The DC Edibles Buyers Guide 2023
The DC Edibles Buyers Guide 2023
Washington DC actually doesn’t allow the sales of cannabis edibles in the way you think they do. Currently, medical dispensaries in DC can only sell lozenges, capsules, and chewable troches – yikes.
But we all know that’s not why you came here. Besides the medical dispensaries, there are dozens of I71 gifting stores selling edibles and weed in DC without the need for a medical card. From live rosin gummies to distillate-infused marshmallow treats, DC has some of the coolest, strongest, and most potent edibles on the East Coast.
Here is your guide to the best edibles in DC for 2023. If you are new and want to learn where and how to shop for edibles in the DC market skip below here.
Best DC edibles 2023:
- Strongest edibles: Mello Bars
- Consistent edibles: Bag Head Boyz
- Purest edibles: Mafia Melts
- Best chocolate: Kiva
- Longest lasting: Jack Pots
- Most delicious: Cannabake Treats
Strongest edible in DC
Who this is for: You want the strongest edibles in DC – hands down. Seriously, guys, there are Reddit posts about how strong these edibles are. Don’t be alarmed, the strength of these edibles is what makes it the best, not because you want to fall into an edible hangover, but because you can actually dose less and save money. Stop biting the arms and heads off your gummies trying to save them, rice krispies treats is just so much easier.
Why it’s the best: Mello Bars actually save you money. At 500 mg I split these bars into 8 pieces at 62 mg of THC per bite. Don’t let the smaller numbers fool you these bite-size pieces, still pack an incredible buzz with a very gradual ascending high. You get a very creative and happy head high with clarity when you keep the dosages lower. If you want to travel to cloud 9 then by all means take more – but be warned these edibles have a potent reputation in Washington DC.
- Saves money: These edibles are so strong you can take half the recommended dose, saving you money.
- Innovative effect: The high promotes a very artistic and innovative mind, great for the “Creating” headspace.
- Deep sleep: Forget melatonin, these bars put me down for the entire night and I wake up feeling super sharp.
- Can be too strong: Careful on the dosage, start with a smaller amount and be patient – dosing too much will lead to an unpleasant high.
- Munchies: Expect some heavy munchies here. Eat a big meal beforehand if you want to curb this effect.
- Couch-lock: If you need to get things done, this is not the edible for you.
Most consistent edible
Who this is for: Tired of edibles that aren’t dosed consistently? Bag Head Boys is one of DC’s most reliable edible brands with their own unique edible infusion process that gives you consistent dosing for every gummy so you aren’t left waiting hours with no high.
Why it’s the best: The I71 gifting market is ripe with some pretty shady edibles. I’ve bought infused treats that gave me out-of-world highs, and in the next bag, I got zero effects. Baghead Boys has been around since the I71 gifting market first emerged, and I’ve literally never got one bad high here – it’s always a powerful body high with what feels like a cerebal massage.
- Consistent dosing: quality and reliable dosing.
- Strong body high: Your body will want to melt into the couch. It’s like your body is being massaged.
- No foggy effects: I take about 100 mg and I get a strong high with no fogginess the next day.
- Cottonmouth: Keep hydrated and expect some cotton mouth.
- Munchies: Expect some heavy munchies here. Eat a big meal beforehand if you want to curb this effect.
- Couch-lock: If you need to get things done, this is not the edible for you.
Purest edibles in DC
Who this is for: Mafia Melts is known for extracting some of the roughest and toughest live rosin batches in LA. If you are looking for a much cleaner high with absolutely zero brain fog the next day, these Live Rosin gummies are an amazing alternative in a sea of distillate edibles in Washington DC.
Why it’s the best: These are DC’s cleanest edibles as far as a head high is concerned. The quality of your edibles depends on the quality of your extraction method. Mafia Melts edibles are made through live rosin extraction – which results in a much cleaner high. The process is extremely rigorous as it starts by immediately freezing the cannabis plant after harvest to preserve the live trichomes, cannabinoids, and terpenes (hence the “live”). There are no solvents or chemicals used in the process so you get a tar-free medium, which is considered to be the best option for health-conscious cannabis consumers.
- Cleanest edible: If you want safe and clean edibles then this is it.
- Super clean high: Expect a very strong high but with focus, clarity, and a heavy dose of happiness.
- No side effects: There is absolutely no fogginess, grogginess, or mental weight the next day after taking these edibles.
- Pricier: You have to pay for quality here guys. You get 200 mg per $45 bag, but trust me it’s worth it.
- No check out: If you are looking for that “check out” feeling distillate edibles give you this may not be for you. The high is cleaner, deeper, and more focused.
Best edible chocolates
Who this is for: You want a delicious chocolate edible bar that was made to the highest quality from cacao sourcing, cannabis sourcing, and meticulously controlled dosing. When it comes to chocolate this is DC’s premier chocolate edible, trusted by thousands including myself.
Why it’s the best: Crafted from the purest ingredients, these milk chocolate bars have a hint of brown butter and a creamy silk finish on the tongue. Handmade with cold water hash and at only $50 for 100 mg of THC, you not only get an amazing high you also save money compared to other edibles on this list at 400 mg for the same price.
- Delicious: These chocolate edibles taste amazing and literally melt in your mouth.
- Gradual high: The precise dosage gave me a very gradual and consistent high – time after time.
- Precise dosing: Kiva uses consistent controlled dosing so your dosage is reliable and buildable. It’s easy to hit your “sweet spot” every time with these.
- Will melt: Keep this stored in a cool environment because it will melt and can impact potency.
- Cocoa and Milk: These are real chocolate bars and have an expiration date, so plan on using them in a timely manner.
- Packaging: The branding is so good it looks like regular chocolate so keep it away from children and people that don’t want to consume THC.
