I recently acquired a 6-pack of Blazy Susan Grateful Dead pre-rolled cones.
The cones are 2 ¼” long excluding tip. With the tip included they are about 3 ¼”. The cones are vegan, GMO free, chlorine free and feature Grateful Dead-themed tips. Each empty pre-roll comes with its own little round smusher stick to aid in an even pack.
Empty cone with smusher stick
In order to fill one of these things properly, break your weed down to a fine mash. You can use your fingers or a grinder, but I usually use a grinder with these types of cones.
It takes about a gram of flower to fill one of these pre-rolls. You don’t have to fill it all of the way, especially if it’s intended for only one single smoker. I usually fill it all of the way regardless of how many smokers will be partaking in the piff.
To fill the cone with broken-up weed, you can fold a piece of paper, put your pot in the crease, and pour it into the cone bit by bit, using the smusher stick in between pours. Some brands of cones, such as RAW, even come with little custom pouring tools in addition to the smusher sticks.
If you don’t have or want to use a pouring pal, pinch some pot with your thumb and middle finger. Place the pinch into the cone. Use the smusher stick to evenly pack the plant product.
Pinch and repeat. Never pinch or pour more than once without using the smusher stick to pack the pot. This will ensure your joint is stuffed sufficiently in order to burn evenly and maintain its shape.
Near-full cone
When you’re finished the joint should look something like this. You can twist or pinch the remaining paper at the top if you plan on saving the jib for later. In this example I lit the thing as it was right then and there.
The joint burned slowly and evenly. I barely tasted the paper at all. I was smoking on some London Pound Cake 29% THC Hybrid from Kynd. It had sweet notes that reminded me of icing along with some earthier, nuttier flavors that gave me the impression of sponge cake.
Usually I prefer unbleached hemp papers, so I’m not sure I’d buy these again. Many readily-available brands such as RAW make unbleached, organic hemp pre-rolled cones. I recommend the 20 pack from RAW since it comes with both smusher sticks and pouring pals. Element makes organic rice cones, and you can get a 240 pack of Papa Jim’s unbleached cones for $20 on Amazon.
On a side note, rice paper for joints is a special style of thin translucent paper made from organic Earth-based materials. It is not made from the same type of rice that you eat.
The other day Autumn from Bloom in Akron advised me to try one of her favorite strains, Thai Kush from King City Gardens. I bought a tenth and stretched it out over several sessions in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of its unique properties.
This is a digital representation of the light that entered my eyes when I opened the jar of Thai Kush. There’s nothing else I’d rather behold!
The strain’s lineage is Hindu Kush x Thai. It’s a hybrid that features a crisp, citrusy scent and taste thanks to the high limonene content. The tenth was packaged in a glass jar with a black label and black plastic lid. My tenth weighed 2.86 grams, with 2.65 of those grams contained within one giant bud!
Big bud, small bud! Kind of like two peas in a pod, but stonier.
The Thai Kush flower not only looked beautiful but it was well-trimmed and contained minimal stemmage. The overall light green color was contrasted by flecks of purple combined with shiny trichomes and orange pistils that protruded proudly from the pot.
This close-up view of Thai Kush from King City Gardens is enchanting.
I was a little surprised with the dryness of the flower, as King City’s stuff is usually up to par. However, through a grinder, this particular batch of Thai Kush became about 50% dust. When broken up by hand it was sticky and shredded apart into nice little chunks of green goodness.
The flower had fair density to it and gave resistance when squeezed. I was especially happy with the large bud that weighed 2.65 grams, as it was thick and contained a very small amount of stem matter within. The nug gave a bit of a crunch when pressure was applied. I would have liked to put a Boveda packet in this jar for a few days to see if it would have helped with the moisture.
King City Garden’s Thai Kush burned at about a medium speed and ashed mostly white in color. It didn’t taste dry. In fact, the flavor was truly something to behold and appreciate.
Ash color of King City Garden’s Thai Kush
To me the taste of this flower leaned towards the lemony side. It was very refreshing, with sweet fruity and herbal notes to give balance. The exhale was smooth, with a clean taste that brought a sheen to my face.
Upon consumption I felt relaxed and pain-free but not sleepy. It was a good middle-ground balance to remain productive while still achieving that sought-after analgesic effect for which marijuana is so often used.
I’d recommend Thai Kush for those looking to take the edge off while remaining focused, dialed in, clear-headed and creative. During my initial session with the strain, the following verse brewed within my brain:
Thai Kush, Thai Kush. Wanna grow a whole bush. Stick a nug in my rosin press and give it a smush.
Humulene makes me feel like a human being. Limonene makes me feel like the Lion King. Caryophyllene is a scary offering. Indeed, caryophyllene is a cherry on top kind of thing.
I gave the Thai Kush from Cincinnati’s King City Gardens an 8 for taste, 3 for harshness, 7 for strength, 7 for smell strength and 45 to 60 minutes for length of medical effects.
