What a year! With creative perspectives, in-depth event coverage, thought-provoking analyses, educational resources and so much more, Head Magazine took readers on an invigorating journey throughout 2024.
If you’re new to Head, you might not know how much ground we cover. (And if you’re not new to Head, thanks for your support!) Check out the HIGH-lights from this past year’s feature stories to become better acquainted with a cannabis and pop culture magazine that is truly back from the past, into the future.
Head Magazine was established in the 1970s by Charlotte Parker, a woman raised in an Orthodox Jewish family whose parents were Holocaust survivors. Read the full story here!
Art, Culture and Entertainment
Frequent contributor Dr. Strainlove shared his serendipitous discovery of an art show built around bongs. This was something he chanced upon while investigating The Peashooter, which is its own quirky tale, told in the same article.
Marketing writer Joel Darkwah clued readers in on how to defeat writer’s block by using specific cannabis strains and terpenes to enhance your creativity.
Head makes sure you’re getting the most out of your natural talents by pointing you toward cannab-assistance tailored to you!
TV producer and playwright David Rock of “The Blunt Truth” played devil’s advocate while reviewing a religious book on the “New York Times” Bestseller List.
Our Halloween super-fan, Kathleen “Kat” Hearons, gave readers hard-to-find options for celebrating Halloween all October at various events around the country and online.
Commerce and Agriculture
Seasoned sports-media writer AJ Favorito explored a business venture undertaken by former NFL star Ricky Williams, who created the cannabis brand Highsman. AJ also looked at the burgeoning THC beverage business in the sports world, covering the Portland Pickles’ inaugural sales of said beverages at the team’s baseball games. He also shared his predictions for the future of THC beverages more broadly. Separately, he surveyed the rosin edibles market, providing scientific and economic insight.
“My goal is for Highsman to be the official cannabis brand of the NFL.” – Ricky Williams
In the realm of agriculture, aforementioned Halloween enthusiast Kat explored “Croptober” in a then-and-now comparison of Halloween’s origins and present-day cannabis harvests. Also examining cannabis farming, Joel compared indoor and outdoor growing.
Event Coverage
Head Magazine editor-in-chief Charlotte Parker is a mover-and-shaker in the canna-business. She liaises with organizations with shared interests and keeps herself up to speed on all things cannabis by attending conventions and other events. In 2024, she briefed readers after attending the Awakening 2024 Psychedelic Conference, 2024 National Cannabis Industry Lobby Days in Washington, D.C., Hall of Flowers and MJBizCon.
Going to the largest cannabis business expo and convention for the first time was an exciting milestone for Head!
Gift Guides
Head made sure that you had gift options for Valentine’s Day and the December holidays. In addition to doing the proverbial legwork for readers, we provided direct links to the products in the guide. (No, Head is not sponsored by any of those manufacturers or retailers; we’re just nice like that.)
Head wasn’t about to let you walk into Valentine’s Day unprepared!
Health and Wellness
Joel and Kat educated readers on some lesser-known uses of cannabis as holistic medicine, while Favorito focused on the use of psychedelics in mental health. Joel covered how cannabis-infused foods and beverages manage flu symptoms, giving readers a better understanding of the options at their disposal. Kat examined how cannabis can be used to reverse memory loss and prevent contracting mosquito-borne illnesses. AJ studied the latest developments in U.S. armed forces veterans’ use of cannabis to treat suicidal depression.
Various veterans-led non-profits have been advocating for the legalization of psychedelic treatment, and for more research to be conducted with other psychedelics.
Focusing on exercise, Joel applied weightlifting knowledge and experience to share tips with readers on using cannabis to boost muscle recovery. In the related field of nutrition, Kat explored the nutritional value of cannabis that has not been dried, cooked, steamed, vaped or smoked. This built on her research on Ireland’s native flower self-heal, which has many health benefits in common with cannabis, as Kat describes comprehensively.
