Jimi DevineIt’s the six month anniversary of California going into lockdown so we’re looking back at the biggest jump in legal weed smoking ever and the amazing pot we’re seeing right now since everyone has been stuck in their garden all this time.
When I first started doing The Pandemic Picks as a joke on Instagram to keep things lighthearted through all this perpetual misery, I didn’t think the pandemic part would have us all on lockdown smoking as much weed as we have. Now, this set of selections essentially serves as the tenth edition all these months later, or The Pandemic Picks X as I’ve been waiting to say in Roman numerals.
To keep the picks accessible, everything on the list is currently available on store shelves around greater Los Angeles. There’s one exception that is just all hype, but you’ll probably be able to smoke it soon, once it gets into full circulation.
Here are the Six-Month Anniversary Edition Pandemic Picks!
Your Highness – Lemon Mints
Who doesn’t love the idea of an amazing kush dipped in Lemons? Nobody reasonable, that’s for sure. Our first offering comes to us from Your Highness. Their rendition of Seedy Junky Genetics’ Lemon Mints is simply must-smoke locally grown pot. It’s almost a more chipper version of the Kush Mints #11 that was paired with Lemon Meringue Cake to create it. If you see it on shelves act quickly, Your Highness said they keep access points to their products extremely limited by only selling to the high wattage dispensaries like Cookies, Jungle Boys and Dr. Greenthumb’s.
Photo Courtesy of Your Highness
Humboldt Terp Council – Triple OG
Photo Courtesy of Humboldt Terp Council
The Sherman Oaks crowd currently has access to some of the best concentrates The Emerald Triangle has to offer with Humboldt Terp Council’s Triple OG. The Terp Council is famed for its preservation of all unique terpene profiles growing up north. While the exotic flavors they’ve refined are something special, well done OGs have some of the highest impact and best effects of any good concentrate. The council also just announced they’re joining the Rosin revolution and you’ll be able to pick up some solventless dabs from them soon. Be sure to take it easy on the first one if you’re not a big dabber and just buy a Puffco Peak or Focus V CARTA if you don’t want to look like you’re freebasing weed. No judging here, except at the BHO world championship at The Emerald Cup, I judged that. But I’m not judging “you,” because God knows what planets I’ve visited via electronic dabs.
Curated Cannabis – Mendo Breath
Curated Cannabis is another local killer where the weed doesn’t make it out of town. In a market filled with a lot of middle-tier products, dispensaries are scooping up every drop as soon as it’s available. One buyer from up north told me they basically had no chance of getting their hands on it because the L.A. demand was so great. With a killer phenotype of Gage Green Group’s Mendo Breath, it’s easy to see why people are so excited about the chunky nugs they use. Mendo Breath has a wild lineage that includes some of the best Purple from back in the day and OGKB, a famous fire version of Cookies that was rescued by grower NorCal_ICMag, a separately fascinating tale. The phenotypes of Mendo Breath in production these days have been refined over the years. Some of the best smell like a minty or pine breakfast pastry with fuel noted on top. You can scoop some Mendo Breath at Erba Markets, Herbarium and DC Collective. There are a couple of spots in Malibu with it too.
Photos Courtesy of Curated Cannabis
Compound Genetics x Runtz – JOKERZ
We recently had the opportunity to visit the Compound Genetics mothership at Node Labs to see the results from a greenhouse pheno hunt of over 1,200 seeds. We hinted at the visit in the Strains of Summer but it was still all too overwhelming to reminisce on in that moment. Now, after thinking back on the 60 or so jars that made it to the next round, the biggest winner was JOKERZ, and you have to put it on your radar immediately. The new strain brings together White Runts and Jet Fuel Gelato, and it’s no surprise the combination of two of the biggest cuts of the moment is an absolute savage. We found five phenotypes that were particularly off the chain. The #54, #4, #86, #79 and #36. The #36 was the gassiest of the bunch and arguable our favorite, but they were all so special that it’s really difficult to make the call. Compound is doing a ton of crazy collaborations these days. Expect to see other big-name genetics continue to be paired with their stable of rockstars. JOKERZ is hyper exclusive and hyper exotic at the moment, but at least I told you where you can buy all the other stuff on the list!
GotBars510 – LemonBars
One of the more uplifting options in this lineup is certainly the LemonBars. According to popular California hypefluencer GotBars510, the LemonBars “is a Lemoncello cross grown for me, with a little taste of GotBarsOG, that’s where the name LemonBars came from.” One of the exciting parts about the strain is the limonene heavy terpene profile making it through the full sesh. And as always, we’re smoking for all tax brackets here at L.A. Weekly. LemonBars is one of the most competitively priced options on the list.
Photo Courtesy of GreenWolf
LA Kush – Bloodwalker
While LA Kush’s Bloodwalker has seen many moons since it first started placing on podiums a few years back, it’s a heater that any dispensary would want on their shelves to this day. Among the strain’s accolades was a runner up spot at Chalice in 2017 for Best Indica. It was very competitive those years in the desert before the Victorville officials pulled the plug on the event last minute in 2018. Anyone who got credit in the twilight of the medical market at those events should certainly still be wearing the feather in their cap. The Skywalker OG x Cherry Pie cross takes flavor notes from both parents. That is likely what helped the judges make up their minds. But just for bonus points, the sprinkling of orange hair is very California. So if you’re looking to switch it up from LA Kush’s popular red and blue box phenos of dank kush, check out the Bloodwalker for something different but up to par.
Photo Courtesy of LA Kush
Pearl Pharma – Sin Mint Cookies
One very exciting addition to the legal marketplace is Pearl Pharma’s pheno of Sin Mint Cookies. The strain is an effort produced by Sin City Genetics that brings together Girl Scout Cookies and Blue Power, another of Sin City Genetics’ big name cuts. So it’s basically the GSC crossed with what was previously their most famous strain before the Sin Mint dropped. I first saw it in California in concentrate form before the regulations killed the sesh scene. The AGM Farms version was one of the only dabs I ever bought twice at different events. Pearl Pharma’s flower justifies the hype from yesteryear. It’s slightly below top shelf pot and in the price bracket to match. The nugs aren’t stiff, but they hide a lot of the cookies’ aroma until you break them up. You can pick up Sin Mint Cookies at MMD in Hollywood, many Catalyst locations, and Hazel in Encino.
Photo Courtesy of Pearl Pharma
Adam ill – ILLcohol 99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Many of the usual options for buying bong cleaning supplies have run dry as the pandemic continues to decimate the global supply of Isopropyl Alcohol. But fear not, Secret Sesh host and general pot personality Adam ill has you covered with his new official ISO. He’s even tossing in a little free salt for his biggest fans. You might see it run ten bucks cheaper online for this quality of ISO, but it looks like a lot of those places have sold out just like drug stores. And they don’t have the extra 1 percent of clout found in ILLcohol.
Photo Courtesy of Adam iLL
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