The following review can also be found at freeculturemag.com:

007 Kush

Smooth and mellow with a hint of citrus undertones, 007 Kush is a fine quality sativa that proved to be a very potent pain reliever. Frosty and sticky, this Kush’s buds pack great into a water pipe. Helpful in treating extreme pain and aiding in the side effects of cancer, this wonderful variety is also effective with treating insomnia. The overall experience when it comes to 007 Kush? Sheer and utter relaxation. At the same time, this strain–available from our good friends at The House of Holland Caregivers (with locations in Mira Loma and Highgrove in Riverside County)–won’t nail you to the couch as it also allows you to focus and go about your daily activities.

Because this rates so highly on the relaxation meter, 007 Kush would prove an excellent choice in treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s good to see that this great sativa can help vets and others suffering from this particular condition.

Soul Assassin OG Kush

Boasting musical notes and a great nose, this frosted strain has a hint of pepper and vanilla. And not unlike an interesting and intriguing Zinfandel, you’re going to want more of Soul Assassin OG Kush’s earthy taste. This strain is full of trichomes and exhibits intense colors; greens, oranges and purples (reminiscent of a vineyard sunset). You’ll feel mellowed and at ease when the “let’s order in” mood of relaxation strikes you.

This is an excellent variety. The strain, from Patients Choice Collective Association in Santa Ana, is composed of approximately 70 to 80 percent sativa and delivers an effective and responsive remedy for many conditions. This is especially helpful in treating PMS, nausea, anorexia and the symptoms of cancer and cancer treatment.

Herojuana

Packed with full flavor and full body, this strain is both very potent and very smooth–so potent, in fact, that the folks at Canna Clinic of Garden Grove normally reserve this only for those with serious medical issues. Lucky for us, for a limited time Herojuana will be made available to all their patients. That’s good thing since this strain delivers a great, no-wait head and body rush.

This indica features a hint of orchard flavors, mostly dark cherries like an excellent Cabernet. The color is an intense red-orange and the buds are well formed with plenty of trichomes. When smoking this powerful strain, expect nothing less than an exhilarating cerebral zip-line experience. The taste tells that great care was taken in its post-harvesting and curing. To help ease the intense pain of muscle spasms, cancer, HIV/AIDS and insomnia, Herojuana is great medicine.

Burmese Kush

With perfectly shaped trichomes–think of star clusters in cloud nebulae–and a heavenly scent, this indica is truly amazing. Partake gingerly as this strain has hints of chocolate and hazelnut that might entice you to indulge more than the usual. This Burmese strain is a powerful Kush, and a little goes a long way. There’s no doubt that this variety–available from the compassionate people running Inland Empire Discount Collective in Riverside––lives up to its ancestry as far as potency is concerned.

Lack of aftertaste is one of this strain’s magical virtues. And don’t let the body tingle this indica provides fool you–this is top-quality medicine that possesses profound healing qualities. Whether you’re battling insomnia, chronic pain, glaucoma or loss of appetite, Burmese Kush should be at the top of your list when you’re seeking relief.

XXX Killer Fish

“Killer” is right. These cheesy edibles are profoundly potent. Visually, these goodies from The Green Easy in West Hollywood are just like everyone’s favorite Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Crackers. But open a bag of these crunchy, cannabis-infused snacks and you’ll get an immediate whiff of the reason why the makers of XXX Killer Fish emphasized the words “Blasted” and “Baked” on the packaging. Palate-wise, expect the titillation of tangy cheese threaded with strong undercurrents of marijuana flavor making its presence known. You’ll know these crackers are medicated when you sample them, but the cannabis taste isn’t so prominent that it detracts from the overall eating experience.

Nevertheless, we tried mixing these with a non-medicated snack of similar size (i.e. oyster crackers) for review purposes. That worked just fine to pace ourselves as we ingested these piscatorial edibles that truly-truly packed a punch. One small bag of these delights was divvied up to make for three very mellow nights.

Mocha-juana

Back in the day, one of my favorite things to do with a friend when we just wanted to medicate a bit and watch DVDs–but not end up dozing off after an hour–was to combine a healthy number of water pipe sessions with a fresh brewed pot of coffee. That way you had some cannabis for the cerebral stimulation and some caffeine for endurance to make sure you didn’t nod off during your scheduled viewing of Ghost in the Shell. Enter Mocha-juana Instant Hot Drink. Made with natural ingredients (coffee, organic sugar, organic cocoa powder, sea salt, organic vanilla bean powder, etc.), this edible, er, drinkable is just the thing for when you’re in the mood for sipping something warm and soothing–which leads you to feel warm and soothed after about an hour.

This hot drink–we secured a sample from the tireless folks at Riverside Compassionate Patients Association (with locations in Riverside and Lake Elsinore)–boasts 350 mg of cannabis from the Granddaddy Purp, Purple Kush and Afgoo strains. The taste is sweet (think a hot chocolate-infused coffee drink) and the caffeine levels are such that you don’t end up being totally wired. Your alert level will get a few upticks, but none of the jitters of a double-shot.