The first time I tried Highly Edible Watermelon Pucks was on a wonderful day hanging with a dear friend at an amazing spa. Ideal! It was a great mood-lifting edible and I knew right away I would have to enjoy them again and that I had to take notes for a review.
These gummies come in a little more than 10 mg of THC per piece and there are ten pieces per container. The pucks are bigger than your average gummies. The candy piece is like if two and a half gummy bears were melted together and put into a one inch disc mold. Watermelon Pucks taste good, not too sour, not too medicinal.
After eating the cannabis candy it took approximately 45 minutes for effects to set in. Highly Edible Watermelon Pucks have a steady, energetic high. My mood definitely felt lighter, happier. I was able to communicate with angst ridden teenagers with success while at the same time was still completely mobile and able to finish the tasks I had planned for the day.
This edible was recommended to me by a good friend and I was happy to try them on a visit to Colorado. I thought they tasted great and for me the effect was an uplifting, happy one. I rarely get the giggles from being high, but I had a touch of them on these pucks!
These edibles claim to have faster absorption because of what the label refers to as NXT – “Feel it faster with NXT extraction technology”. Nowhere on the bottle does it detail what that technolgy is or how it works. Also a search of the website brought up no results for NXT. On a dispensary website I found this – “…with their new Nano eXtraction Technology (NXT), these gummies pack a powerful punch. The NXT system lets you feel it faster by allowing tiny THC molecules to absorb sublingually. You feel it faster and longer as your stomach metabolizes the THC buried within the gummy.” If you are interested in more there is some explanation from a company that makes the “nano extractor” here.
Watermelon is just one of the flavors, which include peach, cherry, assorted fruity and golden strawberry. They are vegan and gluten free. As with other of this brands products, there is no mention of which type of cannabis (Indica, Hybrid, Sativa) or which strain (Blue Dream, Kush, etc.) to guide consumers on what effects to expect. From the effects we experienced we are guessing it is a Sativa dominant hybrid.
I did get the munchies. So be warned. Have healthy food and drinks available!
The high lasted a solid 2 1/2 hours and left me feeling great with energy and not lethargic.
I will definitely be using Highly Edible Watermelon Pucks again. They are probably my favorite gummy on the market. The buzz and mood uplift are amazing. Highly recommended. Highly.
These gummies come from the folks at Cannapunch, who also make CannaPunch drinks and Dutch Girl Stroopwafels (our review here).
Manzanita Madrone makes three flavors of their cannabis infused beverage, Ginger Root, Natural Cola and Lemon-Lime. Ginger and Cola flavor cost $5 and have 10mg of THC while Lemon-Lime has 5mg THC and 5mg CBD in the bottle and is $4.
Since the other cannabis infused drinkable beverages I have tried have had relaxing, Indica-type effects, I expected the same from The Fizz.
Taste & Effects: Lemon Lime
Since it has half of my usual dose of 10mg, I started by trying the Lemon Lime. If you are expecting this to taste anything like Sprite or that kind of soft drink, you’ll be disappointed. This is not even a soft drink but a self-described “Premium Low-Dose All-Natural Craft Beverage”. This flavor uses real lemon and lime juice, sugar and honey, natural flavors and along with THC cannabis oil, Quijalla Bark extract.
When you look up Quijalla Bark extract to know what it is, guess what? There is no such thing to be found online as Quijalla, only Quillaja Bark extract. So it’s likely somebody messed up the spelling on the labeling. That is an important detail to me. If they can’t get the label right, what else are they not getting right with this liquid I’m putting in my body?
Anyway, Quillaja Bark (also known as Quillaia, but never Quijalla), is commonly used in root beer and cream soda. So yes, this lemon-line soda has a root beer-like taste from the Quillaja, a taste which I found odd. I sometimes have squeezed a lemon or lime or even put lemonade into cola, but I’ve never done that with root beer. I find it an odd taste combination and not one I like very much.
According to the manufacturer’s website “Quillaja bark is what allows us to emulsify our premium THC naturally instead of using industry standard chemicals such as sodium benzoate.”. So at least they know how to spell it on the website if not on the bottle.
The product does have a nice natural citrus soda flavor with no strong cannabis flavor or any artificial tastes, so if you like lemon-lime in your root beer, it could work for you.
As for effects, with only 5mg of THC I didn’t expect to feel much in the way of effects and that was pretty much what happened.
