Connect with us

California

America’s tastiest THC vapes of Labor Day 2023 and beyond

Published

on


You’re doing too much, America.

Labor Day is coming up—it’s time to lengthen that weekend, pack the cooler, and honor American Labor’s achievements by chilling out. 

THC vape carts and pods require the least work to get lifted. If you can use a straw, you can sip and rip on the purified essence of the cannabis plant. 

In 2023, at the top end of vapes: farmers grow designer strains lovingly in living soil, and hand-harvest the buds into freezers. The frozen nugs get ice water agitated—their glistening glands are then sieved and heat-pressed into clean ceramic cartridges and all-in-one vapes. 

Solventless vapes continue to take over, while delicious live resin sits within reach of anyone 21 and up in a legal state. Carts fly off shelves in newly legal Maryland and Missouri this year.

America’s tastiest THC vapes of fall 2023 comes from Leafly’s network of national correspondents. These terp sherpas rounded up the nation’s biggest winners, best sellers, and the most painstaking flavor purveyors of the vaping kind. A distillation of our findings from eight legalization states follows below. Sip it and rip it.

California

Kalya Disposable “Blue Zushi” Rosin Pen

Kalya’s rosin sauce carts. Available at Solful dispensaries and beyond.

The new rosin rechargeables from Santa Rosa’s Kalya Extracts are an outstanding achievement in solventless on-the-go. Using the latest Omega XL hardware from Kung-Fu Vapes, along with extracts from some of the best farms in California, these are some of the best disposables, and rechargeables I’ve come across. This new hardware has a preheating function when you flip the on/off switch…try as I might, it didn’t give me a burned taste when I tried hitting it eight times in a row. In the latest batch of flavors is some of that Blue Zushi which they got from Dancing Dog Farms. We asked Kalya what was on the horizon and told us to look out for Honey Banana, Zkittlez, and some Starburst OG phenos. Co-founder Marc Hammond also said they’ve launched the same hardware for the Community line and their Oregon series of products. —Matt Jackson

Related

How to order weed delivery online with Leafly

Super Dope Liquid Diamond Vapes

(Courtesy Grassdoor delivery)

The weirdest and most interesting new type of cartridge out there right now is undeniably the Live Diamond Disposable Vaporizer by Super Dope. Rechargeable, disposable, and square-shaped, they look like something you’d pull out of a claw machine in Akihabara and are filled with cured resin sauce and diamonds from flower grown at their facility. Flavors for this first drop include Cherry Popperz, Mega Z Blue, Lemon Popperz, and Bubblegum Popperz. These come with a pretty high price tag, but two factors—the brand-new hardware and the exclusivity of the brand’s flower—has made this a desirable product to try in the California market. Pro tip: if you’re having trouble getting a good hit, remember there’s an airflow hole at the bottom of the unit that you can cover for more vapor production. —Matt Jackson

More vapes!

America’s coolest carts and pods of 420 2023

This next pick from Southern California’s Rosin Tech Labs is a disposable, rechargeable, strain-specific Advanced Vapor Devices (AVD) vape showcasing some of the loudest terpene profiles from its Green and Black boxes. The difference lies in the yield: If a run generates less than a thousand grams of product, then it goes from the Green to the Black. Each 1-gram takes its flavor from the Rosin Tech Black line, while the newly released 0.5-grams get sourced from Rosin Tech Green. These perform super well, too: Given that the brand also sells rosin and hash holes, it should be no surprise that they perfected a 1.0-gram that has an even burn with no spillover while you’re inhaling. The Rosin Bars they’ve put out with Santa Rosa’s Luma Farm have been first class, and while I’m a sucker for the straight Papaya, look for the Funky Poohie, which blends that fruity Papaya with some First Class Funk. —Matt Jackson

Family-owned and operated in Los Angeles, Cold Fire Extracts has been cartridge fans’ secret hitter for several years. These live resin, butane-extracted 510 thread cartridges produce super solid hits like Meduzaa, Sour Diesel, and Lime Slurps (all in stores now.) Working with only the most talented and longstanding operators in the state, they’ve released vape carts in collaboration with brands like CAM, Green Dawg, Blueprint, and Lumpy’s. Look up your local store on Leafly now to catch their work with Elite Genetics, Turtle Pie, and Seven Leaves. With so many quality farm partners, you’ll always want to check out the Cold Fire section and see what’s on the menu. —Matt Jackson

Whether you choose to grab a Sweet Pineapple, Ripe Guava, or Iced Mango, your tongue is going to experience a wave of ripe fruit bursting from each of these Dee Thai options. I particularly liked how this brand of disposables doesn’t look like a cannabis product—making it a great option to take with you into places that might be upset at finding a pen with a giant weed leaf printed on it. Dee Thai vapes are a mix of live resin and distillate. Though they may be primarily known for their edibles, Dee Thai has created a welcome addition to their product line with these disposables. Each one tastes like taking a bite out of a piece of fruit and is sneaky enough to make it into Downtown Disney. —Matt Jackson

Raw Garden’s Refined Live Resin 

Mother's Little Helper: Raw Garden's ready-to-use.(Courtesy Raw Garden)
Mother’s Little Helper: Raw Garden’s ready-to-use.(Courtesy Raw Garden)

Raw Garden’s trademarked Refined Live Resin boasts a smooth, flavorful hit—a testament to the company overseeing every step of the process, seed to oil. With its own farmers and researchers, Raw Garden produces a carefully crafted line of cannabis extracts that are all pesticide-free and Clean Green certified; just about the closest thing to being USDA certified organic in the cannabis world. No additives, no artificial flavors—just pure, potent weed.

