Gather, earthlings. Leafly landed the world’s first look at the new strain collab between Erykah Badu’s Apple Trees and Cookies cannabis. See how ‘That Badu’ looks, how it smokes, and where to find it on March 8.
Erykah Badu’s history as a cannabis advocate is documented in songs like “On and On,” which the artist wrote with the help of Mary Jane. This Women’s History Month, Badu’s Apple Trees cannabis company will partner with Cookies cannabis to release “That Badu,” a strain packed with cannabinoids that cater to the needs of women.
Watch Erykah on Leafly’s ‘What are you smoking?’
The drop will be available exclusively at all Cookies and Lemonnade stores in California starting March 8, to celebrate International Women’s Day. Eighths will be priced at $60 and pre-rolls will be priced at $12.
“The herb is for everybody, but we had women in mind,” Badu told Leafly in February. “[We want] to further the conversation on women’s studies in cannabinoids. [I’m] an advocate who uses the plant as medicine in my ritual work, my spiritual work, my art, my creativity. I also use it for my birth mothers as a doula. A doula is a person who helps babies to come through.”
Here’s what Badu and the Cookies team shared with Leafly about the exciting new drop.
About ‘That Badu’ cannabis strain by Erykah Badu and Cookies
“It’s a combination of cannabinoids in two different strains: Limoncello [aka Lemonchello] and Jet Fuel Gelato,” Badu told Leafly about the self-titled strain release. The cultivar was bred by Lemonnade, and Cookies CEO Berner said he’s been holding the genetics in anticipation of the right opportunity.
That Badu’s parent, Limoncello 10, is a mix of the original Lemonnade and the all-time great Cookies hitter Cherry Pie. Berner said the Jet Fuel Gelato genetics from That Badu’s other parent add a one-of-a-kind punch to the wide-range of fruity flavors.
“It’s a very finicky plant. The cultivators didn’t really enjoy growing it as much as I enjoyed smoking it. It’s really something special. It’s different than everything that’s on the market right now. It’s got that Lemonnade, that Cherry Pie kind of smell.”
Berner
After smoking That Badu, Berner said: “This thing kicks your ass. It’s super funky, super strong. I’m actually really happy she picked this one. When we sat down and talked about a collaboration, she said she wanted something that stands out. Something euphoric, something special. I put in front of her about four to five things, and she picked this. This is something that I’ve been holding for a while.”
Badu recommends the strain to mothers and women looking to stay productive and alert. “It’s really nice and natural, sort of like a ballad,” she said in a YouTube clip promoting the strain. “It just makes you move light and it kind of gets you through your day and you’re not zooted.” But she adds that the magical effects can be enjoyed by anyone, not just women.
Erykah Badu on collaborating with Berner and the Cookies team
What made Erykah Badu choose Berner as her cannabis partner?
“First of all, he is a dope MC and I love his music. I’m part of his cult following. But it wasn’t that he was a B-boy, [and] I’m a B-girl. That wasn’t it. But then I tasted his weed and I saw his presentation in his labs and things, but that wasn’t it. It was the fact that he was so open kind to me about it. For someone who was getting into this field, and obviously a very competitive field, he was giving with his words, his studies, his contacts–he was just a plug completely. It created this comfort for me. He mentors me and guides me along the humble beginnings of my journey as a grower, as a connoisseur, as an advocate, as an activist, you know? So that’s what it was. It was his kindness and his beauty as a human.”
Erykah Badu to Leafly
“Berner reached out years ago and I just wasn’t ready to do that yet,” Badu told The Breakfast Club last week. “He reached back out. And I said I think it’s time to do that. I noticed there was no area in the cannabinoid world where women were being focused on. So my focus is women’s studies in the body, in childbirth, in meditation, in religious studies, spirituality, casually, mothers, everyday people, and building a product line around their needs.”
The That Badu line will also include topical creams, edibles, merchandise, accessories, and a mushroom tea line that includes adaptogenic shrooms for functional use with your morning tea or coffee. There are also hopes for magic mushrooms for those looking to get trippy. The Badu x Cookies SF apparel, topical creams, edibles and a non-psychoactive mushroom tea–are planned to arrive on the Cookies CBD and Badu World Market websites for purchase on May 14. Berner and Badu said they hope the line will be available at Cookies stores nationwide later this year.
Watch our full talk with Ms. Badu below
(Video by Calvin Stovall / Music by Thelonious Martin & Darian Steward)
Here’s what Cookies Head of Retail Crystal Millican had to say about working with Erykah Badu:
“Erykah Badu is a woman that is shaping the world on her own terms. She is fearlessly herself, the consummate collaborator and soulfully breathes life into every effort she takes on whether it be through her music, fashion, bringing babies into the world as a doula, and now her new line of cannabis and wellness products. Badu is blazing yet another trail into the cannabis and wellness space where women too often feel unrepresented, unheard and unseen. Badu has been advancing the conversation on women’s wellness for years and is the female advocate cannabis businesses should take notes from. It felt right to bring the cultivar she curated with such care (“That Badu”) to market for all to enjoy in the month of March which is dedicated to the celebration of women that make a difference in our lives, and to those like Badu whose contributions make clear that a woman can pursue any dream while staying true to her inner voice.”
Crystal Millican, Head of Retail at Cookies
According to the Cookies team, Badu immersed herself completely in the R&D process. Millican added that “developing [Badu’s] product line has been a labor of love unlike any other for the Cookies Family. She spent time in our cultivation facilities engaging in the seed to sale process. She held multiple tastings to zero in on her products’ desired effect, experience and flavor.” Cookies said that Badu ultimately selected this particular cultivar because she felt it would “lift your spirits and help get you through your day.”
Badu says the terpenes are infused with “ancestors that will whisper in your ear, stop my child” when you’ve had enough. And the Cookies team said, “Her passion extends beyond the product itself as she spends countless hours with our creative team designing artwork, packaging, clothing, merchandise and experiences that will embody the vibration, energy and moment Badu so hopes to share as part of her venture into cannabis.”
If you ever enjoyed Erykah’s music with a joint back in the day, That Badu is a must-toke experience.
Leafly’s first toke review of That Badu
Every element of this collaboration is on par with Badu and Cookies’ brands. The bag appeal is beautifully intricate and the prize inside is pungent. That Badu has one hell of a nose on it, with distinctive terps that bursts out of the bag and lead you into a smooth and manageable high. Lightweights beware: There’s no need to over indulge because the first few tokes will do the job, even for the most seasoned smoker.
Indica lovers beware, the buds carries distinct indica features like dark green and deep purple shades, plus sticky break down. But this is no traditional night time flower. Instead of putting you to sleep, That Badu casts a spell that will heighten one’s senses to internal and external stimuli. It’s ideal for fun lovers and creators looking for inspiration, reflection, and adventure.
