Are there only a few really-legit and effective strains?

Ok, here goes…

I kind of pride myself on knowing what good marijuana is. I've been around it for 40+ years and there probably isn'y any kind of marijuana that I haven't smoked….well, maybe a few strains, but…

So the other night, I am standing outside on a beautiful, starry night, with a couple of friends….and we are all smoking some strain that I got at a dispensary…"Candyland" is what it was. And we are all kind of looking like hipsters standing there, commenting on how great the weed is these days with legalization looming…etc. All the growers want to create the best strain so that they can become famous for it and blah, blah, blah…

And then another friend walks up and says hi and lights up a joint of "Blueberry" that his friend grows -just some black market shit that he has been smoking for years -homegrown by an old vet or something like that.

The joint comes my way and I almost pass on it because, after all, I am the pot connoisseur and this is just some dirty, old, homegrown, blueberry indica that doesn't even compare to this modern-day Candyland strain in any way shape or……*takes a puff*….Wait….WHAT?!?!? This is like the best-tasting, sweetest blueberry…skunk, berry flavor on the inhale and on the exhale…

And then the high…warm, flowing down my body like electricity -ears getting hot….SUPER color-enhancement…almost mildly psychedelic. It was "the" high that I had been missing since back in the days of experiencing Colombian Gold or Panama red for the first time after years of Mexican ditch weed. This was like that all over again.

And this is after years of smoking every conceivable strain from numerous dispensaries.

Even after all the hybridizing and growing techniques and all that's going on, WHY is it that I am able to only get at that real-deal experience from the underground? Why hasn't the real shit emerged into the public? I can't find shit like that blueberry -anywhere.

I am hoping that my next run of seeds will produce something that's even in the ballpark as that shit.

No, I can't get a cut from him. This cat is really, really underground from the OLD school and he doesn't deal with anyone. Too bad for me. And there I was thinking that none of that old, tired-out blueberry bullshit could hold a candle to my access to all the strains you could ever name! WRONG!

Have strains become so convoluted and focused on THC levels that something else has gone missing? Are we not allowing the strains to flower long enough to develop the "secret terpenes" -or something like that? Why isn't that real, real, REAL legit marijuana available everywhere?

And IF you know what/where/when/how it is, then please tell me about it in this thread.

I feel like a lot of crossbreeding is taking place with all the weed today. Everyone wants that indica dominant medical top shelf bud which is good don't get me wrong, but it's the sari as that give you that "high" you love so much, if you smoked Panama red and Colombian gold then their near 100% sativa which was basically all that was around in the good ole days. Weed now isn't what it used to be that's for sure. But I'm sure you could try growing your own blueberry, Dutch passion has one and its sativa a dominant. It's probably not gonna be the same high you know and love but it could be worth a try.

I agree with the post above. What you were smoking was probably a old pure blueberry. Most seeds nowadays are all hybrids. Blueberry crossed with this or that.

Candy land, is another hybrid.

I totally agree with you. To find something special you have to spend a lot of time and/or money sourcing one.

People who find keepers in every pack don't understand what a keeper is.

Don't know. Maybe y'all have been smoking too much and are burnt out. I been smoking about 35 and I remember the Gold and Red Bud also had some Hawaiin sins around 1981 that had yellow and purple stuff all up in it. I saw picture frames. It was bad ass and scary at the same time but I was a young smoker and fairly new to the game. And I've smoked tons of mex commercial.

The stuff I am getting today(yes I've sampled dispensary weed), is over the top in power and effects. I do notice I'm getting a little burnt out and need to take a break. I also notice the difference between the highs and flavors.

But, I'll tell the truth. Last I smoked dispensary weed I was outta town and it was good no doubt. But, I had this majorly killer Amnesia at home. Some of the best I've ever had. When I first started smoking the Amnesia, it was different but comparable to the bad ass kicking Hawaii sens I smoked. It was better than the Columbian G, Red and all the other Mex commercial and I've had some great commercial. I was looking forward to getting back home to my stash. I think it's better than top shelf dispensary I was smoking.