On its farm in Santa Barbara’s wine country, Raw Garden takes things a step further with a specialized freezing process. Rather than hang drying newly harvested plants, the company freezes them while they’re still fresh. This locks in the whole essence of the cannabis “before it can dry out and lose any of its natural flavors and aromas,” the company says. 

The Refined Live Resin undergoes a refinement process that removes fats, waxes and tannins. That helps the oil flow more easily through a vape pen—without chunking up—for a smoother hit.

Given the high quality, Raw Garden products are actually pretty affordable, something the beloved California brand prides itself on. “Weed is life to people… the pricing sensitivity is very real,” Co-Founder Khalid Al-Naser told Leafly in 2020. —Marissa Wenzke

Related

Fields of flavor! Leafly visits Raw Garden’s 2020 harvest

CBX live resin carts

(Marissa Wenzke for Leafly)

Cannabiotix is all about consistency. 

With more than 20 High Times Cannabis Cup awards to its name, CBX cultivates an elite line of one-of-a-kind strains. Two expert cultivators founded the California-Nevada based company, armed with “rare heirloom genetics” they collected in California’s medical marijuana days.

Whether flower or concentrates, CBX strains are consistently potent and consistently deliver what they promise. There’s descriptions on the labels that are helpful and surprisingly accurate. The company says its strains carry “one-of-a-kind cannabinoid and terpene profiles found nowhere else in the game.”

CBX’s live resin carts are strain-specific and contain “100% sauce”—no cutting agents, no artificial terpenes, no distillates. None of the icky stuff. 

CBX makes its carts through a 6-week process in which it isolates a strain’s terpene fraction from its cannabinoids. “We then combine and homogenize the two fractions together with the goal of creating an artisan vaping experience that delivers a full flower flavor, true to the strain,” the company says

Carts are available in six strains: Cereal Milk, GM-Uhoh, Tropicanna L’Orange, RPG, and Kush Mountains, which won 1st place at the High Times World Cup for Best Hybrid Flower in 2017. —Marissa Wenzke

Bloom disposables

(Courtesy Bloom)

Bloom’s disposable all-in-one vape pens are top tier. For one, you can rip them until they’re done and then just throw them away. I love not carrying a battery that I have to continuously recharge and worry about not losing. For two, they look very unsuspecting, so traveling around with them or public use is a stress-free activity. For three, the all-around consumption experience is great. The vapor hits smoothly with no cough on the back end and the effects actually get you high, unlike a lot of other vape pens that leave you with a super light buzz that just makes you crave a joint after. Plus, the flavors come through vibrantly and low-key, making it hard to put the vape down. The brand carries three different types of vape pens in 0.5-gram quantities: Classic, Live, and Rosin. I prefer that rosin for that full-spectrum, terpene-rich, deliciously-satisfying flavor experience. —Dante Jordan

Disposable CUREpen by West Coast Cure

(Marissa Wenzke for Leafly)

West Coast Cure’s Disposable CUREpen is an all-in-one vape with a ceramic core atomizer and a rechargeable 2.4-volt auto-draw battery. It’s convenient, potent, and ready to rip. 

The Orange County, CA-based company produces vapes that come in over 30 different strains, with the disposable CUREpen available in classics like Jack Herer and Birthday Cake as well as some newer strains as well. 

This pen delivers a strong, smooth, tasty, terpy hit. It comes pre-filled with premium distillate oil, with THC levels usually testing above 90%. And even while being such solid quality, these pens are typically priced a little cheaper than other premium vapes. 

