Product intro and specs
The hemp sphere wouldn’t be quite what it is today without THCA flower. It’s not everyone’s go-to, but if your goal is to find a legal alternative to “regular” weed, you really can’t top it.
For those out of the loop: by growing bud with a low percentage of delta 9 THC (an illegal drug in the U.S.) but high THCA, the cannabis product stays Farm Bill compliant. THCA is delta 9’s precursor compound and converts with heat—which is exactly what happens when you vape it. Naturally, hemp sellers have been jumping on the trend.
Arete is one of those brands. They’re something of a jack of all trades, too. Not only do they sell a wide variety of high-THCA flower, but they also offer THCA carts, concentrates, tinctures, and even edibles. Some are just more limited in variety than others.
Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at:
- 6 x THCA Flower – 3.5 g (White Widow, Hindu Kush, Northern Lights #5, Granddaddy Purple, Maui Wowie, Grape Cream Cake)
- 6 x THCA Hash Rosin Carts (Sour Diesel, Blue Dream, Northern Lights #5, Strawberry Banana, Green Crack, Miracle Alien Cookies)
- 2 x THCA Hash Rosin – 1 g (Northern Lights #5, Blue Dream)
Size, weight, and feel
Arete’s carts are short and stout, which is only an issue if your battery surrounds it on all sides. That was the case with my PRTBL Nando. (I had a few other options lying around, though Arete kindly gifted me an O2Vape Flip Ultra.) You probably can’t fit the cart inside and need a device with visible threading. Even an old-school stick battery will suffice.
Now, onto the main event, and Arete’s bread and butter: THCA flower. The positives hugely outweigh the negatives here. All the strains I received had a nice cure, for one. They also weren’t stemmy.
There was only one strain where I caught some dryness, and that was Hindu Kush. It was also one of the more muted options, which I’ll get into later—but this threw me for a loop at first. Feedback about the strain seems to be overwhelmingly positive. Still, it ground well and didn’t cause me major issues beyond that.
I received some downright tiny nugs in the mix, but those were an anomaly overall.
Lastly, the rosins. Both were about what I’d expect out of this type of concentrate: creamy with a rich golden hue.
Getting started
Nothing too complicated. Well, assuming you're used to working with these types of products. Those brand-new to flower or concentrates will need to adjust to the extra steps (grinding, loading, and using a weed vaporizer). There’s a small learning curve, but it’ll be second nature before you know it.
Arete’s flower is securely sealed, and it took a good yank to open it. That’s a good thing, by the way.
Getting started with their carts looks exactly how you’d expect: open the package, take off the plastic mouthpiece cover, and screw it onto your 510 thread battery of choice. All you need to do then is power on the device and vape (and choose a voltage setting if applicable).
How do they hit?
With so many products to account for, I’ll start with my consensus: while the bud hits great overall, I have mixed (but generally positive) thoughts on Arete’s carts and concentrates.
Just one note before we get into the nitty-gritty. You won’t know how a strain hits before trying it yourself, but if you'd like to see what each is testing at, check out Arete’s lab reports. The link is right in their site’s header.
All in all, the bud had above-average effects in terms of intensity. While Granddaddy Purple was by far my favorite in terms of flavor and aroma—again, more on that later—it was one of the milder (as well as drowsier) highs. Maui Wowie was in a similar boat, though it was on the uplifting side.
Hindu Kush and Northern Lights #5 were other strains I'd vape before bed. The body high was impressive in both, especially Northern Lights. White Widow produced more of a head high than I was expecting, but I’m not complaining. It was nicely balanced.
While most of the carts produced a light, soothing high, they weren’t the most potent—save for a couple of sessions early on. I had a similar time with the hash rosins, just to a lesser degree. (It’s always hard to say whether this is a fault of the brand or if it comes down to me, personally.)
Side note, Arete also sent me their (Farm Bill compliant, as always) delta 9 gummies. That’s likely not why you’re here, and while I don’t go in-depth about those, I was impressed. It was a moderate, stimulating high each time.
Are the strains any good?
Arete’s stock seems to ebb and flow, so a few strains I’m reviewing aren’t available at the time of review. Here's a snapshot of the ones I tested:
- White Widow: Fruity and floral, slightly sour.
- Hindu Kush: Herbal with hints of sandalwood.
- Northern Lights #5: Floral and lightly sweet.
- Granddaddy Purple: Grapey and citrusy (with a bit of nuttiness thrown into the mix).*
- Maui Wowie: Citrusy with a balance of tartness and sweetness, like a grassy lemonade.*
- Grape Cream Cake: Strikes a balance between citrus and grape (just milder than Granddaddy Purple).
- Sour Diesel: Herbal and rich.
- Blue Dream: Fruity and sweet, with a berry focus.
- Strawberry Banana: Ripe and fruity—the name fits.
- Green Crack: Tangy and tart.
- Miracle Alien Cookies: Floral and fruity, with a citrusy undercurrent.
*Personal favorites
At least with the flower, pungency varied between strains. Granddaddy Purple was so intense that right after I opened the package, I heard a “wow, that’s strong” from across the room. It tasted and smelled fantastic—maybe even one of the richest grapes I’ve experienced in weed. Absolutely no complaints on that one.
Other strains are where my mixed feelings come into play. Most fell short of Granddaddy Purple’s intensity, but I wouldn’t call the majority outright muted. White Widow and Grape Cream Cake were especially guilty of this. (Or maybe GDP just set the bar too high, who knows.)
Their rosin smelled and tasted nice (Northern Lights #5 was my favorite), and while Arete’s carts tasted lovely, strength fell somewhere in the middle. I can’t say that anything had an unpleasant flavor or aroma. Nothing artificial, either.
Pros / Cons
Gallery
Verdict
If you’re transitioning from good, old-fashioned weed to hemp, I can confidently recommend Arete.
You probably noticed the frequent use of “some” in my cons list, and you’ll want to keep that in mind if you’re a discerning weed user. I wouldn’t call the quality spotty—the flower was all great, even the strains I wasn’t as pleased with—but there is some variation.
Arete’s carts are where I’m a bit iffier, and to an extent, I feel similarly about their concentrates. Both tasted nice but weren’t as potent (effects-wise) as I was hoping for. The rosins did a better job than the carts, though.
None of the products I received were outright duds. Likewise, none had an off-putting flavor or aroma, or no notable effects. Even the milder tasting carts and strains were still pleasing to the palate, and the less effective ones gave me a nice, spacey high.
I can definitely see myself returning to Arete in the future.
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