Taste & Effects: Ginger Root
Ginger Root tasted like the Lemon Lime but with Ginger added. It does have a light ginger beer/ale taste at first that finishes on a more citrus – like flavor along with the Quilaja Bark flavor that is in the Lemon Lime. The ingredient list is the same as Lemon Lime except there is fresh ginger root, citric acid instead of lemon juice and pineapple juice. I like strong ginger beer drinks an drink them all the time, so that is why this would taste to me like a lighter ginger flavor. If you’re used to regular ginger all, this is on par with that, plus the citrus taste. I found the cannabis oil taste minimal, barely noticeable.
The effect was stronger as it contains 10mg of THC. I definitely felt the effects within an hour (PSA: always wait two hours to judge how strong the effects are). It was a hybrid effect for me, a stoned feeling and somewhat spacey head with a relaxed body effect. It definitely felt more of a stress relief effect than an energetic effect, both physically and mentally. Perfect for whenever you want to unwind and relax.
Taste & Effects: Cola
This is a natural flavor for this product line, as I mentioned earlier I regularly put lemon or lime in my cola, so the cola plus citrus flavor is familiar and one I enjoy. For some reason the flavor didn’t work for me. It seemed to compete with the cola flavor instead of enhance it.
Like the Ginger Root, this produced a hybrid effect for me, a stoned feeling and somewhat spacey head with a relaxed body effect, more of a stress relief effect physically and mentally. Best for times when you want to relax and space out, not when you are looking for a creative boost or uplift.
Overall this is a good edible / drinkable if you like the citrus-y taste of Quillaja Bark and are looking for Indica-dominant effects.
Whether you are beginning to try edible or topical forms of cannabis, or are just interested in knowing more, we share are some good basics to know from our considerable experience. We share about effects, selecting, dosing, consuming – and what to do in case you consume more than feels good.
Effects
If you have not smoked Cannabis before and are unfamiliar with the effects that smoking it creates, understand that you will likely be experiencing new sensations. Well known side effects of smoking Cannabis flowers include euphoria, relaxation, heightened senses, pain relief, dry mouth and “the munchies”. These effects come from various chemicals in cannabis including CBD and THC.
If you have smoked pot, know that it is different than the almost immediate effects experienced when you smoke. The effects can sometimes take two hours or more to be felt fully. We usually feel effects from edibles within 45 minutes to an hour, but the effects can sometimes continue to increase up to 3 hours later. Every time is s little different. When compared with smoking flowers, it takes longer to feel it and much longer for the effect to fade. We have turned to edibles more as we want to smoke less. When we smoke, the effect can last an hour or so, sometimes two, but with edibles the effects keep giving!
Everyone is impacted differently, so make sure you have the free time to experience the effects – which may last up to 6 hours and for transdermal patches or large doses up to 12 hours. Ideally you are in a comfortable, familiar environment, preferably with someone nearby or in close touch who is supportive and experienced.
Eating or applying the compounds to your skin can have quite different effects. Some effects that we experience from smoking, like heightened senses or the munchies, do happen with edibles. Effects of edibles can include focus, energy and creativity with Sativa strains, pain or anxiety relief with Indica strains and anti-inflammatory effects with CBD rich strains.
Sativa, Indica & Hybrids
Indica, Sativa and Hybrid options. flickr: extensivlyreviewed
Cannabis comes in two main types – Indica and Sativa. Indica primarily effects the body – relaxing, anti-tension, and sometimes “couch lock” for stronger strains. Sativa primarily effects the head, increasing focus, creativity, energy and sense perception. There are many hybrids that are dominated by one set of traits or the other and some hybrids that try to balance the effects of both.
Wikipedia: On average, Cannabis indica has higher levels of THC compared to CBD, whereas Cannabis sativa has lower levels of THC to CBD.[5] However, huge variability exists within either species.
In the case of CBDs anti-inflammatory and pain relief are the usual effects Taking CBD with THC is reported to reduce the power of THC or at least it helps limit how high you get. Some suggest taking CBD to combat taking too much.
Within the types – Sativa, Indica, Hybrid – there are many specific strains. Some strain names have become well known and we prefer edibles where the strain name appears, so we can look up the effects if it is an unfamiliar strain. Also, If I want energy and uplift in the morning, I might not want to take an Indica dominant strain like Grandaddy Purple or Gorilla Glue or Chem Dawg that will relax me. I want a Sativa dominant strain like Sour Diesel or Jack Herer or Blue Dream. Some of the CBD strains are AC/DC, Harlequin and Ringo’s Gift. Sites like Leafly and others have reviews that provide details and reviews of strains.
Selecting
With the effects in mind, select what you want thoughtfully. Get something that either comes in small doses or something you can easily cut up into the portion size you want. Brownies, cakes, chocolate treats and similar edibles are often easy to cut into portion sizes. Hard candies and suckers are not easy to cut up, so consider that when making your selection.
