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Lifestyle

Leafly’s top stories of 2021

Leafly StaffPublished on December 21, 2021
top leafly stories 2021 collage
(Sasha Beck/Leafly)

While COVID was still grabbing headlines in 2021, the weed industry was flourishing. More states —like Arizona— opened weed stores. Other states like—like Montana, New Jersey, and New York— inched closer and closer to opening weed businesses to consumers. And all kinds of new products, like delta-8 and delta-10, came onto the market.  

At the end of 2021, 18 states have recreational cannabis and 37 have medical cannabis. The legalization dominoes are continuing to fall, but prohibitionists still have sway in several states.

Legalization news continues to capture our readers’ interest, as well as the interest of our entire nation, and Leafly’s Editorial team was there to cover weed politics and culture’s biggest moments. From legalization to weed trends, strains, current events, and more, check out our top stories of 2021.


2021 was the year of the novel cannabinoids

Delta-8 stole the show in 2021, but did you hear about delta-10 and THC-O? Products with these novel cannabinoids flooded the market in 2021 because their gray legality makes them more accessible to consumers in states where other types of cannabis are against the law.

The popularity of novel cannabinoids was a huge trend, and we published explainer pieces on several that came onto the scene. We even tried some out. Anything for our readers.

Learn more about novel cannabinoids before the Feds and individual states ban them.

What is delta-8? image
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What is delta-8?
Leafly Staff
March 31, 2021
I tried delta-8 THC: Here's what it feels like image
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I tried delta-8 THC: Here’s what it feels like
Danté Jordan
April 14, 2021
What is delta-10? image
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What is delta-10?
Pat Goggins
August 26, 2021
Meet THC-O, a hemp-derived compound 3x stronger than THC image
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Meet THC-O, a hemp-derived compound 3x stronger than THC
Max Savage Levenson
August 19, 2021
Check out more on Leafly Learn

Current events in the weed world

Our News team kept busy in 2021 covering cannabis legalization and all the harebrained ideas and wild trends happening in weed.

Whose idea was it to create the weed version of cocaine? Why are blunt wraps getting outlawed? And sadly, it’s only a matter of time before Amazon starts selling weed.

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We also covered: which states will legalize next, an analysis of US Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer’s Federal weed bill, and Republicans start to get in the weed game. 

Neat idea, Canna Bumps: Thanks for keeping marijuana illegal image
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Neat idea, Canna Bumps: Thanks for keeping marijuana illegal
Bruce Barcott
May 3, 2021
FDA to ban Backwoods, Swishers, all flavored blunt wraps image
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FDA to ban Backwoods, Swishers, all flavored blunt wraps
David Downs
April 30, 2021
Yes, Amazon will sell weed. Stop worrying and start acting image
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Yes, Amazon will sell weed. Stop worrying and start acting
Bruce Barcott
June 2, 2021
These states could legalize cannabis next in 2022 image
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These states could legalize cannabis next in 2022
Jon Campbell
October 25, 2021
Chuck Schumer unveils marijuana bill that would end federal prohibition, finally image
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Chuck Schumer unveils marijuana bill that would end federal prohibition, finally
Bruce Barcott
July 14, 2021
Here’s what’s in the new Republican marijuana legalization bill image
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Here’s what’s in the new Republican marijuana legalization bill
Calvin Stovall
November 15, 2021
Check out more on Leafly News

What strains are people smoking in 2021?

Our readers love hearing about strains and we love trying them! 

We predicted what seeds and strains we all were likely to see more of at the beginning of the year, covered actor Seth Rogan’s new weed brand, and if you haven’t read it yet, check out our monthly strain series on the hottest in Cali pot, Leafly Buzz.

We also updated our 100 best strains list to reflect current tastes and trends. If you’re yearning for sunny days by the pool, look back at our Strains of summer. Or check out what Leafly staff was smoking in 2021.

Leafly's 100 best cannabis strains of all time image
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Leafly’s 100 best cannabis strains of all time
Leafly Staff
August 23, 2021
8 cannabis cultivars trending up in 2021 image
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8 cannabis cultivars trending up in 2021
David Downs
January 7, 2021
The best new cannabis strains to grow in 2021 image
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The best new cannabis strains to grow in 2021
David Downs
February 25, 2021
Best cannabis strains of summer 2021 image
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Strains & products
Best cannabis strains of summer 2021
David Downs
June 16, 2021
Seth Rogen’s new Houseplant cannabis unboxed and reviewed image
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Strains & products
Seth Rogen’s new Houseplant cannabis unboxed and reviewed
Mary Jane Gibson
March 18, 2021
Find the right strain for you
Related
The Leafly Strain of the Year 2021 is Dosidos!

All the best ways to get high

We all love getting high, but everyone experiences it differently. This year, some of our top pieces were informational articles on the nature of getting high, like different types of highs and the best strains for them highs, and how long a weed high lasts.

We also covered: why weed gummies are so popular, and see what happens when one of our writers took 10 times more THC than planned. 

5 types of weed highs and the best strains for them image
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5 types of weed highs and the best strains for them
Danté Jordan
March 10, 2021
I ate 10 times more THC than I planned. Here’s what happened image
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I ate 10 times more THC than I planned. Here’s what happened
Amanda Siebert
May 21, 2021
How long will a weed high last? image
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How long will a weed high last?
Bruce Barcott
April 14, 2021
Why are gummies the most popular weed edible? image
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Why are gummies the most popular weed edible?
Danté Jordan
January 26, 2021

Those were our heavy-hitters for the year, reflecting the latest in legalization and trends, but by no means all of what we published.

Check out Leafly News and Learn for more current events and information on cannabis, and we’ll see you in 2022!

Have a favorite Leafly story from 2021 that wasn’t listed? Post it in the comments or tweet us about it @Leafly!

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consumption methodsdelta-8legalizationpoliticsstrains
Leafly Staff
Leafly Staff
Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource, empowering people in legal cannabis markets to learn about the right products for their lifestyle and wellness needs. Our team of cannabis professionals collectively share years of experience in all corners of the market, from growing and retail, to science and medicine, to data and technology.
View Leafly Staff's articles

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