Staff are the most friendly and personable of any dispensary I've visited (out of 5 so far in Illinois) and their weekly specials, baseline prices, and overall selection kick ass! Truly a great bunch over there in Rogers Park, plus they have munchies in the lobby- come on!
Grandpa Bub, easily my favorite Pharmacannis flower so far, is an uncompromising indica for connoisseurs and patients in need of heavy duty relief. Its strong-smelling buds are sticky with pungent resin and approach critical density; watch one little nug fill out a king size Raw- it's a magic trick! Though this flower's dank, almost spicy aroma rushes the nostrils like a linebacker, a dry hit has a slight essence of pickle flavored potato chips. The smoke is broad across the palate, replete with hints of ancient grains, brazil nut, and hibiscus with some woody and light coffee overtones. Bub's rapturous high comes through like Santa Claus, handing out fishbowl eyeballs, alternating frontal/occipital massages, and a calm-but-capable, quasi-numb body that all collaborate to make hours pass in an instant. Momentum is the name of this strain's game; it's as functional as you feel like being, but turns to quicksand if you'd rather melt into a mellow recline. Similarly, though I didn't find it induced munchies, once I started eating (and remembered I had skipped the previous meal), my stomach felt bottomless. Considering the core relaxation and light arousal that Grandpa Bub provides, I can recommend no other for a solo "exploration" session.
With a face made of putty, legs made of jelly, and a light pressure around the temples and frontal lobe, I can report that this live wax by Pharmacannis is a stiff physical cocktail that'll leave you anything but. Though finding the perfect temperature to unlock the semifirm, goldenrod wax's potential can take a bit of trial-and-error, doing so yields a sumptuous hit that's as full-bodied as it is full of flavor. Strong notes of sweet lemonade or old-fashioned sanded candy lead the pack, harmoniously flanked by muddled strokes of ammonia and mowed grass. Plus, thanks to a boost of auditory sensitivity, this concentrate makes a perfect companion for unwinding with a choice record.
Peeling back the seal tab of an eighth of BG Black Kush (which, like all Bedford Grow products, is nitrogen flushed to preserve optimum freshness), I'm struck with a piercing ammonia smell. It's remarkably easy to smoke- a gram joint went down like a glass of water- but it did take the whole thing to get me where I needed to be, so potency is definitely in the lower end of midrange. The mild, acorn-tinged smoke leads with a slowing stupor, followed in about half an hour by a dissipation of pain and slight arousal. At several points, I caught myself staring at abstract pattens in my environment as the top center of my head felt pressed upon like an Angolan woman carrying a jug of water. Great for a movie night, this strain acts as a parachute to mental activity, slowing accleration but maintaining altitude with a slow descent.
These mouth-watering fruit chews come in five delicious, all-natural and non-GMO fruit flavors (berry, lime, lemon, grape, and orange) and my usual dose of 80mg put me in a warp zone for hours. Shouts out to GTI for partnering with yet another quality manufacturer on a hit collaboration.
This live resin by Pharmacannis is terpy as all hell, screaming with grapefruit acidity both in smell and flavor, and melts clean and juicy, providing a throaty hit rich in THC. A little over-hybridized for my personal preference, JFSD exhibits a somewhat discordant mix of effects including an increased heart rate, lazy limbs, and a clear but passive mind. As a result, while it serves as a nice palate cleanser in a multi-dab session, the lack of specificity keeps it from being a dependable go-to for any given context. To Pharmacannis' credit, while the strain itself isn't my cup of tea, the color and texture of this live resin is exemplary, making it a pleasure to have sampled.
Cresco's Blueberry Space Cake shatter begins with an instant stunning blow to the head that demolishes anxiety and a physical sensation like warm magma seeping from the center of the body and cooling to igneous rock in the limbs. A bit on the darker orange/sienna side, though clear enough to read through, this highly stable shatter hits clean with minimal residue even at low dabbing temperatures. An obscure chord of fresh, chemical notes dominate its flavor, bringing to mind all-natural household cleaners. Given time to permeate my system, viscous waves of heady euphoria wash over me as responsiveness to touch rises steeply, suiting this indica ideally for pre-bedtime cuddles.
If you're one for concentrates, Ataraxia's G6 (aka Jet Fuel) Sunrock Shatter is a fantastic midday selection. The translucent yellow shatter is rock-stable even in your hands but still delectably terpy, adding up to a fairly smooth yet throat-tickling toke with incomparably tart & juicy mango/peach/passion fruit flavor. Major munchies typically ensue in my experience, particularly for sweet carbs and umami proteins, but once the cravings are satisfied, G6's broadly distributed energy and soaring, happy high can help make light work of intrinsically-motivated tasks or get you pumped for some cardio exercise. The only thing detracting from a perfect 5 score to this dependable dab's credit is the relatively short peak that tails off into a lazier, low-altitude cruise.
Pharmacannis' Chi-Dawg flower is an upbeat, complex offering that crosses two perky sativa-dom hybrids, Chiesel and Stardawg. The enigmatic aroma shed by its dense, purple-flecked nugs discreetly combines old leather, new car, and the more pungent areas of the zoo. Upon taking a much-warranted dry hit (a toke on the joint before lighting it to suss out its flavors), I'm struck with a savory chord of Sumatran coffee, roasted chestnut and oyster mushroom. The harmonious hybrid's smoke carries traces of hickory and blackened scallion, hitting easier than expected with a medium body. Some dogs are good for finding bombs or drugs, but this Dawg, itself a bomb drug (sorry, couldn't help myself), can sniff out a creative rush, emotional clarity, and heightened auditory & tactile intensity along with a prominent laser vision-like eyeball sensation. I suggest taking this engaging puppy for a walk during AM hours.
A delightful yang to Lime Skunk's yin, Cresco's Lime Sorbet is highly body-focused, making for sublime intimate times. These chunky, frosty, emerald buds belong in a museum, but one waft of the mouth-watering key lime scent and you'll go to Nicolas Cage-ian lengths to score and protect this strain. As part of the grower's Reserve line, it comes in upscale, UV-proof glass packaging to keep its contents in pristine condition. She hits impeccably smooth, with a tangy smoke that owes its full body both to harvest freshness and to the sheer abundance of trichomes frosting every green inch. Though Lime Sorbet is effective for full-body pain relief (to a moderate extent) or just to decompress without conking out right away, as I mention above, this is securely in my top 3 sex strains, so it can't hurt to keep some on the nightstand. Bonus: at 3.67%, this strain's CBD content provides extra bodily support and puts anxiety in time-out.