Cannabis takes just about every form you can imagine — solid, liquid, gas, maybe even plasma.
When you load up your ordering service and see that each shop has like 200 products to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming. Lucky for us, dispensary employees — often called “budtenders” — are here to help.
With the guidance and generosity of those budtenders, we sampled a cornucopia of unique cannabis products so you know where to start. Like… a lot of cannabis. Watch next month for our story: “How To Take A Tolerance Break.”
Here’s our experience with some of the best, most unique products around.
SKYMINT
Multiple locations
skymint.com
Short’s Mule, Edible
Wowza! This one’s got a kick. Short’s Brewing teamed up with Skymint once again to release a gummy based on its Mule Beer, and the ginger/lime combo is a tsunami of flavor. These are sativa gummies, and let me tell you, they got me nice and energized for a long walk with a solid head buzz. My mind was racing! We’re tempted to buy more, but we might try the more relaxing Short’s Soft Parade gummies instead.
PHARMHOUSE WELLNESS
831 Wealthy St. SW, Grand Rapids
pharmhousewellness.com
Mary’s Medicinal Transdermal, Patch
You don’t want to smoke it, eat it or drink it — where do you turn? Patches! These babies go right on a discrete place like your foot and can stay on all day, even in the shower and in bed. The THC kicks in fast but not as hard as your typical edible, however it does last longer. Shoutout to Mary for slowing our roll.
RAIR
1871 Peck St., Muskegon
rairco.com
Orange Daiquiri, Flower
Rair’s stuff is rare because it’s aeroponic, grown without any dirt at all. Believe me when I say we noticed the difference. This potent, fruity flower has useful packaging that tells you exactly what effects to expect: balanced, relaxed, and pain relief, with mild energy. It delivers! Dipping into this bud feels like a treat.
Orange Daiquiri, Concentrate
What’s this… more of the same? No, this is mind-blowingly potent concentrate, a.k.a. wax or dabs. This was our first time, so shoutout to Wild Bill’s for helping us pick-up a great “nectar collector.” It’s a simple glass straw — you heat the tip, touch it to the concentrate and inhale through the straw. With this, we’re able to easily have just enough dabs to send us to the moon without overshooting into a black hole. I’d compare it to liquor’s relationship with beer: The experience hits faster and harder, which you want sometimes, but not every time. I’m a fan.
Orange Cream, Gummy
Oh yes. These gummies are a new favorite for sure. Not only do I love the flavor and texture, but the high was strong and lasted longer than I’m used to. We felt uplifted, at ease, and creative. You can tell there’s intentionality here.
Sour Banana Sherbet, Live Resin Cartridge
To oversimplify: Live resin cartridges use the whole flower, flash-frozen. As a result, they’re 100% safe and taste much more like actual weed. This strain is extra herbal and peppery, but also super relaxing. I love sinking into the couch while sipping on this unique flavor.
FLURESH
1213 Phillips Ave. SW, Grand Rapids
Drink Enhancers, Beverage
Literally any drink can get you high with Fluresh’s totally flavorless drink enhancers. We tried Good Vibes, the all-THC enhancer, in tea and were impressed with how quickly it hit and how pleasant the high was. It truly is a moment of good vibes. And Chill Out worked just as well with its added CBD, relaxing us after a long day’s work. These have practically infinite uses.
Soft Gels, Edibles
These squishy pills are incredibly fast-acting and easy to take. Relief, with 10 mg THC and 10 mg CBD, is great for when I want to relax, quickly. The high arrives much faster than a typical edible but is a bit less intense. It’s also great for pain relief, as the name suggests! Rest has 5 mg THC, 5 mg CBD and 10 mg CBN, a cannabinoid that helps you sleep. I was warned to make sure I have a good 8 hours of sleep ahead of me and now I’m passing that advice onto you: These will knock you out, and honestly my dreams seemed a touch more pleasant, but I'm not offering any details.
Pre-Rolls, Flower
Everyone loves a pre-roll, a joint with all the work done for you. We tried out two strains, starting with the GG4, a.k.a. Gorilla Glue. Advertised as “chill and euphoric,” we have to agree. The flavor is extremely earthy, almost like tobacco. This joint made us feel relaxed, but awake, and somewhat nostalgic. Oh, to be young again! Then, Russian Snow took us in the other direction, feeling uplifted and inspired, and laughing at everything. This is a happy strain.
Live Resin, Cartridges
Much like Rair’s, these live resin carts are full of flavor and pretty potent. West Coast Sour Diesel is some of the most energizing and focusing cannabis we’ve ever had. It’s nearly all sativa, perfect for getting creative and getting work done. Plus, it’s got a classic skunky flavor we love! We also tried Russian Snow in cartridge form and found it similar to the flower: uplifting and feel-good. It makes us want to socialize. Once we’re all vaccinated, we can’t wait to puff, puff, pass.
3FIFTEEN
Multiple locations
3fifteen.com
Dixie Watermelon, Gummy
Juicy, green, watermelon. We love the taste of these little guys — it’s like candy! These are 1:1 THC/CBD gummies, which means they’re extra relaxing and calming. We enjoy these when we have sore muscles or want a good night’s rest. The CBD also means you don’t get quite as high, which is ideal for people without much edible experience.
Fwaygo Hulk Sour Apple, Gummy
I could eat these all day. Well, if they weren’t packed with THC that is. I guess I just like sour gummies! Anyway, we got the sativa version and boy did these light a fire in us, with a high that hit both body and head. We felt energized awakened, motivated, all that good stuff. We will meet again, Hulk.
NEW FRONTIERS
Much to my dismay, we could only consume so much cannabis in one month, so there are some products we never got to try. Nevertheless, here are some gems that piqued our interest.
Pharmhouse Wellness, Sundara Lubricant: Food, music, art — cannabis makes everything better, why not introduce it to the bedroom? This lube does all the things lube does, with THC added! Enough said.
GAGE, Xpicks: Cannabis-infused toothpicks! And they have flavors, like Lemongrass Lime. The dosage is tiny, so feel free to chew away.
Exit 9, Choice Mist: Breath still need some help? Try this fast-acting breath spray, with 2.5 mg THC per spray! The flavor is cinnamon, so you’ll smell great and feel happy.
Joyology, Fruity Crispy: Not only do I desperately want to try this Fruity Pebble/Rice Krispie Treat edible, but I need to. And I will.
Doja, Honey Sticks: If you’re at Doja in Kalamazoo picking up your cannabis haul, you might as well grab some of these CBD honey sticks while you’re at it!
