Cannabis tinctures have been used for centuries, but are probably best known for their role in 19th century medicine. In fact, canna-tinctures were a staple in the American family's medicine cabinet until the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 effectively banned the plant and any of its forms in the United States.

While many people picture a traditional tincture and think of those old-timey recipes that also included cocaine (yikes!) and other scary substances, a traditional cannabis tincture is essentially just cannabis and high-proof alcohol. My budtender recommended this product as its effects come on fairly fast and don't hang around nearly as long as an edible, making it a great choice for medicating when you just can't smoke.

This particular product, developed by Evergreen Organix, was listed as a "bubblegum tincture," and I asked whether this was because it tasted like bubblegum or it was derived from the hybrid Bubble Gum strain. My budtender wasn't certain what strain this was originated from, but one whiff confirmed its strong bubblegum flavour.

Tinctures are designed to be consumed orally, either under the tongue or mixed in with a drink. It does carry that weedy flavour that comes along with many edibles, so if you're sensitive to that taste, I would recommend to mix this in with a beverage (I think it would taste really good with a cup of sparkling water or Sprite). The dosage isn't very strong--it's 2 to 3 mg of THC per drop--but if you're sensitive to edible products it's always a good idea to start slow. The good news about this product is that it only take 10 minutes or so to kick in, so if you don't feel anything by that point you'll know to up your dosage.

I decided to take this tincture with me for my daily activities, to put it to the test. I got to my office around 8 and decided to take about three drops to start my morning. Mornings are always kind of rough for me, so when I can I like to take a few tokes to get me relaxed and focused for the day.

I waited until about 9:30 to take my second dosage, and didn't feel a thing throughout. This time I took nearly a full dropper, and waited until lunch (12:30) with little effect. I didn't feel bad, but I also didn't feel stoney at all. I wondered if I'd wasted my money on a product that wouldn't work for me.

After my disappointment, I took to the internet to research this product a little more. I learned I wasn't alone...a lot of people are intrigued by tinctures, but since smokeables have been at the forefront of medical marijuana, there isn't a lot known about medicating with this product.

Some posters recommended tinctures moreso for headaches and nausea, and advised that there wouldn't be a strong psychoactive effect. Another poster suggested that the effects of a tincture are enhanced while smoking cannabis as well. I decided to try both of these scenarios to see if I might have a better experience.

The next time I tried the tincture was in the middle of my monthly cycle. I am a medical patient first and foremost and I rely on cannabis heavily during my period to help ease my headaches, nausea, cramping and the general grossness that comes with reproductive dysfunction. I figured this would be an excellent product to try for that. 

I took about a half dropper when I was feeling especially shitty--in place of the Excedrin I'd usually take or the deep breaths I usually rely on to get past the pain--and sure enough, I started to feel better almost right away. I didn't feel high at all, which was nice (as I was at work at the time and had a full docket of work), but I definitely felt my pain sort of floating away. I kept my heating pad on as I always do but I didn't feel the constant dull ache I've grown accustomed to. 

After an hour or two I redosed because although my pain was gone I felt it starting to try and creep back. I finished off my day feeling pretty okay. 

When I got home I decided to smoke a bowl, since I had nothing else to do and felt like really relaxing from my pain, and decided to pair with another half dropper to see the effects. 

I may not have gotten high initially, but add in a bowl of cannabis--and you're feeling pretty nice! I won't lie, I got super stoney. I wouldn't feel comfortable dual medicating like that if I'd had anything else to do, but it complimented the strain I smoked (Flo) very nicely and got me nice and relaxed. I think I watched Game of Thrones and fell asleep after but to be truthful I can't remember. Sometimes those medication sessions are exactly what you need.

You can make your own tinctures at home, which is great for those who need a particular strain profile, but for its price--$30--this tincture is a great value. This isn't a product I'd necessarily keep around, since I prefer the experience and effects of smoking; however, this is a great product for those who don't want to or can't smoke, or who are looking for a way to medicate during the day. Evergreen Organix tinctures are available at Thrive Cannabis Marketplace, Inyo Fine Cannabis, Essence Vegas and probably your favourite dispensary, too! Check it out and let me know what you think--tinctures or nah?

