Edibles seem to be the current cannabis product du jour. They are discreet, don’t require the element of fire, and produce an all-encompassing, blanket-like high that is pleasurable on its own but also provides a nice alternative to drinking or other drugs. Worth noting — edibles are also the favored ingestion method for those who use cannabis medically, particularly for pain management.
No surprise then that the edibles category is growing in popularity. Rapidly. According to cannabis data company Headset, edibles are the fourth most-popular cannabis category in the US, showing positive year-over-year growth, and are expected to reach nearly $3 billion in sales in the US by 2022.
But the wide, varied world of edibles is too frequently relegated to a discussion of gummies, of which there are many. I’ve even contributed to the issue, writing my own ode to the gummies I like the best. And gummies are great — they are small, portable, usually odorless, and, with increasing frequency, delicious — a far cry from the vitamin and supplement gummies of years past. Still, there’s no reason that weed edibles have to be stuck in the medicinal category or relegated to simply existing as momentary pleasure or means to get high as quickly and with as little fuss as possible. Edibles are food and food should be delicious, so it follows that edibles, too, should be tasty enough to be savored.
I did the hard work of testing some of the best non-gummy edibles legally available. Here are the best cannabis-infused chocolates, cakes, Turkish Delights, and more — no gummies allowed.
Cloud11
Price: $90 for a tin of 11 chocolates; $170 for a double tin
Cloud11’s artisan chocolates are only available through delivery from the retailer but they’re worth the extra effort to make delivery happen. The chocolates are deliberately low-dose to allow people to have a few without worrying they’re going to overdo it — options include 4mg THC/4mg CBD or 2mg THC/2mg CBD. Cloud11 was co-founded by an ex-Eleven Madison Park chef, as well as another chef and sommelier.
Bottom line:
Cloud11’s inaugural flavors include salted peanut (my favorite), strawberry pink peppercorn, and black sesame yuzu. If it seems impossible to pick just one, there’s also a mix-and-match option.
Mammamia Capri
Price: $14
Created by an Italian chef who lives in Los Angeles, Mammamia’s Capri cakes are weed-infused versions of the iconic Italian torta bianca and torta caprese desserts. The American version is vegan and comes in two flavors, cacao and lemon, which each boast 10mg THC and 5mg CBD derived from ice water hash for a balanced, relaxed high.
Bottom line:
These cakes are genuinely delicious, weed-infused or not, and perfectly sized for a light dessert with an extra kick.
Rose Los Angeles’ Rose Delights
Price: $46
Anyone who has read the Chronicles of Narnia certainly remembers references to “Turkish Delight” — a gelatin-like dessert that sounds and tastes decadent. Rose makes flower rosin-infused Turkish delights that pack a punch. Rose also releases new drops consistently, which feature collaborations with top cannabis producers, as well as others in the culinary space, like grape growers and chefs.
Bottom Line:
My two favorite drops include Magical Grapes, which are made with rosin made from LitHouse’s Modified Grapes strain and Shimano Smile and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. I also liked the collaboration with famed Mexican fine dining chef Enrique Olvera, which includes roasted tomato and a fermented chili and lime dusting and is infused with Doc’s Family Farms PB Souffle flower live rosin.
Garden Society’s chocolates
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYj2rHnuFcS/
Price: $23
California Wine Country-themed (and based!) cannabis brand Garden Society makes infused chocolates that are legitimately some of the most delicious on the market. They come in three “flavors,” which are basically Indica-infused milk chocolate with sea salt, Sativa-infused cinnamon-spiced chocolate, and CBD-infused chai-flavored milk chocolate.
Bottom line:
My favorite is the Indica sea salt chocolates, in part because I am an Indica girl, but mostly because it’s my favorite flavor combination. Pssst: I’m not supposed to say this, since this article is not about gummies! But Garden Society just released gummies and they are also delicious.
Big Pete’s Treats
https://www.instagram.com/p/CZAqEMtvgWT/
Price: Varies
One of the OG’s in today’s edibles market is Big Pete’s Treats, which has been around for longer than this industry has existed. Besides Big Pete’s being one of the best, I like them because they still use cannabutter, which is more difficult and expensive to use and scale but results in higher quality, more potent, and weedier treats. I love them.
