Andy’s Blue Dream Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  The Tea Pot Lounge (also normally available at The Cherry Co. and The Pearl Co.)

Grade:  A-

Type:  Sativa-dominant hybrid

Lineage:  DJ Short’s Blueberry x Santa Cruz Haze

Price:  $40/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  This was clearly a well-grown sample of this strain, which we’ve seen quite a bit due to its overall popularity in the medical scene.  The mixed light greens and fluffy, creamy orange pistils gave it a classic look, while the abundant trichomes hinted that it has more to offer than some of those “classic” strains.  We were impressed with the well-preserved nature of the trichomes, the harvest timing (perfect blend of clear cloudy, and amber), and the post-harvest care in general, though there were a few crunchy guard leaves that could’ve been removed.  Overall, a very good example of Blue Dream, better-looking and frostier than many we’ve seen, with an open, Sativa-style structure instead of the sometimes blocky appearance it gets when it’s  practically stuffed with nutrients during its growth period.

Aroma:  (9/10)  The floral berry sweetness that greets you as the jar opens is the initial aroma, but as soon as the sample is disturbed, it releases a more complex woody, spicy, Haze-influenced scent.  We also picked up on hints of vanilla within the sweet side of the aroma, making this a truly mouth-watering and complex package which had us excited to try this sample.

Taste: (8.25/10)  Like the aroma, the initial flavor was mostly in the sweet floral berry category, but it had an underlying earthy quality and a fairly thick (though smooth) smoke.  The exhale was very pleasing for us, carrying hints of sandalwood that definitely recalled the Haze lineage.  The smoke was smooth and non-expansive, making for an easy smoking experience suitable for those who don’t like the coughing that comes with many strains.  Part of that was probably the clean flush this sample received, as the resulting ash was a crisp-looking very light gray with about 20% pure white material.

Effects:  This smoothly energetic strain started very quickly, with buzzing and light pressure throughout the eyes, face, and head and a bit of a “wake-up call” style effect on our mental states.  Thoughts began racing slightly, and we felt the familiar Hazy distraction where we’d get up to do something and end up wandering off and doing something else entirely (while also thinking about 10 different things).  This particular example of this strain might be a little much for a patient who can’t handle a bit of raciness (anxiety sufferers, for example), and the first 45 minutes or so were strong enough that it was a little hard to stay focused.  This one also seemed to affect the eyes quite a bit, reddening and lowering them to a rather high degree — not the best idea for professional situations.  Beyond the initial hour, the effect became much more smooth and a blend of stimulating and relaxing (mostly in the body, especially the shoulders and upper back area) with a definite creative bent, great for musicians or artists.  As the effect declined, we never really felt the Sativa “crash” that is so common… this sample left us feeling mostly normal, with a better-than-average mood and energy level.

Medicinal Traits:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Mild to moderate pain relief, some muscle relaxation, strong mood elevation, anti-anxiety qualities later in the duration, appetite stimulation, energy, and strong ocular effects.

Overall:  This was one of the best examples of Blue Dream that we’ve seen in quite some time, hitting all the right notes for the strain and impressing us in all areas.  ”Andy’s Blue Dream” is supposedly the original cut from the Northern Cali medical scene, and that would jive with the overall quality of this strain — if this was the only Blue Dream we’d ever seen, our impression of and excitement for the strain would certainly be higher.  The good harvest timing brought out the potency of this strain, and it almost got on top of one of our veteran reviewers early, but evened out into a creative and stimulating experience that had none of the negative qualities with which strong Sativas often come.  If you’re a fan of Blue Dream, definitely check out the Pink House version, as it was high-quality in all areas — this one fell just short of an ‘A’, mainly due to the somewhat quick plateau in effects.

Lavender Haze Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From:  The Pearl Co. (also available at Cherry Co. and Tea Pot Lounge)

Grade:  A-

Type:  Sativa-dominant hybrid

Lineage:  Blue Dream variant (DJ Short’s Blueberry x Santa Cruz Haze)

Price:  $40/8th

Appearance:  (8.5/10)  This sample had a crisp, well-cured texture and dense structure to it, which we appreciated as soon as we saw it.  The coloration was mostly medium greens, but on the underside of buds, there were some deep purple calyxes and leaves which served to spice up the appearance.  We loved the trichome coverage on this one — though they were mostly of the smalll-headed variety, there were trichomes everywhere, and the majority were well-preserved and on the peak of ripeness.  We would’ve liked to see a few sugar leaves trimmed off and the immature seeds present throughout the sample (the most common grow flaw in our experience) also hurt the overall score, though didn’t harm the “bag appeal” really.

