Bloom Farms Jah Goo PAX Era Pod (2019 Review)
1 CommentBloom Farms is a socially-conscious company, which is a nice change of pace in the midst of the Green Rush. So many companies run by an all-white leadership board seem overly concerned with the bottom line, while people of color are still serving lengthy or life sentences for trumped up drug-related charges. We are in dire need of a marijuana revolution that echoes outside of the marketplace.
Bloom Farms works ethically on numerous levels. It operates with a one-for-one business model, so for every sale, it donates a meal to a local food bank. Last February, Bloom Farms reached its 1 millionth donated meal. The company recently expanded into Nevada and, as founder and CEO Michael Ray pledges, “every product sold in Nevada will generate one meal to a Nevada based food bank.” I’m impressed.
The cannabis company also teams up with small farms in California’s renowned Emerald Triangle, specifically Sun Roots Farms, for the sun-grown, single-origin, whole cannabis plant raw materials. The result is thoughtfully produced strains that are resilient, resinous, and effective at relieving pain, high stress and insomnia.
This Jah Goo, a cross between Purple Jasmine, a floral 70/30 indica-dominant strain, and Goo strains, is cultivated by Sun Root Farms and helps users deal with complex trauma, injuries and other mood issues.
As a socially conscious smoker, I want to put my hard-earned bucks towards companies doing it right. Let’s dive into the specifics of this Jah Goo vape.
In this Bloom Farms Jah Goo PAX Pod review, you'll learn about this product's:
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Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
This Jah Goo .5g vape cartridge from Bloom Farms comes packaged in a paper box that’s sturdy, recyclable and environmentally friendly. It’s appropriately tamper-sealed with a label that describes the product. The individual pod comes in a unique screw-top container. Due to California’s new regulations, it’s not the easiest product to open, you’re going to need some patience! The packaging is eye-catching with Bloom Farm’s award-winning design. I particularly love the branding of their stylish cannabis flower.
The product and carton itself are clearly labeled without being redundant. There’s plenty of information, all of which is now required, but it’s also good to know. I see THC & CBD content (355 mgs or 71% THC, 2.0 mgs or 0.4% CBD), dosage, net weight, batch and testing information available as well. The proper government warnings for both Prop 64/65 are also included. Bloom Farms also mentions, in loud lettering, that this pod is only compatible with the Pax Era pen.
Again, the pod itself is very sleek and modern. It’s compact and fits perfectly inside the PAX Era. The cartridge specifies Bloom Farms as the maker and Jah Goo as the strain. Few other companies include their name and strain on the actual cartridge or pod. This helps me quickly identify what cartridge I’m using, rather than playing roulette based on effects, smell, etc.
The mouthpiece is a nice size, not too large or small. The cartridge can get hot if you use it frequently for more than seconds each time, but other than that, it’s fine.
Quality, Ease of Use
The Pax Era cartridges always have the same look, and feel – it’s tricky to tell them apart without the packaging. However, most of them work without fail.
While others might find it bothersome that you need a PAX Era to enjoy these pods (as well as others from different companies), I feel the tradeoff of being able to control your temperature down to the degree truly sets this product apart. The Jah Goo cartridge easily slips in the device and you can start using immediately; no battery clicks or voltage settings to adjust. It even comes with an app for your phone to control the colors and temperatures with the touch of a finger.
This product’s temperature control feature allows you to draw more flavor or more vapor. The lower the temperature, the more terpenes, and flavors you can taste, such as musky piney limonene, terpinolene, humulene. When you go higher, you can still experience yummy flavors, and the pod produces more vapor without it tasting “burnt.” Jah Goo offers earthy notes with a sweet exhale the lower you set the temperature. At a higher setting, you start losing those sweeter notes and begin tasting the piney and gas notes from this indica.
A few puffs between 515ºF and 540ºF produced the perfect combination of vapor and flavor that was pleasant to smoke. I loved how Sun Roots Farm’s oil in the chamber is a rich golden color, clear and thick. However, it’s not overly thick which would make it hard to vaporize, nor is it too runny – an attribute that would make me suspect a manufacturer “cut” the oil with common additives like propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG).
Potency, Effectiveness, Affordability
After a couple puffs of the Jah Goo, my mind was at ease, my body was becoming more relaxed and boy, was I hungry – pass the Doritos! It didn’t take more than three or four puffs to get the desired relaxing and indica typical effects that come from a strain like Jah Goo. It’s perfect for evening use.
At around $50 to $60 for a half gram, for the potency and flavor profile that you get from this pod, I would say that it’s definitely worth the money. The packaging, information, and product quality definitely show with its price tag.
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 4.5/5
- Secure and attractive packaging.
- Tough to open due to new CA regulations.
- Sleek, eye-catching branding and prominent logos.
Labeling: 4/5
- Most of the required information.
- Includes THC and CBD content, dosage, net weight, batch and testing info.
- Bloom Farms would have gotten a five had they gone extra mile with a more refined cannabinoid profile.
Cartridge Quality: 4/5
- Pod is sleek, modern and compact.
- Bloom Farms labels the actual pod, so you can distinguish between strains.
- Mouthpiece is a perfect size; can get hot from frequent use.
Taste: 5/5
- At a slightly lower temp setting, pungent and sweet flavors storm the gates.
- Piney and gas notes at higher temperatures; never tastes burnt.
Vapor Quality: 4/5
- With some settings fiddling, you can set the temperature of the Pax Era to suit your vapor vs. flavor needs.
- Higher temps make it possible to blow some sick rings with this pod.
Oil Quality: 5/5
- What you want to see: liquid gold and runs easily when you rotate the pen, but not so thin that you suspect cutting agents.
Effectiveness: 5/5
- Subtle cerebral high coupled with a total body relaxation.
- For Harry Potter fans, the effects are kind of like a happy-giggly Petrificus Totalus.