To find edibles that are a good fit for you, look for items in flavors and types that appeal to both your taste buds and the effects you desire from your experience. There is a wide variety of cookies, brownies, cakes, chocolates, hard candies and other portable edibles available, so look around at different dispensaries to find the ones that are best for you.
Some dispensaries offer small diary’s or logs for you to keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t. It is a great idea to keep some notes on what you like and don’t so you can refine your choices and see what is best for you.
Always start with a low dose, like 2 or 2.5 mgs (milligrams). Do not to use edibles that are not clearly labeled with the total amount of THC either in the whole thing or per item (like with gummies). You cannot tell potency by the size of the edible. A normal size brownie could contain 5mg or 500mg, you just don’t know.
While a typical dose is usually 10mg, if you are totally new to edibles you may want to start at 2-3mg. While sometimes the effects can take up to 2 hours to be felt completely, usually after 60-90 minutes you should feel something. With a new edible, always wait 2 hours to see what you experience. If you feel nothing or almost nothing, possibly add another 2-3mg and wait 2 hours again, or next time try 5mg if the lower dose was not too strong for you.
On The Rise Edibles Medical Cannabis Gingerbread
Do your math and plan ahead when cutting up edibles. The On the Rise Sativa dominant edible pictured has 210mg of THC and it says it is six (6) doses. That means each dose will have 35mg of THC each – way too much for most people. If you want 10mg pieces, how will you cut it into 21 sections? One way is to cut it in half then cut those pieces in half, then cut those pieces in half, but that means you end up with an even number of pieces. In this case you end up with 20 pieces of 10.5 mg each which is close enough to the target dose.
This was an old style edible, before adult use became legal in California in 2018. Most edibles now – and in most states where it is legal – have the standard required dosing of 5mg or 10mg per dose, with some having higher limits for medical use, like 25mg per dose.
Consumption
How much food is in your stomach impacts the effects of edibles, and so does what you eat with it. We notice a definite difference if we take the same dose of an edible with very little on our stomach or if we take it soon after a meal. We get a much more pronounced and often quicker effect when our stomach is near empty. If our stomachs are full, the effect is usually weaker overall and can take more time to develop.
What you take the edible with can boost its effects we have found. From what we understand, the THC binds with fats to be distributed into the body, so it helps to take the edible with food that has some healthy fats in it like an avocado, some nuts or some seeds like sunflower, sesame and chia seeds. Too much food, however, and you will loose the benefits of a little fat, so having a big meal with a lot of fat in it isn’t a good choice if you want to feel the full impact.
Caffeine and spices that increase blood flow (like cinnamon, ginger or cayenne) can also help to boost the effects of edibles. If we are looking for an energetic experience, we usually take our edibles with some form of caffeine, be it coffee, tea, mate or cocoa. While Ruth is a black coffee lover, Alton prefers a modified cafe mocha made by stirring cocoa powder into coffee with milk. Since he loves spicy foods, he will often mix cayenne and cinnamon into the cocoa powder and add that to coffee for a spicy mocha. We find caffeine and these spices boosts the effects of most edibles I’ve tried. A favorite edible, the On The Rise brownies, come in both chocolate and gingerbread formula. We find that with the gingerbread we get a slightly stronger effect than we do with the chocolate brownie.
Flickr photo: JurrasicBlueberries Cookies 2017
Hydration
Staying hydrated is always important and I find it more so with edibles. I usually need more water than usual when I use edibles as I often experience dehydration and dry mouth. I usually go through four or five 16oz glasses. It’s fine to drink other liquids, being aware that sugary drinks could reduce the impact of the cannabis you are using. If you drink alcohol or caffeine or soda or all three, they do dehydrate you, so void them, limit them or pair them with regular intake of water – your body will thank you.
Overdose
It happens to most people at some point. With edibles it is possible to overdo it and feel like you have had too much. Sometimes this feels like you are ill but you cannot pinpoint what is wrong. Some folks get a feeling as if they are “dying” because they feel really bad, but don’t know what is wrong. We’ve experienced this as an all over feeling of being very uncomfortable, feeling nauseous in a way but not sick to the stomach. If we are inside, we can feel like we need to go outside for fresh air, and sometimes that helps. You are not actually sick, it just feels like it.
The easy antidote for too much THC edibles is to eat and drink. Sugar, protein and carbs are especially good at mitigating the effects of too much THC. Try having some form of protein, some cereal or some ice cream, even a sandwich. You may be feeling strange and it may feel strange to be eating, but do your best to finish what you are eating until you feel better. When we have the right dose, the taste of food is amazing, but if we’ve had too much eating is what has always worked to bring us down from an overdose of THC.
