Pretty much every year around mid-summer, as the weather heats up and the pool club and river trip invites start trickling in, I look down at my expanding gut with a twinge of shame and embarrassment. That’s because river season also = grilling season, and I guzzle beers like my life depends on it most nights of the week throughout June and July. That is, until the unseemly amount of weight I’ve put on sends me spiraling—and searching for something that can hit that light-beer-on-a-summer’s-evening spot, without coming at a caloric price of 120+ a pop.For me, that’s where Cann’s Social Tonic comes in. These crushable little cans of low-dose THC + CBD seltzer have become my go-to beer replacement for those times I’m trying to avoid alcohol, but still want to knock back a relaxing bevvy on a weeknight. With only 2mg THC and 4mg CBD, they’re the perfect dose for the canna-curious, as well as retired stoners like me who still enjoy a dabble from time to time.Plus, with each 8 oz can clocking in at just 30-40 calories and flavored with all-natural ingredients, they’re way healthier—and way tastier—than most alcoholic options (especially those nasty White Claws). So I decided to swap (at least some of) my beer for Cann Social Tonic to see what happened.Cann Social TOnic, AT A SIPCann’s 2mg cans of Social Tonic come in five flavors: Lemon Lavender, Blood Orange Cardamom, Grapefruit Rosemary, Ginger Lemongrass, and Yuzu Elderflower. The fruit + herb combo is an ingenious approach to cannabis beverage flavoring—the refreshing, fruit-forward palate at first gives way to a lingering herbaceousness that masks any evidence of a weedy flavor, making these IMO the best tasting weed sodas I’ve had.The carbonation is zingy and it has a crisp mouthfeel that pairs perfectly with the flavor combos, making Cann distinctly craveable aside from its psychoactive properties (more about that below).My favorite Cann flavors, in order, are: Yuzu Elderflower (goes crazy), Ginger Lemongrass (very very tasty), Lemon Lavender (yummy), Blood Orange Cardamom (quite nice), and Grapefruit Rosemary (sorry, I don’t love Grapefruit!).The cans are small, at just 8 ounces, but the light buzz kicks in before you finish your first one (and, if you’re a lightweight like me, one is enough!). The 1:2 THC:CBD blend is just the way I like it: the THC is just enough to raise a little ~question mark~ in your consciousness, while the CBD is there to tell you “it’s all good.”Buy it if: You’re looking for a refreshing low-cal alternative to alcohol, or if you enjoy very light doses of cannabis (and have lowkey trust issues when it comes to dosing)Skip it if: You’re a heavy cannabis user—you need something strongerBest part: The flavors and the very mild buzzBiggest drawback: No longer available everywhere thanks to recent legislation(opens in a new window)CannYuzu Elderflower Social Tonic(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Social Tonic lives up to its nameI’ve “tested” Cann in many different circumstances, but I’ll highlight a few different recent use cases for the purposes of this review. First, I cracked one while chilling at home practicing guitar. I sipped throughout my practice session, and never really noticed anything except for that I was focused and generally enjoying myself. I must point out that, for some reason, my batch of Ginger Lemongrass was marked “1.5mg THC, 3.5mg CBD.” I don’t know the reason for this anomaly, but it was actually the perfect dose for my first time back on the Canns in a while.The next sesh was when I brought a couple Canns to band practice and shared one with my new-ish bandmate. After a few sips, we were not only locking in rhythmically like never before, but we also couldn’t resist swapping stories between takes and having tons of laughs. It felt like we got to know each other way better after cracking a couple Canns together. I also tried one while watching TV at night. That’s where the CBD was really able to take over. I always fall asleep watching Spider-Noir and this night was no different. But I must stipulate, I don’t think one Cann would make most people pass out unless they were already really sleepy. It’s such a small dose—I am just a huge lightweight (and dad of a young baby).So my big takeaway from my testing was that this product truly lives up to the name “Social Tonic”—like the light beer and seltzers it’s designed to replace, the best way to enjoy Cann, in my experience, is with a friend.WhAT’S IN CANN SOCIAL TONIC?So, I’ve made it pretty clear by now that I am a huge lightweight with trust issues when it comes to edibles. And that’s a huge reason I like Cann. The reliably light dose of 2mg THC and 4 mg CBD naturally derived from hemp makes for a balanced microdose high that hits all the right notes for a kicked-back good time.THC alone can be scary for someone like me. More often than not, too much THC on its own sends me running to back to the alcoholic bevs to calm my nerves. Meanwhile, in my experience, CBD on its own basically doesn’t do anything noticeable unless paired with some THC. The two of them together, though, work in perfect harmony to bring on a high that’s just got just a smidge of that psychoactive THC thing and a whole bunch of