They’re a great option if you want something budget-friendly that still packs a punch. And you can rest easy knowing they come from a reliable, trusted brand. —Marissa Wenzke

Oregon

Echo Electuary “Greasy Runtz” Live Nectar Cartridge

Echo Electuary is a respected name in Oregon’s extraction scene. Renowned for their extensive series of award-winning live resins, their hard work and dedication extends to their cartridge series as well. Echo’s single-source “live nectar” is unheated raw THCa in glass 510 thread, C-Cell cartridges. You can also grab these in a 50/50 mix of live nectar and distillate. Echo also keeps its game up through partnerships with Oregon farms like Evans Creek Farms, Ananda Farms, and Benson Arbor. Also aware of the up-and-coming cultivars from other states, they offer things like Compound Genetics’ Apples and Bananas. If you can find some in the stores of Portland, catch the Greasy Runtz (Grease Monkey x Runtz) they put out with Eastwood Gardens. One thing to appreciate about Echo is that they make sure the front of their packaging lists the terpene percentage instead of just putting a giant box around the THC percentage. —Matt Jackson

Happy Cabbage upholds a high standard of quality but also runs an extensive distribution network throughout the state, should you find yourself in the beautiful Oregon countryside. Right near the Willamette River, this brand has established itself as a major name in Oregon’s solventless market; the battery alone should make their rosin cartridge a consideration. Unlike a lot of other brands, a Happy Cabbage battery has a preheat function and two settings that have been dialed in by their hashmakers to ensure the perfect experience with their carts. A killer selection of 510 thread, 0.5-gram options are in stores now, including Tropicana Cookies, Dog$#it Cherry Pie, and my current favorite, the Iced Zubes. —Matt Jackson

Grape God Disposable Rosin Pods

Oregon may be the Beaver State, but rosin fans up there have been worshiping the Grape since around 2014 when they shifted to focusing on solventless hash production. Purveyors of the kind of stuff you see people asking each other about on message boards, Grape God entered Oregon’s recreational market in 2022. Inspired by the strain Grape God (Godbud x Grapefruit), the brand makes a 0.5-gram disposable hash rosin pod that boasts a lot of—you guessed it—grape flavors. You can pick up Grape Rambutan, Straw-Grape, and Grape Cream Cake Along with Superboof and Puro Loco. —Matt Jackson

Washington

Constellation “Georgia Pie” ceramic rosin pod

If you ask Seattle’s discerning terpene fans what cartridge to buy, you can bet they’re going to say Constellation—a crew that came together thanks to a chance meeting at the 2016 Emerald Cup. If you want a universal 510 variety, you have 0.5-gram options in strains like Flaming Cherries, Moonshot Grape, Brunch Runtz, and Tallymon. Continuous improvement remains a guiding principle for Constellation, so when you feel ready to level up to a 1-gram, they have a ceramic, “snake oil” pod system that’s one of the first of its kind on the Washington market and bakes up a delicious Georgia Pie that manages to bring in the fruit, the spice, and that good pie crust, too. —Matt Jackson

Colorado

Dablogic Hash Rosin Cartridges

When it comes to legendary names in Colorado cannabis, Dablogic rings out all through the Rockies and even out west in California, where its products are also sold. In 2017, Dablogic partnered with Verde Natural to create some of the first solventless vape pens. They have impeccable solventless cartridges that are 510 thread and come in three versions, divided by the micron range—the size of the holes in the bag—which are used to collect the heads of the plant’s trichomes. You can choose a 73u like the Sour 2018, which pops together the flavors of Diesel and Chem, or for a little more money go with the 90-120u and try the Strawnana, which this brand is well known for producing. Smokers on slightly more of a budget can enjoy the mixed micron series that launched, knowing it all came from the same living soil flower grown by their partnership with Verde Natural. —Matt Jackson

New Jersey

Just last week, Edie Parker announced that the company was about to drop these new disposal BOMA vape pens as part of the Flower by Edie Parker line in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, and Massachusetts. This East Coast release from the fashion and cannabis brand comes in three flavors that accent certain moods. Lemon Watermelon is a hybrid blend that also mixes effects along with fruit flavors for a nice, center-lane experience. The Maui Mango has a tropical flavor that sparks the feelings of their sativa blend. Lavender Vanilla tastes like a creamy, floral dessert that’s meant for the latter part of the day. Just like most of the Edie Parker cannabis line, they have a pleasing color range and visually satisfying aesthetic. Alongside this, plans are in motion to also bring out the 0.8-gram 510 thread cartridges starting with the Missouri market as early as this year. —Matt Jackson

Florida

710 Labs Persy Pods Gak Smoovie #5

Colorado, California, Michigan, and Florida know these pods ooze with flavor. You can pick up super fun strains in all four numbered tiers of 710 Labs pods, but a Persy Pod is the definition of self-care. Casual consumers and fans of the brand will admit that it’s not unusual to go through a pod faster than you think, so a lot of people reserve these for a special treat. With a ton of different strains and sub-varieties on their menu, it can be difficult to recommend something that your friends can find. For me, I would say the Gak Smoovie #5 packs a punch and has that fruit salad flavor that always seems to go over well with the cartridge community. We know it’s a struggle to keep up with all these proprietary batteries and pod systems out there, but this one is worth hanging onto. —Matt Jackson