No doubt there is better out there. But, when it makes my eyes twitch and my body feel like I am floating I know I am good to freeking go. I know I'm getting burnt out because I haven't taken a break in at least 6 months and the high doesn't last nearly as long. I would just say some you dudes may be beyond my level of burn out and it just takes super fire to get you to the top again.

As for flavors and terps? I'm also a smoker so to be honest, if it ain't Mex commercial that's smells like ammonia and make me cough up a kidney I really can't differentiate the flavors "as well as" many describe. I can smell it in the jar though. And I love the different smells. But, when it gets to burning or even vaping I really can't appreciate the flavor like many describe. To me it's just smoke. If it don't make me cough it's good. It sucks to be a cig smoker I know.

Anyway, interesting discussion and I'm certainly not discounting your observations. But, I will say after 40 years, you tripped on something with different qualities than what you are used to and that's why you feel it is better. Been smoking kief from the Amnesia a couple of weeks and it's not like it was at first. At first it was a bit damn scary. Now I'm getting used to it. But, it's still awesome. I don't want to be over the top every time in my weed experience. I want to be at that level of stoned and relaxation with that little grin on my face and feeling of well being. And what I got, puts me there. But, I also switch up too. I think having different strains and profiles as long as it's top shelf keeps burn outs from completely no longer being able to enjoy weed. Plus I don't do extracts all the time. Just kief lately cause it's what I have left over and I'm outta flower.

Anyway, very interesting. That's just my perspective and not meant to be argumentative or opposing. Just input to think about.

tstick said:

I am the pot connoisseur and this is just some dirty, old, homegrown...

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what knowledgable smoker says something like this… just some dity, old, homegrown?

*sarcasm* -look it up in the dictionary.

coolkid.02 said:

what knowledgable smoker says something like this… just some dity, old, homegrown?

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Good point.
And to the op. Its all hit and miss. Blueberry is one of my favorites and ive thought several times about trying to find a pristine pheno to work with. But as said above theres socmany seed companies selling it that youd have to buy a pack from all of them and then find what your searching for out of the mess.
As for hybrids, ive smoked some good and bad. Alien OG from gorillaseedbank is some of the best tasting weed ive had in ages and great effect. Not parinoid at all, just really enjoyable. Huckleberry kush from dynasty seeds on the other hand is so frickin strong that you wont want to talk to anyone youll be so parinoid. Obviously with seed banks selling over two hundred strains theres going to be some variation in product.
Personally if i want to be totally fried ill light up some heavy sativa dom shit and be able to almost hear my heart trying to explode.

No. BAD point. It's called reading comprehension. I was being sarcastic when I said the bit about being the connoisseur…and the nasty old blueberry homegrown. Jesus, people. What the fuck?

yeah so AGAIN, part of my point is that the "old. nasty homegrown blueberry" ended up being superior to most of the new, hyped-to-death shit that's out there now. The point wasn't to disparage it at all. The point was to say that the old school strains that have been kept "pure" or more pure, seem to have retained some of that old magic that ONLY older smokers who were alive during that time (me) would know.

Damn, man…..

First time I tripped on weed(1981), it was just crappy Mex commercial brick weed. I was in my 71 Vega and it felt like the seat was flipping and spinning end over end. I was like OMG this shit is fuckin awesome! It was still just crappy mex commercial tho. I was just new and fresh to the experience. I think objectivity is lost as burn out sets in over the years. We relate those experiences from our fresh young bodies as meaning the weed was better than it really was. And that folks is why I make a concerted effort to not become accustomed to and making a habit of smoking refined extracts. Next thang ya know, your so burnt out even the experience from the crap you smoked as a youth make the new stuff seem way under potent. Simply because you have experienced it so much that fresh experience is long gone. Truth is, your just used to the experience and burnt out. Plus tolerance. Nevertheless, that damn Hawaii sins, WOW! Every time dude accelerated from a red light my head would ease back in response and I would see picture frame shots. Today, I love it when I hit the vape on this Amnesia keif and then lay on the pillow, close my eyes and feel this warm, like relaxing, tickly, floating feeling permeate through me. It's right where I wanna be. And I get this little grin and just feel good. When I first smoked the Amnesia flower. Wow! Made
My eyes twitch. Took about 30 minutes to get used to where I could enjoy it.