Total THC 30.1%, Delta-9 THC 0.242%, THCA 34.1%, CBD 0%.
Cultivated by FW Green Investments LLC. Harvested 09/03/2024, tested 11/16/2024 by North Coast, packaged 12/12/2024, first consumed 01/04/2025, expires 09/03/2025.
The bottom of the jar has slight magnification properties, which helps while inspecting the trichomes.
I’ve tried Meigs County flower here and there, including some of their popular cuts like Swampwater Fumez and Strawberry Guava. I’ve always been impressed. Everybody always talks about how Meigs County is among their favorite cultivators, so I decided to try a tenth of Truffaloha.
The southern Ohio county known as Meigs County has been famous for growing great cannabis since the 80’s. In modern times, Agri-Med Ohio, LLC grows and distributes medical and recreational cannabis under the brand name Meigs County. Agri-Med Ohio is owned by Ethos Cannabis.
I love how Meigs County lists their flower’s lineage on the back of the jar. This needs to become a required piece of information for all Ohio flower. The Truffaloha’s parents are White Truffle and Platinum Punch #1. The strain is a hybrid with 24.30% THC.
Upon opening the jar, the first joint I rolled and smoked seemed to ash really dark. I was surprised. I packed a bowl afterwards to see if the trend would continue.
This bowl seemed to ash white.The hand bubbler appeared to cash out a bit darker.
It didn’t seem as bad from there on. Weird. I was using hemp wick to light the joint, bowl and bubbler.
The tenth weighed 2.80 grams. It came packaged in a glass jar with opaque white frosting to avoid any light hitting the bud. The “country cut” label was orange instead of white and the jar had a white plastic lid. Someone once told me the “country cut” stuff was Meigs’ lower-quality, budget bud but I had another person dispute that notion.
The stuff smelled fresh and fruity but not overpoweringly so. The flower was not very dense or dry. It was a bit spongier than normal. However, the nugs were not stringy or skinny. There was a pretty nice trim with minimal stems and leaves.
I spy some purple!
The Truffaloha buds were mostly bright green with long orange pistils. The trichomes had more of a fuzzy appearance than the usual shiny or crystal-like look. There were visible trichomes while breaking up the flower. All of the nugs had hints of purple but two of them were especially purple.
The stuff doesn’t look bad!The tenth’s most purple nugs are seen on the top and towards the right.
The stuff broke up nice with my fingers and had a bit of stickiness to it. Through the Santa Cruz Shredder it did not turn to dust. I was happy with how the Truffaloha broke up and burned. It had an even, smooth burn that combusted at medium speed.
It kind of tasted like it smelled but I felt like the flavor wasn’t all there. I was expecting something a little more unique. The smoke had a hint of harshness. There was more of a smoke taste than limonene flavor. You had to really search for the sweetness. I could still detect the terps with my taste buds, especially caryophyllene, but in my opinion this wasn’t Meigs County best-tasting cut.
The medical effects were middle-of-the-road. It did make the knot in my neck seem less intense and helped me relax, but for me it wasn’t a strain that provided significant pain relief. It didn’t make me feel foggy or sleepy, so the limonene and humulene must have been balancing out the linalool.
The Truffaloha didn’t knock my socks off but it was a solid mid-level smoke with with a decent taste that contained mild fruity and floral notes. I gave it a 5 for taste, 5 for harshness, 6 for strength, 6 for smell strength and 30 to 45 minutes for length of medical effects.
Manufactured by Agri-Med Ohio, LLC. Lineage: White Truffle x Platinum Punch #1.
Total THC 24.30%, THCA 27.40%, Delta-9 THC 0.29%, CBD 0%.
Top terps: Limonene 0.69%, b-Caryophyllene 0.60%, a-Humulene 0.27%, Linalool 0.28%.
Harvested 08/26/2024, tested 09/11/2024 by North Coast, packaged 09/20/2024, first consumed 12/26/2024, expires 08/26/2025.
The Truffaloha awaits its ultimate fate, to be blazed!
Throughout my time in the Ohio marijuana program I have tried a few of UB Good’s 510 carts and disposables. They were very botanical tasting, which is to say they did not smell or taste like marijuana.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the UB Good Watermelon Punch disposable. I thought the flavor was too intense and it made me cough. I had yet to try any of UB Good’s new-style disposables, so I went with the Banana Split flavor, which I had sampled in a 510 cart and I knew I would like the taste.
The older UB Good disposables were rectangular with 90 degree edges but this newer model has rounded edges. It’s just over 3 inches in height and a little under a half inch thick. There is an oil window that shows the yellowish extract and how much is left in the device. The back of the unit has a USB-C recharge port.
This is what the newly-designed UB Good disposable looks like.This is the charge port. As you can see, I consumed all of the oil in the chamber before writing this review.
