My smokin’ hot Canadian honeymoon

My wife and I recently traveled to Hamilton, Ontario, for a belated honeymoon. We ate a lot of poutine; played games at Snakes and Lattes, a board game café chain; attended a drag show at The Drink in Toronto’s “gayborhood”; and, of course, smoked a lot of premium Canadian cannabis. Here’s a breakdown of some of the products I enjoyed while visiting the Great White North in case you make a trip out this summer, too.

The Gym Cannabis in Hamilton, Ontario

Cherry Kush is a potent, indica-dominant strain that’s made by crossing Purple Afghani and OG Kush. The flavor of the cannabis itself is reminiscent of cherries, with a woody, hashy undertone. The high starts out as stimulating and cerebral before fading into a deep feeling of relaxation. Each blunt contains terpene levels of around 5%, making it an especially tasty treat after successfully crossing the Canadian border. 

BOXHOT, owned by Motif Labs, is based in southwest Ontario. To create these infused beauties, an automated machine injects potent cannabis distillate oil into the center of each blunt. This helps the blunt burn slower, so you can really enjoy the taste of the weed. 

The Gym Cannabis in Hamilton, Ontario

Galactic Runtz is a gassy, sweet indica strain that’s created by crossing Falcon 9 (Sunset Sherbert x Tina) and Runtz. It was the perfect choice to smoke while sitting on the beach and watching the sunset. There were streaks of purple on each bud that matched the evening sky, and one bowl made me feel completely at ease. 

Based in Quebec, Tribal aims to produce nothing less than the best. From its top-shelf genetics selection to its development of innovative harvesting techniques, the company has created a strain library that’s potent and terpene-rich. Each eighth is packaged in a sealed air-tight can to preserve the cannabis’ freshness. My budtender suggested I keep the leftover bud in a separate container to ensure it doesn’t dry out, a common issue with this type of packaging. 

Orange Kush Cake Live Resin Double-Infused Pre-Roll by Avana | 33.7% THC | $12.30/g

Cannabis Cupboard in Hamilton, Ontario

Orange Kush Cake is one of my favorite cannabis strains, so when my budtender at Cannabis Cupboard recommended this double-infused joint, I nearly hopped across the counter. This sativa-dominant hybrid strain is created by crossing Wedding Cake and Jilly Bean with Sour Tangie, Rozé Zkittlez and OG Eddy Lepp. It has a citrusy taste and creates a fun, cerebral high that will leave you giggly and hungry — a perfect appetizer before brunch. 

Avana’s double-infused pre-rolls are a labor of love. By combining its background in the legacy cannabis market and its cutting-edge low-temperature infusion technology, the company was able to create a great line of products. Its 1-gram joints are coated with live resin before being rolled in kief. Each puff from this joint was just as tasty and smooth as the last. 

Animal Face Cookies Pre-Roll by WINK Cannabis | 29.28% THC | $8.88/g 

Friendly Stranger in Toronto, Ontario 

Animal Face Cookies is a hybrid cannabis strain that’s created by crossing Face Off OG, Animal Mints and Girl Scout Cookies. This combination of strains creates a product that tastes like fruity cereal. Each blunt is rolled in a wrap containing a blend of hemp, chamomile and cocoa, which adds an extra layer of flavor. This joint was a great post-dinner, pre-show treat.

Bubba Kush Root Beer by Keef Brands | 10 milligrams THC | $6.55/12 fl oz

The Gym Cannabis in Hamilton, Ontario

After returning to our Airbnb following a day of traveling and sightseeing, I capped the night off with a frosty can of infused root beer from Keef Brands, which won Best Edible at the High Times Cannabis Cup Denver in 2015. The company’s line of cannabis-infused soda is available in select states around the U.S. and Canada — not Michigan yet, but here’s hoping we get it soon.

Each 12-fluid-ounce can contains the equivalent of 5.07 grams of dried cannabis flower and 10 milligrams of THC. It tastes very similar to A&W root beer and made me feel very relaxed but not sleepy. Medical marijuana patients should definitely be on the lookout for the 25-milligram and 100-milligram versions.