Tag Archives: Kiva

Kiva Cannabis-Infused Chocolate Bars Review

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Kiva is one of the most widely available, well known brands of cannabis edibles with a long history and more than a few awards. Kiva Bars come in eight different flavors, either dark chocolate or milk chocolate. The dark chocolate flavors are vegetarian and vegan friendly as they contain no dairy or other animal products. They may contain traces of milk or nuts from manufacturing, but all are gluten-free. Most of the flavors have only THC in them, two flavors have both THC and CBD.

As regular readers know, I greatly prefer edibles that are made either from similar types of cannabis (Indica, Sativa or Hybrid) and my preference is for edibles that are strain-specific (Blue Dream, Sour Diesel, Gorilla Glue, etc.) and labeled as such. Many edible makers like Kiva, use a mixture of types of cannabis, so while they can be considered “Hybrid”, there is no way to know what strains were used, so the effects are more of a muddle.

Dosing

As always, if it is your first time trying this brand start with a small dose, wait two hours and then judge the effects to determine if you want to increase your dosage.

Kiva Dark Chocolate Blackberry Cannabis Infused BarsThe bar I tried has 100mg total in the bar and it is scored to make it easy to break off 5mg pieces I am an experienced user of cannabis edibles and I know my usual dose is 10mg of THC, so I began by having a 5mg piece and waited to judge the effects. Within an hour I felt a little bit of an effect. After two hours the effects were mild, so I felt comfortable taking another 5mg dose to bring me up to my usual preferred strength.

Taste

For this review I tried the Blackberry Dark Chocolate flavor. This flavor won the 2013 Best Edible at the San Francisco & Los Angeles High Times Cannabis Cups.

I like that Kiva uses natural flavors and as soon as you open the package you get a distinctive blackberry and chocolate smell. The flavor is a good strong dark chocolate flavor with a nice natural blackberry flavor. The combination does a good job of covering up the THC taste, which is hardly noticeable in the background. I can usually taste THC and there is a hint of it in the aftertaste, but generally it is well masked by the flavors.

They have a smooth, chocolatey taste that is not too sweet and melts well. Keep these bars out of your pocket, a hot car or other warm place unless you want a melted mess. Not as gourmet as some edibles like Coda, but definitely a step up from the taste of a Hershey bar.

Effects

My friend June and her partner use a small dose to help with sleep support, so I thought I would try this flavor to see if it had a similar effect.

KIVA Dark Chocolate Blackberry Cannabis Infused BarThe initial effects were mild and more on the Indica side, feeling relaxed and a little tired. Since Kiva uses both Sativa and Indica, for me the effects are a bit schizophrenic. I feel relaxed, then tired, then a bit of uplift, then unmotivated, then creative, then tired again. For me personally this is not the kind of effect I enjoy the most.  I don’t like feeling creative but too relaxed to do anything about it. I don’t like it when my head wants to be productive and my body wants to take a nap.

The first time I tried it was during the day and even at half a does I could feel the Indica effects more than I wanted, so I didn’t even take the other half of a dose for fear of sleeping the day away. For folks who enjoy Indica type effects in the daytime, as it helps them focus or calm anxiety, these effects could be perfect, they just are not what I enjoy.

This Kiva edible is much better as an evening treat or to help with sleep support for someone like me. I tried them in the early evening and I did feel relaxed yet able to stay awake. When I did go to bed I had no problem falling asleep. I would limit my use of these for the late afternoon or evening and everyone experiences different impacts with cannabis edibles.

Kiva Blackberry Dark Chocolate Cannabis Infused Bars have a great taste with natural ingredients and the effects are decently strong. My experience is that they are best for folks who desire Indica-type effects and not good if you are looking for an energetic, uplifted, happy effect. If you are looking for help with anxiety, relaxing or sleep support, this could be a great cannabis edible choice for you.

