Gem + Jane’s lineup of sparkling infused beverages. Photo credit: Gem + Jane.
Autumn is a time for crunchy leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, cornucopias — and of course, Croptober, aka the fall harvest. For cannabis farmers (including home growers), this means it’s time to cut down the garden, and start preparing the plant for consumption.
‘Tis the season for trimming — an often monotonous, but necessary, task. To help get through this year’s homegrown harvest, we were treated to Gem + Jane Sparkling Beverages, which come in five different flavors.
Gem + Jane is a California-based brand that offers a variety of carbonated beverages with different cannabinoid profiles and flavors. For example, the mouth-watering flavors include Simply Seltzer, Yuzu Raspberry Rose, Lemon Blueberry Lavender, Elderflower Pear, and Strawberry Hibiscus.
While all varieties contain CBD and less than (<) 2 mg of THC, some feature delta-8-THC and others star THCV.
Similar to delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC produces a high. However, most consumers describe it as having more euphoric effects than the traditional form of THC. THCV, however, is known for having more therapeutic effects. According to Leafly, research suggests it is an appetite suppressant, which means it may help curb rather than inspire the munchies.
While each blend has varying profiles, they all contain around 2 mg of CBD and less than (<) 2 mg of THC per can. Each also has less than 25 calories each.
So, do these low-calorie beverages taste as good as they sound, or provide the bubbly and bright or mellow effect as the company promises?
Simply Seltzer
<2 mg CBD, <2 mg THC, 4 mg THCV
$6 oer 12 fluid ounce can, or $24 per four-pack
With zero calories per can, Gem +Jane’s Simply Seltzer induces bubbly and bright effects. We sipped on this full-bodied seltzer and noticed it was more refreshing than a typical seltzer. Surprisingly, we tasted no plant or cannabis flavor — just carbonated water. As such, we think this would make a great addition to any drink in need of some carbonation without affecting the flavor (go ahead and add it to a favorite juice for a sparkling refresher, cocktail or mocktail). Overall, we felt mild, slightly relaxing effects within minutes – but we were definitely more talkative or bubbly than usual. It helped keep us in a positive mood after an evening of trimming.
Yuzu Raspberry Rose
<2 mg CBD, <2mg THC, 4 mg THCV
$6 per can, $24 per four-pack
This was perhaps one of our favorite flavors. It tasted like a berry-infused sparkling water with a noticeable rosy aftertaste. The berry was bold, and equally as sweet as it was sour – it was just right. It almost tasted like a sugar-free raspberry Jolly Rancher. Like the other blends, it was quite quenching and easy to drink. After about 10 minutes, a mild, upbeat high snuck up on us. Overall, there was no anxious feeling, and it took the edge off — making it easier to sit for hours on end.
Lemon Blueberry Lavender
2 mg CBD, <2 mg THC, 4 mg delta-8-THC
$6 per can, $24 per four-pack
This was one of the most refreshing infused beverages we’ve tried so far. At first, we tasted a bold citrus lemon zest, then a tangy pop of berries which tapered into a silky lavender aftertaste. While the effects were said to be mellow, we noticed it had a slightly more lucid high than the previous two blends. It offered an upbeat high which left us in a positive mood.
Elderflower Pear
2 mg of CBD, <2mg of THC, 4 mg of delta-8-THC
$6 per can, $24 per four-pack
This variety was the most planty of all the blends; it even had a flowery aroma. Upon each sip, we tasted a floral flavor, followed by hint of pear — which had an almost white grape juice-like taste. Overall, we describe it as a flowery soda, or a carbonated herbal tea with a splash of pear. True to its description as bubbly and mellow, we noticed subtle relaxing effects which, like the other blends, left us in a good mood.
Strawberry Hibiscus
2 mg CBD, <2 mg of THC, 4 mg of delta-8-THC
$6 per can, $24 per four-pack
Lastly, we tried the Strawberry Hibiscus, which we think was our favorite flavor. It tasted just like a strawberry soda, but a bit less sweet and with a flowery finish at the tail end of each sip. Like all Gem + Jane’s sparkling beverages, it had a layered taste — first came the strawberry, followed by the hibiscus. It mainly had a sweet, strawberry smell, which we really enjoyed. After we finished the can, we were already feeling the effects, which were mild and uplifting for the body and mind. Perhaps it’s because we drank this quickly, but we feel the effects came on quickly with this blend.
Test Results
Third-party test results for these beverages were conducted by three different labs: California Ag Labs, CanMedLabs or Sonoma Lab Works. They reveal the true cannabinoid profile of each beverage, which is listed below.
Before hopping into the results, it’s important to know that experts recommend that products should have +/-10% of what is labeled. If it falls within this10% range, it earns an A; 20% a B; 30% a C; and 31% or more earns a F.
Gem + Jane’s Simply Seltzer should contain <2 mg of CBD and <2 mg of THC, and 4 mg of THCV. Results show it has .68 mg of THC, .10 mg of CBD, and 3.75 mg of THCV per container, which earns an A.
The Yuzu Raspberry Rose should contain <2 mg of CBD, <2mg of THC, 4 mg of THCV. Test results confirm it has .71 mg of THC, and no detectable amounts of CBD. Additionally, results reveal there is .011 mg/ml of THCV; with 12 ounces per can or 354 ml, that’s roughly 3.89 mg of THCV (.011 x 354) per can. It also earns an A for accuracy.
The Lemon Blueberry Lavender is labeled as having 2 mg of CBD, 4 mg of delta-8-THC, and <2 mg of THC. The test results confirm it has precisely .45 mg of THC to be precise, and 2.01 mg of CBD per container. Additionally, results show this blend had 4.36 mg of delta-8. This falls within the 10% range, earning an A rating.
Next up is the Elderflower Pear, whose label reads: 2 mg of CBD, <2mg of THC, 4 mg of delta-8-THC. Test results show it has 1.93 mg of CBD, .42 mg of THC and 3.84 mg of delta-8, which also falls within the 10% range, earning an A.
Lastly, the label for Strawberry Hibiscus blend signifies it contains 2 mg of CBD, 4 mg of delta-8-THC, and <2 mg of THC. Test results reveal that the THC content is in range of what’s labeled. Results also reveal that the beverage has 4.36 mg of delta-8, and 1.83 mg of CBD. This also earns an A.
Aside from cannabinoid profiles, test results showed that these beverages were free to contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals or mold.
Worth it?
Gem + Jane Sparkling Beverages were true to their description as each flavor was spot on. Plus, the effects were balanced. Though they were mild, they produced no tired or anxious effects, even when the subtle highs wore off. In terms of test results, all the cannabinoid profiles fell between +/-10% of what was labeled.
Impressively, we noticed that the title of each drink described the order in which we tasted the flavor. For example, for the Lemon Blueberry Lavender, the lemon was most apparent, followed by blueberry and a soft lavender aftertaste. All flavors profiles complimented each other well.
None of the drinks made us feel tired, or produced any sort of “come down.” Instead, we felt the more mellow blends eased anxiety, while the more uplifting blends made us a bit more talkative or energized. It’s important to note that cannabinoids will affect everyone differently. But they all made us feel “bubbly,” or put us in a positive mood.
Overall, we give the flavors a full five emeralds. However, we felt that $6 per can was a bit steep for the average consumer, or for regular use. Therefore we recommend these for special occasions or when in need of a mood boost. All in all, we thought these made the perfect addition to our trimming sessions.
Leave a Reply