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.

 

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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!