These “slips” remind me of those Listerine strips that were so popular years ago, that allowed you to use mouth wash on the go by just dissolving the strip in your mouth. In a similar fashion, Kin Slips allow you to discretely pop a strip into your mouth and let it dissolve.
The slips come in three formulas – uplifting with sativa type effects (Cloud Buster), relaxing with indica effects (Nice Dream) and a CBD-rich mixture (Park Life) formula. We appreciate that they indicate the effects they are formulated to produce, as so many edibles give no indication.
While the strips are certainly convenient and discreet, they are possibly the worst tasting edible we have ever had. Despite the attempt at flavoring, as these dissolve there is a tiny hint of flavoring but it is overpowered by an unpleasant chalky, medicinal taste. Even the flavoring tastes artificial. Even with drinking something to mask the taste, when using these before bed it is not unusual to still have the nasty aftertaste in your mouth the next morning.
We find them quite strong, part of which is likely related to taking them under the tongue. For using the Nice Dream to help fall asleep and stay asleep, often half of one is enough to feel the effects. Nice Dream is on our short list when we need help with sleep.
Photo Courtesy KinSlips
KinSlips have a good strength, are convenient, discreet and specially formulated to produce specific effects, all of which which are big pluses. The taste is a big drawback for us, since there are so many other better tasting cannabis edibles available
Whether you are beginning to try edible or topical forms of cannabis, or are just interested in knowing more, we share are some good basics to know from our considerable experience. We share about effects, selecting, dosing, consuming – and what to do in case you consume more than feels good.
Effects
If you have not smoked Cannabis before and are unfamiliar with the effects that smoking it creates, understand that you will likely be experiencing new sensations. Well known side effects of smoking Cannabis flowers include euphoria, relaxation, heightened senses, pain relief, dry mouth and “the munchies”. These effects come from various chemicals in cannabis including CBD and THC.
If you have smoked pot, know that it is different than the almost immediate effects experienced when you smoke. The effects can sometimes take two hours or more to be felt fully. We usually feel effects from edibles within 45 minutes to an hour, but the effects can sometimes continue to increase up to 3 hours later. Every time is s little different. When compared with smoking flowers, it takes longer to feel it and much longer for the effect to fade. We have turned to edibles more as we want to smoke less. When we smoke, the effect can last an hour or so, sometimes two, but with edibles the effects keep giving!
Everyone is impacted differently, so make sure you have the free time to experience the effects – which may last up to 6 hours and for transdermal patches or large doses up to 12 hours. Ideally you are in a comfortable, familiar environment, preferably with someone nearby or in close touch who is supportive and experienced.
Eating or applying the compounds to your skin can have quite different effects. Some effects that we experience from smoking, like heightened senses or the munchies, do happen with edibles. Effects of edibles can include focus, energy and creativity with Sativa strains, pain or anxiety relief with Indica strains and anti-inflammatory effects with CBD rich strains.
Sativa, Indica & Hybrids
Indica, Sativa and Hybrid options. flickr: extensivlyreviewed
Cannabis comes in two main types – Indica and Sativa. Indica primarily effects the body – relaxing, anti-tension, and sometimes “couch lock” for stronger strains. Sativa primarily effects the head, increasing focus, creativity, energy and sense perception. There are many hybrids that are dominated by one set of traits or the other and some hybrids that try to balance the effects of both.
Wikipedia: On average, Cannabis indica has higher levels of THC compared to CBD, whereas Cannabis sativa has lower levels of THC to CBD.[5] However, huge variability exists within either species.
In the case of CBDs anti-inflammatory and pain relief are the usual effects Taking CBD with THC is reported to reduce the power of THC or at least it helps limit how high you get. Some suggest taking CBD to combat taking too much.
Within the types – Sativa, Indica, Hybrid – there are many specific strains. Some strain names have become well known and we prefer edibles where the strain name appears, so we can look up the effects if it is an unfamiliar strain. Also, If I want energy and uplift in the morning, I might not want to take an Indica dominant strain like Grandaddy Purple or Gorilla Glue or Chem Dawg that will relax me. I want a Sativa dominant strain like Sour Diesel or Jack Herer or Blue Dream. Some of the CBD strains are AC/DC, Harlequin and Ringo’s Gift. Sites like Leafly and others have reviews that provide details and reviews of strains.
Selecting
With the effects in mind, select what you want thoughtfully. Get something that either comes in small doses or something you can easily cut up into the portion size you want. Brownies, cakes, chocolate treats and similar edibles are often easy to cut into portion sizes. Hard candies and suckers are not easy to cut up, so consider that when making your selection.