Ease of Use: 3/5
- Easy breezy if you have a Pax Era battery (if you don’t, you’ll need to buy one).
- No battery clicks or voltage settings to adjust.
- Phone app lets you control the colors and temperatures with the touch of a finger.
Consistency: 4/5
- My ABCs for Pax Era cartridges are Automatic, Battery-Specific, and Customizable.
- Cartridges have the same look and feel.
Price: 4/5
- At $50 to $60 per half-gram, the price is justified for this high-quality product.
- Great for people who consume moderately but who still want something heavy-hitting.
- If you’re a heavy consumer, you may want to look elsewhere for more bang for your buck.
Overall Rating: 4.25
With the convenience of a Pax Era pod, the potency of Sun Roots Farms single-origin strains, and the efficacy of a specialized indica-leaning hybrid, you really can’t lose. This Jah Goo .5g vape cartridge offers an enjoyable cerebral “headiness” and made my entire body relax. Even with a $50-60 price tag, you can trust that you’re buying the best from the best.
If you live in L.A. and are ready to be wowed by Bloom Farms’ Jah Goo PAX Era Pod, click here to see if Nugg Club delivers to your address!
District Edibles Sour Apple 100mg Hybrid Gummies (2019 Review)
1 CommentWhen I’m in a go-go-go place in life, I look to edibles to help me grounded during the evenings. And for me, 10 milligrams can feel like a lot or a little, depending on the potency of the edible itself. Generally, I’d say that is a great baseline and I can always dial it up by eating more. District Edibles is a brand known for its consistency, so I trust them to give me a “true” 10 mg product. I reach for them whenever I needed to chill out but still be functional.
Shaped a bit like stars and surrounded by a charming rocket launch motif, I felt prepared to get spacey with these little green gummies. They look like something you’d find in a Kevin the Minion’s fanny pack on his way to Coachella – but in a good way.
In this District Edibles Sour Apple Hybrid Gummy review, you'll learn about this product's:
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Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
However, I’m not sure Kevin would actually be able to crack into this packaging, as these gummies are some of the most well-protected edibles I’ve seen.
Your 10 pack of gummies comes in a hard plastic container with a clear tamper-proof, child-resistant design. I love that it’s fully recyclable and that doubles as a joint holder with space for joints rolled in classic 1 ¼ sized rolling papers. To me, this tells me District knows I like my weed in multiple formats and helps me live my best life even after I’ve finished their product. It’s slender and pocket-ready, and houses your gummies in a plastic and foil blister pack, kind of like a pack of gum. While the inner graphics are in keeping with a fun and light-hearted space theme, the graphics on the outside are more refined and “adult” looking with a gold, white, and green color scheme on a black background.
While there’s a lot of extra information on their website, the labels on the package itself seem like they’re pretty much the bare necessities for Adult Use compliance. On the front is the brand name, opening instructions, a HYBRID classification, flavor, net weight, amount of pieces in the box, amount of THC (100mg per box) and CBD (0 mg per box) and per gummy. On the back are government warnings, a list of ingredients, usage instructions, batch number, manufactured by, manufactured on date, and best by date. There are also nutrition facts on the bottom of the package as well as web addresses and a graphic that shows you can recycle the package.
I do like that in the ingredients they listed “cannabis oil (purified using CO2 and/or ethanol),” but I’d like to know more about the oil. When they say “purified using…” does that mean the same thing as “extracted using…?” What strains were used? I would have also liked to have seen a QR code or some sort of way to verify lab results. A full profile of all of the cannabinoids detected would also be helpful.
Quality & Ease of Use
Because these are made in 10 individual 10mg doses, they’ll be easy to dose if you’re comfortable with dosing in those increments. If you’re sensitive to small doses of THC, you might struggle to accurately cut these down further. If you don’t need it to be too precise, the “+” shape of these gummies makes it easy to bite off just a knob and look at it as roughly 2.5mg THC.
Because the package is so small and dark, it’s easy to keep hidden when dosing throughout the day. If you take the blister pack out of the external package, there is nothing cannabis related printed on it, which means you can easily eat these out in the open without any judgmental eyes looking at you.
As soon as I broke the seal and opened the box, I could immediately smell the familiar sour green apple fragrance. I would have assumed these would taste as deliciously sweet and fruity as they smelled, but I know the smell has ultimately set me up for disappointment in taste with the other District gummy flavors I’ve tried in the past.
And honestly, I wrinkled my nose upon laying one of these on my tongue. This Sour Apple variety was probably the worst tasting of all of the District gummies flavors I’ve tried. You get a slight hint of that classic sour apple taste (you might compare to a green apple jolly rancher) which quickly gets sunk by an overpowering, spicy, weedy taste. It wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t continue eating them, but they certainly weren’t great. They did start tasting a little better as I continued to eat through the pack, after my taste buds acclimated. It did, however, leave a bit of a weedy aftertaste in my mouth. On the upside, when I can taste the cannabis like this, I can safely assume they used more of a full spectrum extract, which I know has more of a medicinal benefit for me (as opposed to a distillate). Heck, medicine isn’t necessarily supposed to be tasty!
Though the package was a bit oily, these are a great texture for a gummy. Not chewy, per se, but more like Jell-O with a bit more density. It was wiggly and smooth and broke down easily in my mouth. I like District’s commitment to the clean and easy chew factor.
Potency, Effectiveness and Affordability
I started feeling the effects kick in about an hour after consuming them and lasted for about 4½ more hours. It was an enjoyable high that eased my body and uplifted my mind. It wasn’t at all flighty, which is my biggest fear with hybrid edibles (I’m usually an indica guy for that reason). It made me feel good and medicated while still keeping me bright and functional – no couch-lock! District Edibles is always precise in their formulations, making this an edible that will give you a consistent experience every time you buy it.
