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Strain Review: The True OG
Our intrepid ganja chronnoisseur, Dragonfly, travels the world in search of the best cannabis and evaluates strains ranging from the popular and plentiful to the rare and exotic. She samples each strain in joints, glass bongs, vaporizers and bubblers, whenever available, taking careful notes of the smell, taste, and nuanced effects of each one.
OG Kush is one of the most legendary and powerful strains in the world of cannabis. With a THC content averaging about 20%, it is, in fact, so potent that it once inspired Congress to consider legislation that would fine offenders $1 million dollars and imprison them for 25 years for growing or distributing it. The strain has been known to pleasantly wreck the day of light-weights and more experienced chronnoisseurs alike. While no one can deny that OG Kush is some of the strongest cannabis on the planet, what is disputable is the origin of this mythical strain.
Kush strains are among the oldest on Earth, known to come from landrace strains in Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, and Northwestern India. The name comes from the Hindu Kush mountain range. Hippie lore has it that Kush seeds made their way to Europe and North America when travelers during the ‘60s and ‘70s returned to the West with choice beans from Himalayan treks. But whether the OG Kushes that put Southern California on the marijuana map have any genetic relationship to these strains is a mystery.
There are as many legends behind the origins of OG Kush as there are people smoking it. The story most commonly believed is that OG Kush descended from Chem Dawg—which itself was born from seeds of a mystery strain that was sold at a 1991 Colorado Grateful Dead show. Apparently, some seeds from this strain (which were fathered either by a Chem Dawg male or hermaphrodite) were taken to Massachusetts where they were grown out. Seeds from that batch were given to an NYC grower who re-named the strain Diesel. A few years later, a hermaphroditic Massachusetts Super Skunk pollinated the room—causing Diesel to sprout seeds—and the sisters that famously became known as Sour Diesel and OG Kush were born.
The smell: The True OG smells like fuel of the kerosene variety, mixed with slightly sour lemony pine. A mildly skunky undertone leads to a gentle, semi-sweet finish.
The dry hit: The pre-flame toke will tease your taste buds with strong pine, fuel, and lemony kush.
The flavor: Featuring a classic OG taste, The True OG is dominated by dank pine, with lemon-citrus high notes that give way to a lingering, kushy bottom end.
The high: The True OG won 2nd prize in the Indica category of High Times’ San Francisco Medical Cannabis Cup two years in a row (2011-2012). But don’t let its indica classification fool you—The True OG produces a high that belies its true hybridized heritage.
In Hindi, the word “kush” means “happiness.” And where The True OG is concerned, this is an apt description. Taken as an afternoon delight, The True OG will give you a pleasantly buoyant buzz perfect for creating or enjoying art, and your activated mind will enjoy engaging in conversation and social interaction. As a late-night smoke, or toked in heavy doses, this strain has sedative, somewhat couch-locking effects, making it ideal for knocking out insomnia.
The word: Medicinally, The True OG is reported to be effective at treating anorexia, stress, anxiety, insomnia, panic disorder, hip, neck, and back pain, and even stomach aches. In more ways than one, then, the Truth can set you free!