There is a button on the front of the vape that needs to be clicked five times to turn it on. It turns off automatically after five minutes. This becomes annoying when you pull your vape out of your pocket and go to take a hit just to realize you need to power on the device because it automatically turned off.
Two clicks of the button will activate a preheat mode. Thankfully the device never got clogged so I never really needed to use this, but it’s nice that the function is there just in case. Three button clicks will adjust the temp from low (green), medium (blue) to high (red). Switch to higher temps for bigger clouds and more intense hits.
I think UB Good Banana Split carts and disposables have a nice smooth flavor. I just wish the oil wasn’t as harsh as it is. This disposable would often prompt me to cough and make my voice phlegmmy like Lemmy’s. The oil does not smell or taste like weed.
The oil is pretty smooth going down so it’s hard to gauge your draw size. I’d recommend going with a three to four second draw to start with, and adjust your toke time from there.
Overall the device was reliable and functioned the way it was intended. The mouthpiece did not leak or become sticky. However, the half gram nature did not lend itself well to longevity. I went through this thing pretty quick in just a few days of light use.
It seems like such a waste of materials to make throwaway devices that live such short lifespans. The use of the word “disposable” is also odd. Rechargeable batteries aren’t supposed to be thrown away in the regular trash since they leak poisons into the ground and water. Despite this, when is the last time you’ve heard of a recycling program for empty vapes and batteries? In other states I see disposables referred to as “All In-One” devices, probably to downplay their temporary nature.
Effect-wise, the UB Good Banana Split vape was a pretty solid hybrid. Limonene, caryophyllene and myrcene are the three listed terpenes, which is pretty standard for any hybrid I’ve seen in the Ohio program. I had pain relief and I felt relaxed but I didn’t become sleepy or unmotivated. Upon consuming four or five draws the effects lasted about a half hour or so.
If you are okay with using botanical vapes with non-cannabis derived terpenes and oil extracted with CO2, butane, propane and ethanol, the UB Good vapes are a budget-friendly option. I won’t be going out of my way to get them due to their harshness and super botanical nature.
I am also not a huge fan of the new UB Good disposable design, as I feel like I am clicking too many buttons and taking too many hits just to realize the vape had turned off automatically. It would really just take some time to adjust to, but I think I’d rather spend my time consuming better vapes that aren’t as harsh.
I gave the UB Good Banana Split Half Gram Disposable a 7 for taste, 7 for harshness, 6 for strength, 4 for smell strength and 30 minutes for length of medical effects.
Serving size: 10mg is a 10 second inhale. 50 servings per disposable. Extraction method: CO2, butane, propane, ethanol.
Manufactured by One Orijin LLC on 10/03/2024, tested 10/08/2024 by North Coast, packaged 10/12/2024, first consumed 12/14/2024, last hit taken 12/20/2024, expires 10/02/2025.
I’ve always been interested in aliens, UFOs and outer space. Even when I was a child in my elementary school library I’d gravitate towards the astronomy and cryptozoology sections. I would read every UFO book I could get my hands on and watch alien-themed TV shows and documentaries.
Appropriately, the Alien OG strain is one of my favorites based on its name, taste and look. Alien OG genetics are also found in my favorite Galenas strain, Alien Pebbles, which is Alien OG crossed with Fruity Pebbles OG. The U.F.O.G. strain from this article is an invigorating blend of Alien OG, Star Killer, and Skywalker Kush.
Old Pal released U.F.O.G. just as the 2024 New Jersey drones were in the news. Aliens were on the minds of many people. Sure, the drones might be a secret government project or something Earth-based, but aliens can’t be ruled out until there is a valid explanation for the sightings.
Old Pal’s U.F.O.G. hybrid flower has everyone talking about its bag appeal. The nugs have a significant amount of purple color to them. I’d even go as far as to say these are the most purple nugs I’ve seen to date in the Ohio marijuana program. This was a factor when I decided to buy the tenth. In Ohio, all Old Pal cannabis including U.F.O.G. is grown by Buckeye Relief.
The flower came packaged in a clear glass jar with a black plastic lid. There was a brown sticker with the Old Pal logo and a label on the jar with information about the medicine. I did not get a chance to weigh the buds before initial consumption.
When I opened the jar I was overwhelmed with a strong, sweet smell with a hint of fruit or citrus. It wasn’t super gassy or skunky but it definitely smelled like cannabis. It smelled liked something I wanted to taste and experience the effects of. The scent was very funky fresh and could be smelled across an entire hallway with ease.
Wait until you get home to open this jar. Otherwise you will silently shout through scent to everyone around you that you’re holding some bomb weed!
The buds had a really nice dark purple look to them. I can tell why this stuff is named after UFOs, because it almost looks cosmic or otherworldly. There were jagged orange pistils protruding off of the precious plant material that gave an exotic impression.
In my opinion there could have been a bit more of a trim on some of the leaves but it wasn’t too bad. In addition to that there was kind of a lot of loose plant and leaf material at the bottom of the jar.