Longest lasting edibles
Who this is for: You want an edible that will take you out for 8 hours or more (see Reddit reviews). Jackpots will check you out, keep you mellowed out for the entire evening, and end with a restful, all-night slumber – every time.
Why it’s the best: If you want a clean and short high then smoke weed. If you want 8-10 hours of total relaxation where your mind can check out then Jack Pots are DC’s edibles known for their “legs” because they just keep going. You get a 400 mg jar with 20 pieces of gummies. This makes dosing extremely amazing because each gummy is 20 mg so you can start small, experiment, and find what works best for you. Personally, I take 3 gummies at 60 mg for the perfect dosage – but it depends entirely on your endocannabinoid system.
- Easy dosing: With 20 gummies in each jar at 20 mg a piece, you can dose in much smaller and precise increments to find your edible “sweet spot”.
- Long lasting: Jackpots are known in DC for lasting a minimum of 8 hours and reliably at that.
- Couch-lock: Jack Pots not only put you out for 8 hours, it also moves your body into a deeply relaxed state. This isn’t good if you need to get things done.
- Cottonmouth: like most edibles, have plenty of water at hand because everytime I used Jackpots I got dry mouth.
Most delicious edible
Who this is for: You want an insanely delicious snack that tastes just like grandma’s Sunday baking that will also get you smacked for an incredible price of only $15.
Why it’s the best: Cannabake is doing what no other edible brand in DC is doing, making edibles that taste absolutely phenomenal. Why turn your edible experience into “medicine” when you can enjoy this mouth-watering fruity pebbles, marshmallow mix and then enjoy your regularly scheduled THC high? Expect a strong high, but more than anything, expect true culinary art. Sundays I text in the order and get these edibles delivered straight to my apartment in Adams Morgan. Cannabake will not deliver to you if you are on Federal or local government grounds.
- No aftertase: When I say these treats are delicious I mean they taste amazing with zero aftertaste like most edibles have.
- Reliable dosing: While I’ve only ordered a few times, myself and dozen of Yelp reviewers all claim consistent dosing with the edible treats.
- Order minimum: While treats are reasonably priced, in order to make an order you need an order minimum of $60 from Tuesday- Thursday and a minimum order of $80 from Friday-Sunday.
- No physical store: There is also a delivery fee as there is no physical store to visit to make orders. Delivery fees depend on where you order from in DC.
Guide to buying edibles in DC
There are currently 7 medical marijuana dispensaries in Washington DC and nearly a hundred I71 gifting storefronts (unlicensed recreational). While it may seem common sense to buy edibles in Washington DC at a medical dispensary, in my experience that’s not always the case.
Medical dispensaries are limited to honey, lozenges, capsules, and stale “chocolate” all of which seem more like medicine in my opinion.
I71 gifting stores on the other hand generally sell unregulated edibles that are much more appealing and delicious such as brownies, gummies, milk chocolate bars, candy, rice krispies treat.
Should I buy Medical or I71 edibles?
While there are dozens of unregulated stores selling terrible edibles, there are dozens of unregulated storefronts selling some of the strongest and best edibles you will find in Washington DC.
In fact, when I shop for edibles I usually shop at recreational storefronts. The edibles taste better, are lower priced, and are much stronger.
Below are a few tips to help you have the best experience when shopping for edibles in Washinton DC.
How do I find a reputable brand?
It doesn’t matter whether you choose a recreational dispensary or a medical dispensary, it matters more about the brand’s reputation. No matter what, each store has a reputation to keep, and if they sell terrible edibles (unregulated or not), people will leave terrible reviews on Google. You can spot the good dispensaries because they will have 1,000 plus five-star reviews. Before I buy any edibles in DC I always scroll through the dispensary’s reviews to check to see what other customers had to say about any given batch.
How do I know if the edibles are good?
Your best bet is to ask each of the budtenders at the dispensary their personal opinion on which edibles are worth buying in their current inventory. Most of these budtenders have tried the edibles in stock, and if you ask each of them for their honest opinion on which are great and which are not, you will usually get a fair answer. While I’m waiting in line at my local recreational dispensary in Adams Morgan (Gifted Curator), I always ask the customers waiting in line as well.
Is there a difference in quality with edibles?
The quality of your edibles depends also on your extraction method. There are many forms of extraction such as Hydrocarbon and ethanol which lead to very different results. The large majority of edibles you find in DC are going to be distillate edibles. This is the process of extracting a specific cannabinoid (THC) and then adding the different elements back in to create the finished product. Full spectrum edibles on the other hand strives to mimic the full array of the plant’s cannabinoid, terpenes, and flavonoids.
There are much more rigorous extraction methods such as live resin, live rosin, and live resin diamonds. The more stringent the extraction method the cleaner the high will be and unfortunately more expensive. The edibles packaging will usually tell you what type of extraction method the edibles were made with and if not you can ask your local DC budtender.
Final thoughts
Jackson Williams
DC cannabis enthusiast
My name is Jackson Williams and I’m a local DC resident of over 20 years, and currently live in Adams Morgan. With the legalization of cannabis in DC, I’ve been experimenting with my own rosin press, smashing up my own rosin oil, and making my own edibles right here in DC.
I’ve been buying edibles since the I71 boom happened in 2016, and I’ve had my fair share of great edibles and some nightmare experiences as I’m sure we’ve all had.
Over the years I’ve grown to love a few of the edibles brands here in DC and my recommendations are brands that have been established here in DC for the last few years. The same edibles I recommend are the same edibles I actually buy and eat here in DC. While you won’t always have a perfect experience with edibles, don’t let the craziness of the DC market fool you – we have some of the best edibles on the East Coast.
