Our Whole Office Got (Legally) Stoned on Dirty Lemon’s New CBD Drink

Full disclosure: Our editors have an intense, passionate relationship with Dirty Lemon. We first fell head-over-heels for the brand’s “Sleep” drink, which lulled us into sweet slumber in less than 15 minutes. Then we gave “Energy” a whirl, and we were laser-focused all day, sans coffee. Then one of our editors (OK, it was me) drank Dirty Lemon’s Skin + Hair collagen blend every day for two weeks before her wedding, and her skin was literally glowing when she said “I do.” So basically, it’s safe to say the PureWow team will gladly sample any concoction Dirty Lemon comes up with.

So when we discovered the brand had launched Dirty Lemon +CBD, a new drink laced with cannabidiol oil, we knew we had to get our hands on it. One bottle contains 20mg of full-spectrum CBD, which is purported to reduce stress, inflammation and acne, among a host of other benefits. It’s derived from the cannabis plant, but there’s no THC—think of it as pot’s chiller, legal cousin. Since our editorial team was feeling particularly stressed last Thursday afternoon, we decided to put this stuff to the test. Here’s what happened.

12:00 p.m. A shipment of Dirty Lemon +CBD arrives at PureWow HQ, and it quickly becomes the talk of the office. Editors scramble to post artsy shots of the uber-photogenic bottle on Insta stories.

12:05 p.m. After reading the instructions carefully (“You should feel the effects of one bottle approximately 30 minutes after drinking”), we each took a sip. The consensus? “It has a subtle lemony pineapple flavor,” food editor Heath Goldman says. It’s delish. We all agree we’d drink it regularly as a healthier alternative to juice (or maybe mix it with vodka next time).

12:15 p.m. Once we’ve all downed our bottles, my co-workers start to report feeling hungry. “We’re definitely going to need this,” says assistant editor Katherine Gillen, opening a giant bag of popcorn and passing out handfuls. Is it the munchies? Maybe. Then we notice it’s almost lunchtime. Huh. Maybe it’s just a coincidence.

12:30 p.m. The whole edit team goes silent. We’re all so…focused. Well, half of us are focused. The other half are trying not to fall asleep. “I feel hazy,” whispers senior editor Phil Mutz. It’s official: we’re all stoned at work.

1:00 p.m. Several editors report feeling clumsier and slightly more disoriented than usual. One staffer (fine, it was me) accidentally breaks a plate in the kitchen. Heath spills coffee on her lap. “Is it just me, or is it more difficult to type post-beverage?” Katherine asks. It’s not just her.

2:00 p.m. Now we all feel sleepy, and seriously consider booking a conference room to take a group nap. We all (carefully, learning a lesson from Heath) drink coffee to perk up instead.

The verdict? Overall, everyone enjoyed their first CBD experience—most felt significantly mellower, and some even felt more focused. But for a few people, the effects were too strong, making them feel totally zonked. “I’d drink it again, but maybe not the whole bottle at once,” Katherine told me. Good call. And maybe uh, not at work.