CANNA SUTRA THE SEXY ACT OF CANNABIS COPULATION

breeze. But for Cannabis, sex is actually the exception of the plant kingdom, not the rule. Only six percent of plant species have separate male and female individuals, so most plants can just take care of themselves when they’re in the mood. Sounds a bit lonely (and boring). With Cannabis, the amazing diversity and fast transformations breeders see can be attributed to having two parents – while most plants often have just one. Beyond the two sexes, Cannabis coitus and evolution have been influenced by humanity. We know for sure that people have used Cannabis medicinally for at least 5,000 years. It’s more than likely that plants with better qualities were selected for survival and propagation and over time, were shared by nomads around Asia, Europe and Africa.

Humans have been self-motivated matchmakers for millennia, and the evolution of the alluring Cannabis flower progressed slowly for eons through both natural and human influence.

Ironically, prohibition may have actually saved Cannabis from the monoculture we see in today's “Big Ag” settings and helped preserve landrace varieties. As we all know, weed has been vilified by racists and greedy businessmen since the early 20th century, so by the time transcontinental world travel and the communication from unwitting hobbyists, a random seed in a bag of bud, or an overlooked male plant that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After all, anyone who plays can win the lottery, and judging weed is a pretty subjective effort – with conflicting opinions on what's dank happening as often as consensus. More often than not, if a specific terpene profile or cannabinoid ratio doesn't speak to you, it's just that you haven't tried it in the right context. Who knows? Maybe having the best kind of Cannabis is as simple as having a lot of different kinds of Cannabis…

We think that the smartest breeders would seek to preserve just as often as they create. Just a few years ago, nobody wanted purple flowers … now they're the bee’s knees, fetching top dollar. Suddenly those purple strains stashed in the back of the seed vault are pretty important. Breeding techniques could easily take Cannabis in the direction of corn and soybeans (where one variety makes up 98% of the market), but if we choose a different path and embrace variety, we can use these powerful tools to create an economy that’s diverse – while protecting the individuality of the plant, as it speaks to each of us.

They say happiness held is a seed, but happiness shared is a flower. And it turns out, love is just like wildflowers – often found in the most unlikely places.

Elevated Eighths

Whether you roll papers, pack a bowl or load the dry herb vaporizer when you go to fire up your flower, this issue is all about honoring the Cannabis plant and the beautiful buds she produces. So, for this month’s Connoisseur’s Corner, we figured it was only right to round up some of the most noteworthy nugs available across Washington. No matter how you toke up, if you love terps and top-shelf flower, check out these picks for elevated eighths!

Torus Mint Milkshake

Torus was created to advance the craft of deep water cultivation –a proprietary in-house process that “blends art and science” and results in some seriously fire flower. We also love the hightech Torus jars featuring a vacuum seal lid, which uses air extraction to preserve terpenes and freshness. This Mint Milkshake is a cross of Ice Cream Cake x Animal Mintz, bred by Seed Junky Genetics. Smooth and creamy on the exhale, a toke tastes like a refreshing mint chocolate chip milkshake on a blazing summer day. With a 75:25 indica:sativa ratio and dominant limonene, b-caryophyllene and myrcene terpenes, this strain will have you feeling tranquil and relaxed. We like to say it’s the perfect midnight smoker’s snack before bedtime. (27.3% THC)

TORUSCULTURE.COM

@TORUSCULTURE

Subx Guava Oreoz

SUBX is a small producer/processor specializing in “modern and classic genetics” – and this Guava Oreoz is truly the best of both worlds. Bred by Obsoul33t3 Genetics, she’s a hybrid cross of Guava Gelato (Thin Mint GSC x Sunset Sherbet) x Oreoz (Cookies & Cream x Secret Weapon). Those timeless Gelato terps we all know and love are definitely present, but with a surprisingly tart twist from the Sherb. This flower has an extremely frosty appearance with a skunkyyet-sweet aroma. A little hashy, a little musky and a little tropical, it’s spot on guava – one of the hottest flavor profiles hitting flower shelves this spring. (24.2% THC)

SUBDUED-EXCITEMENT.COM

@SUBXWA

FOX CANNABIS CO.

The Goat

A small-batch cultivator with a sustainability-focused facility nestled in the northwest corner of Washington, Fox Cannabis Co. is actually the state’s first I-502 processor to use 100% renewable energy. The GOAT was bred by Red Cup Genetics and crosses Modified Mints x Animal Mints for an earthy sweetness with strong notes of vanilla. There’s also some funk from the GMO in the Modified Mints, finished with just a trace of mint from the SinMint Cookies that appears in both parent genetics. As a pretty even-keeled hybrid, this strain can be a go-to for both day and nighttime use – personally, we thought that sweet earthy funk paired well with an afternoon hike through the beautiful PNW woods.

(30% THC)

FOXCANNABISWA.COM

@FOX.CANNABISWA

Cookie Jar Cannabis Lavender Cookies

Cookie Jar Cannabis operates a family-owned facility out in Bellingham specializing in elite, house-bred genetics. This Lavender Cookies is a stunning example of such – a cross of Lavender x Animal Cookies bred and selected by the Cookie Jar team out in San Francisco back in 2011. She is floral and herbaceous on the nose, with some of the sweet cookie terp shining through on the back end. Dominant in caryophyllene, humulene and limonene, this strain is like a cup of sleepytime tea in a jar. Speaking of jars, the brand uses food-grade glass to better preserve the flower inside, and the minimal design without the usual slew of stickers is intentionally done to encourage their reuse and recycling.

(22.3% THC)

COOKIEJARCANNABIS.COM

@COOKIEJARCANNABIS