Tag Archives: pain

Valhalla Cannabis Sativa Gummies Review

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My go-to edible for daytime use is the Valhalla Sour Watermelon Sativa gummies. They hit all of the important points for me – flexible potency, great taste and consistent effects.

Tasty, Portable, Economical and Effective

One of the first and most important elements of any edible is taste. While you may be willing to deal with a not-great taste for specific effects, it is always great when the edible is delicious. Being a big fan of Jolly Roger-type flavors, I love the Sour Watermelon flavor that Valhalla uses. I can still taste the cannabis a little bit and the flavoring works in harmony with that taste, not trying to cover it up or clashing with it, as some edibles can.

Since they come in Indica and Sativa and CBD specific types, the Valhalla gummies let you find the right ratio of each through experimentation.You might want half a Sativa and half a CBD for daytime pain relief and uplift. Or half an Indica and a whole CBD for evening use or sleep support.

I have found that if I take them on a relatively empty stomach and take it with some food with fat in it as well as having caffeine, I get a perfectly strong effect that lasts at least 4-5 hours. When I feel the effects fading I can boost it with another half of a gummy, as they are easy to cut or bite through.

This is my standard edible for days when I want an energetic effect to help me get things done around the house, spark creativity or help focus on a task. Valhalla gummies deliver that consistently and with great taste!

Read our review of the Valhalla Indica Gummies here.

Strength: 8

Flavor: 9

Website: http://www.valhallaconfections.com

Transdermal Patches: An Introduction

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I first learned about transdermal patches from a good friend in Colorado whose son uses the CBD patches for pain management. For their privacy, we’ll call them Brenda and Will. Brenda had the patches recommended by a doctor for Will’s pain related to cerebral palsy. They are easy to apply and have much less side effects than opioids (and most other pain pills). The transdermal’s effects last up to 12 hours, so you don’t have to remember every 4 or 6 hours to administer another dose – or wake up to take them in the middle of the night. While other medications are necessary for his complete pain management, the CBD patches provide a more reliable and consistent foundation of pain relief than Will has ever had.

Brenda then shared that she had used them for pain as well, including after she had knee surgery. When she went in for her 3 month checkup after the surgery, her doctor was surprised to see that the knee had healed as well as if it had been 6 months. He asked her what she had done to accelerate her healing and she shared how the CBD patches had helped manage the pain and must had had an impact on the healing.

She wears the transdermal patches herself as needed for pain relief and other effects.

The transdermal patch is something like a nicotine patch, if you’ve ever seen one of those. It has an outer layer that often looks like a type of bandage fabric, a layer of medication in a medium designed to dispense consistently while worn, then a layer of adhesive to make sure it sticks to your skin.

Patches come in either single formula or a mix. They can comes as THC-Sativa, THC-Indica, THCa, CBD or CBN. There are slao patches with rations, such as CBD/THC 1:1.

To apply them, you find an area of your skin that is venous like the inside of your wrist or ankle. You can apply them close to a point of pain like a knee or hip as well, just try to make sure the area is free of oil, hair or scars. Use isopropyl alcohol to clean the area before applying the patch. Apply it firmly and evenly to ensure it adheres well to your skin. We like to use rubbing alcohol not only to clean the area but that it helps to remove the adhesive once you remove the patch.

Usually patches provide an even, long lasting effect as they release over time. As with edibles, the effects can be impacted by what you eat. If you feel the effects are too strong, try eating something to see if that reduces the effect. The effects can be boosted by using transdermal gels, edibles or smoking flowers. Always get to know your reactions to individual products first before combining them.

A favorite is Mary’s CBN patch, used to help you get to sleep and stay asleep. My local dispensaries often sell out of them within days whenever they get them in.

Read the Review: Mary’s CBN Transdermal Patch.

Kikoko Cannabis Infused Organic Teas Review

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Kikiko has a line of four tasty teas that deliver various combinations of THC, CBD and CBN. Each one is formulated to deliver specific effects, as their names indicate: Tranquili-Tea, Positivi-Tea, Sympa-Tea and Sensuali-Tea.

Kikoko TeaTranquili-Tea is for relaxing and to help  you sleep, with 5mg of CBN and 3mg of THC. Positivi-Tea is for mood lifting and pain relieving effects with 10mg THC and 5 mg CBD. Sympa-Tea is for pain management and anxiety relief with 3mg of THC and 20mg of CBD. Sensuali-Tea is described as being “for passion and play” on the website, with 7mg of THC.