I spent my time with the medicated focus baking my grandma’s famous Cherry Tart for my cousin’s going away dinner. I must’ve been really in-tune with the flavors, ratios, and baking times, because my cousin and brother both agreed that I must’ve “channeled grandma” because it was the best tart I’d make since grandma passed and I’ve made it many times before this one. Did these hybrid gummies really help me to channel my grandma? I like to think so. I’ll definitely be consuming these gummies the next time I’m baking from grandma’s cookbook!
The gummies are definitely more limited in terms of their versatility. I can’t think of anything to do with these besides eating them right out of the package. Maybe you can garnish a frilly drink with them or suspend them in Jell-O.
For around $18, it’s a decent price for a gummy that provides potent, enjoyable, consistent results and is easy to eat and dose. The taste could be a little better, but I understand that medicine doesn’t always taste great. Overall the potency is worth the price, though it would be a better value of it was a few dollars cheaper. I’ll be buying them again next time I do some baking, for sure.
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 5/5
- Top-notch reusable packaging is slim and pocket-ready.
- Eye-grabbing aesthetics don’t sacrifice the product’s security.
Labeling: 3.5/5
- Just enough info for Adult-Use compliance, but not much more.
- Includes brand name, hybrid classification, flavor, milligrams of THC (100), ingredients, batch number, manufacture date, best by date, etc.
- Would like to have seen a QR Code to verify lab results and a more specific description of their extraction process.
Easy to Dose? 4.5/5
- Extremely easy to dose if you’re looking for 5-10 mgs.
- Trickier if you’re sensitive to THC and want less than 5 mgs (try nibbling off a “knob”).
Discretion: 5/5
- Between the clever packaging design and the small size of the gummy itself, these are a breeze to eat on the go.
Taste: 2.5/5
- Spicy, weedy taste with hints of sour apple, but not nearly enough.
- Overpowering cannabis taste as I consume and afterwards as well.
- On the upside, I know District uses full extract cannabis oil, which increases its overall potency!
Texture: 4.5/5
- Package was slightly oily, but edible was an excellent “chewy” texture, with nothing left in your teeth.
- Jell-O consistency with a bit more density.
Effectiveness: 5/5
- Perfect blend of uplifting for my mind and relaxing for my body.
- Not too racy for those of you worried about trying a hybrid.
- Gummy would be ideal before a workout or utilized during a day out-and-about on an excursion, like walking around a new city or a museum visit.
Versatility: 1.5/5
- Not a whole lot to do with these unless you’re thinking of garnishing a cocktail or making an ice cream sundae.
Consistency: 5/5
- Experience was consistent as could be.
- Each gummy is a true 10 milligrams and that makes it a good buy in my book.
Price: 4/5
- A fair price: 10 gummies for $18, not including tax.
Overall Rating: 4.05
With District gummies, there’s a lot to like here if your top priority is potency but you want an edible that won’t take you under. I only wish they tasted better! I’d recommend buying a sidekick pack of gummies that you can wash the taste of these down with. But other than that, really good texture and thoughtful, consumer-friendly packaging.
If you live in L.A. you may qualify for delivery from Nugg Club! Click here and enter your address to have these gummies and more delivered to your doorstep.
NUG Gorilla Glue #4 (2019 Review)
Leave a CommentI’ll let you in on a secret about me: I enjoy smoking a nice sativa-hybrid to get my day going when I know it’s going to be busy. For me, the slight sativa dominance gets my heart pumping and it turns the switch of my mind to an “on” position. But the hybrid status also helps slow my thoughts, and bring me to the present. A sativa-hybrid jump start to my day is always a pleasant way to get things going.
Because of this, I’m always on the hunt for a great new sativa-dominant flower. There are some standout strain genetics that I’ve tried throughout the years, including GG4 (formerly known as Gorilla Glue #4). This original strain was named as such because its trichome-rich buds were said to leave your fingers so sticky, it felt like you had covered them in glue. And I’ve always been a huge fan of this strain’s earthy flavor.
So when I came across NUG’s version of GG4, I immediately knew I should give it a shot. I feel like I see the NUG brand in every dispensary I walk into, whether it’s their chocolate bars or their indoor-grown flower. And this makes sense, considering this brand has prolific distribution in California’s dispensaries, just take a look at the map of where to find NUG products on their site. With that kind of reach, I’m optimistic about this strain and I am excited to try NUG’s GG4 for a daytime pick-me-up. Let’s see if I’m right.
In this NUG GG4 strain review, you'll learn about this product's:
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Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
When it comes to packaging, let’s just say I’m underwhelmed by what NUG has to offer. The generic, flat, plastic, child-resistant zip bag leaves much to be desired. A brand logo and rectangular strain sticker with a half sun and moon, I assume signifying day and nighttime use, adorn the clear plastic panel that makes up the front of the bag. Through it, I see the flower inside and I can tell it’s been flattened. I can’t help but assume that’s because this plastic packaging offers little as far as protection goes.
Despite the seal across the top, some of the strain’s pungent aroma seeps through. Generally speaking, packaging should lock the aroma inside and this plastic bag clearly isn’t cutting it. And then the real kicker… as I gingerly open the package, the zipper detaches from one side of the bag, leaving me with no way to reseal it. Luckily, I have glass jars sitting around the house so I move the buds there for safer and more effective storage.
I’m disappointed to see a lot of trichome residue left in the plastic bag, but not surprised. The static in plastic bags sheers the trichomes from the buds, which is why it makes so little sense to pack cannabis flower inside of them. And since GG4’s claim to fame is trichome density, I’m sad to see so much of it go to waste.
The product labeling includes all the basics required by Adult Use laws, but that’s about it. I’m always interested in learning more about the strain, a brand’s specific growing techniques, and a full cannabinoid content breakdown. All three of these details were missing.