History
Joel transported readers back in time to ancient Egypt, China and beyond to see how advanced these cultures were in their use of medicinal cannabis. Kat speculated about the use of cannabidiol (CBD) to treat the infirmed in the War of 1812 if CBD had been extracted in the field. Like the epochs covered by Joel, the early 1800s were a time of faith in medicinal cannabis. This changed roughly a century later, as Kat explored in her analysis of the evolution of cannabis’s bad reputation in the United States in the early 1900s.
“If you grew up in the U.S. in the 1930s or later, you’ve been socially and politically programed to see cannabis as a reprehensible evil in a way every generation prior was not.” – Kat Hearons
Human Interest
Thriving on challenging research, analysis and long-form reporting, Kat turned out a lot of human interest stories in 2024. She took a hard look at how cannabis can stop plastic pollution; shined a light on cannabis subculture in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community; paid respect to Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, the “father” of cannabis research; looked up other meanings of “420” to celebrate 4/20; presented a primer on quantum physics to determine cannabis’s role in raising someone’s vibration; searched for ways to use cannabis to tap into your natural psychic abilities; uncovered a fascinating intersection of cannabis and Black history related to hair regrowth; applied the psychology of color to deduce which cannabis strains might be preferred by someone based on their eye color; and composed a message of unity by looking for and sharing four commonalities among Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.
Dr. Strainlove and Joel also contributed human interest stories. After explaining what a collector looks for when curating an assembly of glass pipes, Dr. Strainlove invited readers along on his trip to Ontario to discover and learn all he could about bongs in Canada. This includes not only the hardware itself but also the cultural infrastructure sustaining them. Similarly, Joel explained what a “psychonaut” looks for when taking psychedelics in microdoses. He provided helpful guidance and a human-centric appreciation of what goes into microdosing.
Microdosers embrace the chaos that comes with psychedelics and create amazing conversations, as if they are philosophers.” – Joel Darkwah
International Economics and Politics
Kat used her knowledge of Italian to conduct deep research into the Italian government’s efforts to reclassify CBD as a narcotic. She also applied herself diligently to dig up deeply buried details on 10 African nations whose governments are moving toward cannabis market entry.
Head got ahead of the news cycle on this one, exploring Africa’s prospects for canna-business when the economic and political indicators were first emerging.
Legislation, Law Enforcement and Regulations
The U.S. government’s regulation of marijuana was a hot topic all year as Congress flirted with the idea of updating sorely obsolete legislation. AJ wrote about the potential rescheduling of marijuana in the Controlled Substances List from Schedule I to Schedule III. Kat dissected the role that the Schedule I rating plays in harming disabled Americans. To ensure an objective assessment of the legalization debate, however, financial professional Jared Stern provided top-to-bottom analyses of the pros and cons of legalization.
Head covers every angle of the legalization debate. Read it here!
In the realm of law enforcement, Kat evaluated and reported on the first THC breathalyzer, the government’s batch-drug-testing of sewage to determine a city’s cannabis use, and the many ways you can end up getting a false positive on a drug test – as well as how to avoid that. Related to this, AJ covered updates to cannabis regulations in sports. He focused on the wavering harsh stance taken against marijuana in the Olympics, and on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) removal of marijuana from its banned substances list.
Product Reviews
Our own Dr. Strainlove smokes and tells in strain reviews he wrote on Kush Mountains, GM Uh-Oh and Jet Lag OG by Cannabiotix. Also, he delivered a firsthand report on what it’s like to be on a celestial journey with Sky’s Lunar Bubbler. In addition, editor-in-chief Charlotte Parker shared about her favorite edibles.
“Each week, I try to pick apart the mysteries of the most powerful flower I can find on the planet to explore what strange and otherworldly qualities they possess.” – Dr. Strainlove
Conclusion
Did you know a weed magazine could be so eclectic?! And with a whole year ahead of us once more, there’s no telling what we’ll publish in 2025. So, check back often to find out!
Kathleen Hearons is a writer, editor, linguist and voice over actor from Los Angeles. She specializes in creative writing and research-intensive analysis and reporting.
