Cannabis Connoisseurship for Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas
Super Bowl LVIII is right around the corner with an epic rematch featuring the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. I grew up in Olathe, KS, outside of Kansas City and have been a Chiefs fan through it all. It’s been interesting living here in Vegas, the heart of Raiders nation, as a Chiefs fan the last few years. I can’t complain because the Chiefs are on a roll making the playoffs consistently with Mahomes, Kelce and team doing good things on the field. About half a million people are expected to travel down here for the game to celebrate and watch this year's finest teams duel it out. My family will be decked out in red and making Kansas City style BBQ. I won’t predict the score on this one, but I will predict that the cannabis dispensaries will be very busy for this event. If you’re a cannabis consumer and planning to travel down here to witness Chiefs Kingdom history, you’ll want to roll up, vape or eat some quality cannabis to enhance the experience.
Where and How to Find Cannabis in Las Vegas
An ounce of preparation is a pound of cure. Dispensaries are up and down the strip not far from the hotels and casinos. If you’re staying anywhere in Las Vegas, one or more dispensaries will be waiting for you within 15-20 min walk/rideshare. Thanks to cannabis being deemed a necessary business, delivery in Vegas is booming and commonplace for cannabis deliveries, but you cannot order a delivery to the hotel/casino. Delivery is only an option if you’re staying with locals or staying in an airbnb or other properties. A physical address is required for delivery, but the convenience is worth it. I would put in an order as early as possible the Friday or Saturday before the Super Bowl. Delivery is great here in the city, but it is not timely. It could take anywhere from 4 to 8 hours for it to arrive.
If you’re staying in hotels or casinos, then you’ll need to make a trip to a dispensary nearby to pickup. Depending on when you land for some consumers, it can make sense to take a rideshare directly to the dispensary before going to the casino. The purchase limits here have recently doubled so folks should be able to pick up enough product for the weekend (~2.5 oz of flower or 7 grams of concentrate). I’d recommend going quickly, because of these increased purchase limits, the city of Vegas is going to be making some serious cannabis purchases over the next few days. You don’t want to end up with mids watching Mahomes get another ring.
Pre Game like a Pro
There won’t be any consumption-friendly areas in or around Allegiant Stadium, so you’ll have to do some planning around consumption for the big game. If you’re flying in with a vape or other device, you’ll be set for the pre-game because you can buy flower/concentrate. If you’re not bringing any tools with you, then you’ll want to buy a small pipe or papers to roll joints for the weekend. The alternative route here is to buy live resin cartridges, edibles and tinctures. Products like this don’t require the gear to appreciate; you can eat some gummies or discreetly puff a vaporizer when needed.
My preference as a cannabis connoisseur and recommendation would be a mix of products for the weekend, not only because the products are unique in their effects and durations, but because you’re not in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl every day. I would grab a live resin cart or two along with a battery first of all. The convenience factor here is undisputed; .5 gram live resin carts are anywhere from 15 to 40 dollars at the moment. Depending on your use, they can last quite a while. But if you don’t want to run out and have to get to another dispensary at the last minute, then I’d suggest getting rolling papers and trying some flower. My favorite brand here in Las Vegas is Polaris, and my top recommendation would be the Head Cheese. It’s terpene profile is through the roof, but they have good sativa leaning entries as well. Polaris is cured well, which is key out here, and they have had the highest terpene flower the last year or so.
The top three terpenes are all listed on products here, so ask your budtender to flip the jars. It can be daunting at first to choose a good strain based on these numbers. You’ll see something like Myrcene 8mg/g (often over 25 mg/g for Polaris Head Cheese!). A good rule of thumb is look for products with one terp hitting double digits. If it’s Limonene, maybe keep looking, as Limonene is much more bark than bite. If you see Myrcene or Caryophyllene around 10 mg/g, or even Terpinolene or Humulene if you’re lucky, then consider that flower a quality smoke. If you don’t roll, then learn after the game and grab some pre-rolls instead. Having a few to celebrate will be ideal. You can find budget or premium options in this category with terps on the label.
Next, I’d grab some maintenance products. Without open consumption, if you’re anything like me, you may want to still be partaking. This can be done with edibles and tinctures. They take longer to kick in, but in turn last longer. Keep in mind, this is not the time to try edibles for the first time; you don’t want to sleep through the 4th quarter. Know your limits on these but taking some tincture or gummies beforehand could be a good plan. There are plenty of cannabis beverages to try as well.
Now it depends on your level of planned consumption, but that’s a great starting point. If you’re an experienced consumer, you may want to double that order or if you come from other cannabis markets you may already know the deal. Prepare for slightly higher prices on premium products here in Vegas dispensaries on or near the strip. Deals are your friend; look for promotions and use those to get what you need.
1. Did you bring a piece? If so, grab plenty of flower and concentrate to see you through, but remember convenience and the restrictions around Vegas on open consumption.
2. Grab 1-2 .5g live resin carts and a battery if needed.
3. Try some of the city's best flower if you can find the brand Polaris and/or get pre-rolls.
4. Buy at least 1 tincture or pack of edibles for maintenance and longer durations.
5. Consider trying a THC beverage and anything else that catches your eye; it’s Vegas!
Summary
Know your limits. Don’t push them the night of the game, wait until the next day for that. Make sure to shop early when you arrive in the city, and plan for long lines or delivery times. Don’t try to order delivery to your hotel, they need a local address to proceed. Also, remember that the terps don’t lie, check them and look for flower with at least one terpene in the double digits like 11mg/g of Myrcene. Keep maintenance in mind because you can’t smoke in casinos or the stadium, so edibles and tinctures can come in clutch. If you’re buying flower or pre-rolls, look for Polaris first and if you’re buying premium concentrates prepare for high prices. Enjoy the city and stop by the Sphere while you’re at it. Have fun, be safe, but most importantly, GO CHIEFS!