Category Archives: Product Review

Humboldt Apothecary Relax CBD Cannabis-Infused Tincture Review

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Humboldt Apothecary makes a variety of tinctures in varying formulas. Their Relax CBD formula provides 6.3mg of CBD and 2.1mg of THC in each dose.

This cannabis-infused tincture is made with coconut oil and vitamin E, flavored with essential oils of lavender, basil, bergamot and sweet orange. Each of their formulas is designed for specific effects, such as sleep support and this one is designed to both relax and provide CBD effects such as helping with inflammation. Zero alcohol, zero carbs, vegan, gluten-free and sugar free.

Packaging

Relax CBD, like most of the Humboldt Apothecary tinctures, comes in a standard sized glass bottle with a child-proof lid opening mechanism. Similar to some prescription bottles, you have to push the cap down to open it. Since the cap is quite small, it can be difficult for folks with limited hand movement to open the cap. It takes some strength even if you don’t have had mobility issues. I would love to see a larger cap that is easier to grip for folks with arthritis or other movement restricting conditions

The lid conatins a dropper, with graduated indications for 0.5 and 1.0 mg. It can be a challange to fill up the dropper with a full dose of 1mg, so I find it easier to use the 0.5 mark to measure out a dose. As with all cannabis infused products you ingest, always try half of your usual dose first. Each product reacts differently to our unique body chemistry.

Dosing & Taste

I first tried half of a dose – 0.5mg – from the dropper, under my tongue. The packaging suggests that you can administer the tincture that way or in a favorite beverage or even in a recipe.

I first tried half dose, containing around 3.1mg CBD and 1mg THC on a half-full stomach in the afternoon and I could start to feel the effects within half an hour. It was a very mid, relaxed feeling with no dramatic effects. The effects lasted a few hours and indicated a full dose would be appropriate to try.

The tincture has a lavender-basil-bergamot flavor with a slight cannabis taste, so I was fine not to cover up the flavor with anything. I actually love the flavor as I’m a fan of lavender in general, including teas and baked goods.

Effects

These tinctures are specially formulated to be terpene-rich, using specific chemicals that occur in cannabis to tailor the effects of the tincture. When combined with other ingredients that have similar chemical properties, in this case with the lavender and basil, it creates a more tailored effect than you get with products made with a mix of random hybrid strains.

After my initial test dose indicated that the effects were mild for me, I tried a full dose, 6.3mg of CBD and 2.1mg of THC. My average dose for edibles is 10mg of THC, so I didn’t expect much of the THC effects I get with a higher THC dose. I also aim for about 10mg of CBD when I’m looking for pain relief or other CBD effects. I always want a CBD product with THC, as the two compounds complement each other. I get much more relief from CBD when it is combined with THC at a low ration, like the 3:1 in Relax CBD.

Initial effects for me were relaxation and Indica-type effects of a very mild heavy head. I was concerned the effects would be the same as a depressant like alcohol at first. Then the heavy head went away and the relaxation stayed.

I experienced a good solid body effect, like I would expect from a strain that is good for relaxing the body without drowsiness. The head was not spacey or spaced out, I was able to make dinner without a problem. I did experience a slight increase in my senses as I have with some edibles and tinctures. A slight uplift in mood was a pleasant addition to the anti-inflammation and calming CBD effects.

I found one full dose was perfect for a noticeable, relaxing effect that was very functional. For those days when I am especially stressed or want a stronger impact, I’m okay with adding another quarter or half a dose to increase the effect, now that I know what is a solid dose for me.

I am especially sensitive to the Indica type of effects from some products that can make me feel dull headed or sleepy or even create couch-lock. I like that Relax CBD tincture provides solid relaxation without strongly sedating me. I can be functional even if I’m not especially feeling energetic, and I could kick back on the couch or be talked into a nap if I felt like going that way too.

Relax CBD tincture is most appropriate for times when you are feeling anxious or stressed or for that time of day when you want to relax and unwind. I found it perfect for calming down after watching the news, or for a relaxing dinner and a movie without couch lock or passing out.

Strength: 8

Flavor: 9

Website: https://humboldt-apothecary.com/relax-cbd/


Ay Papi Tide Cannabis Infused Gummies Review

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Ay Papi Cannabis Infused Gummies line of edibles are made with single-origin live rosin and provide the strain specific taste and experience we love.

These edibles won Gold at 2025 California State Fair and 1st Place at the 2024 Emerald Cup. They come in different flavor and effect combinations, we tried Sour Diesel version, but others include Paradise Rose and Whitethorn Rose. The Whitethorn Rose cultivar, for example crosses Paradise Punch x Lemon OG, resulting in a delightful blend of sweet, fruity, citrus, berry terpenes, complemented by earthy aromatics and a sweet umami funk. Our Sour Diesel had a pronounced rosin taste, balanced with a fruity citric acid flavor

Each gummy has 10mg of THC per serving, for a total of 100mg THC per package. They use solventless single origin live rosin to infuse the properties of specific strains.

