Sensi Chew Insomnia Cannabis THC & CBD Chocolate Caramels Review

sensi chew cannabis infused chocolate caramels insomnia formula with melatonin

Taste & Ingredients

Like the other Sensi Chew products, this edible is a chocolate caramel confection that does a good job of hiding the THC taste. If you are not a fan of the taste of cannabis oil, this is good product for you to try, as the taste is on the mild side. There is an “Insomnia Plus” product that has no THC, just CBD and it has almost no cannabis taste. This edible is usually described as having a “tootsie-roll” type flavor and Sensi Chews have a similar consistency as those treats.

I like that Sensi Chew has a short ingredient list and that the ingredients are something your grandmother might use in making treats (except maybe the cannabis extract, depending on your grandmother). They are not full of chemicals and fillers. They do contain dairy so they are not an option for those who avoid dairy, be it for allergy, by choice, because of being a vegan and cruelty-free or any other reason.

Effects & Dosing

Usually within 30-45 minutes of taking one of these I begin to feel sleepy. I am sensitive to melatonin and each dose has 2mg of it per dose along with either 10mg of THC or CBD. Once the effects begin to set in, I am able to get ready for bed and I last about another 30 minutes before my eyes are too heavy to keep open. I would not take more than my usual does of one 10mg THC piece as I find the effects are strong enough.

Sometimes I do experience something of a groggy feeling in the morning, which I don’t like. I experience that with several other types of sleep aids, so I think it is the melatonin. I prefer to wake up refreshed and not groggy. I am fortunate that insomnia is only an occasional issue so I don’t usual use a sleep aid. Folks who are more tolerant of melatonin, might not have the grogginess. I don’t have it every time, but close to half the time when I use products like this.

sensi chew cbd infused chocolate caramels insomnia plus formula with melatonin

Wrap Up

If you have problems getting to sleep or staying asleep, I would recommend giving Sensi Chew Insomnia or Insomnia Plus formulas a try. these might not be your best choice if you are sensitive to melatonin. If you find you experience the grogginess, experiment with half or a quarter of a 10mg dose, to see if that reduces the impact.

Taste: 8

Strength: 8

Website: https://sensiproducts.com/product/


Kiva Camino Holiday Punch Cannabis Gummies Review

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

Valhalla Cannabis Infused Gummies- Sour Watermelon Indica Review

Valhalla indica Watermelon Gummies

Valhalla Cannabis Infused Sour Watermelon gummies are some of the best out there. They come in a package of 10 pieces with each piece containing 10 mg of THC and .4 mg of CBD. These Indica strain gummies taste great, with minimal medicinal taste.

After 40 minutes I started feeling the tingly sensation of an early high. I was still running around cleaning the house. After and hour and 15 minutes, I was sitting back enjoying a calm, full body high. That’s where I stayed for about an hour and 45 minutes more. It was lovely. I also noted that my hands that suffer arthritis- like symptoms were pain free.

Be warned, this edible creates serious munchies. Have a lot of healthy snacks available!

These are great gummies. I like that they don’t have a extra coat of sugar. They’re powerful!

Valhalla cannabis infused gummies are highly recommended!

Flavor: 8

Strength: 8

Website: http://www.valhallaconfections.com

Papa & Barkley Cannabis Transdermal Patches Review

Prior to the legalization of cannabis in California in January 2018, the only brand of transdermal patches available in the local Northern California dispensary was Papa & Barkley. We have tried several of their formulations, including the CBD, the 3:1 (THC:CBD) and the 1:3 (THC:CBD). We have also tried Mary’s Medicinals patches in the CBD,  Sativa, Indica, and CBN formulas.

Read our Introduction to Transdermal Patches and our Review of Mary’s CBN Patch.

We are not a fan of Papa & Barkley’s (P&B) products based on our experience of their product quality, formulation and effects.

