Author Ganjazilla

Alien OG from Stoney

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Alien OG from Stoney (which is now Puffy) via The Joint in Santa Ana on 6/27/19. THC tested out to 29.14%. Purchased for $40 plus tax. This experience was disappointing at nearly every turn. I spotted some Mendo Breath by @Korovainsider on the menu at The Joint here in Santa Ana for $35 which is a killer ticket compared to other shops in the area. I put my order in on weedmaps and headed out to the ATM. 30 minutes later I arrived at The Joint and my order still wasn’t confirmed but I figured I’d just let them know I made the order online like I had at other shops in the past and I’d be golden. Talked to the budtender and she seemed stunted someone could even order online. She went in the back to investigate and it turned out they were out of the Mendo Breath. I checked out what they had and saw this “Stoney” brand Alien OG which looked decent and tested out fairly high. It was at a slightly higher ticket than the Mendo Breath but I was compromising at that point and had high hopes for the Alien OG. Opened the bag when I got home and was greeted by essentially popcorn nugs. I am not opposed to popcorn nugs, in fact, usually I love them because it means you get awesome herb at a discount. I don’t love paying a full ticket for them though. The pics don’t lie, these are the biggest nugs from the bag.

They are really nice looking popcorn nugs, they have a good structure and are definitely coated in triches, but they are popcorn none the less. The scent is not too loud, but it’s def got that OG smell with a bit of a mint quality from what I can tell. The headchange is pretty decent, you’ll need a couple bowls to get where you’re going but when it does hit it will put you to bed. At this point I can’t say I’ll be buying any #Stoney products until they either use clear bags or reduce their ticket by about 40%. Honestly this should not be sold for more than $25 an 8th and that’s being really generous. My disappointment here is compounded by the fact that I went out to spend less on #korova who consistently has awesome herb and ended up spending more on something that was sub par. Not a good first look for Stoney or The Joint.

XJ-13 from THC Design

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XJ-13 from THC Design via Eaze on 6/27/19. THC tested out to 16.1%. This is normally $39 pre-tax which is a decent price as I’ve seen it for $45 in shops. I had $40 in credit but with tax and delivery it still ended up costing me $20 plus tip. I could have gotten my delivery for free had I put $50 worth of stuff in my cart but I didn’t want to buy cheap boof that I didn’t really want just to get $5 off. There’s also a 2.99 fee Eaze sneaks in with taxes. Feels like too much. However, I was in need of a sativa and had that Eaze credit so I checked out their menu and noticed they had this XJ-13 in stock. I love Jack crosses in general but I’d have to say XJ is my favorite so I was pretty stoked. Sticking my nose in the jar is like heaven, I love that classic Jack scent and this XJ really does it justice. The smell of floral, pine and spice all hit me just right. The nugs are a healthy light green with bits of dark and nice smattering of triches all across their surfaces giving them a nice glow in the sunlight. They are fluffy and break apart easily and lend themselves well to being broken up by finger.

My one criticism of this batch is, while the jar looked full, half the buds themselves were fairly bitsy. I feel like at least part of this should have been put out as a “smalls” or “littles” with a ticket to match. The inhale and exhale are fantastic, if you are a jack fan anyway, as you get that Jack taste throughout. The headchange is definitely energetic and clear headed. You could easily smoke this and go for a morning jog and feel fantastic after. The downside, as is with a lot of sativas, is that the effects are fairly short lived. I ended up burning through this eighth with a quickness because after about 20-30 minutes I’d be reaching for another bowl. That being said, would I buy this again? Absolutely. At $39-45 pretax? Maybe not as there are a lot of options within that price range. At a reduced smalls rate? Without a doubt. Still a fantastic example of XJ-13 from the folks at THC Design and one I wouldn’t hesitate to cop again under the right circumstances.

Bacio Gelato (outdoor) from Sherbinskis

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Bacio Gelato (outdoor) from Sherbinskis via The Spot on 6/23/19. THC tested out to 20.098%. Usually this would be $35 plus tax but was $10 plus tax due to the happy hour special at The Spot. Having heard a ton of buzz about Sherbinskis when saw this Bacio Gelato was available as a part of The Spot’s (formerly known as The 10 Spot) killer happy hour deal I hopped on it. If you check out my first impression video you’ll see the bag consisted of 2 small nugs and one big beefy boy which I appreciated. These bags are such a mystery a lot of time, when dealing with a brand for the first time there’s a really high potential for shake, but that was definitely not the case here. It is evident this is outdoor through and through, the nugs just have that dark look to them, but also on first touch it’s evident it’s quality outdoor.

