Zoots ZootRocks Cannabis Infused Caramel Nuggets Review

Zoots Rocks Caramel canister next to 2 Rocks with the impression of the letter Z on each. A second round canister is shown for its Zoot Rocks logo

Zoots Rocks Caramel Premium Cannabis Infused Nuggets come in 5 mg THC doses. Zoots Rocks are suckers, they’re not chewy like caramel. They’re light small, flat cough drop-size edible that taste pretty good. Zoot Rocks come in six flavors – caramel, green apple, cinnamon, golden mint and lemongrass, zootberry and a CBD formula that is lemongrass flavored.

They have a buttery caramel flavor with just a slight hint of medicinal taste. This isn’t a product that tries to hide the THC taste underneath artificial flavors. I am used to the flavor of cannabis oil so I don’t find it unpleasant and it blends well with the caramel. From the website “Caramel ZootRocks are gluten free. ZootRocks are handmade from naturally sourced ingredients and contain no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.” The caramel flavor contains dairy and is sweetened with Isomalt and Stevia.

I tried Zoots several times. As always with new edibles, I tried half my usual dose before trying a full dose. I got almost no effect from half a dose. I tried a full dose two times and both times I didn’t feel much impact. I tried them again and found that, although they did not make a big impression on me at first, they worked very well and gave me the effects I enjoy. It’s a good reminder that, since so many things influence the effects from edibles, give them several tries with different levels of food in your system, making sure you eat something with some fat in it (like avocado, nuts or some mac & cheese) so the THC can bind to it. I’m glad I tried again, as the third time was the charm.

After sucking on the Zoots Rocks, I started to feel high in an hour and in another half an hour I was happily buzzed. The high was uplifting and energizing. The effects were really enjoyable. I was productive and my attitude was upbeat.

Zootrocks candies and a man paiting

Zoots caramel edibles have a strong uplifting, happy effect. I was alert and able to function well, felt comfortable in social situations, enjoyed food immensely and generally felt good. The impact lasted for a good 5 hours, and even lingered in a milder way after that. I always prefer when edibles provide an indication of effects, either by labeling products as Indica or Sativa or sharing the name of the cannabis strain used in production. I’d love to know what strain or strains Zoots is using. For me, it was a very Sativa-like experience without any of the lazy feeling I get with some Indica strains.

I highly recommend Zoots Rocks. They are super convenient and provide a consistent, pleasant buzz. Overall a solid cannabis edible that is small and durable enough to bring hiking. Zoots provides a happy, uplifting and creative effect that is what you want when looking for the euphoric THC effect.

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

Strength: 9

Flavor: 7

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

Atlas Lemon Cannabis Infused Gourmet Granola Trail Bar Review

Atlas Cannabis Infused Gourmet Granola Trail Bar is a 1:1, having equal amounts of THC and CBD. This formula comes in a Lemon, Blueberry and Almond flavor with one bar containing 5mg of THC and 5mg of CBD.These are vegan and their only allergen is nuts.

Atlas has another bar called the Peak bar, with the same THC to CBD ratio, but with a Sativa dominant effect and Salted Caramel flavor. As with most Atlas products they are colorfully packaged (they describe the package artist on their website) and interestingly flavored.

Atlas Cannabis infused gourmet granola trail bar lemon, blueberry and almond with 5mg THC and 5mg CBD

Product

The packaging has to be somewhat child proof, so you do need to cut it open. A strong lemon smell greets you immediately. This is not a dry crunchy granola bar (when fresh, I can’t speak to it if you hold onto it for too long), it is a moist, chewy bar.

The flavor is Lemon turned up to 11. I love strong lemon flavor and I was a little taken aback by how lemony it was. I think it’s needed to avoid having you taste the cannabis oil and I was very happy with it as a lemon-flavor lover. The blueberry and almond provide a little bit of a taste counterpoint, but they are only the background at best. Very tasty and not a strong cannabis taste.

Effects

I found this bar to have relaxing effects, similar to an Indica-dominant hybrid strain. I was alert enough to pay attention but only in a laid back way. Eventually the relaxing effects took over and I could have easily rested my eyes for a while. I am sensitive to Indica strains, so for folks who like the Indica effects this may be perfect and they may not experience the strong relaxing effect I experienced. It was generally a balanced effect of being alert but feeling chill. I had a mild munchie effect from this edible, but nothing ravenous.

Overall a great tasting LEMON granola bar that is easily portable, has a nice chill experience and can be cut in half for a smaller dose experience.

Flavor: 7

Strength: 6.5

Website: atlasedibles.com/trail

Kiva Terra Bites Cannabis Milk Chocolate Blueberries Review

Kiva Confection’s Terra Bites are milk chocolate covered blueberries infused with cannabis. Each tin contains around 20 blueberry bites, each with 5mg of THC. They have an excellent blueberry taste paired with the THC infused milk chocolate.

