Chalice Farms is one of a handful of publicly traded, multi-state cannabis brands with its fingers in both recreational and therapeutic categories.
In dispensaries throughout Nevada and California, consumers can find a variety of fruity taffy chews bearing the Chalice Farms logo, and in Oregon, its award-winning flower and boutique dispensaries have become a notable thread in the state’s recreational landscape.
Here are our reviews of an assortment of Chalice Farms’ cannabis goodies.
First impression
My first impression of each Chalice Farms product I auditioned was, “wow, how compact.” Both the chocolate and taffy edibles were candy-dish petite, and the twin pack of medicated patches was approximately the size and weight of two extra-large bandaids. Each edible contained 50 milligrams of THC, though varieties available in CA contain 100 milligrams of THC total. The patches did not exceed a 1:1 ratio and contained less than 5 milligrams of total cannabinoids.
Edibles as small as these seem to challenge the idea of serving sizes or portioned doses in single packaged edibles. These bitsy confections felt as if they were dosed for a mid- or high-tolerance consumer to be taken at once — neither edible lent itself to sharing. The patches, however, come in a tidy 2-pack.
Chocolate Mocha Blast
Smaller, single-package edibles, like Chalice Farms’ Chocolate Mocha Blasts, are my go-to when spending the day galavanting with my family. When the formula is just right, 50 milligrams can smooth the rough edges of parenthood away and set me up with a manageable buzz that keeps me relaxed but alert. The Mocha Blasts certainly checked those boxes, but the package lacked a certain whimsy: a leaf imprint, a bit of green sparkle, a mild grassy aftertaste, or any other detail that indicated it was developed by connoisseur stoners, for connoisseur stoners.
The chocolate felt ultra-discreet, straightforward, and frills-free. It’s about the same weight as a lozenge, fitting neatly on the tongue and melting away within a minute. The mocha element is punchy with shattered, dark roasted espresso beans, and the organic, fair-trade chocolate is palatable, though not extraordinary. The mouthfeel altogether is reminiscent of chocolate-covered coffee beans, which is to say, expect a low-key gravelly bite.
During testing, I was in the navigator seat for a quick day trip consisting of small-town antiquing and thrift hunting with my family, including my Autistic son whose needs can become overwhelming when we’re away from home. I ate the chocolate tablet on the car ride out of town, and activation arrived in about 30 minutes. This edible delivered more of a cool wash of prolonged calm than a dizzying psychotropic experience. The most notable effect was the smooth balance of a cool, loosely focused headspace and a tingly physicality. That equilibrium made keeping up with the kiddo relatively easy while keeping me focused enough to diligently search for vintage fur coats.
The munchies kicked in after about three hours of exploring, which lined up well with the end of the day; nothing hits like a one-of-a-kind small-town drive-through on a long, scenic drive home.
Mango Serrano Fruit Chew
The fam and I planned another quick day trip, this time to an expansive craft and farmers market in a nearby town; and again, I popped the Chalice Farms confection from the passenger side as we approached our destination.
The candy is a medicated effigy to corner store taffy: soft and pliable, chewy, and slightly sticky. The mango flavor was more generic-fruit sweet than mango skunky, and the serrano felt mild considering its Scoville rating — be advised, cannabis isn’t my only high tolerance, and this edible could potentially be way too sharp for softer pallets. The Mango Serrano Chew is made with strain-specific RSO rather than distillate but retains no discernable cannabinoid flavors.
Activation began to percolate after we arrived at the deserted promenade and realized the market was in its off-season. Even the adjacent playground had been fenced off with signs reading “Closed due to vandalization.” If I hadn’t had this taffy encouraging a mellow mood, I would have been far less amused when describing the scenario to my kiddo as we drove away from the event he’d been promised we attend. He offered an alternative, which is tremendous considering his verbal development, but the alternative was Walmart.
So, we pivoted from what we hoped would be a lovely day smelling vegetables outside, to an afternoon navigating the fluorescent aisles of our son’s favorite sprawling suburban megastore. Thankfully the high had fully blossomed by the time we crossed the store’s threshold and I was completely content to slow-walk a cart through the toy section while my kid examined the stock.
These effects were commensurate with what I’d felt after eating the Mocha Blast — calm headspace and mild physical elation — but the high felt a bit rounder and softer. The effects kept my mood light as we made our way back home and approximately four hours after I’d eaten it, the chew’s effects had mostly evaporated, thankfully, sans munchies.
RXO 1:1 Patch
The patches seemed, at first blush, flimsy. I was expecting something with a bit of heft, similar to other therapeutic patches that are soaked with penetrating salves. Upon application, these felt like drug store bandages without the padding. They have no aromatic or balmy component and very much read as big, dry Band-Aids. I applied one to my wrist before a heavy workday to buffer against any incoming cramping, and immediately the corners of the bandage lifted from my skin as the adhesive quit. So maybe big, dry, generic Band-Aids.
I worked on and off for several hours, never removing or adjusting the bandage. Only when the unit expired and a dull ache began to creep through my wrist and thumb did I even remember I put it on in the first place. In this low-stakes usage (relatively mild tendonitis) I was satisfied with the patch’s efficacy, though I can’t speak to how it soothes more intense chronic pains.
Bottom line
For high-tolerance consumers, the edibles are great single doses, the small sizes are not conducive to sharing. They’re contained within two sets of packaging: a larger labeled bag and an individual bag containing the edible within, so you can truly be discreet, ditching the branded package for something that literally looks like it was plucked from a front-desk candy dish.
The patches are also discreet, looking pretty identical to Band-Aids. I used them as a preventative against a chronic pain flare-up, though they’re not as a restorative or an immediate pain reliever. That said, in regards to efficacy, your results may vary, but I felt surprised and satisfied with the results I experienced.