Older people tend to over accentuate the value of their inexperience as a fresh youth and all of these wonderful first times. The first time I kissed a girl! And like understood it! OMG! Stars man. Stars. Never be like that again.

Peace and love peeps.

I understand what you're saying, and that's kinda what I was trying to tell myself, too….But the truth of the matter is that smoking that blueberry was the thing that I have been missing for a lot of years since I started.

yeah, when the gold and red buds of the old days first started to appear, it was definitely like starting a whole different game from the previous Mexican shitweed we used to get in compacted bales - I saw plants -WHOLE plants (including roots and dirt and rocks) in bales come through. I've seen plants that were harvested in veg. and had no buds at all on them. THAT'S what we used to call ditch weed or shitweed and we used to buy it ion "lids" (measured by how many fingers high it was when it was in the baggie!)

Yeah when I was a virgin smoker and didn't know anything, it was a different story, too. Half the shit was just acting like we were high back then -no matter what we smoked. But I'm not talking about that kind of experience. I am talking about having smoked a LOT (and I mean it!) of strains and getting used to that quality (which is very, very good, btw)….and then suddenly, something comes across that turns the tables again and reminds you that things aren't really what they used to be. I don't know any other way to say it.

And it wasn't just me that noticed it, either. We all had been out there smoking this Candyland strain and it was very, very good. But then it got turned up to a whole either level. It wasn't just my body chemistry responding to it. Everyone got turned up by it.

In a way, I feel like I've been getting had. I mean, all these new high THC strains…yeah, I've smoked them. I've smoked strains that claim to be 30% THC and even those aren't even in the same ballpark.

Actually, I had been feeling like I was a bit burnt out and just could't get high like that anymore -like my resistance to strong weed made it impossible. But, nope. It really is the weed. There really is weed out there that's on a whole other level. I smoked it back in the day and I got it again with the blube. It's out there and I want it!

I always thought that for me it has a lot to do with my tolerance level. After a break of a few weeks i have that kind of high sometimes. It would be interesting to test this particular strain for a while to see if it was really the weed or if you just had a lucky day in terms of "set and setting" and possibly the combination of that old dirty bb and the high tech stuff.

However, what you write about breeding reminds me of something the old owner of a local stereo shop said: "People buy stereo systems with their eyes and not their ears. There more lights and buttons there are the better. Nobody takes the time to really listen to the music. This seems to be true for many breeders, too. It's either names or THC levels or how frosty a plant becomes but not the actual experience.

tstick said:

I understand what you're saying, and that's kinda what I was trying to tell myself, too….But the truth of the matter is that smoking that blueberry was the thing that I have been missing for a lot of years since I started.

yeah, when the gold and red buds of the old days first started to appear, it was definitely like starting a whole different game from the previous Mexican shitweed we used to get in compacted bales - I saw plants -WHOLE plants (including roots and dirt and rocks) in bales come through. I've seen plants that were harvested in veg. and had no buds at all on them. THAT'S what we used to call ditch weed or shitweed and we used to buy it ion "lids" (measured by how many fingers high it was when it was in the baggie!)

Yeah when I was a virgin smoker and didn't know anything, it was a different story, too. Half the shit was just acting like we were high back then -no matter what we smoked. But I'm not talking about that kind of experience. I am talking about having smoked a LOT (and I mean it!) of strains and getting used to that quality (which is very, very good, btw)….and then suddenly, something comes across that turns the tables again and reminds you that things aren't really what they used to be. I don't know any other way to say it.

And it wasn't just me that noticed it, either. We all had been out there smoking this Candyland strain and it was very, very good. But then it got turned up to a whole either level. It wasn't just my body chemistry responding to it. Everyone got turned up by it.

