48 Dec 28th, 2023–Jan 3rD, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) THE BEST AROUND? 2023 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID SPORT L 2023 HONDA ACCORD HYBRID SPORT L H onda might have just onda might have just made the best all made the best all around sedan on the around sedan on the market. The Toyota Camry market. The Toyota Camry continues to be the top selling continues to be the top selling midsize car in the United midsize car in the United States by quite a large margin States by quite a large margin but Honda has grown over 33% but Honda has grown over 33% in sales from last year and the in sales from last year and the Hybrid Sport L is a large factor. Hybrid Sport L is a large factor. As the economy tightens up, As the economy tightens up, gas prices continue to be gas prices continue to be ridiculously high and prices of ridiculously high and prices of parts and labor at the shop get parts and labor at the shop get out of hand, the 2023 Honda out of hand, the 2023 Honda Accord might be the best Accord might be the best purchase you can make in the purchase you can make in the new car market. new car market. All Accords look great All Accords look great outside. The Sport looks even outside. The Sport looks even better with its alloy wheels, rear better with its alloy wheels, rear spoiler and power moonroof. spoiler and power moonroof. The interior is spacious and The interior is spacious and comfortable but also has some comfortable but also has some nice technology and luxury nice technology and luxury touches with leather seats and touches with leather seats and steering wheel, touchscreen steering wheel, touchscreen infotainment and driver infotainment and driver attention monitoring along with attention monitoring along with rear cross traffic monitoring rear cross traffic monitoring which helps out greatly in which helps out greatly in parking garages and lots. parking garages and lots. Now to the value. The Now to the value. The 2.0-liter, four cylinder engine 2.0-liter, four cylinder engine delivers an AMAZING 46/41 delivers an AMAZING 46/41 MPG which is something MPG which is something all vehicles should strive to all vehicles should strive to achieve. The price tag of achieve. The price tag of $35,425 is jaw dropping for the $35,425 is jaw dropping for the full package. Safety, comfort, full package. Safety, comfort, fuel economy and ample cargo fuel economy and ample cargo room and the reliability and room and the reliability and quality that Honda has always quality that Honda has always delivered. Watch out, Camry, delivered. Watch out, Camry, the Honda is coming for you. the Honda is coming for you. Comfort: Value: Fuel Economy: Looks: The Drive: Safety & Security: Overall: Sound System: Bells & Whistles: High Notes Celebrating this year’s 3 biggest moments in Arizona cannabis. BY PHOENIX NEW TIMES WRITERS F rom heated debates about the safety of consuming delta-8 products to legislation to reduce the cost of medical marijuana cards, cannabis was a hot topic in 2023. Phoenix edible-makers RR Brothers debuted a new line of functional fungi gummies and the Flower Shop introduced a women-centric line of products called Ladylike. Tempe’s Sonoran Roots was also named one of the fastest-growing compa- nies in U.S. by Inc. magazine. The continued expansion of the Arizona cannabis market made it difficult to curate the biggest moments in cannabis this year. But after much deliberation, we settled on the following three moments. Arizona cannabis sales top $1 billion (again) Arizona legalized recreational cannabis by passing Proposition 207 in November 2020, and since then, the state has seen record- setting sales. For the third year in a row, recreational cannabis sales topped $1 billion, making Arizona one of eight states to hit the billion-dollar mark. Of those, Arizona has the second newest recreational market. Missouri, which legalized recreational cannabis in 2023, is the youngest market. In 2022, recreational sales reached $950 million and accounted for 70% of total sales. By comparison, medical marijuana brought in slightly more than $500 million. In 2023, the medical market continued to plummet, bringing in $267 million through September, while recreational cannabis sales totaled $797 million. Additionally, the excise tax on adult-use marijuana sales yielded about $406.3 million through November. Final totals for 2023 won’t be released by the Arizona Department of Revenue until after the new year. Cookies comes to the Valley Parking enforcement, or rather the lack of enforcement, on South Hardy Drive in Tempe was a hot topic on June 24. That’s because the iconic California-based cannabis brand Cookies had opened shop, and stoners of every ilk wanted to be at the grand opening — even if it meant parking on sidewalks, in front of turn lanes and on private property. For those lucky enough to avoid being towed, the event was lit, with the company’s enigmatic founder, Berner, even making an appearance. “You know, I grew up in Chandler, and Arizona has always been a big part of who I am,” Berner told Phoenix New Times. “I am proud to be bringing Cookies to the Valley.” Cookies’ expansion into Arizona was made possible by a partnership with Alicia Deals, who was awarded a social equity cannabis license in 2022. Deals was one of just 26 applicants — out of a pool of 1,301 — to be randomly selected for the licenses. Arizona to spend $5 million studying magic mushrooms In May, Arizona lawmakers successfully lobbied to use $5 million of the state’s nearly $18 billion budget. Although it was a fraction of the $30 million the failed HB 2486 proposed, it still put Arizona on the map as the first state to publicly fund research into natural psilocybin. “There’s never been a single controlled study on the planet looking at whole mushrooms, which is what people are taking day-to-day,” Sue Sisley, a doctor and president of the nonprofit Field to Healed Foundation, which conducts studies on plant medicines and psychedelics, told Phoenix New Times in May. The state’s psilocybin research efforts will assess the efficacy of mushrooms to treat a variety of ailments. While there’s no scientific proof yet, patient experience suggests that in addition to pain and PTSD, mushrooms can help treat addiction, anxiety, eating disorders, long COVID and chronic pain. Top: Cookies and its billion dollar brand opened in the Valley in June. Bottom: Jon Pilkington surveys the growth of TruMed’s plants inside the company’s Phoenix facility in April. (Photos by O’Hara Shipe) | CANNABIS |
