The world of legal mind-altering substances has grown immensely in the last few years. At the forefront is kanna, found in a South African succulent plant. Kanna is often called “nature’s MDMA,” but there is no need to compare. The compound stands on its own, providing a subtle serenity in products like Mary & Jane Sunny Melts.
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Mary & Jane melts differ from other kanna brands for a few reasons, like adding cannabinoids into the mix. They also utilize an interesting powdery melt rather than the traditional gummy.
When Mary & Jane founders Rachael Dillon and Laura Roos set out to create the first Sunny, there were already enough gummies on the market. They wanted to introduce something different. Fast-acting was vital, so eventually, they landed on oral disintegrating tablets (ODT), aka melts. They tout increased bioavailability and absorption compared to other distribution methods.
Recently, the brand introduced two new products to the agile line–one for sleep and one with a little extra oomph.
The original Sunny Melts include one milligram (mg) of THC and 15 mg of kanna in each. Now, the brand sells Super Sunnies double the active compounds and Dreamy, a new kanna-free sleep product.
“We always intended to create functional, microdose cannabis products for different use cases, but we knew we had to launch sleep because we got so many requests for it from our customers who love Sunny but were also looking for better, low-dose sleep solutions,” Mary & Jane co-founder Rachael Dillon said to GreenState.
Excited to see Mary & Jane expand from an excellent product, I reached out to try these new offerings and promptly got to work.
Super Sunny Melts
Each double-dosed Super Sunny Melt includes 2.5 mg of THC and 30 mg of kanna, matching the experience of a couple regular Sunnies.
“Some of our long-time customers shared with us that they were looking for something stronger – and even Laura was loving the sweet spot of 2-3 Sunny melts at a time,” Dillon shared. “We launched it as a limited edition, but it’s been such a hit, so we will definitely keep it as part of our lineup.”
I did not feel incapacitated by the Super Sunnies. That is no surprise, as 2.5 mg is my favorite for a microdose. Kanna has been a personal beam of light as I figure out my usual doldrums and social anxiety–Super Sunny melts were no exception.
This higher-dosed melt started as a limited edition product but became a regular offering after a bounty of positive customer feedback. I am not surprised. It is an ideal dose for me, and clearly, I’m not the only one.
I ate one after a day of generalized anxiety, worry, and basic hormonal ire. At these times, I often feel short-tempered with my kid and too filled with nervous energy to express myself thoughtfully. A Super Sunny helped dissipate this, giving ease to my morning after a good sleep didn’t shake the bad vibes.
This larger dose was welcome, and I am thankful to get this amount of THC and kanna from one melt rather than two. It turns out I’m a Super Sunny kind of girl, but getting on board with Dreamy took a little more convincing.
Dreamy Melts
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Dreamy takes a microdosed approach to cannabis sleep aids with one mg of THC, five mg of CBN, magnesium, and Reishi mushroom with tart cherry flavor. These melts target consumers who do not need a lot of THC but might want a little help sleeping. The brand’s founders, both mothers, targeted a formulation to help parents woken up by kiddos get back to bed in the middle of the night. That is something I could use some real help with.
“I had been taking a plant-based melatonin product, but oftentimes, I’d find myself lying awake for an hour if my two-year-old woke up for some reason,” said Dillon. “So we were focused on that and making sure our supplement wouldn’t make us feel groggy in the morning.”
Removing the groggy “hangover” that sometimes permeates the morning after an edible was key for the Mary & Jane team as they set out to formulate the jam-packed tablet.
They started with CBN, the perceived sleep cannabinoid, and followed that with a touch of THC. Next, they threw in magnesium and cherry for nervous system support. Once the team took the recipe to the formulator, they recommended reishi for extra stress and anxiety relief.
The actual melt is larger than other Mary & Jane edibles because each has many active ingredients. It took a lot to perfect the flavor, and while I respect the vision, it is still pretty intense. The melt may also take a bit longer to disintegrate than the Sunnies. That said, I will eat them again for the experience.
I did not get knocked out cold by the Dreamy Melts, which felt like a negative note at first. But after speaking with the founders, I realize that is the goal. As a toddler mom who is often the sole parent for midnight wake-ups, being able to wake up for a “Mom!” in the monitor is essential. While I wasn’t catatonic until daybreak, I got to sleep after my kid rustled me awake in the night. That, my friends, is a win.
Melt into a mellow mood with Mary & Jane
Kanna is a rising star in the world of plant medicine. Combining it with cannabis only adds to the experience, building a stack of relaxation and anxiety relief that soothes my often turbulent spirit. Like any supplement or weed product, not everyone will find the same value in these compounds, but those whose situations sound similar to mine might appreciate venturing into the Mary & Jane universe.