Quality and Ease of Use
Okay, so the packaging fails to elicit any excitement out of me, but now we’re on to bigger and better things. I pull out the bright green buds (there are around 11 available) and sort them in my hand. I immediately notice it looks like these flowers came from two different plants. One half looks fluffy, less dense, and more brightly colored than the other. Half of the buds are tight, dense, and a darker shade of green with a heavier coating of glittering trichomes. The other half is light green and significantly less dense. From a consistency perspective, this is less than ideal. But both types of buds have an unbelievably pungent and earthy aroma that overwhelms my need for visual consistency. This strain smells fantastic!
I choose a one gram bud, the largest of the bunch, and break it down for my grinder. Despite the trichome residue left in the bag, I am happy with the glistening layer still attached to the outside of the bud. And sure enough, the GG4 stickiness comes through and layers my finger pads with a slight residue.
The ground flower is so sticky it’s easily malleable and forms into a perfect joint. I’ve got an overwhelming day ahead, so as I light this joint up, I’m hopeful that it’ll give me the jumpstart I need, but without the paranoia or anxiety that straight sativas sometimes produce.
Upon the first puff, the smooth, creamy smoke caresses my throat but doesn’t make me cough. After a few hits, it does increase in intensity and harshness, but it still overall a very pleasant and easy smoke. And the inviting, earthy, sweet flavor keeps me going back for another puff. This strain is absolutely delicious, tasting just as the aroma would suggest. The ash flakes off in clean, soft, white residue… exactly what I’m looking for while smoking a joint.
Potency, Effectiveness & Affordability
Sometimes a soaring high THC content overwhelms me more than it helps, making my heart race and anxiety levels to rise. This is not something I am looking for in a strain to help me kick start my day. The label tells me this NUG GG4 strain has a total THC content of 167.27 mg/grams, which is solid but not extreme. So I am not surprised when the effects hit me just right.
After three hits in a few seconds, my body relaxes but my head and eyes don’t. It feels like I am perfectly tuned to jump into my day, with a calm mind, alert eyes, and a body that feels like I just meditated for 20 minutes. When it comes to a daytime strain to help calm nerves and ease discomfort without putting me to sleep, this NUG GG4 is creeping up to the top of my list.
And the price gives this strain an added bonus. Set at $40 for an eighth of this pungently aromatic strain, with crave-worthy tastiness and well-tuned effects, I would absolutely buy it again. That being said, I’d even pay a couple of extra dollars more for packaging that is more worthy of the high-quality bud housed inside.
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 1.5/5
- Package is a generic, flat, plastic, child-resistant zip bag.
- Clear front window allows me to see the cannabis inside.
- Flower appears flattened, so thin plastic doesn’t offer much protection.
- Zipper detached from one of the sides upon opening, so there was no way to reseal.
Labeling: 3/5
- Labeling is limited, just enough for Adult Use compliance.
- Address-sized label includes the amount of THC (167.276mg/g) and CBD (ND), batch ID, package date, net weight, date of manufacture, strain name, and passing lab test results with a web address to verify them.
- I would like to see more info on the cannabinoid content, maybe a flavor description or terpene profile, some information on how it was grown, and/or a strain description.
Aroma: 5/5
- Beautiful fragrance hits my nose as soon as I open the bag.
- Uniquely pungent, sweet and earthy.
Taste: 4.5/5
- Tastes just like it smells: beautiful.
- Develops the slightest metallic taste towards the end of your joint/bowl, though, nothing that would deter me.
Texture: 4/5
- Buds are the perfect humidity level and they’re sticky and fresh feeling.
- Half of the flowers are formed with a nice density and tightness, the other half are fluffy.
- At least one bud weighed out to 1 gram, the rest were medium-sized.
Quality of Smoke: 4/5
- Smoke was overall smooth, but it can get slightly harsh after the first few hits.
Ash Test: 5/5
- Clean, soft, white ash.
Effectiveness: 5/5
- Relaxing body effects with a clear head and eyes that don’t feel droopy.
- Labeled as a hybrid, the GG#4 strain has the best qualities of both indica and sativa.
- Wonderful strain to ease your pain and calm your nerves during the day, without heavy sedative effects.
Consistency: 2/5
- While they both have the same taste, smell, pleasure, and sticky quality, it seems half of the buds in this bag are of a different structure and are lighter in color than the other half.
- Not what I want to see in the same package, but both were a pleasure to smoke.
Price: 4/5
- At $40 an eighth for a pleasurable smoke that’s sticky, smells amazing and tastes good, this is a pretty good price.
- If the consistency within the package was there, and the packaging was of a higher quality, I would have rated it at a 5.
Overall Rating: 3.8
I thoroughly enjoyed this GG4’s epic aroma, flavor, and effects. I could use this strain any day. These are the most important aspects of a cannabis flower to me. But there were a few aspects that significantly affected the overall rating, the most glaring being the packaging. I would love to see NUG create packaging that matches the quality of their amazing product rather than a sad, plastic bag with a faulty zipper.
If you live in the Los Angeles area and want to give NUG’s GG4 a taste, click here to see if Nugg Club delivers to your address!
Northern Emeralds Durban Poison Strain (2019 Review)
1 CommentI used to work at an acclaimed Beverly Hills restaurant, but I only had the chance to dine there as a full-blown guest once. It was the best meal I ever had, each little detail adding up to a memory still vivid in my mind today. I can still remember tasting the love and effort of the kitchen staff in each delicious bite. The craftsmanship exuded from the final product and I almost felt proud of the chef for mastering his craft to such a degree.
When sampling a new cannabis flower, I want to feel similar emotions as the night I dined at this Michelin-star restaurant. Of course, I don’t want that kind of price tag… but I do want to see, taste, and feel the love and effort of the cultivators. When I do find a product that elicits those same emotions, I know it’s something I’ll add it to my repertoire. Anything less and, odds are, I’ll never buy it again.