The bag gives off a sweet zing but it’s when you break apart the nug that you start to get an appreciation for the genetics at work. There’s an overwhelmingly sweet berry scent that smells like a bunch of fruit that’s slightly overripe. The nug is fairly dense and resistant to being finger ground, if you try though, it’ll leave a nice start to some finger hash on your fingertips. The inhale is clean and smooth and you catch some of that sweetness on the exhale. The headchange comes on quick and strong but is surprisingly clear headed and semi energetic. It’s not a brain basher or couchlocker by any means, and while it’s not quite a one hitter quitter, it’s not the type of outdoor that will have you rolling j after j in order to get you where you need to go. It has a surprising smack to it for something that tests out at just above 20%. For $35, I’m not a repeat buyer because frankly there are a lot of options in that price range, but at $10 it’s a steal and I’d definitely be a buyer at that price all day.

WiFi 43 from Source Cannabis

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WiFi 43 from Source Cannabis via The 10 Spot on 6/23/19. THC tested out to 26.1%. Purchased for $45 plus tax. After the excellent experience I had with Source’s Quest, I decided to give another one of their Sativa leaning hybrids a shot, so I set my sights on WiFi 43 aka White Fire. This batch is not as visually stunning as the Quest but you can tell it’s still an extremely well cultivated plant. The nose on this batch is also much louder than the Quest, it’s not going to turn heads if you pop it open a crowded room exactly, but there’s a strong diesel scent coupled with a musty spice that will at least get you attention from a couple of feet away. While the triches on this batch might not be eye popping, they are numerous and mighty and definitely leave a nice resin on your fingers as soon you make skin contact with the bud, it’s got almost a light super glue (as in the actual glue, not the herb) feel to it.

The surface is a nice light green with hints of dark and really sporadic occasional orange red hairs, they almost go unnoticed though, it’s as if they are hiding and do not want to be seen. The headchange is great, it comes on strong and fast and really brings that energy with it, but it does leave you a little spacey. It’s not debilitating by any means, however if you need supreme focus it might not be the best wake and bake. It’d be perfect for a morning hike, gardening, or even something like Saturday morning cartoons. If I had to pick between this and Quest again I’m really not sure which one I would pick as they are both awesome and you really can’t go wrong with either. This another awesome effort by Source at a decent ticket for the rec market and I wouldn’t hesitate to repeat the experience if given the chance. Fantastic work once again to the folks at Source!

Dosickeys from North Country Pharms

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Dosickeys from North Country Pharms via Evergreen Santa Ana on 6/18/19. THC tested out to 22.51%. Purchased for $60 before tax. Truth be told, I went down to Evergreen that day to get not only a sativa but I was hoping to grab some @Lumpysflowers Lemon Trill to review, but it was out of stock. Hearing awesome things about the Grape Jelly Donut from North Country Pharms, I decided to look over what they had on offer and the Dosickeys won me over on sight alone. I really dig the packaging here and appreciate the little sticker included in the box. The buds have an extremely appealing look that denote the highest levels of cultivation craftsmanship. Dark purples compose the surface as bouquets of sunset colored hairs erupt from deep within the nug as troves of finely sized triches fill in every possible space they can find.

In my first impressions video I said the scent I picked up on was pickle-like out of the jar and I stand by that, but on closer inspection, it has rich tones of spice accompanied hints of floral and pine. When you finger grind it the pine really comes out to an extreme, there’s a freshness that comes with it, almost hits the nose like mint. The buds look tough but aren’t too dense, they break down to soft pebbles and feel like small wads of tissue with the way they run through the fingers. The headchange is a lot less heavy than I imagined it would be. On first look, I thought this would be a real couchlocker/brain basher, but I was pleasantly surprised by the energy this strain brings. It’s really a great feel-good any time kind of smoke, and while it’s not exactly a one hitter quitter, you don’t need to smoke through a fat j to get where you want to be. This herb would be great for a majority of activities, whether you’re watching a movie, playing a game, or even just catching up with some friends it’ll allow you to stay focused and have fun with what you’re doing. This was a great entry experience into the world of North Country Pharms. It’s apparent they put out a quality product and I look forward to reviewing their other offerings in the future.

