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Colombian Gold Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  A Cut Above (Denver)

Grade:  A

Type:  Sativa-Dominant, specially-selected landrace strain from the Santa Marta mountains of Colombia (from Reeferman Seeds most likely)

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  The Sativa was evident in its overall light structure, with many super-frosty guard leaves shielding long teardrop calyxes and light camel-colored pistils.  Classic look to this one, we really loved the trichome coverage and the overall texture, which was easy to handle and prepare.  Some might complain about the lack of density, but this is fine by us, especially in an equatorial Sativa.

Aroma:  (8.5/10)  A blend of slightly musky yet fresh citrus (lemons and limes mainly) with a skunky quality, this strain could well be the template for what many modern Sativa hybrids smell like… it reminded us of so many other strains, most notably Durban Poison (another landrace Sativa).  The aroma was nicely pungent both in and out of the jar, but really freshened up and got a lovely tangy quality when ground up.

Taste: (7.5/10)  Very interesting tea tree/citronella oil taste, slightly floral and creamy… there was also the lemon/lime tang from the aroma that came through at times.  It was a complex and engaging taste, but we really enjoyed how smooth the smoke was… only one reviewer coughed at all, and the expansion was totally manageable.  Flavor was of average pungency, but the bowl burned down cleanly, producing a fluffy light gray ash.

Effects:  Strongly Sativa to start (like many strains), it hit the eyes and forehead strongly, producing a buzzing feeling and some pressure fluctuations.  Alert and active, this sample left us feeling strongly medicated yet totally functional and positive mentally — heads were upright and dialed-in to whatever activity was happening at the moment.  Cerebral but not overly racy or frantic at all, this would likely make a good at-work type of strain due to its mental clarity.  There was a solid muscle relaxation component that came along with it though, making this a good choice for those who require some relaxation and pain relief with their Sativa strains.  Stable and smooth, this one faded out cleanly and left us feeling great.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Energy, mood elevation, lots of ocular attention, possible relief for fibromyalgia/MS/RSD, mild pain relief, focus, sociability, and focus.

Overall:  We were excited to try this strain, as none of us had ever gotten the chance… it’s a piece of cannabis history and formed a key component of the original Sam the Skunkman Skunk #1, which has made its way into countless hybrids over the last 20+ years.  Needless to say, we really enjoyed this strain in the “bag appeal” areas, but it really shined with its mix of strongly Sativa yet functional effects package that had us feeling motivated, social, and focused.  A superb choice as a daytime medication for those who need to be on-point mentally, it packs enough power for veterans at higher dosages, but won’t totally overwhelm a newer patient either.  Superb grow job and post-harvest care, no complaints of note about this old-school classic.

Hong Kong Kush Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Broadway Wellness

Grade:  A

Type:  Hybrid, Kong (Indica-dom clone strain) x Sour Diesel

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  The fields of perfect trichomes that are almost literally everywhere when scoping/taking pictures of this sample said it all really.  Not much else mattered, though the manicure could be tighter and it was a little damp at 14% moisture content.  No visible signs of stress though, and the moistness made this maybe the stickiest sample we’ve encountered in Colorado… it’ll dangle on the end of your finger after being handled.

Aroma:  (9/10)  Possibly the stinkiest Diesel cross we’ve come across as well… the stank is overwhelming.  The fuel smell is most prominent, followed by skunk, gun oil, garlic, musk, and body odor… basically any stinky, acrid thing you can imagine is in here somewhere.  Uber-pungent, it stinks up a room when a jar is popped and increases after grinding.

Taste: (7.5/10)  The moistness in this sample might’ve led to a more harsh burn, as it sizzled and snapped a bit when burnt, expanded readily, and made us cough quite a bit by the end.  However the taste was fairly strong, producing a fuel-dominant taste (surprise!), with frontal notes of citrus cleaner that fade into the skunky aftertaste.  The flush/dry/cure could’ve been better from the looks of it… the ash wasn’t totally clean, and the sizzling adds to that thought.

