Are You Gonna Drink That? Cannabis-Infused Pomegranate Lemonade

marijuanajuiceThe Drink: Cannabis-Infused Pomegranate Lemonade

Where to Get It: Metropolitan Wellness Center; 409 8th St. SE, #201; (202) 817-3920; mwcdc.com; prescription required

Price: $32

What It Is: A mix of cold-pressed pomegranate and lemon juices with cayenne pepper. Oh, yeah, and 60 to 70 milligrams of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Dubbed More Passion, it’s one of five recently released THC-infused juices created by cannabis cultivator District Growers. These are the first marijuana-infused edibles in D.C., and they’re available solely to those with a medical marijuana prescription. I obtained a bottle through someone with a prescription. 

What It Tastes Like: Citrus is the primary flavor, though the slightly sweet beverage has a robust tartness due to the pomegranate. Sadly, the cayenne pepper is indistinguishable. Sadder still is the subtle, but pervasive dank marijuana aftertaste that lingers long after the lemony tang has fled your tongue. It tastes like lemonade someone used as an ashtray for their joint.

The Story: Corey Barnette, owner of District Growers and co-owner of Metropolitan Wellness Center, wanted to give patients with appetite issues or problems inhaling an alternative way of getting their dose of THC. “This is an opportunity to promote our promise that we always want to provide a healthy alternative,” he says. That being said, the company already plans to roll out three additional lines of edibles in the next 120 days: baked goods, bite-sized sweet treats (potentially honey drops and chocolates), and base ingredient cooking supplies, such as THC-infused olive oil and butter.

How to Drink It: I initially drank a quarter of the bottle—the recommended dose is a third of the bottle, but I wanted to be conservative. I felt nothing after an hour, so I drank another quarter. (The bottle label recommends waiting one hour before increasing dosage.) Nearly two hours later, I was still only feeling mildly buzzed and slightly tired—which was probably due to the fact that it was midnight—so I called it a day and went to bed.

Photo by Nevin Martell