Author Ganjazilla

Apple Fritter from KRD

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Apple Fritter from KRD via OG Express on 10/16/19. No testing info available. Acquired 7 Grams for $85 total. Apple Fritter is one of those strains I’ve come across only a few times in the past couple years, but every time I have, it’s been absolutely killer and this batch is no exception.These dense nugs are a gorgeous patch work of light and dark green with show stealing deep purple hues and dark amber pistils completely dripping with a generous amount of triches that seem to be stretching across the crevices of the bud creating something akin to interlocked trich forcefield. I really wish I had a macro lens to take a deeper look as it’s very impressive to the naked eye so I can only imagine what it might look like under intense magnification.

The nose out of the bag hits me with a subtle mint and surprisingly not much else. When breaking the bud I detect notes of a minty fruity sweetness but it still remains more muted than I’d expect. On the hand break down it leaves a nice stick on the fingers and I pick up on a sweet lemon mint scent that’s similar to that of a yellow starburst that was in my pocket with a stick of winterfresh gum although more subtle. The inhale is smooth and I catch notes of that sweet fruit with a slightly doughy edge which would seem to speak to its namesake. On the exhale I pick up on a broad earthy mint. The headchange comes on quick and has a smack to it that left me slightly dazed. It has a nice bit of energy that comes with it at first and you’ll be able to focus on a singular task if needed, but if you’re multitasking and going back and forth between a few things, you’re going to have a lot of “what was I just doing?” moments. As time passes you’ll feel it settle in behind the eyes and into the shoulders to the point where you’ll want to let the couchlock take over but not to the point where you’ll feel sleepy. This was a fantastic experience for the ticket and a strain I wouldn’t hesitate making a part of my headstash going forward. I’d say it’s a good smoke for any time you want to get smacked up as hard and fast as possible without having to take a weednap later to recover from it. Excellent work by KRD, if you can grab some, I highly recommend it.

Emperor OG from Cali Kush Farms

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Emperor OG from Cali Kush Farms via OG Express on 10/16/19. No testing info available. Purchased 5 grams for $40 on a first time patient deal. Knowing that I’m ever on the hunt new sources of fire, my fellow reviewer @cannicorner (on instagram) recommended OG Express, and I’m really glad he did. The nugs in this batch are huge beautiful light green boulders with dark green lilts that contrast gorgeously with fiery reddish orange pistils that cluster in tight bunches in some spots while stretching out and reaching across the tiny canyons running through the bud in others. All coated in a healthy frosting of triches that feels like sticky crumbs on the fingers once you break the nug down.

The nose out of the bag is a mix of pungent fuel and a delicious citrus backed sweetness. On breaking open the nug I pick up on the same scent but the fuel aspect is ramped up slightly. When breaking it down by hand the smell over all amplifies with that sweet citrus stepping up to the foreground and wrestling with that strong fuel for center stage. The inhale is smooth and I detect that fuel and sweet lemonish taste on both the way in and out. The headchange comes on quick and has a nice thwap up top. I decided to give this a shot as a wake and bake and found myself near instantly spaced out and lost in my thoughts. In the times I was present I experienced a bit of cognitive lock and had a hard time finding the right words or expressions while in conversation. However, as time passed I found myself fully engaged in the game I was playing and not losing focus or having a hard time remembering what I was doing. I was left with a pleasant couch locked feeling without getting heavy eyed and feeling like I needed a nap. That said, when smoking at night, Emporer OG definitely put me straight to bed more than a few times. It’s a fantastic indica, a solid OG that checks all the boxes, and one I’d have no hesitation in visiting again when I’m in the market for a heavier night time smoke. Excellent work to the folks at Cali Kush Farms and OG Express! I’ll definitely be back for more.

Garanimals from Top Shelf Cultivation

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Garanimals from Top Shelf Cultivation via South Coast Safe Access on 10/16/19. THC tested out to 25.7%. Purchased for $64.40 plus tax. I first became aware of Top Shelf Cultivation when they messaged me and told me I should try their Woah-si-woahs. When I was at SCSA they happened to be running a patient appreciation deal, and being a sucker for a free shirt, I decided to give them a shot. They were completely sold out of Woah-si-whoas though so I opted for these Garanimals instead. These dense looking nugs actually give way to finger pressure similar to the way popcorn would if you crushed it. They are a beautiful mix of light and dark greens with purple accents dotted with orange pistils all frosted over with a dusting of tiny triches.