Aroma:  (9/10)  If you like a floral-spicy Haze type of aroma, this strain has that in spades.  The name really makes sense once a whiff of the scent is detected, as it is ripe with flowery qualities and does bring to mind actual lavender.  It’s like the Blueberry side of the family took a vacation and left the Haze at home to play, though there is a slight sweetness (some described it as “purple, but not grapey”) underlying the Haze elements.  It’s not the most pungent sample around, but it’s definitely noticeable in the jar, and becomes nicely pungent once broken apart.

Taste: (7.5/10)  The flowery, almost soapy Haze elements from the aroma came through strongly in the flavor, though it wasn’t quite as pleasing to our tastes as it was in aroma form for whatever reason.  It has a light sweetness to it, but it was mostly present on the initial inhale, changing quickly to the more floral flavor that remained until the aftertaste.  The smoke was light and crisp in the mouth, hitting smoothly and not really causing coughing except on some large hits.  The final ash was a fluffy medium-light gray, showing it had received a proper flush.

Effects:  This strain is somewhat unique in that it seemed to come on as more of an Indica to start, relaxing us and knocking us down a peg slightly, then transitioning into a more uplifting and Hazy effect after about 30 minutes.  We felt that this one put us in a meditative state where we could function and work, but it carried a bit of signature Haze spaciness that had us walking around in circles at times, enjoying some of the psychoactivity it offered.  The smooth effects peaked around 45 minutes, then gradually declined from there, lingering out to over 3 hours for most of our staff.

Medicinal Traits:  (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Muscle relaxation, anti-anxiety, migraines, mood elevation, appetite stimulation, and digestive aid.

Overall:  This strain fit very well into our daytime routines and pleased us with its distinctly floral elements which were present in both the aroma and flavor.  We appreciated the cure and overall texture quite a bit, and it seemed to help the aroma stay present whether it was ground or sitting in the jar.  The combination of relaxation and mental uplift this strain offers had us feeling positive but smoothly relaxed for upwards of 3 hours, making this a great strain to medicate with mid-day and feel relief until early evening.  Definitely check out this one if you want a smooth Sativa that doesn’t come with any real side effects or negatives.

Flo Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From: MariTrust

Grade: A-

Type: Sativa-dominant hybrid

Lineage: Highland Thai, Purple Thai, and Afghani genetic lines — for more info, see Flo’s strain profile

Price: $42/8th, $200/oz

Appearance: (8.5/10)  Like most examples of this strain, it’s simply beautiful to look at when it’s in your hand.  The collection of colors that Flo tends to display come mostly from the Purple Thai side of the family and include blue, purple scarlet, and even some pink hues — this one had all but the pink in one spot or another.  The structure was definitely Sativa, yet nicely solid, while the trim was adequate and didn’t detract from the experience at all.  We did find a few tiny seeds that developed and some of the outer trichomes were damaged, but on the naked eye type of level, it was nearly flawless.

Aroma: (9/10)  If you know and love the strain, you already know what we’re going to talk about here… Flo just smells amazing.  Simply put, it’s one of our favorite smells in the world of cannabis and seems to deliver every time — this one is no exception, instantly vaulting itself among the top examples we’ve smelled.  The very pungent, lightly mentholated, sweet berry-meets-anise-meets-musk bouquet it has tingles the nose and gets the user excited to try it, even before it’s ground up.  This one had more sweetness than many Flos do, which seemed to improve the aroma further.

Taste: (8.5/10)  Like the smell, this Flo was one of the better examples of the strain in that it exhibited all of the notable characteristics in a very pungent and enjoyable manner.  The same anise-kissed berry sweetness hits the tongue on the attack, but the aftertaste is very spicy and musky (perhaps earthy… tastes of soil as well), hanging on the palate for several minutes after consumption.  The smoke itself was very smooth and actually seemed to soothe the throat thanks to the mentholated quality it had.  We did take slight issue with the flush, as the final ash was a medium-dark gray, indicating that it could’ve used a longer flush period.

Effects: Almost immediately after finishing the session, a smile begins to creep across our faces… this seems to happen time and time again with Flo, and this one was no exception.  Flo is just a good mood type of strain, immediately elevating the mood and reducing the stress of a day.  A pleasant massaging-type feeling around the crown of the head, trailing to the back of the neck, as well as a light, floaty-feeling torso had our bodies feeling great, but not particularly inclined to movement since we felt so comfortable.  Clear-headed, social, and mentally-motivated, we found ourselves doing random activities and barely noticing the time flying by.  As it began to dwindle at around 2 hours, it took on a more direct relaxation effect, leaving us feeling slightly drained at times.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Major mood elevation, sensory enhancement, muscle relaxation, mental relaxation, anti-anxiety, and some pain relief (one reviewer who is suffering from a broken tooth reported solid relief from that pain).

