Welcome back, fellow Delta-8 THC Enthusiasts! Today I’ll be reviewing a product crafted from two of the finest Delta-8 THC brands in the industry: Moonwlkr and Hervé. I’ve previously reviewed Moonwlkr’s vape cartridges and their gummies and enjoyed both products immensely. However, the Hervé brand is the new kid on the block and I’m excited to learn about all that this company has to offer. Hervé is branded as a luxury Delta-8 THC company in France and features delicate edibles in the form of Delta-8 THC macarons. Hervé and Moonwlkr came together to create a new edible form of Delta-8 THC called Cosmic Peppermint Moon Rocks. I’m curious to see how the lovechild of these two brands performs, but first I’d like to take a moment and briefly go over what Delta-8 THC is and what to expect while on a Delta-8 THC high.
What Is Delta-8 THC?
Delta-8 THC exploded in popularity throughout the country about a year ago, but has actually been around for several years. This unique cannabinoid offers a smoother and less intense high than its villainized cousin, Delta-9 THC (aka weed). While marijuana is on the fast track to becoming legal for both medicinal and recreational use more and more, some users have been scarred by the overwhelming effects and long-lasting high. Delta-8 THC is often referred to as the “lite” version of weed that allows the user to remain clear-headed and in control of the high.
Delta-8 THC is federally legal throughout the country in accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill. All Delta-8 THC products are required to contain 0.3% THC or less, and many companies offer independent third-party lab tests to confirm that these requirements are met. However, some states have adopted their own legislation on the legality of this cannabinoid. Delta-8 THC does not occur naturally in the hemp plant and must be isolated and extracted in order to be added to products. Because of this, some states classify it as a controlled substance and have banned both the use and sale of Delta-8 products. If you’re trying Delta-8 THC for the first time, be sure to check your state laws to ensure you don’t run afoul of any legal issues.
Delta-8 THC is considered to be the middle ground between Delta-9 THC and CBD. CBD is recommended for users who wish to improve their overall health and wellness with prolonged use, as the wide variety of products do not have any psychoactive effects despite containing trace amounts of THC. Keep in mind that any cannabinoid with a THC content (even 0.3% or less) may cause you to fail a drug test due to your body’s metabolization of the THC. If you’re curious to learn more about the scientific aspect of Delta-8 THC and other cannabinoids, feel free to browse the site for more information. But right now, I’d like to take a moment to discuss what you can expect to feel on your Delta-8 THC high.
What To Expect On A Delta-8 THC High: Side Effects and Common Issues
The side effects and common issues of a Delta-8 THC high are very similar to those of a Delta-9 THC high, just not as intense. Depending on the type of product, Delta-8 THC is available in many familiar strains including sativa, indica, and hybrid strains. Delta-8 THC was initially available in gummies but has evolved to include other edibles like tinctures, baked goods, and softgels as well as inhalables like vape cartridges (both disposables and 510 screw-in connections), flower, and pre-rolls. You can now find creative forms of Delta-8 THC like beverage enhancers, hard candies (such as the one I’ll be reviewing today), dabs, and more. However you choose to consume Delta-8 THC products, you can be sure there’s a product on the market somewhere that caters to your preference.
The effects of Delta-8 THC products will vary with each user. Your age, weight, metabolism, gender, and previous exposure to THC will determine the intensity and longevity of the high. Inhalables are incredibly fast-acting and take a little under five minutes to kick in but are usually short-lived and only last for an hour. Edibles may take anywhere from 30-90 minutes to kick in, but the high can last for several hours. Many companies will provide the suggested dosage (i.e., half a gummy, 1-3 hits, a single softgel, half a mL, etc.) on either the product packaging or the brand website.
You should always start off slowly with your doses until you can correctly gauge your body’s reaction. Taking too much Delta-8 THC can result in extreme drowsiness and may even increase your anxiety and paranoia. Always consume Delta-8 THC in a safe and calming environment, and do not attempt to drive or operate machinery while under the influence of a Delta-8 THC high. Some of the common side effects of Delta-8 THC may include cottonmouth, drowsiness, dizziness, and couch-lock. Other pleasurable side effects include euphoria, enhanced sense of touch and taste, increased appetite (munchies!), sexual arousal, creativity, and more. Now that you have a basic understanding of what Delta-8 THC is and what to expect, it’s time to check out the two companies that created the product in this review: Moonwlkr and Hervé!
Brand Review: Moonwlkr & Hervé
Moonwlkr was actually the very first Delta-8 THC brand that I tried. Their gummies are still one of the fastest-acting products I’ve tried, and their delicious flavor and texture continue to delight users across the country. Moonwlkr offers free samples for first-time consumers, allowing you to get an idea of what to expect before you spend your hard-earned cash. The Moonwlkr site is chock-full of enticing edibles and flavorful vape cartridges, available in CBD, Delta-8 THC, and, most recently, HHC. Their delicious flavors and affordable prices make Moonwlkr an excellent choice for first-time and experienced users alike, For those curious about the purity and potency of Moonwlkr’s products, you can check out the full panel of Lab Results listed on the brand website. The lab results will pop up in the same window as a beautifully detailed and easy-to-read PDF. I strongly encourage you to check out all that the Moonwlkr site has to offer in terms of products and information.
