Strains
The Best Strains at the Bay Area Cannabis Cup
The San Francisco edition of the High Times Cannabis Cup took place this past weekend, and after judging full sun flowers and pre-rolls the week before, Cannabis Now Senior Staff Writer Jimi Devine checked out every jar worth smelling. Here is a full rundown of the best genetics grown to their full potential in SF this past weekend.
The birthplace of medical marijuana doesn’t slouch when it comes to having the best pot possible on any given day. Because it is the closest urban center to the ancestral homeland of the best marijuana in America (the Emerald Triangle), some of the best cultivators in the world ply their trade on the shores of the San Francisco Bay Area. When the time comes for the locals to show their top phenotypes of the moment grown to the best of their ability, it’s pretty exciting stuff.
As always, I hit every booth and checked out their spreads at the High Times Cannabis Cup in San Francisco’s legendary Cow Palace. All of the cultivators and booths in this collection had zero trash on their table. If I approached a booth and got the slightest hint of poor effort in post-production, I moved on to the next. Perhaps I missed something nice, but the people who grow the best pot in the world couldn’t even fathom putting that grassy-smelling John Deere Lawn Mower Clippings Kush on their table. However, overall, I was impressed with the showing. Here is our rundown on the most flame strains at the 2019 Cannabis Cup in San Francisco.
Diamond Back Genetics — Granpa’s This Is The Sh*t
When I went through my first pass of judging the sungrown entries just going on looks, I was struck at how absolutely stunning this strain looked. (Of course, at the time I didn’t know what strain it was, it was simply labelled Full Sungrown Entry 8.) Amongst some offerings that looked a little dated from last season, this strain had a fantastic visual. The nose took a little coercing to get out, so it wasn’t a pure jar jumper. But once I cracked into a nug, my nostrils were attacked with a sensory overload giving me flashbacks to the best OG Kush experiences of my life. I called it the winner even as it was the first jar I opened, and I was correct.
Str8organics — Mendo Breath
The crew at Str8organics have a wide array of flamage, and while many of their strains may be a bit more exclusive or exotic than the Mendo Breath, I regularly find myself going back to it. As I told the strain’s breeders at Gage Green Group when I interviewed them last year, my absolute favorite rendition of their now uber-popular strain is certainly the light deprivation-grown version coming from Str8organics. It’s basically as good as 92% of the indoor Mendo Breath you’re going to see, without all the emotional baggage of a carbon footprint.
C.R.A.F.T. — Cherry Punch
As you know, I love Cherry Punch. After we named it on our Harvest Hype strain list last harvest season, it went on to a podium spot at The Emerald Cup a fe
Sovereign — Blueberry Muffin and XXX
The folks at Sovereign also found themselves on the podium four times this weekend, including scoring both first and second place in the infused products category. But what took our breath away was Sovereign’s flowers, particularly their XXX and Blueberry Muffin strains. While neither found their way to the podium, they both were something special.
Seven Leaves — BonBon, Biscotti, and Vovo
Seven Leaves did not travel light to the Bay Area. The Sacramento-based cultivators brought a lovely spread that included BonBon, Biscotti and Vovo. The BonBon was a delightful Gushers phenotype, while the Biscotti pairs Gelato #25 and South Florida OG and the Vovo is a wild GG4 cross named in a manner to prevent future litigation with adhesive companies. All were flame! However, if someone gave me a ticket for a free eighth and I had to pick one of these three strains, I would pick the Vovo.
Wonderbrett — OZK
Obviously, an OG crossed with Zkittlez is going to be banging, and — outside the personal collection of Brandon from 3rd Generation Family, who bred the OZK from Zkittlez and OG Eddy — it’s tough to imagine anyone having a better version than Wonderbrett. We’re expecting a lot of OZK in the not-too-distant future, so don’t be surprised if it makes the Harvest Hype list this year, as enthusiasm around the strain continues to percolate.
3C Farms — Sasquatch Sap, Lime Sherbert and Club 33 OG
With a lineage tracing back to the famed Josh D cut of OG Kush, 3C Farms has been known for producing the absolute heat for years. You may remember that in 2017, their Sasquatch Sap placed second in the mini cannabis competition we held at the National Cannabis Industry Association’s annual conference in Oakland. We love the Sasquatch Sap, but it’s hard to rank it above the Lime Sherbert and Club 33 OG. The Lime Sherbert is like a citrus smoothie with fuel notes, while the Club 33 OG is quintessential SoCal OG Kush grown to peak performance.
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