Editor’s Sample Hot Box: 420 Edition
Art By Rebekah Jenks
One of the many perks of being editors here at Fat Nugs Magazine is that we regularly receive samples. Samples, you say? Yes, LOTS of them. From candles, to prerolls, edibles, and flower, these samples provide us with first-hand knowledge of the latest products on the market, and by staying on top of the trends, we can share the scoop with our readers.
By receiving samples in a myriad of ways, we possess a lens into the product landscape, and as a publication, we are the voices here to spread the word! But as you know, we at FNM are pretty discerning when it comes to what we smoke and what we support. So, for this 420 guide, we welcome you to the first of our Editor’s Sample Hotbox. An on-going series where we’ll gush about our favorite inhalable, edible and accessory products!
INHALABLES
All Sample Images Courtesy of Asst. Editor
Bombatta*
The flower we received in glossy, heavily branded mylar packaging is one of old school street brand Bombatta. Headed by The Homie Jai based in Indianapolis, this flower is part of their first official foray into the recreational market in California through a collab with Jokes Up with YungLB at the helm, co-owner in the Runtz brand. Tasty, smelly, sticky. Pretty buds!
Available in California
Flower, Reserva “Crema Naranja” + Sativa “Cabrona”
This limited edition, exotic flower was so delicious to our Asst. Editor Lindsey, she actually made it last! Smoking it in little bits, telling every visitor it is only for “special occasions” and who can blame her? The terpene profile produced a tangy sweet skunk that made her drool, the buds were well cured and the packaging was effective and not challenging to open. The high from the Reserva was clear, strong and will absolutely make you look faded after one hit. Lindsey didn’t get couchlock, but she did enjoy the anti-anxiety freedom for her ADHD brain to wander at NOT the speed of light for a change. The Sativa strain was SO PURPLE (Lindsey’s favorite color) and SO good, the body high uplifted Lindsey out of a nasty depressive episode one morning and kept her appetite alive the rest of the day! This company grows some very special stuff!
Available in California
22Red Shred 22 Pre-Roll Pack*
22Red’s are presented in a nicely designed, easy to open box containing small, “dog-walker” sized prerolls. We received Shred 22, the brand’s take on Sour Diesel, a personal favorite. The prerolls themselves burned well and tasted great. The brand advertises that their prerolls are made with the same flower that goes into their eighths, without any “garbage”. By smoking these, we could tell that this was true. The flower was smooth on the inhale with a flavorful “gas” on the exhale. Uplifting and cerebral without being too heady, I smoked through the entire pack and wouldn’t even share any. Another fun fact about 22Red, it’s the brainchild of System of a Down’s bassist, Shavo Odadjian.
Product Pictured Available only in Arizona, while others are also available in California, and Nevada.
“Glow Up” Preroll
The clean, feminine pink packaging with subtle butterflies appealed to Lindsey right away when she got this preroll in a recent goodie bag. The effects match the name! Considering the typical quality of prerolls, this one was atypical, not filled with ground up mids and sugar leaves.
The smoke wasn’t too harsh, she could actually taste the flower instead of just the paper, the burn was pretty even, and she was pleasantly surprised at the “afterglow” body high that felt like sunbathing! As a clever bonus, this preroll also comes with a QR code in the packaging that takes you to the brand’s very own snapchat filter.
Available in California
Flower, Devil Driver
This exotic flower is a cross between “Sundae Driver” and “Melonaid” and absolutely threw Lindsey for a loop! All it made her want to do at first was smell the buds over and over again, until after she smoked it, then all she did was talk and talk and talk! The nose is fragrant, fruity, POTENT, and made her instantly crave a fruit rollup or fruit by the foot. Already a fan of the woman-owned brand, Lindsey was very impressed with the cure quality, the social mood it created, and the relief felt almost instantly for her TMJ. Truly some California Artisanal Medicine!
Available in California
EDIBLES
Grön*
MEGA PEARL
Both of us loved Grön’s Mega Pearl. This single piece gummy contains 100 mg of sugar-coated goodness. It’s perforated into 10mg pieces for easy dosing, but ideal for the consumer looking for something stronger to potentially soothe aches and pains, help with sleep, or settle down for the day. If you’re someone who requires high doses but doesn’t want to eat several small gummies at a time, the Mega Pearl may be just what you’re looking for. Available in eight fun flavors like Pina Colada, Sour Apple, and Blue Raspberry.
