No More Hangovers: Terpene Focused Cannabis Cocktails.

Aug 25

Every year more states legalize cannabis and continue to improve product releases to keep up with a casual experience. Smoking any substance is an excellent way to aggravate your lungs. Even Willie Nelson admitted he had stopped smoking a few years ago, saying, "I don't smoke anymore – take better care of myself." However, that is far from ruling out cannabis use these days. New products, including rosin syrups and THC tinctures (also produced at home relatively quickly), make it possible to turn any amateur or professional chef/bartender into a canna-connoisseur. 

If you are not experienced in combining alcohol with THC, I highly recommend not mixing them in large doses. According to Healthline, "alcohol increases the absorption of weed's main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)". Crossfading can cause extreme nausea or give someone a strong case of spins. It is also imperative to remember that THC infusions do not enter the system as quickly as other methods. Be sure that you give your drink creation enough time to take effect before additional doses when mixing. Depending on your body's processes, it could take 30 minutes to an hour and a half. Patience is key.

With that said, the recipes shared today will primarily be focused on non-alcoholic cocktails.

A significant aspect of THC-based drinks is that they are highly customizable to the user. Whether your dosage is 5mg or 50mg, you can enjoy a tasty beverage without a hangover.  Another factor when using a tincture or syrup is terpene content. Syrups containing a higher terpene content will assist in creating desired effects based on a wide variety of terpenes. Leafly has created an informative chart that breaks down terpenes based on their impact. It is easy to categorize these into the commonly misused "Sativa" and "Indica" groups. Myrcene is on the calming end of the scale, but when combined with high levels of limonene or terpinolene, it will likely fall somewhere in the middle and potentially be a more headfirst calm strain that might not provide much body effect. Cannabis with high levels of pinene has the potential to relieve pain and inflammation.

When speaking with your local budtender, it is much more helpful to discuss recommendations in these terms rather than THC percentages.

Today’s recipes will feature Dialed-In Gummies live rosin simple syrups.

DIG provide highly detailed testing info that provides the consumer with specific terpene levels. This allows even the relatively uninitiated to match terpenes with drinks that will further enhance the experience.

Our first drink, a Mellow Green Hawaiian, features Luau Wedding. It has terpenes totaling 9.98% which is significant, with the top three being caryophyllene, limonene, and valencene. Per DIG, this particular syrup is a great choice if you want to be the life of the party.

Recipe 1 – Mellow Green Hawaiian

1 1/2 ounces rum (Rumish or other non-alcoholic substitute)

3/4 ounce blue curaçao syrup (or non-alcoholic such as Torani)
2 ounces pineapple juice
3/4 ounce cream of coconut
Maraschino cherry, for garnish
Pineapple wedge, for garnish

10mg – 25mg of Luau Wedding Dialed-In Gummies rosin simple syrup

To reduce sweetness and add further limonene terpenes, a bit of lemon juice will do wonders. A slice of orange will increase the valencene.

For our second blend, let’s focus in on caryophyllene. Outside of cannabis it’s found in basil, cinnamon, cloves, lavender, oregano, and rosemary. Clearly there’s a drink to be made using those ingredients. As the leading effects of caryophyllene are pain and anxiety relief, as well anti-inflammatory characteristics, you could certainly use a more daytime-leaning strain for your Sunday morning bloody Mary. We will choose an evening drink featuring cinnamon. This apple cinnamon mocktail, from Lose Weight by Eating, with a boost from DIG Contraband will allow you to finish up some post-work tasks like doing laundry or preparing dinner before settling down. It also features rosemary, boosting the caryophyllene factor even higher.

Recipe 2 – Caryopillow Apple