Strength: 5

Flavor: 6

Website: http://kivaconfections.com/

Kiva Camino Holiday Punch Cannabis Gummies Review

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Kiva Camino makes their Holiday Punch cannabis gummies with a flavor reminiscent of red punch that has a cranberry and cinnamon flavor. This formula has 5mg of THC and 0mg of CBD per serving, and the can holds 20 gummies, for a total of 100mg THC 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 Holiday Punch Cannabis Infused Gummies next to a glass of red holiday punch

My local dispensary charges around $20 for a package, making it $2.00 for each 10mg serving of THC. These gummies do contain gelatin, so they are not vegetarian or vegan friendly. The can is their standard two-handed unscrew tin. The gummies are not individually wrapped.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the can is a pronounced red punch smell. Like the other Camino gummies, they have a lovely opaque appearance and a soft texture that is easy to bite through.

The flavor seems to have cranberry/cherry flavor with just a hint of cinnamon and that doesn’t have any strong cannabis oil taste or bad aftertaste. A mild sour note gives these that tart cranberry type flavor.

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 Kiva Camino Holiday Punch gummies are easy to cut or 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 full piece that has 5mg THC. After having only light effects for that trial run, on another day I then to my usual 10 mg dose, taking two gummies for a total dose of 10mg THC.

Effects

The 10mg THC dose produced a noticeable effect. The main effect I experienced was heightened senses – things looked, smelled and tasted more intense. I didn’t experience a big energy boost as I do with some Sativa gummies, the physical effects were more relaxing than energizing but without drowsiness or couch-lock. I found these a good fit for mild activity that takes advantage of the heightened senses, like puttering in the garden, cooking or going for a walk in nature. Of course perfect for opening presents and staring at twinkling lights too.

I can see how these would be a good fit before enjoying holiday meals, or staring at brightly colored packages while snacking on a candy cane.

Enjoyable 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 our reviews of the other Camino gummies here.

Taste: 8

Strength: 6

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

Kiva Lost Farms Strain-Specific Live Resin Cannabis Gummies & Chews Review

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Kiva’s line of Lost Farms edibles are strain specific, live resin cannabis gummies. The line comes in four flavors of gummies and three flavors of “chews”, each featuring a specific strain of cannabis. For experienced cannabis users who are familiar with specific strains, these are a welcome change to the usual edibles that are often made with a variety of strains mixed together, often not even labeled as one of a group such as Sativa, Indica or Hybrid.

Each gummy has 10mg of THC and 0mg of CBD per serving, for a total of 100mg THC and 0mg of CBD per package. These gummies are not just infused with the usual distilled THC but are formulated with a specific strain like Blue Dream or Clementine to help create more specific effects.

Kiva Lost Farm Family of Cannabis Infused Gummies made with live resin

My local dispensary charges $22 for a package, making it $2.20 for each 10mg serving of THC, close to the same price point as the Kiva Camino gummies or the Kiva 100mg cannabis Chocolate bars.

These gummies do not contain gelatin, so they are vegetarian and vegan friendly. They do contain potato starch but it’s not a large percentage of the ingredients. The gummies are not individually wrapped and the packages are pretty easily resealable.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the tube or bag is primarily a strong fruit smell. Unlike the Camino gummies which are smooth and see-through, these have a more of a fruit chew appearance and a sugar-covered texture. They easy to bite through and melt about the same as Camino gummies.

The gummy flavors are Raspberry, Strawberry Lemonade, Juicy Peach and Citrus Spritz. Raspberry is made with the strain Blue Dream for the Sativa strain and Wedding Cake for the Indica strain. Strawberry Lemonade is made with Super Lemon Haze for the Sativa and Strawberry Bananaz for the Indica. Juicy Peach is made with the Sativa-dominant hybrid strain Mimosa. Unfortunately, as of March 2021, the Citrus Spritz flavor made with the strain Clementine is no longer available.

The chews come in Blueberry made with hybrid strain Blue Dream, Key Lime made with the Sativa-dominant hybrid strain Lemon Meringue and Watermelon made with the Indica-dominant strains Wedding Cake x Watermelon Zkittlez.

