I'm a bit of a tolerance monster, so be warned if you choose to read on =) Sapphire Daze was one of my absolute top strains during my 5-6 week stay in Canada for back treatments due to severe whiplash in 2009. My whole body ia realigning and the pain and stiffness are real! On top of that, I have severe irritable bowels that hate jetlag horribly. Needless to say, life can be pain and discomfort. I picked up a 0.5g pre-roll at my favorite dispensary (Lake City Cannabis, Chestermere, AB), since the price was all right. The pain and nausea were reduced right down and I found myself in the perfect balanced state. I was relaxed but not couch locked, able to eat without having the munchies, aware of my body without emphasizing the stiff areas too much, neither too social nor too antisocial, nor too focused or lost in thought. There was a definite high for 1-2.5 hours, which was really delightful, and I wouldn't recommend driving right after smoking but if you need some anxiety relief this may be worth trying once you come down a bit. I did find it rather strong, as the 0.5g pre-roll held up against some of the best 1g rolls I had during my trip. The smoke may have been a bit dry with some coughing, and I would rather get this in bud form for alternate consumption (like hemp blunts or edibles), but nevertheless, this was the most enjoyable, controlled, non-anxious high I had!
I'm a bit of a tolerance monster, so bear that in mind if you keep reading =)
I picked up the 2x 1g pre-rolls at my favorite dispensary (Lake City Cannabis, Chestermere AB) and enjoyed one outside in the Chinook.
The smell was subtle but very nice, though I didn't pay enough attention to pick out the particular terpenes, though there was a bit of fruit/citrus perhaps. The smoke was quite smooth and didn't need to be re-lit almost at all, with low-medium coughing.
The high hit quite fast, with burgers coming on reasonably early in the smoke (for those unfamiliar with the phrase, it's when your lower eyelids puff up and make your eyes look like tiny hamburgers - the "burger eyes"). The high was intense and very pleasant, with depression and pain easing off very quickly.
The intense part of the high, sadly, wasn't so long-lasting, for an hour or so, but the body high and mellow to follow was very pleasant. I did note that I was a fair bit colder than usual on this strain. Focus was very good but not overwhelming (as in, I could be brought out of what I was doing without the feeling of being torn away). Music was great.
My irritable bowels had been half-awake earlier but went back to sleep on this strain. My nausea and unwillingness to eat was fully eliminated. I'm usually very good with controlling the munchies, but I did find myself reaching for snacks and having to hold back (though there wasn't an active sensation of hunger, which is good).
Overall, this was a really nice strain, a pleasant smoke, and a very enjoyable high with no real downsides. If I were to give this a full score, I would want the highest part of the high to last twice as long if I'm going to be paying this price.
I tend to be a bit of a tolerance monster, so keep that in mind if you keep reading =)
I found this strain on sale for a pretty good price at my favorite Lake City Cannabis (Chestermere, AB) and decided to give it a try, but was warned that it tends to be dry AF.
Opening it, there was a packet to preserve moisture but it had sadly not done its job very well. There were a few good-sized nugs, as well as some extra smaller bits, and the nugs were mild in color and orangey-golden when ground.
I packed 0.75-1g into a hemp blunt shell. It was indeed a pretty dry smoke, with a medium amount of coughing. The smoke was steady, however, and though it burned a tad hot, I only had to relight it once (rare for me).
I didn't feel anything until I stood up after my smoke (which took about 20 minutes, give or take). As soon as I stood I started unconsciously moving to the music I had playing. Listening to music, dancing, and watching the stars were all very enjoyable.
My irritable bowels and depression had been more or less leaving me alone on this particular day, though I had made poor eating choices earlier in the day (shame day at Tim Horton's with a bit o' the green dragon... oops); I found myself willing to eat dinner but not particularly interested in my food. The feeling of "eww, I ate too many donuts" overwhelmed any potential urge to eat the world. The body high was nice and relaxing but I was a bit hyperaware of the stiffness in my spine. My mild headache from earlier went away, though there was mild, inoffensive pressure around my eyes and temples for a short while.
The strong high seemed to ride for at least an hour or two, with a slow and gentle downswing. My overall mood was mellow, interested, focused, and perhaps a tad cheeky. A good couch lock was possible, but it likewise wasn't hard to get up and cook/clean up. I didn't have any company so I can't say how social I was feeling, but I had no trouble keeping myself entertained. I was a little on the jumpy side, which felt like it would be either really good or really bad for watching horror movies (depending on your taste).
Overall, an enjoyable, pleasant vibe. To get a full score it would need a bit more effort put into the packaging so it doesn't smoke quiet so dry (I would rate this 3.5) or a at least a bit of a drop in price.
I walked into this store with a promise that, during a brief relocation to Chestermere, if I liked the place they would see a lot of me. And boy did they ever.
The shop is right off the highway underneath the Chestermere public house, a bit hidden, and I drove past it once or twice before I found the little sign outside. The inside is beautiful, modern, with sealed nugs on display and a nice selection of glassware, grinders, rolling papers... the usual paraphernalia. Lift brand grinders are incoming soon!
