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!

Cherry Meringue from Lumpy’s Flowers via Evergreen Santa Ana on 8/23/19. THC tested out to 19.72%. This was a birthday gift but it was $76 out the door with a 15% discount. When my lady picked this up for me for my birthday I was absolutely stoked. Lumpy’s a big name in the industry known for putting out top notch flowers and that’s exactly what this is. You can tell that Cherry Meringue is expertly cultivated. The colors shift from bright green to dark purple and hit every hue on the color scale in between. Orange hairs sporadically punch their way to the surface and there’s a rich trich layer that glistens with an impressive shine.

The nose out of the jar is a spicy must with just a hint of sweetness in the background. On the nug break there is a fresh element that makes itself known as well as that subtle sweetness moving closer to the forefront. On the finger grind the freshness amps up as does the sweetness in a symphony of smells that really light up the nostrils. The inhale is smooth and gives off the same spicy with a hint of sweet flavor you catch on the exhale. The headchange takes a little bit to ramp up. You slowly start to feel it hit the back of your eyes and the front of the forehead. You can focus on any given task but there’s no sort of energy or motivation behind it, although I wouldn’t say it’s sedating either. I’d describe it as a sativa leaning hybrid with a staying power similar to Trainwreck. I found myself burning through this far too quickly and while it’s enjoyable I can’t help but constantly think about the price. It’s up there. After smoking through this I feel like I can get similar well crafted fire power, like Source’s Quest, for about $45-50 out the door. I wanted to be blown away by this batch of Cherry Meringue, I wanted to be able to say in honesty that yes it’s worth the 76$ price tag, but I can’t. Again, it’s extremely well grown, looks great, smells great, it is absolutely top notch in every regard but when it comes to the headchange, it’s par for the course. There are definitely Lumpy’s strains that are awesome and well worth the ticket, but unfortunately when it comes to Cherry Meringue, this ain’t it.

Editors note: I came across this Leafly article with the following quote “Philosophy: “We’re not for everybody,” Lumpy’s CEO Josh Veal said. “We like that Napa winery feel. We sell Ferraris and Lamborghinis. I don’t want to sell Hondas.”

This is not the way to look at Cannabis, and while this may have just been an off the cuff remark it makes me wonder what cannabis producers really think they are producing. Cannabis is not a luxury good no matter how well it’s grown, it’s not like a Ferrari or a Rolex as it doesn’t gain value over time, it’s more like a donut. You can go to your average donut shop and get a dozen normal donuts for $7 or you can go to a fancy donut shop like Donut Man in Glendora and spend $4 each on a fresh fruit donut that’ll change your life. No matter what though, those donuts the next day aren’t worth what fresh donuts are, they lose value over time until they are trash. This is the case with cannabis also and it would be in the industry’s best interest to recognize this fact sooner than later.

Blue Zushi from Zushi via GulfCoast LA on 8/20/19. THC tested out to 27.6% Total. Acquired for a donation of $50. I’ve been seeing cans of Zushi on instagram what feels like years now so when I saw GulfCoastLA had them on deck I decided to ride the wave and see what it’s like. Truth be told, when I first laid eyes on the nugs through the see through plastic bottom of the jar, I was a little underwhelmed. There’s nothing particularly eye catching about these light green roundish shrub like buds. They have a nice coating of triches, a fair amount of light orangish red hairs, and surface patches of dark green that even dip into deep purple at points.

Out of the jar the nose comes off spicy with hints of pine. When you bust the nugs open you get this really fresh scent with the spice taking a back seat. On the finger grind I pick on up on this nice minty quality and the spice seems to shift to something a bit more savory, smelling vaguely reminiscent of soy sauce. The nugs have a medium density have some give to the squeeze, and while you do sense just a bit of stickiness when tearing it up, the bud feels a bit dry. The inhale is smooth and on the exhale I catch some of that savory spiciness. The headchange is a bit of a creeper and takes until you’re through a second bowl to settle in. It hits you right behind the eyes and feels fairly heavy on the front of your head but doesn’t incapacitate you cognitively by any means. I was fairly amped up after running some morning errands and Zushi really brought me back down to a relaxing and pleasant baseline. While I was a little ho-hum on Zushi at first I feel like it managed to win me back over. Would I say it’s a strain that I need to keep in my headstash at all times? No not exactly but if I were to come across it, depending on what else was on offer, I’d consider it a worthy contender for my funds without a doubt. Not a bad introduction to the world of Zushi, my interest is definitely piqued enough that I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the yellow next.