But what do I mean by a Xanax replacement exactly? Ultimately, when seeking something like this out, I want to find a product that will calm me down but not make me feel as though I had to be sedated to be a normal human being. I just want something that's going to even me out and restore balance. Unlike smoking a joint, edibles allow me to hyper-control my dosage, which is why I tend to prefer them as consistent anti-anxiety remedies. The Peaches n’ Cream bar I tried contains 25mg of THC in each serving, which is a moderate amount for me and potent for most, so dose accordingly. I’d try the smallest of nibbles first, give it a few hours, and take note of how you feel before consuming more.

I was immediately impressed by the taste of the bar. Edibles more often than not fall into a hit or miss category for me with no in-between. Chocolates and gummies tend to be my preferred consumption, so something labeled “Peaches n’ Cream” was not immediately appealing to me. To my surprise, the taste was exactly that. It tasted like peaches drenched in cream but with a really strong, really superb marijuana aftertaste. Something about the peach flavor and the intense sweetness of the white chocolate paired fantastically with that grassy edible taste I normally want hidden completely.

The goal was simple when I consumed this chocolate for the first time. Thanks to recurring nightmares, I’d been waking up multiple times a night for weeks and I desperately wanted to go the fuck asleep. Within 30 minutes of consuming a little more than half of one square (or roughly 20mg worth of THC), I felt my chest lighten, my limbs go heavy, and my brain get comfortably still. Within another 45 minutes, I was out cold for the rest of the night—no nightmares, no interruptions, and none of that heavy edible hangover all too prevalent with indica edibles.

Because my first experience was so promising, I tried this bar again in a social setting hoping it would calm my nerves and help me enjoy my food. Again, within 30 minutes, my heart rate went down and I was immediately relaxed. I was introducing two new friends of mine and normally a social outing like this would cause me unnecessary levels of anxiety and overthinking. Once this edible kicked in, however, my mind cleared. I realized I didn’t need to be spending energy on that kind of anxiety anymore. I simply didn’t have the space for it. After that aha moment, the rest of the night went swimmingly.

“This one’s for the socially anxious, the nail biters, the night-terror-having people out there, and that’s why I love it so much.”

Point being, if you are looking for a calming sensation, this supplies it. In my opinion, it’s tasty, it’s helpful, and it doesn’t leave you feeling as though you medicated yourself to get by. One of hardest parts of handling anxiety is often feeling as though it will never go away. With this chocolate, I know it will dissipate. On the flipside, if you’re looking for something to make you immobile or get you stoned to the bone, this isn’t going to be your edible. This one’s for the socially anxious, the nail biters, the night-terror-having people out there, and that’s why I love it so much.

All too often indica edibles can drag me down. LEVEL’s 25mg Indica Protabs come to mind. I take those when I hate myself and just want to go to sleep and forget the day ever existed. The next day I wake up groggy and unmotivated but relatively successful in my desire to wipe my memory. This PUNCH BAR is more the equivalent of a close friend checking in on you because you crossed their mind. It’s a small dose of comfort on overwhelming days, and that’s why this product will become a staple in my rotation. The taste, the feeling—everything about this bar is exactly what I look for in a cannabis product and why I started smoking in the first place. It’s always a pleasure to try a product I didn’t know I needed, and this is one of them.