Kikoko uses organic ingredients and high quality cannabis in their products, so they are a premium product. This creates a price point per dose that is higher than the average edible or beverage. I am frugal so I usually re-use the teabag once. The label clearly says that there is no increase in potency after one minute and that these are single use teabags, but they have enough good flavors that they make a nice second cup of tea even if it doesn’t deliver any cannabis effects.

Tranquili-Tea

Tranquili Tea Kikoko

The Tranquili-Tea works very well. About 45 minutes after a cup in the evening I start to feel very relaxed, after an hour I usually feel like heading to bed. I am able to fall asleep easily and stay asleep. If I do get up it is not hard to get back to sleep. I sometimes feel a little something different in the morning, but too slight to call it a hangover, let’s call it a fuzziness that dissipates quickly. I especially love the tastes of peppermint, camomile, lemon myrtle and licorice root that come across without a medicinal taste. I had a friend who has gone through cans and cans of these as he has trouble sleeping and they work like a charm for him.

I’m a tea drinker and really like the taste of Tranquli-Tea. It’s THC dose is low, but you definitely feel the calming effects of the Indica cannabis. I would surely recommend their use as part of an evening wind down or anti-anxiety routine.

Positivi-Tea

Positivi-Tea Kikoko

Positivi-Tea has the most THC of any of the Kikoko teas at 10mg. Due to that dosage, this tea has the strongest THC flavor of any of the teas we have tried. It is still barely noticeable and does not make the tea taste bad or medicinal. You have to like mint flavors if you want to like this tea as it has both peppermint and spearmint in it. Some folks are not a fan of peppermint, so this is not a taste they might like. I have fond memories of having tried teas in Amsterdam, so I was excited to try this.

While I usually take some caffeine with our edibles, the green tea in this product provides a good amount of caffeine to help boost the effect. Instead of having an edible with breakfast, I had this tea along with a medium sized breakfast. I started to feel the effects in a mild way in about an hour, which is longer than usual. Everyone is different and reacts differently to different products. Be aware that these may take longer to have the effects felt than other edibles or “drinkables”, so be patient when waiting for the effects.

After two hours I was only feeling a mild effect, what I usually expect from a 10mg THC dose when it is paired with CBD, because for me CBD reduces the impact of THC. The effect was noticeable, just weak. So many things effect how we respond on different days like the type and amount of food in our system. Whatever the reason, after two hours I felt I wanted a stronger effect so I augmented the tea with Mary’s Medicinals THC Transdermal Pen for a boost. The boost helped temporarily but soon I was back to only a mild effect. My experience is that this product is good for people who want a mild effect from a 10mg dose. It isn’t strong enough for me to use without boosting it with something else, or making a tronger batch.

Have not tried the Sensuali-tea, but the Sympa-tea has the pain relief you expect from a CBD dose.

These are one of the more expensive cannabis edibles per 10g dose that are available. For our chart of comparing your cost per 10mg THC dose, see our COst Per Dose post.

Kikoko’s teas are an excellent, high quality and unique way to elevate. Great flavor profiles and good strength make this a solid choice, especially when you want to treat yourself or those you love.

Taste: 8

Strength: 6

Website: www.kikoko.com

Transdermal CBD Gel Trampled My Pain

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A good friend was sharing her positive experiences with transdermal patches, and she whipped out the Mary’s Medicinals transdermal gel pens that she uses to boost the effects of the patches. The lotion-like gel is what gave me my initial first-hand experience with a transdermal CBD application.

Besides the pens, Mary’s Medicinals also makes transdermal patches in several formulas – THC Sativa, THC Indica, CBD, and more. Mary’s makes transdermal gel pens in similar formulas. Each pen dispenses a measured amount of medicated gel, that is similar in consistency to a skin lotion.

Mary's Medicinals Transdermal Gel Pens

I was experiencing severe pain in my left wrist, unable to support any weight with it in several different positions.  Traditional pain relievers (advil, aspirin, tylenol) didn’t make much of a dent in the pain. I tried ingesting THC and CBD tinctures which provided some general relief but didn’t target the pain. It had gone on for weeks and I was about to make an appointment with my doctor to see if it was arthritis or something more serious.

My friend suggested I try the transdermal lotion. I rubbed a nickel-sized portion of the CDB lotion on my wrist and within an hour the pain was completely gone. I have had no sign of the pain since then and it has been over 6 months. From that point on, I have been an advocate for transdermal CBD application. Whether as a topical gel or in transdermal patches, it works especially well for pain that is specific to one area.

