Ahhh cannabis. One of the most controversial topics throughout history; it’s been villainized as a gateway drug or praised for its healing properties. Lawmakers throughout the country are shifting views on the legality of the cannabis plant, and many states have approved it for both recreational and medicinal use. This radical change has sparked the creation of all sorts of cannabis-infused products, ranging from familiar favorites like baked goods and gummies to the more traditional form of joints and pre-rolls. Yet there’s a new category of weed products that is disrupting the industry and I’m excited to share it with you: THC drinkables! Meet the Blackberry Lemonade by Legal, a sub brand of the Mirth Provisions company. As an avid lover of lemonade, I look forward to whetting my whistle on a tall glass of this refreshing beverage. But before I launch right into the details of this cannabis-enhanced drink, I’ll briefly go over a few misconceptions about marijuana, go into a bit of detail about drinkable THC, and do a quick overview of the Mirth Provisions and Legal brands. If you’re ready to swap out your ordinary lemonade for some mirthy goodness, you’re in for a real treat!
What Is Cannabis, Exactly?
For many, the term “cannabis” is a broad term that basically means weed. But what many people don’t realize is that cannabis is actually the mother plant of both hemp and marijuana. The distinction lies in the amount of THC found in both plants: if the plant contains 0.3% THC or less, it’s called “hemp” whereas anything above that amount is called weed. In 2018, a bill known as the Farm Bill or Agricultural Act was passed that changed the cannabis world in a big way. A clause in the bill stated that hemp and its compounds (called cannabinoids) would be legal on a federal level, provided that it does not exceed a maximum amount of 0.3% THC. The market for cannabinoid-infused products exploded, allowing compounds like Delta-8 THC, Delta-10 THC, HHC, and THC-O to become available for sale and consumption. Lawmakers in various states began to implement their own legislation regarding the legality of hemp and its cannabinoids within that state. As such, you should always consult your state’s laws before trying to purchase or consume any cannabinoid-enhanced product. If you’re lucky enough to live in a state that allows both marijuana and hemp plants to be bought and sold, you’ll have unfettered access to a myriad of products that are sure to bring you to new heights. Now that the preliminary stuff is covered, it’s time to tackle this fascinating category of cannabis-infused products. I give you…THC Drinkables!
Drinkable THC: The New Kid On The Block
The applications for drinkable THC are plentiful: replacing your alcoholic beverage with a cannabis-infused one, enjoying it with a meal after a long day, treating yourself to a fast-acting high with a flavor that masks the bitter taste of cannabis, and lastly, eliminating unwanted coughing fits. Drinkable THC also offers an in-between option between inhalables and edibles. The effects of inhalables activate within mere minutes, but you’ll most likely go through some unpleasantries like coughing fits, skunky odor that fills the room, not an option for people who don’t vape/smoke. Edibles, on the other hand, come in a variety of shapes, flavors, and strengths and are ideal for those with a sweet tooth or those who have little to no experience with THC. Yet the effects of edibles are often delayed and can take anywhere from 45-90 minutes to kick in. Once they do, the high can linger for several hours and may even transfer over to the following morning. Beverages enhanced with THC offer a middle ground of sorts as they deliver a fast-acting high that lasts for several hours and are available in lemonades, sparkling beverages, seltzer waters, and so much more. Keep in mind that just like alcoholic beverages, cannabis-infused beverages are only sold to persons 21+ years and are not available for purchase online.
What To Expect When Consuming THC Drinkables
Regardless if you’re a seasoned THC user or a timid newbie, it’s crucial to start off with small doses. This can be especially difficult if the product you’re consuming tastes absolutely incredible. Most companies will list a recommended dosage by either marking suggested servings on the label or stating how much should be consumed in plain text. Others will simply list the total THC content of the bottle and leave you to calculate how much to consume. Every individual’s tolerance levels will vary, meaning it will take some trial and error (and lots of patience!) to pinpoint your ideal dose. First time users might prefer a 5mg dosage while more intermediate users prefer anywhere from 10-20mg. Remember you can always take more after you’ve waited an appropriate amount of time (usually two hours) but you might be in for a rocky road if you consume more THC than your body can handle. Debilitating effects such as extreme drowsiness, increased paranoia and anxiety, and others can make for a highly unpleasant high. Some of the more pleasurable effects include a dreamy euphoria, full-body high (tingling in your extremities), heightened sense of taste and touch, and sharper focus and creativity. Some THC drinkables will have several cannabinoids mixed in to deliver what’s believed to be an “entourage effect” where your body can derive multiple benefits from multiple cannabinoids. One such drinkable THC product was the subject of my last review, the Green Revolution Wildside Mango Tropical Storm beverage. I encourage you to check that out if you haven’t already done so, but right now it’s time to check out Mirth Provisions and their unique Blackberry Lemonade THC-Infused Beverage!
