Captain Kush Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Chronic Wellness

Grade:  B

Type:  Sativa-dominant hybrid

Lineage:  Snowcap x OG Kush (this phenotype is Snowcap-leaning)

Price:  $30/8th

Appearance:  (7.5/10)  The structure of this sample was definitely on the dry and rocky side, just on the acceptable side of “too dry” (though the FSL moisture percentage would say otherwise).  Lots of dark red-orange pistils covered the surfaces of the bud, seemingly taking up as much visual real estate as the leaves and calyxes.  Up-close, we wished that there were more trichome heads preserved, as many seemed to be mutated, broken, or otherwise damaged (maybe 30% intact).  We didn’t really find too much other flaw with it, and overall the trichomes were dense, but the damage served to hurt the overall visual appeal (and likely the potency).

Aroma:  (8/10)  While the aroma wasn’t particularly pungent, it did develop a bit when ground up, releasing a crisp, clean, sweet pine-citrus aroma that definitely brought to mind Snowcap and other similar strains (NL #5-Haze, Jack Herer, etc.).

Taste: (6.5/10)  Softly sweet and piney, the flavor was fairly similar to the aroma on the first few hits, but declined from there and just because neutral and smokey.  It never really tasted bad, but the flavor just disappeared rather quickly — we think that the dryness level may have had a lot to do with the way the flavor declined, as well as the way the smoke tickled the throat.  The flush certainly wasn’t to blame for any harshness, because the final ash was mostly white with some black flecks, showing a very quality flush prior to harvest.  This one ultimately just fell short of its potential.

Effects:  A moderate pulsing throughout the body and limbs was the signal that effects had begun, coming on rather smoothly and creeping up in potency over the first 20-30 minutes.  While we didn’t really feel much of a change in mental energy or mood, but rather a gentle relaxation which had us able to concentrate on non-interactive activities, but fading out a bit when deep concentration and attention was required.  Several members of the staff commented that this med was almost invisible at times throughout the experience — it’s certainly not a “punch in the face” type of med, but rather a smooth Sativa that kept us between mood elevation and relaxation with no negative effects or abrupt comedown.  Some staff were left wanting more peak potency, but the duration was very good, lingering out to over 3 hours for all of our staff.

Medicinal Traits:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Relief of minor stomach/digestion issues (one reviewer noticed some appetite reduction), mood stabilization, and a slight energy boost.

Overall:  We’re not sure if the strain itself is just not super-potent (the lineage would suggest otherwise), or if the trichome damage may have knocked the potency down a peg, but for whatever reason, we just didn’t feel that this one hit its potential.  It never was overtly potent and despite lasting a long time, we sort of lost track of the effects at times because they were mild and unobtrusive.  In many senses, this is a good thing (this was a pretty clear-headed med suitable for a day of work), but we think that this one is best saved for newer patients and those seeing moderate relief which last a long time but doesn’t ever feel pushy.  There’s probably more to this strain, and we saw another phenotype which looked better, so we’ll be looking for it again to see if the opinion changes.

Name:  Mixed Strain Indica/Sativa House Kief

From:  iVita Wellness

Type:  Kief, extracted from a variety of iVita Wellness’ in-house strains

Price:  $20/gram

Grade:  B

Consumption Method:  Small bong via titanium screen

Visual: (6/10)  Though there was certainly plenty of golden kief visible, we couldn’t get over how much visible plant matter was seen in this sample.  It’s possible that the product that it was extracted from was a bit too dry or that the screen size used was slightly too large, but it seemed that this kief was about 25% plant matter, which makes for a much less enjoyable smoking experience.  It clumped together a bit and was easy to scoop or pour out of the vial it came in, so it gains points for ease of use.  This was a case of the most important category (purity of extraction) was lacking, and not much could make up for it appearance-wise.

