Looking for Workout Weed? Try This Strain.

It's speedy weed.

Photo by Matt Stangel

Strain: Skunk OG #9
Parentage: Cheese x Tre OG
Breeder: Top Dawg Seeds
Grower: Resin Ranchers
Cannabinoid Content: 28.0% THC, 2.23% CBD

A few weeks back, I did a bit of gushing over Archive Seed Bank's Do-Si-Dos, a cross of OG Kush Breath Girl Scout Cookies and Face/Off OG storied in craft cannabis circles for its centerfold bag appeal and muscle-through-bone body high.

And though I picked up that particular example of the strain over at Satchel on Interstate, the breeders Archive run their own dispensary out in Southeast, circa Lents, where they vend clones and seeds of their prized cultivars, as well as in-house flower and extracts.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Archive's numerous contributions to cannabis genetics—including strains like Samoas, RudeBoi OG, and Pie Face—a visit was in order.

But in a bad-news-that's-good-news turn of events, Archive Portland's gardens were recently converted from medical to recreational licensing structures, passing OLCC inspection only days before my visit, so their house flowers weren't yet tagged and available for purchase when I stopped through. Bummer.

The good news? Filling the supply-chain gap were stand-in buds from Resin Ranchers, a producer that's responsible for some of my favorite releases of the last few months: Their Obama Kush, which I picked up at Five Zero Trees West, is a ridiculously pretty purple strain, aromatically rich in terpinolene and lavender with berries hiding underneath; and over at Farma I couldn't pass up on Resin Ranchers' Headband Memory Loss, bred by none other than Archive, which was a great source of energy and mood enhancement.

Common to the 10-plus strains I've tried from Resin Ranchers is an eye for outstanding genetics and a proven ability to express those curated cuts with masterful cultivation skills. Their flowers not only satisfy connoisseur demand for big smells, strong flavors, and nuanced psychoactive fingerprints, but each and every strain is a prom queen—dazzling and photogenic.

If a weed-loving friend were visiting for a weekend and wanted to guarantee a great cannabis experience, Resin Ranchers would be among the first growers on my shortlist—something like the Multnomah Falls of chronic, offering a version of beautiful that can only be found in Oregon.

Given my affinity for Resin Ranchers, getting a chance to see a focused selection of their cultivars on the floor at Archive was a welcome surprise, and I walked away with grams of Lemon Betty #3 and White Tahoe Cookies, as well as Archive's rotating discount strain, Skunk OG #9, which in no way compromises quality for value—so much so that I decided to focus in on it for this week's review.

With a potent 28% THC and 2.23% CBD, Skunk OG #9 is a cross of Cheese and Tre OG by Top Dawg Seeds—smelling of an earth and pine that translates to a hashy rubber on the tongue, coating the mouth and sinuses in smooth, waxy notes that tickle the nose upon exhale.

After just one hit, I found myself pacing around my kitchen—seemingly to walk off the strain's speedy effects—and when I got back into my seat to write, I strained to tame focus from the rush.

Clearly, this is no sit-down situation.

The nuance here, though, is Skunk OG #9's 2+% CBD—the non-psychoactive cannabinoid known to counteract high doses of THC—which sands the edges off the anxiety potential, resulting in a racy but manageable experience.

I've heard health-conscious stoner friends swear by getting high and going to the gym, and Skunk OG #9 seems like a good fit for those on the lookout for workout weed.

Though, even for longtime fans of energetic pot, this is a potent cross that should be enjoyed conservatively.

And if speedy weed just isn't your thing but you're looking for a pick-me-up from Resin Ranchers' current lineup, Lemon Betty #3 would be a great choice: a marriage of Headwrecker and Lemon G, the Betty imparts the joyful spirit and upbeat mood common to strong-scented citrus strains (high concentrations of terpenes limonene and myrcene are immediately recognizable to the trained nose).

Conversely, Resin Ranchers' White Tahoe Cookies is excellent bedtime weed, with a flavor that's reminiscent of Sherbinski's Gelato line—which is to say, terpinolene for days—and a deep bodily relaxation to ease the aches and pains of the day.

And if none of these sound quite right for you, don't get discouraged: Resin Ranchers has something for everybody, and the folks at Archive will gladly help you find a strain to suit your needs, so you too can enjoy one of Oregon's most precious natural wonders.

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