Ah, the weather is finally
changing. 'Tis the season when a foggy, cold San Francisco winter reluctantly
hands over the reins to a ... well, a foggy, cold San Francisco summer.
Feh.
That's why it's a good thing to
avoid City provinciality and head out to the sunnier East Bay climes right
around the time of the dreaded June gloom. And since soaking up that fat old
sun is likely to require some liquid refreshment (and Oakland, unlke SF, allows
dispensaries to sell medicated beverages), you can slake that thirst and take
your medicine at the same time.
On a particularly beautiful May
day, I stole my friend's car and headed out to Oakland's Harborside Health
Center. I'm more than a little embarrassed to admit that I haven't seen the
Discovery Channel's Weed Wars show, which features HHC. Despite the
various controversies surrounding the club, my visit was enjoyable, and it's
nice to go somewhere that doesn't feel like some shady cave. There are actual
windows here. Wow.
Anywho, I was eager to try some
medicine in a form other than the typical "munchie," and THCafe's Ganja Mango
Lassi caught my eye. I've always loved this drink, and I was curious to see how
it would hold up as a vessel for medicine.
My container had been packaged
earlier that day, so I knew I could count on a fresh product. To further ensure
freshness, HHC sells the lassi frozen, so some thawing time is required.
But did your humble reviewer
patiently wait until the entire drink has thawed? Um, no. With the center of
the lassi still a small, round ice cube, I took a small sip. I wasn't sure if
the medicine (in this case, Sour Diesel hash, a personal favorite) would affect
me, so I played it safe, while still getting a representative gulp.
I was greeted with that familiar
flavor I've become so accustomed to while gobbling samosas at Pakwan. The
smooth, sweet mango meshed well with the medicine, giving it a twist that
wasn't unlike tossing a sprig of mint into the mix. This was particularly
evident in the satisfying aftertaste that lingered for many moments after the
initial slurp.
If I could change anything about
THCafe's Ganja Mango Lassi, it would be to increase the tang factor. I imagine
this might be done by kicking up the yogurt factor a notch or ten. When I tried
another dose after the entire product had thawed, it was a little tangier, but
still not as much as I'd like.
Despite the fact that the active
ingredient was a sativa, which usually doesn't make one dozey, I slept like a baby
later on that night. This wasn't bad, since I had sampled the lassi after
dinner, but I wouldn't recommend hopping on the bandsaw after a sip.
An 8-oz.
bottle contains between 2-4 doses, depending on tolerance.
