When asked what’s my favorite “fill-in-the-blank” product on the Illinois cannabis market, my pat political answer is always, “I like variety.” Enliven has tapped into this sentiment with its Variety Pack of Infused Cookies, so I picked up from nuEra Champaign the variety pack box, which contained one Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, and Snickerdoodle cookie.

Each cookie contained 25mg of THC. The Salted Caramel Cookie was a golden-brown circle, just over 2-inches across with small caramel chips peeking out at random. The mouthfeel was classic crisp cookie with a firm but crumbly texture. The flavor was sweet and rich with a doughy cookie base that carried an undertone of classic caramel, while the caramel chips provided a burst of cooked sugar flavor when they crossed the palate.

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The Peanut Butter Cookie carried a sweet scent of doughy peanut butter and a soft, crumbly texture. The flavor was classic peanut butter cookie, a blend of sweet peanut butter, creamy dough, and butter. The Chocolate Chip Cookie aroma was heavy with semi-sweet chocolate and cookie dough and hints of vanilla. The Chocolate Chip Cookie was crispy and crunchy, and the chips added an extra crunch to the texture. The flavor struck a nice balance of sweetness between the semi-sweet chocolate chips and sugary dough.

The Snickerdoodle Cookie aroma from the bag was heavy with sugar, cinnamon, and hints of vanilla. The cookie was crunchy but dissolved quickly into moist mouthful of that classic snickerdoodle flavor that matched the aroma. None of the cookies contained a hint of cannabis flavor and the flavors of all four cookies matched any store-bought cookie and could easily pass as a non-infused treat.

In past reviews, I found little difference between the effects of all four cookies, so for this review, I ate all four cookies at once. The buzz was relatively balanced throughout the high with a hybrid-type effect of not being too up or down. A calm and collected clarity overtook my mental space, allowing for easier flowing thoughts. Slight tingling sensations began to move through the body, coming in waves that peaked then disappeared. The back end of the buzz was heavier, and the mental clarity waned, leaving a hazy headspace and a physical heaviness that weighed me down, especially at my core.

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