Ay Papi Live Rosin Vegan Gummies

The package is a standard plastic pouch with a ziplock closure inside.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the container is a mix of rosin and a mild fruit smell. Ay Papi gummies are made with limited vegan ingredients without artificial colors or flavors.

Unlike the Kiva Camino gummies which are smooth and see-through, these have a more of an opaque appearance and a sugar-covered texture. They are easy to bite through and chew with a pleasant mouth feel.

These gummies contain sugar, tapioca syrup, water, pectin, citric acid, sodium citrate and strain-specific cannabis extract. Since they don’t contain gelatin, they are vegan friendly which is always a cruelty-free plus.

They are gluten free, and dairy free, and nut free. The gummies are not individually wrapped and need to be cut in half for a 5mg dose or in quarters for a 2.5mg dose. They are soft and round so it is quite easy cutting them in half. They are a bit sticky from the sugar coating but still easy to portion.

As we always recommend with new edibles, try half of your usual dose before trying a full dose as you never know how strong something will effect you. The gummies are easy to cut or bite in half to give a 5mg dose of THC, then to split again for a 2.5mg dose. As everyone is different, it’s important to try a partial dose first to see how you react to new edibles.

Since I am experienced with edibles and my usual dose is 10mg of THC, I began with half of a half of one piece, with 5mg THC. After having only light effects for that trial run, I then moved closer to my usual dose on another day, taking one whole gummy for a total dose of 10mg THC. I still found the effects on the mild side, so I found that for me a 12.5 mg dose gives me a solid strength effect.

Ay Papi Live Rosin Vegan Gummies

Effects

The effects were along the lines of what you’d expect from a Sativa. This is why we love strain specific edibles, as they deliver impacts close to what you would expert from the flower. As is usual with a Sativa strain like Sour Diesel, we found the effects to be energetic, creative and a little bit spacey. The impacts are perfect for being able to function well with a boost of expansion for the head. The effects I experienced were closely aligned with the effects I’ve enjoyed with Sour Diesel flower, with very little body focused effects.

While these are not super stars when it comes to flavor, the strain specific effects are what we love when we want to elevate. Ay Papi cannabis edibles do a great job with elevating and the flavor is mild and true to the strain.

Available in California.

Taste: 5

Strength: 8

Website: https://aypapi.co/

Ript Pucked Up Peach Sour Sativa Cannabis Infused Gummies Review

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RIPT fast-acting gummies line of edibles come in nine different flavor and effect combinations, They have both sweet and sour versions for Sativa, Indica and Hybrid, as well as three with CBD. Their CBD gummies come in formulas with CBN, CBG and CBC. For this review we’ll share our experience with Pucked Up Peach sour Sativa gummies

The big selling point for these gummies is the affordable price. We found them for 20-30% less than other gummies. In one place, where high end rosin gummies were near $20 and other gummies were $15, these sold for less than 10 dollars. Each gummy has 10mg of THC per serving, for a total of 100mg THC per package.

Ript Pucked Up Peach Fast acting our sativa gummies package. A lime green quare plastic pouch wioth a square label in orange and yellow with the product name
RIPT Pucked Up Peach

The package is a typical pouch where you pull open the top then need to pull apart the interior zip lock. Inside are the gummies and they hardly take up half of the package, not sure why there is so much extra packaging.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the container is a strong fruit smell. Ript gummies are made with citric acid and natural flavors, so you are not going to get authentic, true-to-fruit flavor. Like many gummies you get a pleasant candy-like flavor, plus they are coated in sugar so when handling them you get that finger licking thing going on.

Unlike the Kiva Camino gummies which are smooth and see-through, these have a more of a fruit chew appearance and a sugar-covered texture. They are easy to bite through, are soft and have a pleasant mouth feel.

These gummies contain Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Ripple (Water, Gum Arabic, Cannabanoid Extract, MCT Oil) Contains 2% or less of Natural Flavoring, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Pectin, Trisodium Citrate Dihydrate, Sodium Hydrate Malate and Vegetable Juice (for color) Since they contain gelatin, they are not vegan friendly which is always a minus.

They are gluten free, and dairy free, and nut free. The gummies are not individually wrapped and need to be cut in half for a 5mg dose or in quarters for a 2.5mg dose. They are soft and round so it is quite easy cutting them in half.

As we always recommend with new edibles, try half of your usual dose before trying a full dose as you never know how strong something will effect you. The gummies are easy to cut or bite in half to give a 5mg dose of THC, then to split them in half again for a 2.5mg dose. As everyone is different, it’s important to try a partial dose first to see how you react to new edibles.

