Meet Recess: The Cannabis-La Croix Hybrid You're About to See Everywhere

Millennialism may have just hit its zenith in the best, most unexpected of ways: a fusion of La Croix and CBD has just hit the market — and it’s actually fabulous.

The brand: Recess. The product: adaptogen and CBD infused sparkling water in a can (with a dash of fruit juice, cane sugar, and natural flavoring). The flavors: blackberry chai, peach ginger, pom hibiscus. The branding: dreamy. The founder: Benjamin Witte.

Witte himself is a businessman — a brand guru and investor — with years of brand incubating and investment expertise. His personal mental health is what drove him to try CBD initially; self-described as “hyper, wired, and overwhelmed with the stresses of everyday life,” (aren’t we all) he turned to cannabis to restore his sense of balance, fuel his creativity, and return to a happier, more productive version of himself.

But tinctures weren’t his thing. Craving a more enjoyable ritual of experiencing and dosing CBD, the lightbulbs began to switch on in Witte’s brain. Enter: Recess.

We got the chance to taste test the product, take a look at the certificate of analysis (COA), and check the sourcing (the hemp’s grown in Colorado!). So we can tell you for certain, this isn’t just a pretty face . . . or um, pretty packaging. It’s gorgeous marketing, sleek design, chic product, trendy wellness and certified, safe, domestically-sourced CBD. 

Why is that important? Well, for starters, there’s zero FDA regulation on CBD, so just about anyone can start schilling a product with “CBD” or “hemp” on the label, and you’d be none the wiser. Checking to ensure a brand can provide a COA from a third party, independent lab is imperative to ensure there’s actually CBD in your CBD. 

As for domestic growth, there’s a ton of hemp coming in from China, and that’s no bueno for a number of reasons. Hemp is a very absorbent plant, and sucks up whatever’s in the soil; in Chinese soil, hemp may absorb pesticides and insecticides, pollutants, heavy metals, and toxins . . . all of which end up in your hemp extract. See where this is going? 

COAs and USA farms are imperative pieces in the CBD puzzle, especially without regulation. There’s good stuff out there, you just have to do a little leg work. We did that for ya in this case. Here’s the rest of what you’ll want to know.

Ingredient breakdown: 

• Peach Ginger: filtered water, peach concentrate,  (peach/ginger simple syrup [filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic dried peach fruit blend], organic ginger, peach juice concentrate, peach juice nectar, schisandra powder, ginseng powder, l-theanine powder, full-spectrum hemp extract.
• Pomegranate Hibiscus: filtered water, pomegranate citrus concentrate (hibiscus simple syrup [filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic hibiscus flower, organic ginger, organic lemongrass, organic lemon balm], pomegranate juice concentrate, lemon juice concentrate), schisandra powder, ginseng powder, l-theanine powder, full-spectrum hemp extract.
• Blackberry Chai: filtered water, blackberry chai concentrate, spiced chai syrup, schisandra powder, ginseng powder, l theanine powder, full-spectrum hemp extract.

CBD dose: 10mg per can. Each can of Recess has full-spectrum CBD hemp extract, delivering a 10 milligram dose. No THC.

Special ingredients: The schisandra, ginseng, and l-theanine are all superpowered adaptogens that may help with your immune function, brain health, and stress-relief, thus bolstering the effects of CBD.

Taste: Light. Refreshing. Earthy, herbal, but subtle. True to flavor, but watered down (like La Croix, but more substantial and punchier). Just a touch of flavor is just enough. No bitter CBD aftertaste whatsoever. Effervescent. It’s good. Real good.

Nutrition: 15-25 calories per can, depending on flavor; 4-6 grams of sugar per can, depending on flavor

Price: $5 per can, $30 for a sampler case

Where to buy: Online at drinkrecess.com