Author Ganjazilla

Malverde from Green Dragon

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Malverde from Green Dragon via Green Dragon Collective North Hollywood on 7/14/2020. THC tested out to 28.8%. Purchased for about $40 out the door with first time discount. Green Dragon has been on my radar for a long time now, so when I found myself on a leisurely cruise through North Hollywood last month, I knew I had to drop by and swoop a couple of their signature strains. These nugs are a mix of lime and forest greens that gently shift into midnight blues, tightly bunched fireplace orange pistils, and a gorgeous tsunami of triches that flood every available space and give off the occasional twinkle that I’d swear was stolen directly out of Santa’s eye.

The nose from the jar is a candy sweet floral funk with a back end must that leans vaguely cheesy. Busting open a bud, that sweet candy really takes center stage and hits me like a pink starburst with a creamy fresh floral edge. Breaking it down by hand leaves a trich grime on the fingers that’s extremely piney with a touch of mint, while the grinds themselves come off as candy sweet at first, but quickly shift into a strong pinesol with a sugary back end. A dry pull on the jay reveals a sweet candy floral with a piney earthy tone on the side and a really minor cream on the back end. The inhale is smooth but hearty, and has a pungent potpourri floral quality with mint off the bong, where the joint is similar but leans more mint and less herbaceous. The exhale off the bong is a  sugary peppermint with a deep hashiness and a chalky sweet aftertaste, where the joint is a more complex mix of mint with various herbs and spices as well as that chalky sweetness, all blended together in an orchestra hit of flavor. Cross checking the taste on my MV1 from Ghost Vapes at 170c I get an extremely intense mint pine sensation on the way in while the exhale is all mint floral with one of the longest aftertastes I’ve experienced since starting use of the MV1 in my reviews. At 185c it’s still very minty and piney but much less intense and not as well defined. The headchange comes on quickly with a mighty slap that’s a little disarming at first in the sense that you’re capable of clear headed thought and don’t really notice how much it’s wrapping you up physically. Sitting in my chair, my mind started racing with a parade of fast coherent thoughts, and it was only after sometime did I realize that I was deep in the grips of a pleasant version of the sunken place from Get Out. I willed myself to move but I did not and then I started to question why I wanted to move at all. I had a full on internal debate about the pros and cons of getting up from my chair while my heavy body blank-face started into the depths of my girlfriend’s succulent garden. Eventually I was able to muster the energy to get out of my seat and pour a cup of coffee which helped me shake off that sunken place feeling a little more while still maintaining a hazy eye’d buzz. If you couldn’t tell by now, I really loved this batch of Malverde, so much so that I actually went out and copped a second batch before finishing this review. It was love at first smoke. For the ticket it simply can’t be beat and has quickly become my favorite strain of 2020 with my only regret being that I slept on it until now. Green Dragon this is some amazing herb. You guys are clearly experts in every aspect of your craft and I can’t wait to get more of your library into the rotation. Fantastic work!

Wedding Pie from Curated Cannabis

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Wedding Pie from Curated Cannabis on 6/12/2020. THC tested out to 24.59%. This was gifted to me but it goes for $45 pre-tax at Mother Nature’s Remedy. Yet another beautiful entry from the world of live cured flower by the fine folks down at Curated Cannabis. The surface of these chunky Moravian star like buds are a mix of chartreuse and verdant green with sporadic tinges of Grimace purple, coupled with light rusty red pistils, and a coating of cream colored triches so thick that up-close it shares a close resemblance with the legs of a hairy tarantula.

