Courtney Tait
Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More
Five Women-Made Cannabis Edibles to Try in Portland
Savor these five cannabis treats made by women.
Courtney Tait
Courtney Tait is a writer from Victoria, B.C. who lives in Portland. Read More
With its sprawling parks, abundant food cart pods and thriving maker culture, Portland is a playground for creative exploration. This creativity also flows through the city’s legal recreational cannabis scene, especially when it comes to cannabis edibles.
Edibles are becoming better and more interesting.
Laurie Wolf
Laurie Wolf, a Portland-based leader in the edible community and author of several cannabis cookbooks (including Marijuana Edibles and Cooking with Cannabis), says that cannabis consumers have become more sophisticated since recreational use of the drug was legalized in Oregon in 2016. In response, the makers of edibles — many of them women — have elevated their bite-sized offerings with ingredients like fair-trade cacao beans and organic fruit.
“Edibles are becoming better and more interesting,” says Wolf, who co-owns and operates the edibles brand Laurie + MaryJane. “People are scrutinizing the product[s] and there’s more interest in what’s in them.”
Here are five tasty options to try, available at Portland dispensaries. For a positive outcome, follow Wolf’s advice: “Start low [in terms of milligrams of THC]. Talk to the budtenders about what experience you’re looking for and don’t hesitate to ask questions.”
After consuming, you might also take her suggestion for an inspiring local activity: “Go hang out at the Portland Japanese Garden. It’s beautiful.”
Chocolates by Grön
If you’re a chocolate lover, your favorite treat can also be your favorite way to get high, thanks to Grön Chocolates. Made with hand-harvested cacao beans and infused with Clean Green-certified cannabis, this line of gourmet chocolates is the brainchild of architect-turned-entrepreneur Christine Smith.
The chocolates come in bites, bars and bits, offering rich flavor options like dark chocolate espresso, milk chocolate-peanut butter-pretzel and white chocolate-covered blueberries. Grön (pronounced “grown”) makers describe them as a melt-in-your-mouth hug. (There’s only one way to find out what that means: Try them.)
Dose: Varies by product; ranges from 0.5 mg THC to 70 mg THC per serving. CBD-infused and CBD/THC blended options also available.
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We value cannabis for its health [and] mental value.
Meghan Pruitt
Cheese Crisp Crackers by Laurie + Maryjane
Laurie + MaryJane, the baked-edibles brand by Laurie Wolf and her daughter-in-law Mary, offers a warning with its cannabis-infused cheese crisp crackers: It may be difficult to eat only one. Plan accordingly. In other words, keep something crunchy and cannabis-free at the ready so you don’t inhale the whole package of 17 crackers and have trouble leaving the couch (or hotel room). With a biscuit-like texture and a touch of spice, these orange-hued crackers are a must-try for savory edible enthusiasts (they even took home a 2017 Oregon Dope Cup for the Best Savory Edible).
In addition to their crave-worthy crisps, Laurie + MaryJane also offers fudgy brownie bites (2016 Dope Cup winner), almond cake bites (2015 Dope Cup winner) and brownie truffle bites with chocolate buttercream and sprinkles.
Dose: 3–3.5 mg THC per cracker (50 mg in package)
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Coconut Bites by She Don’t Know
Raw, vegan and gluten-free aren’t the typical elements of an edible, but Tokeless B. Coconut bites by She Don’t Know offer a way to partake that’s both delicious and healthy. Created by Jill Trinchero, who started the edibles brand as a reminder to “relax, enjoy and not take life so seriously,” these handmade bites blend of organic fruit, almonds and coconut. (If wholesome coconut bites aren’t your thing, She Don’t Know also offers chocolate chip cannabis cookies and “C’est la herb” crackers.)
Dose: 5 mg THC per bite.
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Hard Candy Gems by Drip Sweets
Andi Bixel, co-creator of Drip Sweets, thinks it’s good to feel good. So, along with her mother Kathy, she makes uplifting Luxury Gems Candy — cannabis-infused hard candies in the shape of crystals. The vegan edibles come in two flavors: citrusy Citrine Quartz, made with a blend of natural grapefruit and lime essential oils, and White Mint Illuminite, made with peppermint essential oil and natural vanilla.
Dose: 5 mg THC per candy (50 mg per pack). CBD versions launching in 2018.
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Cold Brew by Level+
For many weed enthusiasts, coffee and cannabis have long been a match made in high heaven. With this new cannabis-spiked cold brew, you can enjoy the two together in one refreshing, buzzy beverage. Created by Level+, the calorie-free brew combines high-quality cannabis extract and cold brew from Portland coffee roaster Coava.
“We value cannabis for its health [and] mental value, and we saw a lack of approachable, microdosed products that fit easily into everyday life,” explains Level+ co-founder Meghan Pruitt. In addition to coffee, Level+ also produces lightly flavored, infused waters in watermelon mint, grapefruit and lemon ginger. Bonus: There’s no weedy aftertaste.
Dose: 5 mg THC or CBD per beverage.
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