It’s with this mindset that I try Northern Emeralds Durban Poison. I am cautiously hopeful once I look into the brand and discover it is made up of a collective of farmers in Northern California, seemingly dedicated to their craft. I’m intrigued by their simple yet lofty mission to “grow the best possible version of the plant, to serve the intent of the seed, [and] to cultivate the highest quality of cannabis achievable.”
Will Northern Emeralds live up to their creed with this eighth of Durban Poison – and my (practically unaffordable) fine dining expectations? Keep reading to find out!
In this Northern Emeralds Durban Poison strain review, you'll learn about this product's:
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Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
As I hold the moderately sized glass jar with white screw-top lid in my hand, I am sort of underwhelmed. It’s like walking into an upscale chain restaurant – not bad, but not life-changing. I give the company props for using a glass jar rather than plastic since I’m a sucker for more sustainable packaging. But I think the brand could up the ante in two ways:
- A two-way humidity pack to keep the nugs from getting crunchy
- Some UV protective coating on the glass (UV rays degrade THC and I want to make sure the packaging preserves all the potency it can).
A Northern Emeralds logo is affixed on the side and top of the jar in a glossy gold that looks great on the dispensary shelf. Gold accents can sometimes look tacky, but it’s done subtly and tastefully in this instance. From a branding perspective, I find this jar chic, modern, and clean.
The label on the back retains that simplicity, but gives me a lot of great information, including the cannabinoid content of THC (26.2% and 917mg), CBD (0mg). That THC level hopefully means I am in for a treat. They include an interesting detail unique to Northern Emeralds: a graphic scale explaining the strain is far on the sativa side of the spectrum, which helps me know what to generally expect of the high. I’m inferring this because there aren’t any actual instructions for reading the chart, just a simple “S” on one side and “I” on the other. I don’t think a cannabis newbie would know what this meant.
Quality and Ease of Use
Okay, let’s cut to the chase: this strain’s aroma is a showstopper. As I twist open the jar and the pungent, lemony scent wafts out, I feel like there should be a record scratch with a voiceover that says, “This is when everything changed.”
The aroma is citrusy and spicy and the first thing I can think of is a jalapeño margarita. The lemon notes hit hard and first, followed by an earthy pine that smells reminiscent of diesel fuel. It’s incredibly pleasing. The aroma is my first sign that I’m dealing with thoughtful, experienced cultivators; I can feel the love and effort they put into this just by sniffing.
I begin to pull the dark green, dense, and compact nugs out and line them up like a kid organizing their presents on Christmas morning. A healthy outer layer of glistening trichomes are still present on the bud and the moisture level is better than I thought it would be without a humidity pack. The buds have the kind of texture I always look for: densely tight but not dry. They’re all moderately-sized nugs, with the largest weighing in at a healthy one gram. I break the largest nug down to go into my grinder and the pads of my fingers are left coated in a slightly sticky residue. I feel like I can see the pungent aroma bursting out of the nug like I’m zesting a lemon.
Quickly and easily, I wrap the ground flower into a joint. My first hit is a flavor explosion, eliciting the same emotions as a meal made by a top chef. I am instantly hit with a sweet, citrusy flavor, with rich earthy undertones that come together in a complex and bold way. While I can’t tell from the labeling, I’m sure this Durban Poison has high levels of terpenes limonene, myrcene, and pinene, all working in concert that a highly-trained kitchen staff to deliver me the ultimate decadence.
Potency, Effectiveness & Affordability
Within just a couple seconds of my first hit, my body begins to buzz. There’s no doubt that the 26.2% THC level in this strain is working full-time. After three puffs, my energy levels are on the rise and it feels like I drank a cup of coffee. While a fantastic option for a morning session to jumpstart the day, but I could also see it causing anxiety because it really does get the heart racing.
With a price point of $55-$60, this Durban Poison by Northern Emeralds is on the higher end of the flower spectrum. But considering the aroma, flavor, potency, and high, I would absolutely pay for this product again.
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 4/5
- This package is your standard child-resistant glass jar with a white label around it and a tamper-proof seal/sticker that breaks when tampered.
- Compared to other 1/8th containers on the market, this is average size and nothing too large.
- It conceals the scent pretty well but does not have a humidity pack or UV protection
Labeling: 4/5
- Besides the logo and sticker with the strain name and type on it, they also include where it was harvested, cannabinoid profile, size/weight, harvest and expiration date, batch number and ID, lab testing source and results and necessary prop 64/65 compliance notes.
- I would have liked to see more information on the growing techniques, brand, and cannabinoid and terpene profile on the label.
Aroma: 5/5
- When you first open the jar, you get this very spicy lemony piney smell that takes over immediately.
- The lemon is very prevalent with the pine/gas coming after and boy does it smell good.
- When I first opened this jar, my roommates were like, “dude we can smell that over here, what the heck is that!?” so know that is has a very nice and strong smell.
Taste 5/5
- Just as when you are smelling the strain, the taste is there and in point; imagine being hit with a sweet, citrusy earth taste that coats your mouth and leaves you wanting more…that is this Durban Poison.
- High levels of limonene, myrcene, and pinene must be behind this strain’s wonderful conglomerate of flavors.
Texture: 5/5
- Overall when opening this jar, the “bag appeal” or texture and appearance was pretty impressive.
- When you open this jar, the buds are semi-glistening and retained their moisture okay.
- They are all moderate in size and largest nug came out to be 1g which is okay for how many others were in there.
Quality of Smoke: 5/5
- After smoking before a long day, this was a darn good smoke.
- Rather than the slight irritation that I usually get, there was no scratching at the back of my throat; very pleasant.
Ash Test: 5/5
- After the first couple puffs from this and allowing the joint to burn slow, you could tell that the ash was clean and mostly white.
- Throughout the entire smoke, you could see that the ash was a nice and clean white color; exactly what I look for when smoking.
Effectiveness: 5/5
- After my first two hits of this Durban Poison, I completely understood how/why this is hailed as one of the best sativa’s of all time.