The flavors are somewhat sugar-forward since the outside of the gummies are coated with a sugary substance. The chews come without the outer coating and a bit more translucent. They all do have fruit flavors but they seem to border right on the line between solid natural flavor and more candy-type flavors. Mostly it is a mild citrus and fruit flavor that doesn’t have any bad aftertaste or strong THC flavor. A mild sour note gives these that suggestion of sourness and the fruit flavors suggest a flavor but you wouldn’t think you are biting into a real berry or slice of watermelon, they are more candy-flavors, although they do use real fruit powders as part of flavoring.

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 chews and gummies are easy to bite in half to give a 5mg dose of THC. 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 sometimes use two and a one quarter pieces for a 12.5mg dose of THC when I want a stronger effect, if I have recently eaten or if I’ve taken CBD, which can tamp down the effects for me.

Effects

The effects I experienced were closely aligned with the effects I’ve enjoyed when smoking these strains, only adjusted to be edible effects. For the hybrids, a lovely elevated and relaxed feeling, while still being alert and energetic. More alertness and energy with the Sativa-dominant strains like Super Lemon Haze, and more relaxing and chill impacts from the Indica-dominent strains like Wedding Cake. I love the Sativa and hybrids for interacting with nature whether it’s gardening, “forest bathing” or a walk on the beach. As someone who enjoys photography, those are great for staying alert to great images without feeling over-hyped and at the same time the mild relaxation leaves you open to possibility. Similar impacts with the Blue Dream, a positive effect of a dreamy, elevated mind along with an Indica kind of body relaxation that isn’t too strong that you just want to sit down. The Indicas I find very relaxing as I’m sensitive to the effects of Indica strains.

Enjoyable flavor profiles and strain-specific effects are exactly what I look for when I want to elevate and Kiva’s Lost Farm cannabis edibles do a great job on both counts.

Read the reviews of Kiva’s Camino gummies here.

Taste: 8

Strength: 7

Website: https://www.kivaconfections.com/brand/lost-farm

Kiva Camino Watermelon Lemonade Bliss Cannabis Gummies Review

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Camino cannabis gummies come in a Bliss Social formula with a Watermelon Lemonade 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 Bliss Cannabis Infused Gummies 100mg 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 tin is one you push in while you turn to open. The gummies are not individually wrapped.

Dosing & Flavor

The smell from the tin is a natural lemon and fruit 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 mild natural lemonade and fruit flavor that doesn’t have any bad aftertaste. A mild sour note gives these that suggestion of lemonade and the fruit flavors suggests watermelon, but I don’t feel these taste a lot like watermelon.

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 Social gummies are easy to bite in half to give a 5mg THC. 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, taking two gummies for a total dose of 10mg THC. I sometimes use two and a half pieces for a 12.5mg dose of THC when I want a stronger effect, if I have recently eaten or if I’ve taken CBD, which can tamp down the effects for me.

Kiva Camino Cannabis Infused GummiesHero Marquee

Effects

The effects I experienced were a lovely elevated and relaxed feeling, while still being alert and energetic. I love these for interacting with nature whether it’s gardening, a forest “bath” or a walk on the beach. As someone who enjoys photography, these are great for staying alert to great images without feeling over-hyped and at the same time the mild relaxation leaves you open to possibility. A very positive effect that feels mostly like a Sativa-type effect of elevated mind along with an Indica kind of body relaxation that isn’t too strong that you just want to sit down.

Enjoyable 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 the review of the other Camino gummies here.

Taste: 8

Strength: 7

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

Kiva Camino Uplifting, Chill & Sleep Cannabis Gummies Review

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Kiva is well known for their cannabis infused chocolate bars and Terra bites chocolate covered blueberries and espresso beans. Their Camino range of edibles brings the quality of Kiva to cannabis gummies. These gummies are not just infused with distilled THC but are formulated with natural terpenes to create specific effects.

Camino cannabis gummies come in various formulas, each with a different flavor. The Uplifting formula is a Pineapple Habanero flavor, the Chill formula is a Wild Berry flavor, and the Sleep is a Blueberry flavor. Uplifting, Sleep and Chill each contain 100mg THC per package, with each serving containing 5mg of THC.

