Hale Bites Cranberry Cherry Hemp Bars

The purchase I made during this trip was Hale Bites Cranberry Cherry Hemp Bars. The pack contains five bars, each containing 20mg of THC from a hybrid strain, for a total of 100mg in the entire pack. The bars are also gluten-free, though they are not milk- or nut-free.

Appearance 4/5
The Hale Bites are packaged inside a brown resealable paper bag, which definitely fits with the healthy, natural vibe you might expect from a low-sugar fruit-and-seed bar edible. The bites themselves are pretty small — about one-third the size of a typical granola bar. Appearance-wise, they bear a similarly simple look to other bars marketed as healthy from Kind and RX Bar. The bars are soft and chewy but hold their shape very well.

Aroma 4/5
The bakers who made these Hale Bites did a solid job of mixing and cooking these to avoid an overpowering cannabis scent. Upon opening them, I could hardly smell any herbal notes. I think the average non-cannabis user may even mistake these bars as something bought from the grocery store if they saw them out of the package. What I did smell was a familiar, granola-like, and slightly-sweet scent with notes of the cranberry and cherry as well. Overall, the smell was pleasant and made me excited to try the product, but it didn’t have so strong of a wow factor for me.

Taste 4/5
If the Hale Bites were a standard snack with no THC, I would be happy with them. They’ve got a nice, tart flavor from the cranberries, and the cherry adds just enough sweetness to make things tasty. They’re soft and chewy, and all-in-all I’d say they’re a solid snack. Would I buy them again based on taste alone, though? Probably not. The cannabis flavor did come through eventually, but it’s quite mild — with that in mind, I’d say these are great for someone who doesn’t particularly like the cannabis taste.

Effect 4/5
For my first experience with Hale Bites, I started with three-fourths of bite. Each bite contains 20mg of THC, so I estimated I was ingesting was approximately 15mg. I got a pleasant high from that, kicking in noticeably about an hour after consuming. It first hit me with a peaceful, relaxed feeling, that later became a nice body high. A few days later, I took a full 20mg dose. This led to a similar effect as the first time, but more intense. The effects also lasted much longer — I ate the bar at around 7 PM, and though I didn’t feel super high the next morning, I had that sort of pleasant next-day afterglow you can sometimes get with edibles.

Product price: $25

I would definitely recommend Hale Bites Cranberry Cherry Hemp Bars for people searching for a great tasting edible with a potent effect. That being said, I wouldn’t suggest these for first-time users. The 20mg dose would be pretty strong for a first high, and while you can definitely cut these in half or smaller, there are other options out there that make it easier to get a small and precise dose.

The pleasant, long-lasting high is great for a night in or a nice long walk. I could see these as a popular option for hikers or outdoorsy types — there’s an obvious fit here with the nature bar angle, and I believe the high you get from Hale Bites could really work well with outdoor or other activities. These are also great for experienced users with higher-than-average tolerance.

I really enjoyed Hale Bites Cranberry Cherry Hemp Bars from start to finish. The packaging sets it apart, the flavor and aroma are both pleasant, and the long-lasting high marked by calm feelings, noticeable body high, and lack of any paranoia or anxiety is one I’d definitely like to experience again. Give these a try if you’re looking for a lower-sugar alternative to other edibles.

Address: 975 Rohlwing Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Phone number: 847-754-4955
Hours:
Sunday Closed
Monday 11AM–7PM
Tuesday 11AM–5PM
Wednesday 11AM–7PM
Thursday 11AM–7PM
Friday 11AM–7PM
Saturday 11AM–4PM

I purchased this product at Nature’s Care — a medical marijuana dispensary located in Rolling Meadows, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Nature’s Care is a clean, bright facility with quick and professional service. There’s a great herbal smell as soon as you walk in the front door, and a comfortable waiting room (which I’ve never actually had to wait in) with lots of cannabis magazines and literature, plus fresh coffee.

Every time I walk into the bright, clean, and well-furnished lobby, I can’t help but smile. There’s usually great music playing over the speakers, be it a classic rock gem, reggae, or something more modern. As usual, the team behind the counter was quick to call me over to pick up my already placed order and were happy to answer any questions about the product.

Nature’s Care has two lines for customers — one for patients who have preorders filed, and one for those who do not yet know what they want. I always see staff in that line patiently explaining products to patients who may have never used cannabis before, or who just want to discuss what they are getting. It’s pretty heartwarming to see a 20-something who I assume is an experienced smoker, informing an elderly woman on the benefits of a given strain. Though I almost always have a preorder in, I’ve asked questions to the staff many times, and they’re always happy to help and offer friendly service in general.