The Hervé (pronounced “er-vay”) brand originated in France, as you might have guessed from the Delta-8 THC infused macarons. These delicate baked goods have earned a reputation as being a luxurious alternative to the traditional brownies and baked goods found on other American-based sites. The site was beautifully designed but seemed very empty, lacking an actual method of purchasing or any informational blog section. The company website also seemed more of an advertisement than an actual site to purchase products from, but perhaps they were going for a less-is-more approach. The site featured two products: their renowned Delta-8 THC infused macaroons and an innovative additional edible called “Le Mirage.” Le Mirage is a portable dispenser that houses sectional hard candies that you can load up and break off into pieces depending on the desired dosage. These candies are available in four mouthwatering flavors, but I’ll be reviewing the Cosmic Peppermint flavor in today’s review. Speaking of which, it’s time to jump into the full-blown product review! Since this is a new type of product, I’ll go over the unboxing, the loading, and the complete user experience of the Cosmic Peppermint Moonrocks by Moonwalker x Hervé. Takeoff will begin in 3…2…1!
Moonwlkr & Hervé Cosmic Peppermint MoonRocks Product Review
In order to fully appreciate the creativity behind these moonrocks, I invite you to take a trip with me down memory lane. Back in the day, there was a certain type of plastic dispenser that housed a lipstick-like tube of crunchy candy (hint: rhymes with Kush Bop) that could be swiveled to reveal the glorious candy within. I was instantly reminded of this childhood product as soon as I saw the Hervé dispenser and was extremely excited to check out this portable form of Delta-8 THC.
The moonrocks and dispenser came beautifully packaged in vibrant colors and easy-to-read verbiage. But that’s where the initial problems began. The hard candies and dispenser were impossible to tear open without the use of scissors, which also destroys the only means of storing the remainder of the candies since the dispenser is designed to only house one stick. And the dispenser…ohhh the dispenser. I struggled to open the dispenser for several minutes before resorting to an internet search on how the device is supposed to unlock. The design is intended to be child-proof and I felt extremely foolish trying to force the device open. I ultimately had to use a vice (yes, an actual vice) to force the device open.
After some fiddling with the device, I discovered that the device is designed to open contrary to how things are usually opened: you have to turn the device counterclockwise while pressing on the bottom to unlock the mechanism. Now, I don’t know about you, but I use the ole “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey” phrase when opening literally anything. This device decides to throw all common sense out the window by going with a “righty-loosey, lefty-tighty” design, which thoroughly confuses your normal thought process.
*Spongebob Voice* Twelve Hours Later…
Now that the device was open, I thought it would be smooth sailing to load up my rock-candy sticks. Once again, I was terribly mistaken. The candies are undoubtedly poured into a mold as a liquid and are left to harden. Yet once the liquid hardens, the candies form small bumps and ridges on the top of each ridge. These small imperfections wouldn’t be an issue if the Le Mirage dispenser had a slightly wider opening. For some reason, Hervé decided that the candies would come out perfectly shaped and as such the dispenser will only hold perfectly shaped pieces. I tried with growing frustration to force each of the five candy pieces into the dispenser only to be met with absolute failure. None of the pieces could fit into the dispenser. I tried shaving down some of the larger pieces so that they would fit, but they broke into shards and pieces that completely negated the point of the dispenser.
Once the pieces actually did fit, the rotating mechanism that was designed to swivel the candy into the dispenser got stuck and refused to budge. Two pieces stuck out from the dispenser and I tried to use the little plastic tab to break off just one piece, but it ended up causing a double serving to break off instead. As (bad) luck would have it, the remaining pieces were stuck in the base of the device and no amount of swiveling the base would rotate the pieces upwards. Those pieces are forever stuck in the dispenser, instantly rendering the dispenser absolutely useless. Now I was stuck with a double dosage, which is fine for me since I’m accustomed to consuming about 25mg of Delta-8 THC per dose. But what about first-time users who can only handle 12.5mg or prefer to microdose? This seemed like such a good idea when I first saw the device, but after spending a solid half hour trying to get the device loaded and working, I had almost no desire to try the candy itself. But my stubbornness to finish what I started prevailed and I ended up eating the double-dose section that I had broken off.
