What’s vegan? Ingredients to avoid
Vegans. They’re just like you. And, in California, the vegan population is strong and growing. Los Angeles ranked number one on PETA’s annual roundup of vegan cities and San Francisco came in third place.
Vegans abstain from meat, fish and eggs which is pretty straightforward. The more complicated part comes from avoiding animal products, such as like dairy, honey and gelatin. Gelatin, which is made from animal bones and cartilage, is the main ingredient in most gummies. Animal ingredients sneak their way into many unexpected foods so it’s always a good idea to read the label before purchasing.
Cruelty-free cannabis
Yes, of course, cannabis is vegan. While some farmers and growers may use unsustainable practices or pesticides, there’s nothing about the plant itself that makes it unsuitable for vegans. By extension, both THC and CBD concentrates are vegan-friendly and can provide the right amount of chill or high to suit your needs.
Three of our favorite vegan edibles
It goes without saying that vegan edibles are no less potent than their traditional counterparts. Experts advise microdosing, or consuming small amounts of THC at a time, until you know how edibles affect you. Choose between CBD, THC and hybrid-infused products.Just like with drinking alcohol, there are many factors, such as what you’ve eaten that day, your weight, the strain of marijuana used, that will determine how strongly an edible affects you.
This California-based company brings a new flavor to the edibles game with their cookies savory THC-infused pretzels (only the Savory Pretzel flavor is vegan). These crunchy, crispy bites provide 3 mg THC per pretzel, each bag has about 30 pretzels. On the sweeter side, The Hippie cookie provides 10mg THC per cookie plus a flavorful assortment of oats, peanut butter and dried cherries in each bite.
The Korova Gluten-free, Vegan Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bar is calling your name. Vegan chocolate tops a gluten-free oat layer and peanut butter center. Each bar is organic and contains 300mg THC – so it’s meant for sharing or saving. Although it’s the only vegan product currently, in their lineup, this indulgent bar is worth a mention.
This upscale confection company, doesn’t disappoint when it comes to chocolate. Choose from dark chocolate bars with flavors like ginger, espresso and tangerine. Or opt for Dark Chocolate Espresso Terra Bites, micro-roasted Tanzanian coffee beans and coated in Kiva Dark Chocolate with 5 mg THC per bite.
But the real star of the show is their line of Petra mints – available in Moroccan Mint and Eucalyptus flavor. These refreshing mints contain 2.5mg of THC each and are sweetened with xylitol. These microdose edibles are perfect for newbies or anyone looking to be in full control of their dosage.
Cook up your own vegan edibles
Sure, buying cannabis-infused chocolate is easy but, sometimes, pre-made THC treats leave a lot to be desired. Be your own baker by cooking up some edibles of your own. Not only are there countless blogs and cookbooks to provide inspiration, GOOD magazine reports that cannabis baking mixes may soon be within reach.
Whether you plan on baking or just getting baked, vegans who want to consume edibles have plenty of tasty options to choose from, as long as they know where to look.