The color contrast is stunning!
While observing this flower, the contrast of the dark nugs with their heavy amount of shiny trichomes makes it seem like you are staring into a vast galaxy filled with twinkling stars. If aliens pop out of these mysterious skyborne drones and want to have a smoke session with me, I hope I have a jar of U.F.O.G. at the time. I feel like it’s among the only kind of bud they would want to blaze.
The stuff was a bit dry. When broken up by hand it gave a crunchy, crackling sound. It didn’t disintegrate, though. The nugs left my fingers sticky and coated in tiny bits of dark plant material. The dryness could have been much worse but I was a bit taken aback by the crunchiness of the nugs. While pulling the flower from the stems, loose, dry trichomes flew every which way.
Even though it was a bit dry, it shredded nicely through a grinder. It did not turn to dust. It rolled and burned nicely in a jib. The buds had density to them and they weren’t stringy or skinny.
This is a close up of U.F.O.G. after being broken up by hand.
When packed in a bowl it looked delectable while waiting for my consumption.
This U.F.O.G. was broken up by grinder.
Even though the stuff lacked moisture it burned slow and evenly. Maybe this was due to all of those sticky trichomes! It ashed white as expected.
To me it didn’t quite taste like it smelled. This is not to say it tasted bad but I was kind of surprised. It did not taste dry at all. It had a bit of that signature purple taste you’d find in Grand Daddy Purp but with some sweetness, piney notes, and a fruiter exhale. There was no harshness at all to the vapors produced by this plant.
The medical effects were very much along the lines of a powerful sativa. I see that it’s labeled hybrid but if I was doing a blind guess I’d say sativa based on the energized and creative way it made me feel. I was experiencing a knot in the left side of my neck and body that seemed to dissolve while I was medicated with the U.F.O.G.
I gave the U.F.O.G. 26.2% THC hybrid flower from Old Pal/Buckeye Relief an 8 for taste, 3 for harshness, 8 for strength, 8 for smell strength and 60 minutes for length of medical effects.
The other day when browsing my local marijuana menu I noticed a new product, HASH (Holistic And Spiritual Health) 510 carts. They are a reasonably-priced full gram of live resin processed with pure n-Butane by CannAscend Ohio.
It’s been tough to find full gram live resin or rosin carts, as most of the carts here in Ohio are half gram or .84 grams at best. I figured since they were calling themselves HASH it better be good, so I decided to review the hybrid Propane variety as it sounded the gassiest.
At the time I was disappointed with the cart I had on my battery. It was an FRX (Farmaceutical RX) .5 gram J23 Live Terpene Infused 510 Cart, and it tasted old and bitter. The oil color was dark yellow and almost orange. It was extracted with propane and butane and had an expiration date of 12/28/2024 which was only a few weeks from the date of purchase.
The term “Live Terpene” is a bit misleading. The J23 cart’s ingredients list cannabis distillate, live resin terpenes and hemp-derived CBD isolate.
So that means the FRX J23 Live Terpene cart is a distillate cart extracted with propane/butane that is infused with “live resin terpenes”, which I suppose are terpenes from a live resin extraction but not the actual THC itself. The J23’s THC was supplied from a harsh propane/butane distillate. They even used CBD derived from hemp and not marijuana in this Frankenstein of a cartridge.
The HASH Propane cart had oil with a fresh looking, bright yellow color. The hue reminded me of Fire Rock’s Pacific Gold and Woodward cured resin carts. I wish the oil would look like this in all of the carts that I buy!
Here is an oil color comparison. On the left you’ll see the HASH Propane Live Resin cart on the ProPen. On the right lies the FRX J23 Live Terpene Distillate cart atop my old-school workhorse 510 battery from 2009.
The HASH cart lists “pure n-Butane” as the solvent and does not include any added terpenes or CBD. This means that the HASH cart is not rosin since there was a solvent used to pry the trichomes from the nugs.
Since it is basically BHO inside of the HASH cart, terpenes were preserved during extraction. This is in opposition to the J23 cart which was distillate, a highly refined form of THC devoid of terpenes. That’s why the live terpenes needed to be added to the J23 distillate for flavor and additional medical effects.
The HASH Propane cart tasted incredibly fresh and I gave it a 10 for flavor. It was very hashy, super gassy and remarkably clean. There was a slight hint of sweetness and fruitiness. I’m not sure if I have ever given anything else a 10 out of 10 for taste, and I have so far rated and reviewed 305 items for my Cannabinoid Compendium. It’s a title I seldom bestow and only do so after careful consideration.
The aftertaste was a rare experience to behold and appreciate. I found myself wanting to hit this cart just to enjoy the fantastic flavor. During ingestion there was barely a hint of harshness, you couldn’t even tell you were hitting the thing.
