Author Ganjazilla

Dosi Mac from CAM

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Dosi Mac from CAM via ShowGrow in Long Beach on 2/21/2021 (shout out to @dude_doing_things on instagram for making it happen!). THC tested out to 32.63%. This was gifted to me but it averages in that 50-60 pre tax range from what I have seen. I’ve heard a lot of great things about CAM, so when my boy Travis aka dude_doing_things offered me a jar of their Dosi Mac, I found it to be an offer I simply could not refuse. The surface of these dense shrub shaped buds are a mix of sage, tea and hunter greens coupled with tracts of cantaloupe orange pistis, all of which is hazed over in a wash of white and crystal clear triches.

The nose out of the jar is a sweet must with a distant spice cabinet edge. On busting open a bud, that sweetness brightens up a bit and gets more sugar-like in nature, while also bringing with it a touch of fruity cream and an echo of herbaceousness. Breaking it down by hand a very muted must and freshness lingers on my fingertips, whereas the grinds themselves carry more a sweet fruity flat cream that hits my nose sort of like a strawberry yogurt, but with the strawberry aspect being emphasized over that one dimensional cream.

The dry pull on the jay is a toned down sweet floral with an herbaceous lilt and a hint of cream. The inhale is smooth and on the joint comes with a very light sweet floral cream, whereas the bong is essentially the same but has a hint of that herbal characteristic. The exhale on the joint is a sweet floral cream with a spicy herbaceous edge whereas the bong is more of a straight sugar sweet floral with distant fresh fruity nod on bong. Cross checking the flavors on my GhostVapes MV1, at 170c I get a very light sweet floral with a faint pine, whereas at 185c it’s an even lighter sweet floral with a minty pine follow up.

The headchange comes on quick with a healthy initial slap but also has a creeper effect that ramps things up even further over a short period of time. Mentally I didn’t feel too worse for wear, I was able to focus if need be, although there were a few moments where I’d have the realization I was completely spaced out and cognitively miles away from what I was working on. I also noticed that over time, especially in the early evening, my drive to accomplish tasks on my to-do list waned hard to the point where I’d tell myself “welp, there’s always tomorrow”. Physically, right after smoking my body felt lighter and I got a bit of that floating chest sort of feeling, and over time there’s a slight ASMR like tingle that radiated from the base of my neck out to the edges of my shoulders.

All and all I dug this batch of Dosi Mac from CAM, even though it’s age is a bit higher than ideal when it comes to reviewing, it held up surprisingly well so I can definitely see myself grabbing a fresher batch at some point to contrast and compare the experiences. Great work CAM, your reputation is well deserved, and I’m definitely hyped on getting in on more of your library in the near future. 

Levels from The Ten Co

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Levels from #thetenco on 3/19/2021 (Huge shout out to RoldByG for making it happen). No testing info available on this batch. This was gifted to me but it’s if you know you know status, I am not aware of a store with this currently on it’s menu. It’s coming up on two years since I first reviewed a Ten Co strain (Blue Zushi) so when RoldbyG offered to hand off some fresh Ten Co flavors I was more than on board to check them out. 

These big bulbous buds are a mix of tea, lime and hunter greens that frequently dip into deep rich aubergines, coupled with abundant bunches of marigold colored pistils, all of which is iced over in a thick blanket of bone white triches. Looking at the buds under bright light with the naked eye, there’s also this warm amethyst glow that the camera fails to pick up on no matter the angle I try, but it’s something that doesn’t fail to catch my attention in person every time.  

The nose out of the bag is a fresh floral and sweet syrup with a minor perfume edge, and what I’d describe as a medicinally herbaceous background that smells similar to sarsaparilla.  Busting open a bud that sweet fresh floral amps up with a slightly fruity vibe, while a savory or spicy element also emerges, but it’s hard to pin down as my nose’s perception keeps flipping between muted chocolate, root beer candy, or maybe even a vague baked good. Breaking it down by hand, I get a minty floral with sugar sweet syrup in the background on my fingertips which ended up coated in a sticky trich grime, while the grinds themselves come hard with that root beer candy, which morphs into something heavily savory and a bit confusing. It’s a complex mix of soy or beef jerky up top but also has that very sweet floral backend which at times has a faint touch of lemon. Every time I sniff I feel like I take away something new, sort of like when I re-watch episodes of Arrested Development, I notice some new subtle detail that enhances the experience over all. It’s rich and sweet and savory, almost to the point where if I came across it in a food I’d wonder if it’d gone sour or if it was supposed to smell this way, but it’s unique to say the least. 