The nose out of the jar is a sweet musty grape with just a hint of vanilla on the back end. When busting open a bud the sweet grape smell broadens out to more of a mixed berry and pushes the mustiness to the background. When breaking it down by hand my fingers are left with the scent of a chalky fruit punch where the grinds themselves have a sweeter and more natural smelling fruit blend with a grape lean. The dry pull on the joint is a sweet grape and floral mix that lines up perfectly with the scent profile. The inhale is very smooth and has a light fruity sweetness on the joint where the bong is a muted mix of sweet fruit and toasted sugar. The exhale is a mix of subtle sweet grape and pear with a touch of mustiness on the joint, where on the bong it’s similar, but has more of a chalky lean and a caramel-esque follow up. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial at 170c I get a light sugary mint and floral taste where at 185c it’s more of a muted mint and pine with a slightly skunky aftertaste. The headchange comes on quickly with an initial lift but over a few minutes you start to feel that weight in your forehead as it creeps it’s way into your neck and down into the top of your shoulders. You can remain focused if needed and it really doesn’t seem to hold you back cognitively in any way, but if your focus is broken for any reason, you may find yourself spacing out. However, even in the times where I was lost in thought it was productive, I would often find myself working through problems I was trying to solve but in a more relaxed state which helped me have a couple eureka moments and press forward on the task at hand. I think it makes for a good day time strain if you’re finding yourself a little overhyped from that morning’s coffee and need something to bring you down for the afternoon without putting you to sleep a few hours later. I could see myself copping it again, especially for the ticket it goes for at Mother Nature’s Remedy Caregivers in Woodland Hills, and if you’re a fan of Wedding Pie you should definitely give it a shot and let me know what you think. Excellent work once again Curated Cannabis!

Lemon Mints #2 from The Jungle Boys

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Lemon Mints #2 from The Jungle Boys via Jungle Boys OC on 6/17/2020. THC tested out to 22.84%. Purchased for $49 out the door. When Jungle Boys OC opened up I was stoked because I was hoping it meant that I could finally get their awesome low shelf zip deals without having to drive into LA. I popped into the shop one day only to find mid and top shelf bags available, and after the budtender pointed out the difference between the two was only a couple bucks, opted for these top shelf Lemon Mints. These beat up buds are a mix of dusty lime and forest greens with aubergine lilts, a smattering of reddish orange pistils, and a coating of yellowing triches that contribute further to it’s unkempt look.

The nose out of the bag is floral, musty and earthy with a lemony backend. Busting open a nug amps up that dirty mustiness. The scent reminded me of walking down an old grimey white tiled hallway at an abandoned school with a visible glaze left over from hundreds of uses of one of those waxed cotton mops. Grinding it down by hand left a dirty lemon floral scented trich film on my fingers, while the grind themselves were a mix of lemon, herb and spice that struck me like an old timey cough drop or a homemade hot lemon tea. The dry pull on the jay is a muted and fleeting sweet peppery floral. The inhale is smooth, and on the bong has a lemon must quality, where on the joint it’s really nondescript and comes off as a vague toasted sweetness. On the exhale from the bong I also get a light lemon must but on the joint it’s just a very muted lemon floral that seems stronger on the aftertaste than anything. It’s sort of strange how blank it is really. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial at 170c I get a lemon floral with a minty fresh backend where at 185c it’s a less defined sweet floral taste with a touch of citrus mint. The headchange comes on quick and feels like a nice middle of the road effect that leaves you a little hazy eyed. I can focus if need be but the “caffeinated edge” I crave from my favorite sativas is notably absent. It’s a solid smoke for those times you need to be full cognizant but sedentary, and i could see it making a great writing companion, or helping you get through a few hours of Warzone without feeling worse for wear. Overall I felt like this batch of Lemon Mints was decent effects wise, but lacking in pretty much every other department, and frankly I don’t think it was worthy of being on the top shelf. I don’t think I’d pick it up again especially with the recent adjustments to the tickets on the menu. Sorry Jungle Boys, this one’s a pass from me.

Lemon Cane from Archive California and Alien Labs

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Lemon Cane from Archive California and Alien Labs via Catalyst Cherry on 6/25/2020. Purchased for $68 out the door. I’m a big fan of citrus strains so when I saw this batch of Lemon Cane getting some positive attention I knew I had to get my hands on some. These beautiful shrub-like buds are mostly comprised of a tea green with drab olive accents, cinnamon orange pistils, and an immensely thick layer of yellowing triches giving it that “snowy TV” look as if you’re seeing it on an old CRT with a bad signal.

