With the abundance of new cannabis strains flooding the market every harvest, how is one supposed to choose? Weed is expensive and when you are looking at more variety than Rob Lowe had in the 80’s it is easy to feel overwhelmed that you may choose the wrong one, but seriously though, you will never pick the wrong one. It is always nice to go into a dispensary with a little familiarity though and that is what I am here to help with. Consider me your own personal research and development guy…for weed. This week I picked up some Watermelon Man and Maui Wowie. Here is my confession, lol.

I smoked Watermelon Man first. This was a new strain for me, I have never heard of Watermelon Man, outside of the Herbie Hancock song that is. I was eager to check it out due to its name. After all, I am the budtender, I cannot rightly be selling something that I have never tried, and I love a new strain. The only information I received from the growers said that according to its leaves Watermelon Man is an indica. After spending a little while researching the strain I was unable to find any mentions of it outside of other dispensaries offering it for sale. Unfortunately, even the places selling it did not have any good information I could use to explain its qualities to a customer. Like so many new strains these days if I wanted to know anything about this one I would have to try it. Well, if I have to… I have to. So, I picked up a bag, grabbed some papers and rolled a doob. The tight nuggets and with little red hairs made me think of my high school days when that was reason enough to charge someone extra. It was not until I saw my first High Times that I realized bags of weed were not supposed to be equal weight in seeds and buds, so clearly, it makes sense to pay more for red hairs. Watermelon Man smells like aged wood, and when I smoked it, the flavor turned to toasted oats with a chocolate aftertaste, it was very pleasant. The flavors were not too complex, but it does lack the fruity flavor the name suggests. It took a moment to settle in, I was not expecting a slow, creeper high. It was my day off though and puffing an indica in the afternoon would be alright, a midday nap is always a nice treat. I was halfway through that hooter before I started to feel anything and then…zang! This strain tested at seventeen percent THC, this is one of those strains that proves THC test results do not always indicate the quality of bud. My body entered a state of total relaxation, I felt the tension in my muscles and neck ease, and my mind drifted in thought. Its effects were not tiring or draining at all, and I found it to be a very enjoyable daytime indica to smoke. The high was reminiscent of what athletes refer to as being “in the zone”, all the noise around me got turned down a little and I felt focused. If it was not raining outside I would have ridden somewhere to set up my hammock.

The Maui Wowie I smoked was classic old school bud. I chose to smoke this in the evening after a long day due to the reputation Hawaiian strains have for being tranquil sativas. My intention was to relax from the day, not to smoke something that made me want to fall asleep. The first thing I noticed was its bright green color, tart smell, and a musty scent that hung at the back of my throat. To be downright honest it smelled like the inside of a shoe but in the case of weed that is a clear indication of something good. When I sparked it, the flavor was soft and refreshing, like drinking a cucumber water. It lingered for a bit after I took my first puff, I like it when that happens. More flavors started to emerge after another puff and I became aware of the sweeter and more sugary flavors in its profile. Suddenly I was watching a Hawaiian sunset fall off the edge of the earth while a tropical breeze carried away the stress I had been feeling from a long day. I enjoyed the euphoric buzz and mental vacation that it set me on. The smooth finish did not leave me feeling groggy or hungover. Like a good glass of wine can stimulate your senses, this strain engaged my mind and my tastes buds in such a way that can only be described as pleasurable.

I cannot promise that I will be sampling all the same buds as you are this summer, I only shop at a few stores, but hopefully, we will have some crossover somewhere that will be beneficial for you the consumer. Please, always feel free to send me offers, suggestions, or samples.