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This is a strain any cannabis connoisseur should have at home at all times. It's potent even for someone with high tolerance, but the potency does not cause a train wreck. The opposite: I was able to rehearse a presentation after smoking about a quarter-gram of Silver Haze, remained on-task without getting caught up in feelings of nervousness or doubt. This strain is also great for going out for drinks or to spend time among company who are not high. The scent and flavor remind me of a pine forest, and there's a fresh "crispness" to the taste that recalls a strong lemon verbena tea. Silver Haze keeps you alert, aware, receptive and while you feel comfortable talking, you do not worry if you're talking too much. Overall, a fantastic strain for the experienced. However, newbies should start slowly. Take a hit from a one-hitter and wait 15 or 20 minutes to see how it affects your sense of balance, as you can get dizzy from Silver Haze.

This is a dependable daytime strain. The flavor is much more "herbal" than "spicy," and I found it to carry the subtle scent of methol or camphor when lit up and smoked slowly. The effects come on within minutes and last a few hours. When they mellow out, you're not left with a feeling of grogginess or low-energy; you're just "not high" anymore. It's the kind of strain that enhances bike rides, daytime errands or hobbies like gardening or fishing. You're lifted up, and you fell well enough to do the thing you wanted to do that day. You do not talk non-sense or laugh at everyday things, and while people might notice that you're high, you're still normally functional. The only catch: the bud's name is spot on, as it causes short-term forgetfulness. Be sure to keep everything in a backpack or a zipped pocket, and be careful when paying for things in stores or moving things about your wallet.

The plus of this coffeeshop is that they have an outdoor smoking area. But that's where the quality ends. The flower is overpriced, yet the shop offers mostly the same strains everyone else sells (at this point, 2024, any random dispensary in Michigan or Illinois has wider variety than the whole of the Netherlands). Even when you purchase a few grams of cannabis from the Bushdocter, to be allowed to sit outside, you also have to buy a drink. While I did come to drink something sparkling and have a smoke---and I get that overhead in Amsterdam is astronomical---other shops manage well-enough without New York-style purchase rules. The Bushdocters need to figure out if they're anti-capitalist activists wearing Che Guevara t-shirts, or if they're price gouging opportunists with Che shirts. I give it four stars for atmosphere because customers can sit and smoke in Thorbeckeplein, but that aside, there are much better places in town to have a smoke.

Really disappointing, and not merely because of the steep price I paid in an Amsterdam coffeeshop. Perhaps it was a bad batch, but I have my doubts. I have a high tolerance and have tried dozens of strains in a handful of countries. This one ranks near the bottom. While the flavour and scent are pleasant---fruity, a delightful mix of citrus and cake icing---the effects are mild. This is supposed to be sativa-dominant, but I got lethargic and sleepy. The high left my mind cloudy and unmotivated, not at the level of bad indica grown by Russian teenagers, but far from the lucid, uplifted thoughts and feelings triggered by strains like White Widow or Blue Dream. I tried it at two different times: once while talking a "photographer's walk" around the city; my second time was about a week later, right after dinner, when I wanted to listen to music over headphones out on a deck overlooking a lake. Both times Runtz proved a total dud. On my walk, I had to get coffee, and I almost passed out on the deck, despite a misty cool drizzle. I realize I'm in the minority here, but seasoned cannabis consumers looking to experiment with a new sativa-dominant strain might want to go elsewhere. I can't imagine this strain taking off.

I have only been to this dispensary once, and I purchased a single unit of product. I went in because Star Buds was open later than my usual dispensary, and because they had attractive discounts. I came by bicycle from about three miles away, having posted an internet order. My visit lasted about three minutes. I seemed to be the only customer in the shop, which was getting ready to close. The interior is bright and inviting, and the shop area is efficient and clean. The hip hop on the sound system lent the place a "prepare to party" atmosphere instead of the "find healing" ambiance some dispensaries conjure up. The employees were fast, polite and kind. I did not have an opportunity to seek employees' knowledge because I was in and out quickly, and I came without any questions. However, I would return again, especially if the place continues to sell particular eighths at a massive discount. Star Buds seems to feature certain brands like Kaviar, which are not available in other dispensaries. It's worth looking at their website to investigate their discounts, which are often substantial. What's most notable is that, despite it being the end of the day, the employees provided me with courteous, speedy service without making me feel rushed or like I was annoying them. That's a tip other dispensaries in the near-west burbs might be keen to take. One tip for Starbuds: I know I'm in the minority, but a bike rack out front would be nice. I had to lock up on a street sign.

This is a balanced strain, with just enough of a Sativa push to get you talkative, chore-worthy, or willing to take a nice long walk around the neighborhood. It's balanced out by a sedative, mellow, easy indica effect, which even my clinical anxiety could not topple. Those who tend to paranoia should toke Aces with confidence, though in small doses, at first. Back in the 90's, we would have called this "creepy weed." Not that it gives you the creeps. Its effects creep up on you. The peak of the high came on a good 30 minutes after I smoked about 1/4 gram of flower. Start slowly to see how it affects you the first time you try it. Dependable, balanced, clean-tasting and just potent enough. I'd give it five stars if not for the "creepy" quality.