Product intro and specs
Canna River is unassuming. Rather than hopping on trends to bulk up their vape catalog, they keep it simple: delta 8 and HHC only, at least for now. No cannabinoid co*cktails in sight.
This was my first time trying Canna River’s products. I received eight in total (four disposable vapes and four carts), covering seven strain profiles—and as you’ll notice below, that’s less than half of their massive range. My testing pool included both HHC and Delta 8 disposables, as well as several of their 510 carts: two Delta 8 carts and two HHC carts.
Although designed to be vaped right out of the package, Canna River’s delta 8 and HHC disposables are rechargeable via USB-C, should your pen run low on steam. Their carts are compatible with a standard 510 thread battery. You won’t find one included in your purchase, but that’s to be expected.
You can also purchase hemp-derived gummies, topicals, and tinctures (primarily CBD-based) from Canna River’s site. This review will be limited to their vape products.
Price (Carts): $15 (Delta 8 and HHC)
Price (Disposables): $30 (Delta 8 and HHC)
Strains: Blue Dream, Blue Razz, Cherry AK, Glueberry Express, Green Crack, Hawaiian Snowcap, Hindu Honeycrisp, Lemon Jack, Mango Cake, Pineapple Express, Purple Kush, Rainbow Sherbet, Strawberry Fields, Strawberry Tartz, Tahiti Lime, Tropicana Kush, Watermelon Zkittles, Wedding Cake
Design-wise, Canna River’s disposables are compact and comfortable, if not slightly minimalist. You’ll find a battery indicator light beneath the CR+ logo, and a USB-C charging port at the base of your device. Their carts are just as straightforward and feature an all-white, 18 mm long ceramic mouthpiece. Nothing fancy.
The disposable’s body is utilitarian and reminiscent of many mid-range options you’ll find online. Less sleek than a typical dispensary vape, though this shortcoming seems to end at aesthetics—these pens are sturdy, not cheap. They’re lightweight and feel decent in the hand. Of course, I also enjoy the little strain-inspired illustrations on the face of each pen. It’s a sweet touch.
Canna River disposables measure 95 mm x 20 mm x 12 mm. All pretty standard measurements, just not the slimmest vape pen around. Each disposable contains two grams of HHC or delta 8 oil, while the carts are one gram a piece.
Massive kudos to Canna River for their use of full-panel lab testing. Even among third-party tested hemp products, many are limited to potency breakdowns, with little mind paid to specific impurities. Canna River goes the extra mile here.
All lab results are available on their website, and can be accessed by scanning a QR code on the box. Alternatively, the code right on the front of your pen will direct you to Canna River’s homepage.
Anyone who’s vaped a cart or disposable before will know what to do.
It doesn’t get any simpler than disposables. Pop your pen out of the box, remove the plastic mouthpiece cap, and take your first hit. Canna River’s delta 8 and HHC pens are draw-activated, as is standard for disposable cannabis vapes, hemp or otherwise. You’re due for a charge once the battery light flashes ten times.
Carts can be screwed onto any 510-compatible battery. Whether draw-activation applies depends on your device.
For the most part, getting plenty of smooth mouth-to-lung hits out of these products wasn't challenging.
“For the most part,” is the key phrase here. I have mixed thoughts on Canna River’s hardware, which is my only real gripe with their disposables—specifically the delta 8 pens.
I’m not familiar with Canna River’s previous designs, though from what I’ve heard, this brand is headed in the right direction. Their disposables just need a bit more TLC.
Both delta 8 pens arrived with minor airway blockages. Nothing catastrophic, though even after resolving the issue with some light heat and exhaling into the mouthpiece, I slogged through several hits. As a disclaimer, it was on the chillier side at the time of receival, and only one disposable is still giving me a rough time. But given the viscous oil these pens are loaded with, it seems that they’re in need of a pretty strong backbone.
The HHC disposables didn’t cause me any problems. Plus, I’ve gotten the most use out of Canna River’s carts, and those have been smooth sailing from the jump. Tight draws all around.
Lastly, the buzz settled about where I’d expect. All four HHC products provided moderate, dreamier highs, as is my typical experience with HHC (particularly indicas and hybrids like the ones I tested here). It didn’t take many puffs to reach this point, either.
I didn’t get quite as much out of the delta 8 carts or disposables, but again, that’s usually how it goes for me. There was an uplifting, clear-headed effect, which I was a fan of. The delta 8 got me high without much disorientation.
Are the strains any good?
Strains aren’t indicative of a hemp product’s origin, unlike they are in marijuana. Manufacturers need to work around the plant’s agricultural limitations. Rather than extract oils directly from a specific strain, they’re supplemented with terpenes to replicate the profile.
I gave seven of Canna River’s eighteen strains a shot. Their carts and disposables are available in all eighteen, covering an impressive range of hybrid, indica, and sativa cannabis strains.
It’s a good variety overall, and includes popular options like Pineapple Express and Green Crack. The big caveat I’ll give here is that most lean fruity. If your flavor preference lies elsewhere, you’ll be working with a limited selection.
The intensity varied between strains, but in general, these oils were quite sweet. Definitely not as herbal as you’d expect from profiles inspired by actual cannabis strains. Still, I may have brought that on myself by selecting some of their fruitiest offerings.
I’ll break down the dominant notes. But to sum it up, I’d say that each of these strains hit my palate exactly how I would have expected, minus the grassiness you often get with terpene-rich hemp oil.
Rainbow Sherbet: Tough to pinpoint. It settled somewhere creamy and lightly crisp, à la an ice cream cone. Sweeter than Cherry A.K., but sub out the cherries for extra sugar and a hint of grape. This was about the furthest we got from cannabis. It was easy to forget I was vaping anything derived from hemp.
Purple Kush: Go with Purple Kush if you’ve had enough dessert. This was one of my favorites, backed by a more traditional, grassy hit. Closer to vaping or smoking the strain it’s inspired by than the others I tested out.
Hindu Honeycrisp: Out of all the fruity strains, this one ranked the highest with me. Not too sweet, not too tart, with a prominent apple flavor. Very refreshing.
Strawberry Fields: Strawberry seemed to fall into the background, subtle compared to the exaggerated fruit notes I noticed in the other strains. There was a borderline hoppy aftertaste—this coming from someone who’s not a big beer drinker, so take that with a grain of salt.
Cherry A.K.: Nearing peak ripeness, this was the sweetest fruit of the bunch. The sour kick became more and more prominent as I vaped, as did the slight earthiness.
Wedding Cake: Seeing as it’s one of my top strains overall, I had high hopes for Wedding Cake. Creamy and sweet, almost milky. As with most of its companions, herbal notes were few and far between. Pleasant, but not my number one.
Tropicana Kush: More tart than sweet. Next to Hindu Honeycrisp, this fruit strain ranked the highest for me. Orangey and tangy, with a touch of lemon. And unlike many of the others: herbal notes. “Kush” is in the name for a reason.
Verdict
Pitting each category against one another, my rankings would have to be:
- Canna River HHC Carts (favorite product)
- Canna River D8 Carts + HHC Disposables (tied)
- Canna River D8 Disposables (least favorite)
Not only would I rank Canna River’s HHC carts above their other vapes products, I would say that they’re some of my new favorites, period. Great, reliable effects, just a bit sweeter tasting than I normally go for. Of course, if I were to make a purchase of my own, I’d just stick to the less fruity strains. It would limit my options, but it’s an easy fix.
Canna River’s hardware can use some additional tweaking. And although their disposables are more cost-effective (carts and pens are both $15 per gram of oil), I would suggest going with the cart, especially if you have a trusted 510 battery on hand.
