Tag Archives: beverage

Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops Cannabis Beverage Review

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Lagunitas Hi-Fi Hops cannabis-infused beverages are hop-flavored sparkling water infused with cannabis. Hops is best known for its use in flavoring beer and in herbal medicine. This “drinkable” comes in two formulas, one is infused with 10mg of THC, the other has 5mg of THC and 5mg of CBD in the 12 oz. can. Zero alcohol, zero calories, zero carbs and vegan as far as I can tell.

Lagunitas in Northern California is one of the first beer companies exploring the cannabis edibles / drinkables market, with their partner Absolute Extracts. Absolute Extracts, well known for their strain-specific cartridges, provides the THC and CBD used.

Hi-fi Hops Lagunitas Cannabis Infused Hoppy Sparkling Water

Packaging

Hi-Fi Hops comes in a standard sized aluminum beverage can with a child-proof opening mechanism. The can is resealable, which is great for just trying a little or if you find half or a quarter of a can provides your desired effects. You “pop” open one side, then you slide the plastic lid over to reveal an opening. The lid locks open so it can stay open, or you can slide it back and re-lock it to reseal it.

Dosing & Taste

I first tried the 10mg THC product in the purple can. With new edibles or drinkables I always start with half of my usual dose, which for me is 5mg. The first time I tried Hi-Fi Hops I drank half the can then waited to see what effects I experienced taking 5mg. I drank it on a half-full stomach in the afternoon and I could start to feel the effects within an hour. Effects lasted four hours and indicated a full dose would be appropriate to try.

As soon as you open the can, you get a wonderful citrusy + THC smell. It almost smells like some the flower strains that have the aroma and taste of citrus, such as Clementine, Tangie, Lemon Haze and others.

At first it does taste like a very hoppy lite beer. It’s similar to a watered-down version of beer, like Budweiser or Schlitz or one of the mass produced American beers, but without the alcohol. It’s funny how the taste of one beer ingredient – hops – can fool your taste buds into thinking it is beer. I definitely noticed the absence of the alcohol taste after a few swigs.

From the citrus smell, I was expecting the taste to be more like a lemon lime seltzer. It tastes a little like that, but the hops/beer flavor definitely is stronger. I’m not a big fan of beer so the hops taste, while inoffensive, is not something I love. I do love citrus flavors, so I wish the flavor profile was stronger on the other citrus and not so hops forward.

Effects

As with many edibles, this product is not labeled Indica or Sativa, so I was not sure what to expect from the effects. I did some research on hops.

Hi-fi Hops Lagunitas Cannabis-Infused sparkling water

Hops can have an effect similar to Indica and Valerian. According to Wikipedia “Hops may be used in herbal medicine in a way similar to valerian, as a treatment for anxiety, restlessness, and insomnia. A pillow filled with hops is a popular folk remedy for sleeplessness, and animal research has shown a sedative effect.”

Knowing this, it’s a good assumption that this will have an effect similar to an Indica edible. Expect to feel relaxed, there might be couch-lock involved, depending on how you react. I wouldn’t expect to be too focused or productive. This isn’t like strong coffee or an energy drink you would take to perk up. If anything this might perk you down.

After my initial test dose indicated that the effects of the drink were mild for me, I tried a full dose, 10mg or one can. Initial effects for me were relaxation and Indica-type effects of a 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 was no more clumsy or forgetful than usual. I did under-cook the pasta a bit, but nothing more catastrophic. I did not experience a strong increase in my senses as I have with some edibles. A slight uplift in mood was a pleasant addition to the effects.

Just as some folks like a beer after work to relax, this would be appropriate for that time of day or whenever you want to relax and unwind. I found it perfect for dinner and a movie without the couch lock or passing out.

Strength: 8

Flavor: 6

Website: https://lagunitas.com/hifihops

Pearl Mini Cannabis Infused Vitamin Water Review

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Pearl Mini cannabis-infused vitamin water lets you infuse beverages or food with with a mix of THC and CBD. They call it a food and beverage “mixer”. The small vial of white liquid is made with water, vitamins, THC and CBD cannabis extracts. Each vial of the Mini contains 2.5ml (0.08 fl oz) of liquid containing 10mg of THC and 10mg of CBD.

