Take A Recess: The New World of CBD Drinks

I don’t smoke. I have a smoke allergy so marijuana has never been appealing to me. It doesn’t affect me in the same way that cigarettes or cigars do, but it’s been enough that I haven’t been tempted to indulge. A few years ago, I had an edible and that turned into such a horrifying experience that it completely dissuaded me from ever having the need to experiment with anything ever again.

Once marijuana started being legalized across the country, it was rather easy to conclude that it would start spreading into the beverage world.

I came across an article on Adweek the other day (actually, I first saw an article on Fast Company and when I went looking for it, I stumbled on the Adweek one) about Recess, CBD-infused sparkling water.

I was intrigued. I wondered if this was something that I would try. Maybe it was the shiny cans, interesting flavors or that CBD is supposed to be non psychoactive. (Damn, that’s good marketing.) I also noticed that they focus on creatives which is what I consider myself to be. However, I’m very concerned by the following from their website:

SOLVING A PROBLEM We all have too many tabs open in our browsers and in our brains. That’s why we made Recess: each can is a moment to reset and rebalance. It’s how you wish that 2pm coffee would make you feel.

Then, in the Adweek article, the founder compares the balanced feeling from Recess as the same as what you get from yoga, meditation and mindfulness. Sorry, it’s just not the same. One set of solutions require that we look in, the other requires that we search out. This made me rethink the entire thing.

I’m not bashing the product. I think it has a place and could be used moderately. (And I also know that it’s going to do extremely well in the market. The packaging is great, the story is great and I imagine that the product tastes good also and provides the desired effect). But a world where people are drinking Recess every day or something similar to feel balanced? Nah, I don’t want to be a part of that very expensive habit. Is it me, or is there something wrong with that? I wouldn’t recommend someone drink alcohol every day, smoke marijuana every day or smoke crack every day (or ever), so I won’t encourage this either.

I’ll stick to tea and focused breathing for every day relaxation. If I end up trying a can, I’ll let you guys know how that goes.