Mendocino Kush (Cherry Creek Health)

From: Cherry Creek Health

Grade: A -

Type:  Hybrid. Indica Dominant. (Very difficult to find information on this strain as so many nice Kush strains come from Mendocino County).

Price: $20/gram

Appearance:  Some leaves left, could have been manicured better but a good overall sample of a kush bud.

Aroma:  A nice lemon/lime smell.  Medium strength pungence.

Taste: I expected a very citrus taste after smelling it, but was surprised by the more common piney taste I received (pipe smoked).

Buzz Type:  This was a medium quickness, not a creeper by any means, but not a 30 second flash either.  It started with a nice uplift about 5 minutes after smoking and slowly drifted me to a familiar Kush place on my couch.  I had good body warmth and great muscle relaxation for the duration of the high.

Buzz Length: Long. 2+ hours for me.

Medicinal Use: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY) This one provided more of the potency I was looking for in the Bubba Kush.  Used well for back/neck pain and provided an easy “sleepability” that I appreciate.

Overall:  This was a nice smoke with plenty of expansion.  It has a medium harshness when pipe smoked, I’d recommend a vaporizer or bubbler for an older age or brand new patient.

Big Chunk Sour Diesel (Urban Dispensary)

From:  Urban Dispensary

Grade:  B +

Type:  Hybrid – (Unsure of specific genetics.)

Price: $20/gram

Appearance:  Almost a Blue or Violet Blue crystal covered bud. I was definitely anxious to try this based on its looks.

Aroma:  A sour citrus, not a strong fuel smell.  Pleasant but not overwhelming.

Taste:  Not too much taste in my opinion, but I have had a cold for the last week or so.

Buzz Type:  Cerebral and on the mellow side considering it’s a Sour Diesel cross, I expected a more intense experience.

Buzz Length:  1.5 hours

Medicinal Use:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Mixed.  This is a fast acting strain, but not a real long laster.  It didn’t possess powerful pain killing ability, but it did provide mild relief that allowed me to continue my day – vs. pain-free but stuck in my seat.  On bad days this wouldn’t be enough for me.

Overall:  I liked this sample, but I’d be dishonest if I said it had nothing to do with the name and the reputation.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and the smell backs it up.  It’s a bit harsh in a pipe and prone to induce coughing, but the social nature and the general pleasantry it provides keeps this as a very solid strain.

Blue Dream (CAM)

From:  Colorado Alternative Medicine

Grade:  A -

Type:  Hybrid – sativa heavy  (Blueberry x Haze)

Price: $50/8th – $20/gram

Appearance:  A knotty bud, very pretty and sharp looking.

Aroma:  Like a blueberry cream cheese icing – but only in wafts.  General berry scent after grinding.

Taste:  Not really “blue”, but a tingly sensation on the inside of the lips.  A lesser berry flavor.

Buzz Type:  Sativa heavy hybrid.  A heavy energy body, with an easy mind.

Buzz Length:  Medium.  About an hour, no longer than 1.5.

Medicinal Use:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  A very stong body high for differing pains, but with a clear head.  I’m not positive how the Haze affects the Blue in pain management. 

Overall:  The Blue Dream really hit me hard but it wasn’t in a space cadet manner.  It provides an ability to interact and a heightened auditory level.  It is a perfect day medication for me and I usually have some on hand.

Durban Poison (CAM)

From:  Colorado Alternative Medicine

Grade:  A -

Type:  Sativa.

Price: $50/8th

Appearance:  A nice bud, but the visual gives way to the strong aroma.

Aroma:  Unmistakable.  The Durban is the fresh cleaning solvent example.

Taste:  Not much on this one, maybe a floral on the tongue.

Buzz Type:  Sativa, heady with a body follow-through. 

Buzz Length: 1.5 to 2 hours.

Medicinal Use:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY) Medium pain relief, with some anti-anxiety uses mixed in.  This strain did have some “time-machine” characteristics where 15 minutes feels more like an hour to start.

Overall:  This was a quick medicate taking affect on the front of my face and teeth.  I was left insightful and focused after the initial buzz period.  The Durban Poison resides on my list of sure strains, and this sample doesn’t disappoint.

King’s Kush (CAM)

From: Colorado Alternative Medicine

Grade:  A -

Type: Indica heavy hybrid.  Apothecary’s OG Kush x Arjan’s Grape

Price: $50/ 8th (mix-n-match)

Appearance: Beautiful.  Caked in crystals with wild orange hairs.

Aroma: A good amount of pungency, but something not akin to the normal kush aroma.

Taste: (Vaporized) Straight Grapefruit. Really it tastes exactly how Grapefruit Marijuana smells. (Smoked) It’s sharp in your mouth, a smoke you feel.

Buzz Type:  Mixed.  Not too head strong, warm body. Very nice.

Buzz Length: Medium. 1.5 – 2 hours

Medicinal Use:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Yes.  This worked for both lower-leg and shoulder/neck pain, muscular and nerve related.  It also provided a unique feeling in the outer head. (That may provide headache/migraine relief?)

Overall:  Like any of our favorite kush’s this possessed an excellent “go with the flow” quality.  This isn’t a knock-you-out strain, but it’s a functional, talkative relief provider.  I like the general nature of the warm, lackadaisical medicated state.  It could last a little longer and even be a bit stronger to carry the name King, but this is certainly a nice strain.

Black Magic (Delta 9)

From:  Delta 9

Grade:  B -

Type:  Indica Heavy (Phenotype of Grape Ape)

Price: $20/gram

Appearance:  A loose bud build, a lot to make a gram.  Lots of dark hues,  actual purple calyx.  A pretty looking fluff ball.