Available in Arizona, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nevada, and Oregon.
Kiva
The next three products are also three more reasons Kiva is still the confectionary king of edible cannabis on the west coast!
Camino 10mg CHILL Strawberry Sunset Sour Gummies
The sugar-coated exterior of these ten tangy, strawberry-lemonade-tasting vegan gummies is well done in Lindsey’s opinion, very reminiscent of Gumdrops and didn’t dominate the tasting experience despite the hearty amount. Harmoniously sour and sweet, but not over the top, she couldn’t even taste the bitterness that regularly comes with infusion! As an edible heavyweight, she popped three or four of these bad boys at once, but suggests you take one every half hour until you’re comfortable since these are not “low dose” gummies at 10mg per piece nor are they easy to split. The high was mellow when it came on, like a warm hug, and the mood created was perfect for her to unwind. These pair well with an earthy juice or sweet soda after a workout, and come in another one of Camino’s signature vibrant tins.
Available in California, Michigan and Massachusetts.
“The 420 Special” THC Ketchup
We know what you’re thinking: “What will they come up with next? What else is left to infuse?”
Ladies and gentlemen, they’s, them’s and everyone everywhere; this is not Shrek ketchup, it’s truly a first-of-it’s-kind condiment for infusing on-the-go! Lindsey had the pleasure of trying it out for herself at a recent event, finding it to be surprisingly ketchup-like, with a hint of roasted weed in the aftertaste (she dipped her finger in right away to taste before adding to her Fatburger). She also appreciated the way the infusion canceled out the sometimes vinegar-y taste of regular ketchup so nicely. Designed with nostalgia in mind for the classic burger chain partnership, this larger-than-usual sized packet contains 10mg of THC and boy does it go fast!
Available in California for a limited time only at select The Artist Tree and Sweet Flower Los Angeles locations beginning April 6th, retailing at $5 while supplies last.
Churro Chocolate Bar 100mg
A perfect chocolate for infused smores! The chocolate itself tastes high-quality and the bottom is coated with an additional sugar layer that looks just bougie enough for the gram or upscale party tray. Packaging is sleek, easy to open and the bar of chocolate itself can be easily broken into 5mg pieces for lower dosing.
The cinnamon is there, but not overpowering, and the churro flavoring so spot-on, Lindsey could almost taste the warm fried dough! She enjoyed the effects from eating four pieces or more at a time, which brought on a slight body high, like a gentle nudge towards sleep at the end of desert, which was a welcome change of routine to her usual “bowl before bed.”
Available in California, Michigan and Massachusetts.
BITS by Verano
Yuzu Zone*
BITS are Verano’s line of edibles that are infused with both cannabinoids and adaptogens. These delightful little sugar coated gummies contain a 1:1 ratio of CBG:THC with the addition of ginseng and reishi. Ginseng is derived from a root and is known for its antioxidant properties, boosting energy levels, and may even help with brain function, while Reishi is a mushroom popular in Eastern Medicine for reducing stress and lessening fatigue. At 5mg per gummy, Yuzu Zone Bits are perfect for a little boost during the day, or as an addition to your wake n’ bake strategy.
Available in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Arizona, and Florida.
Raw Garden
These gummies mark Raw Garden’s foray into gummies, and made this list because they are the closest thing Lindsey has ever had (so far) to a regular fruit gummy. The most inoffensive it can get, we’re talking Welch's fruit snacks level subtlety, and like most assorted “all natural fruit flavors” packs, there were definitely ones to savor while others, not so much. The gummy quality varied between flavors, so multiple formulas are at work here, though all pieces are just 5mg. Each gummy is the size of a starburst, and they impressed Lindsey mostly because for once she felt she was enjoying an edible not trying to make a statement of any kind at the same time.
Available in California.
Strawberry 60mg 1:1 (CBD/THC) Tincture w/ Vitamin B12
This tincture is on the list because it is consistent, very useful and tastes great. Lindsey likes to use it as a mood-enhancer, and with the Vitamin B12 added in, she has even employed its use in the past for things like post-workout cooldowns and hangovers! Whether you shotgun a dropper-full between shifts, or add some drops to your morning rise and shine nutraceuticals routine, this tincture is small, discrete, cute, and fast-acting. Having a bit of an anxiety attack in your car? Just a few drops and some water can help re-center, breathing normally again before you can even say “fuck it!”