The dry pull on the joint is a deep rich freshness that has a minty yet savory aftertaste. The inhale is smooth but hits with a hearty smoke, it comes with a fresh sweet floral on the bong whereas the joint is essentially the same, but finishes out with a musty tang. The exhale from the bong is a musty fresh floral with a vaporous quality and a touch of anise and an occasional light chocolate finish, while the joint is a fresh floral similar to the inhale, but the tang comes off more savory, even to the point where it hits slightly sour but it’s very mild and distant. Cross checking the flavors on my GhostVapes MV1, at 170c it’s an extremely fresh floral whereas at 185c it’s not as extreme, but the fresh floral still dominates while a sweet quality makes itself known with a carbonated edge that gives it an overall “sweet flower soda” characteristic. 

The headchange comes on quick with a solid hazy eyed slap and some happy go lucky energy, but as time marches on, that energy peels back as a more chill, laid back vibe starts to settle in. While I found myself easily distracted, even to the point of forgetting what I was just doing, I also experienced a minor bout of creative euphoria that was very beneficial in getting through some tasks I’d been putting off for some time. Even though a weight was settling in over my body, from my forehead down into my shoulders, I still found myself working at my standing desk swaying to the beat of some music I had on with the purpose of helping me focus. As more time passed the chill vibe intensified to the point it bordered on sleepy while my motivations became much less task oriented and much more food oriented. Overall I have to say I enjoyed my time with this batch of Levels. It packs an enjoyable hard hitting punch that works well for those late afternoon seshes where you still have some chores to knock off your To-Do list but are ready to start unwinding for the evening. Be forewarned though, if you’re at all tired, you may end up looking at the back of your eyelids for the rest of the night before you even know what hit you. Nice job on this one Team Ten, it was no doubt a solid showing, keep up the great work!

Waiting Game from Curated Cannabis

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Waiting Game from Curated Cannabis on 3/12/2021. THC tested out to 19.66%. This was gifted to me but you can find Curated 8ths at Mother Nature’s Remedy in Woodland Hills for $45. It’d been a bit since I’ve had a gem from Curated on the page, so when they hit me up and asked if I wanted to check out their latest batch of Waiting Game, I hopped at the chance. This giant hulked out bud is comprised mostly of chartreuse and lime green accompanied by rashes of amethyst and aubergine, coupled with sporadic wisps of orange tinged twine colored pistils, all of which are besieged by a tightly clustered brigade of tall white triches with bulbous heads giving the whole nug a snowed over look.

The nose out of the jar is very reminiscent of an old wooden spice cabinet, it brings to mind images of peppercorns and dried bay leaves, and comes off as a combo of that classic Jack Herer scent with a really peppery lean. Busting open the bud, I get essentially the same experience, but the pepper aspect gets a hair louder. Breaking it down by hand there’s again, not much of a change smell-wise, but it does seem to shift to a slightly more savory mode as I kept getting whiffs of spiced celery in the background. The inhale is very smooth, and on the bong I get a muted spiced floral, while on the joint it has more of a floral tang. The exhale on the bong is a semi sweet spiced floral with a musty cream underpinning and a distant vague echo of fruit and celery, whereas the joint carries those qualities as well, but the cream comes in just a touch sweeter. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a semi sweet floral with a light piney finish whereas at 185c, I get a slightly sweeter floral with a pine and hoppy aftertaste. The headchange comes on quick with a hazy headed slap that brings a feel good energy along with it. Mentally I felt perked up and ready to work, I found myself in a positive state of mind and easily able to focus, approaching tasks that only moments early I found daunting and completing them with gusto. Physically, that hazy headed calm spread into my shoulders and down my spine resulting in an overall chill body vibe, which I felt was very complimentary to that hyped up state of mind as it allowed me to stay still while funneling all of that productive energy directly into the computer. I started leaning on it as a “work sativa” as I appreciated the mental stimulation it afforded while distinctly lacking that sometimes annoying fidgety edge that won’t let one stay still. All and all I really enjoyed this batch of Waiting Game and I definitely could see myself picking it up again at the right ticket. Another fantastic selection by the awesome folks down at Curated Cannabis, great job once again, keep up the excellent work!