that kicked-back, chillaxed CBD thing.Another thing that I like about Cann besides the dosing is the taste, which comes courtesy of all-natural ingredients like real citrus juice and herbs. Plus, they use Mexican Agave for sweetening. Not cane sugar, definitely not high fructose corn syrup, and definitely-definitely not that nasty tasting Stevia crap!!! So, Canns. They get you lightly baked, they taste good, and they’re actually, like, healthy. Suck on that, Coors Light (which I love—change my mind—but also literally includes high fructose corn syrup as well as poison alcohol).Where cann (and cann’t) I get it?Here’s the tricky part. Thanks to a seriously annoying ever-changing legal landscape, Cann just recently became illegal to buy online in such states as Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Mississippi, Alaska, D.C., and (womp womp) California (of all places!). Because Cann’s cannabinoids are derived from hemp, they were off to the races exploiting loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill—until they weren’t, as of this month. Read our guide to all things THC legality according to our in-house cannabis expert Maha Haq: Where Is THC Legal? to learn more.(In response, Cann just rolled out a 0mg THC version of their social tonic, featuring all their acclaimed flavors minus the cannabis.)(opens in a new window)0MG Lemon Lavender(opens in a new window)$33-$65 at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Still confused? Me too, tbh. Heading to Cann’s site will help you definitely determine whether you can order the full-THC version in your state. If you’re in Cali, like me, you can still pick it up at your local dispensary like I do. In the meantime, do yourself a favor and quench your thirst with some delicious 0MGs!Cann’t decide? Other Canns to ConsiderIf you’ve got a higher tolerance and don’t want to drink a whole six pack of these before something happens, Cann’s got a range of other offerings that cater to the more experienced user.Hi Boy, so named presumably for the taller can, is made in the same flavors but contains a (nearly) double dose of 5mg THC: 10mg CBD per can. For those who have graduated from a single Cann.(opens in a new window)CannHi Boy – Blood Orange Cardamom(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Hi’er Boy goes all in on 10mg THC, no CBD, for the heads who just like to get friggin’ baked, without even a side of chill vibes to go with. Go off, kings and queens (but miss me with that)!(opens in a new window)CannHi'er Boy(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Another Cann product I rave about to anyone who will listen is the Roadie, which is like a little syrup packet just containing the flavor and cannabis of their Social Tonic. Basically, 1 roadie + 1 can plain La Croix or soda water from the bar = a bomb ass cannabis soda. (I sneak these into bars and shows when I am sobering—try this at your own risk).(opens in a new window)CannRoadie(opens in a new window)$45 for a 12-pack at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Finally, while I personally have not had the pleasure yet of sampling Cann Spritz, my colleague and all-around cannabis professional Maha Haq says it “nails the look, the flavor, and most importantly the ritual of a traditional Aperol spritz, with the added perk of an edible high without a hangover.” Intrigued? Read her full Cann Spritz review here.(opens in a new window)CannCann Spritz(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)Bottoms UP: Is Cann Worth it?At $73 for a 12-pack, Cann’s 2mg Social Tonic is not cheap. That’s like, three to four times as much as you would pay for a 12 pack of beer. The difference, though, is this: drinking alcohol makes you want to drink more alcohol. It’s easy to polish off a 12 pack of beer with a friend, given the right circumstances. You would not even think to try the same with a pack of Cann. It’s more likely that you’ll drink 1 or 2, and then reach for the water (and snacks), sharing a memorable afternoon with a pal and waking up totally hangover-free.What’s more, you can subscribe and save $27.59 on each delivery. That will really add up, especially if you develop a habit for these the way I have. Not sure you want to commit? Try one of their starter packs, or even build your own bundle by picking 3 or more products to get up to 15% off one-time purchases or up to 20% off when you subscribe.(opens in a new window)CannBuild Your Own Bundle(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)So, Cann is a bit pricey, yes. But I think it’s well worth it when you factor in the premium ingredients, curated fear-free microdose high, and range of products and discount options available. Never mind the calories you’ll save yourself by having a couple of these babies instead of 3 or 8 beers. Swap out your evening brew sesh with bros for a Cann sesh like I did: get your mornings back, improve your friendships, and get your dad (or mom) bod in shape for summer. My verdict: worth it!(opens in a new window)CannGinger Lemongrass Social Tonic(opens in a new window)Available at CannBuy Now(opens in a new window)The post I Replaced My Evening Beer With Cann Social Tonic. Here’s What Happened Next appeared first on VICE.