Overall: The bag appeal on this Flo is nearly perfect aside from the tiny seeds and the roughly-handled exterior trichomes… otherwise, it’s simply beautiful and smells/tastes amazing.  If you like Flo at all, this is a very good example of the strain in all areas, providing the stereotypical taste, smell, and effects that the strain’s become famous for.  This is a perfect daytime uplifter that serves to also ease body tensions and pain, making it a true hybrid feeling throughout the experience.  We may be a little biased towards liking Flo just because it’s such an aromatic and exotic-tasting strain, but it proves itself time and time again with its medicinal value and overall quality… this one from MariTrust continues that trend.

Here’s another look at the Blueberry as it gets closer to harvest, this time at 40 days into flower.  It’s smelling great, like sugar-dipped berry muffins and the trichome heads are really starting to fatten up  — probably 2 more weeks to go!

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Blue Cheese Medical Marijuana Strain Review

From: CURE Dispensary

Grade: A

Type: Indica-dominant hybrid, UK Cheese x Blueberry (two BB males were used to pollinate the Exodus UK Cheese clone) from Big Buddha Seeds

Price: $50/8th + tax

Appearance: (6.5/10)  When we got our pack of samples from CURE, this was the one that were least excited to try based on the appearance alone.  It just didn’t seem to be anything special at all, with a standard green coloration and not many trichomes visible to the naked eye.  A shaggy manicure in spots also added to this impression…  However, when magnified, the fat-headed trichomes became more visible and the sample’s lack of grow flaws came to light — no seeds, no hermie bananas, and no signs of stress.  Though the harvest seemed a little bit early (not many ambers at all), it didn’t seem to affect the potency much, given the rather high FSL cannabinoid test numbers.

Aroma: (8.5/10)  The high point of this strain for sure, the aroma was a wonderfully pungent mix of sweet blueberry and sharp, musky, putrid elements… which, yes, can be described as smelling like cheese.  It’s a very strange and unique taste that you really only find in Cheese strains — alternately appealing and revolting, like many fine cheeses.  This seemed blueberry-dominant though, with a pervading sweetness and berry kick that ruled over the UK Cheese.

Taste: (7.25/10)  The taste took on more of the cheese elements than the smell did, while the berry sweetness fell to the background.  One reviewer commented that there was even an iron/mineral-like taste, similar to what is found in very “goaty” cheeses, while others mainly picked up on peppery, sharp notes.  The sweetness was still present, but the sharp tastes were stronger for sure.  The smoke itself was rather smooth though expansive, making us cough at times — the final ash was a very light flecked gray, which indicated a quality flush.

Effects: We had one outlier reviewer in our results that had a very uppy, motivational experience full of energy, exaggerated hand motions, and laughter… this contrasted with the experiences of the other reviewers yet was repeated on a secondary review, so we felt it worth mentioning.  Sometimes meds simply affect people differently, so keep that in mind with this one, as we don’t normally have one review sticking out so much from the others.

The majority of staff felt that this was a wonderful relaxing med that served to take all the troubles and pains of the day and put the brakes on them.  Starting off with a buzzing, warm body, strong forehead/temple pressure, and an immediate mood elevation, this strain felt really potent early on.  It was a torquey med that stayed at medicinal levels for around 1.5 hours, only tailing off around hour 2.  The dominant state was one of engaged but inactive focus, where the couch and a movie or video games were the perfect accompaniment.  It was a great “stealth med” though, as the reviewer’s physical appearance was unaffected despite the potency.  A soft drop (or perhaps a rise, since it was a “down” med overall) back to sobriety made this a smooth experience overall.

Medicinal Traits: (We are NOT doctors – personal opinion ONLY)  Mental and physical relaxation, stress relief,  mood elevation, possible joint pain/arthritis relief (warm, tingly hands that struggled to form a fist), and sleep aid properties at higher doses.

Overall: Some of the staff had never tried a Blue Cheese before, while others had — either way, this one is now our favorite Blue Cheese, and most of the staff wanted to go get some for themselves after the reviews were over.  That is generally a sign of a pretty quality sample, especially given that it was low on the totem pole in terms of looks and overall appeal.  The smell is something that some people will absolutely love and other will simply like, but it’s very pungent and appealing.  There were no real flaws in the grow despite the drab outside appearance, and the overall potency was top-notch.  We recommend this med heartily as a late day/early evening type of thing for unwinding after a day of stress — it won’t kill severe pain, but eased most daily tensions.  The relaxing and positive mental state can lead into restful sleep depending on timing and dosage.  Great debut from a new shop!