The nose out of the jar is a slight fruity sweetness coupled with an industrial rubber backdrop. On breaking the nug that fruitiness gets a little louder with that rubber still filling out the background. Breaking it down by hand the smell remains mostly the same however there is something new that peaks out, it hits me like basil or a fresh pungent garden herb of some sort, but it’s very hard to pin down. It also leaves a slight film-like layer on your fingers but not necessarily a stickiness. The inhale is smooth but I don’t get much of a taste and on the exhale I catch a broad earthiness with bits of that basil-freshness underneath. The headchange comes on quick and has a nice heavy thwap to it. My eyes and body felt equally heavy, I found myself spacing out quite a bit, and not wanting to do much else except stay firmly planted on the couch. I was able to maintain focus if needed but really all I wanted to do was kick back and let my mind drift off into space. I have to say I ended a few of my days thanks to the sedative power of these expertly cultivated Garanimals. At $65+tax I can’t say I’m a repeat buyer but if I found it on sale for about $50 out the door and was in need of something to send me off to bed I’d pick this up again in a heartbeat. Great work to those on the Top Shelf Team!

Trunk Funk from Cream of the Crop

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Trunk Funk from Cream of the Crop via SCSA on 10/16/19. THC tested out to 21.49%. Purchased for $2 on a customer appreciation deal. It’s difficult for me to do reviews on a gram but since it was practically free and a strain I’d never tried before I figured I’d give it a shot. The small buds in this jar were a light green with bunches of reddish brown pistils and a fair coating of triches.

The nose out of the jar was predominantly sweet with a musty peppery funk which really seems to suit it’s name. I tried to get a sense for the scent on breaking the buds but they were too small to get a handle on. When breaking it down by hand I found that pepper scent really took center stage with a doughy sweetness lingering in the background accented by hints of mint. I also found 4 seeds, which isn’t always a bad thing really, but it’s a good amount for a gram. It’s at this point this review is going to take a slight detour from the normal format and go into a little detail about what happened next. When I found the seeds I reached out to a rep for COTC’s parent brand (shoutout to @betterthangood.la) who was extremely apologetic and jumped into action to rectify the situation immediately. Not only did they pull any remaining jars with the same batch number from circulation but they also set it up so I could go and pick up 2 non-promo grams of my choosing from SCSA that same day. Apparently there were problems with the old cultivation team responsible for this batch and they’ve since been replaced and processes revamped. I was frankly blown away by the prompt and customer centric response from COTC on this as making a minor criticism of other brands in the past has just gotten me disregarded and/or blocked. Fantastic work to everyone involved at COTC and SCSA. And now, via this smooth segue, back to the normal review. The inhale was a little harsh on the throat after a few bowls and I didn’t detect any sort of flavor but on the exhale I picked up on a musty sweet aftertaste. The headchange came on quick and was fairly heavy. Even though I smoked this in the morning hours I found myself spacing out pretty hard and eventually ready for a weed nap. It definitely felt like a strain to end the day on. I can’t say I got a good feel for it with it only being a gram but what I can say I got a good feel for was COTC’s customer service, that’s definitely top notch all around, and one that’s earned my trust and future business without a doubt.

Bang Bang from Cream of the Crop

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Bang Bang from Cream of the Crop via South Coast Safe Access on 10/16/19. THC tested out to 30.7%. Purchased for $60 plus tax. I love a good sativa so when I saw that Cream of the Crop had one on the shelf that was testing over 30% I had to check it out. As I’ve said before, THC percentages don’t mean everything but they do mean something, so my interest was piqued. The look of this batch is visually reminiscent of some of the best Afgoo I used to get years ago. Extremely light green buds absolutely dripping with massive triches that almost give it this snowy/static look, as if you’re looking at them on an old school CRT TV with a weak signal, coupled burnt orange pistils that are almost entirely obscured by that substantial frost layer.