I set my E-Zone ProPen battery to 2.7 volts during use. This is my preferred battery for 510 carts. I love how it features a button for heat activation. For me, breath-activated batteries seem to leave a little bit of vapor in the chamber after each draw. With button-based batteries you can let go of the button a second or two before finishing your draw, allowing you to clear the chamber of any remaining vapor.
The E-Zone ProPen is based on a 400 mAh Yocan Kodo Pro Box Mod. It has a preheat function and resettable puff counter to see how many hits you’ve taken. It also lets you adjust your voltage from 1.8 to 4.2 volts in increments of a tenth of a volt. This allows you to really dial in the optimal temperature for each individual cart you use!
The battery’s maximum draw time per hit is 15 seconds, which is generous and maybe even excessive. To reset the ProPen’s puff counter, hold the main button and – button at the same time for a few seconds. I do this when starting a new cart to track the number of hits it takes me to finish the cart. To activate the ProPen’s preheat ability, click the main button twice.
The HASH Propane cart didn’t burn up unreasonably fast, but I was sad to see it go regardless. The one gram nature definitely helped it last longer. It did not leak.
Its medical effects were very powerful. It got me much more medicated than the J23 Live Resin Cart from FRX, or any distillate cart I’ve had recently.
I have a two-ton tolerance, and even vapes like Certified Flex Disposables and Buckeye Botanical Distillate Carts will leave me feeling less than medicated. However, the Propane Live Resin Cart was the fuego fuel I have been looking for.
It didn’t leave me feeling sleepy or lethargic. I felt uplifted, energized and sociable for over an hour. The only real downside to this cart was the fact that is smells pretty loud. This is to be expected with live resin and rosin, and given the pure taste, I am willing to compromise smell for flavor.
I gave the HASH Propane One Gram Live Resin 510 Cart a 10 out of 10 for taste, 2 for harshness, 9 for strength, 8 for smell strength and 60+ minutes for length of medical effects.
Here is what the packaging says about the product.
Propane 510 cartridge filled with live resin for vaporization. Processed with pure n-Butane.
Dose: 14mg per 7 second inhale. Net weight: 1 gram.
Usually my go-to rolling paper brand is Hempire. I used to buy that brand back in the day, so not only is it nostalgic, but they roll and burn great while leaving behind minimal taste.
However, they are white in color, so I am afraid they are bleached. Bleached rolling papers are soaked in chemicals like calcium and chlorine to lighten their color and reduce the burn speed.
Trace amounts of chemicals are left within bleached papers or any sort of pink or purple colored papers. The Hempire package does not say that the leaves are unbleached.
Hempire papers are made in the Czech Republic and are distributed by Swisher International, Jacksonville, FL.
I have also been a fan of RAW products throughout the years. I’ve used regular RAW 1 1/4 papers, the RAW king size leaves, the pre-rolled cones and the organic papers. Not only have they all performed well but their brown color means they are unbleached hemp papers.
While at the headshop on Black Friday 2024 I perused the paper section with great scrutiny. I wanted something new, something different, something innovative. I noticed two types of RAW 1 1/4 papers I had never seen before, Black and Ethereal. They were priced fairly and contained 50 leaves each, so I picked up both packs for review purposes.
I also got a box of RAW slim tips, which provide a unique airflow that I am fond of.
When rolled properly, the slim tips work well for both pinners and hog’s legs. I think they provide optimal airflow in comparison to regular-sized tips.The Black inside flap says “RAW Black is the thinnest natural unbleached rolling paper we have ever made. This unique artisan paper is so thin that it’s virtually flavorless and allows you to truly taste your terps at a never before experienced level. Natural gum, please moisten gently.”
The RAW Black 1 1/4 sized papers are noticeably thinner than regular RAWs. They have a smoother, softer feel than a regular RAW or a Hempire. The Hempire felt more like bible paper in comparison to the RAW black. Have you ever rolled a joint using bible paper? I did it back in the day during times of desperation.
This joint was rolled with a RAW Black paper and standard-size RAW tip, not a slim tip.
I noticed that the RAW black papers were a little more delicate during the roll. They weren’t as stable as a typical paper and required a steady hand to work with. They were easy to bend and mold and were very resistant towards tearing.
During consumption it was obvious that I could taste more of my weed and less of the paper. There was still a slight hint of paper flavor, but I noticed more weed taste than paper. With some other types of paper or especially blunts I have tasted more wrap than weed, so I was thankful for the minimalistic properties of the RAW black leaves.
I am not exactly sure why they are called “Black” other than the packaging color being black. The leaves themselves are brown like usual. They burned evenly despite their flimsy nature.
The Ethereal inside flap says “Designed phenomenally thin to feel as if there is no paper at all! Carefully crafted for the greatest skilled rollers with absolutely perfect material. Nothing else will suffice. Roll carefully and savor every puff!”
The RAW Ethereal 1 1/4 sized papers seemed even thinner than the Black version. They were so smooth it almost felt like I was holding a thin plastic strip. These have to be the thinnest papers I have ever purchased and rolled with.
