IN REVIEW: Petra CBN 2:1 Blackberry Mints from Kiva offer a delicious and effective way to combat anxiety and insomnia during the stressful holiday season and beyond. Infused with 2mg of THC and 1mg of CBN, these mints provide a low-dose, plant-based solution for those in need of relaxation. The deep fruity flavor and grape-juice-like aroma make for an enjoyable experience, while the potent CBN content helps users achieve a restful and uninterrupted sleep. So pick up a pack, pop a couple, and get ready to count sheep.

The holidays are an inherently stressful time. The pressure to be jolly during the coldest, darkest months of the year can be exhausting in normal times. In this depressing, gray, COVID-filled world after two years of on-and-off quarantine and an ongoing pandemic? The holidays are frankly overwhelming.

Add to that the stresses of family (either seeing them or not), the epic binging of food, travel, gifts, and the constant onslaught of holiday music, and the anxiety of the season is almost unbearable. Like the much-shared tweet/meme/internet gif says, "It's time to change from my normal everyday anxiety to my fancy holiday anxiety." When I'm extra-anxious, the first thing to suffer is sleep, so the fancy holiday stress-fighter I chose to combat this fancy holiday tension is Petra CBN 2:1 Blackberry Mints from Kiva.

CBN is the new fancy cannabinoid on the block for combating anxiety (both fancy and casual) and insomnia. It is touted to be even more potent for sleep-inducing relaxation than its currently more famous and ubiquitous cousin, CBD. I have a moderately hearty tolerance level when it comes to THC and CBD.

While I don't need massive doses to feel an effect, my powerful stressed-out insomnia has been able to overcome some pretty potent doses of both in many cannabis sleep products. In my few trials with this new hot cannabinoid, it seems like just a few milligrams of CBN can knock me out like a baby all night long, which is impressive since my insomnia is pretty epically strong.

This particular night I was also fighting a bit of a stuffy nose and achiness, along with the fun thoughts of, "oh no, is this COVID or a normal cold?!" I was going to need something pretty powerful to combat all of that mess, so I took two mints, which is still a fairly low dose.

Pretty soon I was feeling my head nod and my eyelids lower, and I fell into a deep calm sleep. It even helped lull me back to slumber after I woke up to pee in the middle of the night, which is usually a death knell for my sleep. The best part is I don't feel any sort of "high-over" in the morning, waking up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with no grogginess or stoned afterglow in my brain.

Each mint contains 2 mg of THC and 1mg of CBN, so it's good for light and beginner users, but also very easy to increase it incrementally if you need a stronger dose. The small steps in dosage are key because, as they say in edibles, "you can always eat more, but you can't eat less." There are 40 servings per package (totaling 80mg THC and 40mg CBN) per package, which is enough to get through the most stressful of holiday trips.

Mints are also especially handy for taking on the go, being compact and virtually odorless, making them a great ride-along pal for any troubling trips you may have to take (though you should be mindful of any local laws about carrying cannabis wherever you're heading).

Though it's labeled as Blackberry, the taste had a deep fruitiness that's sort of what I would imagine sugar plums taste like (though I don't know if that's an actual kind of food or just a type of ballet fairy?). The smell was slightly reminiscent of grape juice, and it had a hard consistency that melted in my mouth with a quick sugary dissolve, reminding me of sweet tarts from Halloween, and giving it an overall kid's candy quality.

I would not be disappointed if a box of these found its way into my stocking. It was a great after-dinner palate cleanser, and a way to feel like I was giving myself some literally sweet dreams.

The ingredients list boasts natural, sugar-free sweeteners like xylitol and stevia, which is wonderful news if you're a forgetful insomniac like me who will want to pop them in your mouth right before bed, but after brushing your teeth, and still don't want to feel guilty for rotting your gums with sugar. It also says that the ingredients are all plant-based, a great quality to have when the primary thing you're looking for in a cannabis product is something green.

One of the best, and healthiest, activities during the bleak, dismal, cold winter months is to have yourself a little hibernation. Sleep is one of the best things you can do to gift yourself a better tomorrow, and when it comes to restful treats, these Petra CBN 2:1 Blackberry Mints from Kiva bring the slumber vibes better than anything else I've tried. After all, Santa won't come and leave you presents until the little stoner children are all nestled up in their beds, while visions of Petra mints dance through their heads.