North Shore Snicker Doodle Cookies (iVita Wellness)

Product Name: North Shore Edibles Snicker Doodle Cookies

From:  iVita Wellness

Type:  Cookie, made using trim from iVita’s in-house strains

Dosage:  2 cookies per package (packaging says “2 grams”), manufacturer suggests eating one cookie then eating the second if more effect is desired

Price: $8 each

*test results are for the package, which includes 2 cookies*

Packaging: (5/10)  While the packaging was clean-looking, attractive, professional, and kept the product safe, we had a major issue with the lack of proper labeling.  There was no ingredients list anywhere on the package (no allergy warnings either), nor was there information about which strains were used in the extraction.  We assume that the trim was extracted into butter in the standard method, but they could’ve used CO2 oil and there would be no indication either way due to the lack of labeling.  At this point in the game, there is really no excuse for labeling that lacks key information such as this.  We urge North Shore to update their packaging to include all ingredients, strains(s) used, expiration/”manufactured on” date, and some indication as to the extraction process.  Tha package itself had a green sealing band around the lid that lacked perforation and was a bit difficult to open, but at least it showed that the product hadn’t been tampered with.  The package is also resealable, which is great, given that most patients will be satisfied with one cookie at a time.

Visual Appeal: (8.5/10)  This was a well-made cookie, with a proper crumb structure, a blend of chewy-crispy textures, and a healthy golden-brown caramelized color all over the bottom of the cookie.  A healthy dusting of large-grain sugar and cinnamon covered the surface of the cookie and gave it a sparkly sheen.  Looks delicious prior to eating, and we were excited to try it based on appearance alone.  Worth noting is that they are pretty large, measuring ~4.5″ across — eating both of them is like eating almost 4 regular-size cookies.

Aroma: (8.5/10)  The cookie smelled very nice, and exactly as one would expect a sugar cookie dusted in cinnamon-sugar to smell like.  It has a nice bready sort of smell mixed in with the spice from the cinnamon that had us excited to give it a try.  We could only pick up the faintest hint of meds, and it would be a challenge to know that it was medicated in a “cookie lineup”.

Taste: (8.5/10)  The cookie tasted much like it smelled, having a slight bready note that reminded us that it was made from scratch as well as a healthy dose of cinnamon-sugar.  We could pick up the taste of meds slightly, but it was maybe a 3/10 on the pungency scale — perfect for patients who like to taste the meds a bit to know the cookie has something in it, but not too strong for those who prefer not to taste meds.  The texture varied slightly based on when we ate it, as a reviewer who got it a day or so after we received the samples had a chewier cookie, while another who got to them later got a more crisp cookie.  Even after sitting around for a few days, it was a very taste cookie and we had no complaints — great job by the baker of making an appealing treat regardless of the medication.

Effects: This review is written based on eating a single cookie, but one of our reviewers ate both of them at once, and the effects were very strong — more on that in the Overall…

The effects came on rather quickly for a standard edible, as all of our staff noticed effects beginning between 30 and 45 minutes after ingestion.  The initial effects (as happens often with meds) was a major influx of heat and pressure to the eyes, face, and head, as well as some buzzing relaxation through out the limbs.  Despite the strong and quick onset, we felt fairly functional through 2 hours, as the relaxation was manageable and mostly centralized in the forehead, eyes, and lower extremities.  However, the effect continued to build over the initial 2 hours, getting to the point (effects peaked at between 2.5 and 3 hours) that we struggled to do much of anything due to the very strong effects — it has us locked to our seats, heads swimming, making it difficult to concentrate, bordering on dizzy at times.  One reviewer said he felt “brain dead” for hour 3 – 6, and other reviewers’ eyes got so heavy that it sent them to unexpected sleep.  One reviewer fell asleep on the couch sitting up, then woke up 3 hours later still feeling very relaxed and medicated.

Duration: Whether a single or double-dose, these cookies lasted out to nearly 8 hours including lingering effects — peak medicinal effect was felt from hour #2 through hour #5.

Medical Uses: Very strong relaxation throughout the body, pain relief, strong ocular effects (possible glaucoma relief), strong sleep aid after hour #3

Overall:  While the lack of labeling in almost inexcusable at this stage in the Colorado medical marijuana edibles market, we can overlook that misstep due to the overall quality of this product, which is very high.  Beyond being a well-made cookie that was appealing in all ways (one reviewer who hates any MMJ taste in his edibles struggled with it a bit), it was one of the most potent edibles we’ve encountered, with two cookies sending even our most veteran reviewer a little bit over the edge of what he’s comfortable with potency-wise.

We suggest eating a single cookie (or even half of one until you know how they affect you personally) rather than eating the entire package, as one cookie was plenty for our staff and any more would feel wasteful.  You can definitely get two separate medicating sessions out of this $8 package, which is a solid value, and the resealable package helps to keep the second cookie edible for a few extra days.  We recommend this product for very strong relief of pain and tension as well as sleep aid, but it’s so strong that functioning at work or something like that is pretty much out of the question — this is an “at home” type of med for sure.