The nose out of the jar is overwhelmingly lemon with a bit of candy sweetness and hint of mustiness kicking around in the background. On busting open a nug a freshness emerges, a mintiness really dominates the profile with a just a trace of pine, and struggles to push that juggernaut-like lemon out of the spotlight. Breaking it down by hand the grinds give off a lemon pledge scent in a brilliant euphony of citrus, mint and muted pine, while leaving a pleasant lemon scented stickiness on fingertips. The dry pull on the joint is a sweet lemon candy with a slight musty undertone. The inhale is smooth, and on the joint hits the taste buds like a lemon slurpee right at first but has a toasted lemon quality afterward, where the bong is more of a lemon zest with a deep must. The exhale off the joint is almost as if someone zested a lemon directly in your mouth whereas the bong has more of that lemon cleaner quality with a very fresh edge and a deep musty underpinning. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial at 170c, I got a very sweet piney mint that cooled the tongue like an old school York Peppermint Patty, and at 185c that lemon is unleashed with just a touch of mint and pine and will leave you with a long lasting aftertaste. The headchange comes on fast and with a nice dose of energy but also will make you hazy eyed as well as putting some weight on your neck and shoulders. I found myself leaning on it a few mornings as a pick me up but I admit I found myself spacing out more often than not, getting distracted fairly easily, but generally able to snap back into reality without missing a beat. I really liked this batch of Lemon Cane, it’s clearly expertly cultivated, and everything from the smell to the burn was enjoyable in every regard. That said, while I got it at a fair price I’m not sure I’d cop it again as there was nothing particularly standout about the effects themselves. I have seen it on some menus for over $100 there’s no way I’d ever pay that. It’s definitely a solid and satisfying smoke, and depending on what else is on the menu that day I might end up grabbing it again, but I’m not exactly chomping at the bit to get my hands on more especially at anywhere near $100. Ideally it would be at $65 out the door, but with the current climate I’d even say $70 is acceptable, and with the recent price adjustments at Catalyst I’d think they’d agree. Really though it’s not for me to say what the right price is for someone else, I can only speak for my own wallet, and if something is too high a price I simply don’t buy it. That’s the power we have as consumers. However, if a shop can kick $100 eights out the door successfully and sell out of all that stock who am I to hate on that? I just know I won’t be shopping there.

Animal Mints from Flowers by Fidels

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Animal Mints from Flowers by Fidels via Dabberchan Inc on 6/4/2020. No THC test results listed as this is traditional market flower. I got the homie hook up on this one, but I can imagine it’s somewhere in the ballpark of $40-55. This batch consisted of essentially one very dense nug that comprised the entire eighter. A true champion nug. The colors are a mix of pear and british racing greens coupled with aubergine and midnight blue, flairs of orange cream pistils, and coating of triches so absurdly thick it  obscures the true hues of the budscape beneath.

The nose out of the jar is a rubber funky mustiness with a hint of sweetness. On busting open the bud a sweet fruit with a touch of mint emerges while that mustiness gets pushed to the background as it takes on an acrid electric quality. When breaking open the bud by hand, I get a sweet mint with a near eucalyptus quality on my fingers, while the grinds themselves have this savory sweet quality with a minty back end that reminds me of the mix of sauces you use at a Mongolian BBQ to flavor that heaping bowl of frozen meat and vegetables before a usually tired semi angry man throws it on a giant grill. The dry pull on the joint is a strong sweet fruit with a minty undertone. The inhale is smooth, and has a light musty spice on the bong while the joint is very similar, but has a bit of a rubber lean. The exhale on the bong is a combo of a rubber eraser and sweet creamy mint as where on the joint, it’s essentially the same, but leaves a notably strong cool mint sensation on the tongue. Cross checking the flavors on my MV1 from Ghost Vapes, at 170c I get a heavy pine with a cool mint sensation and at 185c, it flips and it’s more of a strong mint with a piney backside. The headchange absolutely smacks and will leave you in a daze. Within an instant my head felt like it was lighter than air as a haze set in behind my eyes and a weight settled into my shoulders. It’s one of those types of herb that gets you higher than you realize, interfering with basic cognitive function, and you only notice when you try to accomplish simple or familiar tasks and they prove somewhat challenging. Luckily it also hits you with a large dose of a semi-euphoric apathy, so when you do catch yourself making those dumb mistakes, you’ll be able to laugh it off and not really care. I really enjoyed this batch of Animal Mints, it’s especially great as a night cap, as I found myself leaning on it to help end my day more than a few times while it’s been with me. If you’re a fan of Animal Mints and can find them, then I’d recommend copping them ASAP as you will not be dissapointed. Fantastic job once again by FidelHydro, I’m continually impressed by your work and can’t wait to get my hands on more of your library.