Unruly OG from Blem Vibe / Cali Lotus

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Unruly OG from Blem Vibe / Cali Lotus via Show Grow Long Beach on 2/21/2021 (shout out to @dude_doing_things for making it happen!). THC tested out to 32.099%. I was lucky to get this at an awesome discount thanks to Dude Doing Things as it goes for $70 pretax at Show Grow. Even at Catalyst this will run you a pretty penny at something like $76 out the door. After a recent subpar experience with some rec market Billy Kimber, a lot of followers told me part of the reason for the poor showing was Cali Lotus was no longer growing it and that I needed to do myself a favor and try some Unruly OG from Blem, so I was stoked when my boy @dude_doing_things came through with a batch. The surface of these bulbous billowing buds are mostly a mix of sage, olive and lime greens with plentiful pops of tangerine and cider orange pistils, and a delicate frosting of clear and egg cream colored triches.

The nose out of the jar is a sweet floral with fuel and a touch of lemon accompanied by some musty spice lingering in the background. Busting open a nug, that sweet floral fuel combo gets even louder, and brightens up a bit with the introduction of a minor fresh element. Breaking it down my hand, my fingers are sticky and smell of sweet floral piney fuel, where the grinds themselves are more of a pearl-sugar sweet floral with an astringent lemon twist and a strong vaporous undertone.

The dry pull on the joint is a gassy sweetness with a hint of freshness and distant lemon candy lilt. The inhale is smooth on the joint initially and has a light lemon floral sweetness, whereas the bong comes with a less tightly defined muted sweet floral experience. The exhale on the joint is a gassy semi perfume like floral with distant sweet lemon, whereas the bong had more of a sweet cream quality with a piney perfume floral backing. It should be noted the joint did start to get slightly harsh about three quarters of the way through, but it wasn’t a show stopper by any means. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a minor cooling sensation on the way in and a very piney exhale with a lingering floral pine aftertaste, whereas at 185c that strong pine remains, making itself known even on the inhale, while leaving a heavy pinesol aftertaste in your mouth for what seems like minutes afterward.

The preliminary headchange comes on quick but is deceptive as it made me feel as if it didn’t pack much of a punch. I was gullible enough to smoke a second bowl and only a good 10 minutes after that did the true effects of this batch of Unruly begin to set in. Unnoticeable at first, I found myself thinking about getting up from the kitchen table to do some work at the computer, and then not moving. I thought about it again, yet I remained sat at the kitchen table, taking in the ever widening disconnect between my will and the reality of the situation at hand. I was in the clutches of a classic case of couchlock. Moments earlier I was surprised at how cognizant and lively I felt and now I started to feel all of that energy drain away. Mustering all possible remaining resolve, I managed to stand up and walk a few feet to the couch, sit down and settle into an awkward yet surprisingly comfortable forty five degree side lean. I foolishly attempted to focus on what was on TV as my eyelids slowly started to collapse and I faded from consciousness. 1:45pm – Total knockout. At some point I managed to make my way to my bed and continued to sleep there for a few hours. I woke up in a stupor, unsure of how long I’d been napping but I quickly took comfort in the fact it was still light outside. That sort of feeling is very reminiscent of how the old black bag Billy Kimber used to hit me so I can see why this came so highly recommended.

Unruly is a solid, well grown OG, with a hardcore creeper to sleeper slap that is rarity in rec market offerings these days. It’s a hard hitting flower that I will not be wake and baking on again any time soon, but I will save what I have left for those nights where I find myself tossing and turning with no reprieve, as it’s the absolute perfect remedy for those situations. That said, while I really enjoyed my time with this batch, I don’t see myself picking it up again any time soon as the ticket is fairly high and there’s a lot of other top tier flower out there I haven’t had the pleasure of trying yet. However, if I found myself battling a weeks long bout of insomnia this would be the first strain I’d try to find to help end it. Solid job all around Cali Lotus, it’s evident in this batch alone that you’re capable of putting out high caliber herb, as this batch of Unruly definitely met the lofty expectations I had for it. Great work!