- The energy and uplifting effects that I felt after just 3 puffs of this joint was a perfect way to get my day going.
Consistency: 5/5
- Most of the nugs have the same look and taste and provide the same effect and smell the same.
- I only tried two batches, but they gave me confidence in Northern Emeralds’ consistency.
Price: 4.5/5
- For the quality of packaging that you get and the experience/effectiveness that comes from the actual product, I would say that it is worth the price.
- But it is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, so I may not be able to buy it as often as I would like.
Overall: 4.7
Overall, Northern Emeralds Durban Poison is a quality sativa strain that has the ability to get the heart pumping and my day started on a productive and energetic level. What really sets it apart is the bright lemon aroma and pungent, complex flavor. The packaging and labeling could have used a bit more attention to detail, including a humidity pack, UV protection, and more information about the flower and brand. Overall, I’d absolutely buy this again when I need an energy boost!
Find out if this strain from Northern Emeralds is available for delivery through Nugg Club – if you live in the LA area, click here and enter your address!
Plus Products 90mg Blackberry & Lemon Gummies (2019 Review)
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Cannabis gummies are one of my ultimate favorite ways to consume the plant. Compared to infused chocolate bars, I find the slight cannabis flavor in gummies works better with fruit flavors. But as the cannabis market explodes, there are more and more options on the market. Sometimes when I walk into the dispensary, I feel completely overwhelmed by the choices and all-too-often revert back to products I know I like rather than branching out to try something new. When I get this analysis paralysis, I feel like Phil in Groundhog Day, reliving the same experience over and over again.
How do I choose when there are literally hundreds of options? We’ve been told not to judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to cannabis edibles, I judge hard! Packaging is the number one thing that draws me in.
When I walk into the dispensary this time, I resolve to try something new. I won’t be caught in another Groundhog Day time loop! Scanning my options, the peach and cotton-candy-colored tin catches my eye: Plus cannabis-infused gummies. Beyond the vivid packaging, the flavor combination of blackberry and lemon is something I don’t think I’ve seen before. That flavor combo sparks an unexpected nostalgia for summer days spent picking wild blackberries at my grandma’s Oregon home – my interest is piqued. And a quick Google search of Plus tells me this brand was birthed in Colorado and its reputation allowed the company to expand to the largest cannabis market in the world, California.
Their blackberry and lemon gummies are coming home with me! And I’m hoping they’ll bring me as much happiness as my grandma’s homemade blackberry cobbler.
In this Plus Products blackberry & lemon gummy review, you'll learn about this product's:
[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]
Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
The packaging is what draws me to this product. I don’t see much pastel pink on the shelves of cannabis dispensaries, so the unique color and child-proof plastic bag with a pink and yellow metal tin inside immediately caught my eye. On the front top half of the recyclable plastic bag, the packaging tells me these are cannabis-infused gummies, with the tantalizing flavor combination of blackberry and lemon. Right below that, there’s a small sticker with THC (95.8 mg THC) and CBD (8.4 mg) content, a manufacturing date stamp, and the CA cannabis warning symbol. The back of the bag has all the additional information I look for, including storage advice, all compliance-required information, and the brand’s social media handles.
The circular metal tin housed inside the package looks like a lip balm container and I love this sturdy level of protection for the gummies inside. I can easily toss this container into my bag without worrying it’ll pop open or get smashed. Plus, the packaging is very discreet. If I pulled this out while walking down the street, no one would ever think there are cannabis gummies inside. I love that they repeat important information here for when I inevitably lose the plastic bag it came in. The label on the tin informs me this is an indica-based product (which tells me I should be expecting more sedative effects), with 20 servings of 4.5 mg THC and 0.5 mg of CBD each. It also lets me know these Plus gummies are gluten free, with no artificial sweeteners, kosher, and made in California.
As much as I love the look of this packaging, there’s one thing that really bothers me. There’s a discrepancy with the stated dosage on the labels and the lab testing information. The label says there are 90 mg of THC and 10 mg of CBD total, breaking down to 4.5 mg THC and 0.5mg CBD per serving. But in reality, there’s 4.79 mg THC and .42 mg CBD per serving. This may seem like a small, nitpicky detail, but it does highlight a lack of consistency.
Quality and Ease of Use
It’s time to break into these! The labeling tells me to take two to three pieces and wait for at least two hours. And since I’m a small lady with a low-normal tolerance for cannabis edibles, I take their advice. I don’t want to end up like Veruca Salt, eating her way through the Chocolate Factory with reckless abandon.
I start with three in the evening as a non-alcoholic happy hour of sorts. Each square gummy, some a dark purple color and others a deep yellow, is coated in a sugary powder. And, since each one is a separate serving, this product is incredibly easy to dose.
I love that these have some blackberry and some lemon flavored gummies, not combining the flavors artificially in one. Each piece bursts with flavor and only the slightest hint of cannabis can be detected. Sometimes gummies taste artificial, but not these guys! I can tell the Plus team works hard to make these artisanal edibles and can taste the effort they place into each piece.
The texture is familiar to other gummies, but the sugary coating on the outside gets a little monotonous after the third piece. I could have definitely done without that, especially since these micro-doses require more servings than many edibles.
Potency, Effectiveness & Affordability
As I munch through three of these gummies, the flavors meld together, and I wait for the effects to kick in. The label indicates these are indica-based gummies (although there’s no additional strain information) so I am expecting a nice, sedative body high that is recognizable but not overwhelming. We’ve already discussed the potency discrepancy, but even if each serving was the advertised potency level, these seem to be a bit weak.
After waiting for a while, the three gummies still hadn’t set in. So I went back to the proverbial well and ate two more, bringing my total to five servings. I kept waiting and waiting to be taken by the effectiveness of these gummies, but the desired sedative and relaxing effects never really came. I could certainly feel a bit of a buzz, but with five servings and a low to moderate tolerance, it seems like they should have hit me harder. And the overly-sweet, sugary coating on these edibles keeps me from wanting more.