My pain was likely from inflammation, which CBD can be great at reducing. I have also used the CBD gel rubbed on my temples to reduce headache pain or on the back of my neck at the base of the skull when I feel tension built up there. The great thing about the pen is that it dispenses small portions so it easier to control how much you use.

For general aches and pains, edibles and tinctures are fantastic. For pain in specific areas, transdermal gels and patches provide more targeted relief.

Read more about Mary’s Transdermal Pens and patches, including one of our favorites for sleep, Mary’s CBN transdermal patch.

Kanha Cannabis Infused Sativa Cherry Gummies Review

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Kanha cannabis infused Sativa THC gummies contain the usual 10mg dose of THC per gummy. There are 10 pieces for a package total of 100mg THC.

Kanha gummies are made with gelatin, so they are not vegetarian or vegan friendly. They are gluten-free and contain no food allergens like dairy, nuts or soy. Each piece has 23 calories so the whole bag sets you back 230 calories.

Taste & Effects

The smell from the package is a generic cherry smell. Each gummy is covered in a fine sugar coating that provides an initial sweet taste. Once that disappears, there is an artificial cherry taste, mixed with a slight cannabis oil taste. Like other Kanha gummies I’ve tried, they are artificial tasting but perfectly edible. I don’t like cherry flavor to begin with, and I don’t like artificial flavors, but these have a soft enough flavor that they taste like other cherry gummy candies.

Kanha Cannabis Infused Sativa Cherry Gummies, package of 100mg THC
Kanha Cannabis Infused Sativa Cherry Gummies

Kanha gummies are robust, taking a good five minutes to dissolve in the mouth. As with all new edibles, I took half of my usual dose the first time to judge how strong they are. My usual dose is 10mg of THC, so I started with one half of a gummy, with 5mg THC. I took it first one evening at home. I didn’t feel much of an effect, even after 2 1/2 hours. I tried again the next day at the full 10 mg dose. I could feel a slight uplift effect, But I did not experience the energy boost, creative charge or the focus I experience with other sativa edibles.

Kanha Cannabis Infused Sativa Cherry Gummies

I usually find 10mg of THC is a good dose for me, but for many folks 5mg gives them the effects they want. I tried these again several times at my usual dose and just didn’t get the effects that I wanted. It may be the strain or the hybrid that went into making the cannabis oil or this could’ve just been a mild batch. Either way these are great for people who are sensitive to THC or who get the effects they want from a lower dose.

Always start low and go slow with edibles and judge the impact for yourself, as we all react a little differently.

Wrap Up

I love it when edibles are labeled as Sativa or Indica to give folks a better idea of the effects to expect. Kanha Sativa THC Cherry gummies are a good choice. While I find the flavor just okay, some folks love cherry. Overall a good choice if you are looking for mild effects in a Sativa THC gummy edible.

Now available in California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Illinois.

Taste: 3

Strength: 4

Website: http://sunderstorm.com/kanhatreats/

Mary’s Medicinals Transdermal Compound 1:1

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Mary’s Medicinal Transdermal Compound has a 100mg blend of CBD, CBC and THC.

I went on a mountain drive with my husband at ended up in Silverthorne, a real ski town. Thinking that skiers have a lot of aches and pains, I thought this would be a perfect place to find effective CBD topicals. I stopped at High Country Healing and asked for suggestions on topical creams with CBD. Both of the friendly budtenders recommended Mary’s Medicinals. Although it was expensive, I bought it.

MARYS COMPOUNDThe container holds 28 grams of topical cream. It’s made with mango butter and beeswax making the compound more of a solid than a lotion. It doesn’t have a scent.

I have Dupuytren’s contracture – an arthritis – in both hands. In this situation, I am looking for pain relief, not to get high. Even though there is THC in the Compound, it won’t get you buzzed at all. I applied the product and massaged in the oils directly where I was feeling pain. After a half an hour, my hand was very soft and the Compound oils disappeared.

After 15 minutes, the palms of my hand were slightly tingly. After 30 minutes, I was almost pain free. Before I put on Mary’s Medicinals Transdermal Compound my pain level in my hand was at a 3-4, after an hour my pain level barely registered at a 1. It was enormously helpful in comparison to Motrin/Aleve. The pain relief lasted for almost three hours.

Mary’s Medicinals Transdermal Compound worked for me. I highly recommend it for anyone that is looking at CBD topicals. Although it is a little expensive at $50.00 per container in Colorado, a little goes a long way!

Taste: n/a

Strength: 8

Website: https://marysmedicinals.com/product/transdermal-compound/