This joint was rolled with a RAW Ethereal paper and a standard-size RAW tip, not a slim tip.
Due to their thinness they have to be rolled with care. Even the inside flap mentions they are to be used by the “greatest skilled rollers”. They are very flimsy and require iron wrists to roll with precision, but it can be done by those with experience. They did not tear or break easily, which surprised me.
I was very happy with how the Ethereals burned and tasted. They didn’t run or canoe and I could taste them even less than the RAW Black leaves. I think I might start buying the Ethereal papers from here on out.
According to RhymeZone, the word ethereal is an adjective that means “characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy” or “characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; as impalpable or intangible as air”.
I think these descriptions define the papers properly, as you can barely tell that they are even there during the session.
I liked the Ethereal papers more than the Black leaves but they were both good. I’d buy them both again. They were manufactured in Alcoy, Spain (the birthplace of the rolling paper) and distributed by HBI International, Phoenix, AZ.
The RAW Black leaves have the “purest natural gum” while the Ethereal papers have “vegan gum”. I am not sure about the differences between “natural” and “vegan” joint paper glue, but clearly there is some sort of difference.
The Ethereal vegan gum writing has two little leaf pictures next to it, so maybe vegan gum is plant-based while natural gum is not plant-based. This is a good topic for further exploration.
I have always liked banana-flavored terpenes for not only their taste but also for the mellow effects they produce. I make an effort to sample as many banana flower strains and vapes that I can. While some products slip through the cracks and go unsampled, I was able to try Good Green’s 27.1% THC Banana Cream indica flower this past week.
Good Green is a brand owned by GTI Ohio from Toledo. Their buds came packaged in a clear plastic jar with a green label and white plastic lid. They smelled sweet and mellow, with some earthiness and a hint of fruit. The tenth weighed 2.87 grams which was welcomed after the last few purchases I’ve made have clocked in underweight.
Although the stuff was labeled as popcorn, these nuggets were medium-sized and dense. It definitely wasn’t popcorn and I have no complaints about that. The buds had a light green color with a hint of yellow. There were many red pistils that shot off of the flower, praying for pollen that would never come to pass. The trim was good and while there were no major stems there were a few larger leaves that could have been snipped.
The Banana Cream popcorn had a nice cure. It was well dense enough to pass the squeeze test. The flower wasn’t overly dry and it broke up into small chunks by hand. It wasn’t very sticky but it did cling to my fingers a bit.
Through a grinder the stuff shredded with dignity and avoided dissolving into dust. It packed up nice in a bowl and rolled up well in a joint, burning evenly and slowly with both methods. The ash color was light enough to avoid any second guessing in regards to contaminants, nutrients and flushing.
I enjoyed the flavor of the Banana Cream. It stacks up well compared to other banana strains. Tastewise it’s much closer to the smoothness of Banana Puddintain from Ohio Clean Leaf (Banana OG x GMO/TK Skunk) than the skunkiness of Jealous Bananas from Certified (Banana Cream Cake x Jealousy). There was no harshness to the smoke whatsoever and it produced no phlegm in my throat.
The medical effects were relaxing and clear-minded. I used it mostly in the evening after work but I also consumed some before reading and writing. My back and neck pain dissolved after using the Banana Cream and I was able to focus on the task at hand rather than on nagging aches and pains.
I would definitely buy this strain again, even in a half ounce. Good Green has impressed me so far. They are often priced at mid-level, so you can usually get some good stuff from them at a reasonable price. I look forward to trying more of their stuff in the future.
I gave the Banana Cream from Good Green a 7 for taste, 2 for harshness, 7 for strength, 6 for smell strength and 45 to 60 minutes for length of medical effects.
Harvested 07/22/2024, tested 08/29/2024 by North Coast, packaged 09/03/2024, expires 07/22/2025.
There were no terps listed on the label but I suspect the strain contains significant levels of limonene, myrcene, and/or caryophyllene with maybe some linalool thrown in there for good measure.
Back in 2019 a headshop opened called Papa Smokes. Over multiple visits I became friends with the guy who worked there, Dev Patel. During a conversation I mentioned how messy and annoying it was to clean my glass pipes.
He turned me on to a reusable pipe cleaner called Grunge Off. It gets rid of resin from both flower and extracts. Ever since then I have never once used a resinous pipe to consume cannabis. I’ve retired from boiling, scraping and buying new bowls.
Make sure you get the bottle with the blue G logo and not the white logo. The white version is the Grunge Off 99% isopropyl alcohol formula. While isopropyl alcohol will help you clean your glass, especially when warmed, stick with original Grunge Off for everyday pipe cleaning use.
This is not the kind of Grunge Off this article is about. It is easy to get the two types confused.