Quest from Source Cannabis

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Quest from Source Cannabis via Evergreen Santa Ana on 6/18/19. THC tested out to 25%. Purchased for $45 plus tax. I was on the hunt for a new sativa here in Santa Ana and one name that I kept seeing pop up over and over again was Quest. I felt like as soon as I saw the sample jar my eyes popped right out of my head. This strain is just straight gorgeous. If there were a weed beauty pageant Quest would win first place without question. I feel terrible tearing it apart to smoke it because feels like destroying a work of art, or at least I what I imagine that must feel like. The pictures speak for themselves.

Big beautiful light green buds with a pinecone like structure with dark orange red hairs breaking through to the surface wherever they can while batting the immense layer of massive triches forcefully besieging every bit of plant matter through to the stem. I feel like “Quest” is a great name because this batch definitely glows like a quest item in a video game. For as loud as she looks, the smell is really muted, much more than I’d expect. There’s a fairly subtle gassy/diesel scent coupled with a bit of floral spice. The smoke is excellent, very smooth, and you catch that diesel on the in and exhale. The headchange is exactly what I’m looking for in a sativa. Although you can space out if not needing to focus, you definitely will find yourself wanting to be active no matter what your current task. I was attempting to watch an old episode of California’s Gold and while I was into the show, I found myself get up, start to pace and eventually I grabbed a kettle bell to keep my fidgeting at bey. It’s an awesome get up and go factor that that will definitely have me reaching for Quest again next time I’m in need of a solid sativa experience. Excellent work from the team at Source, I expect awesome things from them going forward and can’t wait to check out some of their other offerings

Gelonade (Smalls Edition) from Connected California

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Gelonade Smalls from Connected California via Connected Santa Ana on 6/14/19. THC tested out to 28.2% total. Purchased for $93 out the door for a 7 gram jar. I decided to give the Connected Smalls another shot after checking out the testing results on this batch and it being on par with the top shelf indoor batch. The nose on this run is incredible, it smells like straight lemon peels, there’s maybe a hint of sweet in there but it’s definitely steamrolled by the glorious zing of citrus. The Lemon Tree heritage really shines though. The nugs themselves are tiny but look fantastic. Mostly light green with patches of dark while the brownish orange pistils grip the surface of the bud and also fill in any cracks in the nug structure. The triches are small and plentiful, an even coat of frosting giving the herb nice hazy sheen overall.

The inhale is smooth and you catch lemon flavors on the way in but especially on the way out. The headchange is quick and strong and fairly complimentary to whatever activity you may be doing. To use now outdated terminology I’d say it’s a sativa leaning hybrid. At first it semi racey but doesn’t have a paranoid edge, you can focus on and stay on task but it’s easy enough to get sucked into the couch, especially about 30-45 minutes in when the initial punch starts to wear off. I think this is a really great any time smoke that packs a good punch and has a fairly long lasting intensity. This experience has definitely redeemed Connected/Alien Labs Smalls in my opinion, and while I’ll definitely compare labels going forward, it’s a great way to get a taste of the top shelf at a more mid tier ticket.

Sugar Cone (YOLO/Outdoor Edition from Connected California

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Sugar Cone (YOLO/Outdoor Edition from Connected California via Connected Santa Ana on 6/14/19. THC tested out to 24.23% total. Purchased for $28 pre-tax. After my last positive experience with Connected/Alien Labs outdoor, I decided I’d give the entire line up a go since they come in at a bargain ticket on the rec market. I asked the budtender for her recommendation and she pointed me in the direction of this Sugar Cone and I’m glad she did. From what I’m told it’s Cookies and Cream crossed with Gelato #41. In my first impressions video I said the bag smells like an empty vanilla ice cream container that’s been left out at room temp for a couple hours, it was the first thing that came to mind when smelling it and I stand by that impression. When you break it up by hand the vanilla smell is still there and it’s accompanied by sweet and spice, specifically cinnamon, oddly enough it smells vaguely like Honey Bunches of Oats with Vanilla Clusters. It’s not extremely overwhelming but the scent is there and I really dig it. The bud itself really looks great. It’s very dense and there’s a nice coating of shiny triches that grip tightly to the surface.