The Mirth Provisions & Legal Brand
With the daily stresses of adulthood and working hard throughout the day, sometimes you need something to lift your spirits and help you find mirth in the situations of life. That special something is found in Mirth Provisions, a brand so dedicated to happiness that they named their entire company around it. The word “mirth” is an archaic one but it literally means “amusement, especially as expressed in laughter” as defined by the Oxford Dictionary.
To help you “pursue happiness” (proclaimed as their motto), Mirth Provisions offers four distinct sub-brands: Giant, Swift, Medicinal, and the one I’ll be reviewing today, Legal. In their proclamation to “pursue happiness”, Mirth Provisions. I encourage you to check out the first three of these sub-brands, but today I’ll be focusing on the Legal brand. You won’t be able to purchase any of the Mirth Provisions products online, but thanks to the handy “Find Mirth” tool on the company website, you can locate the retailers closest to you. Almost all of the retailers are located on the West Coast, so you might have to take a road trip if you’re curious to sample these beverages and products for yourself!
In my last review of the Mirth Provisions brand, I reviewed the Lemon Ginger Cannabis beverage. This particular flavor was quickly located on their company website, but when it comes to the Blackberry Lemonade flavor, I could not find it. I was extremely puzzled why all of the other flavors had their own product picture and description, yet the Blackberry Lemonade flavor was mysteriously absent. I was able to locate the flavor as part of a web browser search, but am perplexed why the Mirth Provisions website does not show it. I will gladly update this review if and when I find out why, but until then, my knowledge will be based off of the bottle’s label and the product review itself. Speaking of which, it’s time for our first look at the Blackberry Lemonade Cannabis Infused Beverage by Mirth Provisions’ Legal lineup!
Blackberry Lemonade Cannabis Beverage by Legal (from Mirth Provisions) Product Review
The bottle that housed Mirth Provisions’ Blackberry Lemonade was sealed with a gold cap that required a bottle opener to pry off, so I implore you not to use your teeth or keys if you can help it. Similar to the Lemon Ginger beverage, there was no recommended dosage listed on the label. I did some quick math to determine that since there was 100mg of THC in the entire bottle, I should only drink about one-third of the contents for an approximate 30mg serving. I used a ⅓ cup to pour out some of the beverage into my waiting glass and was surprised to see a dark murky red liquid splash into the glass. I was even more surprised when I held the glass to my nose to judge the scent. The musky scent was exactly what you’d expect of a lemonade beverage blended with a high weed content, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little concerned. Nevertheless, I brought the glass to my lips and prepared to take my first sip.
The Initial Consumption
Upon tasting the Blackberry Lemonade for the first time, I had an extremely adverse reaction to it. The flavor was difficult to pinpoint exactly but tasted strongly of something tart and slightly unripe. The unpleasant flavor tasted NOTHING like the sweet blackberry and tart lemonade goodness I had envisioned; rather, it was tart and sharply sour with a heavy bitterness of weed at the end. There was a noticeable coating that remained on my tongue and teeth and I tasted the flavor of weed at the very back of my throat. The carbonation was so little that I would have forgotten had it not been for the light foaming when it was poured and the light tickling on my tongue. With all my dabblings in cannabis, I have learned that enjoying the beverage pre-chilled rather than adding ice or consuming at room temperature aids in the overall enjoyment. Unfortunately, having the beverage pre-chilled did nothing to mask the harshly unpleasant flavor. I nursed the drink for about five minutes, willing myself to finish the entire poured amount. I was relieved when the last drops were finally gone and immediately went to brush my teeth and rinse with cold water. I made a mental note of the time and busied myself with other tasks as I waited for the effects to kick in.