PBB from Curated Cannabis

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PBB from Curated Cannabis on 6/12/2020. THC tested out to 22.38%. This was gifted to me but it goes from $45-65 pre-tax in the shop depending on where you pick it up. I’d suggest keeping your eye on their Instagram for specials. Here we have another round of absolutely gorgeous flower from the kind folks down at Curated Cannabis. These eye popping buds are a stunning mix of shamrock greens and rich indigos, coupled with tiger orange pistils, and a layer of white triches so thick it gives the bud an overall hazy glinting sheen.

The nose out of the jar is a subtle nutty cream with a touch of sweet fuel that reminds me of eating those Keebler Cheese and Peanut Butter Crackers at a gas station. On breaking open a bud, the sweet nuttiness amps up and gives off more of an Abba-Zaba like vibe. When grinding it down by hand, a minty cream sticks to the fingers as the grinds themselves are mostly that same sweet nutty cream, but have a deep mint undertone. The dry pull on the joint is a very subtle floral sweetness with just a hint of that nutty goodness. The inhale is exceptionally smooth and has a minor sweet floral taste on the joint where it’s more of a straight floral tang off the bong. The exhale on the joint is a muted sweet floral with a hint of cream and a bit of minty fuel where the bong has more of a light floral perfume sensation. Cross checking the flavors on my MV1 from Ghost Vapes at 170c I get a solid pine with a touch of mint and floral backing as where at 185c it’s more of a minty floral with a pine aftertaste, but in either case, the taste was surprisingly more well defined when vaped versus smoked.  The headchange comes on quick, and while it has a decent slap and will leave you hazy eyed, you’ll have no issue remaining focused and on task. I’d say this is really a great any time of day smoke as it’s got a touch of euphoric energy that will make you feel good about handling whatever you have going on that day, whether it’s just a day of gaming and chatting with friends, or smashing out a full to-do list of chores. If you’re looking for something that has a solid middle of the road kind of energy that won’t leave you too spun up or sedated, if you can find it at a ticket you’re comfortable with, I’d say you can’t go wrong with this PBB from Curated Cannabis.

Cherry Fritter from Fresh Baked

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Cherry Fritter from Fresh Baked on 6/12/2020 (shoutout to Tommy at the Grand Distro and Mr. Don Fuego for making it happen). THC tested out to 27%. This was gifted to me but it’s current listed for $55 out the door at Catalyst Belmont Shore and $50 at The Circle Long Beach. I’ve heard from a few different people now that Cherry Fritter was the ONE to try out of the Fresh Baked library, so when I got a chance to get my hands on this sample, I was hella stoked. These beautiful semi-dense buds are a patchwork of asparagus and emerald greens with aubergine and midnight blue accents, tightly coiled fireplace orange pistils, and an eye popping coat of yellowing triches so thick it reminds me of cinnamon sugar that’s been excessively caked on the outside of a churro.

