What Makes a Cannabis Social Drink Actually Social

You know what's funny about cannabis social drinks? Most of them aren't social at all. Guy sits alone on his couch, cracks open a can, scrolls through his phone for three hours. That's not social. That's just drinking alone with extra steps.

The Problem Nobody Wants to Say Out Loud

Used to be you went to a bar, you talked to people. You didn't have a choice. There was no screen to stare at. No emails to check. You either talked to the guy next to you or you sat there like a creep. Now everybody's got their face in a phone even when they're supposedly "out with friends." Half the table is texting people who aren't even there.

So these companies make cannabis drinks and call them social and I'm thinking, what exactly makes it social? The fact that it comes in a pretty can? That you can hold it at a party? A bottle of water is social by that logic.

Here's what actually makes a cannabis social drink social. It's the same thing that made beer social or cocktails social or coffee social back when people still talked to each other. You need the right dose so you're present, not gone. You need it to taste good enough that you're not making a face like you're doing homework. And you need a reason to be around people in the first place.

Why Most Cannabis Drinks Get It Wrong

The dose thing, that's where everybody screws up. They make these drinks with 50mg, 100mg. You drink that and you're on the moon. You're not having a conversation. You're trying to remember if you locked your car three hours ago.

I'm not saying don't make strong drinks. I'm saying if you're calling it social, maybe don't knock people on their ass. When Herb got me to try his Peach Bellini thing, it was 8mg. I gave him grief about the peach part, obviously. But the dose was right. I had two, I was good, I was still me. We played cards. I won fourteen dollars. That's social.

Same goes for Mary and her espresso martini. I don't understand why it needs to be espresso and martini at the same time, but that's Mary for you. Point is, you drink it, you feel good, you don't disappear into your own head for the rest of the night.

What Actually Matters

The other thing nobody talks about is why you're drinking in the first place. You're not drinking to get high. You're drinking because you're at a barbecue or a card game or somebody's birthday and you want something in your hand that makes you feel part of things.

That's what social means. Not the drink. The people. The drink just has to not get in the way.

Cannabis drinks can do that or they can't. Most of them can't. They're too strong, they taste like lawn clippings, or they take an hour to kick in so by the time you feel anything everybody went home.

The ones that work? They're just there when you need them. Like beer used to be before every beer became an IPA that tastes like a pine tree. You open it, you drink it, you're with people, that's the whole thing.

Try Something That Won't Ruin Your Night

Look, I don't care what you drink. Drink seltzer for all I care. But if you're gonna try a cannabis drink, try one that's actually social. Not 100mg of "where am I." Something you can have with people and still be a person.

Check out what Herb and Mary made. It's not complicated. It's just done right. And if you're in Hell's Kitchen, come find me. We'll play cards. I'll take your money. That's social.