If I were to eat these again, I’d save them for a time when I want an extremely mild high. These would be better suited for a work day when I want a minimal high, rather than an evening treat when I want to fully feel the effects.
The underwhelming potency makes me question the $25 price point. There are stronger gummy options for the same price that I would opt for instead. That being said, I don’t want to discount the artistry, flavor, and beautiful packaging. If I was looking for a microdose option, I would purchase these again.
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 4/5
- Packaging is well-designed, pleasing to the sight and touch.
- Metal tin comes in a child-resistant, recyclable bag that is quite difficult to open.
- You can tell the producer put the time and effort into the quality of this packaging for sure.
Labeling: 4/5
- Enough info for the consumer without being completely plastered in labels.
- Includes most everything you need to know: cannabis-infused (big font on the front), refrigerate for quality, compliance needed labels, consumption and storage advice, ingredients, and social media handles.
Easy to dose?: 5/5
- The way these gummies are cut up and easily divided, it would be hard to not understand what 1 serving is.
- Package says to start with 2-3 and wait two hours to consume – an easy regimen to follow.
Discretion: 5/5
- Any sort of gummy candy, treat or anything sour will always be easy to hide as they do not look like cannabis products.
- Could eat these edibles anywhere without worry or suspicion.
Taste: 4/5
- Being a HUGE gummy fan, it was easy for me to enjoy these.
- Artisanally crafted with plenty of love and effort; taste sat well in my mouth.
- On the sweeter side without an overwhelming cannabis taste.
Texture: 3/5
- Standard gummy texture, then covered in a sugar/sour powder.
- Pleasant mouthfeel (not scratchy), but the coating could be a little lighter. It was hard to consume more than a few in one sitting.
Effectiveness: 3/5
- Having a minimal tolerance for edibles, I started low on the dosage scale to gauge effects and see if I would need more and the answer was YEAH.
- These are advertised as 100mg (90mg THC/10mg CBD), the package says that there is actually only around 90mg so they are about 4mg per piece.
Versatility: 4/5
- Less versatile than the traditional brownie, but still delicious and have a variety of uses on their own.
- Could be added to frosting on a cake, topped on thumbprint cookies or added to a refreshing drink or smoothie.
Consistency: 3/5
- Of the three packs purchased, all were somewhat similar in size and taste, though potency varied.
- Disappointed that the bag was only 95mg when advertised as 100mg; consistency is always appreciated.
Price: 3/5
- A great product and somewhat of a niche market, though the price of around $25 for a pack of these seems a little steep.
- For the moderate to minimal effects, the taste, and inconsistency, there are plenty of other products that you might find more suited for you.
Overall Rating: 3.8
I thoroughly enjoyed the packaging and flavor of these Plus Cannabis Gummies. The delectable and unique blackberry and lemon flavor created a nice respite from the more generic flavors I find on the dispensary shelf. The sugary coating on the outside of these artisanal gummies did get a bit overwhelming for me after five pieces, enough so to make me not want more. I wish the effects were stronger but could see these as a good option for microdosing.
Are you ready to try these blackberry and lemon gummies from Plus Products? If you live in the Los Angeles area, see if your address is available for delivery by clicking here today!
District Edibles Blue Raspberry 100mg Indica Gummies (2019 Review)
Leave a CommentWhen I first started eating cannabis edibles, I thought the point was to get so high that the only thing I could responsibly do was sit on the couch and binge watch a new TV series or go to sleep. But as my consumption matures, I realize more and more that a subtle high that leaves me lucid enough to function is a better option for me.
The only problem is that I am a little lady with a pretty low tolerance for edibles. Like when the undisputed champ Mike Tyson fell to underdog Buster Douglas, even a 10 mg gummy can surprisingly knock me out. So when a friend recommended District Edibles, promising a mellow indica gummy that wouldn’t have me seeing stars, I was immediately interested.
District Edibles makes scratch-made, gluten-free gummies in six flavors with two flavors in each category (sativa, indica, hybrid). Compared to many other gummies on the market, District’s Edibles are low in sugar – a huge plus for people like me who aren’t into overly sugary treats.
I brought home a package of District Edibles Blue Raspberry Gummies (10 mg each). And after a long day at work, I decided to give one a try before heading to dinner with friends.
In this District Edibles Blue Rasberry Gummy review, you'll learn about this product's:
[Click any of the section titles below to jump there]
Packaging, Labeling & Product Design
I’ve got to give it to District Edibles, their packaging is totally unique. A hard, plastic, child-resistant container about the size of a cigarette pack houses these edibles and is adorned with metallic gold, deep purple, and black color scheme. For environmental purposes, I’m not usually a fan of plastic packaging. But District Edibles makes sure their plastic is recyclable and I can also re-use this packaging as a joint holder! Win-win.
When I try to open this package I run into problems, even with the instructions printed on the package. The box is a little bulky in my small hands, so I find it difficult to squeeze the two latches at the same time. Luckily, District Edibles provides a comedic and helpful 30-second video on their Instagram to help the packaging-challenged consumers like me. Just like the video shows, I lay the package flat on the table giving me more stability, squeeze the two latches on the side, and pull straight out – the packaging easily opens.
The labeling gives me just enough information to be compliant and informative but doesn’t go the extra mile. The top of the container is clearly marked with a deep purple sticker and “indica” printed in all caps. On the front, the District Edibles metallic gold logo is placed right in the center, with a tamper-proof seal below. They include all the required labeling for compliance, including government warnings, amount of THC per box and per serving (100mg total, 10mg per gummy), ingredients, net weight, and lab testing info.
District Edibles includes a note saying the cannabis oil used in this product is purified using CO2 and/or ethanol. I would love to know more about the actual strains used and how they were grown, more details on the cannabinoid content, and some way to verify lab testing results.
