Nothing says “summer” like picnics, barbecues and beach trips, all fueled by ice-cold beers and hard seltzers. However, alcohol is downright terrible for your health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, long-term effects of alcohol include high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, digestive problems, multiple kinds of cancer and mental health problems. So if you're looking to kick the booze for your health or other reasons, but are still looking for a relaxing beverage to take the edge off every now and then, then it may be time to try a weed drink.
These beverages come in multiple dosing levels — starting at 2mg of THC all the way to 10mg — and resemble popular sippables like hard seltzers, beer and canned cocktails, minus the hangover. Legality is dependent on which state you live in, but many weed drinks are now available to buy online for home delivery. We've tried many of them, and the cannabis beverages below are our current favorites.
To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.
Best Overall Weed Drink
Cann is delicious — they pretty much taste like a lightly sweetened soda. Each 8-ounce can of Cann has 2mg of THC and 4mg of CBD, coming in sassy, yummy flavors like blood orange cardamom and lemon lavender. If you want more of a buzz, Cann also sells 12-ounce "Hi Boys" that are dosed at 5mg of THC and 10mg of CBD.
Jeng
The canned cocktail craze isn't going away anytime soon, so if you want all the fun of imbibing in a well-mixed RTD without any of the downsides of alcohol consumption, then check out Jeng. This brand offers familiar pre-made weed-laced mocktails, like a Moscow Mule, Paloma or "Jeng and Tonic," and our tester found each of the 3-mg offerings to be tasty and well-balanced.
Brēz
Weed drinks aren't health products, we should be clear about that, but Brēz probably has more health benefits than many things you're putting into your body. In addition to containing 2.5mg of THC and 5mg of CBD per 30-calorie can, this lemon and elderflower-flavored "social tonic" adds in 25mg of Lion's Mane, a mushroom that's said to help with anxiety. The drink is also vegan, non-GMO and gluten-free.
Wynk
Each can of Wynk features 2.5mg of THC and CBD, and comes in three flavors: Lime Twist, Black Cherry Fizz and Juicy Mango. Our tester loves how easy-drinking these are and says their dosage is "just enough to let you sink comfortably into relaxation."
Nowadays
If you're usually a spirits drinker and prefer to mix your own drink, then Nowadays may be your next weed drink of choice. It's essentially THC-infused, alcohol-free flavored vodka. A single 1.5-oz shot contains 6mg of THC, so you'll need to be careful with the stuff, though you can also get the Microdose version that contains only 2.5mg per shot. Our tester was surprised at just how sweet and smooth Nowadays tasted, contrasting it with traditional spirits.
Happi
If it's variety you're after, then you'll want to give Happi a try. These cannabis-infused seltzers are available in six different flavors, all made with real organic fruit and ranging from 15 to 30 calories per can. But not all flavors are created equally, as some have varying effects. For example, Raspberry Honeysuckle is a straight dose of 5mg of THC, Blood Orange Ginger hits you with 5mg THC, 5mg CBD, 3mg CBG, 2mg CBN and some lion's mane for a focus infusion and the Turkish apple tea-flavored Nightcap delivers 5mg each of CBN and THC, along with reishi mushroom, and is intended to help you sleep.
Wunder
This sparkling beverage has two dosing levels: Sessions, which features 5mg of THC per can; and Higher Vibes, which boasts 10 mg of THC in each 12oz can. Both varieties are available in two flavors: Blackberry Lemon and Watermelon Basil.
Artet
Artet's flagship product is an amaro-inspired aperitif sold as a 750-ml bottle that boasts 2.5mg of THC per serving, but the brand also makes canned cocktail-like spritzes containing 5mg each of THC and CBD. The spritzes come in four classy flavors: Chamomile Lemon, Grapefruit Rosemary, Strawberry Basil and Mango Ginger.
Alt
Alt takes a different approach to weed drinks with its Beverage Enhancers. These zero-calorie, zero-sugar vials have 5 or 10mg of THC and can be added to any beverage. Think of them like those MiO water flavor shots, but that will get you high.
Rebel Coast
Rebel Coast offers cannabis-infused seltzers and “wine,” all containing 10mg of THC. The wine comes in two flavors, Pink Passion and Sauvage 2019, both of which are available as standard or sparkling beverages, while the "hard" seltzers come in a trio of flavors: Mixed Berry, Lemon Lime and Black Cherry.
Klaus
The three varieties of cannabis-infused beverages, mixed by master mixologist Warren Bobrow, are for classic cocktail lovers with a penchant for cannabis. Each can packs 10mg of THC and high-quality ingredients found in restaurants and hotels, like extra hot and spicy ginger syrup from Pickett Brothers. The flavors all sound like $20 cocktails you'd get at a fancy bar: Mezzrole, Bosphorous and 1851 Zombie.
Weed as an alternative to alcohol
“We’re learning that alcohol is toxic at lower doses than we realized, so even a drink a day is definitely worse than a 5-mg edible for (the) liver and probably worse for brain shrinkage long-term,” says Mitch Earleywine, professor of psychology at the University at Albany, SUNY, and author of Understanding Marijuana.
Low-dose THC beverages are a crisp, cool, non-alcoholic alternative that help you avoid feeling like you’re the only one not drinking at the barbecue.
Go “low and slow,” says Austin Stevenson, chief innovation officer at Vertosa, a cannabis chemistry company that produces active ingredients for infused product makers like Artet, Cann and Wunder. “People will start between 2 and 5 milligrams, then they’ll want to graduate to 10mg” — the single-serving limit of cannabis beverages.
