Well well well ... after a multi-month hiatus, I'm back in the saddle reviewing Missouri dispensary marijuana products. It's exciting to be here again, and to dive back in, I decided to venture to the Swade dispensary in the Grove to procure materials for review.
Prior to arriving, I did some light reconnaissance online and saw that Vivid Cannabis had several appealing new flower options. It also had a deal that included a discounted preroll. I recalled a good experience with Vivid's Wild OG, so I decided to see how the brand was doing.
A massive mural with abstract colors and shapes covers the facade of Swade on Manchester Avenue. After a slight issue checking in at the front desk that held up the line of people trying to get in, I got access to the showroom.
No one greeted me on the floor like previous Swade visits, so I meandered over the register without a chance to explore the displays of available products. A budtender hastily came around the corner, stood in front of the register and we were off to the races.
There was no menu, so I just stared at the shelves of products hoping I'd see what I wanted. I sheepishly asked for the Florida Kush, a strain I had my eye on from creeping online. The budtender whipped around and thumbed through several of Vivid's orange and white jars that were on one shelf of a rolling cart. "Yeah, man, we got that one," they bellowed with their back toward me. "It's really good."
"Cool, dude, thanks," I replied. "It also said something online about getting a preroll when I buy one of these. What are my options?"
The budtender called out a couple of choices. I was very open, so I asked the budtender to make the decision for me. They picked something that would compliment the heady Florida Kush: a one-gram preroll of LA Baker. The 4.5 grams of flower cost $57.34.
Usually most information about marijuana products is printed on a small sticker slapped on the back of the package, and it's tough to read. Vivid does a good job of communicating a few key pieces of information very clearly on the top of the jar: strain name, which terpenes are in the strain, terpene percentage and total cannabinoids. This Florida Kush weighed in with 2.99 percent terpenes, mainly limonene and caryophyllene, and had 32.47 percent total cannabinoids.
When I cracked the jar, there was a seal to protect the nitro flush. The flower was an assortment of mid-sized nuggets alternating between light and dark green with noticeable trichrome coverage, making them visually very appealing. The Florida Kush's genetic makeup (Triangle Kush backcross crossed with LA Kush Cake) made for some tasty-smelling flower. I got a big waft of citrus, mainly lemon, sharp fuel fumes and that kush bass note when I cracked the jar. The flower had a good bounce back when squeezed and had some tack when grinding it up.
My first few samplings of the Florida Kush were in small joints. I moved up to a larger joint after working a bar shift and crushing some Up Late on the way home. I was impressed by the flower's nice oil ring and white ash. The high settled in my temples and upper body, and the higher dose was great after physical activity. There were some mild cerebral effects, but overall it was a great strain for relaxing.
Now it was time to move on to the one-gram LA Baker preroll for a relaxing afternoon. First things first: This cannabis reviewer definitely prefers the one-gram size over the half-gram size more commonly seen in prerolls. As I started this session, I noticed the ash wasn't as white as the larger Florida Kush joint that I'd rolled. Even so, I was just as impressed with the preroll's oil ring.
The Florida Kush and the LA Baker, which is LA Kush Cake crossed with Jungle Cake, have a similar genetic makeup. The LA Baker had a milder body high than the Florida Kush, but it had more pronounced cerebral effects. As I worked my way through the joint, the tingle started on the top of my head and slowly crept down onto the forehead, temples and eyes.
I'd read that the strain is often used to stimulate appetite. I definitely see why, as I combated the munchies when the joint was almost finished. While I'd stick with the Florida Kush for a night in due to its more sedative effects, I would be inclined to use the LA Baker for more social outings such as a concert or dinner, or even playing video games. My only knock on the LA Baker was its less pronounced terpene flavors, but that is likely due to it being a preroll.
I was pleasantly surprised with Vivid's offerings and was happy to enjoy them as much as I did before. Looking over its website, the brand's genetic lineup has a lot of great options that offer something for everyone.
And I can see why the budtender was so excited about the Florida Kush: The strain recently won the top prize at the 2023 Major Cannabis Cup in Kansas City.
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