Commerce City Kush: Why Colorado Tokers Love This Strain | Westword
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Why Colorado Tokers Love Commerce City Kush

Commerce City Kush, a creation of Denver breeder Rare Dankness, hasn’t achieved stardom yet – but this hyper-local indica definitely has widespread potential.
Represent with Commerce City Kush.
Represent with Commerce City Kush. Herbert Fuego
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Although Colorado-bred strains stretch far and wide through the weed world, no strain with a name honoring our great state has yet to gain national prominence. Sure, there’s Colorado Cough (Fort Collins Cough to some), but it’s hard to find in Colorado dispensaries, let alone around the rest of the country. And while Commerce City Kush, a creation of Denver breeder Rare Dankness, hasn’t achieved stardom yet, either, this hyper-local indica definitely has widespread potential.

A product of Chemdawg #4 and Rare Dankness #1, Commerce City Kush is a heavy hitter that can provide medical patients with hash-like relief. The potent high can be almost debilitating, pushing users into the depths of their couches while suspending their heads in a euphoric fog for hours. Even stoners can have a hard time with it, and I speak from experience: Commerce City Kush was my first smoke after a four-day break, and three hits from a pipe might as well have cut my legs off and given me a lobotomy. Comparing this strain to a classic indica like Afghani is like matching up an NBA team from 1958 against the Golden State Warriors of today. The offensive power isn’t even close.

A lot of strains have heavy coats of trichomes covering their calyxes in this potency-driven industry, but that doesn’t always mean they look better for it. Like Alien Rocky or Gelato, though, Commerce City Kush is enhanced by its overly resinous genetics and rich, bright-green color, with buds resembling sugar-dipped grapes in the sunshine.

Commerce City Kush is easiest to find at Rare Dankness’s dispensary, House of Dankness, but it has also been sold intermittently in stores that sell Rare Dankness wholesale strains, such as Ascend Cannabis, the Joint, the Kind Room and Sense of Healing. But since it’s $35 an eighth at House of Dankness, you might as well go straight to the source, which is located just a few minutes south of the Purina dog food plant. Take a drive by and decide which Commerce City smell you like better.

Looks: Circular, dense nugs make Commerce City Kush flower look like a bunch of small resin-glazed tennis balls. The color, already a bright green, is heavily influenced by its trichome production and rusty, faded-orange pistils.

Smell: It smells better than dog food, for sure. Piney, tart whiffs of melon and soil with subtle hints of Diesel and pepper give it a full-bodied aroma, though you might have to pinch a nug to get it all.

Flavor: Mostly full of Diesel and pine flavors, Commerce City Kush starts out with a taste similar to Jet Fuel and Skywalker OG, with subtle, spicy notes on the back end.

Effects: A classic indica, it gives users instant elation with little focus. Heavy potency makes it an after-hours strain for most, as concentration, wit, motor skills and virtually all traits of functionality go out the window. This is a great choice for bedtime and for medical patients, however, as its powerful effects can treat anxiety, chronic pain, depression, eating disorders, insomnia, and less important ailments like boredom.

Home grower’s take: “I’m usually too impatient to grow with seeds, but I couldn’t help myself when I saw the name. Call it a vanity project or falling for Rare Dankness’s marketing, but either way, I’m glad I tried it. Commerce City Kush has been one of the strongest strains I’ve had in the grow in the last three years. It’s scary for some people, like a lot of Rare Dankness strains, because it’s from seed and there’s not much literature or advice available out there about it. Grows like an indica, though: pretty short and stocky plant with very dense and round buds. Took ten weeks to flower, which is a long process when you factor in growing from seeds, but it’s worth it — especially if you’re a caregiver. Your patients will appreciate this, believe me.”

Is there a strain you’d like to see profiled? Email [email protected].

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