Z-41 from Cali Kush Farms

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Z-41 from Cali Kush Farms via The Kind Center on 1/12/2020 (shout out to Cali Kush Farms for making it happen!). THC tested out to 30.93%. I was gifted this sample but The Kind Center usually has deals and I’d say you could most likely get this for around $45 out the door if not less. Having had an awesome experience with everything from Cali Kush Farms thus far, I was absolutely stoked when they hit me up and told me they had a care package of fresh flower waiting for me at The Kind Center, so I swooped in as soon as I possibly could. These buxom buds appear entirely Space blue with only the smallest of patches being a forest green coming through, accompanied by pale cantaloupe orange pistils, all of which is difficult to discern because the surface is absolutely shrouded in a thick canopy of bright highlighter yellow triches.

The nose out of the jar is a sickly and sugary sweet fruit coupled with a floral musty undertone and some distant freshness. Busting open a bud the sugary sweet fruit amps up a bit as that fresh mint quality makes its way to the foreground. Breaking it down by hand, my fingers are absolutely coated in sticky bits of bud and a floral sweet freshness, while the grinds themselves are essentially that same sweet fruit and bright mint with a vaporous backing that comes off like a fruit version of a Halls lozenge.

The dry pull on the joint is a very sugary sweet minty floral with a bit of candy fruitiness in the background and leaves me with a slightly mentholated lip. The inhale is smooth and is a muted sugar sweet floral on the bong, whereas the joint is essentially the same, but that sugar sweet floral is sharper and more clearly defined. The exhale on the bong is surprisingly a sweet musty cream with a touch of light fruit in the background whereas the joint comes with a sweet fruity floral and a touch of freshness. Cross checking the flavors on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get sugar sweet floral and pine with a touch of mint, whereas at 185c the sugar sweet floral remains as the pine falls off a bit with an aftertaste that’s reminiscent of a strange mix of skunky beer and light sugar cookie.

The headchange comes on quick with a hazy headed smack that left me cognitively stunted and has a minorly energetic paranoid edge. Seriously, if your brain is required to be in working order in any capacity then I’d advise avoiding this strain until a time where you have absolutely nothing of consequence to accomplish on your agenda and you’re able to let your mind wander into the depths of outer space. I was able to conceptualize with ease however I could not stay focused no matter how hard I tried, and when talking I’d find myself constantly experiencing that tip of the tongue feeling and having to settle for another word because the one I wanted would simply not manifest in the moment. Physically I felt my eyes lower a touch, as a little weight settled into my shoulders, and a slight tingle made its way down my spine.

All and all I really enjoyed my time with Z-41, it’s a tasty brain crippling smoke that pairs excellently with a cup of coffee on a wake and bake, and works well as an anytime smoke when you’re looking to get mentally obliterated without fear of knocking out prematurely. I’d definitely grab it again if I saw a fresh drop at The Kind Center. Great job on this one CKF, another solid heater, keep up the fantastic work!

Forty One from Panacea Farm

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Forty One from Panacea Farm via OC3 Dispensary on 10/29/2020 (Huge shoutout to awesome folks and Panacea and OC3 for making it happen). THC tested out to 26.35%. This was gifted to me but it goes for around 55$ plus tax at OC3, and if you buy a full ounce you get 25% off, so that basically makes up for the tax aspect if you go hard. I know some followers out there are sick and tired of how prevalent Gelato is in the current rec marketplace, but at this point with it being essentially a modern classic, I look at it as a benchmark strain that can be used as one facet of determining the ability of a grower. As I said in the first impressions video on this batch, Gelato is a bit like fried rice in the sense that every Chinese restaurant may have one one the menu, but the enjoyment of the dish can vary wildly from place to place and depends greatly on the quality ingredients and the skill of the chef. That said, this is a fine specimen in regards to the strain. The surface of these two chunky buds is a patch work of fern, forest, and jade greens that seamlessly transition to shades of indigo and midnight blue coupled with ample bursts of twine orange pistils, all of which is washed over in a considerable amount of spiky goldenrod triches.