The smoke is smooth and you catch a bit of that sweetness on the exhale. The headchange comes on quick but doesn’t thwap you too hard at first, but will cause you to start spacing out if you’re not actively doing something. You could almost get away with wake and baking on this strain but it leaves you just a little too floaty for focus based activity. If you have some light housework or a walk to go on, or any other activity you can go on “autopilot for”, this strain would be a good compliment to that sort of day. It’s a very pleasant and uplifting high that can wash away the remants of a bad day without leaving you too floored. Great experience over all and really makes me confident the next batch of outdoor I pick up from Connected will not disappoint. Excellent work by all those at Connected who were involved!

Cherry Punch from Korova

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Cherry Punch from Korova via The 10 Spot on 6/1/19. THC tested out to 21.77% total. Purchased for $50 plus tax. Purple Punch tends to have a lot of bag appeal, so when I saw Korova (who consistently puts out fire) put out a cross with Cherry AK-47, I decided to see if it’s bark was as big as it’s bite. The look definitely doesn’t disappoint here. There’s a nice frosting of triches giving the nugs that sort of hazy shine which slightly obscures the tightly wound light greens and purples that comprise the majority of the surface area. The odd brownish red hair pops out of the hair here and there looking like a ginger teens unkept uneven attempt at a mustache.

The smell out of the jar is musty and spicy with minor hint of sweetness, however when you finger grind it there’s a fruity sweet almost candy quality that is released, it’s almost a night and day difference. The smoke is smooth and you get a taste of that musty spice on the way out, I don’t really pick up on any sweetness in the exhale. The headchange is fairly mild and mellow, nothing really notable in all honesty, just a chill high that doesn’t interfere with your day too much. If you need energy for whatever you’re going to do I’d say definitely avoid it, but if you’re just going to be smoking at home and looking for something to take you up to cruising altitude without locking you up too much, this might be for you. For me, I’ll probably look to something else from Korova instead of picking this up again, I don’t see any qualities in this particular batch that call for a repeat buy as opposed to some of their other herbs which call to me even to this day (looking at you Super Silver Haze!). If you’ve tried it, let me know what you think!

MAC #capscut from Woodland Reserve

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MAC #capscut from Woodland Reserve via Evergreen in Santa Ana on 6/04/19. THC tested out to 21.7% total. Purchased for $44 out the door. So far, I’ve loved all the MAC I’ve smoked, so when I saw this really nice looking jar from Woodland Reserve with the infamous #capscut on the lid I knew I couldn’t leave the shop without it. Now I don’t drink, but the packaging gives me those fancy alcohol vibes. It’s got a faux wood cap and reflective label with gold writing across the front which is hard to capture in picture format, but in visual style it’s very similar to a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue. As with a lot of MAC, the nugs are straight beautiful, and this batch is no exception. Mostly light green nearing yellow with occasional bursts of purple all coated in that signature heavy frost.

The nose is always hard to pin down on this strain and this batch is no exception. The label has a flavor attributes section and says it’s Diesel, sweet and spicy. There is definitely a sweet and spicy combo going on in the scent, but that’s all I’m really picking up, not coming up with any diesel but it does have a sort of “zing” to it, which may be translated as diesel-ish, however it just feels extra spicy to me. It really comes through when you finger grind it, smells almost like a freshly cooked meat of some sort. It is a little too dense to finger grind properly though and ends up like small pebbles, best to bust out the grinder on this one. The smoke is smooth on the inhale and you definitely can get a bit of that sweet and spicy taste on the way out. The headchange on this one seems to be a little bit lighter and less racy than the MAC I picked up from L A Made, it doesn’t give me the “oh shit, am I too high?” feeling that seemed so evident before. It’s nice not to have that paranoid edge, and it’s a very pleasant experience over all, however it will leave you a bit spacy so I wouldn’t smoke this at time you require focus as it’s not going to happen. I found myself walking back and forth between the living room and kitchen multiple times because I’d just forget what I’m doing as I was lost in other thought. While there does seem to be something special about getting MAC directly from Caps shop, this was a great first time experience with Woodland Reserve and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick it up again at $44 as it’s very similar to the LA Made price point without having to go to DTLA to grab it. Excellent work Woodland Reserve, excited to check out the strains in your stable!