The nose out of the jar is a very complex sweet fruit coupled with a chalky sweetness and a floral must that has a slight mint pine back end. When breaking open the bud, that sweet fruit and floral must stay present, but the backend morphs into more of a pastry dough with a hint of vanilla. When breaking it down by hand the sweet fruit amps up and remains center stage but a mint emerges and kicks that musty floral to the background, and it does have what I’d describe as artificial cherry vibes that hit me like wild cherry lip balm. Taking a dry pull on the J I get a faint yet deep fruity sweetness with a musty floral lean. The inhale is fairly smooth, but there’s a heartiness to the smoke, and it has fruity toasted popcorn taste on the joint whereas the bong comes off as a sweet muted sparkling apple cider. The exhale from the joint is a fruity floral with that sparkling water like expression, where the bong has a sweet yet floral, near perfume like quality with a peppery undertone. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial at 170c I get a sugar sweet floral with a very light skunky beer aftertaste, where at 185c, it’s more of a generic floral with a touch of pine in the background. The headchange comes on quick and smacks like a mack truck. As I sat on my back porch and was half way through a pinner, I found myself absolutely glued to my chair as my brain went through the mental process of getting up to get a glass of water what felt like at least 100 times, before I was able to muster the physical will to put that plan into action. After the initial smack it becomes less paralyzing, but you still feel a heavy weight that sits right in the middle of your forehead and on top of your eyes, pushing you ever downward toward the couch. While you can focus if need be, you might find it a struggle as your mind will want to wander, however if you have a full day of rest and relaxation on the calendar Cherry Fritter will compliment that effort perfectly. I really enjoyed this batch and I could see myself copping it again, especially for the ticket it goes for at Catalyst stores  or @thecirclelbc , as it’s very reasonable when compared to other brands of similar caliber. Great work once again by the crew down at Fresh Baked, you are clearly expert in your craft, and it definitely shows in every aspect of the final product. Keep it up! 

Platinum OG from Farmer and the Felon

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Platinum OG from Farmer and the Felon via Tropicanna on 6/12/2020. THC tested out to 18.73% THC (thanks to Jim Walsh and the awesome staff at Tropicanna for making it happen). This was gifted to me, but it goes for $65 plus sales tax, so roughly $73 out the door. I admit, when I saw this big black mylar bag on the shelf at Tropicanna I wasn’t sure what to expect, but intrigued by the brand’s mission to help the Last Prisoner Project I was more than on board to give it the once over. These tiny popcorn buds are a mix of lime and forest greens, dark brownish red pistils, and a fairly formidable coating of spiked yellowing triches.

The nose out of the jar is a sweet citrus coupled with fuel and a light musty undertone. Grinding it down by hand that sweet lemony fuel stays up top but a minor eucalyptus like vibe kicks around in the background. The dry pull on the jay is a light sweet lemon with a touch of fuel lining up with the scent profile perfectly. The inhale is smooth and has a very faint toasted lemon on the joint as where the bong is more of a grungy lemon must with a hint of sweetness. The exhale is on both is a light lemony earthy must that leans a just a little sweeter on the joint. Cross checking the flavors on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial at 170c I get a minty floral and at 185c it’s still strongly floral but less minty and has a faint skunky beer aftertaste. The headchange comes on fairly quick and gently lifts you up to a moderate hazy state. You feel a slight increase of pressure on your shoulders while your eyes glaze over, yet, you can remain focused with relative ease. It’s a mild smoke that feels really “general purpose” to me as it’s pretty complementary to any situation where you don’t want to be baked out of your skull but prefer to be lit yet present. If you are looking for the best of the best, this isn’t going to be it, but you’re looking for a decent middle of the road budget smoke then I would say you can’t beat the ticket on this half zip bag that goes for the same as some top shelf jars out there. If what’s in this batch is evident of the quality coming out of Farmer and the Felon, with the added fact that some of the dough helps free people behind bars for cannabis related offenses, then I can definitely see myself grabbing more in the very near future. Props to the whole Farmer and the Felon team for putting out a really decent product at a bargain ticket in the name of a great cause!

Lemon Burst from via Medcare Farms

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Lemon Burst from via Medcare Farms on 5/23/2020 (shout out to Garrin for making it happen!). THC tested out to 21.51% THC. This was gifted to me but is currently on the menu at Medcare for $47.46. They also have a membership program which mades that even cheaper so it’s definitely worth looking into. I feel like I can never get my hands on enough sativa so I was absolutely stoked to see this Lemon Burst in my sample pack from Medcare Farms. These semi-dense buds are a mix of avocado green and chartreuse with occasional daubs of aubergine, brownish red pistils, and a thick layer of golden yellow triches fighting for any available space there may be left on the already overrun surface.