New York

Evolvd Gush Mints rosin cart

I’m the first to admit I’m a vape snob. It sounds pretentious, I know, but distillate, botanical terpenes, and formulas calibrated to work in rudimentary disposables leave a lot to be desired in both flavor and effect. So when I see a solventless option, price be damned, I’m going to hop on it. Evolvd started in Eugene, OR, but has found a place in New York’s market by providing one of the only solventless cartridges across multiple NYC dispensary menus that I’ve reviewed. The packaging not only declares its THC potency (67%, just fine for me), but also the percentages of the minor cannabinoids CBG, CBC, and THCV; it also packs a whopping 5.9% terpenes. I appreciate that they include an expiration date for the cart, as a recommendation to use within 90 days of opening. Evolvd definitely offers a faithful Gush Mints—that menthol feeling hit me immediately, followed by a strong earthiness and a touch of sweetness. It’s stonier than what I usually go for, but has none of the brain jitters that can arise from lower-quality oils. —Amelia Williams

Florist Farms was one of the first cannabis brands in the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in New York state, and their concentrates-focused brand, Blotter, also brought the first dabbables to dispensary shelves. Blotter, at least for now, does use BHO extraction for their “liquid live resin” carts, live resin sugars, and diamond sauces. I chose Pop Tarts, which rocks 62.7% THC, and comes with an expiration date on the packaging, which I appreciate. In true live resin fashion, Pop Tarts makes itself known, blowing big clouds even as I used the lowest battery setting. You’d think a strain like Pop Tarts would be creamy and sweet, but it veers more sour and herbal in this form, with a lemongrass pop at the end of the pull. It offers a cerebral overall effect that inspires movement and conversation, but not as acute as a straight sativa—great for daytime, social gatherings, and jam sessions. Florist Farms also produces live resin sauce disposable pens at a more affordable price point, though they are a mix of live resin and distillate. —Amelia Williams

See also: MFNY’S divine disposable rosin pens like Poddy Mouth, or Blueberry Muffin (winner of Hitman’s “Best of New York” competition in July). Available at Housing Works and Union Square Travel Agency in Manhattan, NY. 

If you prefer potency over palate and have no qualms about distillate or extraction method, NYC’s dispensaries have plenty of more affordable options. Jetty and their multiple lines of vapes are all over the state, and local NY brand Jaunty has 1-gram carts with high, high potency numbers and cannabis-derived terpenes at competitive prices

Nevada

CAMP + The Real McCoy solventless Weekend at Gary’s

Nevada’s first solventless weed brand CAMP teamed up with indoor hydro growers The Real McCoy for a fresh drop of CAMP’s Disposable 3.0 solventless vapes in the popular indica strain Weekend at Gary’s. Ice water hash rosin powers this tasty, potent pen, which uses a wickless ceramic bucket to heat the rosin and avoid any burning taste. You can set your own variable voltage to better hit that thick rosin oil. CAMP Disposable 3.0s also come in Live Rosin, Ice Water Hash, and Flower Rosin. They launched in July and sell at The Source’s five Nevada stores. —David Downs

CBD pick

MFUSED’s 20:1 Lifter

vape cart standing up with M insignia
Sometimes we all just need a little lift. (Max Savage Levenson for Leafly)

Who says that only THC fans can enjoy vape carts? The 20:1 Lifter disposable cart from MFUSED (available in Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington) provides CBD lovers an opportunity to savor a delicious, terp-rich product that relaxes and energizes while (most likely) steering you clear of anxiety and paranoia.

This MFUSED cart hits smoother than Carlos Santana, and their Lifter strain—a cross of Suver Haze and Early Resin Bud—delivers a robust bouquet of sweet berry, pepper and diesel notes. 

The Lifter cart quickly sparked a mild but thoroughly enjoyable head high that relieved some body tension and left me feeling uplifted for hours afterwards. True to its name, the Lifter is a great fit for daytime use; sensitive consumers may want to find another option for evening time. Bonus points: the disposable cart includes a micro-USB charging port to keep it fully operational.

Note: Even though this product is CBD-dominant, it contains more than 0.3% THC and thus cannot be shipped online like many popular CBD products. —Max Savage Levenson


And thus concludes out massive, 3,000-plus-word, 8-state, 21-cart vapes package for Labor Day and fall 2023. Have a great break—you’ve earned it.





Source link

California

12 best cannabis strains of harvest 2024

Published

on

By


It’s time to roll up the thickest joints, pack the biggest party bowls, and charge the Puffco for oversized dabs.

Millions of weed lovers nationwide have record amounts of flavors and pounds to smoke through this fall and winter. Bright, hot sun and no wildfires mean the full-sun outdoor weed crop in America’s Emerald Triangle simply killed it this year. Drying rooms have overflowed into guest bedrooms, growers report, and the flavors have never been more advanced.

“It’s been a great season. Everyone is bringing their A-game,” said Mia Moore, retail sales director for Redwood Roots—an Emerald Triangle brand packager and distributor.

“Everything honestly looks fucking amazing. It was a wonderful year!!!” said owner and farmer Mary Polson at Seed 707. “I’m stoked about everything. I can’t wait to smoke it.”

