I Microdosed Cannabis Seltzers And It Was Great
There’s nothing quite like smoking pot the old fashioned way, Clipper lighter and all. This is partially because smoking is an ancient social ritual (cannabis is one of the oldest crops in existence), but more so because inhaling cannabis is the fastest way to get all those feel-good chemicals through your bloodstream.
As of the past decade, there’s a new approach that’s soft on the lungs and takes approximately 10 minutes to absorb: drinking a dose of cannabis tonic like you would a soda that contains measured amounts of weed. Cannabis beverages hit you quicker than that dicey-tasting weed brownie you stowed away for a rainy day because these formulas—like the ones I tried from CANN, Mad Lilly, and WUNDER—are water-soluble. This is major progress from way back when we didn’t know if an edible would take 30 minutes or 2 hours to feel like a bed-ridden alien or happy as a clam. Of course, there have been significant innovations in the edible department—with quick-absorption technology infused in brands like 1906—but it’s not quite the same as casually enjoying a flavored seltzer that happens to be “spiked.”
With the global cannabis beverage market estimated to reach $2.8 billion by 2025, we’re just getting the first taste of our green new world, and so far it’s good. Just like how the ABV is labeled on your beer can, weed beverages list exactly how much and what kind of cannabis are in their drinks so that you can control your dose in the same way. Although it’s a reasonable and common analogy, I will say that weed soda is not like wine. Weed soda is like microdosing a weed tonic that tastes like a witch’s La Croix.
Drinking cannabis also has an added social benefit for people who don’t feel like drinking, are sober, on antibiotics, etc. That’s because clutching a cannabis drink will automatically reduce the chance of your most co-dependent friend asking: “why aren’t you drinking?”
As soon as you pour one of these chilled cans in your glass and add ice, not even she or he will know the difference.
Since I’m based in New York where recreational cannabis is legal but still unattainable (bureaucracy and such), I reached out to three forerunners in the cannabis beverage industry: CANN, Mad Lilly, and WUNDER to sample a taste of the future. Let’s go!
CANN
There’s a reason that CANN is one of the best-selling cannabis beverages in the country. For starters, they purvey a range of delicious flavors that are low calorie without any chemical aftertaste. CANN contains 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD—which is a fairly low dose on purpose. The light combination of psychoactive and non-psychoactive compounds in one CANN round out the positive feeling of a balanced, slightly buzzed high that you can build upon by drinking more (AKA it is great for social drinking!). For more experienced cannabis consumers, I would recommend sipping at least two to feel truly “nice.” Lemon Lavender, Blood Orange Cardamom, and Grapefruit Rosemary are the all-natural flavors you can choose from and they also double as alcoholic mixers—if that’s of interest. With investors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Rebel Wilson, and major VC funds, CANN is thankfully and most definitely here to stay.
MAD LILLY
I’m a bit mad for Mad Lilly spritzers! These tall boy cannabis beverages are made with all-natural fruit juices and mild-to-high doses of cannabis that give you a full body and relaxed high. With 5 mg of THC and 5 mg of CBD, I recommend Mad Lilly cannabis cocktails for the more experienced cannabis consumer—specifically ones who like a hybrid indica dominant strain to relax in the evening. Mad Lilly offers an anxiety-free high that’s perfect for kicking back and relaxing, but not sinking into your couch. Their flavors come in Ginger Pear, Raspberry Hibiscus, and Passion Fruit Mango, are low in calories and have no added sweeteners.
WUNDER
Wundering about WUNDER? Sorry. After describing the high I was hoping to attain, which was “functioning but happy,” the WUNDER team sent me their low-dose line of beverages called WUNDER Sessions, formulated with 2 mg of THC, 4 mg of CBD, and 2 mg of Delta 8. Their combination of all natural ingredients + the addition of up-and-coming strain Delta 8 breeds a mild but effective high that you can take up a notch by exploring their WUNDER Higher Vibes selection, which have 10 mg of THC and 10 mg of Delta 8. For a gentle and buildable high that can really take you to new heights, Wunder is your thunder.