Bottom Line:
You can’t go wrong with anything, but I’m partial to double chocolate and peanut butter.
Saucy infused condiments
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW_ohXZBMwJ/
Price: $6
Los Angeles-based, Black-owned Saucy makes healthy infused condiments that are always vegan, sugar-free, and gluten-free. Bonus? They are also infused using nanotechnology, which results in a faster-acting high. One bag of condiments, enough for one meal, has 5mg THC.
Bottom Line:
My advice is to start with the barbecue sauce. It works wonderfully on a fried chicken sandwich, in particular. The vinaigrette goes well on just about everything, too.
Kaneh Co.’s baked goods
Price: Varies
San Diego-based Kaneh Co. has a whole line of new baked goods in their edibles line-up, finally utilizing solventless concentrate rather than distillate. New Kaneh Co. products will include seasonal solventless Cookies with Meyer Lemon & Raspberry Chip, Spiked Lime, Maple Nut, and Oatmeal Toffee, seasonal solventless Brownies including Black & White and Butterscotch, and they will also be releasing The One, a solventless cookie with 100mg of THC per package. It’s a buttery vanilla cookie filled with chocolate chip toffee and peanut butter chips.
Bottom Line:
Kaneh has been one of my favorites from the pre-legal days. The founder of the company, Rachel King, comes from a storied career as a restaurant pastry chef, so it’s safe to say she knows her shit when it comes to bakery treats.
Tsumo
Price: Varies
Tsumo’s snacks are great primarily because they solve a very real issue: when edibles are delicious, we tend to want to keep eating, but we can’t — lest we become too stoned. These are regular snacks, like cheese-doodles or chips, that are dosed per bag, so going overboard simply isn’t an option unless you tear through a whole box.
Bottom line:
In a world full of sweet edibles, these are for the salty folks.
Beboe Pastilles
Price: $25-40, depending on the market
Designed to be “socially-dosed,” Beboe Pastilles are a sweet-tart treat available in Inspired (5mg THC per piece), Downtime (5mg THC/1mg CBD per piece), and Sweet Dreams (5mg THC and 1mg CBN per piece) varieties. Products are 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-sugar.
Bottom line:
These are best for those who still want a sweet treat but desire a different texture than gummies. It’s weed candy.
Cheeba Chews
Price: $20
Ask anyone who has been around long enough, and likely they hold a special place in their hearts for Cheeba Chews. I consider myself among them. As the name implies, they’re infused taffy candies — kind of like a cross between Tootsie Rolls and Starburst, with a variety of flavors.
Cheeba Chews stand out because they have always been consistently and predictably dosed, even during the years when edibles weren’t always super reliable on that front. New on the docket are live rosin-infused chews.
Bottom Line:
I like the “Trifecta” caramel chews both for the flavor and the dosing of 100mg CBG, 100mg CBD, and 100mg THC, but to me, higher quality concentrates will always take center stage — so I also strongly advocate for the new live rosin line.
Incredibles Mile High Mint
Price: $20-25, depending on market
Incredibles Mile High Mint bar offers 100mg THC total, with 10mg THC per square. They’re made with pure THC distillate in a homogeneous mixture to ensure accurate dosing and consistency.
Bottom Line:
Who doesn’t like mint and chocolate together? Exactly.
EDITOR’S PICK: Hervé French Macarons
Price: $20 for a pack
Hervé makes infused luxury hard candies and macarons. The macarons, some of which are dusted with 23k gold, contain 10mg THC per piece and are available in 3-packs in four flavors: salted Caramel, chocolate Grenache, raspberry buttercream, and birthday cake.
The hard candies, which come in a cute little dispenser, are discrete and worth a try, too.
Bottom line:
Look, if you’re doing macarons, you have to get the cookie right — that’s harder (and more important) than the weed, IMO. These are pillowy soft with a dense filling and they truly embody their named flavors. The birthday cake is a combo of American pastry trends — birthday cake flavor and macarons — that truly works. This is the perfect form factor for the flavor and the high is smooth and deeply soothing.
Best afterparty treats I can think of.
