Three Flower Strains, #inBend | The Source Weekly - Bend, Oregon

Three Flower Strains, #inBend

Three dispensaries offer three very different buds

Being curious about how good local budtenders' suggestions can be, I recently hit up three different local dispensaries to try out three different strains they recommended.

Potheads across the globe can agree that smoking in a comfortable and secure environment makes getting stoned a whole lot less stressful. Literally chillin' outside in the freezing cold because you can't smoke inside isn't necessarily the go-to spot—especially when you're using a glass pipe that reminds you too much of your high school days. If you want to try some new strains or old favorites, then an ideal location and good smoking utensils are essential. When doing the "research" for this story, I had to start out in a less-than-ideal spot, left out in the cold due to some family members who are less than enthusiastic about weed smoke.

Three Flower Strains, #inBend
Unsplash
Trichome-coated strains like "Greasy Runtz" and "Ice Cream Cake" look best on uncut flower plants.

My first strain came from the Tokyo Starfish dispensary off of Arizona Avenue in Bend. The 'tenders were unanimously pushing for a specific strain known as "Greasy Runtz." Without hesitation I agreed and had them weigh out a gram of flower and wrap up a new pipe.

Greasy Runtz

For this first strain, I was stuck out in the cold shivering as I lit up the packed bowl. With no comfortable place to smoke yet, I tried to hone my senses as I took a rip of the fluffy, fresh-smelling trees. After half a bowl the cold was no longer a factor as my body was transferred to a warm place in the clouds. With the full bowl finished I was left baked like a cake, constantly reminding myself to check on the pizza rolls that were spinning in the microwave adjacent to my face. I went from pizza rolls to a fresh bowl in a matter of seconds because the only thing to cure the pain of burning in my mouth was "Greasy Runtz." This light green, orange-haired wonder was the epitome of the eat-and-sleep stoner mentality, with a classic weed taste, the smoke was smooth to inhale, and exhale through the last hit.

For the last two strains I finally found a chill little spot to toke up. The spot buzzed of good vibes and high times and with the help of a clean, reliable bong the smoke was rollin' loud like Miami 2015.

Ice Cream Cake

The second strain I blew down was called "Ice Cream Cake" from Oregrown. Again, the budtenders pointed me in a certain direction and I happily followed with no remorse. Ice Cream Cake happens to be one of my all-time favorite strains and when the bud guy whipped the jar out I already knew what to expect. This strain is definitely Indica-leaning: pungent, darkly colored, dusted with trichomes and literally cake-tasting, this heavy hitter never lets you down if you're looking for something that will get you super-duper shhtoned.

My experience with this bud kept my eyes low and my mind high for hours. As good tunes blasted, 2012-style dances were danced and the hotbox settled, this smokey session had all the feelings of '90s nostalgia and true love squeezed into one bowl.

Mac #1

Last and certainly not least was Oregon Euphorics' suggested strain, Mac #1. This smaller- sized dispensary came in hot with information and bud. Budtender Asa Tout suggested Mac #1 because of the well-balanced effects it bolsters.

"A lot of people can tolerate it," Tout said. "It's not too much one way or the other."

Tout wasn't lying when it came to how much of a hybrid—or mix of Sativa and Indica effects—this strain was. I felt like hiking, cleaning my room and then going grocery shopping after pulling this bowl through. The light, airy effects didn't match the dense, trichome-covered bud that produced it, but the fragrant and citrusy taste provided clues about the high to follow.

In the end, these three strains came in clutch on my journey to see how good budtenders' suggestions truly are, and not being outside for the last two made the toking sessions six times better. So, the next time you hit up a dispensary and a budtender offers up their most popular or favorite strain, cop it, because you never know when you'll find your new favorite jive.

Trevor Bradford

Trevor considers himself the forever traveling man. Coming from a military family and with no true place to call “home,” Bend, for now, is where his dad hats hang. When he isn’t traveling you can catch him enjoying fresh air, living his best life and thinking about traveling. He graduated from Boise State University...
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