The nose out of the jar is very jack-like as it’s a sweet yet peppery floral with a bit of citrus on the backend. The smell really reminds me of this jar of potpourri my grandma used to keep in the bathroom at her house but maybe that was just where she kept all her Jack Herer and I was too young to know better. Busting open a bud, that sweet floral quality still dominates, but the citrus aspect gets a bit louder. When grinding it down by hand a grimey trich film gets left on the tips of your fingers as well as a herbaceous medicinal smell, however, the grinds themselves have a delicious sweet lemon scent coupled with a deep rich floral. The dry pull on the jay has a very pleasant sweet citrus and a peppery floral taste that matches up with the scent of the grinds perfectly. The inhale is smooth and is a very faint sweet floral on the joint where the bong is essentially the same but has a slight citrus lilt. The exhale on the joint is a very muted peppery floral with a touch of sweet lemon where the bong is more of a sweet musty floral with a hint of cream. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from Ghost Vapes at 170c I get a strong floral with a touch of pine and what I’d describe as a skunky beer aftertaste where at 185c it remains floral but it brightens up with a little sweetness and has less of a skunky beer aftertaste but it’s still present. The headchange comes on quick and has a nice slightly energetic slap that feels motivational without being overly jittery or paranoid. You can stay focused and on task with relative ease, however, there’s this slightly spacey aspect that can cause you to drift off if you allow it. I found myself leaning on this batch in the mornings frequently as it pairs well with a cup of coffee and keeps you in positive spirits as you whip through your to-do to list. All and all, I really liked this Lemon Burst and I definitely could see myself picking it up again for the $40 range it goes for at Medcare’s home shop, if you’re a fan of Jack and can find it at a ticket you’re comfortable with I think you’ll like it too.

Chemdawg Trails from 3C Farms

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Chemdawg Trails from 3C Farms via OG Cannabis Cafe on 2/21/2020. THCa tested out to 21.01%. (Shoutout to Matt from 3C Farms and Red Rodriguez for making it happen) This was gifted to me but usually goes for $35 at 3C’s Downtown Medical shop at the time of this writing. It’s taken me a few months to cruise through the generous sample pack that 3C provided me way back in February, the world is a different place now, but we’ve finally arrived at the last jar. The surface of these spiky buds are mostly a silverish tea green that darkens to forest greens and even aubergine at points, with sporadic flares of dark amber pistils, and a significant frosting of yellowing triches that give them a winter haze like glow.

The nose out of the jar is musty in that old spice cabinet kind of way with a floral perfume backend. On busting open a nug a sweet floral takes center stage with that perfume amping up every so slightly. When breaking it down by hand, that spicy must returns to the foreground with a very savory scent that strikes me like soy sauce over white rice, while that sweet floral kicks around on the back end. The dry pull on the jay has a sweet floral quality but I didn’t pick up on much else. The inhale is smooth on both the bong and the joint, and has a floral musty taste on the former, but was fairly nondescript on the latter. The exhale on the joint is a peppery floral with a hint of sugar sweetness, where the bong is also a spicy floral, but has more of an “electric” musty quality that tickles the septum a little. Cross checking the flavor on my MV1 from @ghostvapesofficial , at 170c I get a floral must with a touch of mint, as where at 185c it’s still floral but it’s a little less defined and lacks that mint. The headchange comes on quick initially but also has a steady creep to it. You’ll feel that relaxation hit right away as the bullshit of the day quickly melts from the top of your mind into a distant memory and over time, if you have a moment where you need to collect yourself and stay focused, you’ll find it an extreme challenge as your brain will dart from thought to thought as your body feels wholly sedated. I feel like it’s a pretty good any time strain that works well if you’re playing games or chatting with friends, but if you’ve got to get some work done, you may be best served by saving this one til after you’re done taking care of business. I enjoyed this batch of ChemDawg Trails, and while I’m exactly not chomping at the bit to grab another jar, if I came across it for the ticket it goes for at 3C’s Downtown shop I could definitely see myself picking it up again.