THCeeker: Ganja Mango Lassi: Edibles Go Drinkable

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Cannabis Health Science
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ah, the weather is finally changing. 'Tis the season when a foggy, cold San Francisco winter reluctantly hands over the reins to a ... well, a foggy, cold San Francisco summer.

That's why it's a good thing to avoid City provinciality and head out to the sunnier East Bay climes right around the time of the dreaded June gloom. And since soaking up that fat old sun is likely to require some liquid refreshment (and Oakland, unlke SF, allows dispensaries to sell medicated beverages), you can slake that thirst and take your medicine at the same time.

On a particularly beautiful May day, I stole my friend's car and headed out to Oakland's Harborside Health Center. I'm more than a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't seen the Discovery Channel's Weed Wars show, which features HHC. Despite the various controversies surrounding the club, my visit was enjoyable, and it's nice to go somewhere that doesn't feel like some shady cave. There are actual windows here. Wow.

Anywho, I was eager to try some medicine in a form other than the typical "munchie," and THCafe's Ganja Mango Lassi caught my eye. I've always loved this drink, and I was curious to see how it would hold up as a vessel for medicine.

My container had been packaged earlier that day, so I knew I could count on a fresh product. To further ensure freshness, HHC sells the lassi frozen, so some thawing time is required.

But did your humble reviewer patiently wait until the entire drink has thawed? Um, no. With the center of the lassi still a small, round ice cube, I took a small sip. I wasn't sure if the medicine (in this case, Sour Diesel hash, a personal favorite) would affect me, so I played it safe, while still getting a representative gulp.

I was greeted with that familiar flavor I've become so accustomed to while gobbling samosas at Pakwan. The smooth, sweet mango meshed well with the medicine, giving it a twist that wasn't unlike tossing a sprig of mint into the mix. This was particularly evident in the satisfying aftertaste that lingered for many moments after the initial slurp.

If I could change anything about THCafe's Ganja Mango Lassi, it would be to increase the tang factor. I imagine this might be done by kicking up the yogurt factor a notch or ten. When I tried another dose after the entire product had thawed, it was a little tangier, but still not as much as I'd like.

Despite the fact that the active ingredient was a sativa, which usually doesn't make one dozey, I slept like a baby later on that night. This wasn't bad, since I had sampled the lassi after dinner, but I wouldn't recommend hopping on the bandsaw after a sip.

An 8-oz. bottle contains between 2-4 doses, depending on tolerance.

Steve Robles is a San Francisco-based writer and blogger. You can find his blog at www.oldenasty.com or follow him on Twitter at @mrsteverobles. Follow us at @SFoodie, and like us on Facebook.