Once you’ve bought your bottle of Grunge Off (Amazon,eBay), I’d recommend getting a jar to pour the liquid into. The bottle that the stuff comes in is not really ideal for soaking your pipes.
I went to Hobby Lobby and found a wide glass jar with a large mouth and screw-on lid. I’d recommend using a glass jar instead of a thick plastic jug, but both will work. If you do use glass consider resting the jar on a dab mat or some sort of tabletop padding. Be careful not to break the jar of Grunge Off because that would create an awful mess.
Replace the lid and store your jar or jug in a safe place when not in use, like under the sink with your other household cleaning products.
The Willie’s Reserve sticker fits perfectly on my jar of Grunge Off.This jar has a wide mouth for easy removal of pipes from the vat.
After you’ve filled the jar with all 16 ounces of Grunge Off, simply drop your glass pipes into the bath. Be careful not to drop them from too high to prevent splashing and clanging. Let the pipes soak for several hours. Usually I allow my pieces to bathe overnight.
Gently plunge the pipe into the bath.You can bathe multiple pieces at once.Cleaning your glass has never been easier!
At first the liquid is clear but after one use it will become dark and murky. The label says “for use only with glass” but I’ve used the stuff to clean titanium dabbers, titanium carb caps and quartz nails with no issues. I wouldn’t use Grunge Off with any other types of materials such as silicone, ceramic, stone, wood, corncob, metal or clay.
After the Grunge Off has done its work, carefully pluck the pipe from the vat. Let any excess liquid trapped inside of the piece to drip back into the jar through the carb hole and mouthpiece.
Usually I’ll position the jar of Grunge Off near the sink and use a tissue to wipe off any liquid that drips onto the outside of the jar or on the sink.
It’s not a bad idea to wear a disposable glove when removing the pipe, but you don’t have to. Either way I’d recommend washing your hands afterwards.
Rinse the piece thoroughly with cold or warm water. Be careful not to drop the pipe while rinsing. Holding the piece close to the bottom of the sink is a good precaution so if it does drop, it doesn’t fall far.
The act of rinsing a recently-soaked piece will create bubbles.While the bubbles and suds are in your pipe, you can cover the holes and shake the piece for additional cleaning action. This especially works with big pieces and bongs. Typically I just let the bubbles rinse out.
For really dirty pipes you may need to use a toothpick to manipulate some of the larger resin chunks that are left behind. You can always give the pipe a good warm water rinse or second Grunge Off bath if necessary. Large resin chunks won’t be an issue once you regularly use Grunge Off to clean your pipes.
Make sure all of the bubbles are rinsed away before you set the pipe out to dry. It usually takes about one day for pieces to fully air out.
You might not want to wait for the pipe to dry before putting it to use. In this situation use a tissue or towel to mop the water from outside of the pipe and inside of the bowl head. Gently tap the carb, bowl head and mouth piece against the tissue to remove excess water from within the pipe.
You’re now ready to go! Pack and puff your sack of stuff.
The pipe will look brand new and you’ll be able to taste the true flavor of your cannabis. Just be sure to draw slowly when the pipe is nearly cashed (finished) to avoid Scooby snacks. These are produced when ashes fly through the bowl and pipe into your mouth, providing an unpleasant taste.
The piece is now cleaner than it was the day it was bought!
You will lose a small amount of the liquid with each cleaning, so eventually you’ll need to buy another bottle of Grunge Off. A single bottle lasts me at least six months. Never add water to your pool of Grunge Off as this will weaken the formula.
One thing to keep in mind is that the solution may erode screen printed graphics on glass pieces. While most pipes don’t have screen printing, I have a Silika rig dome and a Jay and Silent Bob blind box piece that do have screen prints. Look at how the Grunge Off eroded these two images that were once fully colored.
Grunge Off can also work wonders in bongs and rigs to clean hard-to-reach areas. Just pour the Grunge Off into the bong or rig and let it soak overnight. Rinse completely in the morning.
In an effort to keep my dabbing gear free of any flower residue, I use separate batches of Grunge Off for flower resin (pipes, glass joint tips, bongs, slides and downstems) and extract residue (rigs, dabbers, nails and carb caps).
I keep a small 2 ounce jar of Grunge Off to use for restoring glass screens and glass joint tips. Just be careful when you rinse them or they will fall down the drain due to their small size!
I have also poured Grunge Off into stash jars that have formerly housed oil or flower, rendering them free of odor and bringing them back to new.
Grunge Off can take heavily resinated pipes back to a store-bought status with just one use. Check out the before and after results experienced by my friend Mel.
Mel’s pipe before the Grunge Off bath. It has nice blue color changing effects but it is heavily resinated.Another shot of the pipe before the bath. Mel said she had already boiled this pipe, so at one time it was resinated even heavier.Here is Mel’s clean pipe after the bath. It looks like a completely different piece!Mel will taste the terpenes in her flower like never before.
Here is the back of the bottle with official details and directions.
