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Some growers come by great seeds through family and friends—more than you'd expect owe their clone connections to being in the right row at the right Grateful Dead show.
Dr. Vert, a local organic grower, came by his most popular crops because he could turn garbage strains into golden yields. Instead of the traditional "flat garden," using pots on the ground, Dr. Vert developed a method where the plants grow vertically, facing cylindrical light systems that stretch from floor to ceiling. When he heard of strains with difficult reputations, he'd find a cut and see if they did better in a vertical setup. Cherry Lopez, a high-THC hybrid bred by renowned grower Kyle Kushman, entered Dr. Vert's radar after many said they couldn't get it to exceed a tiny, shrublike shape.
It helped knowing someone who performed seed testing for major breeders. "He flowers hundreds of seeds to pick the best phenotypes," Dr. Vert explained to me, "then they pollinate to make seeds that are then sold. Mine was not a seed but a clone from the selected breeding stock prior to pollination."
With test results averaging about 30 percent THC, the proof of his plants' high quality is in the piece. Dr. Vert's flower is available at Pure Green and Ascend dispensaries, among others, and his trim is processed into concentrate by Cascade Extracts.
Aesthetics and aroma:
It's a travesty that this flavorful, fragrant strain is so rare. Perhaps the challenging nature of cultivating Cherry Lopez is the reason it can't be found in Leafly's strain encyclopedia. A blend of Strawberry Cough and Adonai Kush, the unique fruity-yet-kushy scent is hard to forget. The kush genes add the woodsy, pungent aroma, but the sweet, mouth-puckering cherry smell is too tasty to be ignored. The colorful nugs show different shades of emerald green, and the leaves of this batch are densely packed and sticky to the touch with trichomes.
Effects:
The earthiness of the smell comes through alongside hints of cherry, leaving the taste of sour cherries on your tongue. But at 30.6 percent THC, and less than 1 percent CBD, all you'll notice is an intense head rush and immediate sedation easing down your neck and shoulders. My head was cleared, and I sat down to take advantage of the energizing buzz. Then the second bowl set in and I couldn't help but zone out to cartoons for a couple hours. At such high THC levels, your mind feels too fuzzy to care about getting shit done.
Verdict:
A caveat to procrastinators—write your day's to-do lists before you spark up some Cherry Lopez. Regardless of one's tolerance, or the sativa genes from Strawberry Cough, this potent flower will distract the most functional of smokers. If you get your hands on a cup of coffee, you could get around to creative brainstorming, like that comic strip you've been too nervous to start. Then again, as many dabbers and daily smokers know, sometimes it's nice to feel the nostalgic effects of your first bowl way back when. That sort of giggly, squinty-eyed high that can only lead to Cheetos-inspired recipes and emotional Facebook messages to childhood friends.
Willamette Week