To find edibles that are a good fit for you, look for items in flavors and types that appeal to both your taste buds and the effects you desire from your experience. There is a wide variety of cookies, brownies, cakes, chocolates, hard candies and other portable edibles available, so look around at different dispensaries to find the ones that are best for you.
Some dispensaries offer small diary’s or logs for you to keep track of what works for you and what doesn’t. It is a great idea to keep some notes on what you like and don’t so you can refine your choices and see what is best for you.
Always start with a low dose, like 2 or 2.5 mgs (milligrams). Do not to use edibles that are not clearly labeled with the total amount of THC either in the whole thing or per item (like with gummies). You cannot tell potency by the size of the edible. A normal size brownie could contain 5mg or 500mg, you just don’t know.
While a typical dose is usually 10mg, if you are totally new to edibles you may want to start at 2-3mg. While sometimes the effects can take up to 2 hours to be felt completely, usually after 60-90 minutes you should feel something. With a new edible, always wait 2 hours to see what you experience. If you feel nothing or almost nothing, possibly add another 2-3mg and wait 2 hours again, or next time try 5mg if the lower dose was not too strong for you.
On The Rise Edibles Medical Cannabis Gingerbread
Do your math and plan ahead when cutting up edibles. The On the Rise Sativa dominant edible pictured has 210mg of THC and it says it is six (6) doses. That means each dose will have 35mg of THC each – way too much for most people. If you want 10mg pieces, how will you cut it into 21 sections? One way is to cut it in half then cut those pieces in half, then cut those pieces in half, but that means you end up with an even number of pieces. In this case you end up with 20 pieces of 10.5 mg each which is close enough to the target dose.
This was an old style edible, before adult use became legal in California in 2018. Most edibles now – and in most states where it is legal – have the standard required dosing of 5mg or 10mg per dose, with some having higher limits for medical use, like 25mg per dose.
Consumption
How much food is in your stomach impacts the effects of edibles, and so does what you eat with it. We notice a definite difference if we take the same dose of an edible with very little on our stomach or if we take it soon after a meal. We get a much more pronounced and often quicker effect when our stomach is near empty. If our stomachs are full, the effect is usually weaker overall and can take more time to develop.
What you take the edible with can boost its effects we have found. From what we understand, the THC binds with fats to be distributed into the body, so it helps to take the edible with food that has some healthy fats in it like an avocado, some nuts or some seeds like sunflower, sesame and chia seeds. Too much food, however, and you will loose the benefits of a little fat, so having a big meal with a lot of fat in it isn’t a good choice if you want to feel the full impact.
Caffeine and spices that increase blood flow (like cinnamon, ginger or cayenne) can also help to boost the effects of edibles. If we are looking for an energetic experience, we usually take our edibles with some form of caffeine, be it coffee, tea, mate or cocoa. While Ruth is a black coffee lover, Alton prefers a modified cafe mocha made by stirring cocoa powder into coffee with milk. Since he loves spicy foods, he will often mix cayenne and cinnamon into the cocoa powder and add that to coffee for a spicy mocha. We find caffeine and these spices boosts the effects of most edibles I’ve tried. A favorite edible, the On The Rise brownies, come in both chocolate and gingerbread formula. We find that with the gingerbread we get a slightly stronger effect than we do with the chocolate brownie.
Flickr photo: JurrasicBlueberries Cookies 2017
Hydration
Staying hydrated is always important and I find it more so with edibles. I usually need more water than usual when I use edibles as I often experience dehydration and dry mouth. I usually go through four or five 16oz glasses. It’s fine to drink other liquids, being aware that sugary drinks could reduce the impact of the cannabis you are using. If you drink alcohol or caffeine or soda or all three, they do dehydrate you, so avoid them, limit them or pair them with regular intake of water – your body will thank you.
Overdose
It happens to most people at some point. With edibles it is possible to overdo it and feel like you have had too much. Sometimes this feels like you are ill but you cannot pinpoint what is wrong. Some folks get a feeling as if they are “dying” because they feel really bad, but don’t know what is wrong. We’ve experienced this as an all over feeling of being very uncomfortable, feeling nauseous in a way but not sick to the stomach. If we are inside, we can feel like we need to go outside for fresh air, and sometimes that helps. You are not actually sick, it just feels like it.
The easy antidote for too much THC edibles is to eat and drink. Sugar, protein and carbs are especially good at mitigating the effects of too much THC. Try having some form of protein, some cereal or some ice cream, even a sandwich. You may be feeling strange and it may feel strange to be eating, but do your best to finish what you are eating until you feel better. When we have the right dose, the taste of food is amazing, but if we’ve had too much eating is what has always worked to bring us down from an overdose of THC.
