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Topicals are the most laid-back of cannabis products.
You don't have to think about what you'll be doing, what you've eaten that day or the right dosage for the circumstances—just apply it and go about your business.
There are essentially three categories of weed-infused topicals: massage oils, lotions and balms; adhesive patches worn under clothes; or, for a whole-body treatment, bath salts. Up until now, the choices for THC-infused baths were limited. Empower Bodycare's epsom salt-based formula, for instance, consisted of a $14 single-use bag containing about 17 mg of THC, 19 mg of CBD and some essential oils for fragrance. If you wanted anything extra, it was all on you.
With its new bath bombs, Bend's High Desert Pure brings the "extra." The company aims for a more playful, indulgent bathtime vibe, with vibrantly colored orbs that fizz and foam in warm water. Most significantly, they double down on the cannabis. Available in two scents—Soothing Lavender and Sunshine Citrus—each powdery globe contains a 1-to-1 ratio of 50 mg THC and 50 mg CBD, making it the strongest single-use soak available. And with additional ingredients to treat your skin, such as coconut oil, kokum butter and detoxifying kaolin clay, the bombs promise a more spalike result than a mere muscle treatment.
The Experience
I waited until my bathtub was full and the water nice and hot before plopping in the fuchsia-colored bomb. The radioactive-neon coloring gave me more pause than anything, but knowing the ingredients didn't include parabens, phthalates, sulfates or glutens was reassuring. Once the bomb fully dissolved, the color diffused into a less threatening pink tint in the water and a lighter pink foam that continued to quietly fizzle.
No specific soaking time was recommended in the directions, but like any bath, a half-hour or so seemed safe, and bath water rarely stays at a soakable temperature longer than that. I hopped in around 5 pm and settled in for 25 minutes. A weed-free bath already relaxes muscles and inhibits stress, so it's hard to draw a clear line between the effects of a regular bath and the effects of the bath bomb. But my muscles felt significantly relaxed for hours, and I didn't sense the effects fading before I fell asleep around 11:30 pm.
The Takeaway
When it comes to skin-deep highs, you can't beat the whole-body treatment of a bath. While balms and oils are quick ways to massage sore muscles in easy-to-reach spots, settling into a hot, infused tub relaxes your whole body without the labor of self-massage. And while drawing a bath may take more effort than merely grabbing a tin out of your purse, when you drain that bath, dry off and go on about your business, the effects aren't even halfway done.
Given that a 20- to 30-minute soak results in upward of five hours of physical effects—hours that don't require you to be coated in greasy balms or oils—the payoff is impressive.
My tub wasn't stained purple, and I wasn't left with perfume-y residue on my skin. But these flowery bombs are not for the fragrance-sensitive: Even midsoak, the lavender scent never faded.
The Bottom Line
Recreational weed bathing has arrived! While High Desert's bombs lean toward the froufrou end of the spectrum as opposed to a more medicinal salt bath, it's cheaper than a visit to the float tank, and lasts twice as long.
BUY IT: High Desert Pure's Bath Bombs are available at Virtue Supply Co., 510 NW 11th Ave., 971-940-6624, virtuesupplycompany.com, and Cannabliss & Co., 1917 SE 7th Ave., 503-719-4338, cannablissandco.com. $20.