Our Story

Why This Site Exists

The cannabis industry has a credibility gap. Beverage brands market 2mg THC seltzers as life-changing experiences. Edible companies slap 'nano-enhanced' on packaging without explaining what that means for dosing. CBD brands make health claims the FDA hasn't approved. And most review sites are affiliate pages that give everything 4.5 stars.

We built The Green Reviews because consumers in this space deserve the same quality of product journalism that exists for wine, coffee, or craft beer. That means honest assessments, transparent criteria, and a willingness to say when a product isn't worth the price — even if the brand is popular.

The cannabis market doesn't need more hype. It needs more honesty.

The Green Reviews Editorial Team

Between 2020 and 2026, the legal cannabis market in the U.S. grew from roughly $17 billion to over $34 billion. The number of SKUs — distinct products on dispensary and retail shelves — exploded alongside it. Consumers now face hundreds of beverage brands, thousands of edible formulations, and a CBD market where the price-to-quality ratio can vary by 10x between brands. The information gap is wider than it was five years ago, not narrower.

We don't accept payment for reviews. We don't run 'sponsored content' disguised as editorial. When we recommend a product, it's because we've evaluated it against a consistent set of criteria and believe it's genuinely worth the money. When a product falls short, we say so — including products from brands we otherwise respect.

The Cannabis Product Timeline

Understanding where the market is today requires understanding how it got here. The cannabis product landscape has evolved dramatically in just over a decade:

2012–2013

Legalization Wave Begins

Colorado and Washington become the first U.S. states to legalize recreational cannabis. The first licensed dispensaries open. Products are limited to flower, basic edibles, and concentrates with minimal branding or dosing standards.

2014

First Cannabis Beverages

Mirth Provisions launches Legal Sparkling Tonics in Washington state — one of the first nano-emulsified THC beverages on the market. Charlotte's Web enters the CBD space. The concept of 'branded cannabis products' begins to take shape.

2016–2017

Edible Brands Emerge

Kiva, Wyld, and Wana begin scaling across multiple states. Dosing standards tighten (5mg and 10mg per piece become standard). Packaging regulations push out unmarked, homemade-style products.

2018

The Farm Bill

The 2018 Agriculture Improvement Act legalizes hemp and hemp-derived compounds — including Delta-9 THC under 0.3% by dry weight. This creates the legal pathway for hemp-derived THC beverages to ship nationally without dispensaries.

2020–2022

Beverage Explosion

Cann, WYNK, Cycling Frog, and dozens of other brands launch THC-infused seltzers and tonics. The category grows 40%+ annually. Hemp-derived products make cannabis beverages accessible in all 48 states.

2024–2026

Market Maturation

Cannabis beverages enter mainstream retail — grocery stores, convenience stores, bars. Brands like Just Chill bring craft quality to hemp-derived tonics. The market splits between commodity seltzers and premium craft products. Review sites like The Green Reviews emerge to help consumers navigate the choices.

What We Stand For

How We Evaluate Products

Our criteria vary by category, but the core principles are consistent:

  • Transparency: Does the brand publish lab results? Is dosing accurate and clearly labeled? Can you verify what's in the product?
  • Quality: What extraction or infusion method is used? Are ingredients clean? Is there attention to formulation beyond basic compliance?
  • Value: Is the price justified by what you're getting? We flag products that charge premium prices for commodity ingredients.
  • Honesty: Does the brand make claims it can back up? We penalize disease claims, fake reviews, and misleading dosage labeling.
  • Experience: Does the product deliver what it promises? Taste, onset, duration, and consistency all matter.

For CBD products specifically, we require batch-specific Certificates of Analysis from independent labs. For THC beverages and edibles, we evaluate dosing accuracy, onset time, and whether the brand is transparent about its cannabis source (hemp-derived vs. dispensary-grade).

Our Rating Criteria by Category

We weight criteria differently depending on the product type. Here is how our evaluation breaks down across the three categories we cover:

Lab Transparency
95%
Dosing Accuracy
90%
Ingredient Quality
85%
Value for Money
80%
Taste & Experience
70%
Relative weight each criterion carries in our evaluations. Lab transparency and dosing accuracy are non-negotiable — a product cannot score well overall without meeting minimum standards in both areas.

We also track what we call red-flag indicators — practices that automatically lower our assessment regardless of other qualities. These include: making disease claims (e.g., 'cures anxiety,' 'treats insomnia'), refusing to publish COAs, using vague 'proprietary blend' labeling to hide actual cannabinoid content, and manufacturing in facilities without GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certification.

Lab testing equipment used for cannabis product quality analysis

What We Don't Do

Disclosures and Limitations

The Green Reviews is an editorial property that may earn revenue when readers purchase products through links on this site. This does not influence our ratings or assessments.

We are not medical professionals. Nothing on this site constitutes medical advice. Cannabis products — including CBD, THC beverages, and edibles — are not FDA-approved for the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. Cannabis legality varies by state. Always check your local laws and consult a healthcare provider before using cannabis products.

Our reviews reflect our editorial assessment at the time of publication. Product formulations, availability, and brand practices change. We update reviews when we become aware of material changes.

Related Resources

For readers who want to go deeper on CBD specifically, CBD Origin covers the full supply chain from hemp farming to extraction. For the evolving regulatory side of CBD and hemp, Custom CBD Labs tracks federal policy and state-by-state legality.

Ready to Explore?

Browse our reviews of cannabis drinks, edibles, and CBD products.

See Reviews