Pop open a can of pot. Weed drinks are here.
Avid cannabis users will likely enjoy pot in any form they can find it (unless they’ve had a bad experience with edibles), but the rest of us aren’t as keen. The stigma surrounding cannabis is lifting, and people who never thought they’d try weed are increasingly interested in enjoying it.
Enter weed drinks. This popular alternative to weed you smoke or eat is gaining traction among casual cannabis users, sometimes taking the place of a beer or a glass of wine. If you’re looking to get lit without a lighter, your weed drink has you covered.
The difference between weed drinks and edibles
Edibles have been around for literally thousands of years. People have been eating cannabis as a form of recreational or religious ritual for all of recorded history. There’s one major difference: they weren’t eating it the way we were.
Modern edibles are made by first activating the cannabinoids in weed with low heat, making high levels of THC bioavailable and ready to rumble. Your liver processes THC into the easily usable 11-hydroxy-THC and creates a slow-release, escalating, sustainable high that can last for hours. It’s often unpredictable when the high will start and when it will end.
This is too intense for new users who just want a low dose of weed every now and then. That’s why weed drinks are so valuable. They work in a slightly different way to produce more manageable effects, and the experience can be much more predictable.
The purpose of weed drinks
Smoking and vaping aren’t for everyone. Some people don’t like the taste or the smell of weed. Many people have health concerns relating to inhaling anything that isn’t air. Weed can hit harshly and make you cough, whether you’re smoking flower or using a concentrate. Edibles can send you on a wild ride with no brakes. There’s no reason for people with aversions to feel alienated from cannabis culture.
Weed drinks also fulfill an important societal need. What do you do with your friends on the weekends when everyone wants to complain about work? You go out for a drink. Maybe the night gets a little out of hand. It takes your body about an hour to process a drink, so you need to continuously drink to stay on level. You might preemptively drink too much to avoid coming down too soon.
A few hours blow past. Everyone’s wasted, and you order food to be delivered to the bar or you wind up stumbling into a 24-hour greasy breakfast place. Bad decisions are imminent. You wake up the next morning feeling terrible, and hopefully, nobody faces any serious consequences.
Now, swap your alcoholic beverage of choice with a weed drink. You might get hungry and order a pizza. The effects of your drink will last so long that one or two will do you. You don’t wake up dehydrated or hungover. The risks associated with a night out under the influence of cannabis and a night out under the influence of alcohol don’t fairly compare. Cannabis is generally less dangerous than alcohol.
When you directly compare both experiences, weed drinks boast the potential for a less harmful good time. They fill an important role in social drinking culture, especially if you choose to use them instead of alcohol.
This is especially fascinating when you consider the fact that beer is a kind of weed. Cannabaceae is a family that contains two major plants: cannabis and hops (Humulus). Beer is made from hops, and weed is cannabis. The two just happen to provide completely different experiences for the human body.
How weed drinks work
Weed drinks are technically edibles, but they’re edibles that can get to work much sooner. The THC is suspended in a liquid, rather than cooked into food. Your body doesn’t have to labor as much at digestion in order to convert the weed into a usable form. Cannabis drinks might start to take effect much sooner than edibles, making the experience more predictable.
This doesn’t mean you should pound a whole six-pack of weed drinks. They’re still very potent, even if the milligram content appears to be low. Wait at least two hours between drinks to determine how you feel. You can’t undo the weed you already drank. You can, however, add more weed to the weed you already drank.
Can you use weed drinks and alcohol at the same time?
Most of the time, things that seem like a great idea don’t pan out that way. Two things that are perfectly fine on their own may not make for a great combination. (Do you remember hot dog crust pizza? If you don’t, consider yourself lucky.)
Cannabis and alcohol will both impair you, and they’ll each go about that impairment in different ways. It’s not a good idea to combine effects. You’re increasing the likelihood that something bad is going to happen any time you mix alcohol with anything else. Save the beer or wine for a different night. All you need is weed.
Trying weed drinks
If you’re interested in giving weed drinks a shot, you have plenty of options to choose from. Since the advent of recreational weed, companies have been quick to imbue soda and sparkling water with the effects of THC.
CANN
CANN is cannabis in a can. Get it? CANN’s tonics each contain 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD per can, with the exception of their Hi-Boy line. Hi-Boys contain 5mg THC for a little extra kick.
Their branding is intended to mimic traditional cocktails. Fancy drinks are often blended with juices, florals, and aromatics to enhance the experience. That’s why CANN’s flavors are so exotic. There’s lemon lavender, ginger lemongrass, grapefruit rosemary, pineapple jalapeno, and blood orange cardamom. The combinations are even fancier than the average brand of sparkling water.
Wunder
Wunder’s drinks are all-encompassing. They provide you with a little bit of three key cannabinoids per can. You’re getting 2mg of delta 9 THC, 2 mg of delta 8 THC, and 4 mg of CBD in every serving. Their Higher Vibes line ups the ante to 10 mg of delta 9 THC and 10 mg of delta 8 THC. This line is not a great place to start. It’s better for people who are well experienced with edibles and have a higher tolerance.
Wunder’s drinks come in three flavors. There are blood orange bitters, grapefruit hibiscus, and lemon ginger.
Kikoko teas
Kikokos line of cannabis-infused teas are both a tasty beverage and a wellness product. Each tea is targeted to a specific wellness concern, just like herbal teas. You’ll enjoy the benefits of several plants at once.
Tranquili-tea is 5 mg CBN and 3 mg THC per tea bag and is designed to help you sleep restfully. It’s formulated with valerian, chamomile, lavender, and peppermint to promote relaxation. Positivi-tea is made to lift you up with 10 mg THC and 5 mg CBD per tea bag. This minty green tea with a hint of lemongrass is vibrant and refreshing.
Sensuali-tea is a raw power with 7 mg of THC per tea bag, with no other cannabinoids. This hibiscus, cardamom, and rose tea are sweet, spicy, and floral. No wonder it’s supposed to inspire romantic feelings. Sympta-tea is the brand’s relaxing blend, with a whopping 20 mg CBD and a modest 3 mg THC per bag. The flavor is a comforting blend of turmeric, ginger, and citrus to help settle your stomach and promote good vibes.
The takeaway
If you’re new to weed or if you’ve never tried drinking your weed, you might find sipping preferable to smoking. You can enjoy a can of weed-infused seltzer or a relaxing mug of herbal weed tea when you want to relax without a hangover or a load of empty carbs floating around in your stomach. These drinks make weed more accessible so more people can enjoy it. Spread some happiness with a six-pack.
You’re looking to try weed drinks, Emjay can deliver them to you in about half an hour. Don’t run out to the store for some beer when you can get a few cans of sparkling, delicious weed in the same amount of time. Call up your friends and let them know you’re down for a chill night in. We’ll be there before they arrive.