Cited Articles and Suggested Reading
Darkwah, Joel. “Best Strains and Terpenes to Enhance Your Creativity.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/best-strains-and-terpenes-to-enhance-your-creativity/.
Darkwah, Joel. “Cannabis and the Flu – A Good Idea?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/cannabis-and-the-flu-a-good-idea/.
Darkwah, Joel. “High Gains: 3 Tips for Boosting Muscle Recovery in Weightlifting with Cannabis.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/high-gains-3-tips-for-boosting-muscle-recovery-in-weightlifting-with-cannabis/.
Darkwah, Joel. “Indoor vs. Sun-Grown Cannabis: Is There a Difference?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/indoor-vs-sun-grown-cannabis-is-there-a-difference/.
Darkwah, Joel. “Medical Cannabis and Ancient Wisdom.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/medical-cannabis-and-ancient-wisdom/.
Darkwah, Joel. “Microdosing: Just a Trend, or a Shortcut to Deep Thinking?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/microdosing-just-a-trend-or-shortcut-to-deep-thinking/.
Dr. Strainlove. “Bongs of Canada.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/bongs-of-canada/.
Dr. Strainlove. “GM Uh-Oh Strain Review.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/gm-uh-oh-strain-review/.
Dr. Strainlove. “How the ‘Banksy of Bongs’ Elevated the World of Glass Pipes Through Fine Art.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/how-the-banksy-of-bongs-elevated-world-of-glass-pipes-through-fine-art/.
Dr. Strainlove. “How the Sky Glass Lunar Bub Sent Me to Outer Space.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/how-the-sky-glass-lunar-bub-sent-me-to-outer-space/.
Dr. Strainlove. “Jet Lag OG by Cannabiotix: Review.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/jet-lag-og-by-cannabiotix-review/.
Dr. Strainlove. “Kush Mountains Strain – Review.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/kush-mountains-strain-review/.
Favorito, AJ. “Game-Changer: NCAA Removes Marijuana from Banned Substances List.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/game-changer-ncaa-removes-marijuana-from-banned-substances-list/.
Favorito, AJ. “Moving Marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III: A Head Magazine Update.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/moving-marijuana-from-schedule-i-to-schedule-iii/.
Favorito, AJ. “Ricky Williams: From Heisman to Highsman.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/ricky-williams-from-heisman-to-highsman/.
Favorito, AJ. “Portland Pickles Becomes the First Sports Team to Sell THC Drinks at Games.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/portland-pickles-becomes-the-first-sports-team-to-sell-thc-drinks-at-games/.
Favorito, AJ. “Raise Your Glass High: The Future of THC Beverages.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/raise-your-glass-high-the-future-of-thc-beverages/.
Favorito, AJ. “Rosin: Edibles in Their Natural Form.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/rosin-edibles-in-their-natural-form/.
Favorito, AJ. “The Future of Marijuana and the Olympics.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/the-future-of-marijuana-and-the-olympics/.
