Walking into a cannabis shop, it can be difficult to pick out quality products just by looking over the menu. Luckily, you can always ask a budtender for help. In this column, I’ll share with you my five favorite Washington state strains and products sampled in the last month. Look for them at your next dispensary visit!
1. Sour Diesel ‘45 by North Coast Growers
(Courtesy of North Coast Growers)
Product Type: Flower
Price: $50/3.5g
Location: Dockside Cannabis (Shoreline or SoDo)
Sour Diesel has always had a special place in my heart, and it’s probably my favorite of the quintessential cannabis classics. The Sour Diesel from North Coast Growers blew my mind in the best way; with light green conical nugs, pale amber hairs, a sharp gassy aroma, and a powerful cerebral buzz, this Diesel delivered everything I want from the strain – and immediately won its place on this list of personal favorites.
It’s worth noting that North Coast Growers is a pretty elusive producer – we’re talking unicorns here. Operating primarily as a genetics company for other cultivators, they source exclusively to 12 stores in the state of Washington, and they are available at only two stores in the greater Seattle area – Dockside Cannabis in Shoreline and SoDo. North Coast practically swept the board for flower in Washington’s 2017 Dope Cup, so give them a try if you can!
2. Peace Pokers
(Courtesy of Peace Pokers)
Product Type: Smoking and dabbing tool
Price: Ranges between $8-20
Location: Available online
Supporting small businesses is something I’ve always promoted doing, and supporting small canna-businesses is even better. After giving Peace Pokers a try, I’m officially done using bent paperclips or bobby pins to empty out my bowls. Peace Pokers are sturdy and reliable, featuring different shaped tips (meaning I have one to poke out my bowls, and one to use as a dabber), and they are totally adorable to boot. But the best part about this company? Jasmine, founder and CEO, donates a percentage of all of her proceeds towards ending cannabis prohibition nationwide. Now that’s a product with a message I can get behind.
3. Kooki Dough Blondies by Zoots
(Courtesy of Zoots)
Product Type: Edible
Price: Ranges between $8-20
Location: Various retailers throughout WA and CO
Fully baked brownie bites that taste like raw cookie dough!? Sign. Me. Up. Kooki Dough Blondies by Zoots are unbelievably delicious treats are currently available in 20mg two-packs in Washington and Colorado. These tasty little bites were a perfect nighttime snack right before a bedtime bong hit, and I’ve definitely added them to my regular repertoire of products I use when I’m having a hard time sleeping. While not gluten-free like most of Zoots’ other confections, these are a wonderfully tasty treat for those of us without any dietary restrictions.
4. Green Ribbon Cake Icing by Dabstract
(Courtesy of Dabstract)
Product Type: Concentrate
Price: $50/g
Location: Fweedom Cannabis (Seattle, WA)
I’m picky about two things in particular when it comes to concentrates: packaging and consistency/texture. As a general rule, I stay away from products packaged entirely in unlined glass or plastic for the simple reason that I know I’m not going to be able to get all of my concentrate out of the package and into my lungs – the Cake Icing concentrates from Dabstract are an exception to the rule.
Green Ribbon Cake Icing is as smooth as butter, and just as easy to spread. The flavor is fruity and floral, ending with a kushy aftertaste. It provides a pleasant head-and-shoulders high to match. I’m partial to concentrates that offer a balance between cerebral and body buzzes, and this was almost a perfect blend. Dabstract is growing in popularity here in Washington, and I feel confident recommending their products to concentrate connoisseurs.
5. Bubblicious by Fifty Fold
(Randi Wooten/Leafly)
Product Type: Flower
Price: $32/2g
Location: Dockside Cannabis (Shoreline or SoDo)
I was on the hunt for a tasty and powerful balanced hybrid this month, and this Bubblicious hit the spot in every way! It’s well flushed, perfectly cured, fragrant, and effective. The nugs are pretty dense, featuring beautiful, bold orange pistils with gorgeous light purple hues throughout the buds. The flavor was delightfully sweet and mildly skunky.
Bubblelicious was an excellent companion for a weekend off; my stomach pain and acid reflux were metered (enough so that I could eat a lot, which is rare for me), and my anxiety was almost nonexistent. Fifty Fold is another company that can be harder to come by, but they produce some flower that is absolutely worth trying if you can catch one of their four annual harvests. I stocked up on this strain since I know that it won’t be around for long!
As May draws to a close, bringing with it some much-needed warm weather for those of us in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I can’t help but look forward to beach bonfires and late sunsets. Even more than that, I’m stoked to explore the excellent harvests that come in over the next months.