Overall Effects
What this THC-enhanced beverage lacked in flavor was quickly forgiven by how quickly the effects kicked in. I began to feel slightly buzzed after about half an hour and was surprised to notice that my eyelids felt noticeably heavier. I felt the high intensify after about 45 minutes and I descended into the warm euphoria I had been yearning for. I experienced an intense couch lock and a sensation of a weighted blanket settled comfortably upon my whole body. Time seemed to slow down and I felt as if my entire body was vibrating with a delicious tingling, particularly in my hands, face, mouth, and feet. I had some trouble focusing on particular tasks but I did notice that my creativity levels were much higher. I experienced dry mouth and found enormous enjoyment from long gulps of water. Watching TV became a wonderment as my sense of humor had increased and kept launching me into fits of giggles. The effects of the high lasted for several hours, occasionally bordering on too much, but I was able to successfully quell any paranoia or discomfort that threatened to pop up. I finally retired to bed and fell asleep almost instantly, where I slept soundly through the night. Despite the incredible effects in the evening, I was a bit surprised to feel some of the effects still lingering. The “hangover high” as I like to call it, wasn’t anything debilitating or impossible to deal with but more like a slight dizziness. The mental cobwebs eventually disappeared after about an hour and I was able to successfully begin my day.
Product Packaging
The first thing that I noticed about the Blackberry Lemonade was how different the label is compared to the other products listed on the website. The Mirth Provisions website displays the bottles as darkly stained bottles with a modern-style label that appears professional and well-designed. In comparison, the Blackberry Lemonade label, although housed in a darkly stained glass bottle, was quite plain as it sported a tan label with simple lettering and a small image of a blackberry on the side, so I’m not quite sure if this is a brand new flavor that’s just been launched or one that was recently discontinued.
I noticed several similarities in the label that allows me to safely assume that at some point, Mirth Provisions did indeed craft this beverage. The label itself says “Legal” and has the Mirth Provisions website on the back. The beverage is clearly labeled as a hybrid strain and utilizes all-natural ingredients. The same design style for both the age restriction and inclusion of cannabis was used in the small logos on the front. On the back of the label, you can view the full list of ingredients, warnings not to operate motor vehicles, and to keep out of reach of children. Based on my previous experience with the Legal beverages of Mirth Provisions, I wasn’t surprised with the absence of any markings, recommended dosages, or how many servings were in the bottle. Yet there was some sort of wholesome appeal as the bottle was simple and quiet, something I’d expect to find in an all-natural foods store.
Conclusion
Mirth Provisions Blackberry Lemonade gave me quite a few mixed emotions. On one hand, I was a bit annoyed to not find this particular flavor listed on the company website but somehow available on random sites that popped up in a browser search. Upon consuming the beverage, I was completely turned off by the flavor. There is nothing remotely blackberry or lemonade about this scent or flavor and the carbonation was so light it’s almost not worth mentioning. But its redeeming qualities lies solely in the effects. The high was magnificent and the effects began extraordinarily fast. A mere thirty minutes had passed and I was already noticing some telltale signs like droopy eyes and a light mental haziness. The effects intensified and gave me immense pleasure as the high progressed. I loved the rich euphoria that allowed me to fully relax and bask in the smoothness of the high. There was a bit of anxiety as I began to prepare for bed but I was able to successfully fall asleep within minutes of going to bed. There was a slight hangover high upon the following morning but it was not debilitating nor did it linger for more than an hour.
This THC-infused beverage gave me quite a powerful high that I wasn’t expecting to enjoy so much. If you have a chance to try this unique flavor from Mirth Provisions, I implore you to share your experience in the comments below! I’m curious what others think about the flavor and effects and I’d love to hear from you! In my next review, I’ll be returning to the Mirth Provisions brand once again, but with a twist that even I wasn’t prepared for: a “virgin” version of the Sparkling Pomegranate beverage. That’s right, there is NO THC in this variety of the Legal flavors. If you’re looking to harness the power of cannabis without subjecting yourself to the heady effects of THC, I invite you to join me once again as I review countless brands and products throughout the U.S. Hope to see you again soon!