“Head Magazine 2024 Holiday Gift Guide.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/head-magazine-2024-holiday-gift-guide/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Africa Is Getting Into the Cannabis Game – Get Ready!.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/africa-is-getting-into-the-cannabis-game-get-ready/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Best Cannabis Strain for Your Eye Color?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/best-cannabis-strain-for-your-eye-color-read-on/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Can Cannabis Raise Your Vibration?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/can-cannabis-raise-your-vibration/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Can CBD Reverse Memory Loss?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/can-cbd-reverse-memory-loss/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Can THC Breathalyzer Tests Work for Law Enforcement?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/can-thc-breathalyzer-tests-work-for-law-enforcement/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Cannabis Sativa and the War of 1812: What Might Have Been.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/cannabis-sativa-and-the-war-of-1812-what-might-have-been/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Drug Test with False Positive? Just Say ‘No.”” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/drug-test-with-false-positive-just-say-no/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Entheogens and the Clair Senses: Can Cannabis Tap Into Your Psychic Abilities?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/entheogens-and-the-clair-senses-can-cannabis-tap-into-your-psychic-abilities/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Halloween’s Surprising Origins: From Ancient Samhain to Cannabis Croptober.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/halloweens-surprising-origins-from-ancient-samhain-to-cannabis-croptober/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Happy 4/20! Six More 420s You Might Not Know About.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/happy-4-20-six-more-420s-you-might-not-know-about/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “‘Head Magazine,’ Iconic in the ’70s, Comes Roaring Back as HeadMagazine.com.” khearons.com. Jan. 22, 2020. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://khearons.com/2020/01/22/head-magazine-iconic-in-the-70s-comes-roaring-back-as-headmagazine-com/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “How to Regrow Kinky, Coily and Curly Hair: A Fascinating Intersection of Black History and Cannabis.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/how-to-regrow-kinky-coily-and-curly-hair-a-fascinating-intersection-of-black-history-and-cannabis/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Ireland’s Miracle Flower Is Cannabis’s Sister From Another Mother.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/irelands-miracle-flower-is-cannabiss-sister-from-another-mother/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Is Drug-Testing Sewage a Good Way to Determine a City’s Weed Habits?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/is-drug-testing-sewage-a-good-way-to-determine-a-citys-weed-habits/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Italy Pushes to Reclassify CBD as Narcotic.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/italy-pushes-to-reclassify-cbd-as-narcotic/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Light Up Halloween Month with Spooky Spliffs, Eerie Edibles, Frightful Farms and More!.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/light-up-october-with-spooky-spliffs/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Listen to Your Father – 3 Things the ‘Father of Cannabis Research’ Taught Us.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/listen-to-your-father-3-things-the-father-of-cannabis-research-taught-us/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Marijuana and the Americans with Disabilities Act: How Does the Controlled Substances Act Affect Disabled Americans?.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/marijuana-and-the-americans-with-disabilities-act-how-does-the-controlled-substances-act-affect-disabled-americans/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Plastic Pollution and the Weed Solution.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/plastic-pollution-and-the-weed-solution/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Weed Words Enter American Sign Language: Cannabis Subculture Blooms in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/weed-terms-are-entering-american-sign-language/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “When Did Cannabis Become the Bad Guy? What We Didn’t Know.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/when-did-cannabis-become-the-bad-guy/.
Hearons, Kathleen. “Why Raw Cannabis Is a Thanksgiving Must-Have.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/why-raw-cannabis-is-a-thanksgiving-must-have/.
Parker, Charlotte. “Head Magazine Goes to the 2024 National Cannabis Industry Lobby Days in Washington, D.C.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/head-magazine-goes-to-the-2024-national-cannabis-industry-lobby-days-in-washington-d-c/.
Parker, Charlotte. “Head Magazine Goes to the Awakening 2024 Psychedelic Conference.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/head-magazine-goes-to-the-awakening-2024-psychedelic-conference/.
Parker, Charlotte. “Head Magazine Goes to the Hall of Flowers.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/head-magazine-goes-to-the-hall-of-flowers/.
Parker, Charlotte. “My Favorite Edibles.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/my-favorite-edibles/.
Parker, Charlotte. “The True Story of How I Started Head Magazine: Part One.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/the-true-story-of-how-i-started-head-magazine-part-one/.
Rock, David. “Are You There, God? It’s Mostly Me, Gavannah Suthrie: A Deeply Pointless and Spiritually Shallow Exploration of Gavannah Suthrie’s New York Times Bestseller ‘Mostly What God Does: Reflections on Seeking and Finding His Love Everywhere.’ PLUS – The Blunt Truth Publishes a Page of ‘His’ Day Calendar to See Mostly What God Does, Actually!” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/are-you-there-god-its-mostly-me-gamantha-suthrie/.
Stern, Jared. “Pros and Cons of Marijuana Legalization.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 22, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/pros-and-cons-of-marijuana-legalization/.
Weech, Andrew. “CBD vs. THC.” Head Magazine. Accessed Dec. 23, 2024. https://headmagazine.com/cbd-vs-thc/