The nose out of the jar is “classic” gelato, that rich grungy sickly sweet fruit scent that I always refer to as “that foreign fruit market smell”, and a bit of vague mint far in the distance. Busting open a bud, the fruity scent brightens up a bit and loses it’s grungy quality, while that mint amplifies and gets sharper in tone, and when taken in all together comes with some Sweet Tart or Mentos like vibes. Breaking it down by hand I get a sweet mint with a touch of fruit on the fingers, while the grinds themselves have a rich fruity sweetness that struck me as some sort of grenadine made with real pomegranate and cane sugar, a very pleasant natural sweetness as opposed to an artificial cloying one. The dry pull on the joint is a very light fruity sweet with a touch of that grunge and a vague freshness which was surprising given the strength of the terps off the grinds. The inhale is smooth, and on the bong I get a light sweet minty floral, whereas on the joint it’s a muted fruity sweetness with a touch of chalkiness. The exhale is a light sweet floral with mint and a hint of cream on the bong, whereas the joint is essentially the same, but the mint comes in slightly sharper as the cream drops off all together. Cross checking the flavors on my GhostVapes MV1, at 170c I get heavy pine with mint and a semi hoppy beer aftertaste, where at 185c I get heavy pine floral with a lingering mint pine aftertaste. The initial headchange comes on quick but takes a minute to ramp up and is fairly mild in nature. Mentally it’s very functional, I am able to focus as needed and am very present, not that I’d want to take a math test in the wake of smoking it, but if that were the scenario I think I’d do just as well as I would sober. Physically it puts some weight on my body, but again it’s not so overwhelming that it makes me want to take a seat, I feel like I could maintain a slow pace on a chill bike ride with ease. It’s a very mellow middle of the road kind of stone and I found myself often ripping back to back bowls in order to get to the level I wanted to be on. That said, it’s a beautiful and well grown example of Gelato #41, but taste and effects wise there wasn’t enough of an impact made on me where I felt like the experience bears repeating. However, if I happen across a fresh batch in a shop at around $50 out the door I’d be compelled to pick it up again and see if it fared any differently, as I did sit on this sample for a few months before being able to examine it thoroughly. Still a solid showing from Panacea on this one, great work!

M. Con no. 8 from Royal Key Organics

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M. Con no. 8 from Royal Key Organics via Catalyst Santa Ana on 02/08/2021. THC tested out to 19.7%. Purchased for about $38 out the door because of the Super Bowl Discount, normally it would be $69 out the door. I have been admiring Royal Key’s M. Con phenos from a far for a long time now, so when Catalyst had their killer Super Bowl sale and I noticed that M. Con #8 was on the menu, I jumped at the chance to get it on a discount. The surface of these semi dense bulbous buds is a mix of fern and tea greens that subtly shift into warm pulses of plum and aubergine, coupled with sporadic pops of royal and tiger orange pistils, all of which is absolutely drenched in a deluge of white and egg cream colored triches.

The nose out of the jar is a musty spice with underlying floral sweetness and quiet grape. Busting open a bud, the sweetness amps up as the grape sharpens, while tones of mint and pine kick around in the background. Breaking it down by hand my fingertips smell of sweet pine, while the grinds themselves are a light sweet fruit coupled with pine and mint, all which is backended by a floral quality with a perfume edge. The dry pull on the joint is a light sweet floral with a hint of grape lead fruitiness and freshness. The inhale is smooth and on both the joint and the bong and carries that light sweet floral to fruition. The exhale on the joint is mostly a light sweet floral as well but it has a hint of grape and must in the background, whereas on the joint that sweet grape really comes through up top, pushing any semblance of that floral must to the wings. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a slight cooling sensation on the way in while on the exhale I catch heavy pine with a touch of sweet floral, whereas at 185c I still get some cooling on the way in but the exhale is much more floral, and the pine shifts slightly to a pine-sol like finish as opposed to straight pine. The headchange comes on quick but is very mild in nature. Physically, I feel a slight haze across the top of my eyes and a light weight in the shoulders, however it’s nowhere near incapacitating and feels very complementary to chill activities. Mentally I am relaxed and able to focus as needed. While I might be apprehensive about have to make a professional presentation or any other activity where I’m required to be on my A-game because there are real world stakes, in a causal situation, it’s perfect for kicking back and conversing because I’m easily able to stay present and not constantly losing the thread. If you’re looking for a brain busting herb that will send you to outer space this one probably isn’t for you, but I found it to be some quality long lasting any time smoke with an old school feel, and I definitely enjoyed my time with it. That said, for near $70 I’d be hesitant to cop it again just because it didn’t quite stand out enough for me effects wise to bear repeating, but for $38 it was a steal and a half and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Great work Royal Key, from this one batch it’s evident that you put out some quality flower, I’d love to get into more of your library. 