When my husband decided to stop smoking a few years ago, he bought a vape pen (or e-cig as he likes to call it) from a kiosk at the mall. They set him up with menthol flavoured juice (his choice) at the highest nicotine level (a Marine's nicotine tolerance is no joke!) He got an extra battery, spare atomizers and they even threw in a car charger so he could charge his pen on the go. 

I remember thinking at the time, this is the coolest damn thing I've ever seen! (This was when vape pens first started picking up, before everyone decided they were douchey) Alas, I only smoke weed--and an expensive setup to smoke nicotine free is kind of foolish--so for the most part, I had to watch from afar. 

Imagine my delight when I (embarrassingly recently) discovered the world of vape pens for cannabis. It blew my mind. They're available for waxes, oils and even flower itself (although I haven't had much luck with portable flower vapes). However, many of them were expensive--and the best ones were designed for concentrates--so for the longest time I avoided them. 

That is, until I saw Kandy Pens. 

I think I saw my first Kandy vape pen on Instagram, and I wanted one since. Kandy has a few different models--presumably the more expensive ones have longer battery lives or temp control or something--but I was attracted to this one. 

Normally $49.99, it was $10 off the day I happened upon their website, which felt like some kind of divine sign (as an important aside: Kandy Pens did NOT sponsor or endorse this post. I paid for it myself, as I have with every product shown herein. They don't even know I ordered their pen to review. I mention this to emphasize the gravity of my choice for this pen--it was my money and I wanted the best value!) There are 16 different colours to choose from, but if you know your Kween at all, you know I picked pink!

They had a few different shipping options--the cheapest, the one I picked, was around $10 and took about 3 business days to deliver. For $25 they would expedite my shipping, but I'm not sure how much faster it could have arrived and honestly it was fine as is! My order shipped the day after I bought it, which is always important if you're as impatient as me. 

{ non medicated brownie from my colleague + CannaEnergy + my guardian gnome makes for a good Tuesday morning! }

The newest good I was made privy to is infused hot chocolate, currently available at Essence Vegas. I'm not a huge fan of edibles, but I do use cannabis to help me sleep, so the idea of a cuppa before bed really appeals to me. 

This product, developed by House of Jane, comes in a 3 pack with three 25mg servings. The packets are resealable, though, and for many a half serving (~12.5 mg) could be plenty beneficial, so although these are a bit pricey ($22 total, or about $7.33 a serving) they could definitely be used more than three times.

{ the ingredients--be aware this is NOT a vegan/lactose free product and it does contain milk! }

The biggest disappointment right off the bat was a lack of instruction. Yes, I know how to make cocoa, but other than that it tastes good with water or milk, it gives no indication of how much liquid you should add. I trial and errored and determined that about 14 oz was ideal, but at 7 bucks a drink, who wants to guess and risk screwing up their drink? Oh, well. 

I decided to make mine with 8 oz almond milk (I'm lactose sensitive and avoid it when I can) and 6 oz water, both hot. I heated the liquid to basically boiling and then dumped in the powder and mixed well. It mixed really well and dissolved all the way without a ton of stirring or effort, so if you're a patient that needs an easy way to medicate, this rocks. I let it cool for a bit before drinking.

{ proud dog mom }

I'm not usually one for edibles, so I'm pretty sensitive to the "weedy" taste, but I have to be honest--this hot chocolate just tasted like normal hot chocolate! It was the perfect amount of rich chocolatey flavour and even at the end I couldn't taste more than a hint of cannabis. 

The high was pretty fast acting for me, which was a pleasant surprise. At first I just felt chill and relaxed but after about an hour and a half my eyes started to get super heavy and I fell asleep not long after. I have a really hard time staying asleep, but my sleep tracker said I had my most restful night yet! I woke up easily enough the next day and I didn't feel especially groggy. 

The only downside I experienced was a wicked sore throat the next morning--I have no idea exactly where this came from so it's possible it wasn't the hot chocolate at all, but I know I slept well, so maybe I was snoring? However, I tried again the next night and didn't have the sore throat, so it could be totally unrelated. I have no clue. 

This is kind of an expensive product (although honestly I consider most edibles way expensive) so it's not something I would regularly stock up on, but I think this would be lovely on the holidays, on Christmas Eve or even a stormy autumn evening. I think for a patient experiencing intermittent insomnia this could be a cool product to have on hand.