Last year we lamented the lack of 4/20 product drops, but this year we’re happy to report that brands across the country are bringing the noise. From Chemdog slinging limited edition hash in Massachusetts to Papa & Barkley making bold moves in the California edibles market, we’re loving the buzz of creative activity as we gear up for our high holiday.
THC edibles launched for 4/20
Kiva Munchies Bar 2022
The California edibles powerhouse has long been ahead of the game when it comes to holiday marketing, so we’re not surprised by this on-point collaboration with LA bagel truck pioneers The Yeastie Boys. Kiva’s Everything Bagel Munchies Bar features hash-infused dark chocolate sprinkled with sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, garlic, onion, and salt. This is probably not the THC chocolate bar for everyone, but we love the sweet/savory combo and the striking black-and-white graphics.
P & B Kitchen
The longstanding California brand is going big for 4/20 by releasing an entire line of edibles. P&B Kitchen offers four varieties of hash-infused gummies and four rosin-infused chocolate bars with delectable sounding flavor combos crafted by chocolatier Jonah Ginsburg. The THC edibles boast a solventless process, Fair Trade ingredients, and sustainable packaging. All in all, this looks like a thoughtful expansion of the company’s successful formula.
Fairwinds THC Sriracha Tincture
We get that it’s a pain in the ass and an expense to develop a new product and packaging, so while a limited release can generate excitement, it’s not practical for everyone. Washington’s Fairwinds has a smart workaround–they release their THC sriracha tincture once a year on 4/20. This way you get the hype and the scarcity without the added R&D.
Cannabis beverages launched for 4/20
Artet Mango Ginger Spritz
The California THC beverage brand is launching a new flavor of sessionable cannabis cocktails to coincide with 4/20 festivities. They describe the drink as “a mule on a tropical vacation.” Thank you, Artet, for making me wonder what kind of resort wear a mule would favor. Visor? Classic straw hat? But I digress…This ginger-spiced spritz only has 35 calories and the can is in keeping with Artet’s chic retro European aesthetic.
LEVIA Mellow Mule
Speaking of our equine friends and THC soda, LEVIA is also launching a limited edition mule in time for 4/20, but this one is mellow. BDSA recently named LEVIA one of the top beverage brands to watch this year, and it does sound like they have a winning formula. The Massachusetts company describes their Mellow Mule as a “crisp and refreshing” sugar-free drink for an “uplifted and social” high. The can decor is designed by Massachusetts artist Hailey Bonia, while the fast-acting THC seltzer has zero calories. But now I’ve got actual mules on the mind and am just imagining tropical vacation mule’s mellow buddy. He wears sweatsuits and shades and he, like, never kicks anyone.
Queen Mary Boost
For those looking to support Black-owned California cannabis brands while adding zip to their step, Boost is an espresso-flavored full-spectrum THC elixir that’s infused with vitamin D and THCV, which is known for its energizing qualities and may be an appetite suppressant. The vegan nanoemulsion beverage can be added to a drink or consumed directly. Queen for a day? Yes, please.
Strain releases for 4/20
Cloud Cover Cannabis
Cloud Cover Cannabis is dropping two new strains on 4/20: Purple Ida and Jonagold. This release is a savvy move from the Michigan cannabis company: they’re celebrating their in-house genetics, collaborating with a local artist, and giving budtenders a story to tell on a day when many brands are just offering discounts and swag. Available in limited edition jars with a custom paisley artwork.
Malek’s Hand Rolls
For 4/20, Malek’s is dropping a hand-rolled joint that contains 1.75 grams of their trademark in-house strain, Panda Puffs. Bred by the company’s award-winning founder, the strain is an indica dominant hybrid, glazed in trichomes with a hazy lavender hue. Hardcore heads should appreciate this Colorado company’s attention to detail: their weed is slow-cured and hand-trimmed, and the hand rolls are made with whole flower and come with a glass Gordo Scientific Rip Tip, which can be washed and reused after smoking. That said, their eye-catching pink and seafoam green packaging is a mile away from an old-school stoner aesthetic and should stand out on the shelf and attract the casual cannabis consumer.
Canna Provisions
The woman-owned company is not messing around when it comes to dishing out the goods to its loyal fans. In tandem with 4/20 parties at its dispensaries in Lee and Holyoke, Massachusetts, Canna Provisions is celebrating a collaboration with Treeworks and legendary legacy breeder Chemdog by releasing limited production runs of live rosin and hash. In their words, “This is the only place in the US you can find full-melt limited-run bubble hash (and live hash rosin) from Chemdog flower grown using Chemdog genetics (some going back 30 years) all grown by Chemdog himself. Once it’s gone, this run is gone-gone. And it drops in full for 4/20, on the one-year anniversary of the release of the first-ever legal market Chemdog flower, Smash Hits.”
Verilife
The retail chain is also going big for the high holiday by launching a cavalcade of strains at their dispensaries in Illinois, Massachusetts, and (pending state approval) Ohio. The strains, which will be available in 1 oz and ½ oz packages, include heavy-hitting hybrids like Citral Glue, Axilla, and Motorbreath (31% average THC). We appreciate that Verilife has taken such care in choosing interesting strains and is putting the spotlight where it belongs: on the plant itself.
Old Pal wants you to grow your own
Speaking of plants…In a happy marriage of trichomes and tech, Old Pal is facilitating a “grow your own” campaign in California. Buyers get three starts of Hi-Fi Lemon in a pot, plus a complimentary Hi-Fi Lemon pre-roll. Each pot has a QR code which will lead to a landing page with more information on the strain, a series of videos on how to tend the plant, “Pot Sounds” playlists, and a video exploring “Music From Plants,” in which they worked with the Founder of Plantwave to attach midi controllers to their plants to hear the unique music they expressed. Tripping out on plant sounds while smoking a lemon pre-roll seems like an excellent way to celebrate 4/20…
