heliotrope's exquisite, neighborhood-feeling retail boutique opened in Noe Valley (1515 Church, SF. 415-643-4847) — you mean I can grab some insanely good hot and sour soup from Eric's Chinese and snag some natural product to vanish my all-night party bags? OK!Read more »

HERBWISE "Never in a million years would I have chosen to do this," wrote Randy Thompson's mother in the September 1997 issue of Good Housekeeping. The title of Karen Thompson's article was "I Broke the Law to Save My Son." Her choice? To allow Randy to use marijuana to mitigate the gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting, and lack of appetite he suffered chronically from his Crohn's Disease.Read more »

DIY has long been an integral part of San Franciscan culture. Underground music venues, art cars, pop-up food trucks — San Franciscans have been crafting their own good times for years. And while the concept of creating and customizing your own bike isn't new, a bike studio in the Tenderloin is putting a lightweight, environmentally-friendly spin on it.Read more »

culture@sfbg.com

BODY If your New Year's resolution is flagging, here are some budget boosts to kickstart your makeover (or de-stress) ambitions. Never give up! Deals are for February: call ahead for more details or restrictions information.

 Read more »

steve@sfbg.comRead more »

caitlin@sfbg.com

HERBWISE It's been a weird year to start a marijuana column. Shortly after we started Herbwise, which was intended to be our weekly look at marijuana culture and events, politics reared its ugly head, rendering it necessary to go to hearings at the State Building, call up California Assembly members, and occasionally wade through seas of legalese. Such is the state of cannabis under ongoing federal prohibition, but it's been a particularly dramatic year.Read more »

caitlin@sfbg.com

HERBWISE The Kings of Destruction, more popularly known as KOD, were an hour and a half late for our interview. Being that the hip-hop-graff-clothing-medical-marijuana-advocacy collective is from the East Bay and we had arranged to meet at the Guardian Potrero Hill office, I figured I'd better look for them.Read more »