Aroma:  Smelled like Grape Ape, a fresh purple scent.

Taste:  Had a similar taste, but not as strong as the scent.

Buzz Type:  Not much of a buzz honestly.  It gave its best shot right after ingestion but after burning its fuel the rocket was still left on the launching pad.  Disappointing.

Buzz Length:  15 – 30 minutes

Pain Management:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  No.  This strain (or specimen of the strain) never delivered the levels expected of todays medicinal varieties.  I tried for almost 2 hours with the Incredibowl but was never able to get my shoulder/neck pain to subdue.

Overall:  I was happy with our first Grape Ape (CCH) sample, but a little less satisfied with our recent Grape Ape (Herbal Connections)  sample, and I was even less thrilled with this Black Magic.  I wanted to like it, it looked fun and smelled nice, but it just isn’t on the level so many other strains are these days.  This might be used as in introduction to an Indica for a new patient to test for 15 -30 minutes without going “all in”.  This is the first strain we’ve found at Delta 9 that ranks as subpar.

Grape Ape (Herbal Connections)

From:  Herbal Connections

Grade:  B

Type:  Indica Dominant

Price: $

Appearance:  Small, tight buds.  Not on overwhelming purple appearance at all.

Aroma:  Had a good grape scent, but not a strong pungent smell.

Taste:  The taste was underwhelming when compared to the aroma, a little stale.

Buzz Type:  Indica buzz, mental focus was scattered immediately.

Buzz Length:  Long.  2+ hours

Pain Management:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Yes.  I smoked this after a working day so I know my back was in rough shape.  I don’t remember specifics of the relief, but I was able to fall asleep pain free.

Overall:  I know this was a real Grape Ape sample, similar to this sample from CCH, but it just didn’t push as far or smoke as nice.  I’ve been to a couple other places displaying Grape Ape but they are clearly different strains from these two confirmed specimens.  I won’t be in a hurry to pick up any Grape Ape in the near future with so many other tempting strains on the menus.

Gravity (Grasshopper)

From:  Grasshopper

Grade: B +

Type: Indica Dominant (hard to find specifics for this strain)

Price: $

Appearance:  N/A  (I had very small sample)

Aroma: Lemony scent – more sweet, less earthy.

Taste:  Though unidentifiable, it had a strong taste throughout the mouth.

Buzz Type:  It was a quick buzz focused on the head with some space cadet tendencies.   After about 30 minutes I wanted to sit and read and was able to focus for over an hour pain free in my reading chair.

Buzz Length:  1.5 hours

Overall:  I liked the Gravity more than I suspected.  It had good expansion, sweet smell, and a strong taste leading me to believe I was about to “take off” but the high never met the expectations following the initial smoke.  It was effective enough to mark a high B, but not quite strong enough to earn into the A range.  It’s on a list of ones to try again for sure.

Incredibowl

This is not our usual, but we thought you would enjoy reading our review of The Incredibowl.  I absolutely love this apparatus for medicating.  The size and shape are large making it mostly an at-home device, but the carrying case is very sturdy and protective so it can be easily transported if you have a pack or car.

This machine lives up to its reputation.  It was simple to figure out, it gave me a large volume of smoke for the size of the hit, I had no coughing at all (this is very rare for me), and I was still able to taste the strains.  This unit packed a punch, albeit very cleanly, and I haven’t even tried the extension piece.  In fact, the only issue I have with the Incredibowl is that I like to see the marijuana and fire, and this is obviously set up like a longer steamroller or “onie”  so you have no visibility of flame to strain.

Synopsis:  I would recommend this device for all patients.  The experienced are going to love its big punch, the beginner is going to like the ease of use (if unfamiliar with bongs or rolling joints) – and everyone is going to love the nice clean hit received for a combustible delivery apparatus.

Grade:  A

Bubba Kush (Dr.Reefer)

From: Dr. Reefer

Grade:  B +

Type:  Hybrid – Indica dominant genetics.  Don’t know Dr. Reefer’s exact genetics, but most info points to Bubble Gum  x Master Kush (or OG Kush).  Bubble Gum can be Indica or Sativa dominant based upon the specific seed or clone, but was originally made from 3 Sativas and 1 Afghani Indica.

Price: $30/gram

Appearance:  Although it was really pretty, this category is one of the reasons this specimen didn’t score higher.  The buds were loose with a lot of space inside.  They were there but you could see right through them, like the AT&T 3G map.  They had beautiful color, but they just weren’t grown up to the highest standards.  Kush is often lighter and less dense, but this was past the norm in my opinion.

Aroma:  A mild piney smell up front followed by a very light fruit undertone (not a strong fruit or citrus as often reported).

Taste:  Tastes as expected from the smell, with an unexpected familar residue that reminded me of some old “cough” strains from FTC970 in the mid to late 90′s.

Buzz Type:  Though Indica dominant, I was met with an immediate energy and euphoria that had me on my feet rocking back and forth in the kitchen.  There was no couch lock incentive at all, and I was extremely talkative.  I believe this strain has the sativa heavy version of the Bubble Gum in its roots.

Buzz Length: Medium. 1 – 1.5 hours

Pain Management:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  I found this strain to assist with mild-medium pain, but not sufficient for over the top pain.  It isn’t going to knock you out if that’s what you need.  It will provide motivation, however, and that is often useful depending on your needs.

Overall:  I liked the Bubba Kush quite a bit.  With a little better growing I think this could have been an A- strain, but I don’t think the Bubba Kush in general can score much higher than that.  The OG Kush and the Plum Kush reviewed previously are both better options if you have them available.