In a way, I feel like I've been getting had. I mean, all these new high THC strains…yeah, I've smoked them. I've smoked strains that claim to be 30% THC and even those aren't even in the same ballpark.

Actually, I had been feeling like I was a bit burnt out and just could't get high like that anymore -like my resistance to strong weed made it impossible. But, nope. It really is the weed. There really is weed out there that's on a whole other level. I smoked it back in the day and I got it again with the blube. It's out there and I want it!

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Well, I'm kinda stuck on this Amnesia for now it's so good to me. I mean, really really good to me. The best ever? Maybe the best ever right now? But, it certainly wasn't as good as it was 6 months ago. I think we need to keep moving tho, because we will get used to a particular profile if we just smoke the same all the time. Right now, I'm still good. If burn out sets in too deep, I know I'm gonna have to quit for a minute for sure.

Keep in mind. I keep burn out at bay because I don't smoke 24/7. I'm more of the evening and weekend type. My weed lasts a long long time. It's like most anything else. If you do it all the time you will keep chasing the dragon. And he gets further and further away.

We just gotta keep moving forward always.

I work at a dispensary and very much agree with the OP. Dispensary weed can be on point with look, taste, and smell, but when it comes to effect no dispensary touches my weed (or that of my friends). I am a tad confused by it as well, but I get patients that come in and say the same thing, that dispensary weed just doesnt do it like homegrown. One factor that I can tell you for a fact is that dispensaries push weed as fast as possible after its cut. The only curing that happens in this industry is when the bud sits in the jar waiting to be sold Remember that dispensaries are like the walmarts of weed, they get waaaay too much credit

I hear you there @tstick, been around for a few years and cut my teeth on Columbian Gold, Panama Red, Acapulco Gold and Thai stick in the 70's. Grew outdoor for years and eventually found a good "Blueberry", which was actually a hybrid, but a good one. Last few years I started growing indoor and just the odd outdoor, can't be bothered with the guerilla grows any more. After smoking more or less the same shit over an over, I decided that if I want that exceptional weed I'm going to have to try and make it. I wouldn't knock hybrids, I have a couple of exceptional hybrids going. But they're the type of weed that you go - shit that's good weed! If I give someone either one of these crosses I get that sort of response. It's about smell/flavour, how it burns, and even with some tolerance build-up, within a few minutes you should do that "wholly shit I'm stoned" thing. I have 2 buddies that smoke crazy amounts and rarely if ever take a tolerance break, they're now my testers (I don't tell them that, just give them buds to try - lol). If they comment on it, I know it's good because for the most part they don't really even get high any more unless it's exceptional. I think it's more profit mentality taking over breeding circles vs. old school doing it for the love of it, as well as the target audience buying into a lot of hype/bullshit (flash vs. content mentality) generated by the industry. Creating an exceptional strain/cross takes some luck and a lot of time, testing, culling, something that doesn't lend itself well to profiteers...

A lot of the best genetics are extinct, pot legalization is a really new thing and in the years of illegal growing many a pot farmer have been raided and their best genetics ripped up and burned down. So many amazing strains are now extinct due to prosecution from morons who don't understand that marijuana is less harmful than the alcohol they drink every night and the cigarettes they smoke everyday.

I smoke og kush every day for a year straight. It gets me high eveytime. Taste great every time, and I never get sick of it.

I've popped countless amounts of seeds and og kush hybrids and have the same results every time. Let down, boring high, watered down tastes.

" ain't nothing like the real thing baby "

I drive a horse drawn carriage every day for a year straight. It gets me there eveytime. Rides great every time, and I never get sick in it.

I've popped countless amounts of tires on the "new car" and have the same results every time. Let down, boring ride, watered down experience.

" ain't nothing like the real thing baby " Horse and Carriage.

Thank you. Thank you very much! Transportation just hasn't been the same since great great great gran-pappies horse drawn carriage making business went bankrupt back 15. 1915 that is.