Effects:  A typical Sativa start, with some “headband” feeling, an increase in heart rate (accompanied by some internal fluttering), a bit of a light, euphoric feeling, and strong attention to the eyes, which were red, glassy, and low.  Some tunnel vision to start as well, but the ears and other senses seemed awakened and engaged.  The initial energy left after about 45 minutes and gave way to a more relaxed and couchlocked state where the mind was functional and engaged in tasks but jumped around a bit… the body however, only wanted to sit/lay down.  A clean finish brought us right back to the mood we left pre-medicating.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY) Energy initially, strong muscle relaxation as it wore on, very strong ocular attention, appetite stimulation, anti-depression, minor pain relief, stomach issues, and sleep aid.

Overall:  Very potent, very sticky, ridiculously stinky… that’s pretty much the “take-home” on this one.  It ended up feeling like an Indica-dominant experience overall, but it was racy and Sativa to start.  For experienced users only, the potency came on very quickly and took even our experienced staff a little by surprise.  The strong muscle relaxation in particular was appreciated, but it produced a bevy of useful effects for a variety of afflictions.  If it was a little easier to smoke, flushed longer, and was a little more to our liking in the texture category, it may be a top contender.

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Island Sweet Skunk Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  High Grade Alternatives

Grade:  A

Type:  Sativa-dominant Hybrid (reportedly BC Sweet Pink Grapefruit x Big Skunk #1)

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  Rather large and round nugs made up this sample, which was a light green with pale orange pistils and some slight purpling.  We loved how dense and stout the nugs were, as well as the generous trichome coverage.  Under the scope, the collection of mainly cloudy trichomes gleamed and were perfectly-preserved.  Great post-harvest care here, no real complaints, though a few tiny undeveloped seeds were spotted.

Aroma:  (9/10)  A truly delicious-smelling sample, it broadcasts an actual skunky smell that has a bit of sweetness while in the jar.  When broken up, it blows up into a wonderful combination of sweet citrus, soil, and pine that is truly pungent.  A top-notch example of both facets of this strain’s signature aroma.

Taste: (8/10) Like a piña colada stirred with a pine branch, it was a combination of velvety citrus with a pine twang.  Pretty prototypical I.S.S. taste, but nicely pungent and it produced a mellow yet expansive smoke, burning down to a clean-looking light gray ash.

Effects:  After a short delay, the effects came on strongly — moments of staring off at nothing or deeply thinking about random subjects mingle into what amounts to a rather spacey experience to start.  This strain was unique in that it kept up its potency for quite a long time, only dialing down slightly from its heady start as it went on.  This I.S.S. became more apparent in the body as the minutes ticked by, relaxing the limbs quite a bit and warding off any aches and pains while maintaining a floaty brand of functionality.  With occasional returns of the spaciness, this med provided a relaxing but functional ride that lingered for a really long time, eliminating the desire to re-medicate for nearly 4 hours.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Mental and physical relaxation, hypertension, stress relief, appetite stimulation, anti-anxiety, ocular relief.

Overall:  The top Island Sweet Skunk we’ve ever received at KindReviews, this one was really set apart by its supremely long duration, its sustained potency, and its pretty ridiculous “bag appeal” combination.  We had never really been taken by this strain in the past, but this sample will make us look twice at the I.S.S. jar going forward — a truly top-notch example of the strain, and one which is apparently capable of competing with the best strains out there.

Bubba OG Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Alternative Wellness Center

Grade:  A

Type:  Indica-dominant hybrid, Bubba Kush x OG Kush

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (8/10)  This sample showed off thin cylindrical nugs that screamed “kush” to the review staff.  White it wasn’t amazing in any area, it was a tightly-manicured, above average density sample that shimmered when the LED was cast its direction.  Its blend of greens and long slender orange pistils gave it a classic look… no flaws to speak of here, the plant appeared to be healthy when harvested.

Aroma:  (7/10)  This one could almost be mistaken for a Diesel with its fairly acrid fuely twang, but it’s still Kush-dominant for sure, exhibiting an array of soily, musky smells.  It wasn’t pungent or even that noticeable until it was ground, which released all the aroma.