The small dose size makes it easy to use a little or a lot. I found my usual 10mg dose size to be accurate for these edibles, if a little on the mild side. It may be because this product contains 0% CBD, which can sometimes help the THC activate fully. I can comfortably go up to 15mg of this edible without the effects becoming too strong.

I found these strong enough that I could “mini-dose” – which for me is 5mg instead of my usual 10mg. With just one blueberry I experienced energy and focus, something like having a strong cup of coffee. I felt mentally sharp and was able to take care of business without feeling spacey or stoned. It was perfect to power through some chores and errands.

I really like both the taste and effects of these Kiva edibles. I do not feel tired or lethargic when I take them, they are a good choice for elevating in the daytime. They are in my regular rotation, especially for those time when I want a decent strength effect without going for my usual 10mg dose.

I love their insert under the cover of the tin that advises to “start with one bite” – always good advice. Terra Bites are very tasty, delivers antioxidants along with the cannabis, and comes in a convenient size that is easy to open. This packaging is not child proof once opened, so as with all cannabis products, keep this away from animals and anyone under 21 that does not have a prescription.

KIVA CA Terra Blueberries

Winner of Best Edible, 2017, East Bay Express user poll
Winner of Best Edible, 2017, The Errl Cup
Winner of Best Local Edible, 2017, by SF Weekly

Flavor: 7

Strength: 6

Website:  http://kivaconfections.com/products/bites/bites-blueberry

Periodic Edibles Strain-Specific Artisan Cannabis Caramels Review

Periodic Edibles makes four cannabis-infused caramels, an Indica, a Sativa, a Hybrid and a CBD formulation. Not only are they type-specific (Indica/Sativa/Hybrid/CBD), which I love, they are also strain specific which I love even more!

Each piece is labeled with exactly what strain of marijuana was used to make the caramel. The strain is indicated on the jars and packaging. Sometimes the farm is indicated as well. I tested a Sativa batch made with Cindy 99 (aka Cinderella 99) and an Indica batch made with Obama Kush. The CBD formula has 35mg of CBD and 20mg of THC. The Indica and Sativa caramels both have 50mg of THC.

They also make a “low dose” 10mg individual package as well as 50 mg vegan multi-packs. While the THC caramels are only available in Oregon, they ship their Hemp Caramels to 42 states. They label them as Balanced (Hybrid), Active (Sativa), Recover (CBD) and Relax (Indica). They also make a medical strength of 100mg for medical patients.

Periodic Caramel Pieces

Periodic Sea Salt Caramels are made with quality ingredients and they taste great. There is a medicinal taste to this cannabis edible, but it’s not off putting.The flavor reminds me of other cannabis caramels that have a pronounced THC oil taste. The taste is not medicinal or alcohol-like but you can taste the cannabutter in a pronounced way. The regular caramel is well made with a good cream and salt taste. This is made with butter and milk, so it is not suitable for vegans. They do make a vegan version, using canna-coconut oil.

The flavor was fine but I’m not a big fan of the taste overall. I did see on the website they have made a caramel apple flavor and an Indica lavender caramel, both of which sound great.

The product comes as one large caramel. The package does come with an indicator on the wrapping to help you divide the caramel into 5mg serving sizes. Since the product is small (2 inches) I found it a little difficult to match the wrapper indicator with the knife, so I ended up with 8 pieces instead of 10, making for a dose size of 6.25mg for each piece. I wish there was some way for the manufacturer to score the caramels to make them easier to split into doses. Dosing is eyeballing a cutting pattern on the wrapper. It’s not ideal.

Once I had cut mine up and put them in the fridge for a 30 minutes, they split nicely into individual pieces. While they do hold their shape without refrigeration, I would plan to keep these in the refrigerator both to keep them fresh and to make them easier to handle as they can get sticky and gooey when it is warm.

Periodic Caramels Whole

As I always advise folks, I started with a small dose, taking one of the 6.25mg pieces. My usual dose is 10mg of THC so I expected to feel about 3/4 of the usual effects. I was surprised that after an hour I did not feel much. As I approached two hours without much effect, I took another piece, taking the dose up to 12.5mg. After 45 minutes I began to feel the effects. I took them as usual with coffee and a regular sized breakfast that included some fat to help the THC metabolize. What effects we experience from edibles can vary with what we have eaten, other chemicals in our systems, etc.

For some reason I did not feel a strong energetic effect from this Sativa edible. Likely this is due to it being made with a Sativa hybrid. Leafly describes Cinderella 99 as being known “for a potent cerebral high…dreamy, euphoric, and uplifting”. I did find it dreamy, with a more spacey head than other sativa edibles. I did find it uplifting but not energetic, so for me this is something I would rather use in the afternoon or evening than in the morning. I did not get the effects I was expecting for a Sativa, but now I know the effects of this strain and I can use it at a more appropriate time. I am happy to exchange my expectations for the ability to find exactly the effects I desire from particular strains.