Ryan, the mustachioed fellow who runs the place, is exactly what you want in your local shaman, be you a newbie or a seasoned pro. Whatever you're looking for, whatever symptoms you want to control or relief you seek to find, whatever trip you want to have, he's got something for it and his advice is solid, which is great for a tolerance monster like myself with no idea what to try.
He introduced me to Skunk Brand Hemp Cones which are now my #1 favorite way to smoke (by far the least coughing I do is with these blunt shells) and hooked me up with whatever random effect that I asked for, and it did exactly what I wanted: numb my chronic back and neck pain, calm anxiety, stress, and depression, and generally help me be more relaxed, open-minded, and creative. Whatever I needed, Ryan hooked me up.
They've also got a pre-roll happy hour and weekly deals, which I've not seen in many (any?) other dispensaries. Truly, it's worth the little jaunt out of town if you've got an extra minute, and as I said, it's conveniently just off the highway!
What a stroke of luck that I picked up this strain. I swear the cannabis gods were looking out for me.
I'm what we call a tolerance monster, so keep that in mind if you keep reading =)
I was having a pretty perfectly normal day, and I picked this up because it had 19.1% and came in a 7g cannister (I can usually only find 3.5s at my favorite dispensary), and I wanted to do some baking with a lot of bud. I packed about 6g away for baking and left myself a couple of decent-sized nugs (maybe just under 1g) to test out in the meantime.
I admit I missed out on checking the scent/flavor profile but I feel like it was on the earthier side of things (I'd need to try it again to confirm).
There was a good balance between body awareness and pain relief in my shoulders and spine. There was a tad of pressure in the ears, but less around the eyes than usual. This did give me fairly dry eyes and a touch of cottonmouth.
I absolutely 100% recommend this strain for depression. Here is my experience: right before I smoked my 1g (give or take) blunt, I had a big depressive breakdown. As bad as I can get, dwelling on little things and hating myself, just generally feeling awful and like laying down and never getting up again. I did manage to drag myself outside for a smoke and felt almost instantly better. For one, the dinner that I had made that I was now disgusted to eat became edible again, so I was saved from bitterly starving myself. However, I wasn't too muchie and still ate enough that I no longer felt myself at risk of getting sick from that (I have very severe irritable bowels). The IBS, incidentally, stayed under control on this strain.
The specific effect that Lola Montes had on me, regarding the depressive episode, was to keep my thoughts on the surface. I found myself quite focused but never dwelling on anything and not thinking deeply at all. Bad thoughts didn't seem to come to my mind because I was focused only on what was directly in front of me. As I wrote this, I tried to come up with a bad thought, and considering I had just been a bawling wreck 15 minutes prior to smoking, you'd think I'd have had plenty of negative thoughts... but there was nothing. I just wanted to sit back and either do something or experience something. Music seemed like a good idea, maybe continue watching Tommy Chong on Joe Rogan's podcast, or maybe watch a movie. I had been tired before despite it being around 6:30 p.m. but while I felt hazy I wasn't sleepy. The haziness was nice. Rather than lay down and dwell in bad thoughts, I sat down on my computer and did some work.
The edge of the high was not particularly sharp and wore down after approximately 2 hours, allowing my thoughts to slowly get deeper again without overwhelming me, leaving me calm for the rest of the evening.
Regarding driving, I was still too depressive to want to go anywhere, which made wondering if I was able to drive seem like a stupid question that wasn't worth considering. However, I suspect the focus on what you're doing would allow capable drivers to feel fairly safe on this strain.
Staying hydrated on this strain is prudent due to the mild dryness. Reading and music were both enjoyable, separately or together. I didn't feel particularly up to gaming, though that may have been mood-related.
Ultimately this was a really relaxing high that wasn't too intense and really ended up being exactly what I needed in a truly horrific bout of depression. If you're searching for something to calm you the fuck down when you're freaking out, you might find a gem in this one. Likely would work wonders on stress and anxiety too, seeing as those are both symptoms of my depression.
From a tolerance monster:
Definitely one of my favorites for gaming. I love the relaxation and focus, as well as the general good feeling and mellow. It keeps me alert and aware, focused, and a bit clever. Not my pick for music, but that's okay, there are other strains for that.
This was one of the better strains we found on one trip to Amsterdam. It had a good buzz and a mellow follow-up, and for regular users this still gives a kick.
A good mid-range smokeable for a functional high. I'm a regular user and a shared 1g joint or a mix with some Boaty McBoatface were good to chill and enjoy your evening.
The girl working there helped me pick an affordable, decent vape. Prices are pretty standard for Calgary. The store itself is tidy and nice-looking, though small.
I had the same girl help me both times we visited this shop and she was very friendly and helpful both times. Love the atmosphere here - it feels very classy and posh, and the staff are nice and know their stuff.