Featured Brand: Kiva Confections
At a Glance
Category: Edibles
Type: Clean, locally sourced cannabis
Region: Alameda, CA
Heritage: Family owned, husband/wife team
People: Scott Palmer and Kristi Palmer
Ethos: Family-owned, locally grown cannabis, dedication to sustainability, commitment to community
Overview
When California edible companies are discussed, there is one name that always floats to the top of the list; Kiva Confections. Kiva has become the gold standard for edibles, and their story helps to explain their meteoric rise to the top of the edible industry.
The Heritage
Kiva Confections was founded in 2010 by partners Scott and Kristi Palmer. It started with them creating chocolate bars in their own Bay Area kitchen using locally sourced chocolate, but they did not realize at the time that they would soon set the standard for edibles in California and throughout the country. Their mission was clear from the beginning; “change how the world views and uses cannabis.” Considering the direction the cannabis industry has gone since 2010, with Kiva being a big part of that, it is clear that they have succeeded in that mission.
Kiva prides itself on high quality ingredients, consistent dosing and effects, and sustainable packaging. They use locally grown cannabis, sustainably sourced cacao and all natural flavors and ingredients to produce their artisanal products that are “as effective as they are enjoyable.” Kiva is also very focused on ensuring that their dosing remains consistent across all of their products. With most of their products available in 5mg and 10mg doses, they make it simple for consumers to titrate their precise dose needed to achieve the desired effect. With a wide variety of products spanning from chocolates to gummies to breath mints, Kiva products offer a little of something for everyone. In addition, their products offer various cannabinoid ratios and content, so no matter the effect you are looking for, Kiva most likely has a product that can meet your needs.
The Ethos
One of the things that made Kiva unique from the outset was their commitment to microdosing. In the early 2010’s, the California edible landscape was a collection of high dose baked goods and other confections that often contained anywhere from 100mg-1000mg of THC. This led to many people having undesirable experiences with edibles, as many cannabis consumers only require 5-10mg of THC to achieve their desired effects. The Palmers understood this, so they wanted to create products that satisfied a larger percentage of cannabis consumers than the high dose edibles that were ruling the market at the time. They created edibles with as little as 2.5mg of THC per dose. While these were originally shunned by many experienced edible users who required a larger amount of THC, it opened the door for new and inexperienced cannabis consumers to be able to enjoy edibles without fear of “overdosing” or having a negative experience.
Another aspect that sets Kiva apart from many other cannabis companies is their commitment to the community. Since their founding, Kiva has become an outspoken advocate for cannabis and cannabis consumers. They have co-founded and funded numerous trade organizations, which help ensure regulations; they have developed educational outreach throughout the country; and they regularly sponsor events which help bring the cannabis community together. To that end, Kiva started the “Kiva Cares Project,” which is an extension of their commitment to cannabis consumers and their community. The main goals of this project are to help reduce cannabis waste and get products to people who need them free of charge. To help in this cause, Kiva has partnered with Weed for Warriors and The Sweetleaf Collective. According to Joe Sweetleaf, founder of The Sweetleaf Collective, “These collective industry efforts will undoubtedly help thousands of veterans and patients access $1.75 million worth of free medical cannabis products through the Kiva Cares Project. Together, we are saving and transforming lives.”
The Products
From their humble beginning making chocolate bars, Kiva has expanded their product line to include gummies, mints, fruit chews and probably their most successful edible, the Terra bites.
Their standard 100mg THC milk and dark chocolate bars (split into 20 5mg doses) come in a variety flavors such as Churro Milk Chocolate, Blackberry Dark Chocolate, S’mores, Birthday Cake and even an “Everything Bagel Seasoning” Bar, which was a collaboration with LA Food Truck Pioneers “The Yeastie Boys.” Kiva also offers “high-dose” chocolate bars, which contain 200mg of THC, or twenty 10mg doses. They also offer two high CBD bars, one being a 5:1 CBD:THC Dark Chocolate bar which contains 100mg of CBD and 20mg of THC in a 20 serving bar, and the other being a 1:1 Espresso Dark Chocolate bar, which contains 100mg of both THC and CBD in a 20 serving bar.
Next we come to the gummies, sold under Kiva’s “Camino” and “Lost Farm” sub-brands. Offering a myriad of flavors and cannabinoid ratios, there is something for every consumer. The gummies are effect-specific, offering effects such as Sleep, Chill, Uplifting, Excite, Bliss, Social and Balance. These are all available in 5mg THC doses, with the Chill and Bliss options also offered in 15mg and 25mg doses. The Lost Farm gummies are strain-specific and made with Live Resin or Live Rosin. They are available in 5mg or 10mg doses, and come in unique and exotic flavors such as Yuzu Fizz, Cinnamon Apple and Chili Mango. Kiva also offers many of these flavors in a fruit chew, which is more like a taffy candy than a gummy. These are individually wrapped, and many have the same cannabinoid formulas as their gummy counterparts.
Moving on to Kiva’s lowest dose option, we have the Petra Mints. Offering 2.5mg of THC per piece, these are a great option for those with a very low edible tolerance. They come in a small tin and are very discreet and easy to consume inconspicuously. They currently offer six varieties of Petra Mints. There are three flavors of the standard 2.5mg THC mints; Moroccan Mint, Tart Cherry and Pineapple. They also offer a non-psychoactive, CBD only Citrus Mint, which contains 2.5mg of CBD per piece. There is a 1:1 THC:CBD Cinnamon flavor, which contains 2.5mg of both THC and CBD per piece. Finally, they offer a high CBN mint for sleep, which is a Blackberry flavor that contains 2mg of THC and 1mg of CBN per piece. These are great for those on the go who do not require a high cannabinoid content to achieve their desired result.
Finally, we move on to Kiva’s most popular offering, the Terra Bites. These round, bite-size chocolate covered candies are discreet and delicious, and they really helped to kick-off the microdosing trend that has been steadily growing since their release. They come in six different flavors, also offering several cannabinoid ratios. They have their two most popular flavors, which were the only two available at first release. These are the Milk Chocolate covered Blueberries and Dark Chocolate covered Espresso Beans. Each piece contains 5mg of THC, and they come in a tin that contains 20 pieces. Since the release of those two flavors, they have also included a Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel and a Dark Chocolate Peppermint Patty. Finally, they have their Dark Chocolate covered Almond 1:1 CBD Terra Bites, which contain 5mg THC and 5mg CBD per piece, and their CBN Milk and Cookies Terra Bites, which contain 5mg THC and 2mg CBN per piece. These Terra Bites remain the gold standard for microdose edibles.
Through their commitment to the consumer and the cannabis community as a whole, Kiva has cemented themselves as not only one of the top edible brands in the state of California, but with their availability in other states such as Arizona, Nevada, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Oklahoma, they are poised to remain on top of the edible market for years to come.
Visit the Kiva website to learn more!