Taste: (7/10)  A near-perfect fusion of the two standard tastes of these strains, it was primarily a spicy, herby Kush taste but one reviewer picked up definite Bubba notes of that signature dark chocolate/coffee musky, bitter quality.  It possessed a long aftertaste as well, hanging in the throat for 5+ minutes after medicating.  The knock on this one was the flush, which appeared to be too short, as the ash was a murky medium gray with some dark chunks remaining.

Effects:  Drooping eyelids and strong, tingly body waves (one reviewer described it as a “melting feeling”) to start as well as a very strong presence behind the eyes and in the forehead, which felt like outward and inward pressure alternately.  This strain seemed to change slightly based on situation — when required to get up and be active, it went along with it — but mostly, the urge was to sit and enjoy the medication while retaining an active and fairly clear mind.  Strong mood elevation properties with this one had us laughing at everything and enjoying the company of others… great after-work relaxation and late-night calm activity strain.  It dropped off finally after about 1:45, which is among the longest initial potency durations we’ve seen… it was very potent up until that point.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Major mood elevation, anti-anxiety, body relaxation, strong ocular attention, some anti -nausea and sleep aid properties.

Overall:  This was a bit of a surprise for us, as the bag appeal didn’t scream potency.  But this was one of the more lastingly potent strains we’ve had lately, with a torquey power that continued through almost 2 hours after a 15 minute “creeper” delay.  Great relaxation and mood elevation properties made this a superb late-night relaxation strain — its Bubba qualities come out later in the duration and can make it a great segue into sleep when medicated a few hours before bedtime.  Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the Highlands — great job by Alternative Wellness with this one.

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Bio-Diesel Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  Denver Relief

Grade:  A

Type:  Near-50/50 Hybrid, Sour Diesel x Sensi Star

Price:  $50/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  Holy foxtails, Batman!  These nugs were all weird-shaped and each had at least one columnar foxtail reaching out from the main bud.  Also unusual was the purpling, which seemed to affect half of a foxtail but the other part was dark green… unique indeed.  Though some trich heads were broken off, there were plenty of cloudy and amber heads (maybe 15% amber).  It was nicely dense and dry, pretty much top marks in this area.

Aroma:  (8/10)  Definitely Diesel-dominant, it’s a skunky fuely stank that also has some slight citrus notes, as are often found in both of the parent strains.  After a grind, more of the light sweetness and citrus came out, pushing the fuel to the background.

Taste: (7/10)  A slightly sweet and mentholated fuel taste was the dominant one going in, but it left a bit of a pine or hickory-like aftertaste.  It made us cough and tickled the throat a bit, while also sizzling slightly when burnt.  The final ash seemed fairly clean, but perhaps a more thorough flush was needed to improve the taste.

Effects:  Tears welling up in the eyes (partly due to coughing) and a near-immediate heart-racing feeling started this one off strong, feeling like a pure Sativa at first.  Lots of ocular pressure fluctuations and a definite spacey mental feeling carried it into its peak stage about 25 minutes in, where a detached and slack-jawed mental state collided with mood elevation and physical energy (but no desire to actually get up and do something with it).  Two reviewers moved onto a very “crushed” state where it was a struggle to stay awake and functional in the world, while another (smaller dosage) didn’t report that feeling.  So that leads us to believe that the higher dosage may put this into the crushing category… try it out and see which amount works for your body type and needs.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Energy, mood elevation, possibly ocular relief, mental and physical relaxation, possible sleep aid as it wore on.

Overall:  A very eye-catching sample even though it was dark-colored to the eye, this in-house cross from Denver Relief performed well in all areas.  The review staff all thought that this med would be enjoyed by almost anyone, as it provided a nice mixed package of uppy Sativa effects as well as quality pain and tension relief in the body.  This thoughtful hybrid seems to offer the best of both worlds.  Though we thought that a slightly longer flush would really clean up the taste, there were no real knocks on this sample — it’s skillfully-grown, and you can tell by the powerful final product.