Jimi DevineWhile there is always a “weed of the moment” in California, we think the representations we’ve found of the cultivars below are among the absolute cream of the crop when it comes to the heat of Summer 2020.
Now deep into the season, we’ve certainly experienced a lot of highs and lows. The more responsible of us have had a lot more time to grade fine cannabis as we strictly followed Dr. Fauci’s advice. The pot continues to be great this year despite not getting to share it with friends and family.
Cannabis cultivation efforts weren’t impacted the same way a lot of other parts of the economy were. But the flip side is, there are a lot more hurdles to grow pot (and grow it well) than in most other businesses, just in regard to licensing and taxes alone. Cannabis cultivation facilities are now the first link in a supply chain deemed essential by the state of California. That’s new for Summer 2020! Also, on a positive note, it’s not too difficult to socially distance inside a grow or field. That means there is no moral baggage attached to wildly good pot.
So, what have all these folks been up to the past five months? Only growing some of the best marijuana on the planet! Here is a collection of their lockdown works that blew our minds so hard we were almost glad we couldn’t share them with anyone!
Cookies x Compound Genetics at Cookies – Apples and Bananas
Photo Courtesy of Compound Genetics
There are few things stuffed with as much clout in the legal cannabis space as the concept of a collaboration between Cookies and Compound Genetics. The first offering from the new effort will be Apples and Bananas, the pros over at Compound have been especially hyped on this one over the last couple months. It will be exciting to finally see it hit L.A. shelves. In addition to Apples and Bananas, we got one of the first peeks at a recent 1200 seed propagation effort by Compound that included Cookies’ Lemoncello x Jet Fuel Gelato, that one has the aroma of Fruit Loops with lime juice squirted in it.
Congo Club at Sweet Flower – Red Congolese
Photo Courtesy of The Congo Club
Back in 2010 when Durban Poison was the official strain of the World Cup in South Africa, the wider masses were introduced to the zippy upbeat high of the region’s landrace sativa genetics. These days most Durban Poison smells like some weird Jack Herer cross, but fear not! The team over at Congo Club are among the few cultivating something reminiscent of the regional flavor profile that blew up a decade ago. And it’s not easy, the best Red Congolese takes weeks longer than a lot of other popular strains you see on the market. That means when you see it, it tends to be grown out of a labor of love since you could just switch it out for something more commercially viable under those lights in an instant.
Fig Farms at Catalyst and Pottery – Animal Mints Bx1
Photo Courtesy of Fig Farms
Few names carry as much weight in the weed game from Tijuana to the Oregon border as Fig Farms. They have been considered an excellent representation of the best California cannabis has to offer for years. While some of their inhouse genetics pairings are themselves cup-winners that have gained much notoriety, their work with Seed Junkie’s Animal Mints line over the past few years has been nothing short of elite. Their latest and greatest offering from the effort is the Animal Mints Bx1. The “Bx1” is because Animal Mints was crossed back to the Wedding Cake originally used to make it to try and pull some more traits out of it. While this probably won’t last long on shelves, anything from Fig is an experience. They crossed a bunch of their best stuff with the Animal Mints too, we got the chance to try the Sugar Mints. It was cool, but there is just something about the way they do Animal Mints that puts it over the top.
Alien Labs at Catalyst – Xeno
Photo Courtesy of Alien Labs
In a pairing for the ages between Zkittelz and Kush Mints, Alien Labs brings us Xeno. How can something so new already be so special? Well, the aliens have not had a blast trying to work with Zkittelz over the years. Nevertheless, their never-ending pheno hunt continued and that perseverance eventually led to this masterpiece that checks every box for optics, flavor, and experience. “Every Zkittelz seed we’ve ever popped has been ugly as shit, all of these were no different except this one. Which is a beautiful green and white bud.” Alien Labs founder Ted Lidie told L.A. Weekly. For the extra headie among us, keep an eye for the Xeno solventless collaboration Alien Labs did with reigning Emerald Cup champions Kalya Extracts.
Jungle Boys at TLC, Jungle Boys OC, & Los Angeles Farmers – TK43
https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6zfzFpD_i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
When we last visited The Jungle Boys at their East Olympic HQ a week before California went into lockdown, a big chunk of the hype was surrounding their new effort with their TK BX 1 (Triangle Kush x Triangle Larry) crosses. While we’re big fans of the SFV-TK pairing that dropped in the spring, the TK43 brings together the TK Bx1 with one of The Jungle Boys’ most famed cuts, the WiFi-43. You could get something at any of their shops that smells a bit more like a pastry shop that sells fruit and ice cream but expect this aroma to be a bit more akin to a gas station. That kind of nose with fuel-like terpene profiles is the top of the mountain for many connoisseurs on a quest for high impact cannabis.
Humboldt Seed Company at Everywhere – Vanilla Frosting
Photo Courtesy of Humboldt Seed Company and Erik Nugshots
On a recent four day excursion through Humboldt County, one thing quickly became apparent to us: there are a lot of farmers on both sides of the cannabis market growing a lot of Vanilla Frosting from Humboldt Seed Company. The offerings we’ve seen so far have been nice as the first round of light deprivation-grown cannabis came in a couple of months back. But we’re excited to see what the full sun versions look like, especially the dry-farmed ones we saw at High Water Farm. Expect to be able to get your hands on it this harvest season and we think you’ll enjoy the resulting efforts of Humboldt Seed Company’s years working with Gelato.
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