There’s a difference between just getting (legally) lifted… and getting it right. Every month, I take a step back and focus on what I’m actually reaching for. The things I keep coming back to again and again.
And May somehow felt like three months packed into one. The Japanese countryside is finally turning green again, but it’s also been a softer, heavier month emotionally while I’ve been grieving the loss of my beloved cat.
At the same time, the looming CBN ban in Japan has everyone ordering favourites for a last puff, testing alternatives, and mentally processing cannabinoids with names that sound kinda like Star Wars robots. And because this post is going live so close to the ban, I also didn’t really want to fill this month’s picks with CBN products for… fairly obvious reasons.
So this list leans more toward newer things, CBN-free things, comfort picks, and products I’m genuinely excited to keep exploring next.
Basically: the things helping life feel a little lighter lately.
The Daily Drivers
(Functional, smooth, socially acceptable energy)
These are the products I kept reaching for when I still wanted to feel like a human being with responsibilities, errands, thoughts, and a vague connection to society — just… maybe a slightly happier one.
Nothing here melted my brain into the couch. These are the “walk through the rice fields,” “listen to music while cleaning,” “laugh too hard at something stupid (or nothing at all),” and “make existence feel 50% softer” picks.
1. Kush JP’s SUPER Sativa
Best for: touching grass emotionally, soft productivity, brighter moods, and laughing at absolutely nothing
After the month I’ve had? I needed something, anything to put a smile on my face, and this was it. My sunshine in a vape. This one gives me the giggles, plasters a smile on my face, and somehow keeps me lightly functional while still very much there. Happy, bright, and easy to exist in without any paranoia or jitteriness.
2. TEMP’s Jack Herer Herb
Best for: walks, errands, music appreciation, not wanting to raw dog the day
This one feels like someone gently pressing the “skip bad mood” button for about 90 minutes. Thanks to the high HHBD content, the lift-off is fast, cheerful, and surprisingly clean, with a very soft landing after a couple of hours instead of becoming an all-day or night commitment. I really liked this one for late afternoon walks, running errands, or those weird in-between moments where you don’t necessarily want to get destroyed, but you also don’t want to experience reality completely unassisted.
Functional? Mostly. Would I go to work after this? Absolutely not.
Get Properly Lifted
(Not for meetings. Not for multitasking.)
These are the ones for when you’re done pretending to be productive.
The “cancel the plans,” “order snacks immediately,” “stare at the ceiling while listening to music,” and “why is my blanket suddenly the greatest technological invention of all time?” category. Proceed accordingly. This is peak feral raccoon time.
1. TEMP’s Green Crack herb
Best for: golden hour, aimless wandering, becoming emotionally invested in clouds
TEMP’s indica made me sleep beautifully, but the sativa-leaning hybrid vibes of Green Crack felt absolutely made for spring. This one has that happy, floaty, outdoorsy energy where suddenly every walk feels cinematic. I would reaching for it on golden hour walks when I wanted to feel lifted without melting into furniture.
2. Gohoya’s HHBD X H4CBH
Best for: getting extremely high, music appreciation, forgetting what you opened your phone for
It’s back and, importantly, now CBN-free!
Gohoya swapped the previous 5% CBN for 5% CBD, and the difference in effect felt incredibly minimal to me in the best possible way. This still delivers that rich HHBD/H4CBH intensity, but with a slightly more uplifting, sativa-leaning edge than some of the heavier knockout-style blends floating around lately.
Happy brain, enhanced music appreciation, very questionable short-term memory, and an extremely solid reminder that maybe you did not need that extra puff after all. One of the best high-to-price ratio liquids out right now too, honestly.
3. Tensuke’s Biscotti
Best for: nighttime zoning out, heavy body highs, elite-level couch behavior
If Gohoya’s HHBD × H4CBH is the slightly more social cousin, Tensuke’s Biscotti is the one quietly handing you a blanket and telling you to stop answering emails forever.
This cartridge surprised the hell out of me. The grassy CDT terpene profile feels incredibly realistic, the body high is heavy in that deeply satisfying “ok I’m done for the evening” way, and the overall COSPA is kind of absurd for how hard this thing hits.
4. Kush JP’s BLAST
Best for: movie marathons, late-night gaming, and getting very lifted very quickly
I only just got my hands on this new HHBD and CBG-heavy liquid coming out on May 27 from Kush JP, but ohhhhhhh… we may have a serious contender entering the chat.
This one hits fast, kicks a little thanks to the H4CBD, and feels potent almost immediately. But instead of pulling you into couchlock territory, the high stays very head-heavy, airy, and intensely sativa-leaning — all euphoric thoughts, floaty brain fog, and “wait, why does this song suddenly sound incredible?” energy. The HHBD and CBG combo keeps things bright, dreamy, and mentally active right up until you realize you’ve accidentally drifted into another dimension.