This mixer has 0 calories, no sugar, fat or cholesterol. As of October 2018, Pearl minis are available in CA and WA, made with SoRSE, which  described by the maker Tarukino Holdings Inc. as “the first and only technology that produces entirely taste- and odor-free cannabis emulsions for infusion of medical and recreational products”.

Pearl20 should be refrigerated after opening and my dispensary keeps it refrigerated to keep it as fresh as possible.

Pearl 20 mini no insert

Taste

Pearl 20 insertThere is a cute little insert card inside the package that says “Pearl is for mixing, not drinking straight. Mix with any of your favorite food or beverages”. This product is meant to spike your choice of beverage or food, not be taken straight.

Pearl20 is meant to be mixed with something, however for purposes of testing, I did take a small taste. While the website says “no weed taste”, that was not my experience of it straight from the container. If you have ever tasted cannabis oil, that is basically what this tastes like to me, plus a bit of a vitamin taste. It is very subtle and most folks wouldnt notice the taste. Pearl20 is not a product to take on its own, like a tincture.

Once mixed into a drink or food, the taste is barely noticeable when added to strongly flavored beverages. If you are very taste sensitive you might taste it in something bland like rice, otherwise it really is practically tasteless when mixed with any but the blandest food and drink.

If you are very sensitive to tastes, it is always wise to choose your beverage carefully. This may not be the time for that delicate jasmine green tea or cucumber-infused water. Something with a stronger taste is called for with this drinkable product. Some good choices for me have been iced coffee with almond milk, a cafe latte with cocoa and/or cinnamon or a cold plant protein drink.

I didn’t try it in food, but again I would look for food with a strong flavor, not add it to anything bland.

I’ve heard that salad dressing is one of the best ways to use THC like this, so you don’t heat it and reduce effectiveness. Maybe it’s time to try that homemade lemon vinaigrette? My favorite is a ginger lime cilantro dressing, so that may be how I try it with food. I’ll post about that separately.

Effect

As I understand it, CBD helps THC work and it also inhibits THC from having its full impact. Since this is a one-to-one (1:1) ratio of THC to CBD, I found the effect not as strong as other 10mg THC products that don’t contain CBD. I do appreciate the extra impact of the CBD, helping to reduce pain caused by inflammation and other benefits.

This is another product that is not labeled with the name of any specific strain or even if the canna is used is Indica, Sativa or a hybrid. The effects were very mild for me, I would guess it was a balanced hybrid as it didn’t not make me sleepy like an Indica or make me want to dance like some Sativas. My experience has been clear-headed, slightly uplifted and also relaxed. Munchies were not too much of a problem as the mild effect was also mild in that department.

Impression

I like how portable the pearl mini is, and it can go without refrigeration for one year until it is open, so it could be a good choice if you’re looking for portability. If you are sensitive to ingesting THC or you are not sure of your tolerance, a product like this can be a good place to start. You could take half of the dose then wait 2 hours to judge the impact if you were not familiar with it. If a mild dose of THC plus some CBD effects is what you are looking for in an edible or drinkable, this could be a great fit.

Choice

I love that you can now decide what food and drinks you want to make cannabis-infused. For beverages you are not limited to the mostly soda- and beer-like drinks that are infused with cannabis, you can infuse your own recipes for ginger honey lemonade, kombucha, even your favorite mocktails!

Even though I love to cook, I have not been one to try making my own edibles. Having a convenient size like this that provides a measured dose makes me more willing to try cooking with it. I hope they make this in an Indica or Sativa version at some point, even better some strain-specific versions.

Pearl 20 mini all

Strength: 6

Flavor: 0

Website:  pearl2o.com

ZootDrops Cannabis Infused Concentrate – Lemon Flavored Indica Relaxation Blend “Kick Back” Review

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I really enjoy Zoots edibles, they are easy to enjoy on the go, they have great flavors and they produce an amazing, uplifting high.

When I visited my local dispensary the budtender quickly showed me another Zoots item in their line of cannabis infused products, Zoots Premium Cannabis Infused Concentrates- Kick Back, lemon flavored in Indica.

ZootDrops

The Lemon Relaxation Blend ZootDrops are sugar free, vegan, gluten free and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. They contain 100mg THC per bottle and include a child-resistant measuring cap.

