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Since last month was “Dry January”, I thought it fitting to highlight what many people are replacing their usual alcoholic drinks for…. Drinks infused with Cannabis. Being social, and by-proxy, social drinking, is a big part of human history… a part of our nature really. And every year, more and more people are trading in their beers and boozy seltzers for cannabis beverages. But what some may think is an up-and-coming trend, has really been happening for thousands of years. For example, there is a Cannabis “smoothie” consumed in India today called Bhang that they have been drinking since ~1,000 BC. So we haven’t just been smoking Cannabis for thousands of years, we have been drinking it too!

There are so many beverage options on the market right now… And whether you are just looking for a lightly dosed option, or something a little stronger, I’ve got some recommendations. I chose 3 drinks to highlight, with the help of PayRio Founder and For:20 Minutes Sponsor, Aubrey Amatelli, who has been living the Cali Sober life for over a year now! (SO proud of you Aubrey!) Each beverage is a little bit different from the next, and I even got to sit down with one of their founders; Executive Vice President of Rexis Biotech and Certified Ganjier, Dan Wittmers. Dan also reviews Cannabis beverages on the new Cannabis review platform, Budist, making him the perfect pal to sit and talk about all things drinks!

Sunstone Spritz

When I asked Aubrey what canna-beverage she would like to highlight, without hesitation she answered “Sunstone!” If you live in California, you may recognize the name, as Sunstones Spritz began its journey at the beautiful Sunstone Winery located in Santa Ynez, CA. The team at Sunstone took their love for craft wine, and channeled that into their new Cannabis product line. Much like Cannabis, wine has all of these different terpenes and elements to it that make each batch special… They appreciate the minute details that make both wine and Cannabis so unique. So winemakers venturing out into Cannabis beverages seems like a pretty natural transition to me. 

Though they are made by a winery, there is 0% alcohol in these drinks. Sunstone Spritz beverages are made with single-origin rosin that comes from Cannabis grown exclusively in Santa Barbara County. They have a BUNCH of flavors, from watermelon and strawberry, to mango and passionfruit. You are sure to find the perfect flavor to tickle your tastebuds! They are available for purchase on their website. So make sure you order yourself a little bit of sunshine from Santa Barbara County, shipped right to your front door!

St. Ides 100mg Teas

If you have a pretty high tolerance for ingestible cannabis products, and are looking for something a little stronger, look no further than St Ides Teas. With 100mg a can, they really pack a potent punch. I was introduced to these yummy teas by my girl Spenta, (check out her interview for my Galentines blog) who works with St. Ides. Sitting in her San Francisco apartment, smoking and sipping on tea before heading over to a Buyers Club event. Though the whole can is 100mg, they are resealable, so heavy-hitters like Spenta can enjoy the full dose, while lightweights like myself can take a few sips, and put it back in the fridge!

They come in 4 delicious flavors: Raspberry, Peach, High Punch, and my personal favorite, Mango. I keep them stocked in my fridge now, so I can take a few sips here and there while cooking or cleaning. St. Ides Infused Teas are seriously so delicious so the one thing I WILL say is: BE CAREFUL WITH THESE TEAS! They are very strong, and if you aren’t mindful of how much you drink, they will knock you on your ass (to be blunt). You can find St. Ides products in dispensaries across the state of California, so they are most likely at your local shop. You can also order them for delivery using Amuse delivery service. 

Squared

Last, but certainly not least, the one Hemp derived beverage on my list: Squared. In all honesty, I don’t ingest a lot of hemp derived products. Whether it’s Hemp or female Cannabis plants we all know I prefer, I like to know the source of the products I use. So when my friend Dan Wittmers helped launch Rexis Biotech’s Cannabis drink, I had to know more. Dan has been in the Cannabis industry since 2018, and has worn many hats in the interim. Now a Certified Ganjier and the Executive Vice President of Rexis Biotech, Dan is passionate about making the most innovative cannabis beverages. Drinks that you can enjoy socially as you would a beer or wine, and not get so stoned that you are locked in a corner, not speaking to anyone.

“Let’s start at the beginning of the timeline of beverages… So in the early days, it was literally just people putting (cannabis) oil into beverages, and they just kind of hoped that some of it would mix in. It never really did, but people were drinking it anyways, and it basically gets into your system just like an edible would… It goes through the first pass, processes into 11 hydroxy, and you get that Edibles type high… 

The problem with that is when we’re talking about drinking, typically, you don’t want to just drink one thing, right? You’re gonna want more than one if you’re hanging out with friends… You don’t to want to drink one and then have the switch to water for the rest of the night, or whatever else, because you’re out of your mind high. You want the drink to taste good, and to be consistent, and have the same effect every single time you drink it. Like a beer or glass of wine does.“

The ideal Cannabis beverage: a viable drink that people who don’t drink alcohol but DO consume cannabis can enjoy socially. Without the fear of over-doing it and getting “stuck”. One thing I hear a lot in response to the idea of consumption of these beverages in a restaurant or bar setting. I always get the: “Girl, not everyone can consume like you! Most people will drink one or two and then be stuck in the corner…. High AF.“

That’s where Squared beverages come in! Dan and the Squared team have put so much love and dedication into these drinks… Dosed at 5mg of Hemp derived Delta-9 THC, they are very similar to other drinks on the market dosage wise. However, their proprietary processes utilizing crystallization infusion is changing the game. They are quick-acting, taking effect within 10-15 minutes, AND they wear off quicker than other drinks. The effects start fading in an hour, which makes them a stackable beverage. You can drink them at the same rate you would drink a light alcoholic beverage and NOT get uncomfortably high. 

Squared beverages come in lots of yummy flavors, and they have a few different options for you to choose from. Classic soda flavors like orange soda and grape soda, sparkling pink lemonade, and sparkling grapefruit. It’s hard for me to pick a favorite out of them all, but the grapefruit one is SO true to flavor. Like real grapefruit… no fake terps here! They also have mixers like Club Soda, Ginger Ale, and Tonic Water. And one of their new products I’m most excited about is their Energy drinks! They come in flavors like Raspberry Lemonade, Harvest Peach, and the aforementioned super yummy Grapefruit. 

Squared drinks are available for purchase on their website, and they ship nationwide.

And you know what Huey Lewis said: “It’s hip to be Square!”

So do yourself a favor, and get Squared!