Aroma: (6.5/10)  The smell gleaned from this kief was pleasant enough, but it just wasn’t strong at all.  A softly vegetal smell mixed with hints of citrus was the primary aroma, a soft and dilluted version of what is often seen with butane extracts, which we normally call “trichome smell”.  Freshly-extracted kief with minimal plant matter will normally smell strongly of the strains from which it came, and this one just lacked the pungency, but some of that may also come from the mixed strain origins of this kief, which normally serves to muddle up the aroma and flavor overall.

Flavor: (6/10)  Much like the smell, it was a muted and slightly vegetal hashy taste, but the citrus notes were mostly overwhelmed by smoke taste.  The smoke itself was pleasant enough and not particularly harsh, but there just wasn’t much flavor here at all.

Consumption:  This kief lit up like a coal from the start, staying lit unless deprived of air, and burning heavily after a hit is taken.  Many people like to take a hit and have it go out so they can pace themselves — this sample just burned like crazy the entire time, making it difficult to take a break without wasting a good amount of smoke.  Perhaps it would be more economical spread throughout a joint or on top of a bowl, but we always test an extract on its own for the review’s sake.

Effects:  The actual effects were the area where this kief made up for its lacking “bag appeal” — this sample felt surprisingly strong from the start, though we did consume a fairly large amount (0.15 grams).  Felt almost immediately after the first hit, it created a strong pressure and warmth behind the eyes and face, which eventually moved to the sides of the head.  Mentally we felt rather sharp and clear-headed, and manual dexterity seemed unaffected (typing, etc. was smooth and easy).  Along with the mental effects, an odd almost “sloshy” feeling throughout the body made it feel as if the buzzing presence was splashing around inside our bodies when we moved — it was strange but pleasurable, and felt somewhat unique.  After about an hour, the effects converted from what felt like a rather Sativa-dominant one to an Indica-dominant one, with slightly dull, heavy eyes, and a nearly immobile body, which would stay put to a great extent, even in semi-uncomfortable positions.  Towards the end, we were ready for sleep and very relaxed, though the effects really dwindled in distinct potency around the 2 hour mark, with the heavy comedown taking over from there.

Duration:  1.5 – 2 hours medicinal-level potency, overall duration 3+ hours

Medicinal Traits:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Body relaxation, mental relaxation, anti-anxiety, appetite stimulation, and sleep aid.

Overall:  While we weren’t exactly excited to get into this kief initially, it rewarded us with a solid medicinal package of effects that took us a bit by surprise.  With a moderately large dosage, we feel that this kief felt much like very high-quality buds, though the mixed nature served to muddy the experience up a bit, making it hard to pinpoint whether it leaned more Sativa or Indica.  The hybrid mixed label played out as advertised, giving a variety of effects in both the body and head which served to uplift us at first, then drop us down into a very relaxed and sleep-ready state.  It’s not the cleanest kief extraction, and we weren’t crazy about the smoking experience (mainly the way it continued to burn feverishly), but the effects make this a worthy pick up for extract patients on a budget.

There hasn’t been a more controversial smoking device in our discussions with other MMJ patients and industry types than the Essential Vape (“Vaaapp”).  The vast majority of people say it’s harsh, makes them cough, and that they prefer other methods for consuming extracts.  When we first got our Essential a few months ago, we were of the same opinion.  However, after spending some time with it and learning the proper techniques, we’ve definitely revised our opinion quite a bit.  We’ll break down the Essential in a few categories below to help you decide if it’s the device for you.

Design and Build Quality

The device itself is very well-made and sturdy, with thick aluminum components that feel like they could take a beating.  The only fragile component are the vials, but they’re also extremely cheap and easy to come by, so breaking one wouldn’t be a real problem.  We’ve had our Essential for 4+ months and haven’t ever broken a vial, for what it’s worth.  The overall build of the Essential is high-grade, and for such a small device, it’s simple and easy to manipulate.

The Essential comes with a nice canvas case that will hold 3 vials, the device itself, and a mini Bic or small butane lighter.  It would easily fit in a handbag or travel bag, making it definitely travel-safe and portable.  The Essential gets high marks for overall presentation and build quality as well as ease of use compared to other extract consumption methods.