The nose of out the jar is this beautiful heavy orange scent that lands on the sweeter side coming off like some sort of orange candy that’s made with real organic ingredients. On breaking the nug that orange smells stays dominant but I pick up on a floral element making itself known. Breaking it down by hand those oranges remain but there is a fresh element that steps up to the plate as well hitting my nose somewhere between mint and pine but not exactly landing on either. The inhale is smooth, and you catch that orange experience both in and out, while it ends up leaving a nice natural orange peel like aftertaste on the tongue. The headchange comes on quick and brings a nice level of energy with it while simultaneously putting pressure on the top of your forehead and the sides of your eyes. I will say I had a little trouble staying focused and often times found myself staring off into space only to snap back into reality while exclaiming “oh yeah” and happily resuming whatever I was working on. On the jar it describes the potential effects as “Relaxed, Creative, Euphoria” and I would say that does seem to fall in line with my personal experience here. That relaxed sort of pressure around the head and eyes coupled with the boost of energy and happy go lucky attitude were no doubt present. While no sort of cannabis is going to force feed you creative ideas, I feel like it did put me in positive state of mind where creative could flourish, so I’ll give it to COTC on that one too. Of course, as always, your milage may vary. In the end, Bang Bang is a fantastic sativa and one that quickly became my go to morning smoke. The only hesitation I’d have with picking it up again is the price as there are some quality sativas out there like Crescendo and Quest that come in at about $40 and $45 respectively. That said if the price were the same across the board, it would be an extremely hard choice as Bang Bang really is a phenomenal sativa, it just has some really stiff competition. Amazing work on this one COTC, the only thing I’m bummed about on this batch is that I don’t have any left.

Star Dust from Alien Labs

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Star Dust from Alien Labs via Connected Santa Ana on 10/07/19. THC tested out to 23.95%. Purchased for $40 out the door. I spotted this Star Dust on the Connected Santa Ana menu at a killer rate so swooped in ASAP and picked it up. Unlike the Gushers this batch wasn’t too old as it was packaged back on 6/14 so I was surprised to see it at such a discount. This batch was comprised of a few bigger fox tail-ish buds. The surface was a light lime green with dark purple lilts made even lighter looking overall by the thick layer of triches that ran through every layer of the nug with only the occasional and rare appearance being made by some petite orange pistils.

The nose out of the jar was a musty pepper with an extremely faint sweet citrus in the background. It was so faint it was really hard to pin down but I did detect something other than just pepper. On the nug break the pepper was still ever present and seemed to dominate the scent profile. On the hand break down I picked up on a subtle sweet citrus that got closer to the foreground but was still playing second fiddle to that musty peppery scent while the triches were left feeling like big grains of salt running between my fingers. The inhale was smooth and I of course caught the slight taste of pepper as you might expect. On the exhale I pick up on a fresh aspect, it hit my tongue as vaguely mint. The headchange comes on quick and brings a little bit of energy and a sense of well being with it. It’s a great middle of the road hybrid as you can focus for the most part and get things done if need be but you stray off path even just a little you might find yourself spacing out and getting pleasantly lost in your own thoughts. While I really enjoyed Star Dust, and would be a buyer all day long at the discounted ticket, I’d have to say I’d be much more hesitant at the full rate. While it’s great any time herb that’s no doubt cultivated masterfully, there’s nothing particularly unique about it where I can justify shelling out for it again at the normal rate.

A visit to the Lowell Cafe (now the OG Cannabis Cafe)

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Today I’m doing something a little different reviewing my visit to the Lowell Cafe (now the OG Cannabis Cafe) on 10/19 in good old Hollywood, California. I love the idea of this place. A restaurant that has a built in dispensary where you can chill and smoke and eat all under one roof are all parts of an equation that should add up to an awesome time, and it does, but one that needs a lot of work. Here’s the break down on the bill. The tokage fee is $30 per person, the puffco was a $25 rental and the gravity bong was a $75 rental. All and all it was basically $200 for us to smoke our own weed and concentrates out of their devices. On arriving we were turned back because my buddy Dabberchan had his Puffco peak on him which we planned on using while there. They said it was against some sort of regulation and it wasn’t going to be allowed in even if it stayed tucked away for the duration of our visit. I wish it would have mentioned the fact you can’t bring your own rigs when I confirmed our reservation, it even goes so far as to mention they frown upon hats and shorts being worn in the evenings, but nothing about not bringing your own equipment. We were seated right away and I knew exactly what I wanted to order, one of the two 710 labs noodle doinks I spotted on the menu, but they were sold out. We briefly thought about picking up some flower but our budtender told us that they didn’t have samples we could look at since everything is sealed etc due to state regulation. I remember that line from Connected back in the early prop 64 days too, one hurdle they quickly got over because the truth is, most people want to see a sample of the herb they’re going to drop money on. We opted to pay the per person tokage fee and rented a puffco and the cool looking gravity bong everyone seems familiar with from Seth Rogans viral video a while back.

