*Edibles should only be consumed by consenting adults/medical users, and make sure to store them in a secure area away from children. *
I started dabbling in medicated beverages once I moved to Eugene for school. As someone who uses THC and CBD to manage a few chronic conditions, I thought that they were a great cost-effective way to get relief. Most beverages cost around $12-16 before taxes, and some contain several servings per bottle. The first beverage I started getting regularly had a blackberry lemonade flavor and worked relatively fast for an edible. Similar to syrups and other tinctures, you mix small portions of these beverages into a juice or soda, wait about 10-40 minutes, and enjoy a nice calming experience.
One day while looking through the Space Buds Dispensary delivery list, I found another medicated concoction that caught my eye: The Delta Nine Fruit Punch Beverage. It only cost $14, before taxes, and was at my door in under forty minutes. The red syrup-like beverage was packed in a cough syrup like bottle and smelled like a pineapple-cherry lollipop. The Delta 9 company also make the same beverage in orange and pink lemonade flavors and some of their products are made in Bend, Oregon.
The feeling I experienced with the recommended tablespoon dose, which contains roughly 4.1 milligrams of THC and 3.7 milligrams of CBD, left me with a sense of calm, creativity, euphoria, and a light tingle on my tongue. I personally like to use these products for pain and stress management, and Fruit Punch worked wonders in those departments after about 25 minutes. Without using other THC or CBD products, these sensations and feelings lasted for about three hours. But, I have found that when used before smoking, edibles make it so that I need less flower to elevate me to where I’d like to be. Consuming products like Fruit Punch from Delta 9 can be a great way to curb spending on flower, which at times can be pricey.
After several trials, I think my favorite mixture is using the Fruit Punch Beverage with POG, also known as passion fruit-orange-guava juice. This mixture is like the ultimate fruit punch since the natural and artificial flavors in the medicated beverage pair well with the tropical flavors in the juice. The Fruit Punch product also tastes great with Sprite on ice. The carbonation works wonderfully with the fruit flavors and tastes a lot like Hawaiian Punch with Sprite. Since the product itself only has 1.4g of sugar per serving, the sweetness from the soda mixture is not overbearing. But, for those looking for a less sweet option, I’d recommend mixing the product with a homemade aqua fresca or a store bought one like the Santa Cruz Passion Fruit Mango Agua Fresca.
While consuming edibles of any kind, I strongly suggest starting small. In the case of the Fruit Punch Beverage, I would suggest a newbie to start with a half tablespoon and wait up to two hours before having more. This strategy can help you avoid the infamous “I’m too high” edible experience which occurs when you have too much too quickly. To avoid this, try planning calming activities, like drawing or yoga, to do for once the edible kicks in. More experienced users should start with the recommended serving size, but if needed can double that dosage to have a more intense experience. Since the body processes liquids faster than solid foods, medicated beverages can be a great option for those of us that hate waiting for edibles to activate. I highly recommend it for those looking for a tasty way to mix up their routine.
