Zkittlez is an indica-dominant hybrid strain that has recently risen to prominence and critical acclaim; this strain has won several cannabis cups in recent years, including the 2016 Emerald Cup. It’s a crossbreed of Grape Ape, Grapefruit, and an “undisclosed third strain”, bred by 3rd Gen Family and Terp Hogz. Trulieve released this strain at the beginning of 2019, and I was happy to find that it was in stock again this past week (end of January 2019). Though I normally prefer sativa strains to treat my depression and anxiety, I always enjoy having an indica or two around for the evening hours, and Zkittlez has truly been one of my favorites so far.

Quick Facts:

Zkittlez (Indica)

Parent Strains: Grape Ape x Grapefruit x ?

Batch/Harvest Number: FFOBBUL7PS000007 (that’s an “O” at the beginning and zeroes at the end)

602.0 mg THC/3.5g

0.0 mg CBD/3.5g

17.2% THC – Middle of the THC range for this strain

0.00% CBD

0.90% THCV – First flower I’ve gotten that has this cannabinoid, though I’ve seen that Banana Kush flower also contained it in even higher amounts

1.10% CBG

19.2% Total Cannabinoids

Appearance/Feel

Zkittlez is the most colorful flower I’ve yet to get from the Florida medical cannabis program. These buds are full of mellow greens, light to dark purples, orange pistils, and white trichomes. We’re really just missing a few colors to complete the rainbow here. The moisture content was a bit on the dry side again, as has been a common factor in batches I’ve bought in late January. I would give Zkittlez a high rating in the Appearance/Feel category; unfortunately, however, my batch had an undesirably high amount of small stems in every cup. This is something I’ve never experienced from Trulieve, and it really held back what could have potentially been a great batch of flower.

Appearance Rating: 3.20/5.00

Smell/Taste

Zkittlez definitely has a dominant smell and taste of grape from my experience – no question about it. There’s a secondary sweetness, almost a floral sugar, and a subtle earthiness behind it all. The piney/earthy smell almost makes me suspect that the third “mystery” parent of Zkittlez could be Jack Herer, Super Silver Haze, or another sativa with a similar piney/woody terpene profile. When vaporized, however, this flower does in fact taste very similar to a pack of skittles – perhaps a pack mostly filled with purple ones. The batch I have is not a particularly “loud” or smelly flower like Dutch Hawaiian, Crescendo, or some of the other recent strains I’ve reviewed, but the taste is not lacking at all when vaporized. I really enjoyed the smell and taste of this strain.

Smell/Taste Rating: 4.10/5.00

Effects/Medical Use

For me, Zkittlez was a bit of a “paradoxical” indica strain – almost immediately after medicating with it, I was hit with an onslaught of cerebral effects that reminded me a lot of some of my first (always pleasant) experiences with cannabis. One of my best friends from childhood lives in another state, so we often play video games online after work as a way to stay connected. When medicating with Zkittlez, this was one of my favorite things in the world to do. The first night of doing this, I had a classic case of the “giggles”; I could simply not stop laughing at almost anything. After around 45 minutes to an hour of initial medication (vaporization), Zkittlez mellowed out into the more mellow body and mind relaxation that we typical associate with indica strains. This is a strain that I think can be utilized at any time of day; even in the morning. With a little caffeine, I don’t think anyone will have trouble staying awake while using Zkittlez, especially in lower doses. This is also a great strain for general “baking” or relaxation; I would recommend it for relaxed days/nights in the house watching movies or playing video games. It’s really pretty versatile – use it anytime.

Possibly good for treating:

Depression and related anxiety

General enjoyment of life/activities

Minor aches and pains

Minor nausea/gastrointestinal issues

General Relaxation

I’m definitely no medical doctor, so please take the preceding conditions only as my own personal observations from using this strain and having experience with a multitude of different cannabis strains. Every body is different, and every body reacts different to various medications.

Effects Rating: 4.20/5.00

Overall Rating: 3.83/5.00

Overall, I would best describe this batch of Zkittlez as “good”.

The one major thing that held this back from being a “great” or “excellent” review was the amount of stems in my batch of flower – I bet there was close to a half gram of them. I recommend Trulieve turn a little extra attention to its QA/Quality department, especially as flower is being produced in higher numbers. You guys have a good thing going with your flower – don’t let little things like this stop that momentum!

Otherwise, the effects are great. I’ll definitely buy Zkittlez again in the future – I don’t say that about too many strains unless they are really enjoyable; this is one of them.

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