A self-described “old head,” Kurt Lane has been a passionate Cannabis consumer for much of his life – smoking on both classic and exotic cultivars, from flower to dabs, over the years. Having witnessed the taboo nature of the plant finally begin to wane, he’s looking forward to the next chapter in Maryland’s Cannabis story – where his expertise can reach an even wider audience.
What is it like seeing Maryland moving into adult use this year?
It’s been a long time coming. It’s been way too long and we’ve watched other states just soar over us with their programs. It feels like we finally got our time now. I’m an old head and I also worked in the liquor industry for a minute, and it was weird to sit there and sell that but be ostracized for smoking Cannabis.
How long have you been in the industry? How have you seen it change?
I’ve been in the industry for almost four years. I’ve watched it grow, and honestly I think it’s grown for the better. I see out-of-state markets that are trying to turn their dispensaries into Walgreens – they have a weird cookie-cutter corporate structure, and there is no research into the culture. Here, we do work with the Last Prisoner Project, community cleanup and food drives, among other charity work. I see this industry as very strong because although there are corporate entities in Maryland, their shops still feel like a mom-and-pop store because of the people. Maryland takes care of its own.
What kind of music do you listen to? Do you have a favorite artist?
I like heavy and interesting music. Deftones, Gojira, Meshuggah – I like bands that are heavy but have something unique, like a weird time signature or a saxophone. I’ve seen the Deftones probably a dozen times and I used to love Ozzfest when it was around because you not only got to see bands you liked, but ended up stumbling upon a bunch of new ones.
How was your 4/20?
Packed, but I’ll be honest: It was the best one yet. It gets busier every year, but also calmer every year and we’re not taboo anymore. Remember that channel G4? Maybe 10-15 years ago in the mid-2000s they said, ‘Happy 4/20 everybody, we’re doing a 4/20 day’ – and they played ‘Half Baked’ and some other stuff. It was before legalization and they were just like, ‘Are we allowed to do this?’ They just took this bold stand of ‘It’s 4/20. deal with it.’ Now it’s our day and it’s cool, but not taboo.
What is your favorite activity to accompany smoking Cannabis?
My biggest thing is I like to get ripped, put on some old ‘90s hip-hop, and just power through some Mario Kart. You know what I’m saying? Get a nice bean bag, turn the lights down low, I’ve got a colored lamp in the background of my room. I’ll lean back, put on some headphones and listen to things like ‘Illmatic’ (Nas), ‘Aquemini’ (Outkast) … all the old school stuff, nothing past 2001.
What are some of your favorite products on the shelves right now?
I’ve really liked the Trulieve Cultivar Collection. I got the Animal Mints crossed with Bubba Kush from them and it was amazing. Culta’s Hot Mint Sundae is excellent. I also love my classics like Deadband #7 from Evermore. My favorite concentrate right now is the Lucky Orchard Cold Cure Rosin from Evermore – it’s unmistakable. As soon as I put it in my [Puffco] Peak, it even bubbles differently.