Finally Getting To Try The Delta-8 THC Product
The candies were very similar to rock candy as they broke into shards and sugar dust with minimal handling, and I was already very frustrated with not being able to load any of the candies into the dispenser. I popped the double-dose piece of candy into my mouth and was immediately met with a smooth and sweet peppermint flavor. Since the candy was too hard to crunch down on initially, I decided to suck on the piece for a few moments. The flavor reminded me strongly of after-dinner mints found in diners and left my mouth feeling minty fresh. For the first time since opening the packaging, I began to enjoy the edible. The hard candy softened quickly and became easier to chew, but unfortunately got stuck in my back teeth. It took patience combined with a few swigs of water to get those pieces out, but ultimately the difficult edible was finally consumed. There was no hemp flavor while sucking or chewing on the hard candy, nor did I taste any bitter aftertaste after swallowing. I noticed a harsh burning sensation in the back of my throat a few minutes after swallowing, which prompted me to drink more water to rid my throat of that unpleasantness. Finally finished with the entire unboxing and sampling of this new Delta-8 THC product, I sat down on the couch and distracted myself with some TV to wait for the effects to kick in.
The product is advertised to be fast-acting, so I wasn’t surprised to feel a slight something after about half an hour. It was a very light buzz that almost made me wonder if I was imagining it. After another half an hour had passed, I began to feel more of the usual Delta-8 THC effects. The effects were gradual in intensity, which was oddly comforting and greatly appreciated. I I felt extremely lethargic and drowsy to the point where my body did not want to get up off the couch (often referred to as “couch-lock”). My eyelids felt very heavy and I had difficulty keeping both eyes open. I experienced a light dry mouth and discovered a new appreciation for the cool and refreshing sensation of ice-cold water. I found myself feeling very heavy, almost as if a weighted blanket had settled upon me and refused to let me get up. I felt a very mild tingling in my feet and a warmth in my chest, but the entire high was very medium in terms of intensity. Perhaps it was due to my overwhelming frustration at trying to operate the dispenser, but I found myself easily irritable and grumpy. I was so drowsy that I ended up going to bed early just to avoid feeling dizzy or disoriented while walking around. Thankfully, I fell asleep quickly and awoke the next morning without feeling any of the previous night’s effects.
Product Packaging
Despite the moonrocks being wildly underwhelming, the product packaging is some of the nicest I’ve ever seen. The Moonwlkr designers definitely had a hand in the packaging because it carried all of the charm and grace of other Moonwlkr products I’ve reviewed. The hard candy sticks were neatly arranged in a single row, while the dispenser lay on its side atop the stick. The vibrant blue packaging perfectly matched the color of the hard candy and all the necessary information like total mg content, serving size, and product info was beautifully displayed. The back of the packaging was even more professional as it displayed the nutrition facts, the ingredients list, suggested use, and a scannable QR code for the lab results. I scanned the QR code with my phone’s camera and wasn’t at all surprised to see a “product not found” error message on my screen. Either Moonwlkr is as displeased with the results as I was or the promotional purchasing period has passed and the product is no longer available for sale. My curiosity kicked in once again and I decided to search for any site that carried this particular product. I was not able to find any website that carried the Moonwlkr x Hervé moonrocks, but if you do, please drop a comment below and I will happily update this review.
Conclusion
I’ve reviewed countless Delta-8 THC and other cannabinoid-infused products and have tried to list the pros and cons in all my reviews. Yet the Cosmic Peppermint Moonrocks by Moonwlkr x Hervé sorely tested my patience and optimism. The cons far outweighed the pros in this product and left me feeling exasperated and underwhelmed. So many of the product’s issues could have been fixed with a little common sense! The locking mechanism should have been turned clockwise in the traditional “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey” method, and its difficult to see where to push while turning it. The chamber should have been wider to accommodate the misshapen pieces comfortably instead of assuming each piece would fit perfectly. There should have been some way to store the remaining hard candy pieces instead of dumping them into a resealable plastic bag. The candy indentations should have been thinner to allow the little paddle to break off the desired amount. There should be a safety door to remove any remaining pieces that get stuck in the bottom of the chamber. The idea behind this hard-candy dispenser is fantastic and could have produced an excellent product with just a little more research and development. Who wouldn’t want a little dispenser to carry around and enjoy Delta-8 THC on the go? But unfortunately, this product gave me way more trouble than it was worth. If you want a mint-flavored Delta-8 edible in more effective, better tasting format, you have better options for your Delta-8 dollar.
Have you tried these Moonrocks or any products from either Moonwlkr or Hervé? What are some of your preferred consumption methods of Delta-8 THC? If you’ve experienced similar issues like I have or have had better success with the Cosmic Peppermint Moonrocks from Moonwlkr x Hervé than I have, I invite you to leave a comment below and share your experiences. While every user may experience different reactions, these reviews are intended to deliver as much information as possible to give potential users an idea on what to expect. A product’s flavor, reaction start time, effects, and longevity are all important aspects of a product. Here at CBD Origin, we strive to help you make an informed decision rather than blindly choosing a product and hoping for the best. The Moonwlkr x Hervé moonrocks seemed to be less than ideal for the user, but fingers crossed that the next product review will be more satisfying. Be sure to check back soon for the next in-depth product review from reputable brands and products throughout the country. Hope to see you there!