Quality and Ease of Use
The gummies themselves are stored in a plastic and foil blister pack reminiscent of a gum package. And the back of the blister pack has a fun, unique design that looks like a control panel of a rocketship, matching their astronaut-themed branding on their site and social media. I easily pop one gummy out and I’m ready to blast off! I’ve got dinner in an hour with friends, so I’m hoping these help ease the tension of a long day at work but won’t have me drooling on myself at the dinner table.
I’m used to seeing gummies in circular or square shapes, but these District Edibles have a unique “X” shape. Despite the “blue raspberry” flavor, the color is actually more of an emerald green. Because each gummy is a 10 mg serving, I have no problem dosing these. If I wanted a smaller dose, I could easily bite off a corner of the X, although it would be hard to tell exactly how much THC I’d get.
They use real gelatin in these (vegans, beware) so the texture shapes up to be more like Jell-o, wiggling in my hand as I observe it. Despite my less-than-positive experiences with Jell-O shots in college, I’m happy to report these gummies go down a lot easier than those shots ever did. Unlike most cannabis gummies on the market, these are not overly sweet – a huge plus for me who doesn’t want to be overwhelmed with sugar! Overall, the flavor was subtle and tart at the end, not at all what I was expecting. The subtle taste is enjoyable enough, it just doesn’t pack much of a punch.
Potency, Effectiveness & Affordability
After one 10 mg gummy and about 30 minutes of waiting, I begin feeling the subtle high. Very similar to the flavor, the high is enjoyable but doesn’t knock me off my feet. It’s exactly what I’m hoping for in this current scenario – it eases tension in my shoulders, melts away stress from a long day, but keeps me totally lucid. I’m able to sit at dinner and carry on a meaningful conversation with friends without falling asleep in my ramen. The effects are so subtle that I could even see using these District Edibles indica gummies at work. That’s a big statement coming from a woman who has such a low edible tolerance!
The accessible $14 price tag on these District Edibles gummies knocks it out of the park. For the subtle but lucid high, unique texture, light flavor, and smart packaging, $14 feels like a steal. I can definitely see myself purchasing another pack of these for those days I need a bit of a boost, but can’t allow myself to fly all the way to the moon. I wish I knew about these sooner!
Nugg Score: How the Nugg Team Rates This Product
Packaging: 5/5
- These are some of the most well-protected edibles I’ve found.
- They come packaged in a hard-plastic, child-resistant container that you can reuse as a joint holder when you’re done with your gummies!
- It’s slim and pocket-ready and houses your gummies in a plastic and foil blister pack, kind of like a pack of gum.
Labeling: 3/5
- While there is a lot of extra information on their website, the labels on the package seem like they’re pretty much the bare necessities for Adult Use compliance.
- On the front is the brand name, opening instructions, Indica classification, flavor, net weight, amount of pieces in the box, amount of THC per box and per gummy. On the back are government warnings, a list of ingredients, usage instructions, batch number, manufactured-on date, and best-by date.
- I’d like to know more about the oil: How was it extracted, what strains were used? I would have also liked to have seen a QR code or some sort of way to verify lab results and a full profile of cannabinoids detected.
Easy to Dose?: 4.5/5
- Because these are made in 10 individual 10 mg doses, they’ll be easy to dose if you’re comfortable with dosing in the 10 mg increments.
- If you’re sensitive to small doses of THC, you might struggle to accurately cut these down further.
Discretion: 5/5
- Package is so small and dark, it’s easy to keep hidden when dosing throughout the day.
- If you take the blister pack out of the external package, there is nothing cannabis related printed on it, which means you can eat these out in the open, easily, without any judgemental eyes looking at you.
Taste: 3/5
- I assumed this was going to be really sweet, but I was wrong.
- Didn’t overwhelm my palate, but sometimes it’s nice to not to have to eat something so flavorful just to get to your medicine.
- Blue raspberry taste was subtle and the gummies had a little bitterness as an endnote.
Texture: 5/5
- Great texture for a gummy candy… not chewy, more like a Jell-O texture.
- Wiggly and smooth and broke down easily in my mouth.
- Didn’t leave any residue behind on my hands or get stuck in my teeth.
Effectiveness: 5/5
- More of a subtle hitting edible, but I really liked the effects!
- Got me high in all the right places, but also kept me lucid and clear-headed.
- I was able to maintain my wits about me and have clear, thoughtful conversations.
Versatility: 1.5/5
- I can’t think of anything to do with these besides eating them right out of the package. Maybe you can garnish a frilly drink with them or suspend them in Jell-O.
Consistency: 5/5
- District Edibles is always precise in their formulations, making this an edible that will give you a consistent experience every time you buy it.
Price: 4/5
- For $14, this is a good price for a gummy that provides effective, consistent results, and is easy to eat and easy to dose.
- The taste could be a little better, but I appreciate that it wasn’t overly sweet.
- Overall it was a good experience for the price.
Overall Rating: 4.15
District Edibles Blue Raspberry Indica gummies are an affordable and subtle edible option that I thoroughly enjoyed. The packaging is unique and protective, the gummies have a fun texture unlike any others I’ve tried reminding me of a much, much more enjoyable Jell-O shot. The high hit me in all the right places. This feels like an adult edible, one that you eat before a dinner party; it’s not the kind of edible I used to eat right before consuming an entire pizza and watching two seasons of The Office. The flavor is pretty underwhelming, but I like that these aren’t overly sweet. I will use these again anytime I need some pain or stress relief, but don’t want to drool on myself. My biggest issues have to do with labeling: I would love to see more information about the strains used to make the cannabis oil and a full cannabinoid content summary. But for $14, I will absolutely purchase these again.
Are you ready to try these blue raspberry indica gummies from District Edibles? If you live in the Los Angeles area, see if your address is available for delivery by clicking here today!