We have also heard advice to use products high in CBD’s to offset the effects, such as taking a high CBD tincture so it will bring down the THC effects. We do notice that we never seem as high with an edible that has a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio than one without. We have not tried taking CBD to combat taking too much THC it makes sense – as long as it doesn’t add more THC to the mix.
Experiment
Everyone is impacted differently, so first try each new edible by itself and when you have the time to enjoy the effects, not when you have to be somewhere or do something soon. Trying different types of edibles over time and at different doses will help you to find out what produces the desired effects for you.
I have enjoyed the Korova line of mini cookies (see the ginger chew review here) and I wished that Korova had a Sativa-specific edible. Wishes can come true and mine did with the Korova Sativa Toffee Mini Cookies! Each cookie has 10mg of THC and they come 10 to a resealable bag.
Like the other Korova mini cookies, these use only real ingredients that you would use in making your own cookies, plus Sativa cannabis distillate. The cookies are soft and delicious with a nice toffee/caramel sweetness.
As always I started with 5mg, which is half of my usual dose in edibles of 10mg of THC. I felt very mild effects after two hours. That let me know I could safely try my usual dose without having too strong an effect.
The first full dose trial I had mine with some caffeine and a little fat for the THC to bond to when digested. The effects came on within 90 minutes and came to their full impact around the 2 hour mark. the same pattern was repeated when I tried them again with different foods and times of day. They were a little mild to break through an afternoon energy slump, but perfect to boost my energy in the morning.
They provide a nice uplift in mood and energy without too much of either. Some potent Sativa edibles can feel like I’ve had 4 cups of coffee, with an over-ramped, hyper feeling. These cookies provided a noticeable but pleasantly mild effect. Heightened senses, a good feeling like mild euphoria that was consistent for 4-5 hours. It made for a lovely relaxed walk on the beach and time for just staring at the waves.
THC edibles like these are perfect for the person new to edibles or to Sativa edibles. They have a noticeable effect without being uncomfortably strong. They provide many of the best effects of Sativa – uplifted mood, increased energy and a creative boost.
I love these Sativa Toffee cookies and I appreciate Korova making type-specific edibles. As they also produce flowers, my next hope is for some strain specific edibles, allowing folks to customize their experience down to a specific strain’s effects.
This is the most wonderful time of the year! I love the holidays! Now that pot is legal in my state, I’ve created a new, cannabis tradition for the elves on my nice list who partake in enjoying marijuana that live here in the Rocky Mountains- stockings stuffed with edibles from my favorite Colorado companies.
At the bottom of the stocking I’ve put a container of Love’s Oven S’more Brownies. The perfect treat with hot cocoa! These bite size cannabis edibles provide an upbeat, energetic high.
This year I discovered Zoots products. I love them and highly recommend them. So, I am putting as many of their items in everybody’s stocking as possible. Zoots Rocks, in the hard to find caramel flavor, is a crowd favorite. These suckers are the best out there for a happy high filled with energy. My local dispensary is now offering Zootbites Snickerdoodle Cookies. They have 5mg per cookie and come in packs of two. I haven’t tried these yet, but I know that everyone will love them. I splurged and also picked up ZootsDrops High Energy Blend Yipee Ki-Yay Mandarin Lime Drops. These wonderful drops provide liquid doses of THC into the beverage of your choice. They would be delicious in hot, spiced, apple cider.
Finally, I am THRILLED to purchase Pot-Rox for this year’s stockings. Pot-Rox are Pop Rocks with THC. They come in 10mg pouches in Tropical Twist and Berry Blast flavors. After a year reviewing so many gummy edibles, it’s exciting to see fun, different edibles!
The stockings are ready and filled with yummy products. They are all set to give out. And I know that everyone will be psyched to get their treats.
I hope your holiday is filled with joy and some new edibles too!
May the new year be a happy, healthy year for all!
Big Pete’s Cannabis-infused mini cookies are billed as “Cookies That Treat You Right”. They come in CBD, Indica & Sativa types. For some reason the Indica comes with ten (10) cookies, each with 10mg of THC and the Sativa comes with six (6) cookies, each with 10mg of THC.
Taste
For this review, I tried the Peanut Butter flavor of the Sativa and the Cinnamon & Sugar flavor of the Indica.
The Peanut Butter smells and tastes like a typical peanut butter cookie – chewy yet dry – that is packed with cannabis. Same goes for the Indica Cinnamon Sugar mini cookie, a great cookie taste with the cannabis butter taste alongside it. While you can get away with eating these cookies without liquid, some coffee, almond milk, or tea to go with them is a welcome addition.