The instructions say that one capful (1/2 teaspoon) is a 5 mg dose of THC. You can mix Zoots concentrates with tea, lemonade, soda or put it directly under your tongue.

The Indica Concentrate looks like cloudy lemon juice. The cap is similar to the top of a Visine bottle. Very easy to measure dosing. (Rinse off the cap after pouring, I think it would get very sticky.)

I tried it straight, no mixer to get a taste of the product by itself. It had the distinct taste of bottled lemon juice with a strong medicinal flavor. I mixed it in lemonade and was unable to detect any medicinal taste.

Zoots is very potent, so I took a smaller than regular dose. Normally I use between 40-50 mg of THC. I only used 30mg with Zoots Cannabis Infused Kick Back Concentrate and was highly buzzed very consistently.

ZootDrops Relaxation Kick Back

It can take up to two hours to feel the effects of their concentrates. So be patient. Don’t up your dose because you don’t think it’s working. So, plan accordingly time-wise.

After 70 minutes, I began to have a light buzz. Then my head got dizzy in the most enjoyable way. Even though this is Indica, I didn’t feel lethargic. Like the Zoots nuggets, this was a very up, happy high.

I was slightly sedated and my anxiety was lessened. Stress seemed to disappear. “This is great stuff!”, I kept saying.

The high lasted 2 hours. There weren’t any munchies from this concentrate. When I tried this Concentrate again, I felt the same euphoric buzz. It was calming and uplifting at the same time. The second time I tried ZootDrops the high lasted a little over 2 hours.

Zoots Premium Cannabis Infused Concentrate is really convenient, just mix with your favorite drink. I recommend Kick Back from Zoots. The high is euphoric and consistent. The dosing is simple and I have never had a better glass of lemonade!

Zoots edibles are available at licensed marijuana retailers in Illinois, Washington, Colorado and Massachusetts.

Strength: 8

Flavor: 5

Website: https://www.ionicbrands.com/our-brands

Wana Cannabis Hot Cocoa Review

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Wana Hot CocoaI cannot recommend this product and actually warn against it as potentially dangerous.

Regardless of flavor or potency, this is one of my least favorite edibles when it comes to packaging. There is no indication if the cannabis used is Indica or Sativa, never mind what strain it is or what farm it came from. Worst of all there is NO INDICATION OF DOSING!

While the packaging says that the whole thing contains 200mg of THC, it does not even give a recommendation such as “One tablespoon equals Xmg of THC” or “suggested dose is one teaspoon”. That creates a dangerous guessing game, where yours truly is expected to do math to get stoned. Fail!

What is scary is that on the nutritional facts label, it says that “1 serving = 1 package, 1 pieces per package, 200mg THC per piece”. Again, a person who does not know what they are doing could take that to mean that they should make up cocoa using the whole bag and as much milk as it takes, then drink the whole thing. Disaster! Never do that!

I understand that you can divide the total amount of THC by the weight, but few folks know how many teaspoons or tablespoons are in a gram, never mind how many are in an ounce, and who wants a product that requires you to do math just to have some hot chocolate?

Wana Hot Cocoa Back

Cannabis hot chocolate sounds fantastic, but I am loath to potentially waste half a day or more and possibly have unpleasant effects or to little effect because I have to guess at the dosing for this product.

Jeers to the makers of this product, Mountain High Products Wana brand, for not providing any of the most basic information to help people know how to use their product and what effects to expect. It’s even more frustrating when you see in the image that they make sure to include their social media contest details, but not the dosing information.

I may have to resort to dividing the contents into 10 equal piles so I could guess each pile might have 20mg in it, then I could try to divide each of the piles into two equal halfs so I could get to my preferred dose of 10mg. Oh wait, not only do I need to do math for this, I also need to buy a scale so I can weigh everything out and then I need to buy ten tiny plastic bags or containers to hold the doses once I have divided them up.

Stay away from products that don’t have clear labels, that let you easily take specific doses and easily divide doses to control your intake.