How does Leafly pick just a dozen exemplars? We smoke hundreds of strains, walk the fields, and talk to farmers. We ask the cloners that stocked the fields in spring, and the buyers vetting all the pounds to pick out gems this fall. We survey the biggest, best, most influential growers, and probably spend too long liking bud photos on Instagram.

Here are 12 top cannabis strains of Harvest 2024.

Related

How to order weed delivery online with Leafly

Stone cold classic

Blue Dream

(David Downs/Leafly)
(David Downs/Leafly)

Just in time for an anxious fall, the anti-anxiety hybrid Blue Dream is back on top out west.

This 1990s Santa Cruz, CA strain goes through waves of peak interest and decline. In 2024, it rides a tide of nostalgia sweeping through the stoner nation.

“Blue Dream is back and better than ever. It’s flying off the shelf at 17% THC,” said Eli Melrod at California’s leading outdoor store Solful.

Farmer/retailer Marjo Lak at Humboldt Nation said “Blue Dream is huge. It just flies off the wall. Haze, too.”

Blue Dream is a model outdoor variety—withstanding the test of time and trends. A top outdoor strain has to work outdoors, and not just inside. It has to yield. It must withstand weather, stress, mold, and pests. It must dry and cure true without turning into hay. It has to trim up nicely and sparkle in the bag. That’s Blueberry x Haze.

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near

See all dispensaries

A whole host of nostalgia strains are coming in strong this year. See also: Acapulco Gold, Panama Haze, Green Crack, or Maui Wowie.

Undisputed crowd favorite

LCG Fritter 

Lit Farms LCG Fritter grown by Honeydew Farms (Photo courtesy Honeydew Farms)
Lit Farms LCG Fritter grown by Honeydew Farms (Photo courtesy Honeydew Farms)

Farmers again over-grew Lemon Cherry Gelato and bulk prices will be brutal, growers say. Northern California remains awash in this type of Gelato #33. Why? LCG has become the Taylor Swift of trees. So-called ‘candy-gas’ tasting dessert strains are the dominant genre in the market. LCG typifies what customers craze. It’s got that loud creamy berry smell, pretty look, and stress-killing indica hybrid effects. This year, large-scale outdoor farmer Honeydew touts its cross of LCG to Apple Fritter—LCG Fritter—which should add some tart, pastry notes to the LCG. So many LCGs and friends await your grinder. See also: Miracle Candy, Jelly Donutz

Modern crusher

Governmint Oasis

Governmint Oasis bred  by Purple City Genetics. (Courtesy PCG)
Governmint Oasis bred by Purple City Genetics. (Courtesy PCG)

GMO Cookies x Gush Mints aka Governmint Oasis has hit big yet again this year, said the leading clone provider Purple City Genetics of Oakland, CA.

“Governmint Oasis continues to crush for people. Just inundated with pictures of huge plants.”

Auryn, Purple City Genetics

Both the GMO and Gush Mints set records for fatness in the fields, and combined with the perfect weather this season—expect a crazy, gorgeous, bumper crop of this potent, versatile hybrid to drive prices through the floor. Berkeley Patients Group advertises 3.5 grams for $7—that’s $7, not $70. 

Perfect for before a big meal—Governmint Oasis leaves folks tingly, hungry, and relaxed.

New zaza

Ridgelion 

Ridgelion. (Photo by Ginja Club, courtesy Ridgeline Farms)
Ridgelion. (Photo by Ginja Club, courtesy Ridgeline Farms)

One of California’s most award-winning outdoor growers Ridgeline Farms is excited to debut this new cross of Ridgeline Lantz to Cookies’ top cat Cheetah Piss. 

Ridgelion came out next-level beautiful,” said Ridgeline’s Jason Gellman.

Lantz is Runtz crossed to Ridgeline’s proprietary Green Lantern. Cheetah Piss is Lemonnade, Gelato, and London Poundcake.

Ridgeline leads the way with a slew of Lantz crosses, including the superb Blackberry Caviar (Grape Gas x LANTZ); and Blueberry Caviar for Woody Harrelson’s LA lounge, which specializes in outdoor.

Top hasher

Honey Banana

Hash rules more and more of the flower market these days, and as much as half of all cannabis flowers get frozen instead of dried. Leading the pack of hashers are strains like Papaya, Wilson, as well as Honey Banana. Though it’s this old cross of Strawberry Banana and Honey Boo-Boo from this old-school brand Elemental Seeds. Many breeders now work with it. Hit or miss as dried flower, Honey Banana shines as live rosin with a pronounced honeyed banana smell and taste. It’s considered a good ‘washer’—meaning the flower yields upwards of 5% hash when agitated by ice water and seized through a fine screen.

“It did great outside,” said Harry at hashmaker Errl Hill. “It’s becoming a standard—everyone kind of got that one. If it doesn’t yield, people won’t wash it over and over, year after year.”