Grade:  9/10

Ease of Use

The Essential Vape wins major points here over most extract consumption methods because you can use a normal lighter with it rather than a butane torch.  Not only does this decrease the chances of a burn or a fire, it reduces the “start-up” expense of buying a butane lighter, fuel refills, etc.  You can of course also use a torch for the Essential, but there’s really no need, and as we’ll discuss, the extra heat may be a disadvantage in this case.

The key with the Essential is to ‘sip’ the vapor/smoke rather than pursing your lips around it tightly and inhaling like a normal pipe.  The reason there is a lot of coughing at times is because  the vapor is very hot coming out of the chamber, so there are ways that you can reduce that issue.  Firstly, using a regular Bic lighter and holding the tip of the flame about 1″ from the material in the vial will keep the overall heat down.  Secondly, waiting just until the hash bubbles, giving it a second, and then ‘sipping’ the vapor slowly will almost entirely eliminate coughing while still giving quality hits.

The only other thing to really consider when it comes to the Essential is cleaning and maintenance, which is excels in.  The only things that seem to get dirty are the vials, which often have residue left on them depending on the type of hash you’re consuming.  But you can clean them pretty easily with just alcohol and a Q-Tip, or simply buy more at a science supply store if you don’t want to clean them.

Grade: 8.5/10

Smoking Experience

The coughing experienced with the Essential is something that you’ll probably just have to get used to, because it’s difficult to always only sip what you need… a little more and you’ll probably cough.  When we say “cough”, it’s not a harshness issue, it actually feels like the throat constricts slightly and makes it tough to breathe, causing coughing to try to clear it out.  We’ve still not gotten past this as an issue, despite getting special instructions from the Essential’s creators that greatly improved our experience.  Simply put, if you really cannot deal with an extended bout of coughing, this may not be the device for you, because it will happen eventually.  Otherwise, the Essential gives quality, great-tasting hits that really seem to bring out the inherent flavor in any extract.  At times (especially when you take it easy with the lighter) it doesn’t seem like you’re getting anything, but the taste will always give it away.  One great part about the Essential’s vial system is that there is zero waste or lost smoke/vapor, making it extremely efficient in that sense.

Grade:  7/10

Overall

We’re still a bit torn on the Essential on its own.  The technology is sound and its no-waste, great taste appeal is undeniable.  However, because it takes some coaching to hit it properly and not cough your lungs out, we have to give it only a partial endorsement for actual use because it will undoubtedly cause some unneeded discomfort when you heat it up too much, hit it too hard, or if you are simply prone to coughing to begin with.  With training on how to hit it, it’s a top-notch extract consumption device that is easy to use and clean — it’s also safer than most, tastes great, and seems like it’s extremely durable.  With its price point hovering around $75, it’s a solid value considering it’s useful for extracts as well as kief.  We’ve learned to like the Essential, but still feel that there are better alternatives on the market, including the Essential’s sister piece, the Eclipse Water Vape.  But nothing beats the Essential in terms of portability and “plug and play” ease of use…

Overall Grade:  B

We have a few other extract device reviews coming and will do a full wrap-up  ‘pros and cons’ post once we’ve showed all the options…  If you’re used these devices, let us know what you think in the comments!

Island Sweet Skunk Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Breckenridge Cannabis Club

Grade:  B

Type:  Mostly Sativa hybrid, BC Sweet Pink Grapefruit x Big Skunk #1

Price:  $50/8th (4 grams)

Appearance:  (6/10)  With a very light structure despite the fat, round calyxes, this ISS was a little loose for our tastes and looked like it didn’t reach its full potential yield-wise.  There were thick orange-brown pistils everywhere, but not a whole lot of structure underneath them.  The texture was okay enough, though we did notice some immature seed pods forming as well as an iffy trim job… definitely not top-notch visually for an ISS.

Aroma:  (7/10)  Citrus, like grapefruit a bit with a chemical pine twang to it… it was more piney than many ISS samples and lacked that sweetness they’re known for, instead carrying a slight acrid quality.  It was more pungent after being ground up, but only average overall in that regard.

