Most people think of cookies or brownies when someone says “edibles”. But cannabis-infused drinks have been around for a long time (thousands of years, in fact).
The various modern takes on this ancient tradition have started to get pretty exciting. One of the latest to hit the market is Keef Cola.
Keef Cola balances the tastebud-popping flavors which Keef is known for with the purity, potency and natural qualities for which K.I.N.D. Concentrates’ cannabis extracts are known.
The result, dare we say it, is a bit of a win.
But what are cannabis drinks? Will they be something which suits your tastes? Let’s unpack what you’re getting when you try a bottle of this stuff:
What are cannabis drinks?
Sometimes called “liquid edibles” or “drinkables” in trendy modern parlance, cannabis drinks are non-alcoholic beverages which have been infused with a particular organic compound found within the cannabis plant.
Cannabis drinks tend to be divided into two different types:
- THC drinks – contain tetrahydrocannabinol, the organic compound found in cannabis which is responsible for its psychoactive properties. This means that THC drinks can make you “high”. They are also a way to access the pain relief, appetite stimulation and relaxation effects which THC is known for without needing to smoke or vape anything.
- CBD drinks – contain cannabidiol, the other famous cannabinoid known to be found in cannabis. CBD is known to be an anti-inflammatory and an anti-emetic as well as to have pain relieving and stress relieving properties, among others. CBD is starting to be found everywhere these days. This is helped by the fact that this potentially very beneficial compound is non-psychoactive and non-addictive.
How do cannabis drinks work?
Like other edibles, cannabis-infused drinks pass into your body via your digestive tract. This means they take much longer for you to notice the effect than you would from, say, inhaling vapor from your vape. But not so long as you might expect from solid edibles.
They also tend to have a slower build up in effect, but possibly a more intense final result. This is occasionally exacerbated by the fact that – depending on the edible or drinkable in question – it may have been difficult to know how much THC you imbibed in the first place.
Things like how much body fat you have, your gender and other factors will also affect the potency of edibles you consume.
One of the major advantages of professionally-prepared edibles in general and THC drinks, in particular, is that the dosage levels are consistent. This means it is easy to manage how much you consume.
How long do cannabis drinks take to kick in?
A rough estimate of how long cannabis drinks take to kick in would be between 30 and 90 minutes. However, it’s much more likely to be on the lower end of this spectrum for most people.
The effects of solid edibles are likely not to be felt for longer. That’s because solid food needs to be broken down by your gastric juices before it is digested. Liquid edibles skip this step. They can be absorbed by your body more quickly.
How long cannabis edibles take to affect you will also vary depending on your:
- Body fat levels
- Gender
- Tolerance to and level of experience with THC
With edibles, the effects are likely to last longer than those created by vaping or smoking. The effects of liquid edibles might take as long as two to four hours to wear off. Solid edibles are likely to last slightly longer.
What types of cannabis-infused drinks are there?
There is a huge and ever-increasing variety of cannabis-infused drinks on the market. You will almost certainly come across:
- Flavored water
- Cannabis coffee
- Tea
- Soda and other carbonated drinks
What about cannabis and alcohol?
You’ll notice that cannabis-infused alcohol is pretty obviously excluded from this list. That’s because it’s generally not a smart idea to combine the effects of the two substances.
The combination of alcohol and THC is known to make both much more potent. This often results in an unpleasant, possibly nauseous experience.
What is Keef Cola?
Keef Cola is the name of a whole range of cannabis-infused sodas. They come in a broad variety of flavors, including a Bubba Kush Root Beer which won the Colorado High Times Cannabis Cup in 2015.
Not only is the CO2 cannabis extract inside made by K.I.N.D. Concentrates using organic, All-American-grown cannabis, the cola itself also contains vitamins C, B3, B6 and B12.
There’s a tightly regulated 10mg or 100mg per bottle depending on the size you buy. This makes it easy to monitor your dosage too.
Where can I find cannabis drinks for sale?
You can find cannabis drinks for sale in all sorts of unlikely locations. When you’re making your purchase though, an easy way to make sure you’re making the right choice is to:
- See if your trusted local dispensary stocks cannabis drinks – you can save yourself a lot of effort by asking your local budtender for a little bit of advice. It’s their job to give you unbiased suggestions as to what will be best for you. Always try to purchase from a supplier you trust.
- Check the potency – a reputable branded product should show you precisely how much THC or CBD you will find inside. This will make it easier to measure the dose you receive. As a rough rule of thumb, 10mg is a recommended single dose within the industry. But if you rarely or never consume cannabis, that’s a lot to take at once. Probably aim for half of that, or possibly less. As a handy guide, that’s half a bottle of regular Keef Cola.
- Always aim for quality – cheaper is most certainly not better when it comes to CBD and THC-infused drinks. You want to know that the drink you’re consuming as well as the cannabis extract inside it are always of the highest possible quality.