Irene from The Russian Assassin Boyz

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Irene from The Russian Assassin Boyz via #TraditionalDTLA on 3/19/2021 (big thanks to them both for making it happen!). THC not listed on this batch. I was gifted this bag but from what I see on Traditionals Menu, it looks like it would go for about $33.50 plus tax if available. After the first impressions of their Wonka hit my page, I got a few messages saying Irene was THE strain to try from the Russian Assassin Boyz, so I was stoked to see it was one of two strains in my newly acquired sample pack. The surface of these trident-esque buds are mostly a mix of raisin and aubergine with rashes of emerald and mint green, pronounced wisps of lanky tiger orange pistils, all of which is heavily engulfed in a dense flocking of egg cream colored triches.

The nose out of the bag is an intensely savory GMO like smell (which I’m told is due to the Chem in the lineage) with a battery acid edge and some underlying sweetness coupled with a very distant touch of cream. Busting open a bud, that intense savoriness stays dominant but there’s a pastry sweetness that emerges, all while still being wrapped in this acidic tinge. Breaking it down by hand, it leaves a light savory scent on the fingers with a touch of sweetness, while the grinds themselves are undeniably savory, the scent shifts slightly and dips into tones of anise or black licorice. The dry pull on the joint is super strong in that savory chem characteristic to the point it feels like it coats your tongue and it’s all you can taste. The inhale on both the joint and the bong is smooth, and the former has a savory hashy taste with a noticeable tang, while the latter I’d describe simply as a sweet hashy gas. The exhale on the joint is super savory and has a gassy aspect that leans slightly sour, whereas the bong is a bit harder to pin down, as it hits me with that savory gas but also has a light sweetness kicking around in the background. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a heavy floral with a perfume kick, where at 185c it’s still extremely floral but has a light pine element that morphs into a hoppy beer like aftertaste. The headchange comes on quick and smacks like a fully loaded Mack truck. I was totally caught off guard by it the first time I tried it, one bowl had me spacey and slack jawed, and when I came back to earth I started messaging my group chats about how it absolutely obliterated me. Physically, a calm set in near immediately as a hazy glaze made its way across my eyes, and a bit of weight settled into my shoulders and lower back. Mentally, I found myself constantly losing the thread and generally confused when challenged with simple things like spelling common words, however that cognitive chokehold laid off fairly quickly and was replaced by a chill easy going vibe that left me feeling mellow and not wanting for more. All and all, this batch of Irene is some fantastic smoke for any time you want to get truly blasted to the point you lose touch with planet earth. Even now, after growing accustomed to it’s slap, I still approach with caution as it manages to put me on the ropes no matter the time of day. While I’m able to manage certain tasks and get through my to do list with the aid of a strong cup of coffee, if I’m at all tired, Irene will for sure have me down for the count within minutes. I really enjoyed my time with this batch and I definitely plan on picking more up again in the future. Fantastic flower Russian Assassin Boyz, you absolutely killed it on this one, keep up the awesome work!

Banana OG from Fresh Baked

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Banana OG from Fresh Baked via The Circle in Long Beach on 12/10/2020 (big thanks to Fresh Baked and The Circle for making it happen!). THC tested out to 29.39%. This was gifted to me but at the time I picked it up was going for $55 on the menu. Last time I went to the Circle in Long Beach to pick up Fresh Baked’s limited edition batch of Ice Cream Cake, they were awesome enough to also include this bag of Banana OG which I’d heard nothing but good things about, so I was absolutely stoked to jump in. The surface of these semi-dense fat bottomed shrub shaped nugs are a mix of forest, fern and tea greens, with wisps of twine brown pistils timidly clinging to the canopy, all of which is flooded over with copious amounts of tall cream colored triches.

