Why Colorado Tokers Love Space Queen

After a heavy week of sleep and sadness thanks to indica-leaning joints of Death Star and the ending of the new Star Wars movie, I decided to blast off with a much more uplifting variety. Space Queen, a fruity hybrid of Cinderella 99 and Romulan, always takes me on a giggle-ridden journey to the moon — without the crushing fall back to Earth.

Space Queen has many enjoyable traits, but my favorite is easily the smell. Even people who don’t like the usual stank of cannabis tend to appreciate a whiff of the warm combination of apples, berries, sandalwood, cheese or butterscotch, depending on the cut — but you’ll find fruity notes in all of them. The strain’s terpene profile is dominated by caryophyllene and humulene — also found in cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger and hops — which makes for calming aromatic effects, despite Space Queen’s being a sativa.

Bred in Canada by the B.C. Growers Association with Romulan, also a Canadian strain, Space Queen might be a top-five Canadian export now that Alan Thicke has passed away. It’s probably more of a dual citizen, however, as it also has roots in Colorado, from Cinderella 99, bred by Brothers Grimm Seeds in Boulder.

Space Queen is largely functional and great for daytime use, but its lofty THC content makes just a few hits too much for an infrequent toker to handle. The impact is similar to that of a caffeine overdose, giving you a buzzing head full of random thoughts and little focus to act on them. (It took three unsuccessful attempts at writing this review for me to realize this.)

As with many other powerful sativas, Space Queen’s mind-binding high can turn into paranoia for some, so ingest in small doses until you know how you’ll react. Still, it won’t be anything like the side effects listed in a Cialis commercial: The majority of users feel nothing but a burst of energy and a case of stupid grins, and the comedown is relatively gentle. Space Queen can also help medical patients suffering from mental disorders like insomnia, PTSD and depression, showing just how hard it is to pinpoint a strain that’s ideal for everyone.

Looks: Space Queen’s nugs are generally dense and either shaped like a football or round with chunky appendages. Most phenotypes have bright specks of purple in the calyxes and, if grown correctly, will have a thick coat of trichomes.

Smell: The scent is full of fruit and spices with savory hints throughout — usually a combination of apples, berries, cinnamon or vanilla — and creamy or cheesy overtones.

Flavor: Always expect the fruit/berry flavors with subtle, spicy hints of Haze and a citrus twist, probably coming from humulene, which is also found in oranges. Creamy and woody aftertastes can be found depending on the phenotype.

Effects: The high is much more like Cinderella 99 than Romulan, with a strong sativa buzz that is usually uplifting but can make some feel paranoid or unfocused. The intense effects are great for zoning out into a hobby or anything music-related.

Home grower’s take: “I’ve had her twice, and the flavor didn’t vary much — mostly berries and Haze. Cinderella 99 was always relatively easy to get, but I don’t see Space Queen clones available much. I wish I had better luck, too, because I really got the trichomes to come out, especially the second time. [They were] sticky and almost glowing in the light, which was really cool once the violet came out in the buds.
I’ve had friends who struggled with it. It requires a lot of attention — leaf-topping and a rigid lighting schedule for eight to nine weeks — and the yield is average, at best. I get why people stay away from it, but the smoke is worth the extra work, in my opinion.”

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