We have also heard advice to use products high in CBD’s to offset the effects, such as taking a high CBD tincture so it will bring down the THC effects. We do notice that we never seem as high with an edible that has a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio than one without. We have not tried taking CBD to combat taking too much THC it makes sense – as long as it doesn’t add more THC to the mix.
Experiment
Everyone is impacted differently, so first try each new edible by itself and when you have the time to enjoy the effects, not when you have to be somewhere or do something soon. Trying different types of edibles over time and at different doses will help you to find out what produces the desired effects for you.
Treometry’s Golden Mylk is a Tumeric Chai Cannabis White Chocolate Bar with Ashwaghanda Extract. While I was not familiar with Ashwaghanda before, this is now one of my favorite edibles to help go to sleep and stay asleep.
Flavor
With several competing spices, this edible struggles to find a balance among all of the flavors. The equally strong spice tastes from the tumeric, chai spices, pepper, ginger, etc. can leave the tongue a bit confused. The white chocolate flavor is very mild providing a smooth, chocolaty flavor overall. There is a slight aftertaste which is likely from the cannabis oil or the Ashwaghanda extract being in alcohol. This is a vegan chocolate, so it is missing the traditional milky, creamy chai flavor, as nothing in it replaces that taste or texture. The taste is very pleasant overall, creating a smooth spicy experience. It’s unusual to find a good tasting chocolate treat that is dairy-free, paleo friendly and gluten-free.
Dosage & Strain
The packaged portion is labeled as containing 10mg of THC and 10mg of CBD. It is scored into four squares that are easily broken into pieces of 2.5 mg for portion control – always a plus with an edible! It does not indicate if the THC is sativa, indica or some hybrid, which is a drawback. Since it does a great job promoting relaxation and sleep, it’s a good bet that it is an Indica or Indica-dominant hybrid strain.
“Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an herb used in Ayurveda medicine. Ashwagandha means ‘Smell of Horse,’ which refers to the fresh root’s distinct horsey smell, and the traditional belief that ingesting the herb will confer the strength and virility of a horse.
Ashwagandha is an adaptogen. It is supplemented primarily for its ability to prevent anxiety. Ashwagandha’s anti-anxiety effect is even synergistic with alcohol. It also shows promise for relieving insomnia and stress-induced depression.”
Despite this description, I have never tasted or smelled anything even remotely like a “horsey” smell, because this edibles uses an extract not the fresh root. I have experienced and enjoyed the anti-anxiety, relaxing effect it provides.
Effects & Dosing
Given its anti-anxiety and insomnia relief properties, this edible is often suggested for use in helping with getting and staying asleep. Over repeated uses, I have found that it provides these effects consistently.
In my experiments I did as I always do with a new cannabis edible, I started with a small dose. I started with just one of the four pieces to gauge the effect. While it is considered a mild does at only 2.5mg THC & CBD, it did help with stress relief and relaxing. I have tried two pieces, which is half of the bar and contains 5mg THC & CBD. I experienced more pronounced anxiety relief and relaxation effects within the first forty minutes. By the end of the first hour I was nicely relaxed and ready for bed.
I have tried it several times and the effects are consistent using the 5mg dose. Either I sleep through the night or if I get up I am able to get back to sleep. I sometimes experienced a slight grogginess in the mornings, but it quickly dissipates. I went back to the 2.5mg dose for regular use, since the Ashwagandha seems to add enough extra kick to do the trick for me.
If you are just trying this for the first time, it’s likely best to only take one-fourth of the bar, wait at least one hour and preferably two hours before taking another quarter portion. As always, the effects will differ depending on other medications, your metabolism, how much you eat around the time you take it, etc.
Golden Mylk is on the short list of the products I like the best to help with relaxing, getting a good nights sleep and avoiding insomnia.
When my favorite friend in the whole, wide world gives me a cannabis edible to try, I get excited. We live far apart and use different dispensaries that carry very different products. His cannabis purchases are always diverse and the edibles are usually leaning towards the healthier and more gourmet end of the spectrum. I look forward to visiting my friend to catch up and to try his next goodie. It’s a wonderful, happy time.
This time Alton shared Origin Mexican Chocolate & Pepita clusters. These clusters come in eight servings, each 10mg doses per bag. When I first started eating the clusters all I could taste were the oats and seeds (pumpkin and hemp). Then, I focused on the hint of dark chocolate. There’s a vague cannabis taste. These clusters are flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and chili. Sadly, I had flashbacks to the hard, dry, Nature Valley granola bars. That is not a compliment.