Sour waves

Double OG Sour 

(Courtesy Rebel Grown)

Maybe it’s the bitter election. Maybe it’s New York’s ‘sour’ influence making itself known. Maybe we all just want to feel something again. Either way—2024 has been a banner year for Sour Diesel-related weed. Our pick goes to Rebel Grown seed’s Double OG Sour. It bested the competition in California to win 1st place at the Emerald Cup 2024. Double OG Sour grew well outside on both coasts—built off the time-tested genetics of OG Kush and Sour Diesel. It’s (OG Kush X (OG x Sour) F5). It’s green, pungent bud with lemon, pine, fuel, and sour notes; and zingy hybrid effects.  There are so many good sours to get at this year. 

See also: Booney Acres’ Sour Bears (Symbiotic Genetics’ Kombucha #6 x Sour Diesel BX3), Sour Trop x Lime Sour (from CHA Genetics), PCG Sour Peaches (AJ’s Sour x Moroccan Peaches), and classic Headband.

A Z to beat

4 Z’s

4 Z’s bred and grown by Lempire Farmaseed. (David Downs/Leafly)

The tropical taffy candy-smelling and lip-smacking strain Original Z offers some of the best indoor tree around. But it can be tricky outdoors, where one must harvest it early to avoid mold in the spongy bud. Medical marijuana-era brand Lempire Farmaseed has persisted into the recreational age with their standout 4 Z’s. It’s this killer cross of Dirty Z x ZOZ back-crossed to the Dirty Z. See? Four “Z”s. Easy. That’s the kind of intense Z work that pushes the culture forward.

Lempire’s Wes tells Leafly: “The selection we bred is brighter, faster, and highly resistant to pests and mold. The terps lean heavily towards the Original Z but retain the neon chunk of the Lem OG, and finishes in an amazing 40-45 days. Lab results hit high in THC and shops love the 4 Z’s.”

4 Z’s stood out among the crowd at Hall of Flowers in Santa Rosa, CA in September, and it’s so heartening to see a true legendary grower/breeder on fully legal shelves.

Rose’s moment

Whitethorn Rose and crosses 

Huckleberry Hill Farms’ award-winning, floral-smelling, and tasty sativa hybrid Whitethorn Rose is the belle of the harvest ball this year. After breaking out over a series of Emerald Cup wins, Whitethorn Rose has made its way into many gardens and the first crosses of it are starting to hit as well. Whitethorn Rose is a selection from a cross of Paradise Punch x Lemon OG but it smells completely different than a punch or an OG. It’s got this floral, rose, funk with a sweet terpinolene back. Sick of the LCG ‘candy-gas’ dominance in weed, seek out this increasingly popular strain, as well as all its new crosses. See also: Ridgeline Rose (Whitethorn Rose x Lantz); Country Rose (Whitethorn Rose x Canna Country 38).

New and influential

Pineapple Mojito

Weed diversity improves even more this season with the new Pineapple Mojito from California State Fair award-winning Higher Heights in Mendocino, CA. Both the grower Nate and buyers like Eli Melrod at Solful are psyched about this loud, modern pineapple and mint weed. Higher Heights has been laser-focused on breeding unique stuff through his Broze line, into his Carambola, and now the Pineapple Mojito. Unpack the world-class selection going on here. Pineapple Mojito is Carambola x Lemon Limez from Enzo the 420 Nomad. Lemon Limez is (Sour Diesel x Biker Kush) x Key Lime Pie. Carambola is (Sunburn x Green Tea) x Brozé with a crazy-loud citrus/incense/myrrh/gas smell. Nate always selects for terpy loudness and feel-good effects, and his unique work commands 3 to 4 times the going rate for outdoor in 2024.

Savory counter-point

Ooh Mami

Savory weed like GMO Cookies has a special, stanky place in our hearts. This year’s savory to search for comes from Phinest—one of California’s biggest cloners out in Sacramento. Originally dubbed “Gravy” by its creator Cannarado of Colorado. Phinest renamed it Ooh Mami to help it sell better. Ooh Mami mixes Lemon G, OG Kush Breath, and Sour Kush smells “exactly like a bowl of warm turkey gravy” with a sour lemon finish. Super-weird. It washes great for rosin and carts. Ian at Phinest describes it as “a 3-day pho broth with shameless amounts of hoisin sauce added in. Big yielder, beautiful giant sun worshiping monsters.” Ooh Mami—Daddy like.

One of a kind terp

Strawberry Pop

Strawberry Pop. Grown by Talking Trees. (David Downs/Leafly)

Ready for a different candy strain? Check out Talking Trees’ Strawberry Pop—a selection of Red Runtz bred by Washington breeder Exotic Genetix. Exotic Genetix Mike crossed Red Pop into Runtz, but we didn’t get any of the Runtz, rather a record amount of the strawberry soda pop flavor—a refreshing surprise. One hit and we’re back in Kansas City, MO sipping on a tooth-crackingly sweet strawberry soda to wash down some barbecue. Love it. “We just harvested our 2nd round and it’s more fire than the first,” said Talking Trees’ Matt Weston. See also: Booney Acres’ Redvine (Tractor Fuel #14 x Strawberry Meltshake #24).