Taste: (5.5/10)  Nobody got much of note here, we all just basically tasted smoke, with one reviewer picking up a hint of pine.  It wasn’t unpleasant and didn’t carry any bad aftertaste, it just didn’t have any flavor to speak of.  It was fine to smoke and was average in harshness and expansion, burning away to a clean-looking light gray ash.  not sure where the taste went, but the flush didn’t seem to be a culprit, which is good.

Effects:  A very uppy Sativa to start, this ISS gave us the urge to get up onto our feet almost immediately, inducing a mentally-motivated, yet spacey state that left us a bit unsure of what to do with ourselves.  Eyes filled with pressure and a creeping warmth overtook the head and parts of the body.  Mentally it seemed that focus was a bit hard to attain, with subjects jumping in and out of our attention span.  One reviewer kept this feeling up through the end of the effects while two others were hit my more of an Indica experience after the first 1.5 hours or so, becoming tired and lethargic.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Energy at first, ocular attention throughout, appetite stimulation, and some sleep aid properties as it wore on.

Overall:  It appeared that the grow didn’t go totally as planned with this ISS, as the structure and lacking taste seemed to indicate.  The ‘bag appeal’ was certainly not up to snuff, but the experience was still pretty solid.  The initial burst of energy wasn’t particularly useful due to the spacey, unfocused nature of it, but it would still be good for a pick-me-up.  There was strong ocular attention throughout, making this a probable aid for glaucoma patients — we didn’t find a ton of other medical uses though, as joint pain seemed to persist.  The shift after the halfway point left two of our staff ready for bedtime, so there may be some sleep aid merit as well, though you have to get through a Sativa energy-fest to start.

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Barney’s Red Diesel Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Green Belly Community Garden

Grade:  B

Type:  Indica-Dominant Hybrid [New York City Diesel x California Indica from Barney's Farm Seeds]

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (7.5/10)  It was almost hard to see the strain underneath all the light strawberry-colored pistils that seemed to cover 90% of the bud’s surface.  Underneath though, there were a good amount of ambered trichomes (25% or more in areas) and it was slightly more impressive than to the naked eye.  This strain appeared to be rather wispy in growth… not sure if that’s a genetic trait or something to do with this particular grow, but it was still well-dried and it didn’t hamper the experience.

Aroma:  (8/10)  Mostly sour and citrusy (as is expected with a NYCD cross), this strain was pleasing to the nose and also carried notes of soil along with a slight vegetal sweetness that came out especially after grinding.  It didn’t smell like much of anything in the bag though and was only pungent after being handled.

Taste: (2/10)  Though it was exceedingly smooth, this strain really did not please us taste-wise… just a bad combination of woody and hashy flavors that tasted almost like smoking stems.  It left a murky-looking dark gray ash in the bowl, indicating that perhaps an inadequate flush was to blame for the flavor, even though there was no audible sizzling or snapping when it was lit.

Effects:  This strain caused immediate warmth and a radiating feeling that coursed throughout the body and face as well as an alternative heaviness and lightness on the chest.  Seemingly not able to make up its mind, we vacillated between states of energy and sloth, but felt slightly spaced-out the entire time.  The one constant was the relaxed and numbing body high, which kept us pain-free and in a good mood.  It was above-average in potency, but never got overwhelming, making this a good choice for almost any level of MMJ patient effects-wise.  Definitely an Indica-dominant experience, we were left a bit on the sleepy side after it was over, but it finished clean overall.

Duration:  Medium-Long, 2 – 2.5 hours

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Body relaxation, pain relief, general relaxation, appetite stimulation, mood elevation.

Overall:  Though the taste was a big turn-off, this strain was still enjoyable and provided a nicely balanced package of Indica effects without many of the downsides often associated with them (tiredness, inability to function, etc.).  The body relief it provided was great for moderate pain the mental effects were never too strong or uncomfortable.  A good middle-of-the-road Indica compromise that won’t knock you out but still provided solid relief from daily aches and pains while putting a smile on your face.