Kiva Camino Cannabis Infused GummiesHero Marquee

My local dispensary charges $22 for these, making it $2.20 for each 10mg serving of THC, the same price point as the Kiva Cannabis Chocolate bars with 100mg of THC. These gummies do contain gelatin, so they are not vegetarian or vegan friendly.

Dosing & Flavor

Being someone who prefers the effects of energy-stimulating Sativa and who enjoys spicy food, I was very happy to see the Pineapple Habanero flavor of the Uplifting formula gummies. The tin is one you push down to turn and open.

The smell from the tin is a wonderful natural pineapple smell. Some edibles smell artificial or smell like a bag of weed with some flavoring added. These smell just like pineapple. They have a lovely opaque appearance and a soft texture that is easy to bite through.

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. You can always have more but you can’t have less once you’ve eaten it. For those new to edibles, a good rule is to always start first with a very low does, like 2.5mg of THC, then wait two hours to gauge the effects before having a little more.The Camino edibles are easy to bite in half to give a 2.5mg dose. Since I am experienced with edibles and my usual dose is 10mg, I began with 5mg. After having only light effects for that trial run, I then moved to my usual 10mg dose.

I love the taste of the Uplifting gummies. I am usually not a fan of pineapple as too many products use an artificial flavor of pineapple I find unpleasant. The Uplifting Camino gummies have a wonderfully mild, natural pineapple taste. I found it difficult to find any cannabis oil taste. It starts with the sweet and sour fruit taste, then comes the heat from the habanero. I found the heat very mild yet not so mild it is unnoticeable. If you are very sensitive to spicy pepper flavors, just try to little to gauge your comfort. I love the heat level and that it lingers in the mouth for a bit after the gummy has dissolved. Delicious, one of the few edibles that I would buy for the flavor even if there was no THC involved.

Tip: If you find the taste too spicy, have some of your favorite milk at hand – coconut, soy, almond or dairy will do. Milk can help coat the tongue and can help put out the fire from the spiciness. Nut butters, like peanut butter or almond butter also can help tame the flames. Rice, pasta or bread can also help reduce the burn. Water doesn’t help hardly at all, a sugary drink will help more to reduce the spicy feeling.

For the Bliss, the flavor is a natural lemonade with fruit flavors and has the same smooth texture and soft mouth feel as the other Camino gummies. Read the full review here.

The Chill’s Berry taste is great also, if a somewhat non-specific berry flavor, as is the Blueberry. The taste is not artificial, it’s mild and maintains its good flavor through the aftertaste.

Effects

Uplifting: The effects I experienced were of the uplifting kind – feeling a boost to creativity, a bit of an energy boost and an uplifted mood. I do find the effects more mild than I might like, so I do sometimes boost the effect either with a low dose edible like these 2.5mg/dose gummies or Mary’s Medicinals transdermal pen.

Bliss: The effects for me were not very strong, a mild body high and slightly stoned head. As a budtender told me, they can follow your mood or your activity, as they are able to go both a relaxing and a more uplifting way, depending on the person.

Chill: Just as it implies, the effects of chill are relaxing and anxiety reducing. A budtender told me they are her favorite go-to when they are ready to chill. I am sensitive to strong Indica-type effects as they easily lead me to couch lock or sleep. I found Chill to be relaxing but functional with some mild couch pull and a nice stress relieving impact. Next to the Uplifting, the Chill is my second favorite in term of effect. Perfect for a weekend afternoon or to relax after a busy day.

Read the Sparkling Pear CBD gummy review here.

Enjoyable 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.

Taste: 9

Strength: 6

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


Kiva Terra Bites Cannabis Milk Chocolate Blueberries Review

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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.

Closed canister of Kiva Terra Cannabis Infused blueberries. 20 5mg pieces.
Kiva Terra Bites Blueberries in Milk Chocolate
Kiva Terra Bites Blueberries in 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.

Kiva Terra Cannabis Infused blueberries instructions, THC content, and nutritional information.
Terra Cannabis Infused blueberries instructions, nutritional information and THC content
Open canister of Kiva Terra Cannabis Infused blueberries. Showing 25 Chocolate covered blueberries.
Mmmmmm THC Infused blueberries!

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