Best effect

Canna Country 26

Canna Country #26. (David Downs/Leafly)

The best herb comes down to the effect, and one standout from 2024 will always be the proprietary Canna Country #26 from Canna Country. Why? It has such a great color and smell and the effect beats about 90% of the weed out there. Canna Country says “She is So cool,” and describes the high as “Texturing perception,” with a “hug from grandma” high. Facts. Canna Country 26 grows into gorgeous, purple, outdoor weed that reminds us of old-school Afgooey, and Jah Goo. You can smoke it from breakfast till dinner, and it’ll always feel right, and never make you anxious or edgy like many other modern maximum-THC strains will. Canna Country 26 is Forbidden Fruit crossed to the breeder’s proprietary Cherimoya.

And that’s a swing through some of the best and brightest trees from the fields this harvest season. The pace of innovation keeps accelerating, so we’re bound to leave something out when we have to settle on just 12 out of the hundreds or thousands of strains out there. Did we miss a bona fide champion? Make your reader’s choice below.


Reader’s choice: Pick a top strain of the 2024 harvest

What strain crushed it outside for you? We’ll add a 13th strain based on reader responses to make it a cool baker’s dozen harvest strains.



Source link

Continue Reading

California

Leafly Buzz: 12 top weed strains of October

Published

on

By


The West Coast is awash in za-za whether you’re into indoor or outs. As Croptober dries in barns and rooms, the indoor growers keep pumping out near-flawless gas, candy, cake, and classic strains.

The last 30 days of reporting took us from Hall of Flowers seshes with Wiz Khalifa, to hash hookahs deep in Mendocino County, CA, to road-testing the new Puffco Pivot high up in the fall trees of Montana.

Here’s your monthly cheat codes for the best bong loads of October. Here’s October’s Leafly Buzz.

Data grinder

Here’s the highlights of the West Coast’s monthly change in traffic to the strains in our 5,000 strain database (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Which strains are on the move in Leafly’s 9,000-strain database? (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

We broke out our calculators, plugged into the Leafly strain database, and ran a scan for zaza. Here’s what the stats tell us.

Connie Chung

This rare strain jumped from No. 3,769 to No. 120 after the iconic female anchor mentioned her namesake strain in an interview to promote her new book. Connie Chung is a DNA Genetics LA Flavor x G13.

Moroccan Peaches

Watch out for Purple City Genetics’ Moroccan Peaches—it’s up from #983 to #287 in just a single month. So much good Moroccan Peaches is being made into hash right now. It’s a cross of Spanish Barbara x Lemon Tree Skorange.

Street Tarts

Here comes the next new thing. Street Tarts is a cross of cross of Guava Tart x Street Guru by Purple City Genetics. It’s up more than 200 places in a month to No. 521.

Amnesia Haze

A 20 year-old classic stays strong this October. Amnesia Haze jumps up 25 spots to No. 108 in our 9,000-strain databse.

New in the Leafly strain database

Leafly adds or fixes 1,000 strains in its database each year. Here’s some of the new-new. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)
Leafly adds or fixes 1,000 strains in its database each year. Here’s some of the new-new. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

Dark Web

four dense and brightly colored marijuana nugs on a wooden table; the nugs are dusky purple and mottled with mint green and dull orange hues
Hack into this. (Courtesy Lindsey Bartlett)

Zoap bagseed is out there in the wild seeding whole new adventures. Among them, Alien Labs Dark Web—everything we’d want in an OGZ x Sherbert.

Shop highly rated dispensaries near you

Showing you dispensaries near

See all dispensaries

Gotti Beltz

Gotti Beltz. (David Downs/Leafly)
Gotti Beltz. (David Downs/Leafly)

Gotti and Rainbow Beltz makes for a more aggressive candy strain in Gotti Beltz, which is taking off from Phinest/Dubplatez. Gotti Beltz held court amid a table of zaza at the Phinest booth at Hall of Flowers.

Ridgeline Throbber

One of California’s top growers—Ridgeline Farms is working on new crosses of its hit LANTZ. We got our hands on Ridgeline LANTZ x Gushmints, known as Ridgeline Throbber. If you like your LANTZ even bigger and more minty—this is it.

Gary Satan

Tiki Madman’s Gary Payton x Jealousy project Gary Satan enter the database this month. Look for it among the pack of hype, new-new.

