BECAUSE, NUGS.

New strain. Thai Girl. Thumbs up! Full review soon.

WHAT ARE THE ACTIVE CANNABINOIDS IN MARIJUANA?

In an earlier post I discussed trichrome maturity.

Trichrome maturity can affect the way the body and brain interact with different cannabinoids. So I thought I'd move the conversation towards cannabinoids with a couple of resources talking about the science behind them.

Well, for starters, let's take a look at what Wikipedia has to say -

"Cannabinoids are a class of diverse chemical compounds that act on cannabinoid receptors in cells that repress neurotransmitter release in the brain. Ligands for these receptor proteins include the endocannabinoids (produced naturally in the body by humans and animals)..." - Wikipedia

Here's a pretty picture that breaks down some of the cannabinoid types -

© sespe.org

As you can see from the infographic produced by the good folks over at sespe.org, there's a lot more to the story. There's also an excellent article that accompanies this infosheet.

As the medical community begins to realize the healing potential of cannabis, hopefully we'll see more targeted therapies derived from concentrated forms of select cannabinoids, and not just THC and CBD.

STRAIN REVIEW // CHERRY PIE

• Strain: CHERRY PIE   
• Producer: N/A
• Retailer: NW CANNABIS MARKET
• Heritage: N/A
• Indica: N/A
• Sativa: N/A
• Appearance:  WELL TRIMMED CONE
• Color: LIGHT GREEN / HINT OF PURPLE
• Texture: SPONGY
• Aroma (Outside): PINE
• Density: MEDIUM
• Aroma (Inside): SWEET PINE
• Burn Time: MODERATELY SLOW
• Taste: PINE, SKUNK
• Aroma (Smoke): SKUNK
• Strength: WEAK
• Chill Factor: NOT RELAXING
• Creep Factor: LOW (2 MIN. FULL EFFECT)
• Auditory Effect: MILD
• Energy Level: UNAFFECTED
• Occasion: MORNING
• Grade: B-

We are going to balance things out a bit. The last review was a positive one, this one, not so much.

Now here in Seattle, the NW Cannabis Market is known to house some of the original talent and expertise that helped devise this new landscape for both recreational, and medical marijuana here in Washington state.

It’s definitely worth your time to visit the market if you’re an authorized Washington MMJ patient, just for the experience alone.

If you know your vendors well, most times, you know what to expect; but not always.

The marketing and retail laws that apply to MMJ are much different than those that exist for recreational.

For example, sampling cannabis is much, much easier with the medical outlets. You can touch, see, smell and feel the buds.

With the I-502 stores, you get to do virtually none of the above. You’ll be lucky with what you can see and smell through the packaging.

I’ll have articles in the future going into more detail about the differences between recreational and medical marijuana.

But for now, back to the review at hand.  

In simple terms; quite a disappointment.

This was a quick impulse buy, based on mostly smell and density, and I should’ve inspected this bud a little closer before purchase.

Clear-ish trichromes indicate this bud may have been harvested just a bit too soon. The nutes seem to have been flushed, and the overall flavor is favorable, but the high is not.

If it was an early harvest, it probably wasn’t on purpose. Many times an early harvest can be needed to save the batch from a complete loss.

The high is weak, but immediate. No creeper effect.

Gives you a moderate body high, with very little psychoactive goodness going on.

Can’t recommend this one; but stay tuned, I’ll be back soon with one that I do!

Thanks again for stopping by!

KNOW YOUR TRICHROMES

Here's a simple infographic I've put together to illustrate a trichrome's lifecycle. There are three identifiable phases, hence the 'Tri'.

Trichromes, often referred to as crystals or frost, is the part of the cannabis plant that houses THC among other psychoactive cannabinoids.

If you look closely at the bud, usually with a loupe or magnifying glass, you can make out some fine detail of the trichromes. Although, for a more thorough view, I recommend something like this USB microscope you can hook up to a monitor, giving you a view that's a little easier on the eyes.

There are three distinct phases of trichrome maturation: Clear, Cloudy, and Amber. Harvesting during different phases of maturity can yield wildly varying results when it comes to strength and type of high.

CLEAR

• Typically no psychoactive properties.
• First phase of trichrome lifecycle.
• Harvest now only if THC content is not important.

CLOUDY

• THC Cannabinoids start to become active.
• Not fully mature, but tips may indicate amber.
• Can be harvested based on preference; high can be 'racier'.

AMBER

• Trichromes will be amber, with some cloudy mixed in.
• Fully matured, will not produce more potency past this point.
• Produces a high usually of the 'couchlock' variety.

If you'd like to know more, High Times happens to have a recent article that goes into much more detail about the specifics of trichrome anatomy. You can jump over to it here.

There is still no "official-official" guide to all this trichrome stuff, but hopefully I've helped make things a little easier to digest for you, and inspired you to research further. There's a lot of expertise out there.

For example, here's another great explainer over at rollitup - Trichrome 101

Reach out to me if you have any questions or comments. Thanks!

Strain Review: Golden Ticket

Image: © NMRC 2015

• Strain: GOLDEN TICKET
• Producer: JACKPOT SEAWEED
• Retailer: GREEN THEORY
• Heritage: N/A
• Indica: 50%
• Sativa: 50%
• Appearance: ROUND & CHUNKY
• Color: BRIGHT GREEN
• Texture: HARD & GOOEY
• Aroma (Outside): CITRUS & SKUNK
• Density: THICK
• Aroma (Inside): SOUR & PINE
• Burn Time: MODERATELY SLOW
• Taste: TANGY
• Aroma (Smoke): SKUNKY
• Strength: STRONG
• Chill Factor: MILDLY RELAXING
• Creep Factor: 20-40 MIN. (FULL EFFECT)
• Auditory Effect: MILD
• Energy Level: MODERATELY UPLIFTED
• Occasion: AFTERNOON / EVENING
• Grade: A+

I'd like to kick this review site off with a winner: Golden Ticket from Jackpot Seaweed.

Even with all the information at the patient's and consumer's fingertip these days, it can still be difficult to pick just the right thing.

And when you do find that perfect strain, it tends to be on the pricier end of the scale. Not with this batch!

Two grams of well trimmed, bright and tight nugs for twenty dollars.

Great deal, great fifty-fifty hybrid. It hits all the right notes.

Whoever was the team on this one; keep up the good work! I can tell the batch was well-cured.

If anyone is curious, one of my favorite harvest and curing guides can be found here at Grasscity. Good harvesting and curing can take time (1 Mo+), and is always worth the wait; although the waiting can be hard.

Our breakdown and pictures are attached. If you see this strain around, definitely grab some.

Thanks for stopping by, and check back soon for more news and reviews!

Welcome to the National Marijuana Review Council!

Welcome to the first post for the National Marijuana Review Council, an organization dedicated to the advancement of cannabis arts and sciences.

We offer honest, unbiased, and thorough personal reviews of individual marijuana products and services found here in the pacific northwest.

With over twenty years of experience consulting on the qualities of cannabis, we look forward to bringing our expertise to you.

Each review will contain a detailed synopsis, breakdown, and visuals to help you decide if a product is a good fit for you.

In addition, we'll be offering up news and information about the ever-growing cannabis industry sweeping across the pacific northwest, and indeed the country.

Thank you for visiting, and we look forward to being your trusted marijuana guide!