After 50 minutes the effects of Origin Mexican Chocolate Pepitas started. A relaxing, calm feeling took care of my frazzled nerves. It was a very heady high, there was a tingling, floating sensation. At the same time, it was a very low energy, sit-on-the -couch-and-space high. There were no munchies.
The buzz lasted a little over 2 hours. It was a consistent, strong, high that left me sitting in the same spot feeling awesome.
Once you get over the dryness of the product, Origin Mexican Chocolate Pepitas provide a strong, body high that is relaxing and enjoyable. I’d definitely try these again and would recommend that you try them if you see them at your dispensary too!
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.
Tranquili-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
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 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.
1906 brand chocolates come in four different effect-specific “experiences” – Go for energy (Sativa), Pause for relaxing (Indica), High Love as an aphrodisiac (Hybrid) and Midnight for sleep (Indica)
I selected these chocolates for review because they are strain specific and that is my preferred product choice when it comes to cannabis edibles. The High Love product I tried was infused with Blue Dream as indicated on the end of the package.
Pricing & Dosing
You get three pieces per box, each of around 5mg each of both THC and CBD. If 5mg is your dose, then you get three doses, but if your usual dose is 10 or 15, you only get one full dose per package. The price point (I paid almost $20 before tax in Colorado) includes that fact that this is artisan chocolate formulated with other herbs and spices that are said to produce “all-natural aphrodisiac effects”. I appreciate artisan quality if the taste and the effects are there and I’m willing to pay for it. It is a stretch for me when other edibles are priced at 100mg for around $20 to pay almost $20 for 15mg each of THC/CBD in this edible.
Taste
Sima Sciences, describes High Love as “a blend of damiana, catuaba, muira puama, ashwagandha, vanilla and other natural botanicals”. It was chocolatey and tasted of spices. These products contain dairy and so they are not vegetarian/vegan.
I don’t know what damiana, catuaba, muira puama, or ashwagandha tastes like, so I’m not sure if they added anything in the flavor area. I was neither repulsed nor wow-ed by the flavor. I am always hoping to find amazingly delicious flavors in edibles, but to me these were “M’eh”.
Effects
The bud tender who helped me said that like me he was sensitive to the effects of Indica and that he liked to use this Sativa infused edible before a night out. He agreed that while he didn’t find that it put you “in the mood”, you were ready if the opportunity and consent was there.
I initially tried just half a piece, as he had said they were strong. I didn’t feel anything even when I tried the other half of the piece two hours later. When a product like this is high in CBD (almost 1:1), it keeps a lid on the THC effect in my experience, so I’m not surprised that one piece didn’t result in any noticeable effects. If you are sensitive to edibles or just starting to try them, something mild like this High Love edible that has CBD to blunt the effects of the THC could be a good fit.
The website says “1906 is specially formulated using advanced pharmaceutical techniques so that you typically feel the effects within 15-20 minutes”. They don’t say what those techniques are or how it works faster.
I then tried a full dose, which for me is 10mg THC. Again, a 1:1 mix of CBD and THC like this product has limits how strong the effects are for me.
I usually like the effects of Blue Dream, but since CBD impacts the effects of THC for me, I didn’t get a full effect I wanted. It was like 3/4 of the effect I would expect and want. Regrettably the opportunity to test the aphrodisiac properties didn’t present itself, so I can’t comment on the effectiveness of those properties. It felt like a mild edible, not strong enough to put me in a “let’s party!” mood yet with noticeable effects.
If CBD doesn’t’ harsh your buzz when it’s 1:1 with THC, as it does for me, you may find this edible gives you the desired effect. I prefer a stronger effect from 10mg of THC. I also prefer something that tastes great so it’s worth the calories, and something that has a more reasonable price point. While I will try the coffee beans and the other 1906 products, I won’t add this High Love edible to my list of favorites.
This time Alton shared Origin Mexican Chocolate & Pepita clusters. These clusters come in eight servings, each 10mg doses per bag. When I first started eating the clusters all I could taste were the oats and seeds (pumpkin and hemp). Then, I focused on the hint of dark chocolate. There’s a vague cannabis taste. These clusters are flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg and chili. Sadly, I had flashbacks to the hard, dry, Nature Valley granola bars. That is not a compliment.
Once you get over the dryness of the product, Origin Mexican Chocolate Pepitas provide a strong, body high that is relaxing and enjoyable. I’d definitely try these again and would recommend that you try them if you see them at your dispensary too!
Tranquili-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.
More Than Buds 