Related

Top 10 spooky strains for a high and haunted Halloween

Picks of the dispensaries

(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
(Sasha Beck/Leafly)

New on shelves

Headbanger by Wood Wide Farms

Burning up the charts

Permanent Marker by MOCA Humboldt

Best-sellers

Ballin out

Scotty’s Cake by CAM in Cali

Scotties Cake—CAM, California, fall 2024 image

Image Not Found

Scotties Cake—CAM, California, fall 2024

Ballin’ on a budget

Golden Pineapple by Phat Panda

Golden Pineapple—Phat Panda, California, fall 2024 image

Image Not Found

Golden Pineapple—Phat Panda, California, fall 2024

High Note

(Sasha Beck/Leafly)
We end with something fuerte. (Sasha Beck/Leafly)

Puffco Pivot with Alien Labs Z-squared rosin

Dabs and globs go in, potent vapor comes out. (Courtesy Puffco)
Dabs and globs go in, potent vapor comes out. (Courtesy Puffco)

The world’s leader in electronic dabbing tech, Puffco, returns to refresh thei dab pen for 2024. You load a glob of top-notch rosin into the silicone, flip-top chamber, then stash that thang in your jacket pocket until it’s time to really get zooted. Just double-click the sleek black button on the unit to unleash a huge heat cycle inside the micro-sized ‘360 chamber.’ When the Pivot buzzes, it’s time to sip fresh, bright, maximally flavorful vapor until you tap out.

It’s perfect for one-and-done dabbers who value traveling light.

The $130 device comes with little cotton swabs you use between dabs to keep the chamber clean and tidy. Be prepared—the black silicone tip gets a little gunky as you rip all those resinous dabs. But we’re not mad at it. The Pivot proved easy to master and a delight to experienced dabbers and novices alike. It’s perfect for one-and-done dabbers who value traveling light. Stick some brand new Alien Labs Z2 rosin in there to hit a new peak for a dab pen. Available on Puffco.

OK, we’re turning and burning into Croptober and Green Wednesday. Keep your notifications on.


About Leafly Buzz

So good they steal it—the popular, monthly strain review roundup Leafly Buzz is in its third year. We report independently on the connoisseur cannabis conversation, focusing on strains and branded flower of the US West. Reporting includes:

  • review samples
  • dispensary shopping
  • grow visits
  • events
  • Leafly search data
  • staff and reader tips, and more

Read back issues of Leafly Buzz

‘We’re copywritten, so don’t copy us’

Growers, breeders, brands, stores—got buzz for Leafly? We’re all ears. Email us at david.downs@leafly.com



Source link

Continue Reading

95 points and up

Permanent Marker—MOCA, California, fall 2024

Published

on

By


93 points out of 100

Price: $50/eighth but varies

Our pick for Leafly Strain of the Year 2023 was so dead-on it could be Strain of the Year again. Permanent Marker is now a top 10 strain out west. It’s available in any modality—from bubble hash to flower to cart. Indoor soil growers MOCA Humboldt in Eureka, CA compete with the best Markers this fall. The package says 35.16% total THC and the iced-out nugs sure look like it.

Myrcene, limonene, and linalool cooperate to create that ‘Gelato times 1,000’ marker fuel fume smell. Peak cure, freshness, and flawless manicuring all worked in the bud’s favor. MOCA’s cut could technically be more marker-like, but only because the competition is so steep. Maybe it’s the sky-high THC, but this cut also felt more racey, and less chill than the average marker. We gamed with a twitchy, ‘I’m in danger’ edge instead of zoning out and giggling.

Related

Streaming for stoners: 9 new shows to watch high

Never miss a rating: Subscribe to Leafly Newsletters, and download the Leafly App.

About our ratings

Leafly Ratings’ 100-Point Scale

  • 95-100 Perfect: exemplary cannabis
  • 90-94 Outstanding: a cannabis product of superior character and style
  • 85-89 Very good: a weed with special qualities
  • 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made weed
  • 75-79 Mediocre: a smokeable weed that may have minor flaws
  • 50-74 Not recommended

How we rate

Dried, cured, packaged, and sold buds, reviewed from bag in tastings, are given a single score. We focus on aroma, taste, effect, look, pedigree, cultivation method, and more.
Special Designations
Our editors focus on excellent, widely available ganja at a reasonable price. Special qualities include:

Top-shelf: It ain’t cheap, or necessarily plentiful, but it’s really good. Welcome to the top shelf.
Smart Buys: Fine, affordable, broadly available pot.

Leafly News cannabis ratings and ethics

Leafly News aims to retain and expand its expertise, authority, and trust.

Expertise is built through years of reviews, interviews with growers, visits to weed regions, and accumulated knowledge about cannabis horticulture, flavors, history, and culture. Leafly News’ editors and freelancers have a combined 50 years of experience with cannabis.
We aim to be accurate and independent, with policies including:

  1. Actual tastings—If we didn’t smoke it, we’re not reviewing it. At Leafly Ratings, all ratings come from multiple tastings.
  2. Independence—Leafly expert reviewers are paid by Leafly and are independent. We accept review samples with no promise of coverage. Leafly rating staff cannot accept bribes. We generally pay our own expenses and report on what the readers want to see.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2021 The Art of MaryJane Media