Since I am experienced with edibles and my usual dose is 10mg of THC, I began with half of one piece, with 5mg THC. After having only light effects for that trial run, I then moved closer to my usual dose on another day, taking one whole gummy for a total dose of 10mg THC. I still found the effects on the mild side, so I found that for me adding one of the quarter pieces of 2.5mg plus a 10 mg piece provided a 12.5 mg dose which gives me a solid strength effect. I sometimes use one and a one half pieces for a 15mg dose of THC when I want a much stronger effect, or if I have recently eaten, or if I’ve taken CBD, all of which can tamp down the effects for me. As always, start low and go slow.

Effects

The effects were along the lines of what you’d expect from a Sativa. Mildly uplifting, a bit energetic, creative and a little bit spacey. The impacts are fine for being able to function well with a boost of expansion for the head. The effects I experienced were closely aligned with the effects I’ve enjoyed with similar Sativa gummies, but for me I found a little more body focused effects than with most pure Sativa gummies.

Nice smell, candy like fruit flavor profiles and predictable effects are what these edibles provide when we want to elevate. Ript certainly offers an very affordable experience, and these cannabis edibles do an okay job that is easy on the wallet.

Currently available only in Colorado.

Taste: 5

Strength: 5

Website: https://www.getript.ninja/

Dr. Norms Originals Cannabis Infused Sativa Vegan Cookie Review

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Dr Norms makes five flavors of their Original cookies, including the Sativa Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip flavor I tried. The other flavors are not vegan, and they do have one gluten-free cookie that is Indica, so if you want an Indica cookie that is vegan or a Sativa cookie that is gluten free, you will have to look elsewhere.

I prefer edibles that indicate the strain name (Sour Diesel, OG Kush, Romulan, etc.) but I appreciate when they are labeled Sativa, Indica or Hybrid as these cookies are. Also appreciate offering a cookie that is vegan and one that is gluten-free, though having each in both Indica and Sativa would be an improvement.

Most of the cookie flavors come in 100mg packages with 10mg of THC per cookie. Dr. Norms also makes a 20mg dose cookie and a Max cookie of 100mg – both of those should only be used by folks very experienced with edibles. They also make gummies, brownies and other edibles.

Packaging is easy to read and fairly easy to open, with a child proof mechanism similar to how many edibles bags work, using a thumb to grab one side while pulling open the other side. The closure is sturdy and easy to re-close. The cookies are loose inside, not individually packaged.

All of the ingredients are ones you have heard of, with no hard-to-pronounce chemicals, artificial colors or flavors. I also like how the package back comes with the reminder that with edibles you can always eat more but you can never eat less.

Taste

I appreciate that the bag claims you will taste the cookie and not the Cannabis and it is true, no strong cannabis flavor. Unfortunately, these are not great tasting cookies. The cookies look and smell fine, like a good quality crunchy cookie. There is a tiny bit of chew but it is mostly a crumbly butter cookie. They have a very nice peanut butter cookie taste with chocolate chips, sugar and butter the predominant flavors. I hardly was able to taste the cannabis, which for folks who don’t like that taste is a big positive. Even the aftertaste was butter cookie, not THC.

Effects

Within 30 minutes I started to feel the effects of a mild buzz. It remained on the mild side. It was hard for me to tell from the effects if this was an Indica or Sativa. I felt a little relaxed but not a lot. I did not feel the uplift, energy or focus I normally get from a Sativa edible. These seem to be a balanced mild hybrid with a slight cerebral high and a mild relaxing body high. I tried these several times in the afternoon and they did not give me a strong head high or any significant body effect, just a slight stoned feeling.

If you are sensitive to THC, if you are new to edibles or just prefer a mild effect, these could be a good product for you in terms of effects. Try half a cookie for a 5mg dose first to see how you are impacted. I prefer my effects to be more noticeable, to give me a decent strength either in the direction of energy and creativity or in the direction of relaxation or pain relief. I did not find any strong effects with these at my usual dose. These could be perfect for folks who get strong effects from a dose smaller than 10mg or who are looking for a mild buzz.

Not a great tasting edible but vegan, using real ingredients with a mild hybrid sativa effect.

Flavor: 2

Strength: 4

Website: https://www.drnorms.la/

Dixie Synergy CBD:THC Balm Review

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Dixie’s Synergy Relief Balm is infused with 50mg each of THC and CBD in the 1.7 ounce package. Its focus is on easing deep muscle aches, joint pain, and inflammation. Dixie says is is ideal for joint mobility, muscle relaxation, easing acute muscle and nerve pain.