Taste: who knows, too scary

Strength: wish I knew

Website: http://www.wanabrands.com

Atlas Pomegranate Green Tea CBD + THC Cannabis Beverage Mix Review

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Pomegranate Green Tea cannabis-infused beverage mix from Atlas lets you make your own beverage and moderate your dose once you mix it up. Each package comes with 10mg of CBD and 5mg of THC. The package is a single serving that you mix with 12 oz. of water and they recommend you do not separate the powder into portions before you mix it up.

As with all edibles and drinkables, it’s important to try new products at half of your usual dose the first time, until you know how strong the effects are for you. Since my usual dose of THC is 10mg and up to 15mg for CBD, I was willing to try this package since, in my experience, CBD reduces the impact of THC.

If you are sensitive to THC or CBD, or you don’t know what your tolerance is, only drink half of the mix you make and wait two hours to make sure you don’t take more than is enjoyable for you. That will give you 5mg of CBD and 2.5 mg of THC, which for some folks is plenty.

The package needs to be cut open to pour out the powder. There was a distinctive sugar and red Kool-Aid type smell from the powder. They recommend that you add the powder to twelve ounces of water in a container with a lid you can close so you can shake it up to mix it.

The ingredients include a few forms of sweetener including cannabis-infused cane sugar. It also contains stevia, which I find gives a dry aftertaste.

Taste

I use stevia for coffee and tea, but I find the aftertaste too pronounced and unpleasant to be enjoyable for most cold drinks. It is too much for me in this product, as there is slight citric acid aftertaste along with the stevia taste and I found that unpleasant. It made me want to drink something else to get the taste out of my mouth.

This tasted more like lemonade with some red, cherry-like flavor more than pomegranate to me. It reminded me of that red, generic flavored powdered kids drink mix, but more tart with the citric acid lemony taste and the stevia aftertaste. The ingredients list natural flavors but doesn’t say what those flavors are. Beet juice makes the reddish color, so there are no artificial colors used.

Effects

I did begin to feel the effects within a half hour, with the reduction of any pain from inflammation I might be experiencing lessened, which I usually find with CBD. Being a liquid, there is less a bit less digesting to be done, so I usually find that cannabis infused beverages have a slightly faster onset for me than most edibles.

There is no indication of what strain(s) are used when extracting the THC, so it can be hard to judge what impact to expect. I found the effects slightly relaxing and it gave me a slightly stoned feeling mentally. I always prefer to know what strain was used or if it is a sativa, indica or hybrid, as that can tell me what impact I can expect.

I find CBD is much more effective on pain and discomfort when paired with THC, so I appreciate the 2-1 ration of Atlas’s beverage mix. I don’t expect a CBD-focused product to give me the elevated experience of a product that is purely or primarily THC. Expect the pain relief, relaxation and anti-inflammatory impacts that are typical for CBD.

Wrap Up

At my dispensary, a single serving size is priced at $7.50 plus tax. They do sell a four-pack, priced at $22 plus tax, bringing the price down to $5.50 per dose before tax. If you look at our Cost Per 10mg Dose comparison, this is on the more expensive end of options.

The effects are what I would expect from a 2-1 CBD + THC edible or drinkable. For me, the strong aftertaste was too much. I prefer the Lemongrass Ginger flavor. While I wouldn’t make this beverage mix part of my regular routine, for those who don’t mind the flavor and who like the effects provided, this could be a fine addition to their CBD edibles & drinkables collection.

Taste: 2

Strength: 6

Website: http://atlasedibles.com/pomegranate-green-tea

Artet Cannabis-Infused Mixed Drink Review

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Artet is a cannabis-infused mixed drink. They make a “Cannabis Aperitif” as well as two flavors of mixed drink, which is what this review covers. This product is manufactured by Spacestation, the manufacturers of other infused beverages, including the Cann and Wünder line of products and infused by Vertosa. Artet is billed as a “Cannabis Beverages Crafted for Cocktail Moments”. Each Artet can is filled with 8 ounces of a 1:1 THC and CBD mix and has 5mg of CBD and 5mg of THC. They are sold as singles and also come in a four-pack.

Artet “is a blend of cannabis and botanicals that work in harmony to make Artet as fun as it is functional”. They have a variety of cocktail recipes on their website, link at the end of this review. The can is a single serving that you pop open and pull the tab back to reveal the opening for drinking or pouring.