Periodic Caramels Strain

The Obama Kush used in the Indica caramel is a strain with effects that are unusual for an Indica. Leafly describes it like this: “Obama Kush sets itself apart from other Indicas through its cerebral stimulation and euphoric rush. This strain is recommended for all levels of patients looking for a balanced experience, as it offers powerful physical effects as well as an intense cerebral uplift that does not stimulate appetite or put you to sleep.” So if you were hoping this Indica edible would put you to sleep, you would likely be disappointed.

This is a good reminder of the benefits of strain-specific edibles, as you can find strains that have combinations of effects that are more customized to a person’s needs. Rather than an Indica that helps you relax but puts you to sleep, you can find an Indica that helps you relax but you remain alert. Or instead of a focused, energetic high from a Sativa, you might prefer a dreamy, uplifting Sativa effect.

Made in Oregon and only available in that state as of 2021.

Flavor: 6

Potency: 5

Website: http://www.periodicedibles.com

Atlas Lemongrass Ginger CBD THC Cannabis Beverage Mix Review

Lemongrass Ginger 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 and they do sell four-packs together. The package is a single serving that you mix with 12 oz. of liquid and they recommend you do not separate the powder into portions before you mix it up.

Atlas Lemongrass and Ginger Cannabis Infused beverage mix 10mg CBD 5mg THC

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 strong lemongrass smell from the powder. They recommend that you add the powder to twelve ounces of liquid – I used water. You might want to use a container with a lid you can close, so you can really shake it up to mix it. It also worked fine just to stir it vigorously in a glass, though it did take some time to dissolve.

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 almost too much for me in this product, but the lemongrass and ginger flavors are strong so they mostly mask it. It still does have a slight stevia aftertaste taste and I found that a little unpleasant.

I love ginger and this has a very strong ginger taste mixed with the lemongrass. If you’ve ever had fresh ginger juice, squeezed from grated ginger, you know how strong it can be. This wasn’t quite that overpowering, but if you love serious ginger flavor, this is the flavor for you. It reminds me of ginger lemonade made with a generous amount of ginger juice. The ingredients list natural flavors but doesn’t say what those flavors are. Ginger and green tea extract are listed as the only other flavorings besides the various sweeteners. 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.

I need more CBD than 10mg usually to make an impact on sore, tired muscles and I can usually have 10mg of THC with no problem. Now that I have tried this product several times, I could see making up two batches, so I could see what the impacts are of one dose plus one quarter dose, or one dose plus a half dose, to find the right impact for me. As always, and as mentioned above, try a new edible or drinkable several times at lower than your normal dose, then at your usual dose, before even thinking of taking more than a standard dose. Start low and go slow.

Wrap Up

The effects are what I would expect from a 2-1 CBD + THC edible or drinkable. I much prefer this flavor to the Pomegranate Green Tea flavor of this beverage mix. I like a strong ginger taste and the calming effect ginger has on digestion. I also like lemongrass and lemonade, so this flavor combination is a winner for me.

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.

I could see this as part of my regular set of options when I want the effects of CBD. For those who like the flavor and who like the effects provided, this is a fine addition to a CBD edibles & drinkables collection.

Taste: 5

Strength: 6

Website: http://atlasedibles.com/lemongrass-ginger

Kush Nuts Cannabis Coated Nuts Review

Kush Nuts are cannabis-coated almonds and cashews. They offer one of the few sugar-free edible choices available. There are both Sativa and Indica formulas.

We always love it when edibles indicate Sativa or Indica, even more so when they are strain specific and even better when they indicate the source so you know exactly what you are getting and from where. In this case Kush Nuts gives all of that information. In the batch we tested, the Sativa strain was Dragonfish Farm’s Red Congelese.

The rosemary and garlic flavor is very good, making these a little bit dangerous, as it would be easy to pop a handful in your mouth. Be aware that one nut is about equal to 5mg THC, so if your usual dosing is 10mg, just two nuts will provide that dose.

While these snacks are sugar free, gluten free and paleo friendly, they do use butter so they are not vegan.

Having tried these both alone and with other edibles, I find that I use them to help augment other edibles whose effects are wearing off or ones that are not as strong as I wanted. I can eat just one nut and bump my dose up by 5mg, which is perfect for increasing dosing without taking in too much at once. Just by themselves, taking my usual 10mg dose just doesn’t give me the same strong effects as other edibles. I am glad they are more mild, as they make an excellent addition to other edibles if I am not getting the strength of effect I want.

Since edibles are aided in digestion by a little bit of fat, the butter and oil as well as the fats in the nuts take care of that, so you don’t have to eat some avocado or mac and cheese to help these edibles along.

Kush Nuts are made by Wish, a California based not-for-profit collective and they are currently available only at dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.

Wonderfully tasty, these are a great alternative to edibles with sugar and they provide a way to easily take 5mg doses.

Flavor: 8

Strength: 8

Website: http://www.kushnuts.com/