Unlike Mary’s, several times the P&B patches come out of the package discolored and sometimes the back of the patch is sticky as if the medicine had seeped out from the sticky layer. Maybe this is from improper handling, maybe they got hot and melted or leaked, but we never experienced this with Mary’s. In this image you can see how the patch is discolored.

Papa & Barkley use camphor and menthol in their formulations. I recently used a patch of theirs and the smell of camphor was so sickeningly strong it gave me a headache. My skin is not oversensitive generally, but after wearing the patch for little over an hour, I had to take it off as it was creating a painful burning sensation. Even after taking it off, hours later I still smelled like camphor.

I’m very sensitive to the sedating, relaxing and sometimes sleepy effects of Indica. Papa & Barkley don’t indicate if their THC is Sativa or Indica, so you are rolling the dice if you are sensitive to one or the other, or if you are looking for a specific effect. We did not like the THC effects of the patch, it felt too much like an Indica-type feeling of lethargy. Creating formulas that are Indica or Sativa specific is much more helpful to people looking to use the products to different effects.

While I am a fan of patches, the uneven quality, strong unpleasant smell, and the lack of Indica/Sativa specific formulas makes Papa & Barkley a product I am not in a hurry to use again.

Strength: 5

Website: http://papaandbarkley.com

Papa & Barkley’s THC and CBD Cannabis Transdermal Patches Review

I have not had great experiences with Papa & Barkley’s transdermal patches – see my review of them here. As I always want to give products the benefit of the doubt, I tried a 3:1 formulation with 21mg of THC and 7.76mg of CBD. I document the effects I experienced throughout a day in this post.

Morning

Papa & Barkley Transdermal THC CBD Patch showing discoloration and seepage
Papa & Barkley Patch showing discoloration and seepage

9:10 am – After a shower, applied alcohol to the inside wrist to clean it. Opened the Papa & Barkley patch container. I noticed discoloration and “seeping” of the ingredients from inside the patch to the patch surface, which shows up as discolored brown areas. I tried wiping off the sticky area but they just pill and clump, the stickiness won’t wipe off. I noticed the strong smell of camphor that is usual with this brand of transdermal patch. I set a timer to help document effects.

9:25am – I begin to feel some irritation on my skin, partly the menthol and camphor but also an uncomfortable slight stinging sensation.

9:50am – I feel some impacts of the THC in my sinuses and somewhat in my body. I feel very little pain relief. The stinging sensation where the patch is on my skin continues, a little more irritating but not so painful that I want to remove it.

10:05am – I’m feeling more of the THC effect, stronger “high” feeling in my muscles, slightly spacey head. Very mild pain relief, as if I took a dose of ibuprofen.

10:50am – Effect has plateaued, been steady for about the last 30 minutes. From the effects I’m experiencing I think the THC in this batch might be a Sativa-dominant hybrid, as I feel the head-focused effects more than any body effects. The heady effects include heightened senses, especially sight and smell, some calming, anti-anxiety effects and a mild sense of well being. There were also some mild relaxing body effects.

Afternoon

12:20pm – Effects stayed pretty consistent over the last two hours. Went for a nice long walk with the dog and didn’t feel too tired or lethargic, energy stayed pretty steady. Consistent irritating feeling where the patch is.

1:21pm – After lunch, the effects decreased noticeably. Instead of a tired, nap-oriented feeling it is more like a fading of the effects. Still experienced some relaxing effects and ability to concentrate is still good but the energy and head effects have diminished. Stinging on skin at patch site remains as does very strong unpleasant smell of menthol and camphor.

2:00pm – With the effects almost gone and the stinging on the skin continuing, I removed the patch and cleaned the area with alcohol. Left a pink/red patch on my skin from the irritation.

Conclusion

While the patches are effective, the drawbacks of the leaky patch plus the irritation to my nose and my skin turns me off from these patches. I have friends who are less sensitive to the smell and the skin irritation that use them to manage pain and inflammation, so I know some folks don’t experience the same downsides as I do.

My preference is still for Mary’s Medicinals patches