Taking a whiff from the bag smells like someone put peanut butter cookies into a quarter ounce bag of primo weed. Or that you have a piece of cinnamon toast in your stash, so it can both give you and cure your munchies.
You know these are well infused when the cannabis smell is this pronounced. I think they smell great. I found the thc taste from the cannabis butter was pronounced as well. They are not trying to cover up the taste but let it blend with the flavors of the cookies.
I think Big Pete’s achieves a very good balance between the cannabis and the other flavors, as I don’t mind the subtle, slightly grassy taste of cannabis butter.
Ingredients & Packaging
They do contain butter and eggs so they are not vegan and the nuts are an issue for folks with allergies. I like that most of the ingredients are ones that I use in cooking myself, not a lot of extra chemicals or preservatives. Big Pete’s says they use a slow-cook method to make their cannabutter which gives a full spectrum effect.
Packaging is mercifully easy to open, with a tear strip that exposes a two-hand resealable closure similar to many child-safe pouches. There are helpful graphics on the package to help users get the bag open.
Effects
The effects seem to run true to the type, so I couldn’t be happier. Trying a Sativa cookie after breakfast gave me the focus, uplift and energy to run around and get a lot accomplished by noon. This is just what I want and expect from a Sativa cannabis edible. During my errands there may have been an extra stop to buy a few unnecessary but very pretty things, but those happen even when being elevated isn’t involved.
I had some caffeine at lunch and didn’t eat a lot – although I did have the munchies – so the effects continued even after lunch, a total of about 5 hours worth of effects, although they did start to fade after about 4 hours.
With the Indica, I tried them in the evening since I am pretty sensitive to Indica effects . Within an hour I found them nicely relaxing but not to the point of couch-lock. I flirted with groggy but was able to maintain a relaxed alertness. After 2 hours, my eyelids did start to feel heavier. Being active became less and less attractive. I could see taking these on a winter weekend afternoon for binge watching TV curled up on the couch. I eventually headed off to dreamland nicely chilled out.
I think Big Pete’s makes some great cannabis edibles. I appreciate that they are Sativa/Indica type specific. I would love it if they would share which strain or strains they use. This is a very good tasting cannabis mini cookie that provides consistent, predictable results. Definitely worth the calories and a wonderful way to elevate.
The first time I tested Big Pete’s Cannabis Infused Cinnamon and Sugar Mini Cookies, the complete body high was so amazing I didn’t feel like writing any review notes. It was a strong, intense buzz that very few edibles can compete with. I loved it. Happily, I tried these cookies again with the serious intention to write a glowing product review.
Big Pete’s Cinnamon and Sugar Mini Cookies are Indica strain cannabis infused edibles. Each cookie has 10mg of THC. The cookie itself is approximately a 2 inch circle.I took my regular dose of 40mg or four 10mg cookies. But I warn you, these Indica cookies will get you VERY high. So the first time you try Big Pete’s Cinnamon and Sugar Cookies, I encourage you to take a smaller dose than usual. If you are a beginner, be conservative and try half a cookie.
The Cinnamon and Sugar Mini Cookies have the perfect combination of spices. Big Pete’s got the texture right, crunchy in the outside and slightly chewy on the inside. (I hate dry, crumbly cannabis edibles.) There was a faint medicinal taste, but it doesn’t take away from the traditional flavors of the cookies.
After an hour and fifteen minutes, the buzz started ramping up and got very strong. I became very relaxed and settled down to feel the complete body high. I was keening aware of my heartbeat in my ears. At some points, it was difficult to get my eyes to focus. I spent 95% of the time chilling in my chair, just hanging out, which is normal for an Indica edible.The buzz lasted for 2 hours. Then slowly decreased little by little until I became clearheaded and sober.
I highly recommend Big Pete’s Cinnamon and Sugar Mini Cookies. I love their strength. You should buy them right away! These are definitely my favorite THC cookies on the market.
These gummies come in a little more than 10 mg of THC per piece and there are ten pieces per container. The pucks are bigger than your average gummies. The candy piece is like if two and a half gummy bears were melted together and put into a one inch disc mold. Watermelon Pucks taste good, not too sour, not too medicinal.
Watermelon is just one of the flavors, which include peach, cherry, assorted fruity and golden strawberry. They are vegan and gluten free. As with other of this brands products, there is no mention of which type of cannabis (Indica, Hybrid, Sativa) or which strain (Blue Dream, Kush, etc.) to guide consumers on what effects to expect. From the effects we experienced we are guessing it is a Sativa dominant hybrid.
More Than Buds 