When it was brought it out and they were showing us how to us it, it leaked hard and they had to take it away and get it reseated, but from that point it didn’t leak anywhere but from the mouth piece. Seriously, I felt like I drank a gallon of water from the splashback on that thing. There needs to be a hose attachment or something that allows you to get some distance from that water. As it sits, it’s really not worth it. The food was awesome but damn, we barely had room on this tiny table for two, plates were hanging off the edge and we definitely felt shoulder to shoulder with other cafe goers. In the end, the waiter kind of dipped off and our waters didn’t get refilled, I realized that we were coming up to the end of our 90 minute time limit and this was most likely a subtle hint for us to make our exit. I would have ordered a milkshake but with the vibes I picked up at the point I felt like they were going to give it to me in a to go cup. I get there is a line out the door so they have to do something to keep those tables moving but if someone drops that scratch on rentals maybe ease up on that pressure. All that said, I think it is a unique experience and you can make it affordable by going the pre-roll route. Either you bring your own and pay the tokage fee or buy one of their prerolls if you see something you like. That way you aren’t renting pieces which seems to be the most expensive aspect of this cafe. For me, if you’re a local seasoned smoker, this place might not be for you at the moment. It feels like it’s pre-roll factory geared towards curious tourists who know weed is legal in California and want a chance to safely experience that in a judgement free zone. To me, that’s really what you are paying for when you come to the Lowell Cafe, you are renting a space that allows you to eat and smoke to your hearts content with other like minded positive folks who won’t judge you for it, as long as you can do that in 90 minutes anyway.

Gushers from Connected California

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Gushers from Connected California via Connected Santa Ana on 10/07/19. THC tested out to 24.33%. Purchased for $40 including tax (out the door). Gushers is one of those strains I’ve heard about for the past couple years but just never had the privilege of trying. More often that not it was just too expensive compared to other options on the table at the time so when I saw Connected had it on sale I swooped it up. I admit, I did have a little hesitation as I noticed that not only was it in a bag but it was coming up on being about a year old. The ticket was too good to pass up though so I pressed on. The nugs on this batch are extremely dense and only give slightly to an intense pinch. They hit the eye as a mostly dark green but on closer inspection I see it’s an intense patchwork of light and dark with orange pistils gathering in bunches and breaking through the surface where ever they can but mostly being stymied and stunted by the overall density of the bud. There’s a light yellowish dusting of triches that coat the herb but seem nearly lost amongst the darkness of the backdrop.

The nose out of the bag is fruity but sickly sweet. It’s close to that “foreign fruit market” smell but its muted. On the nug break the scent remains consistent which is kind of unusual as it will typically intensify at least some what on the break. Surprisingly on the hand break down the sweet scent seems to get even more muted but also carries with it just a slight hint of mint. Very strange to come across a batch that doesn’t get louder as it’s ground but that’s definitely what I experienced here. The inhale has a sour note and it a little harsh on the throat. On the exhale I catch a bit of fruit but it remains muted. The headchange is heavy on the head and eyes but is fairly middle of the road and nothing to write home about really. You feel fairly relaxed but not too spacey and while you’re not exactly couchlocked you won’t find yourself finding having motivation to do much either. While I was glad to pick this up on discount, if this is similar to what a fresh batch has to offer I can’t see myself repeating this experience, especially at the full ticket. Sorry Connected, even with this discount, this one was a miss for me.

Mendo breath (sample) from Affordable Four Twenty

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Mendo breath (sample) from Affordable Four Twenty received on 10/3/19. Normally $20 for 4 grams. I was lucky enough to be gifted this sample of this Mendo Breath after liking a pic of it on Affordable Four Twenty’s instagram page. The nugs are large and lanky with a surface that rapidly transitions from light to dark green, even dipping into deep purples on occasion with long burnt orange pistils bursting forth from nearly every crevice, all frosted over with a healthy layer of triches.

The nose out of the jar was initially confusing but as it cured it settled into an earthy scent with a touch of mint in the background. On the nug break the mint really steps to the foreground while bringing a savory scent with it that’s slightly reminiscent of sautéed onions. Breaking it down by hand reveals an even deeper level of scents. A previously undetected sweetness makes itself known and I pick up on an equally strong presence of pine and mint. It also leaves a nice stickiness on the fingers. The inhale is smooth and I pick up on a faint floral taste, while on exhale I get a minty yet savory experience. The headchange comes on quick and heavy. I found myself completely zoned out, fumbling for words on occasion, and feeling couchlocked with in a few minutes after finishing back to back bowls. I must have thought about getting up to get some water for a solid 5 minutes before I actually did. You can focus and get things done if you really need to but it’s a motivation sapper without a doubt. I’d save this one for the end of the day when you’re ready to just put on some random youtube videos and space out. For the ticket this is an absolutely phenomenal deal. Great work once again Affordable Four Twenty! You’re definitely putting out some solid herb and doing right by your name.