The nose out of the bag is a delicious smelling sweet candy fruit with a minty back end and a waxy quality that feels like something you might come across in a Bath and Bodyworks candle as you sniff your way through the shelves. Busting open a bud, that same sweet scent remains essentially the same, but gets louder. Breaking it down by hand, I get a subtle sweet musty fruit rind scent on the fingers, while the grinds themselves come with an even more intense sweet waxy fruit scent that makes my eyes widen and gives me some strong banana Hi-Chew vibes. The dry pull on the jay is also very fruity candy sweet, but has this pleasant vaporous undertone that all together, nearly makes my mouth water. The inhale is smooth on both the bong and the joint initially, and on the joint I get a general sweet floral, whereas the bong is essentially the same but leans just a tad more sugary. The exhale on the joint comes off like banana taffy at first, but as I got towards the middle, it got slightly harsh which sort of muted the flavor experience as a whole. The bong was consistently smooth, but much more floral in nature, with that banana aspect being highly tamped down in comparison to the joint. Cross checking the flavors on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get a very light cooling sensation accompanied by an unexpectedly strong pine taste with just a touch of floral on the back end, whereas at 185c the pine still remains the dominant player but there’s a perfume like floral that also makes its presence known. The headchange comes on quick, and brings a very mellow yet feel good energy with it, while still managing to put some pressure behind the eyes and weight on the body to boot. Over time the sedation effect set in harder, and I quickly went from bright eyed, alert and active, to heavy legged, dough faced, and looking for a place to kick back on the couch for a possible weed nap. Mentally I felt fairly present, spacing out on only the rare occasion, yet was easily distracted which had a tendency to take me away from the task at hand if said distraction ended up with me unwittingly going down some kind of hazy rabbit hole. All of that said, if I had to pick between this strain and the Ice Cream Cake I got from Fresh Baked on the same day, I’d probably lean toward the ICC as that one in particular ticked all of the boxes for me personally. This Banana OG looked and smelled fantastic, but slightly stumbled in the flavor arena, yet recovered beautifully in the effects department as one big bowl had me ripped to the point I was wondering if I really needed to take on the second one I’d just finished packing. In the end this was a pretty solid showing, and I could definitely see myself picking this up again if I saw it on the menu at the right ticket and were in the market for some relaxing, clear headed, feel good smoke.

Cookie Crisp from Balanced Los Angeles

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Cookie Crisp from Balanced Los Angeles via a Balanced sales rep on 12/22/2020. THC tested out to 32.92%. This was gifted to me but I believe it averages 45-60$ pre-tax in the shops. Having had a pretty decent experience with their Macaron, when Balanced reached out and asked if I was interested in giving their Cookie Crisp a shot, I was absolutely on board to give it a go. These portly buds are mostly a mix of forest and army greens coupled with veins of deep rich aubergine, intense flurries of golden brown pistils, and an omnipresent coating of egg cream and yellowed triches.

The nose out of the jar is a sweet mustiness with a slightly peppery/spice cabinet edge. Busting open a bud there’s no real discernible difference, it hits exactly like the jar smell, and doesn’t amp up any at all. Breaking it down by hand, the grinds have a very subtle fruity sweetness similar to that of an apple peel with a bit of a flat vanilla cream backing, while I found a musty chlorophyll scent inundated my fingertips. Also I should note the buds feel desiccated somewhat compared to the first time I handled them, so while this jar definitely looks sleek, it didn’t seem to maintain the herb as well as some of the other packaging I keep in the same environment. The dry pull on the joint has a lightly sweet and spiced floral although it’s very distant and vague. The inhale is mostly smooth and on both the bong and the joint has a light sweet musty floral, although on the joint it also has this muted pastry backend, and it started to get slightly harsh toward the middle of the j which is not something I noticed on the bong. The exhale on the bong is a semi sweet musty floral with a touch of distant mild fruitiness and a hint of weak cream that seems to come and go whereas the joint is a slightly sweeter floral with that same mild fruitiness. Cross checking the flavor on my Ghost Vapes MV1, at 170c I get an ultra light floral mint whereas at 185c it’s more of a general floral, but it’s so vague it’s almost nonexistent. The headchange comes on quick and hits with a wave of calming energy while simultaneously putting a touch of pressure on my shoulders and behind my eyes. Mentally, while drifting off to space on occasion, I am able to mostly stay focused and relaxed while making my way through my task list. However, I also find myself wishing I could shirk this responsibility all together and just kick back on the couch, as the only challenge I’m really up to in this state is trying to stay awake while watching the entire Snyder Cut of Justice League in one go (impossible). All and all, while it’s undoubtedly some beautiful herb, there wasn’t anything particularly stand out about this batch that would have me jumping at the chance to get my hands on more. However, depending on the ticket and what else might be on offer, there’s a chance I’d grab it again if I was looking for some lazy day smoke