Dosing

Since it is a balm and not divided into doses, it can be difficult to get the dose right. For example, if my usual dose is 10mg and the package contains 50mg, does that mean I need to use one fifth of the product? It has the consistency of a balm and is in a container you cannot see through, so trying to get the dose right could be a challenge. As with all edibles, tinctures, patches, creams and balms, it is best to start with a small amount.

Try a little on your skin just to see if you notice any effect and to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction, since some folks have sensitive skin. Like all topicals, since it is absorbed through the skin and not into the bloodstream, it doesn’t produce the psychoactive effects typically associated with THC.

Dixie Balm Synergy ReliefProduct

This product is vegetarian friendly and it contains beeswax, so it may not be suitable for vegans that don’t consume honey or other animal products. It is based in infused olive oil, with other oils such as cocoa butter and castor seed oil. Along with the THC and CBD oil are various essential oils including rosemary, lavender, cedar wood, and pine. The smell is nice and mild, with the fragrances of the lavender, and other oils without any of the camphor or other strong smells in other topicals and transdermals.

While the oils make for good moisturizing, they leave the skin greasy initially. The greasy film gets absorbed eventually but it does linger for quite a while. Don’t put on any delicate fabric like silk on over this balm unless you want grease stains on your clothes. Expect to leave greasy hand prints around too, so be sure to wash your hands after you use the balm.

Effects

I tried the balm on a variety of muscle and nerve pain points. I found it to be effective when used on specific types of pain, such as nerve pain in my feet and muscle pain in my leg. I found it less effective treating joint pain or anything deeper than surface muscle and nerve pain. It’s hard for a topical to penetrate deep into joints from the skin and I didn’t find it effective for that type of pain. While I wasn’t able to dispense the product in any type of consistent dose, I found that using a generous amount was needed to get the desired effects. Just using a little produced no effects for me.

The product can get hard in cold weather, but I found it quite pliable at normal room temperature. I found that 2 or 3 pea-sized portions dug out by my finger was the amount I needed to cover the back of my hand or the top of my foot.

The Synergy Relief balm is a good choice to try if you are looking for a topical rich in natural oils that can address muscle or nerve pain. While it does not work on all types of pain and does come with the greasiness, I found it effective for treating minor aches and pains.

Currently available in California, Nevada, Colorado, Michigan, and Maryland.

Flavor: n/a

Strength: 4/10

Website: http://dixieelixirs.com/product/synergy-relief-balm/

Kiva Camino Wild Cherry Excite Cannabis Gummies Review

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Camino cannabis gummies come in an Excite formula with a Wild Cherry flavor. This formula has 5mg of THC and 0mg of CBD per serving, for a total of 100mg THC and 0mg of CBD per package. As with the rest of the Kiva Camino range of edibles, these gummies are not just infused with distilled THC but are formulated with natural terpenes to create specific effects.

Kiva Camino Excite Cannabis Infused Gummies Red Tin

My local dispensary charges $20 for a package, making it $2.00 for each 10mg serving of THC, the same price point as the Kiva Cannabis 100mg Chocolate bars. These gummies do contain gelatin, so they are not vegetarian or vegan friendly. The screw top tin is one you push down to turn and open. The gummies are not individually wrapped.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the gummies is as expected a cherry smell. Like the other Camino gummies, they have a lovely opaque appearance and a soft texture that is easy to bite through.

The flavor is a regular cherry flavor that doesn’t have any bad aftertaste. A mild sour note from citric acid gives these that sour-ish twist to the cherry flavor. I’m not a cherry flavor fan, so I don’t rate these high in taste, but they are perfectly fine even for a cherry flavor hater.

As we always recommend with new edibles, try half of your usual dose before trying a full dose as you never know how strong something will effect you. The Camino Excite gummies are easy to bite in half to give a 2.5mg THC dose. Since I am experienced with edibles and my usual dose is 10mg of THC, I began with one piece, with 5mg THC. After having only light effects for that trial run, I then moved closer to my usual dose, taking two gummies for a total dose of 10mg THC. I also tried 12.5 mg using two and a half 5,g pieces to see if the effects were more noticeable.

Effects

The effects I experienced were not substantial for me, but were a very pleasant mildly relaxing and elevated sensation. Like most edibles, the impact often reflects and amplifies your state of mind. If you are not “in the mood”, these will not suddenly put you in the mood in my opinion, but if you are feeling frisky, these can smooth the path by heightening your senses and increasing sensations. These could really boost your fun if the timing is right.

Overall enjoyable with no negative effects like drowsiness or a too spaced-out head effect. Good flavor profiles and type-specific effects are exactly what I look for in an edible and Kiva’s Camino gummies do a great job on both counts.

Read reviews of other Camino gummies here.

Taste: 7

Strength: 6

Website: https://kivaconfections.com/products/camino-gummies