Peace and love always bros.

tstick said:

Ok, here goes…

I kind of pride myself on knowing what good marijuana is. I've been around it for 40+ years and there probably isn'y any kind of marijuana that I haven't smoked….well, maybe a few strains, but…

So the other night, I am standing outside on a beautiful, starry night, with a couple of friends….and we are all smoking some strain that I got at a dispensary…"Candyland" is what it was. And we are all kind of looking like hipsters standing there, commenting on how great the weed is these days with legalization looming…etc. All the growers want to create the best strain so that they can become famous for it and blah, blah, blah…

And then another friend walks up and says hi and lights up a joint of "Blueberry" that his friend grows -just some black market shit that he has been smoking for years -homegrown by an old vet or something like that.

The joint comes my way and I almost pass on it because, after all, I am the pot connoisseur and this is just some dirty, old, homegrown, blueberry indica that doesn't even compare to this modern-day Candyland strain in any way shape or……*takes a puff*….Wait….WHAT?!?!? This is like the best-tasting, sweetest blueberry…skunk, berry flavor on the inhale and on the exhale…

And then the high…warm, flowing down my body like electricity -ears getting hot….SUPER color-enhancement…almost mildly psychedelic. It was "the" high that I had been missing since back in the days of experiencing Colombian Gold or Panama red for the first time after years of Mexican ditch weed. This was like that all over again.

And this is after years of smoking every conceivable strain from numerous dispensaries.

Even after all the hybridizing and growing techniques and all that's going on, WHY is it that I am able to only get at that real-deal experience from the underground? Why hasn't the real shit emerged into the public? I can't find shit like that blueberry -anywhere.

I am hoping that my next run of seeds will produce something that's even in the ballpark as that shit.

No, I can't get a cut from him. This cat is really, really underground from the OLD school and he doesn't deal with anyone. Too bad for me. And there I was thinking that none of that old, tired-out blueberry bullshit could hold a candle to my access to all the strains you could ever name! WRONG!

Have strains become so convoluted and focused on THC levels that something else has gone missing? Are we not allowing the strains to flower long enough to develop the "secret terpenes" -or something like that? Why isn't that real, real, REAL legit marijuana available everywhere?

And IF you know what/where/when/how it is, then please tell me about it in this thread.

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There is a boatload of truth in the above. I have been smoking and growing for over four decades, and have been somewhat disappointed with many of the highly touted, high THC strains being promoted these days...I grow them out and then find myself wondering why they do not come close to providing the same intense buzz I enjoyed from the plants that I grew out a few decades ago.

I grew out various types of bagseed (most of these were primarily sativa and took forever to flower) until I saw ads in High Times Magazine offering some seeds from Holland circa 1984 or so.
Well, I bought some seeds ( Skunk#1, Sonara Super Sativa, Williams Wonder, NL etc. ).
The advantage these strains provided was a mostly shorter flowering time and some wickedly potent buds...I was a happy consumer, as these buds were as good as or better than the seeds that I had been growing...
The bagseed buds...purportedly Santa Marta Gold, Panama Red, Acapulco Gold, Wacky Weed etc. as well as the easier to grow commercially provided strains were all more enjoyable than 75% of the strains that I have purchased over the last ten years or so.
Something is going on reflecting the recent obsession with high THC percentage being the end all of choice buds.
I wish that I held on to many of the old-time strains, because they were indeed more salubrious overall.


BTW, I grew out DJ Shorts Blueberry and FLO many years ago, and really wish that I had maintained those genetics!

GrowUrOwnDank said:

I drive a horse drawn carriage every day for a year straight. It gets me there eveytime. Rides great every time, and I never get sick in it.

I've popped countless amounts of tires on the "new car" and have the same results every time. Let down, boring ride, watered down experience.

" ain't nothing like the real thing baby " Horse and Carriage.

Thank you. Thank you very much! Transportation just hasn't been the same since great great great gran-pappies horse drawn carriage making business went bankrupt back 15. 1915 that is.

Peace and love always bros.

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Not sure why you're choosing to patronize my opinion. But in the cannabis world, old doesn't mean outdated. Keep smoking on your Ferrari hybrids or autos. Whatever makes you happy.