Kin Slips: Cloud Buster
Kin Slips: Cloud Buster (5mg microdose). Photo: Marcia Gagliardi. © mymilligram. Styling: Christian Jusinski/Roju Surface Works.
If you’ve been following along over here, you already know what a fan I am of the sublingual method for consuming cannabis, and especially for microdosing. There’s no smoking involved: instead, cannabis enters your bloodstream through the membranes in your mouth, so not only do you experience a quick onset, but the product isn’t distorted via being processed by your liver (which is the case with edibles, sometimes making them even stronger); with a sublingual product, it doesn’t matter how much or how little food you have in your stomach, or what your metabolism is like. (You can read more about the science of sublinguals vs. edibles in this handy explainer).
With sublingual products, you can have a direct, precise, and consistent dose with a consistent effect, once you learn how your chemistry reacts with the product. And in the case of the Kin Slips Cloud Buster, I’d say my body likes it juuuust fine.
Kin Slips are sublingual strips that dissolve under your tongue, and come in three different formulations: Cloud Buster (“A blend for creative energy and focus.”), the CBD-based Park Life (“A blend for calming comfort and relief.”), and the sleepy time Nice Dream (“A blend for easygoing balance and tranquility.”). You can find all three on the mymilligram page on Sava.
The slips come in their own individual packs, and measure about the size of a postcard stamp (around 1'x1')—you peel off the backing, slip the sparkly, craggy, colorful paper under your tongue, let it dissolve, and you should anticipate feeling some effects in as soon as 10 minutes, maybe 15.
Let’s talk about the uplifting Cloud Buster first: it comes in a microdose of 5mg, 10mg, or 20mg for you heavy hitters. You get a pack of 20 slips with the 5mg microdose, or 10 slips with the 10mg or 20mg dose. If you aren’t quite sure of your optimal dosage, you can cut the slip in half and try a 2.5mg micro microdose, and then wait a couple hours—you can always enjoy the other half later. Or the next day. Remember, you can always do more cannabis, but reversing is a bit more complicated (see “In case of turbulence” in this article).
When you cut a slip, don't worry if the little crystals fall off—they’re added to the slip so it doesn’t stick to the inside of the pouch. You’re not losing all your cannabis!
Park Life is 10mg of CBD and 1mg of THC (which is there to help make the CBD more effective). You won’t feel any psychoactive effects from this one, just chillaxing vibes (if CBD reacts for you that way—some people may get a little perky from CBD, so always try a small amount for your first time, and not before bedtime). The 10mg dose of CBD could also help with pain (like arthritis), moments of anxiety, inflammation, headaches, and more. Park Life is a great product for beginners to explore cannabis and CBD (I totally put some Park Life in my mom’s Christmas stocking), but is also handy to just have around (and travel with). You never know when something in modern life is going to stress you out. (Or if you're too high, a Park Life slip can help dial things down quickly.)
The third formulation, Nice Dream, is designed for sleepy time and deep relax mode. It has 10mg or 20mg of THC (depending upon which one you buy), so I would recommend beginners cut that 10mg baby in half (into 5mg each), or even a quarter (2.5mg) until you know how it makes you feel. And then go right to bed. Don’t go on social media and start activating your brain with cat videos and pictures of pie. Maybe read a book until things start feeling a little funny (or funny ha-ha) and then yo, lights out. You don’t want to be high and thinking about things, you need to get to sleep. Precious sleep.
This brings me to another component of Kin Slips, which is their individual flavors, the final stage of their formulation. Co-founder Julianne Tootell wanted to use natural flavors to complement the terpenes and cannabinoids of each formulation, but she also didn’t want to mask them entirely either. The flavor profile for the Cloud Buster blend (tarragon and citrus) was inspired by the terpenes naturally found within tarragon (d-limonene, a-pinene, b-pinene) and citrus (d-limonene), as well as by Jules’s own personal experiences—she remembers feeling so refreshed by a tarragon soda one hot afternoon (I can totally see that), as well as how invigorating those orange segments tasted at halftime when you played soccer as a kid. She decided those experiences mirrored exactly how she wanted people to feel on Cloud Buster: lifted. Refreshed.
I find the flavor bright and overall to be pleasant. No dankity dank notes. It may feel a little hot in the back of your throat after a couple minutes—I try not to wash it away with water and just let it keep absorbing. The prickle should subside in a minute or two.
Kin Slips: Park Life (10mg CBD/1mg THC). Photo: Marcia Gagliardi. © mymilligram. Styling: Christian Jusinski/Roju Surface Works.
Park Life (CBD) features mango and turmeric, and tastes juicy-bright and a little spicy-sweet. My mother is super-sensitive to strong flavors, so I was concerned she possibly wouldn’t like the brightness of the flavor, but these slips passed the mom flavor test (which is not very easy). Yay.
Nice Dream comes in a basil and watermelon flavor, and unfortunately I don’t like how fruity and artificial this strip tastes to me. Some people enjoy the melon-y flavor, but this one is so off-putting to me that I don’t use the slip, no matter how effective it is (and it is). I just don’t want to have a basil-watermelon Jolly Rancher be the last taste in my mouth before I go to bed, I am a minty fresh girl. Maybe you won’t mind it, check it out yourself, to each their own!
Kin Slips sources the highest quality THC distillate, CBD isolate, and plant-derived terpenes that they can through their licensed Californian producer. For all three blends, they removed anything from the ingredients that could be problematic, such as allergens. However, Kin Slips does utilize citrus extract in their formulation, so anyone with citrus allergies should consult a medical professional before use. Kin Slips are vegan, gluten-free, diabetic-safe, and have close to zero calories.
How I like to use Cloud Buster
The Cloud Buster 5mg microdose is built for a little afternoon pick-me-up. Think of it as your canna espresso! (You could even cut it in half and do 2.5mg, and re-up with the second half when desired. Microdosing is fun like that.) I have enjoyed Cloud Buster on my afternoon walks, and fun field trips, like going to a gallery. My focus and observation skills feel heightened, but not spacey, and no paranoia. It also helps with my creative process—if I need a little inspiration or lightness, this can do the trick. Mama needs a boost! I also get a little tingly.
Cloud Buster can also help some folks dial things down during anxious or ADHD moments—because the slips are so discreet, you can pop one under your tongue at your desk and no one would have any idea. You are so stealth like that. And since the dose is very manageable (depending on how much you take, of course), you can still function at work or in public, no problem. No one knows you’re high, I promise. (Or the CBD Park Life may be a better formulation for your anxiety, so try both and see what works best for you.)
I always have a Cloud Buster or two in my purse—a major benefit to this product is its portability. You can tuck a slip right in your wallet, you know, a Cloud Buster for a rainy day. And not like I’m encouraging you to break the law in any way, noooooo, but I’m just going to say if there was a product you were going to travel outside of California with, well, this is one of the most discreet ones: there’s no smell, and the individual packs can be slipped into all kinds of clever hiding places. Everyone has to do their own individual risk assessment, but I’m just sharing what has felt safe-ish for me. We can become quite dependent on cannabis being a part of our daily lives, and suddenly when you travel, your tincture and vaping routine may not be so road-ready. Options, always good!
Visit kinslips.com for more info and the mymilligram page on getsava.com to purchase Kin Slips.
Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product.