Artet Cannabis Infused Mixed Drink Rosemary Jane flavor eight ounces next to cocktail glass with rosemary stem and grapefruit slice

As with all edibles and drinkables, it’s important to try new products at half of your usual dose the first time, until you know how strong the effects are for you. Since my usual dose of THC is 10mg and up to 15mg for CBD, I tried one can to judge the effects of half my usual dose. In my experience, CBD reduces the impact of THC, so if I consume a 1:1 blend of CBD and THC, I can sometimes take more than my usual dose, but not always.

If you aren’t sure of your tolerance or usual dose, try half a can then wait an hour or more to judge the effects and make sure you don’t take more than is enjoyable for you. That will give you 2.5mg of CBD and 2.5 mg of THC, which for some folks is plenty. If after time you don’t feel much or very little, you know you can try a full can and then judge that effect.

The ingredients are mostly plant based and seemed okay for vegetarians and vegans. The primary sweetener is cane sugar. Tet & Tonic flavor runs 35 calories the Rosemary Jane at 40 calories and they have 6 and 7 grams of sugar respectively.

Taste

We tried the “Tet & Tonic” and the “Rosemary Jane” flavors. There was a pleasant grapefruit smell from the Rosemary one and a lemony, slightly herbal smell form the other. These are delicate and complex flavors, so if that isn’t your thing these might not be for you. Don’t expect grape soda candy or infused alcohol kinds of flavors, these are more like a sweet wine or a sweet herbal tea infusion in terms of flavor.

The taste was delicate with the sweet citrus flavors dominating but with complexity from the herbal infusions of rosemary and chamomile. I expected them to be stronger on the herbal flavors, but they were not dominating, they harmonized well with the sweet of the sugar and the sour of the citrus. The ingredients lists plant-based ingredients but doesn’t say if all of the ingredients are plant based.

We saw no indication of any organic ingredients, so folks with concerns about pesticides or other chemicals commonly used on commercial plant ingredients might want to investigate that with the producer. From the ingredient list is does appear that no artificial colors are used.

Effects

I did begin to feel the effects within a half hour, with the reduction of any pain from inflammation I might be experiencing lessened, which I usually find with CBD. Being a liquid, there is less a bit less digesting to be done, so I usually find that cannabis infused beverages have a slightly faster onset for me than most edibles.

There is no indication of what strain(s) are used when extracting the THC, so it can be hard to judge what impact to expect. I found the effects slightly relaxing and it gave me a slightly stoned feeling mentally. I always prefer to know what strain was used or if it is a sativa, indica or hybrid, as that can tell me what impact I can expect.

I find CBD is much more effective on pain and discomfort when paired with THC, so I appreciate the 1:1 ratio of Artet “drinkables”. I don’t expect a CBD-focused product to give me the same elevated experience of a product that is purely or primarily THC. Expect the mild pain relief, relaxation and anti-inflammatory impacts that are typical for CBD. I was pleasantly surprised once I took my full dose of 10mg THC and 10mg CBD to find the relaxing effects quite potent, similar to having a few beers. The physical relaxation comes with some mental relaxation too. As mentioned above, try a new edible or drinkable several times at lower than your normal dose, then build up your usual dose, before even thinking of taking more than a standard dose. Start low and go slow.

Artet Cannabis Infused Mixed Drinks Rosemary Jane and Tet & Tonic flavor eight ounce cans

Wrap Up

The effects were a little stronger than I might have expected from a 1:1 CBD + THC edible or drinkable at the 10mg dose. Once I had tried them, two 5mg doses were just perfect to provide a few hours of relaxation, ideal for a virtual cocktail hour.

At my dispensary, a single serving size is priced at $6.00 plus tax with the four-pack priced at $20 plus tax, bringing the price down to $5.00 per dose before tax. If you look at our Cost Per 10mg Dose comparison, this is on the more expensive end of options, as it works out to either $10 or $12 per 10mg dose.

I could see this as part of my regular set of options when I want a special cannabis infused “cocktail” with the relaxing effects of CBD. For those who like refined flavors, enjoy cocktails and who like the effects, this is a fine addition to the top shelf of a CBD edibles & drinkables collection.

Taste: 7

Strength: 7

Website: https://artet.com/