Why Colorado Tokers Love Blueberry

I’ve always loved fruity-flavored cannabis. Not the citrus-heavy strains like Lemon Skunk or Grapefruit, which are great in their own way — but sweet and decadent strains like Cannalope Kush, Cherry Pie and Strawberry Cough. They’re a welcome break from OG-heavy kushes and pungent Diesels and Skunks. Everyone enjoys a visit to the candy shop sometimes, and when you get there, you’re going to want to pick up some Blueberry.

Blueberry is one of the few varieties of flower that you’ll find in a dispensary that might be older than you, other than landrace strains — and that’s because it was bred from them. Blueberry is part of an old genetics line developed by famed breeder DJ Short that includes other hits like Blue Moonshine and Flo. In the 1970s, Short introduced Blueberry to Europe after mixing together a pure Afghani indica with pure Thai and possibly Mexican sativas. The result was a heavy, indica-dominant hybrid with a smell and taste unknown to cannabis but familiar in kitchens: sweet, sweet blueberry pie. The strain’s rich flavor is much closer to frozen-juice concentrate than it is to diluted juice. Like Strawberry Cough, Blueberry has a syrupy aspect, but with earthy notes of hash at the end for balance rather than zest and spice.

A mainstay in the cannabis world, Blueberry is commonly available and usually experienced early by users as they expand their tastes, so think of it as the Fat Tire of chronic — only much better tasting. (No offense, New Belgium.) While it isn’t the hit it once was in the ’70s, Blueberry still makes you feel way groovy before smoothly transitioning into a relaxing sedation. And although the high starts with a clear, talkative buzz, the Afghani genetics smoothly take over and send users into a full-body state of tranquility, so expect an early bedtime if you smoke this for dessert after dinner.

Looks: When cured, buds are a forest green with occasional shades of a bluish violet that come out late in the flowering process. Blueberry’s indica heritage creates wide, clunky buds shaped like anything from a jalapeño to a baby’s fist.

Smell: So sugary it’s almost sickly sweet, Blueberry has fruity notes that might remind users of a Hostess fruit pie, except this is anything but cheap. The syrupy berry notes are rounded out with subdued hints of soil.

Flavor: Blueberry’s flavor is very similar to its smell, starting with sweet, heavy berry flavors and finishing with a somewhat surprising kick of Afghani earthiness.

Effects: Sedating almost immediately, Blueberry’s effects would be all indica if not for the initial chattiness it inspires. Users soon become droopy-eyed and quiet, however, blissfully floating into an introverted zone. The heavy impact makes it useful for stress, depression, insomnia, anxiety and pain.

Home grower’s take: “A classic. My dad’s friends used to grow this shit, and I have a few times, too. DJ Short’s version, always — that’s the original. I always wondered why Blueberry hasn’t given birth to more strains — I know Blueberry Diesel and Headband are out there — because I always wanted to pair this with something like Vanilla Kush or Birthday Cake to see if we could build on the Blueberry flavor. Average flower cycle: about 60 to 65 days at most.”

Commercial grower’s take: “Might be too old for the millennial tokers, but once they actually give it a look and sniff, they’re usually interested. Older crowds gravitate toward it, either because it’s one of the few strains they’re familiar with from the ’70s and ’80s, or because it’s simple to understand: Blueberry must obviously smell and taste like blueberries — and, holy shit, it does! Some people like knowing they won’t be duped by a crazy name with no interesting qualities. I don’t think we’ve ever topped 22 percent THC on it; it’s more about smell and taste with this.”

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