Saturday Sesh: Infused communion wafers, Madonna/whore rolling papers, and bud-themed oracle cards
Spark one up and visually feast on these cute new cannabis-related collections
One of my favorite edibles brands is back! Italy-themed Mammamia, which also ships hemp-derived edibles nationwide, just introduced its newer line for California’s licensed market.
Started by chef Simone D’Antonio, a Salerno-born, French-trained cook who moved to California and began experimenting with edibles in his home kitchen, the current collection includes three different flavors of gummies and, incredible, infused Catholic communion wafers. I shit you not. Both the lapsed and faithful will recognize the likeness of the Pope, Francis.
“Rome, as you know, is the city of the Vatican, home of the Church, so we created something a bit more controversial…the Communion wafers,” D’Antonio told me. “The idea is to create a healthy version of a party drug. It’s sprayed with Lemon Haze and THCV [oil] with vanilla, mango, and guava.” I have to say, honestly, it doesn’t taste great, but, as a cradle Catholic educated in parochial schools, I fucking love them regardless.
The edibles are creatively flavored and reminiscent of a sunny afternoon spent enjoying aperitivo in Milano, something else that speaks deeply to me as I used to run food tours in Milano and the surrounding lakes. “You know that our whole vision is the culinary journey of Italy,” D’Antonio says. “Take an Italian city, take a recipe from that city and try to recreate the vibe. The Milano gummies are inspired from the ‘Milano da bere’ campaign in the ‘90s.”
D’Antonio’s talking about an ad campaign for Amari, a category of bittersweet liqueurs traditionally sipped before dinner, like Campari or Aperol. He explains the history of aperitivo in Milan, the city that invented the tradition of sipping Amari-based cocktails while eating small, salty bites provided free by bars. It’s similar to tapas or pintxos cultures in Spain, and it’s, in my opinion, the pinnacle of socializing in Italy. Walk around any street in Milan around what Americans know to be happy hour time, and bars will overflow with impeccably dressed Milanese people clinking bright red glasses and nibbling on delicious small dishes, like rice balls.
Mammamia’s Milano gummies are intended to take you from day to night: kiwi bellini is made with kiwi juice and Prosecco flavoring; orange spritz has orange juice with Campari and Prosecco flavoring; and chamomile bitter (which includes CBN) uses lemon juice and chamomile flavoring. “Milano is the only non-stop city of Italy, the NYC of Italy, “D’Antonio says. “So we’ve created three products to go through your day.” They taste delicious, honestly–like Sugarfina gummies with 10 milligrams of THC.
Recently, I got to try a rolling paper brand that’s stylish and cheeky without going overboard: Vienero. It was founded in 2021 by Taylor Adami, who, like Amitha in the last newsletter and others who developed pretty collections before her, wanted something fashionable and usable. She uses vegan, plant-based dyes and unbleached hemp paper for Vienero’s cones but also makes lighters, ashtrays, candles, grinders, and matches.
I’m not normally a pink gal, but I like these. I usually like anything with devil imagery, just being honest. Adami says the line is “designed to keep you looking good a smoking better. Made for your inner angel, and the little devil on your shoulder.”
Here’s a little little soul and brain food, too. I recently found and ordered The Yerba Oracle by Joanna L. Robles from Etsy. It’s an austere collection of oracle cards with different cultivars depicted with gorgeous bud photography. At the bottom is the author’s interpretation of what that particular cultivar emulates. I pulled the Mother’s Milk card, which Robles writes represents fertility, motherhood, children, growth, and expansion.
Can confirm. I’ve been trying to spend as much non-work time as possible lately at home with my family and it’s been indeed expansive, which is I’m sure the opposite of what most people would expect. After a lifetime spent caring mostly just for myself, it’s a challenge and a gift to be able to shift into caring for our son.
What a haul! I can't stop laughing at those wafers. Love the card deck, too!
Wowwwww holy shit! Communion wafers?!