Available in California
Pamos
6mg Tropical MaiTai
Lindsey chose Pamos for the list after sampling the Tropical MaiTai and the Margarita at an event for Women’s Month and loving it. In Lindsey’s eyes, Pamos is doing this burgeoning cannabis category differently, really taking the time to craft an affordable, all-in-one mocktail for the liquor crowd.
Cannabis and alcohol, despite lowkey side-eyeing each other, clearly have their similarities, and Pamos is not afraid to take a page from their book (and all those years out of prohibition) on their quest to make their mark.
The lower-dosed Tropical MaiTai I took home was absolutely delicious and made for an excellent “sleepy time nightcap.” Juicy, not too sweet, with a barely-there infusion taste, this is definitely a brand to watch in the bev space as the cannabis industry further innovates on the “social tonics” saturating the category. Best served chilled. Classy bottle design and is easily mixed with additional juices.
Available in California.
Big Pete’s Treats
Lindsey loves sleep. Lindsey loves indicas. Lindsey loves chocolate chip cookies. These ten “mini” cookies harness the maximum powers of THC and CBN in a 2:1 ratio to knock you out, or in her case, take the edge off the brain and turn down the noise. When she first saw them in her goodie bag, she didn’t even hesitate and started munching on them right there at the event, to which her friend commented “Those have CBN in them, you know that, right?” Of course she did! And those cookies did a great job calming her nerves in a room full of 60+ women in Cannabis all networking at once. They aren’t the prettiest cookies, but the chocolate chips are chunky and the taste is on-point. Tell you what, if the cookie monster could get his hands on some of these, he wouldn’t even need the milk!
Available in California.
ACCESSORIES
Pax Plus
The Pax Plus is a sleek handheld device that allows you to vaporize flower or concentrates. The Plus comes with a kit containing various pieces that can be cleaned and swapped out on the battery itself. I’ll admit, at first I was a skeptic. I love joints, afterall. But shortly after I began using this device, I was sold and now it comes with me everywhere.
When I first tried vaping flower, wow! The terps shined through and it still felt like smoking, without the esophageal irritation or the weight in my chest. I swapped the inner pieces for the concentrate insert, using some rosin. From there, I simply press a button, wait a few seconds, and a gentle buzz reminds me it’s ready to go. The Pax Plus provides a clean, fast, easy way to consume and it’s entirely portable, just slip it into your pocket. I highly recommend this device if you’re looking for a cleaner means to consume your favorite products.
Roses Rose & Goji Cones
Roses is a brand of organic, gluten-free, non-toxic cones created by influencer and DJ, Charly Jordan. After discovering that common rolling papers actually contain various toxins, Charly desired to create a clean and enjoyable way to consume, hence, Roses was born. The rose cones are pretty to look at, smell good, smoke slowly, and taste great. The goji cones are surprisingly paperlike. Just be sure to pack the cones well, as the first few times I left too much air mid-way through the cone. Each cone fits about 1g of flower. Try yours here.
Cannabolish Lavender Candle
Cannabolish is a line of scented, soy-based candles and air fresheners specifically created to eliminate the odors associated with cannabis and tobacco. These candles smell fantastic and really do eliminate odor– and that’s not even the best part. Cannabolish candles are made with non-toxic, natural ingredients, so your lungs will be saved from the nasty carcinogens found in most air fresheners. We received Cannabolish’s Lavender scented candle and it has a pleasant aroma without being overpowering. Plus, lavender provides an additional perk, it acts as calming aromatherapy. It’s a win/win!
Moose Labs MouthPeace
This ring pop shaped silicone mouthpiece can be added to essentially any smoking device - from bong to joint. With activated carbon filtration inserts made to absorb contaminants and tar, you’ll be shocked at how much grime actually comes through after a casual bong rip. If you’re someone who is conscious of their lung health or who struggles with respiratory issues, the MouthPeace is the perfect addition to your stash box. It comes in a variety of colors and at only $9.99, it’s well worth it.