Plays really nicely with the Dual Cartridge battery and other liquids, too. Early verdict? Wa wa wee wa. We are all in for a major treat.
Accessories That Elevate the Ritual
A good session isn’t just about what you’re using — it’s how you’re using it. Especially in spring, when you’re moving between inside and outside, cozy and social, day and night… your setup matters more than you think.
Dual Cartridge Battery – One of the handiest accessories imaginable. Perfect for mixing your own blends or helping finish off older CBN carts before the ban without wasting anything. Also stealthy enough to look like any old vape.
Pulsar Battery & Water Pipe Adapter – This little adapter lets you attach your vape battery directly to a bong/water pipe, which somehow makes the whole experience feel both smoother and slightly ridiculous in the best possible way. Completely unnecessary? Maybe. Do we need it? Absolutely.
Labubu – My current emotional support creature. I fully understand these weird little monsters are not for everyone. At this point, I’ve stopped questioning it, though. These strange little creatures genuinely make me happy every time I look at them and cuddle them.
Snacks That Pair Well
I don’t fully trust anyone who says cannabinoids don’t change the snack experience. Because tell me why a gummy suddenly has emotional depth. Explain to me why lemon-flavored chips start tasting like enlightenment. Exactly.
This month’s snack pairings were elite:
7/11 Iced Café Latte – I don’t know what they put in these, but every year the first warm days of May turn me into a convenience store iced coffee addict again.
Chakushikoku Limited Happy Turn Setouchi Lemon Flavor – Sweet, salty, citrusy, and dangerously easy to keep eating. These somehow taste exactly like early summer in Japan feels: bright, addictive, and slightly impossible to stop once you start.
Piergleman Cloud Mix Fruit Gummies – I am unreasonably obsessed with these right now. They’re somewhere between gummies and marshmallows, with this weird soft airy texture that becomes genuinely magical once slightly elevated. Dreamy, fruity, adorable, and dangerously easy to demolish in one sitting (so I order them in packs of 2!).
Soundtrack of the Month
Your experience shifts depending on what’s playing. My music tastes are all over the map, from deep soul to rebellious punk. But when it’s time to chill, I want to chill. Here’s what I’ve been vibing to this month:
I found this on May 1 and have been mildly hypnotized ever since — chaotic, cinematic, dreamy energy that somehow feels exactly like late spring in Japan right now. No wonder it’s since gone viral!
One more: Turned onto me by r/altnoidsjapan’s Skruffbag, this mix has become absolute background magic lately — smooth, floaty, lightly caffeinated-for-the-soul energy that pairs dangerously well with sunny afternoons and sativa-heavy sessions.
What’s Coming Next
June feels like the beginning of a completely new era for Japan’s altnoid scene.
With CBN and THA disappearing, companies suddenly have to get creative fast, and I’m genuinely fascinated to see what comes next. The good news so far? Some of these new N-free reformulations and blends look really promising.
Coming up soon, I’m especially looking forward to:
- A full review of Kush JP’s SUPER Sativa — because this accidentally became my entire daytime personality this month
- A deeper dive into Kush JP’s new HHBD-heavy BLAST liquid, which already feels dangerously good
- A brand new Black Hole Supermassive CBN free liquid from Knockout, promising the deepest relaxation (and without CBN!)
- Testing and reviewing Gohoya’s reformulated N-free Peach Mango HHBD × H4CBH liquid to see how it compares post-CBN
- And I’m most excited to watch what companies come up with next as they race to replace banned cannabinoids like CBN and THA without completely losing the magic
We’re entering a really weird, interesting transition period right now… and as always, I’ll be documenting the chaos responsibly from my little corner of rural Japan.
Final Thoughts
May was weird. Emotionally weird. Cannabinoid-law weird.
Between grieving my beloved cat, the looming CBN ban, and companies scrambling to reformulate before June, it’s felt like not only me but the entire altnoid scene in Japan has been sitting in this strange little in-between phase lately.
But at the same time… it’s also been kind of exciting? Some genuinely good N-free options are starting to appear, companies are getting creative fast, and it feels like we’re about to enter a completely different era of cannabinoids in Japan over the next few months.
So for now, I’m just trying to enjoy the good moments where I can: evening walks, good music, sunny weather, tiny serotonin snacks, and things that make life feel a little lighter for a few hours at a time.
And as always, I’ll keep testing things responsibly from my little corner of rural Japan so you don’t have to blindly raw dog the cannabinoid chaos alone.
And if you haven’t yet: dispose of any leftover products containing CBN or THA before the ban takes effect. (A full guide on how to safely dispose of carts and liquids in Japan is coming next week.)
Stay lifted, legally. 🍃
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