It can be tough to find Grunge Off on store shelves, but some headshops have it in stock. If you can’t find it, check Amazon or eBay.
Grunge Off has been such a game-changing product that it inspired me to write a song called Clean Piece.
I once smoked bud at a buddy’s house and he presented me with a piece that was foul. The rez was caked and the airflow? Tight. Desperately needed hit with an alcohol wipe.
Clean piece is how I smoke weed. Use a bath of Grunge Off at nighttime while you sleep. Clean piece, so I can taste my green in the freshest way, that’s how I please, indeed.
Another time, in another place, I found myself where a stranger’s bowl would rotate. The end, unclean. I could see the grime. Never cleaned a single time within its whole life.
Clean piece is how I smoke weed. Use a bath of Grunge Off at nighttime while you sleep. Clean piece, so I can taste my green in the freshest way, that’s how I please, indeed.
My sleeves are green, yes, they’re caked with supreme shake from the table, they catch when I lean over the tray. Something special today, because I got my Christmas wish. No more headaches.
And I’ve got samples of oi to go through. Enough for both to enjoy, me and you. Scented like something authentic and true, not to mention the mind state when it is consumed.
Give me a gift, and I’ll give many thanks. It’s been years since Mr. Hughes sampled his first taste, but it only gets better. The freshest of trees. For the best results you will need a clean piece.
Grunge Off, get yourself a few bottles of these. Submerge the pipe at night, airflow cool as the breeze the next day during usage. At times, I’ve been stupid and broke my glass, so be careful while you clean.
I will blaze the chron until it’s all gone. Marijuana mindset is the wavelength I’m on. Consume the fume, don’t let gloom feelings loom, now. Just dance with a bag, lift it up towards the moon.
Let out a howl when impressed with how loud the bud in my bag is, smoke it up now. Throw up a cloud. Show up downtown to the event you’ve been waiting for, so get down.
Clean piece is how I smoke weed. Use a bath of Grunge Off at nighttime while you sleep. Clean piece, so I can taste my green in the freshest way, that’s how I please, indeed.
Clean piece is how I smoke weed. Use a bath of Grunge Off at nighttime while you sleep. Clean piece, so I can taste my green in the freshest way, that’s how I please, no seed.
If you need to find some good tasting, potent bud, ask Mike from Bloom what he recommends. The other day he mentioned he was impressed with the White Runtz 25.9% THC hybrid from Kynd, which is a cross of the classic strains ZLZ and Gelato.
The flower was packaged in an opaque bag which allowed no light to pass through. While I appreciated the fact light wasn’t able to degrade the bud’s THCa, I always like to see what I’m buying.
I’ve been burned before when I wasn’t able to see the buds before purchase. However, I trusted Mike’s word. I also recalled the time I got a strain called Parma’s Delight from Kynd that I was super impressed with. I went ahead and purchased a 5.66 of White Runtz.
This stuff smelled strong! When I opened the bag I was welcomed with an earthy, skunky scent. I noticed hints of glue and gas. The nose on these buds makes you want to break them up and smoke them! And break them up and smoke them I did.
My fifth weighed 5.62 grams. The buds were small but not dry. Through a grinder they broke up with integrity and produced no dust. When broken up with fingers they were fluffy and separated with ease. The flower wasn’t very sticky and didn’t have many visible trichomes. Instead of shiny trikes the bud had sort of a dusty pollen all over it.
Many colors were abundant. In addition to the overall medium-green color I noticed hints of purple and spots with dark green. There was a little bit of stemmage but the flower was trimmed tight and contained lots of bud. I would call this stuff popcorn or smalls but since it broke down nice and had small stemmage I was still pleased.
The nuggies were pretty dense but still had some squish to them. There was a softness to these buds that I came to appreciate. They burned at a nice slow pace and produced a very white-colored ash. I’d recommend this flower for packing, rolling and vaping. You really can’t go wrong since it smelled great, wasn’t dry and it broke down evenly with little effort.
The taste was truly something to behold. While I mostly noticed the classic taste of skunky marijuana, there was definitely some candy-like fruitiness to the flavor. I noticed hints of citrus on the tongue after each exhale. This is the kind of stuff I’ll smoke just to enjoy the funky flavor.
Not only did the stuff taste skunky and sweet but the high was strong and satisfying. The buzz wasn’t overly powerful but it was an hour long uplifting experience that allowed me to forget my pain and tackle the tasks at hand.
Upon consumption, the White Runtz from Kynd left the room smelling weedy and floral. If you’re looking for something tasty to roll that will burn slow and give you a nice jolt of energy, search for this strain at your local Ohio dispensary.
I gave the White Runtz from Kynd an 8 for taste, 2 for harshness, 7 for strength, 8 for smell strength, and 60 or more minutes for length of medical effects. The packaging was destroyed before I was able to record the terpene information and harvest date, but the strain is high in limonene, linalool, myrcene and caryophyllene.
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