2020 is on track to be one of the balmiest years ever recorded and cannabis remains an essential business across the states as we transition into summer. Research suggests a new wave of customers are ready for a cannabis experience and, according to industry leaders, they want something easy, and they want something fast.
“I knew 2020 would be the year of the beverage,” says Austin Stevenson, chief innovation officer of Vertosa, in Oakland, CA. The company comes up with the chemistry behind crazy futuristic weed products from Somatik, Artet, and NUG. The poor consistency, chaotic dosing, and “grassy” taste of cannabis drinks are a thing of the past.
So why smoke in the heat when you can get the dose you want in a thirst-quenching canna-beverage? Leafly has compiled a list of the best products to beat the heat and bask in the rays.
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Chil. mixers
Got no chill? Start here. (Courtesy chil.)
If the creators of Kool-Aid only knew how far their product would come…then they would know about “chil.” mixers, the most recent launch of the list. Designed for discreet, consistent, and versatile dosing, the mixers allow cannabis users to add a 10 mg THC or 1:1 with CBD sachet to any water-based drink, hot or cold. Their flavorless dissolving mixable, “Bud Naked” can be also added to food ready to eat or cooked with. Available in California.
Kiva Camino gummies
Melts in your mouth—or your scalding hot car; so be careful. (Courtesy KIVA Confections)
Can you even be a cannabis customer in the state of California without eating an edible made by Kiva? Signs point to no. Available in a range of flavors, the abstractly-shaped gummies’ THC formulas are dosed at 5 mg of indica, hybrid, sativa, and a couple with CBD. Their Pride-inspired flavor Fruit Punch, a hybrid, is perfect for summer to accompany any of the other drinkables on this list, plus part of the proceeds will be donated to the GLAAD foundation. Available wherever Kiva products are sold, aka everywhere (almost).
NUG Pops
The Otter Pop is all grown up. (Courtesy NUG)
You can evoke the summer camp memories of yesteryear with NUG’s Pops Otter Pop-like popsicles for adults. Since launching in December, the pops are finally in season, and available in NUG stores and dispensaries across California. The formula was a collaboration with Oakland-based Vertosa to bring a 1:1 CBD:THC formula, 10 mg each, in five flavors that include watermelon lychee lemonade and prickly pear margarita. Vertosa’s Chief Innovations Officer Austin Stevenson recommends pouring the contents unfrozen over ice with sparkling water.
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Showing you dispensaries nearCann Roadies
Little to-go packets for that safely spaced backyard meet-up. (Courtesy Cann)
Cofounders Jake and Luke thought, “what does socializing look like without alcohol?” and Cann was born. The Whole Foods-inspired drinks are microdosed at 2 mg THC, 4 mg CBD. They source sativa-leaning flowers and aim for a controlled, consistent experience. So you feel free to crush a few. Their flavors are also pretty fancy—see grapefruit rosemary and blood orange cardamom. They also make Roadies, liquid sachets of Cann “without the can” to be mixed into a bev of choice. And a new Cann Lite drops the agave. Available in California and soon in Nevada.
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Giant by Mirth Provisions
Shoot your shot. Watch that ratio. (Courtesy Giant)
Big things can come in small, child-resistant packages. From Mirth Provisions, makers of Legal tonic comes a hippie’s version of 5-hour Energy: the Giant shot. Each of the four formulas uses strain-specific terpenes and botanicals like ginko, rooibos, and hibiscus to complement the varying ratios of THC and CBD; they average 70 mg total cannabinoids in 1:1, 4:1, and 1:4 ratios. Available in California, Washington, and Oregon.
Somatik Cold Brew
Caffeine and THC over ice, versus your yard work. Challenge accepted. (Courtesy Somatik)
Depending on where you live in California, morning coffee is now iced or brewed cold. But the artisanal cafe you probably go to almost every morning is only doing curbside pickup and there’s a huge line. Enter Somatik. Sourced from local coffee purveyors, Somatik infuses their bean water with low-dose formulas of either 10 mg THC or 5 mg each of CBD and THC in a 4oz bottle. Pour in some oat milk and enjoy. Sold in California.
Smokiez
Smokiez gummies can take the heat. (Courtesy Smokiez)
The Smokiez line of fruit chews are vegan, gluten-free and won’t melt.
Anyone who has ever left their edibles in the car on a summer’s day knows gelatin-based gummies don’t fare well in the heat. It’s convenient that the Smokiez line of fruit chews are vegan, gluten-free, and won’t melt. They come in a 10 mg hybrid formulation, with flavors like sour blackberry, watermelon, and tropical fruit. You can find them in dispensaries across California, Oregon, and even Oklahoma.
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Artet
Pinkies up! (Courtesy Artet)
If you refer to cannabis by its “cultivar,” ask your budtender about “white ash” and wouldn’t smoke anything without knowing its full terpene profile, Artet is for you. It’s an aperitif for the classy stoner in you: a blend of THC and an assortment of botanicals that include cardamom and chamomile. The company recommends adding it to your mocktail of choice. The recommended 50 ml dose is only 2.5 mg and the entire bottle contains a moderate 38 mg. Artet is sold in California.
Ceria Brewing Co.
For when things get serious—Ceria. (Courtesy Ceria)
Bars are still mostly closed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t evoke the brewski experience in your own home. From the creators of Blue Moon, Ceria Brewing Co. developed a line of non-alcoholic beers last year, some of which they infused with THC. The Grainwave Belgian-Style White Ale tastes like the real thing, but only contains 5 mg THC. They even have their own version of an IPA that’s, of course, a higher dose. Find Ceria in Colorado.
More recommended summer edible buys
- AbsoluteXtracts brand drinks
- Tinley’s award-winning drinks
- Papa & Barkley’s new rosin edibles
- Curaleaf Nano gummies
- Keef Cola brand drinks
- Evergreen Herbal drinks
- Azuca edibles
(Web links:chil.; Vertosa; Kiva; NUG Pops; Cann; Mirth; Somatik; Smokiez; Artet; Ceria)
