10 Key qualities all good edibles and drinks should have
Whether you’re making homemade edibles or browsing through marketplace offerings to see what’s out there, it’s important to know these key indicators of a good product.
1. Great taste
Gone are the days when pot-infused edibles were pretty much guaranteed to taste terrible. Now, we know how to eliminate potential aftertaste, and we have a far better understanding of which cannabis products should be used in order to achieve the most desirable results. Some cannabis brands even go the extra mile with innovative and new technology, like nanoencapsulation, to eliminate the flavour of cannabis completely.
2. Moderate dose
In Canada, all edibles and beverages are capped at 10mg of THC per package, and
that is a really good dose for the average enthusiast. Too much and you could end up feeling sick, confused, or outright sedated for several hours. Too little, and you might not end up getting anything from the experience.
3. Even cannabinoid distribution
No matter the product, even cannabinoid distribution is essential to maintain the most control over how much is consumed. A 10mg chocolate bar cut into 4 pieces should give you 2.5mg per chunk, and if it doesn’t, then it can be difficult to moderate the dose. If part of the snack isn’t infused at all, then someone could end up really disappointed, and that’s why even distribution is so important.
4. Individual portions
No one wants to have to attempt to cut precisely sized pieces of a giant-infused cake, because it’s nearly impossible to ensure every person gets an equal dose of cannabinoids. At the same time, carrying around a large, opened package of edibles or drinks because you couldn’t finish it all in one sitting is annoying at best, and problematic at worst, risking spoiling or contamination. For these reasons, all edibles should be divided into individual portions.
5. Fast-acting effects
One of the biggest problems with edibles is that they deliver effects lasting upwards of 6 or more hours. It’s hard to dedicate so much time to something that could be a much shorter-lived experience, as long as the edibles and drinks you choose are infused with emulsified cannabinoids. This innovative idea makes them kick in faster – often in under 30 minutes, and they wear off faster too, generally in as little as 3 hours.
6. Organic ingredients
Since you’re opting for edibles instead of smoking, dabbing, or vaping, then it’s safe to say you probably have some concerns surrounding the potential adverse health effects that may be caused by methods of inhalation. There’s no denying infused foods are absolutely the healthier way to go, but that’s really only truly the case when they don’t contain dyes, artificial flavouring, or other ingredients like flour grown with pesticides that could be bad for you. Hence, it’s a good idea to look for organic labels and invest in high-quality baking ingredients if you’re making them at home.
7. Long shelf life
Edibles offer an incredible experience that isn’t always so good in large amounts, and since dispensary visits are few and far between it helps when you can stock up on food items that will store well long term. Of course, this isn’t always possible, especially when it comes to baked goods and you’re avoiding chemical-laden preservatives. Still, it’s good to keep it in mind as something to look for in a recipe or edible.
8. The inclusion of other cannabis-derived elements
Cannabis is a powerful plant that holds a whole world of various compounds that can benefit consumers. Sadly, many of them are destroyed in the process of turning flower into common ingredients used in edibles like distillate, or tincture. Full-spectrum (containing other cannabinoids and terpenes) edibles deliver an enhanced range of effects that are well worth looking for when you’re on the market for one of these products.
9. Originality
Some consumers have no issue with good, old-fashioned weed chocolate bars or brownies, but when anything is possible, why would you want to restrict yourself to such basic options? What enthusiasts truly crave, is an elevated experience featuring something more exciting like a 4-course meal, or at the very least, a dreamy, infused cheesecake, or fondu for dessert. They want edibles that are new and enticing, which is easy to achieve by thinking outside of the stereotypical box of what infused food used to be.
10. Aesthetics
Let’s face it, most edibles you’ll find on the market today are rather bland looking, which doesn’t do the experience any justice. You want to serve up foods that smell good, taste good, and look great, so they appeal to both the hardcore user and the canna-curious.
